VACUUM-RESISTANT CONTAINERS HAVING OFFSET HORIZONTAL RIBS AND PANELS

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure generally relates to containers. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to containers having improved vacuum resistance capacities and improved aesthetics.

Currently, the market includes many different shapes and sizes of containers capable of housing fluids. The shape and size of fluid containers can depend, among other things, on the amount of fluid to be housed, the type of fluid to be housed, consumer demands and desired aesthetics. For example, toxic fluids can be required to be housed in containers that have thicker walls and a more rigid structure. More often than not, the market for these types of fluids is determined by safety of the containers more so than the containers' aesthetics. On the contrary, consumable fluids such as water can be housed in containers that generally have thinner walls and a less rigid structure. Indeed, the market for consumable fluids can be determined by the aesthetics desired by the consumer instead of safety requirements.

Regardless of the specific size and shape, a container should be able to withstand different environmental factors encountered during, for example, manufacturing, shipping and retail shelf stocking or storage. One example of such an environmental factor includes oxygen absorption into the product housed in the container. In this regard, certain liquid consumers products are susceptible to absorption of oxygen that is present in the headspace of the container and/or oxygen that ingresses from the outside environment. This oxygen absorption can create a vacuum inside the container that can contribute to deformation of the bottle, resulting in poor overall aesthetics. In case of lightweight containers, the deformation of the bottle is enhanced due to the fact that the walls thickness are lower than the ones of standard bottles.

Accordingly, a need exists for a fluid container having improved structural features as well as desirable aesthetic characteristics.

Additionally, a need further exists for a lightweight fluid container having improved structural features as well as desirable aesthetic characteristics.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to vacuum-resistant containers for housing liquid products. In a general embodiment, the present disclosure provides a container including a body with at least one indented rib and at least one indented panel, the at least one indented rib and the at least one indented panel being continuous around a circumference of the body.

In an embodiment, the at least one indented rib and the at least one indented panel are continuous in a substantially horizontal plane.

In an embodiment, the substantially horizontal plane is located approximate to a vertical center of the at least one indented panel.

In an embodiment, the container includes a sleeve and the at least one indented panel provides a substantially flat surface for the sleeve.

In an embodiment, the at least one indented rib and the at least one indented panel each encircle approximately 180 degrees of the circumference of the body.

In an embodiment, the container includes a base, wherein the at least one indented panel extends into the base.

In an embodiment, the at least one indented panel includes a first indented panel and a second indented panel, the first indented panel differing in height from the second indented panel.

In an embodiment, the at least one indented rib includes a first indented rib and a second indented rib, the first indented rib differing in height from the second indented rib.

In an embodiment, the body tapers in an inward or outward direction.

In another embodiment, a container includes a body with a plurality of indented ribs and a plurality of indented panels, wherein at least one of the indented ribs and at least one of the indented panels are located on a first side of the body, and at least one of the indented ribs and at least one of the indented panels are located on a second side of the body.

In an embodiment, the at least one indented panel on the first side of the body is vertically offset from the at least one indented panel on the second side of the body.

In an embodiment, the at least one indented rib on the first side of the body is vertically offset from the at least one indented rib on the second side of the body.

In an embodiment, the at least one indented rib on the first side of the body is continuous with the at least one indented panel on the second side of the body.

In an embodiment, the at least one indented rib on the first side of the body is located approximate to a vertical center of the at least one indented panel on the second side of the body.

In an embodiment the container comprises at least one additional rib, said rib being horizontal and continuous around a circumference of the body and preferably located approximately in the middle of the container.

In a further embodiment, the vacuum-resistant container is lightweight container.

In yet another embodiment, a method of manufacturing a container for a liquid includes forming an indented panel on an outer surface of the container, and forming an indented rib continuous with the indented panel around a circumference of the container.

In an embodiment, the method further includes providing a preformed container, and wherein forming the indented panel and forming the indented rib include forming the indented panel on an outer surface of the preformed container and forming an indented rib continuous with the indented panel around a circumference of the preformed container.

In an embodiment, the method further includes molding the container.

In an embodiment, forming the indented panel on the outer surface of the container includes molding the indented panel on the outer surface of the container, and forming the indented rib continuous with the indented panel around the circumference of the container includes molding the indented rib continuous with the indented panel around the circumference of the container.

In an embodiment, the method includes forming a plurality of indented panels on an outer surface of the container and forming a plurality of indented ribs each continuous with one of the plurality of indented panels around the circumference of the container.

In an embodiment, the method includes forming at least one of the plurality of indented panels and at least one of the plurality of indented ribs on a first side of the container and forming at least one of the plurality of indented panels and at least one of the plurality of indented ribs on a second side of the container.

In an embodiment, the method includes forming the at least one indented panel on the first side of the container to be vertically offset from the at least one indented panel on the second side of the container.

An advantage of the present disclosure is to provide an improved container.

Another advantage of the present disclosure is to provide a lightweight container that resists vacuum deformation.

Still another advantage of the present disclosure is to provide a container having improved vacuum-resistance features.

Yet another advantage of the present disclosure is to provide a container having improved aesthetics.

Another advantage of the present disclosure is to provide a container that is constructed and arranged for easy handling by a consumer.

Additional features and advantages are described herein, and will be apparent from the following Detailed Description and the figures.

DEFINITIONS

Some definitions are here below introduced to help understanding the wording used in the current application.

A cold-fill process is a filling process used for filling liquid products such as water or carbonated drinks into containers. The containers are blow molded and filled with the liquid product at room temperature in a conventional atmosphere.

An aseptic filling process is a filling process carried out under aseptic conditions in which a container that has already been sterilized is filled with a liquid beverage or with food.

A hot-fill process is a filling process that pasteurizes to neutralize the microbiological state of the product prior to being poured, in a hot state, into the bottle. The bottle is then capped, turned on the side which in turn sterilizes the cap, killing unwanted organisms Immediately after this step, the bottles are rapidly cooled down by water (steam, shower, etc.) to ensure the product and vitamin integrity. The hot-fill process creates vacuum after filling, which along with the high filling temperatures requires a very robust container. This process unable storing acid beverages (pH lower than 5) that will be shelf stable at ambient temperature.

A rib is a structural element provided on a container to strengthen it or hold it in place.

In the frame of a container packaging, a panel is a distinct flat portion of a wall, which surface lies above or below the general level of the container or enclosed by a frame or border.

A standard container is a container having standard walls thickness, said walls thickness being greater than 100 μm.

A lightweight container is a container having thin walls thickness, said wall thickness being less than 100 μm thereby leading to a container weighting at least 10% less than a standard container.

A container sleeve is a thin, plastic film that is arrange around a circumference of the container and that can include indicia thereon and is typically used in the marketplace for product identification and for displaying product information.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a container in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the container of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of the container of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the container of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 shows a side view of the container of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 shows a side view of a container tested in comparison to the container of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 shows a side view of a container tested in comparison to the container of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 shows a side view of a container tested in comparison to the container of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 shows a side view of a container of FIG. 1 comprising at least one added continuous rib for hot-fill filling.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to vacuum-resistant bottles and/or containers for providing consumable products and other fluids. The bottles are constructed and arranged to be vacuum resistant to provide a bottle having not only improved structural features, but also improved aesthetics.

It is known that many liquid consumable products are oxygen sensitive. This becomes increasing relevant, for example, when the liquid consumable products are shelf-stable and can spend an amount of time sitting on a retail shelf. During the shelf-life of a product, oxygen can be absorbed by the product from the headspace in the container or from the outside environment that permeates through the container walls. Such oxygen absorption can induce a vacuum inside the bottle that causes the bottle to deform. Similarly, during packaging, distribution and retail stocking, bottles can be exposed to widely varying temperature and pressure changes (e.g., bottle contraction in the refrigerator), liquid losses, and external forces that jostle and shake the bottles. If, for example, the bottles contain carbonated fluids, these types of environmental factors can contribute to internal pressures or vacuums that affect the overall quality of the product purchased by the consumer. For example, existing types of vacuum panels, or thin plastic labels, can occupy large areas of the exterior of the bottle to which they are added and tend to have great visual impacts. When an internal vacuum is created within the bottle, the shrink sleeve labels do not always follow the slightly inverted shape of the bottle created by the vacuum, thereby accounting for poor aesthetics of the bottle. This effect is observed in standard plastic bottle.

The above effect is far more important in case of lightweight plastic bottle where the thickness of the plastic walls of the bottle is lower than the one of the standard bottle.

Applicants have surprisingly discovered how to provide a container that resists internal vacuums without increasing the wall's thickness of the container. In this regard, containers of the present disclosure include features that help to avoid bottle deformation that cause loss of stability of the container and the potential perception by the consumer that the container has a defect and is not suitable for purchase.

The proposed features are particularly effective in the case of lightweight container.

As mentioned previously, containers of the present disclosure can be used to house carbonated liquids, or can be exposed to temperature and/or pressure changes during packaging, shipping, storage and/or retail display. Any of the above-described factors (e.g., carbonation, temperature changes, pressure changes, etc.) can contribute to the presence of an internal vacuum within a sealed container when the container houses a liquid. This is problematic for aesthetic reasons because internal vacuums created within the sealed container can cause deformation of the container that can pull the walls of the container away from any exterior label (e.g., sleeve), creating an undesirable aesthetic. Applicants have surprisingly found, however, that certain structural features can help to improve a container's vacuum resistance to avoid undesired container deformation.

As used herein, and as would be immediately appreciated by the skilled artisan, a container “sleeve” is a thin, plastic film that can include indicia thereon and is typically used in the marketplace for product identification and for displaying product information.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a container, or bottle, 2 having a mouth 4, a neck 6, a shoulder 8, a body 10, and a base 12. Container 2 can be sized to hold any suitable volume of a liquid such as, for example, from about 50 to about 5000 mL, including 100 mL, 200 mL, 300 mL, 400 mL, 500 mL, 600 mL, 700 mL, 800 mL, 900 mL, 1000 mL, 1500 mL, 2000 mL, 2500 mL, 3000 mL, 3500 mL, 4000 mL, 4500 mL or the like. In an embodiment, container 2 has a height of about 190 mm, but the height can change for different bottles of different volumes and can be any suitable height, for example, from about 40 mm to about 360 mm, including 80 mm, 120 mm, 160 mm, 200 mm, 240 mm, 280 mm, 320 mm, or the like.

As disclosed above, containers 2 of the present disclosure can be lightweight containers. In this regard, containers 2 of the present disclosure can require from about 10% to about 25% less material to manufacture than similar containers not having the features described herein. The containers of the present disclosure can have a weight ranging from about 10 g to about 40 g, or from about 15 g to about 35 g, from about 20 g to about 30 g, about 25 g, about 27 g, or the like.

Containers 2 of the present disclosure, as standard container or as lightweight container, can be configured to house any type of liquid therein. In an embodiment, the containers 2 are configured to house a consumable liquid such as, for example, water, an energy drink, a carbonated drink, tea, coffee, juice, etc. In an embodiment, the containers 2 are sized and configured to house one or more servings of a carbonated beverage.

Suitable materials for manufacturing containers 2 of the present disclosure, as standard container or as lightweight container, can include, for example, polymeric materials. Specifically, materials for manufacturing containers 2 of the present disclosure can include, but are not limited to, polyethylene (“PE”), low density polyethylene (“LDPE”), high density polyethylene (“HDPE”), polypropylene (“PP”) or polyethylene terephthalate (“PET”). Further, containers 2 of the present disclosure can be manufactured using any suitable manufacturing process such as, for example, conventional extrusion blow molding, stretch blow molding, injection stretch blow molding, and the like.

Mouth 4 can be any size and shape known in the art so long as liquid can be introduced into container 2 and can be poured or otherwise removed from container 2. In an embodiment, mouth 4 can be substantially circular in shape and have a diameter ranging, for example, from about 10 mm to about 50 mm, or about 15 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm, 30 mm, 35 mm, 40 mm, 45 mm, or the like. In an embodiment, mouth 4 has a diameter that is about 28.5 mm.

Neck 6 can also have any size and shape known in the art so long as liquid can be introduced into container 2 and can be poured or otherwise removed from container 2. In an embodiment, neck 6 is substantially cylindrical in shape having a diameter that corresponds to a diameter of mouth 4. Alternatively, neck 6 can have a tapered geometry such that neck 6 is substantially conical in shape and tapers up to or down from mouth 4. The skilled artisan will appreciate that the shape and size of neck 6 are not limited to the shape and size of mouth 4. Neck 6 can have a height (from mouth 4 to shoulder 8) from about 5 mm to about 45 mm, or about 10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm, 30 mm, 35 mm, 40 mm, or the like. Neck 6 can have a diameter ranging, for example, from about 10 mm to about 50 mm, or about 15 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm, 30 mm, 35 mm, 40 mm, 45 mm, or the like. In an embodiment, neck 6 has a height of about 23.5 mm and a diameter of about 28.5 mm.

Container 2 can further include an air tight cap attached to neck 6. The air tight cap can be any type of cap known in the art for use with containers similar to those described herein. The air tight cap can be manufactured from the same or a different type of polymeric material as container 2, and can be attached to container 2 by re-closeable threads (e.g., threads 20), or can be snap-fit, friction-fit, etc. Accordingly, in an embodiment, the cap includes internal threads that are constructed and arranged to mate with external threads 20 of neck 6.

Shoulder 8 of container 2 in FIG. 1 extends from a bottom portion of neck 6 downward to a top portion of body 10. Shoulder 8 comprises a shape that is substantially a convex conical frustum. As used herein, a “conical frustum” means that shoulder 8 has a shape that very closely resembles a cone having a top portion (e.g., the apex) lopped-off. Shoulder 8 has a lopped-off apex because shoulder 8 tapers into neck 6 for functionality of container 2. In the example embodiment of FIG. 1, the sides of shoulder 8 (the conical frustum) are convex. In alternative embodiments, the sides of shoulder 8 can be concave or straight, or shoulder 8 can be substantially a square pyramid frustum, meaning that shoulder 8 can have a shape that very closely resembles a square pyramid having four triangular faces with a top portion (e.g., the apex) of the square pyramid lopped-off. The square pyramid frustum shape can also include rounded edges between triangular faces and/or rounded edges between each triangular face and body 10.

Shoulder 8 can have a height (from the bottom of neck 6 to the top of body 10) ranging from, for example, about 15 mm to about 60 mm, or about 20 mm, 25 mm, 30 mm, 35 mm, 40 mm, 45 mm, 50 mm, 55 mm, or the like. In an embodiment, shoulder 8 has a height of about 40 mm. At a bottom portion (e.g., before body 10), shoulder 8 can have a diameter ranging from about 40 mm to about 80 mm, or about 45 mm, 50 mm, 55 mm, 60 mm, 65 mm, 70 mm, 75 mm, or the like. In an embodiment, the diameter of a bottom portion of shoulder 8 is about 58 mm. Alternatively, shoulder 8 can be different shapes with different widths and lengths.

Immediately below shoulder 8 is body 10 of container 2. In an embodiment, body 10 is a substantially cylindrical shape. Body 10 can be any size and shape known in the art and is not limited to a substantially cylindrical shape as shown in FIG. 1. For example, body 10 can have a shape selected from the group consisting of round, cylindrical, square, rectangular, ovoid, etc. Body 10 can have any diameter or height known in the art. In this regard, body 10 can have a diameter ranging from, for example, about 20 mm to about 80 mm, or about 30 mm, about 40 mm, about 50 mm, about 60 mm, about 70 mm, or the like. Body 10 can have a height ranging from about 50 mm to about 200 mm, or about 75 mm, 100 mm, 125 mm, 150 mm, 175 mm, or the like. In an embodiment, body 10 has a diameter of about 51.6 mm and a height of about 105 mm. As the height of container 2 increases or decreases, the diameter of body 10 can change as well. The height of body 10 can also change with respect to the diameter of body 10. If body 10 is substantially square-shaped or substantially rectangular-shaped with a specific length and width, the length and width can be the same. Alternatively, the width of body 10 can be different from the length of body 10. Even further, the length and width of body 10 can change with respect to the height of body 10.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the diameter of body 10 tapers inward at a first portion 14 from the bottom of shoulder 8 and tapers back outward at a second portion 16 from the bottom of first portion 14 to the top of base 12. In an embodiment, the diameter of container 2 is about 58 mm where shoulder 8 meets first portion 14 and about 51.6 mm where first portion 14 meets second portion 16. Such a configuration helps a consumer to grip container 2 for ease of handling. First portion 14 can taper inward at any suitable inward-directed slope, for example, from about 5° to about 45°, or about 10°, 15°, 20°, 25°, 30°, 35°, or the like. Second portion 16 can likewise taper outward at any suitable outward directed slope, for example, from about 5° to about 45°, or about 10°, 15°, 20°, 25°, 30°, 35°, or the like. In an embodiment, the inward-directed and outward directed slopes taper at an angle of about 15°. In an alternative embodiment, first portion 14 and second portion 16 can have the same diameter along the height of body 10, or first portion 14 can taper outward from the bottom of shoulder 8 and second portion 16 can taper inward from the bottom of first portion 14 to the top of base 12 at any suitable slope, for example, from about 5° to about 45°, or about 10°, 15°, 20°, 25°, 30°, 35°, or the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, body 10 includes a plurality of offset indented ribs 22 and a plurality of offset indented panels 24. In the embodiment shown, each indented rib 22 is continuous with an indented panel 24. By “continuous,” it is meant that the combination of a rib 22 and a panel 24 provides a continuous indent around the circumference of container 2. In an embodiment, each continuous rib 22 and panel 24 pair is continuous in a substantially horizontal plane around body 10. In an embodiment, each rib 22 is only continuous with a single panel 24 around the circumference of body 10, and each continuous rib 22 and panel 24 pair is separated from each other continuous rib 22 and panel 24 pair by a protruding portion 26 of body 10. In an embodiment, each continuous rib 22 and panel 24 pair is indented from an outer surface 30 of body 10 by the same distance.

Container 2 can have any number of indented ribs 22 and panels 24, and is not limited to the six indented ribs 22 and the six indented panels 24 shown in FIG. 1. The ribs 22 and panels 24 can also be located at any place along the height of body 10. In an embodiment, a rib 22 can be located in a horizontal plane that passes through the vertical center of a panel 24. In an embodiment, a rib 22 encircles 180 degrees of body 10 and a corresponding continuous panel 24 encircles the other 180 degrees of body 10 in the same horizontal plane. In an alternative embodiment, a plurality of ribs 22 and a plurality of panels 24 can continuously encircle body 10 in the same horizontal plane, for example, two ribs 22 and two panels 24 can each encircle 90 degrees of body 10 in the same horizontal plane, three ribs 22 and three panels 24 can each encircle 60 degrees of body 10 in the same horizontal plane, four ribs 22 and four panels 24 can each encircle 45 degrees of body 10 in the same horizontal plane, and the like. Further alternatively, a plurality of ribs 22 and panels 24 can encircle body 10 in the same horizontal plane by different degrees, for example, two ribs 22 can encircle body 10 by 120 degrees in the same horizontal plane that two ribs 24 encircle body 10 by 60 degrees, two ribs 22 can encircle body 10 by 60 degrees in the same horizontal plane that two ribs 24 encircle body 10 by 120 degrees, three ribs 22 can encircle body 10 by 90 degrees in the same horizontal plane that three ribs 24 encircle body 10 by 30 degrees, three ribs 22 can encircle body 10 by 30 degrees in the same horizontal plane that three ribs 24 encircle body 10 by 90 degrees, and the like.

The panels 24 are advantageous in that, in combination with the ribs 22, the panels 24 help to avoid bottle deformation that causes loss of stability of the container. At the same time, the panels 24 provide a substantially flat surface for a sleeve as compared to bottles with a plurality of ribs and no panels. The ribs 22 are preferably connected to the panels in a horizontal plane so as to maintain an even vertical compression performance.

In an alternative embodiment, the ribs 22 and panels 24 can be continuous, but not continuous in the same horizontal plane. One or more ribs 22 and one or more panels 24 can be continuous in a plane angled at, for example, about 1 degree to about 45 degrees, or about 5 degrees, about 10 degrees, about 15 degrees, about 20 degrees, about 25 degrees, about 30 degrees, about 35 degrees, about 40 degrees, or the like. In another alternative embodiment, one or more ribs 22 and one or more panels 24 can be continuous, but not continuous in the same plane. In yet another alternative embodiment, the ribs and panels can be protruded instead of indented.

In another alternative embodiment, each rib 22 and corresponding panel 24 can be interrupted instead of continuous. By “interrupted,” it is meant that the combination of a rib 22 and a panel 24 does not provide a continuous indent around the circumference of container 2 in a substantially horizontal plane. Instead, the combination of a rib 22 and a panel 24 can be interrupted by one or more vertical protruded portions of body 10 that do not allow a continuous indent around the circumference of container 2.

FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of an indented rib 22 of FIG. 1. In a preferred embodiment, the indented surface 28 of each rib 22 is preferably indented about 1.5 mm from the outer surface 30 of body 10. Indented surface 28 of each rib 22 can be indented from outer surface 30 of body 10 at any suitable range, for example, from about 0.5 to about 5 mm, or 1 mm, 1.5 mm, 2 mm, 2.5 mm, 3 mm, 3.5 mm, 4 mm, 4.5 mm, or the like. In an embodiment, the height of each indented surface 28 in the vertical direction between corner surface 32 and corner surface 34 is preferably about 2.5 mm. The height of each indented surface 28 in the vertical direction between corner surface 32 and corner surface 34 can also be any suitable range, for example, from about 0.5 to about 5 mm, or 1 mm, 1.5 mm, 2 mm, 2.5 mm, 3 mm, 3.5 mm, 4 mm, 4.5 mm, or the like. In an embodiment, corner surfaces 32 and 34 of rib 22 can be rounded with a radius of about 1 mm, and corner surfaces 36 and 38 can be rounded with a radius of about 2.5 mm Corner surfaces 32, 34, 36 and 38 can have a radius at any suitable range, for example, from about 0.5 mm to about 10 mm, or 1 mm, 1.5 mm, 2 mm, 2.5 mm, 3 mm, 3.5 mm, 4 mm, 4.5 mm, 5 mm, 5.5 mm, 6 mm, 6.5 mm, 7 mm, 7.5 mm, 8 mm, 8.5 mm, 9 mm, 9.5 mm, or the like. Corner surfaces 32, 34, 36 and 38 can also end in a straight or slightly curved angle, for example, from about 90 degrees to about 135 degrees, or 95 degrees, 100 degrees, 105 degrees, 110 degrees, 115 degrees, 120 degrees, 125 degrees, 130 degrees, or the like.

FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of an indented panel 24 of FIG. 1. In an embodiment, the indented surface 48 of each panel 22 is preferably indented about 1.5 mm from the outer surface 30 of body 10. Indented surface 48 of each panel 24 can be indented from outer surface 30 of body 10 at any suitable range, for example, from about 0.5 to about 5 mm, or 1 mm, 1.5 mm, 2 mm, 2.5 mm, 3 mm, 3.5 mm, 4 mm, 4.5 mm, or the like. The height of each panel 24 is greater than the height of each corresponding continuous rib 22. In an embodiment, the height of each indented surface 48 in the vertical direction between corner surface 52 and corner surface 54 is preferably about 21 mm. The height of each indented surface 48 in the vertical direction between corner surface 52 and corner surface 54 can also be any suitable range, for example, from about 5 to about 25 mm, or 7.5 mm, 10 mm, 12.5 mm, 15 mm, 17.5 mm, 20 mm, 22.5 mm, or the like. In an embodiment, corner surfaces 52 and 54 of panel 24 can be rounded with a radius of about 1 mm, and corner surfaces 56 and 58 can be rounded with a radius of about 2.5 mm Corner surfaces 52, 54, 56 and 58 can have a radius at any suitable range, for example, from about 0.5 mm to about 10 mm, or 1 mm, 1.5 mm, 2 mm, 2.5 mm, 3 mm, 3.5 mm, 4 mm, 4.5 mm, 5 mm, 5.5 mm, 6 mm, 6.5 mm, 7 mm, 7.5 mm, 8 mm, 8.5 mm, 9 mm, 9.5 mm, or the like. Corner surfaces 52, 54, 56 and 58 can also end in a straight or slightly curved angle, for example, from about 90 degrees to about 135 degrees, or 95 degrees, 100 degrees, 105 degrees, 110 degrees, 115 degrees, 120 degrees, 125 degrees, 130 degrees, or the like.

From FIGS. 1 to 3, the rib angle coverage is 6×180°=1080°. Indeed, container 2 has 6 ribs having each angle coverage of 180° around the circumference of the container.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show side views of the first 18 and second 19 sides, respectively, of container 2 of FIG. 1. As illustrated in FIG. 4, first side 18 includes a rib 22 at the top of body 10 and a panel 24 at the bottom of body 10. The panels 24 are each about 21 mm in height as described above. The lowest panel 24 extends into base 12. As illustrated in FIG. 5, second side 19 includes a panel 24 at the top of body 10 and a rib 22 at the bottom of body 10. The panel 24 at the top of body 10 is only about 15 mm in height as compared to the about 21 mm heights of the rest of the panels because the upper most panel has been lessened to accommodate shoulder 8. The height of one or more panels 24 of a container 2 can accordingly differ from the height of one or more other panels 24. The height of one or more ribs 22 of a container 2 can also differ from the height of one or more other ribs 22. In an embodiment, the indented panels 24 on the first side 18 of the container 2 are vertically and/or horizontally offset with the indented panels 24 on the second side 19 of the container 2, and the indented ribs on the first side 18 of the container 2 are vertically offset with the indented ribs on the second side 19 of the container 2. In an embodiment, the ribs 22 and panels 24 on first side 18 of body 10 are separated by protruding portions 26 of body 10, and the ribs and panels 24 on second side 19 of body 10 are separated by protruding portions 26 of body 10.

Container 2 can have a broad base 12 so as to be able to stand up when the container is completely filled, partially filled or empty. Base 12 can have any size or shape known in the art. However, in an embodiment, base 12 includes a size and shape corresponding to the size and shape of body 10. In this regard, if body 10 is substantially round with a specific diameter, base 12 can also be substantially round with a similar diameter. Alternatively, the skilled artisan will appreciate that base 12 is not limited to the size and shape of body 10 and can have a different size and shape than body 10. Base 12 can have a height ranging from about 5 mm to about 45 mm, or about 10 mm, or 15 mm, or 20 mm, or 25 mm, or 30 mm, or 35 mm, or 40 mm, or the like. Base 12 can be substantially vertical in arrangement, or can be shaped (e.g., semi-circular), or can taper inward or outward in an upward direction from a bottom surface 60 of container 10. Base 12 is shaped and configured to contract under vertical load, absorbing and distributing loads over a greater area.

Base 12 can also include one or more outer indents 62 and/or a punt 64 formed therein. Punt 64 can provide additional structural integrity to container 2 and can aid in stacking containers 2 one on top of another. In a preferred embodiment, the outer edge 66 of punt 64 can be formed with a stability angle of about 15.1 degrees from the center of the overall height of container 2. The stability angle can be any suitable angle, for example, from about 5 degrees to about 30 degrees, or 10 degrees, 15 degrees, 20 degrees, 25 degrees, or the like.

In an embodiment, container 2 can be manufactured by forming indented ribs 22 and indented panels 24 into a preformed container by forming indented ribs 22 and indented panels 24 to be continuous around a circumference of the preformed container. In another embodiment, container 2 can be manufactured by molding a container 2 with integrally formed indented ribs 22 and indented panels 24. In either embodiment, container 2 can be manufactured by forming a plurality of indented ribs 22 each continuous with one of the plurality of indented panels 24 around the circumference of the container. In an embodiment, a plurality of indented panels 24 can be formed on the first side 18 of the body so as to be vertically and/or horizontally offset from a plurality of indented panel 24 on the second side 19 of the body. In an embodiment, a plurality of indented ribs 22 can be formed on the first side 18 of the body so as to be vertically and/or horizontally offset from a plurality of indented ribs on the second side 19 of the body. In an embodiment, each continuous rib 22 and panel 24 pair can be formed so as to be separated from each other rib 22 and panel 24 pair by a protruding portion 26 of body 10.

The skilled artisan will appreciate that the features described herein with respect to the cylindrical container of FIG. 1 can also apply to any other shaped container. For example, the ribs 22 and panels 24 could be applied to a square or rectangular shaped container. The skilled artisan will also appreciate that ribs 22 and panels 24 can extend different amounts around the circumference of container 2. In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, each rib 22 and panel 24 extends around approximately 50% of the circumference of container 2. Ribs 22 and panels 24 can also cover any suitable amount of the circumference of container 2, for example, from about 30% to about 75%, from about 35% to about 70%, from about 40% to about 65%, from about 45% to about 60%, or from about 50% to about 55% of the circumference of container 2.

The structural features of the present containers described herein advantageously allow for a preform of less mass to be used. The reduced use of resin in the containers provides the advantage of a lower cost per unit and increased sustainability when compared to a bottle without such structural features. In this regard, the containers of the present disclosure are able to be manufactured using a raw material reduction from about 10% to about 25%, if not greater. Further, by manufacturing the containers of the present disclosure using lower amounts of raw materials, the bottles can provide lower environmental and waste impact. Along the same lines, the bottles can be constructed to use less disposal volume than other plastic bottles designed for similar uses.

Additionally, the containers of the present disclosure can also improve vacuum resistance and the ease of use and handling by manufacturers, retails and consumers. In this regard, the structural features described herein provide for reduced vacuum deformation to help achieve a pre-set shape of the containers that is desirable by consumers.

The containers of the present disclosure can be used in several filling processes namely, cold-fill filling process, aseptic filling process and hot-fill filling process as previously defined.

To be used in hot-fill filling process which requires very robust containers, the container can be reinforced, especially if the container is built as a lightweight container.

FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of a container, or bottle, 3 similar to the embodiment of container 2 of FIGS. 1 to 5, further comprising at least one added continuous rib.

Similarly to container 2 of FIG. 1, the container 3 has a mouth 4, a neck 6, a shoulder 8, a body 10, and a base 12.

Container 3 can be sized, light weighted, manufactured and can house products, similarly as container 2 of FIG. 1.

In addition container 3 comprises one added continuous rib 23. Said rib 23 is horizontal and continuous around a circumference of the body of container 3. In the present disclosure, rib 23 is located approximately in the middle of the container and through one of the panels 24.

Rib 23 aims at reinforcing the container as it can receive liquids at high temperature (between 90° C. to 110° C.) during the hot-fill filling process.

In addition, container 3 also comprises two supplemental ribs 25 located at the top and at the bottom of the body 10 that participate to reinforcing and stabilizing the container.

The foregoing can be better understood by reference to the following examples, which are presented for purposes of illustration and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

EXAMPLES

Applicants tested several bottles having continuous ribs and panels against bottles having continuous ribs only and offset interrupted ribs and no panels to demonstrate that the bottles having continuous ribs and panels are able to provide the same or better resistance as other rib types.

Applicants decided to make tests on lightweight bottles as bottles on which deformation is more important.

Example 1
Continuous Ribs Only

In a first example, several 15 g bottles having six continuous ribs and panels were compared to several 15 g bottles having three continuous ribs and six continuous ribs.

The bottles having six continuous ribs and panels were similar to FIG. 1. The indented surface of each rib and panel was about 1.5 mm from the outer surface of the body. The height of each indented surface of each rib in the vertical direction was about 2.5 mm. The height of each indented surface of each panel in the vertical direction was about 21 mm, except for the uppermost panel, which was about 10 mm. The largest diameter of the bottles was about 58 mm at the bottom of the shoulder, and the diameter tapered to about 51.6 mm at a central portion of the body.

The bottles having three continuous ribs are shown in FIG. 6. A first rib was located at the top of the body, a second rib was located at a center of the body, and a third rib was located at the bottom of the body. The indented surface of each rib was about 1.5 mm from the outer surface of the body. The height of each indented surface of each rib in the vertical direction was about 1.5 mm. The largest diameter of the bottles was about 58 mm at the bottom of the shoulder, and the diameter tapered to about 51.6 mm just below the second rib. The bottles also included a punk formed in the base that was 7.5 mm high and had a stability angle of 15.1 degrees.

The container of FIG. 6 has three continuous ribs, each on them with angle coverage of 360°. This is giving the container total rib angle coverage of 1080° which is the same total rib angle coverage as container 2 of FIG. 1. The bottle of FIG. 6 has no panel.

The bottles having six continuous ribs are shown in FIG. 7. The six ribs were spaced equally across the body with the first rib located at the top of the body and the sixth rib located at the bottom of the body. The indented surface of each rib was about 1.5 mm from the outer surface of the body. The height of each indented surface of each rib in the vertical direction was about 1.5 mm. The largest diameter of the bottles was about 58 mm at the bottom of the shoulder, and the diameter tapered to about 51.9 mm between the third and fourth ribs. The bottles also included a punk formed in the base that was 7.5 mm high and had a stability angle of 15.1 degrees.

The bottle of FIG. 7 has no panel and total rib angle coverage of 2160° (6 ribs having angle coverage of 360°).

Each of the bottles was placed under a vacuum force, and the average visual start of deformation and average collapse of the bottles was observed. For the bottles having six continuous ribs and panels the average visual start of deformation was observed at 180.4 mbars and the average collapse was observed at 191 mbars. For the bottles having three continuous ribs, the average visual start of deformation was observed at 61.2 mbars and the average collapse was observed at 78.4 mbars. For the bottles having six continuous ribs, the average visual start of deformation was observed at 195.2 mbars, and the average collapse was observed at 195.2 mbars.

The results show that for the same amount of surface coverage (rib angle coverage): three ribs at 360 degrees—FIG. 6—versus six ribs at 180 degrees each continuous with a panel—FIG. 1—, the bottles with ribs and panels (six ribs at 180 degrees each continuous with a panel) perform 3 times better for the start of deformation and almost 2.5 times better for collapse than the bottles with three continuous ribs (three ribs at 360 degrees), without compromising the surface quality of the bottles with ribs and panels.

The results also show that for 2 times less surface coverage: six ribs at 360 degrees—FIG. 7—versus six ribs at 180 degrees each continuous with a panel—FIG. 1—, the bottles with ribs and panels (six ribs at 180 degrees each continuous with a panel) perform almost identically to the bottles with six ribs. The results also indicate that the bottles with ribs and panels could perform even better if the 2.5 mm rib height is further increased. It was also noted that the sleeve quality was not compromised by using the bottles with ribs and panels.

Example 2
Interrupted Ribs

In a second example, several 15 g and 11 g bottles having six continuous ribs and panels (container of FIG. 1) were compared to several 15 g and 11 g bottles having six offset interrupted ribs and no panels (container of FIG. 8).

The bottles having six offset interrupted ribs and no panels are shown in FIG. 8. As illustrated, the bottles are similar to the bottles of FIG. 1 except that the six ribs are not continuous with panels. The bottles having six offset interrupted ribs and no panels had similar dimensions to the bottles having six continuous ribs and panels. The rib angle coverage of the bottle was 1080° (6 ribs with angle coverage of 180°).

Each of the bottles was observed under a vacuum force. For 15 g bottles, the bottles having six continuous ribs and panels began to deform at 142.4 mbars by ovalizing at a belt, whereas the bottles having six offset interrupted ribs and no panels began to deform at 126 mbars by ovalizing at a belt. For 11 g bottles, the bottles having six continuous ribs and panels began to deform at 33.6 mbars by collapsing at the base, whereas the bottles having six offset interrupted ribs and no panels began to deform at 26.2 mbars by collapsing in a middle portion where no rib was located.

The results show that bottles having ribs continuous with panels perform superior to bottles without the panels. At 15 g, the bottles with continuous ribs and panels performed 13% better than the bottles with offset interrupted ribs and no panels. At 11.5 g, the bottles with continuous ribs and panels performed 28% better than the bottles with offset interrupted ribs and no panels.

It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present subject matter and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.

For example, the concept can be scaled up for any size of bottle in which the rib angle coverage is adapted to the bottle volume: continuous ribs and panels with 6 ribs of 180° coverage for a 300 ml bottle, continuous ribs and panels with 8 ribs of 180° coverage for a 500 ml bottle, continuous ribs and panels with 12 ribs of 180° coverage for a 1 1 bottle, etc.

VACUUM-RESISTANT CONTAINERS HAVING OFFSET HORIZONTAL RIBS AND PANELS

Information

Publication Number

Date Filed

Date Published

Inventors

Original Assignees

CPC

International Classifications

Abstract

Description

Claims

PCT Information