Swirl bell bottle with wavy ribs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11220368-B2
Application number	US-201816012029-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2018
Priority date	Dec 27, 2012
Publication date	Jan 11, 2022
Grant date	Jan 11, 2022

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for a container comprising a base, a bell, a sidewall between the base and the bell, a neck and a finish which define an opening to an interior of the container, and a shoulder between the sidewall and the bell. Strap ribs extend from a central portion of the base and terminate at the sidewall. The strap ribs cooperate with vertically aligned recessed columns of the sidewall to resist bending, leaning, crumbling, or stretching along the sidewall and the base. An inwardly offset portion of the sidewall is disposed between each pair of adjacent recessed columns. The inwardly offset portions of the sidewall are configured to resist outward bowing of the sidewall due to internal pressure of contents within the container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A container configured to substantially reduce triangulation of the container due to internal pressure of contents within the container, the container comprising:
a base which extends upward to a sidewall of the container;
a shoulder connected between the sidewall and a bell, a diameter of the bell decreasing as the bell extends upward to a neck of the container;
a finish connected to the neck, the finish configured to receive a closure and defining an opening to an interior of the container; and
a plurality of inwardly offset portions of the sidewall configured to resist outward bowing of the sidewall due to the internal pressure of the contents;
vertically aligned shallow rib portions that form a plurality of vertically aligned recessed columns comprising three recessed columns equally spaced around the perimeter of the sidewall, such that the sidewall comprises a circumference which is offset from a generally circular cross-sectional shape to a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape;
wherein portions of the sidewall are inwardly offset between each pair of adjacent, vertically aligned recessed columns;
a grip portion comprising a plurality of grip portion ribs that vary in depth, and angulate around the grip portion, wherein each grip portion rib comprises a deep rib portion transitioning to a middle rib portion and then transitioning to a shallow rib portion;
a label portion connected to the grip portion and comprising one or more label panel ribs, wherein each label portion rib comprises a deep rib portion transitioning to a middle rib portion and then transitioning to a shallow rib portion, and wherein the label portion transitions into the shoulder;
the plurality of inwardly offset portions are configured to counteract outward-directed forces on the sidewall of the container due to internal pressure, such that the pressurized container assumes a substantially circular cross-sectional shape; and
wherein each of the inwardly offset portions is offset from 0 to 30 degrees from the circular cross-sectional shape; and

wherein the deep rib portions of the grip portion ribs and label panel ribs provide a hoop strength equivalent to the hoop strength imparted by ribs comprising a uniform depth;
the label portion comprising a different number of recessed columns than the grip portion; and
a plurality of strap ribs, wherein each of the strap ribs extends substantially from a central portion of the base, wherein the strap ribs cooperate with a plurality of vertically aligned recessed columns of the sidewall so as to resist at least one of bending, leaning, crumbling, or stretching along the sidewall and the base; wherein at least one strap rib comprises a sidewall end that terminates past at least one of the shallow rib portions.

2. The container of claim 1 , wherein the base comprises a diameter which is larger than a diameter of the shoulder, such that the base creates a single point of contact with other substantially similar containers in a production line, or in packaging.

3. The container of claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the base is larger than the diameter of the shoulder by 0.5 to 4 millimeters.

4. The container of claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the base is larger than the diameter of the shoulder by 1 to 2 millimeters.

5. A container comprising a base, a bell, a sidewall between the base and the bell, a neck and a finish which define an opening to an interior of the container, and a shoulder between the sidewall and the bell, the container comprising:
a grip portion of the sidewall comprising a multiplicity of circumferentially positioned grip portion ribs that vary in depth, and swirl around the grip portion, wherein each grip portion rib comprises a deep rib portion transitioning to a middle rib portion and then transitioning to a shallow rib portion;
a label portion connected to the grip portion and comprising one or more label panel ribs, wherein the label portion transitions into the shoulder;
the label portion comprising a multiplicity of circumferentially positioned label portion ribs, wherein each label portion rib comprises a deep rib portion transitioning to a middle rib portion and then transitioning to a shallow rib portion;
a plurality of strap ribs, wherein each of the strap ribs extends substantially from a central portion of the base and terminates at a sidewall end in the grip portion, and wherein the strap ribs cooperate with vertically aligned shallow rib portions that form a plurality of vertically aligned recessed columns so as to resist at least one of bending, leaning, crumbling, or stretching along the sidewall and the base,
wherein portions of the sidewall are inwardly offset between each pair of adjacent, vertically aligned recessed columns;
a plurality of load ribs spaced equally between adjacent strap ribs, wherein the load ribs are configured to resist deformation of the base;
a plurality of feet formed between the strap ribs and the load ribs, wherein the plurality of feet comprises a resting surface of the container, and wherein two load ribs are positioned between two strap ribs; and
the plurality of vertically aligned recessed columns comprises three recessed columns equally spaced around the perimeter of the sidewall, such that the sidewall comprises a circumference which is offset from a generally circular cross-sectional shape to a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape; and the plurality of inwardly offset portions are configured to counteract outward-directed forces on the sidewall of the container due to internal pressure, such that the pressurized container assumes a substantially circular cross-sectional shape.

6. The container of claim 5 , wherein the diameter of the base is larger than the diameter of the shoulder by 0.5 to 4 millimeters.

7. The container of claim 5 , wherein the diameter of the base is larger than the diameter of the shoulder by 1 to 2 millimeters.

8. The container of claim 5 , wherein the base comprises a diameter which is larger than a diameter of the shoulder, such that the base creates a single point of contact with other substantially similar containers in a production line, or in packaging.

9. The container of claim 5 , wherein the base further comprises a gate centered on a longitudinal axis of the container, a wall extending from the gate toward the resting surface of the container, and a dome immediately surrounding the gate, wherein the dome is a portion of the wall of the base that slopes more steeply toward the resting surface of the container.

10. The container of claim 5 , wherein each of the strap ribs has a base end which terminates in the dome, near the periphery of the gate.

Assignees

• Niagara Bottling Llc

Inventors

• Hanan Jay Clarke
• Forsthovel Jochen
• Schau Alexander

Classifications

• B65D1/0223

  characterised by shape · CPC title

• B65D2501/0036

  Hollow circonferential ribs · CPC title

• B65D1/0284 Primary

  having a discontinuous contact surface, e.g. discrete feet · CPC title