Patent ID: 7900425
Filing Date: 2011-03-08
Classification: B29C,B65D,B67C

Abstract:
1. A method for handling hot-filled plastic bottles, each said plastic bottle including a neck portion, a body portion, and a base portion, the body portion including at least one vacuum panel, and the base portion forming a bearing surface for the plastic bottle and having a bottom end thereof with a hinge element, a first wall portion sloping in a first direction away from the hinge element, a second wall portion sloping in a second direction away from the hinge element, and a section circumscribed by the second wall portion, the second wall portion and the section being adapted to be repositioned about the hinge element with substantially no movement of the first wall portion during the repositioning, the method comprising: hot-filling the plastic bottles with each second wall portion and each section in a first position, wherein, in the first position, no portion of the second wall portion and the section extend below the bearing surface of the base portion of the plastic bottle; capping the hot-filled plastic bottles with the second wall portion and the section in the first position; creating a vacuum in each of the hot-filled and capped plastic bottles by cooling, the second wall portion and the section being in the first position for said creating a vacuum; conveying the plastic bottles having vacuums created therein with the second wall portion and the section in the first position, said conveying being performed such that the bearing surfaces of the plastic bottles rest on respective first portions of a flat surface, and such that the second wall portion and the section are in the first position; reducing a first portion of the vacuum for each plastic bottle using the at least one vacuum panel; and after said conveying, repositioning the second wall portion and the section of each plastic bottle from the first position to a second position to reduce a second portion of the vacuum, said repositioning being performed such that substantially no movement of the first wall portion occurs, and such that no portion of the second wall portion and the section extend below the bearing surface of the base portion of the plastic bottle, wherein the first portion and the second portion of the vacuum constitute substantially the entire vacuum.