Abstract:
The present disclosure relates to a package including a floor and a side wall extending upwardly from the floor. The package is configured to receive a high-temperature fluid during a container-filling activity at a container-filling factory.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
       [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/092,083, filed Dec. 15, 2014, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a package, and in particular to a package including a container and a lid for the container. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a container that can survive exposure to temperature variations during discharge of hot liquids into the container. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    A package in accordance with the present disclosure includes a lid adapted to mate with the brim of a container to close an opening into an interior product-storage region formed in the container. In illustrative embodiments, the container is configured to be filled with a hot liquid or other fluid at a container-filling factory before the lid is mounted on the brim of the container. 
         [0004]    In illustrative embodiments, the container in the package can contract and expand in size without bursting during development of vacuum conditions in the interior product-storage region of the container caused by discharge of high temperature liquid or other fluid into the interior product-storage region at a container-filling factory. The thickness and shape of the side wall of the container is varied in accordance with the present disclosure to allow for such contraction and expansion. 
         [0005]    Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic view showing a tray carrying four containers in accordance with the present disclosure and moving along a conveyor past a hot-fill dispenser and toward a cooling tunnel and suggesting that a hot liquid or other fluid can be discharged into an interior product-storage region of each container before the tray passes into the downstream cooling tunnel and suggesting that the container is maintained at room temperature and that the interior product-storage region is maintained at atmospheric pressure and characterized by an initial volume; 
           [0008]      FIG. 1A  is a reduced-size sectional view taken along line  1 A- 1 A of  FIG. 1  showing the normal cross-sectional shape of a middle portion of the side wall of the container when the container is maintained at room temperature and there is no vacuum condition present in the interior product-storage region of the container; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1  showing that the first two containers on the moving tray have been filled with hot liquid or other fluid and the hot liquid has caused a hot-fill vacuum to develop in the interior product-storage region of the container to apply suction forces (represented diagrammatically by several double arrows in  FIG. 2A ) to the interior surface of the side wall to cause the elastic pop panels included in the side wall of the container to contract in radially inward directions toward a vertical central axis of the container to decrease the volume of the interior product-storage region of the container without damaging the side wall of the container; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2A  is a reduced-size sectional view taken along line  2 A- 2 A of  FIG. 2  showing the contracted cross-sectional shape of the middle portion of the container after each of the six elastic pop panels have contracted in response to exposure to the hot-fill vacuum extant in the interior product-storage region of the container; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIGS. 1 and 2  showing that the elastic pop panels included in the side wall of the container have expanded to assume their original pre-contraction shapes after the container was cooled in the cooling tunnel and the pressure in and volume of the interior product-storage region returns to normal; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3A  is a reduced-size sectional view taken along line  3 A- 3 A of  FIG. 3  showing that the elastic middle portion of the side wall of the container has recovered its normal cross-sectional shape; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged side elevation view of the container of  FIG. 1  taken from a different point of view to show three of the six elastic pop panels included in the side wall of the container and showing that the side wall includes five zones and suggesting that a ZONE- 1  section is a lower annular ring coupled to the floor of the container and has a first wall thickness, a ZONE- 2  section is a lower annular structural rib coupled to an upper portion of the ZONE- 1  section and has a second wall thickness greater than the first wall thickness, a ZONE- 3  section is a middle annular ring formed to include several pop panels and coupled to an upper portion of the ZONE- 2  section and has a third wall thickness lesser than each of the first and second wall thicknesses, a ZONE- 4  section is an upper annular structural rib coupled to an upper portion of the ZONE- 3  section and has a fourth wall thickness about equal to the second wall thickness, and a ZONE- 5  section is an upper annular ring coupled to an upper portion of the ZONE- 4  section and to a brim of the container and has a fifth thickness about equal to the first thickness; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a side elevation view similar to  FIGS. 1 and 4 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a dead-section view taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a dead-section view taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a dead-section view taken along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is a sectional view taken along line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is an exploded perspective assembly view of a package in accordance with the present disclosure showing the container of  FIG. 5 , a diagrammatic lid configured to be mounted on a brim of the container, and a pliable sheet adapted to be mated to the side wall of the container to cover the ZONE- 2 , ZONE- 3 , and ZONE- 4  sections of the side wall as suggested in  FIG. 11 ; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  is a view similar to  FIG. 10  after the pliable sheet has been mounted on the side wall of the container to provide a label. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    A package  10  in accordance with the present disclosure includes a container  12  having a brim  14 , a floor  16 , and a side wall  18  arranged to interconnect brim  14  and floor  16  as suggested in  FIG. 1  and a lid  13  for the container  12  as suggested diagrammatically in  FIG. 10 . In illustrative embodiments, side wall  18  is made of an elastic material that is programmed to flex in a controlled manner during discharge of a high-temperature hot-fill liquid into an interior product-storage region  19  formed in the container  12  and during subsequent cooling of the container  12  to minimize out-of-round distortion of the shape of container  12  as suggested in  FIGS. 1-3  and in  FIGS. 1A-3A . 
         [0022]    Side wall  18  comprises, in series (bottom to top) a base section  181 , a first structural rib section  182 , a pop-panel section  183 , a second structural rib section  184 , and a canopy section  185  as suggested in  FIG. 4 . These sections  181 - 185  are configured and sized to cooperate to establish a side wall  18  of a container  12  that has a shape after it is hot-filled that matches the shape it had before it was hot-filled. Container  12  made in accordance with the present disclosure can be hot filled (fill temperature in excess of 190° F.) without unwanted paneling or distortion. 
         [0023]    Container  12  is made using a blow-molding process in accordance with the present disclosure. Polypropylene is used in illustrative embodiments. The parison (not shown) used in accordance with the present disclosure is programmed to have varying thicknesses along its length to produce a container  12  having a side wall  18  of varying thickness. Side wall  18  of container  12  has a variable wall thickness as suggested in  FIG. 4 . Base section  181  defines a first side-wall zone  100  characterized by a wall thickness of about 0.025 inches. First structural rib section  182  defines a second side-wall zone  200  characterized by a wall thickness of about 0.045 inches. Pop-panel section  183  defines a third side-wall zone  300  characterized by a wall thickness of 0.015 inches in which the center of each pop-panel section  183  is the thinner wall target area, blending from the relatively thicker adjacent second and fourth side-wall zones  182 ,  184 . Second structural rib section  184  defines a fourth side-wall zone  400  characterized by a wall thickness of about 0.050 inches, Canopy section  185  defines a fifth side-wall zone  500  characterized by a wall thickness of about 0.025 inches. Side wall  18  is configured in accordance with the present disclosure to avoid transformation to an out-of-round or otherwise distorted shape during hot fill and subsequent cooling activity. 
         [0024]    Pop-panel section  183  of side wall  18  of container  12  is formed to include a frame  20  and six elastic pop panels  21 - 26  as suggested in  FIG. 1 . Frame  20  is arranged to interconnect an upper edge of first structural rib  182  and a lower edge of second structural rib  184  as suggested in  FIG. 4 . Frame  20  is formed to include six circumferentially spaced-apart, oblong, endless panel borders as suggested in  FIGS. 1, 1A , and  4 . Each elastic pop panel  21 - 26  is coupled to one of those panel borders included in frame  20  to fill the space bounded by that panel border and provide a monolithic third side-wall zone  183 . Each elastic pop panel  21 - 26  is pliable and flexible and comprises a central dome (e.g.  21 D) and a ring-shaped bridge (e.g.  21 B) arranged to surround and mate with the companion central dome and with the surrounding companion endless panel border. 
         [0025]    Each structural rib section  182 ,  184  included in side wall  18  has been programmed using, for example, bands of material having wall thicknesses in accordance with the present disclosure and as shown, for example, in  FIG. 4 , to rigidify portions of the side wall  18  above and below the pop-panel section  183 . Structural rib sections  182 ,  184  cooperate with the section  183  located between structural rib sections  182 ,  184  to maintain a round shape of the side wall  18  of container without significant distortion while allowing the six elastic pop panels  21 - 26  to flex in radially inward and outward directions during hot fill and subsequent cooling activity. It is within the scope of the present disclosure to vary the number, size, shape, and configuration of the pop panels. 
         [0026]    A multilayer blow-molded container  12  is manufactured in accordance with the present disclosure using a base resin of polypropylene. Container  12  is made to be hot-filled with a liquid having a temperature in excess of 190° F without paneling or distortion, A series of elastic pop panels  21 - 26  are formed and supported on a frame  20  and included in a side wall  18  to move in radially inward directions contract) in response to a vacuum in interior product-storage region  19  that develops during hot-fill activity and in radially outward directions in response to exposure to cool temperatures during subsequent cooling. Structural ribs  182 ,  184  are arranged to locate the elastic pop panels  21 - 26  therebetween to help maintain hoop strength and minimize out-of-round distortion. Providing relatively thicker bands of material in the structural ribs  182 ,  184  and relatively thinned out material in the elastic pop panels  21 - 26  to enhance flexibility of the pop panels  21 - 26  cooperate to provide means for returning side wall  18  of container  12  from a temporary radially inwardly drawn (contracted) condition shown, for example, in  FIGS. 2 and 2A  to a round (pre-contraction) condition after hot-fill and cooling activities have been completed as suggested in  FIGS. 3 and 3A . 
         [0027]    An illustrative container hot-fill and cooling sequence is shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . A tray  30  carrying four containers  12  made in accordance with the present disclosure is traveling on a moving conveyor  32 . in a direction  34  past a hot-fill dispenser  36  and toward a cooling tunnel  38  as shown, for example, in  FIG. 1 . Hot-fill dispenser  36  is configured to provide means for discharging a hot liquid or other fluid into an interior product-storage region  19  formed in each container  12 . before tray  30  passes into the downstream cooling tunnel  38 . As suggested in  FIG. 1 , each unfilled (and unlidded) container  12  is maintained at room temperature as indicated diagrammatically by a thermometer  40  and interior product-storage region  19  is maintained at atmospheric (atm) pressure as indicated diagrammatically by a gauge  42  and characterized by an initial volume as indicated diagrammatically by a beaker  44 . A normal round cross-sectional shape of a portion of the third side-wall section  183  of side wall  18  of container  12  is shown in  FIG. 1A  when container  12  is maintained at room temperature and there is no vacuum condition present in interior product-storage region  19  of container  12 . 
         [0028]    As suggested in  FIG. 2 , the leading two containers  12  on the moving tray  30  have been filled with hot liquid or other fluid. The hot liquid has caused a vacuum to be developed in interior product-storage region  19  of container as indicated diagrammatically by gauge  42 . Such a vacuum condition extant in interior product-storage region  19  of container  12  operates to apply a suction force (F) to the interior surface of side wall  18  and notably to the interior surface of each elastic pop panel  21 - 26  as suggested in  FIG. 2A  to cause each elastic pop panel  21 - 26  to contract from a pre-contraction shape shown in  FIGS. 1 and 1A  in radially inward directions toward a vertical central axis  12 A of container  12  to a contracted shape shown in  FIGS. 2 and 2A  to decrease the volume of interior product-storage region  19  of container  12  as indicated diagrammatically by beaker  44  (see  FIG. 2 ) without damaging side wall  18  of container  12 . A temporary OUT-OF-ROUND cross-sectional shape of a portion of the third side-wall section  183  of side wall  18  of container  12  is shown in  FIG. 2A  when container  12  is but owing to being filled with a hot liquid or other fluid and exposed to a vacuum condition in interior product-storage region  19  of container  12 . 
         [0029]    As suggested in  FIG. 3 , containers  12  have now passed through cooling tunnel  38  to dissipate any vacuum extant in interior product-storage region  19  of container  12 . Each elastic pop panel  21 - 26  has expanded owing, in part, to the elasticity of the material used to form side wall  18 , to assume its original pre-contraction shape shown in  FIGS. 1 and 1A  now that container  12  was cooled in cooling tunnel  38  and the pressure and volume of interior product-storage region  19  have returned to normal. A normal round cross-sectional shape of a portion of side wall  18  of container  12  is thus re-established as shown in  FIG. 3A . 
         [0030]    A label  30  is applied to side wall  18  of container  12  in a manner suggested in  FIG. 10 . Once mounted in place, label  30  convers pop-panel or label section  183  of side wall  18  as suggested in  FIG. 11  in illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure. It is within the scope of the present disclosure to omit the elastic pop panels in an illustrative embodiment. Label  30  has a height  301  of about 4.274 inches in an illustrative embodiment. 
         [0031]    Container  12  is blow-molded using, for example, a polypropylene material. Side wall  18  comprises a variable wall thickness and a pop-panel section  183  interposed between structural rib sections  182 ,  184 . Pop-panels  21 - 26  in pop-panel section  183  suck in during hot fill and then relax during cooling. The structural support area of side wall  18  provided by structural ribs  182 ,  184  is thicker than the label area of side wall  18  provided by pop-panel section  183 . The wall thickness may vary from container to container but the structural ribs will be thicker than the label area. 
         [0032]    A package  10  comprises a container  12  having a brim  14 , a floor  16 , and a side wall  18  arranged to interconnect the brim  14  and the floor  16  as suggested in  FIGS. 1 and 4 . Brim  14  is adapted to mate with a lid  13  to close an opening into an interior product-storage region  19  bounded by the floor  16  and side wall  18  as suggested in  FIG. 10 . 
         [0033]    Side wall  18  includes, in series, abase section  181  associated with the floor  16 , a first structural rib section  182 , a middle section  183 , a second structural rib section  184 , and a canopy section  185  associated with the brim  14  as suggested in  FIGS. 4 and 6 . Base section  181  defines a first side-wall zone  100  characterized by a first wall thickness. First structural rib section  182  defines a second side-wall zone  200  characterized by a second wall thickness that is greater than the first wall thickness. Middle section  183  defines a third side-wall zone  300  characterized by a wall thickness that is less than the first wall thickness. Second structural rib section  184  defines a fourth side-wall zone  400  characterized by a fourth wall thickness that is greater than the second wall thickness. Canopy section  185  defines a fifth side-wall zone  500  characterized by a fifth wall thickness that is about equal to the first wall thickness. 
         [0034]    In illustrative embodiments, the first wall thickness is about 0.025 inches, the second wall thickness is about 0.045 inches, the fourth wall thickness is about 0.050 inches, and the third wall thickness is about 0.015 inches. Each of the first and second structural ribs comprises bands of material as suggested in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0035]    Package  10  also includes a label  30  arranged to surround an exterior surface of the middle section  183  as suggested in  FIG. 10 . Label  30  is arranged to overlie portions of the first and second structural ribs  182 ,  184  as suggested in  FIG. 11 . 
         [0036]    The middle section  183 , in illustrative embodiments is a pop-panel section that includes a frame  20  and at least one elastic pop panel  21 - 26  as suggested in 
         [0037]      FIGS. 1 and 1A . Frame  20  is arranged to interconnect the first and second structural ribs  182 ,  184  and at least one elastic pop panel  21 - 26  that is supported on frame  20  for movement in a radially inward direction toward a vertical central axis  12 A of the container  12  from an initial pre-contraction shape suggested in  FIG. 1A  to a temporary hot-fill contracted shape suggested in  FIG. 2A  in response to exposure of an interior surface of side wall  18  to a suction force (F) generated by a vacuum in the interior product-storage region  19  that develops during a hot-fill activity in which a hot fluid is introduced by a hot-fill dispenser  36  into the interior product-storage region  19  to decrease the volume of the interior product-storage region  19  without damaging the side wall  18  of the container  12 . Side wall  18  has a variable wall thickness, in illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         [0038]    Frame  20  is formed to include six circumferentially spaced-apart, oblong, endless panel borders as suggested in  FIGS. 1, 1A, and 4 . Each elastic pop panel  21 - 26  is coupled to one of the endless panel borders included in the frame  20  to fill space bounded by the one of the endless panel borders to provide a monolithic third side-wall zone  300 . 
         [0039]    Each elastic pop panel  21 - 26  comprises a central dome (e.g.,  21 D) and a ring-shaped bridge (e.g.,  21 B). Each ring-shaped bridge is arranged to surround and mate with a companion central dome and with a portion of the endless panel border surrounding the ring-shaped bridge. 
         [0040]    In illustrative embodiments, the second wall thickness is about 0.045 inches and the fourth wall thickness is about 0.050 inches to maintain hoop strength of the first and second structural ribs  182 ,  184  during exposure of the elastic pop panels  21 - 26  to a vacuum in the interior product-storage region  19  produced by a hot-fill liquid in the interior product-storage region  19  and resultant movement of each of the elastic pop panels  21 - 26  relative to frame  20  from a pre-contraction shape in the radially inward direction toward the vertical central axis  12 A to assume a contracted shape. 
         [0041]    Each of the first and second structural ribs  182 ,  184  has an annular shape as suggested in  FIG. 4 . Frame  20  has an annular shape as suggested in  FIG. 4 . The third wall thickness is about 0.015 inches to maximize pliability and flexibility of the elastic pop panels  21 - 26 . The second wall thickness is about 0.045 inches and the fourth wall thickness is about 0.050 inches to minimize out-of-round distortion of the side wall  18  during flexure of the elastic pop panels  21 - 26  relative to frame  20  when exposed to a vacuum in the interior product-storage region  19 .