Compression-resistant thin-wall container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025346386-A1
Application number	US-202519201721-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 7, 2025
Priority date	May 7, 2024
Publication date	Nov 13, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A compression-resistant container may include a wall at least partially enclosing a volume, where a shape of the wall includes a set of spheroidal surfaces having at least a first spheroidal surface and a second spheroidal surface. The shape of the wall further includes a set of cylindrical surfaces having at least a first cylindrical surface. The first cylindrical surface may adjoins at least the first spheroidal surface and may be positioned between the first spheroidal surface and the second spheroidal surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A compression-resistant container comprising a wall at least partially enclosing a volume, where a shape of the wall comprises:
a set of spheroidal surfaces having at least a first spheroidal surface and a second spheroidal surface; and a set of cylindrical surfaces having at least a first cylindrical surface, wherein the first cylindrical surface adjoins at least the first spheroidal surface and is positioned between the first spheroidal surface and the second spheroidal surface.

2 . The compression-resistant container of claim 1 , wherein the wall is made from a synthetic resin.

3 . The compression-resistant container of claim 1 , wherein the wall is made from poly(ethylene terephthalate).

4 . The compression-resistant container of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the wall is between 0.05 mm and 0.5 mm.

5 . The compression-resistant container of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the set of spheroidal surfaces and the set of cylindrical surfaces are positioned in an alternating pattern along an axis.

6 . The compression-resistant container of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a diameter of each of the set of spheroidal surfaces to each of the set of cylindrical surfaces is between 1.5:1 and 4:1.

7 . The compression-resistant container of claim 1 , wherein each of the set of spheroidal surfaces has a shell thickness ratio of between 1:500 and 1:200.

8 . The compression-resistant container of claim 1 , wherein a tangential surface angle between each of the set of spheroidal surfaces and each of the set of cylindrical surfaces is between 30 degrees and 80 degrees.

9 . The compression-resistant container of claim 1 , wherein the container has an internal volume between 10 mL and 10 L.

10 . The compression-resistant container of claim 1 , wherein the mass of the container is between 0.05 g and 2 kg.

11 . The compression-resistant container of claim 1 ,
wherein the wall has rotational symmetry around an axis, wherein the set of spheroidal surfaces corresponds to a set of spheroidal segment shells having at least a first spheroidal segment shell corresponding to the first spheroidal surface and a second spheroidal segment shell corresponding to the second spheroidal surface, each spheroidal segment shell of the set of spheroidal segment shells having rotational symmetry around the axis; and wherein the set of cylinder surfaces corresponds to a set of cylinder shells having at least a first cylinder shell corresponding to the first cylinder surface, each cylinder shell of the set of cylinder shells having rotational symmetry around the axis, wherein the first cylinder shell is positioned between the first spheroidal segment shell and the second spheroidal segment shell.

12 . The compression-resistant container of claim 11 , wherein the set of spheroidal segment shells and the set of cylinder shells define at least a portion of a body of the shape of the wall, and wherein the shape of the wall further comprises a neck and a base.

13 . The compression-resistant container of claim 12 , wherein the base has a diameter between 4 mm and 1000 mm.

14 . The compression-resistant container of claim 12 , wherein the base has a length between 4 mm and 1000 mm.

15 . The compression-resistant container of claim 11 , wherein a total length of the container is between 20 mm and 2000 mm.

16 . The compression-resistant container of claim 11 , wherein the set of spheroidal segment shells further includes a third spheroidal segment shell, wherein the set of cylinder segment shells further includes a second cylinder segment shell and a third cylinder segment shell, wherein the second cylinder segment shell is between the first spheroidal segment shell and the second spheroidal segment shell, and wherein the third cylinder segment shell is between the second spheroidal segment shell and the third spheroidal segment shell.

17 . The compression-resistant container of claim 1 , wherein the set of spheroidal surfaces and the set of cylindrical surfaces define at least a portion of a body, and wherein the body defines a container.

18 . The compression-resistant container of claim 17 , wherein the set of spheroidal surfaces further includes a third spherical surface and a fourth spherical surface, wherein the set of cylindrical surfaces further includes a second cylindrical surface and a third cylindrical surface, and wherein the set of spheroidal surfaces alternate with the set of cylindrical surfaces with the second cylindrical surface positioned between the second spheroidal surface and the third spheroidal surface and the third cylindrical surface positioned between the third and fourth spheroidal surfaces.

19 . The compression-resistant container of claim 17 , further comprising a hinged opening between a top of the body and a bottom of the body.

20 . The compression-resistant container of claim 17 , wherein the container is a box or a clamshell for food.

Assignees

• Univ Boise State

Inventors

• Miller-Cassman Terra
• Fackrell Taylor
• Smith Aaron

Classifications

• B65D2501/0036

  Hollow circonferential ribs · CPC title

• B65D1/44

  Corrugations · CPC title

• B65D1/0223 Primary

  characterised by shape · CPC title

• B65D1/0284 Primary

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

• B65D43/162

  the container, the lid and the hinge being made of one piece (B65D43/161 takes precedence) · CPC title