Stackable plastic container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10518933-B2
Application number	US-201113030313-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2011
Priority date	Dec 4, 2009
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A stackable plastic container includes a base portion, a sidewall portion, and an upper portion. The base portion is configured to support the container, and includes an upwardly-extending central base portion and a base reinforcement formation. The sidewall portion extends upwardly from the base portion, and may include a sidewall reinforcement formation. The upper portion extends upwardly from the sidewall portion, and includes a shoulder portion, an angled portion, a neck portion, and a dispensing opening. The base portion may be configured to withstand hydrostatic pressure. A portion of the shoulder portion may be configured to flex downwardly in response to a top load force applied to the neck of the container. The upwardly extending central base portion may be configured to receive an upper portion of another container. With embodiments, in a stacked configuration, the upper portion of another container contacts the central base portion of the container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stackable plastic container for holding contents, the container comprising:
a base portion configured to support the container on a surface, the base portion including an upwardly-extending central base portion and a base reinforcement formation,
a sidewall portion extending upwardly from the base portion, the sidewall portion including a sidewall reinforcement formation;
an upper portion extending upwardly from the sidewall portion, the upper portion including a shoulder portion, an angled portion, and a neck portion with a dispensing opening, the neck portion and dispensing opening being substantially centered on the upper portion of the container;
wherein the base portion is configured to withstand hydrostatic pressure; the shoulder portion includes a rounded portion and a flex portion; the flex portion is disposed between the rounded portion and the angled portion, includes a segment that extends downwardly from the rounded shoulder in the absence of a top load force, and is configured to flex downwardly substantially radially uniformly around and about a central axis of the container that extends through the dispensing opening in response to a top load force applied to the container; the central base portion is configured to receive an upper portion of another container; the vertical height of the neck portion of the upper portion of the container is greater than the vertical height of the central base portion configured to receive an upper portion of another container; in a stacked configuration, the top load force applied by the container on a neck of the another container forces the neck of the another container downwardly such that the flex portion of the another container flexes downwardly to accommodate an interference caused by the vertical height of the neck portion of the another container being greater than the vertical height of the central base portion of the container, and the total height of the stacked containers is less than twice the height of the unstacked container.

2. The container of claim 1 , wherein, in a stacked configuration, the neck portion of such another container contacts the central base portion of the container.

3. The container of claim 1 , wherein the neck portion of the upper portion of the container that is greater than the vertical height of the base portion includes a closure.

4. The container of claim 1 , wherein, the sidewall portion is configured to accommodate internal content pressure associated with a top load force of at least 75 pounds.

5. The container of claim 1 , wherein the container is configured so that in a stacked configuration, a portion of the base portion of the container contacts a shoulder portion of such another container.

6. The container of claim 5 , wherein the container is configured such that when the portion of the base portion of the container contacts a shoulder portion of such another container, the central base portion of the container applies a downward force on the neck portion of such another container to cause the flex portion of the shoulder portion to flex downwardly.

7. The container of claim 1 , wherein the wall thickness of the sidewall portion of the container is 0.020±0.006 in.

8. The container of claim 1 , wherein the sidewall portion of the container has a generally square or rounded-square cross-section.

9. The container of claim 8 , wherein the generally square or rounded-square cross-section extends substantially along an entire vertical length of the sidewall portion.

10. The container of claim 1 , wherein the container is configured to have a content volume of 560 fluid ounces or more, and has a hoop blow molded stretch ratio greater than about 5.0, and an axial blow molded stretch ratio less than about 2.5.

11. The container of claim 1 , wherein the sidewall reinforcement formation includes one or more ribs.

12. The container of claim 1 , wherein the sidewall reinforcement formation includes one or more curved or wave-like formations.

13. The container of claim 1 , wherein the sidewall includes one or more protruding formations and one or more receiving formations.

14. The container of claim 13 , wherein the receiving formations are configured to interconnect or interlock with protruding formations provided on another like container.

15. The container of claim 1 , wherein the base reinforcement formation includes a plurality of radially extending ribs.

16. The container of claim 1 , wherein the base reinforcement formations includes one or more ring-shaped step portions.

17. The container of claim 1 , wherein the container comprises polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

18. The container of claim 1 , wherein the container includes contents.

19. The container of claim 18 , wherein the contents comprise a liquid.

20. The container of claim 18 , wherein the contents have a density that is between about 0.90 and 0.95 g/cm 3 .

21. The container of claim 1 , wherein a container is filled with contents and has a container weight to volume ratio that is less than 1.0 grams per fluid ounce of contents.

22. The container of claim 1 , wherein an overall height of the container is reduced when the flex portion of the shoulder portion flexes downwardly.

23. The container of claim 1 , wherein a height of the container from the base portion to a top of the shoulder portion remains substantially constant when the portion of the should portion flexes downwardly.

24. The container of claim 1 , wherein the flex portion of the shoulder portion is recessed.

25. The container of claim 8 , wherein the flex portion of the shoulder portion is generally annular.

26. The container of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the protruding formations and/or receiving formations is at least one of generally annular and generally triangular.

27. The container of claim 1 , including a separately formed handle attached to the upper portion of the container.

28. The container of claim 27 , wherein the handle is configured to fit entirely within the base portion configured to receive an upper portion of another container.

29. The container of claim 27 , wherein a portion of the handle is configured to support a portion of a top load force directed downwardly by another container.

30. The container of claim 1 , wherein the vertical height of the neck portion of the upper portion of the container is about 0.150 inches greater than the vertical height of the central base portion configured to receive an upper portion of another container.

Assignees

• Dorn James Christopher
• Plastipak Packaging Inc

Inventors

• Dorn James Christopher

Classifications

• B65D23/10

  Handles · CPC title

• B65D21/0202

  and loosely interengaged by integral complementary shapes · CPC title

• B65D21/0231 Primary

  Bottles, canisters or jars whereby the neck or handle project into a cooperating cavity in the bottom (B65D81/361 takes precedence) · CPC title