Patent ID: 6390316
Filing Date: 2002-05-21
Classification: B65D

Abstract:
A grippable sidewall for a wide-mouth hot-fill jar having a dome with a wide-mouth finish above the sidewall and a base below the sidewall, said sidewall having front and rear label panels each of a predetermined radius of curvature and each of a predetermined arcuate extent, said sidewall also having a pair of collapse panels located between said front and rear label panels, each collapse panel having a predetermined radius of curvature and being of a predetermined arcuate extent, each collapse panel having an inset grip region affording facile handling of the container, each of said grip regions being offset rearwardly in its collapse panel so as to be located closer to said rear label panel. than to said front label panel, 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, said radius of curvature of each collapse panel being at least about 30% greater than said front label panel radius, and said arcuate extent of each collapse panel being at least about 20% of the total arcuate extent of said sidewall, whereby the collapse panels readily flex inwardly to accommodate vacuum-induced volumetric shrinkage.