The present invention relates to a novel plastic container, that is adapted to be hot-filled with a product, and more particularly with a food product, and which has a deformable structure for at least partially compensating the volume reduction that occurs after capping and during cooling of a hot-filled product.
Plastic containers intended to be hot-filled and designed therein as “hot-fillable” containers, such as for example PET (polyethylene terephtalate) blow molded hot-fillable containers are generally designed in order to have a deformable structure adapted to at least partially compensating the volume reduction that occurs after capping and during cooling of a hot-filled product. Such a volume reduction is due to the partial vacuum created inside the container by the cooling of the hot-filled product.
Plastic hot-fillable containers are for example described in the following publications: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,005,716; 5,503,283; 6,595,380; 6,896,147; 6,942,116; and 7,017,763. In these publications, a deformable portion, to at least partially compensating the volume reduction that occurs after capping and during cooling of a hot-filled product, is located in the base of the container.
Plastic hot-fillable containers are also described for example in the following publications: European patent application EP 1 947 016 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,222,615; 5,762,221; 6,044,996; 6,662,961; 6,830,158. In these publications, a deformable portion, to at least partially compensating the volume reduction that occurs after capping and during cooling of a hot-filled product, is located in the shoulder part of the container.
When the deformable portion is located in the base or in the shoulder part of the container, the volume compensation is prejudicially very limited.
Moreover, in the technical solution proposed in European patent application EP 1 947 016 wherein the deformable portion is located in the shoulder part of the container, the mechanical top load of the container is prejudicially very poor.
Plastic hot-fillable containers are also described for example in the following publications: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,092,475; 5,141,121; 5,178,289; 5,303,834; 5,704,504; 6,585,125; 6,698,606; 5,392,937; 5,407,086; 5,598,941; 5,971,184; 6,554,146; 6,796,450. In these publications, the deformable portion, to at least partially compensating the volume reduction that occurs after capping and during cooling of a hot-filled product, is located in the sidewall of the main body of the container. In this case, the volume compensation can be advantageously increased. But the deformable features of the containers, typically circumferential ribs or deformable panels in the container sidewall, are quite unaesthetic.
Moreover, the deformable sidewall of the containers often causes labeling problems, due to the deformation of the container in a part of the container where a label is usually applied and surrounds the container body.
A main objective of the invention is to propose a hot-fillable container, that exhibits a good mechanical top load, and that has a novel deformable structure in the sidewall of the container body to at least partially compensating the volume reduction that occurs after capping and during cooling of a hot-filled product, without impairing the aesthetic of the container.
Another auxiliary objective is to propose a hot-fillable container wherein the novel deformable structure in the sidewall of the container body still enables to label the container with a label surrounding the container body.
The invention thus relates to a hot-fillable plastic container defined in claim 1.
This hot hot-fillable plastic container comprises a base and a body extending upward from the base; the body comprises a deformable cylindrical sidewall portion defining a central vertical axis; said deformable cylindrical sidewall portion comprises at least two vertical pillars arranged along the body circumference; each vertical pillar has a concave arc-shaped transverse cross section of curvature radius (r) or has a central portion extended laterally at both extremities by a concave portion having a concave arc-shaped transverse cross section of curvature radius (r); each vertical pillar is joined to the next vertical pillar by a generally concave deformable sidewall panel having a concave arc-shaped transverse cross section of curvature radius (R); the curvature radii (r) of the vertical pillars are smaller than the curvature radii (R) of the generally concave deformable panels, and each transition between a vertical pillar and a generally concave deformable panel is smooth without any convex portion. The large curvature radius (R) of each generally concave deformable panel allows an inward deformation of each panel, and each pillar is slightly pushed outward and is slightly deformed with a small reduction of its curvature radius (r), under the vacuum created inside the container by the volume reduction of a hot-filled product during cooling.
The invention also relates to a process for packaging a product, wherein said the aforesaid hot-fillable plastic container is being been hot-filled with said product at a temperature above room temperature, and more particularly at a temperature above 80° C.
Other characteristics of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the following detailed description which is made by way of non-exhaustive and non-limiting example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Some preferred embodiments of the invention are discussed in detail below. While specific exemplary embodiments are discussed, it should be understood that this is done for illustration purpose only. A person skilled in the art will recognize that other container designs or container dimensions can be used without parting from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Referring now to the drawings,
In this particular embodiment of
The body 11 forms a cylindrical sidewall portion 110 of height H, which is deformable under a vacuum created inside the container by the volume reduction of a hot-filled product that occurs after capping and cooling of the hot-filled product. Said deformation of the cylindrical sidewall portion 110 is adapted to at least partially compensating this volume reduction.
In the particular embodiment of
Each concave vertical pillar 111 has an arc-shaped transverse cross section of small curvature radius r, measured in a transversal cross-section plan perpendicular to the central axis 1a (
In addition, the transition between each vertical concave pillar 111 and each generally concave deformable panel 112 is smooth without any convex portion.
The small curvature radius r of each vertical concave pillar 111 has been determined in order to stiffen and render each pillar 111 only slightly deformable with a small reduction of its curvature radius r, under a vacuum created inside the container by the volume reduction of a hot-filled product during cooling. These pillars 111 dramatically improve the mechanical top load of the container.
In contrast the large curvature radius R of each concave deformable panel 112 has been determined in order to allow an inward deformation of each panel 112 under the vacuum created inside the container by the volume reduction of a hot-filled product during cooling.
More especially, in reference to
In some cases, when the volume reduction of the product upon cooling is more important, the sidewalls panels 112 can be more strongly deformed under vacuum in such way to become convex, as depicted on the particular configuration of
One skilled in the art will knowingly define the specific values of the curvatures radii r and R to achieve the appropriate deformation of the container. Typically, in most cases, the ratio R/r will be higher than 2, and more particularly higher than 2.5.
By way of example only, in one specific example the container 1 is made of PET and the deformable portion 11 has a substantially constant wall thickness of about 0.60 mm; the curvature radius r is about 15 mm and the curvature radius R is about 44 mm; the internal volume reduction that can be obtained by deformation of the cylindrical deformable body 11 of the container was approximately 3% or more of the initial internal volume of the empty container.
In the particular embodiment of
The deformable cylindrical sidewall portion 11 of the container has advantageously a smooth outer surface (except only in the small areas of the ribs 112a), which gives a pure and aesthetic design to the container, while conferring to this container a deformable capacity under internal vacuum.
In addition, the empty container 1 can labeled with a label surrounding the container body 11, and the deformation of the hot-filled container body 11 that occurs during cooling does not deteriorate the label.
In the particular example of the empty container of
In the particular example of the empty container of
Within the scope of the invention the curvature radius r of one pillar 111 can be constant over the whole pillar height H, or can vary. More particularly, in particular variant, the curvature radius r of one pillar 111 is increasing from the junction M1 with the base 10 towards an intermediary point M2, preferably located at mid-height of the pillar 111, and is then decreasing from this intermediary point M2 towards the junction M3 with the shoulder portion 12. In another particular variant, the curvature radius r of one pillar 111 is decreasing from the junction M1 with the base 10 towards an intermediary point M2, preferably located at mid-height of the pillar 111, and is then increasing from this intermediary point M2 towards the junction M3 with the shoulder portion 12
The invention is not limited to a container having four pillars 112. In another variant, the container can have two pillars or three pillars like the embodiment of
In reference to the particular embodiment of
In this variant of
In another variant the longitudinal profile of each deformable panel 112 at rest is not necessarily linear, but can form at rest a convex arc or a concave arc.
In the variant of
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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12180697 | Aug 2012 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2013/066996 | 8/14/2013 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2014/027027 | 2/20/2014 | WO | A |
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