Container with vacuum resistant ribs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11136159-B2
Application number	US-201816040183-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2018
Priority date	Jul 19, 2018
Publication date	Oct 5, 2021
Grant date	Oct 5, 2021

Abstract

Container having a body portion with sidewall defining outer perimeter and hollow interior. The body portion includes a plurality of continuous ribs extending about the outer perimeter of the sidewall, each rib having alternating horizontal segments and branched segments. Each branched segment includes a top branch and bottom branch joined at either end to define a bounded area therebetween. The plurality of continuous ribs includes at least a first continuous rib and second continuous rib spaced vertically from the first continuous rib. A midpoint of each branched segment of the first continuous rib is aligned along a vertical axis with a midpoint of a corresponding horizontal segment of the second continuous rib, and a midpoint of each horizontal segment of the first continuous rib is aligned along a vertical axis with a midpoint of a corresponding branched segment of the second continuous rib.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A container comprising:
a body portion comprising a sidewall defining an outer perimeter and a hollow interior;
a bottom portion extending from a lower end of the body portion, the bottom portion defining a horizontal support surface; and
a top portion extending from an upper end of the body portion opposite the bottom portion, the top portion comprising a finish portion,
wherein the body portion comprises a plurality of continuous ribs extending about the outer perimeter of the sidewall, each continuous rib having alternating horizontal segments and branched segments, each branched segment having a top branch and a bottom branch joined at either end to define a bounded area therebetween;
wherein the plurality of continuous ribs includes at least a first continuous rib and a second continuous rib, the second continuous rib spaced vertically from the first continuous rib, and further wherein a midpoint of each branched segment of the first continuous rib is aligned along a vertical axis with a midpoint of a corresponding horizontal segment of the second continuous rib, and a midpoint of each horizontal segment of the first continuous rib is aligned along a vertical axis with a midpoint of a corresponding branched segment of the second continuous rib; and
wherein a top edge of each top branch of the first continuous rib defines a first horizontal plane, and a bottom edge of each bottom branch of the second continuous rib defines a second horizontal plane, the second horizontal plane being spaced vertically from the first horizontal plane.

2. The container of claim 1 , wherein the second horizontal plane is above the first horizontal plane.

3. The container of claim 2 , wherein the body portion further comprises a continuous groove extending about the outer perimeter of the sidewall between the first horizontal plane and the second horizontal plane.

4. The container of claim 1 , wherein a distance between the first horizontal plane and the second horizontal plane is approximately 0.040 inches to approximately 0.090 inches.

5. The container of claim 1 , wherein a first vertical distance between a midpoint of each top branch of the first continuous rib and a midpoint of a corresponding horizontal segment of the second continuous rib is substantially equal to a second vertical distance between a midpoint of each horizontal segment of the first continuous rib and a midpoint of a corresponding bottom branch of the second continuous rib.

6. The container of claim 5 , wherein the first vertical distance is approximately 0.280 inches to approximately 0.420 inches.

7. The container of claim 1 , further comprising a third continuous rib, wherein a first vertical distance between a midpoint of each horizontal segment of the second continuous rib and a midpoint of a corresponding top branch of the first continuous rib is substantially equal to a second vertical distance between the midpoint of each horizontal segment of the second continuous rib and a midpoint of a corresponding bottom branch of the third continuous rib.

8. The container of claim 1 , wherein the body portion comprises between 3 and 12 continuous ribs.

9. The container of claim 1 , wherein each bounded area has a shape selected from the group consisting of, circular, oval, eye-like, rectangular, square, hexagonal, and octagonal.

10. The container of claim 1 , wherein each continuous rib comprises between 4 and 12 branched segments and a corresponding number of horizontal segments.

11. The container of claim 1 , wherein each continuous rib defines a concave channel in side cross-section relative an exterior of the perimeter.

12. The container of claim 11 , wherein each channel has a nadir having a first depth relative the sidewall.

13. The container of claim 12 , wherein the first depth is between approximately 0.020 inches and approximately 0.080 inches.

14. The container of claim 12 , wherein each nadir has a second depth relative the bounded area.

15. The container of claim 14 , wherein the second depth is substantially equal to the first depth.

16. The container of claim 1 , wherein the container comprises a blow-molded container.

17. The container of claim 1 , wherein the container body portion has a wall thickness of approximately 0.008 inches to approximately 0.017 inches.

18. The container of claim 1 , wherein the container is made from a material selected from the group consisting of low and high-density polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polyethylene naphthalate blends, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polystyrene, fluorine treated high density polyethylene, post-consumer resin, K-resin, bioplastic, catalytic scavengers, including monolayer-blended scavengers, multi-layer structures, or a mixture, blend, or copolymer thereof.

19. The container of claim 1 , wherein the bottom portion includes a vacuum base.

20. A container comprising:
a body portion comprising a sidewall defining an outer perimeter and a hollow interior;
a bottom portion extending from a lower end of the body portion, the bottom portion defining a horizontal support surface; and
a top portion extending from an upper end of the body portion opposite the bottom portion, the top portion comprising a finish portion,
wherein the body portion comprises a plurality of continuous ribs extending about the outer perimeter of the sidewall, each continuous rib having alternating horizontal segments and branched segments, each branched segment having a top branch and a bottom branch joined at either end to define a bounded area therebetween;
wherein the plurality of continuous ribs includes at least a first continuous rib and a second continuous rib, the second continuous rib spaced vertically from the first continuous rib, and further wherein a midpoint of each branched segment of the first continuous rib is aligned along a vertical axis with a midpoint of a corresponding horizontal segment of the second continuous rib, and a midpoint of each horizontal segment of the first continuous rib is aligned along a vertical axis with a midpoint of a corresponding branched segment of the second continuous rib;
wherein each branched segment comprises at least one linear section aligned parallel to each horizontal segment; and
wherein a length of each linear section is substantially equal to a length of each horizontal segment.

21. A container comprising:
a body portion comprising a sidewall defining an outer perimeter and a hollow interior;
a bottom portion extending from a lower end of the body portion, the bottom portion defining a horizontal support surface; and
a top portion extending from an upper end of the body portion opposite the bottom portion, the top portion comprising a finish portion,
wherein the body portion comprises a plurality of continuous ribs extending about the outer perimeter of the sidewall, each continuous rib having alternating horizontal segments and branched segments, each branched segment having a top branch and a bottom branch joined at either end to define a bounded area therebetween;
wherein the plurality of continuous ribs includes at least a first continuous rib and a second continuous rib, the second continuous rib spaced vertically from the first continuous rib, and further wherein a midpoint of each branched segment of the first continuous rib is aligned along a vertical axis with a midpoint of a corresponding horizontal segment of the second continuous rib, and a midpoint of each hori

Assignees

• Graham Packaging Co

Inventors

• Waltemyer Robert
• Sprenkle Shannon K
• Howell Justin A
• Kelly Michael (Mt) T

Classifications

• B65D2501/0036

  Hollow circonferential ribs · CPC title

• B65D1/0223 Primary

  characterised by shape · CPC title

• B65D81/02

  specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage {(containers of polygonal cross-section provided with internal protecting elements for contents B65D5/50; devices to locate articles in containers B65D25/10)} · CPC title

• B65D1/44

  Corrugations · CPC title