Container having deformable flanks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9302840-B2
Application number	US-201013516373-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2010
Priority date	Dec 17, 2009
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

A container made of thermoplastic material having a body in which at least one side panel is hollowed out, the container including a central zone having, in a longitudinal plane, a concave profile, and an adjoining zone longitudinally extending the central zone and having, in a longitudinal plane, a convex profile. The central zone and the adjoining zone are stiffened, and the junction between the central zone and the adjoining zone defines a deformable membrane.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Container made of thermoplastic material comprising a body having a bottom and one hollowed-out side panel, the side panel comprising:
a stiffened central zone provided with a stiffener protruding from the bottom of the central zone and extending longitudinally, the stiffener having a central rib and two lateral ribs, the stiffened central zone having, in a longitudinal plane, a concave profile, a radius of the curvature of the central zone, in a longitudinal plane, being measured at an outside of the container; and
a stiffened adjoining zone having, in a longitudinal plane, a convex profile, a radius of curvature of the stiffened adjoining zone, in a longitudinal plane, being measured toward an interior of the container, the stiffened adjoining zone being provided with longitudinal grooves having a V-shaped profile with a rounded bottom, wherein
at the junction between the stiffened central zone and the stiffened adjoining zone, the side panel locally defines a deformable membrane,
the deformable membrane being convex with pressure in the container and concave while depression exists in the container.

2. Container according to claim 1 , wherein, in the absence of stress, the deformable membrane is substantially flat in a transverse plane, perpendicular to a principal axis of the container.

3. Container according to claim 1 , wherein the adjoining zone has a convex profile in a transverse plane, perpendicular to a principal axis of the container.

4. Container according to claim 1 , wherein the side panel is preferably delimited by sharp edges.

5. Container according to claim 1 , wherein the adjoining zone is stiffened by means of longitudinal grooves framing the adjoining zone.

6. Container according to claim 5 , wherein each groove is connected to an intermediate face of the body by a fillet the radius of which is preferably less than that of a fillet connecting the groove to the adjoining zone.

7. Container according to claim 1 , wherein the stiffened central zone is wider at the stiffened adjoining zone.

8. Container according to claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a plurality of side panels separated by intermediate faces provided with reinforcing means, wherein the reinforcing means are longitudinal ribs.

9. Container according to claim 1 , wherein the side panel comprises a stiffened central zone extended longitudinally by two stiffened adjoining zones, two deformable membranes being formed at the junction between the stiffened central zone and each stiffened adjoining zone.

10. A container, comprising:
a body having at least a bottom and one hollowed-out side panel,
wherein the side panel includes:
a stiffened first zone, provided with a stiffener protruding from the bottom of the first zone and extending longitudinally, the stiffener having a central rib and two lateral ribs, wherein the stiffened first zone is concave in a longitudinal direction, a radius of the curvature of the stiffened first zone, in a longitudinal plane, being measured at an outside of the container;
a stiffened second zone, wherein the stiffened second zone is convex in a longitudinal direction, the radius of the curvature of the stiffened second zone, in a longitudinal plane, being measured toward the interior of the container, the stiffened second zone being provided with longitudinal grooves having a V-shaped profile with a rounded bottom; and
a deformable membrane, wherein the deformable membrane forms a junction between the stiffened first zone and the stiffened second zone, the deformable membrane being convex with pressure in the container and concave while depression exists in the container.

11. The container according to claim 10 , wherein the deformable membrane is substantially flat in the absence of stress and structured to adopt a curvature when under stress from temperature or hydrostatic pressure in the container.

12. The container according to claim 11 , wherein the curvature defines an outward bulge.

13. The container according to claim 10 , wherein the deformable membrane is structured to deform when under stress from temperature or hydrostatic pressure in the container, while the first stiffened zone and the second stiffened zone remain stiff relative to the deformable membrane.

14. The container according to claim 10 , wherein the deformable membrane is positioned between the first stiffened zone and the second stiffened zone in a vertical direction of the container.

Assignees

• Boukobza Michel
• Sidel Participations

Inventors

• Boukobza Michel

Classifications

• B65D2501/0036

  Hollow circonferential ribs · CPC title

• B65D1/0223 Primary

  characterised by shape · CPC title

• B65D2501/0027

  Hollow longitudinal ribs · CPC title

• B65D79/005 Primary

  Packages having deformable parts for indicating or neutralizing internal pressure-variations by other means than venting · CPC title

• B65D79/0084 Primary

  in the sidewall or shoulder part thereof · CPC title