Patent Application
20200062438
The present disclosure generally relates to plastic containers, including hot-fill plastic containers and methods for making hot-fill plastic containers.
This background description is set forth below for the purpose of providing context only. Therefore, any aspect of this background description, to the extent that it does not otherwise qualify as prior art, is neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the instant disclosure.
Plastic containers are used in hot-fill applications—e.g., to store contents that are filled at an elevated temperature, and are permitted to cool. During the hot filling process, a heated liquid content may be introduced to a plastic container. The heated liquid can displace air within the container. As the heated liquid cools, the liquid may become more soluble for air, and may draw trapped internal air in the container back into the liquid contents—which can create an additional internal vacuum. Also, as product contents sit on a shelf for a period of time, there is a phenomenon, known as water vapor transmission loss (WVTL) that can occur, for example, in connection with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers. With WVTL, water trapped inside of the container can migrate out of the container over the course of the product shelf-life. Such a situation can be more challenging with lighter weight containers, lightweight plastic containers may have comparatively thinner wall thicknesses (at least in portions thereof), and a WVTL rate for a container is related to material thickness.
There is a desire for solutions/options that help to address one or more challenges associated with hot-fill plastic containers, including lightweight plastic hot-fill containers, which may be comprised of PET. The foregoing discussion is intended only to illustrate examples of the present field and should not be taken as a disavowal of scope.
A hot-fill plastic container may have a polygonal (e.g., hex-shape) sidewall portion and a plurality of panels disposed in the sidewall portion that are configured to flex in response to an internal vacuum pressure. Further, in embodiments, the container may be suitable for hot filling while having a container weight that may be 20% to 30%, or even higher percentages, below current comparative conventional weights for a plastic container that is intended to hold an equivalent volume of contents. In embodiments, the panels may be configured, e.g., adjusted or “tuned,” to provide a desired (e.g., reduced or extended) shelf-life.
The foregoing and other aspects, features, details, utilities, and/or advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent from reading the following description, and from reviewing the accompanying drawings.
It is noted that dimensions and/or tolerances included with the figures are for the purposes of illustrating an embodiment of the present disclosure, and the invention is not limited to the specific dimensions and/or tolerances provided.
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the present disclosure will be described in conjunction with embodiments and/or examples, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the present disclosure to these embodiments and/or examples. On the contrary, the present disclosure is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents.
An embodiment of a plastic container 10 according to aspects and/or teachings of the present disclosure is generally illustrated in
Front and side elevation views of the embodiment of a plastic container are shown in
As generally illustrated in
As generally shown with respect to the embodiment illustrated in
With reference to
With reference to
With reference to
As generally illustrated in connection with embodiments shown in
In embodiments, such as generally illustrated, the upper sidewall portion 50 may include one or more structural reinforcing formations, which may, for example and without limitation, comprise one or more circumferential bands or ribs 80.
As illustrated, the lower sidewall portion 60 may include a plurality of panels 90 that may extend in a longitudinal direction and which can be configured to flex in response to internal pressures, such as internal vacuum pressure. In embodiments, panels 90 may generally extend between the upper sidewall portion 50 and the base portion 70. Also with embodiments, as generally illustrated, each panel 90 may include an upper curved portion 100 and/or a lower curved portion 110. In embodiments, for example as generally illustrated in the figures (e.g.,
The panels 90 may further include one or more panel formations 120 that can control or affect the flexibility or flexing of a respective panel—for example, in response to an internal vacuum force, such as that encountered with hot-fill containers and the cooling associated with such container contents. For example, and without limitations, the panel formations 120 may comprise one or more ribs that extend in a circumferential direction across a portion of a panel 90.
With embodiments, such a unique configuration of the panels 90, such as generally illustrated, for example in a polygonal configuration, can permit lightweighting of similarly configured, similarly-sized containers. For example, plastic containers embodying aspects and/or teachings of the present disclosure may weigh about 20-30%, or even greater percentages, below current comparative conventional weights for a plastic container intended to hold an equivalent volume of contents. Moreover, such a weight reduction for hot-fill type plastic containers can be achieved without the utilization of secondary equipment. Further, the present disclosure can provide a plastic container having a portion (e.g., lower sidewall portion) with a polygonal shape, such as a “hex” or “hexagonal” shape, that can permit the container to compensate for vacuum pressures while increasing container strength as the panels flex.
Use of panels such as taught by the present disclosure can provide comparatively lighter weight plastic containers capable of more than one year of shelf life. That is, among other things, the teachings of the present disclosure can address and/or overcome common WVTL issues with super lightweight containers (i.e., containers that exhibit lightweighting reductions along the lines as previously mentioned). Moreover, the present disclosure is adjustable or scalable, as may be required or desired, to provide an intended amount of vacuum compensation. For example, if an intended product requires a long shelf-life, all sides (e.g., six panel sides for a hexagonal configuration) may be configured to accommodate (e.g., “pull in” in response to) vacuum forces. Alternatively, if a lesser shelf-life is intended or acceptable, an embodiment may involve a plastic container with a hexagonal portion having three panel sides configured to primarily accommodate vacuum forces, while the remaining three sides (which may be interspersed circumferentially therebetween—e.g., alternating) may be stiffened to reduce movement. Such stiffening may be effectuated, and the amount or degree of stiffening/strengthening controlled, for example, by adding or modifying strengthening formations with one or more panels and/or in an upper sidewall portion. In such a manner, a given hot-fill plastic container may be light weight and configured (adjusted or “tuned”) to meet an intended shelf life. In embodiments, the stiffening of a given panel may involve the inclusion of one or more formations or ribs (such as, for example, the ribs in the panels generally illustrated in
Various embodiments are described herein for various apparatuses, systems, and/or methods. Numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the overall structure, function, manufacture, and use of the embodiments as described in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It will be understood by those skilled in the art, however, that the embodiments may be practiced without such specific details. In other instances, well-known operations, components, and elements have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments described in the specification. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the embodiments described and illustrated herein are non-limiting examples, and thus it can be appreciated that the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein may be representative and do not necessarily limit the scope of the embodiments.
Reference throughout the specification to “various embodiments,” “with embodiments,” “in embodiments,” or “an embodiment,” or the like, means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in various embodiments,” “with embodiments,” “in embodiments,” or “an embodiment,” or the like, in places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Thus, the particular features, structures, or characteristics illustrated or described in connection with one embodiment/example may be combined, in whole or in part, with the features, structures, functions, and/or characteristics of one or more other embodiments/examples without limitation given that such combination is not illogical or non-functional. Moreover, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope thereof.
It should be understood that references to a single element are not necessarily so limited and may include one or more of such element. Any directional references (e.g., plus, minus, upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, leftward, rightward, top, bottom, above, below, vertical, horizontal, clockwise, and counterclockwise) are only used for identification purposes to aid the reader's understanding of the present disclosure, and do not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of embodiments.
Joinder references (e.g., attached, coupled, connected, and the like) are to be construed broadly and may include intermediate members between a connection of elements and relative movement between elements. As such, joinder references do not necessarily imply that two elements are directly connected/coupled and in fixed relation to each other. The use of “e.g.” in the specification is to be construed broadly and is used to provide non-limiting examples of embodiments of the disclosure, and the disclosure is not limited to such examples. Uses of “and” and “or” are to be construed broadly (e.g., to be treated as “and/or”). For example and without limitation, uses of “and” do not necessarily require all elements or features listed, and uses of “or” are intended to be inclusive unless such a construction would be illogical.
While examples of dimensions of certain components may be described herein, such dimensions are provided as non-limiting examples and the components may have other dimensions.
While processes, systems, and methods may be described herein in connection with one or more steps in a particular sequence, it should be understood that such methods may be practiced with the steps in a different order, with certain steps performed simultaneously, with additional steps, and/or with certain described steps omitted.
It is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. Changes in detail or structure may be made without departing from the present disclosure.
This patent application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/721,800, filed Aug. 23, 2018, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62721800 | Aug 2018 | US |
