Patent ID: 6375025
Filing Date: 2002-04-23
Classification: B65D

Abstract:
A hot-fillable grip container, comprising:a dome having a lower portion with a circular transverse cross-section; a base having an upper portion with a circular transverse cross-section located below said dome and coaxially therewith; a sidewall extending between said dome and base portions, said sidewall having diametrically opposed front and rear label panels and opposed collapse panels disposed between said label panels, each collapse panel having an inset grip region affording facile gripping of the container; each of said label panels having a predetermined transverse radius of curvature throughout its arcuate extent for providing an inwardly concave surface; each of said collapse panels having throughout its arcuate extent a predetermined radius of curvature greater than either of said label panels for providing an inwardly concave surface; the lateral extent of each of said collapse panels being defined by a front transitional zone located at the juncture of said front label panel and said collapse panel radii of curvature and by a rear vertical transitional zone, each of said front transitional zones being a smooth arcuate wall section which smoothly transitions and merges said radius of curvature of said collapse panel into said radius of curvature of said front label panel, said radius of curvature of said front label panel being substantially constant between horizontally opposed front transitional zones; the vertical extent of each of said collapse panels being defined by a continual arcuate upper peripheral stiffener subjacent said dome and a continual lower peripheral stiffener superadjacent said base, such that said collapse panels merge into said stiffeners for providing upper and lower horizontal zones of flexure for said collapse panels; said collapse panels moving inward adjacent said grip region in response to forces developed in the container in response to hot-filling with a liquid, capping and cooling; each of said grip regions being offset reanvardly in its collapse panel so as to be located closer to said rear label panel than to said front label panel; and each of said front transitional zones merging into said front label panel to form a wide generally C-shaped, inwardly-concave smooth wall portion extending around a substantial portion of said grip region.