초록 ▼

A hot-fillable, slender, blow-molded plastic bottle for use in containing hot-filled beverages. The bottle has a sidewall with various interactive zones of function. For example, some of the zones are primarily responsible for accommodating vacuum absorption, while other zones are primarily intended

A hot-fillable, slender, blow-molded plastic bottle for use in containing hot-filled beverages. The bottle has a sidewall with various interactive zones of function. For example, some of the zones are primarily responsible for accommodating vacuum absorption, while other zones are primarily intended to rigidify the container such as by providing post strength to improve container top loading capability. Although each zone may have a primary function, each zone also aids adjacent zones in providing their functions. Thus, the entire sidewall, and not merely selected locations, reacts to the forces generated by the hot-fill process on the container.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A blow-molded plastic bottle ( 10 , 110 , 210 ) having a dome ( 12 , 112 , 212 ) with an upstanding finish ( 18 , 118 , 218 ), a base ( 14 , 114 , 214 ), and a substantially tubular sidewall ( 16 , 116 , 216 ) between the base ( 14 , 114 , 214 ) and the dome ( 12 , 112 , 212 ), said sidewall ( 16

1. A blow-molded plastic bottle ( 10 , 110 , 210 ) having a dome ( 12 , 112 , 212 ) with an upstanding finish ( 18 , 118 , 218 ), a base ( 14 , 114 , 214 ), and a substantially tubular sidewall ( 16 , 116 , 216 ) between the base ( 14 , 114 , 214 ) and the dome ( 12 , 112 , 212 ), said sidewall ( 16 , 116 , 216 ) comprising:an alternating pattern of a plurality of circumferentially-spaced vertically-elongate columns ( 24 , 124 , 224 ) and a plurality of circumferentially-spaced substantially smooth-surfaced panels ( 22 , 122 , 222 );each of said columns ( 24 , 124 , 224 ), as formed, being outwardly convex in horizontal cross section and each of said panels ( 22 , 122 , 222 ), as formed, being inwardly concave in horizontal cross section with each of said panels ( 22 , 122 , 222 ) extending laterally between and connecting directly to an adjacent pair of said columns ( 24 , 124 , 224 ); andeach of said columns ( 24 , 124 , 224 ), as formed, being outwardly convex in vertical cross section and each of said panels ( 22 , 122 , 222 ), as formed, being inwardly concave in vertical cross section with each of said columns ( 24 , 124 , 224 ) and panels ( 22 , 122 , 222 ) having opposite ends merging directly into adjacent portions of the bottle ( 10 , 110 , 210 ). 2. A blow-molded plastic bottle ( 10 , 110 , 210 ) according to claim 1, wherein each of said panels ( 22 , 122 , 222 ) flexes outwardly during hot-filling and inwardly in response to a reduction in internal volume when the bottle ( 10 , 110 , 210 ) is capped and permitted to cool; and wherein said inward deflection of said panels ( 22 , 122 , 222 ) increases the horizontal cross-sectional convexity of each of said columns ( 24 , 124 , 224 ), whereby said increased horizontal cross-sectional convexity structurally enhances bottle strength. 3. A blow-molded plastic bottle ( 10 , 110 , 210 ) according to claim 2, wherein each of said as-formed outwardly convex vertical cross-sections of each column ( 24 , 124 , 224 ) straightens in response to the reduction in internal volume when the bottle ( 10 , 110 , 210 ) is hot-filled, capped and permitted to cool; and wherein said vertical straightening structurally enhances the strength of the bottle ( 10 , 110 , 210 ). 4. A blow-molded plastic bottle ( 10 , 110 ) according to claim 3, further comprising a plurality of vertically-aligned finger alignment protrusions ( 32 , 132 ) formed integrally on each of said columns ( 24 , 124 ). 5. A blow-molded plastic bottle ( 10 , 110 ) according to claim 4, wherein said sidewall ( 16 , 116 ) has a number of said panels ( 22 , 122 ) in a range of two through ten and an equal number of said columns ( 24 , 124 ). 6. A blow-molded plastic bottle ( 10 , 110 ) according to claim 5, wherein said sidewall ( 16 , 116 ) has five of said panels ( 22 , 122 ) and five of said columns ( 24 , 124 ) affording side-by-side packing with like bottles ( 10 , 110 ) in a minimum of space with said columns ( 24 , 124 ) of one bottle ( 10 , 110 ) interdigitating with said panels ( 22 , 122 ) of adjacent bottles ( 10 , 110 ). 7. A slender blow-molded plastic bottle ( 10 , 110 , 210 ) comprising:an upper portion with a dome ( 12 , 112 , 212 ) having an upstanding finish ( 18 , 118 , 218 ) capable of being sealed with a closure;a lower portion having a base ( 14 , 114 , 214 ); anda generally tubular intermediate sidewall portion ( 16 , 116 , 216 ) between said upper and lower portions, said sidewall portion ( 16 , 116 , 216 ) being formed with a plurality of circumferentially-spaced vertically-elongate columns ( 24 , 124 , 224 ) in an alternating pattern with a plurality of circumferentially-spaced substantially smooth-surfaced panels ( 22 , 122 , 222 );each of said columns ( 24 , 124 , 224 ), as formed, being outwardly convex in horizontal cross section and each of said panels ( 22 , 122 , 222 ), as formed, being inwardly concave in horizontal cross section such that each of said panels ( 22 , 122 , 222 ) extends lat erally between and connects directly to an adjacent pair of said columns ( 24 , 124 , 224 );each of said columns ( 24 , 124 , 224 ), as formed, being outwardly convex in vertical cross section and each of said panels ( 22 , 122 , 222 ), as formed, being inwardly concave in vertical cross section such that each of said columns ( 24 , 124 , 224 ) and panels ( 22 , 122 , 222 ) has opposite ends which merge directly into adjacent portions of the bottle ( 10 , 110 , 210 );each of said panels ( 22 , 122 , 222 ) flexing outwardly to expand the volume of the bottle ( 10 , 110 , 210 ) during hot-filling and each of said panels ( 22 , 122 , 222 ) flexing inwardly in response to a reduction in internal volume after the bottle ( 10 , 110 , 210 ) is capped and permitted to cool; andsaid inward deflection of said panels ( 22 , 122 , 222 ) functioning to increase the horizontal cross-sectional convexity of each of said columns ( 24 , 124 , 224 ) and of decreasing the vertical cross-section convexity of each of said columns ( 24 , 124 , 224 ). 8. A slender blow-molded plastic bottle ( 10 , 110 ) according to claim 7, further comprising a plurality of vertically-aligned finger alignment protrusions ( 32 , 132 ) formed integrally on each of said columns ( 24 , 124 ) to define therebetween finger grip locations and to structurally reinforce said columns ( 24 , 124 ) at desired locations. 9. A slender blow-molded plastic bottle ( 10 , 110 ) according to claim 7, wherein each of said panels ( 22 , 122 ) has a vertical center line and a pair of lateral side edges, and each of said columns ( 24 , 124 ) has a vertical center line and a pair of lateral side edges; wherein, in the as-formed condition of the bottle ( 10 , 110 ), each of said panels ( 22 , 122 ) at said panel center line extends radially inward a pre-determined distance relative to said panel side edges and each of said columns ( 24 , 124 ) at said column center line extends radially outward a pre-determined distance relative to said column side edges; wherein said column and panel side edges lie on a cylindrical datum plane (D); and wherein said pre-determined distances of said panels and columns are substantially equal. 10. A slender blow molded plastic bottle ( 10 , 110 ) according to claim 9, wherein said pre-determined distances of said panels ( 22 , 122 ) and said columns ( 24 , 124 ) are in the range of about 1 to about 4 mm. 11. A slender blow-molded plastic bottle ( 10 ) according to claim 7, wherein each of said columns ( 24 ) has a substantially rectangular periphery. 12. A slender blow molded plastic bottle ( 110 ) according to claim 7, wherein each of said columns ( 124 ) has an hourglass-shaped configuration with a minimum peripheral extent at about a vertical median of the sidewall ( 116 ). 13. A slender blow-molded plastic bottle ( 10 , 110 ) according to claim 7, wherein each of said panels ( 22 , 122 ) and each of said columns ( 24 , 124 ) has upper peripheral edges positioned in an end-to-end array having a substantially circular horizontal cross-sectional shape; and wherein each of said panels ( 22 , 122 ) and each of said columns ( 24 , 124 ) have lower peripheral edges positioned in an end-to-end array having a substantially circular horizontal cross-sectional shape. 14. A slender blow-molded plastic bottle ( 10 , 110 ) according to claim 13, wherein said sidewall portion ( 16 , 116 ) has two to ten of said panels ( 22 , 122 ) and an equal number of said columns ( 24 , 124 ). 15. A blow-molded slender plastic bottle ( 10 , 110 ) comprising:a dome ( 12 , 112 ) having an upper portion with an upstanding sealable finish ( 18 , 118 ) and a lower portion with a circumferential groove providing a waist ( 20 );a base ( 14 , 114 ); anda tubular sidewall ( 16 , 116 ) between said dome ( 12 , 112 ) and said base ( 14 , 114 ), said sidewall ( 16 , 116 ) being formed with a plurality of circumferentially-spaced vertically-elongate columns ( 24 , 124 ) disposed in an alternating pattern with a plurality of circumferentially-spaced substantially smooth-surfaced panels ( 22 , 122 );each of said columns ( 24 , 124 ), as formed, being outwardly convex in horizontal cross section and each of said panels ( 22 , 122 ), as formed, being inwardly concave in horizontal cross section such that each of said panels ( 22 , 122 ) extends laterally between and merges directly with an adjacent pair of said columns ( 24 , 124 );each of said columns ( 24 , 124 ), as formed, being outwardly convex in vertical cross section and each of said panels ( 22 , 122 ), as formed, being inwardly concave in vertical cross section such that each of said columns ( 24 , 124 ) and panels ( 22 , 122 ) has opposite ends which merge directly into said dome ( 12 , 112 ) and base ( 14 , 114 ) of the bottle ( 10 , 110 );each of said panels ( 22 , 122 ) flexing outwardly to expand the volume of the bottle ( 10 , 110 ) during hot-filling and each of said panels ( 22 , 122 ) flexing inwardly in response to a reduction in internal volume when the bottle ( 10 , 110 ) is capped and permitted to cool; andsaid inward deflection of said panels ( 22 , 122 ) increasing the horizontal cross-sectional convexity and decreasing the vertical cross-sectional convexity of each of said columns ( 24 , 124 ) for structurally enhancing bottle top loading strength. 16. A blow-molded slender plastic bottle ( 10 , 110 ) according to claim 15, further comprising a plurality of vertically-aligned outwardly protruding finger alignment protrusions ( 32 , 132 ) formed integrally on each of said columns ( 24 , 124 ) to define finger grip locations and to structurally modify the strength of said columns ( 24 , 124 ) at desired locations. 17. A blow-molded slender plastic bottle ( 10 , 110 ) according to claim 15, wherein each of said panels ( 22 , 122 ) has a central portion with a periphery, and each of said columns ( 24 , 124 ) has a central portion with a periphery; wherein, in the as-formed condition of the bottle ( 10 , 110 ), each of said panels ( 22 , 122 ) at said central portion extends radially inward a pre-determined distance relative to said panel periphery and each of said columns ( 24 , 124 ) at said column central portion extends radially outward a pre-determined distance relative to said column periphery; and wherein said pre-determined distances of said panels ( 22 , 122 ) and columns ( 24 , 124 ) are substantially equal. 18. A blow-molded slender plastic bottle ( 10 , 110 ) according to claim 15, having a slenderness ratio of about 3.3:1. 19. A blow-molded slender plastic bottle ( 10 , 110 ) according to claim 15, having upper and lower bumpers ( 16 a , 16 b , 116 a , 116 b ) above and below said sidewall ( 16 , 116 ), and wherein said columns ( 24 , 124 ), in said bottle as-formed condition, lie within a cylindrical plane (P) tangent to said bumpers ( 16 a , 16 b , 116 a , 116 b ). 20. A blow-molded slender plastic bottle ( 10 , 110 ) according to claim 19, having a cylindrical datum plane (D) coaxial with said first-mentioned cylindrical plane (P) and located inwardly thereof, said cylindrical datum plane (D) at said sidewall vertical median defining a reference with respect to which said columns ( 24 , 124 ) and said panels ( 22 , 122 ) flex.