Abstract:
A hot-fillable, blow-molded container has a body portion with grip panels extending between a front label panel and a rear palm panel. The container body is configured to accommodate reductions in volume caused by hot-filling, capping, and subsequent cooling of contents in a manner which retains its aesthetic appearance when cooled yet which retains its structural integrity when opened and its contents poured.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relaters to hot-fillable blow-molded plastic containers which to accommodate reductions in volume due to cooling of a liquid hot-filled into the container and subsequently cooled. 
     CROSS-REFERENCED TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application is related to a co-pending design application, Ser. No. 29/000,230 filed on Oct. 8, 1992 by the same inventors and commonly owned herewith. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A major problem associated with hot-fillable blow-molded containers is the need to accommodate changes in the container configuration due to reductions in volume as the hot-filled liquid cools alter the container has been capped. Some prior art approaches to solving this problem involve the use of flex panels at various locations in the container side wall. Flex panels are designed to move in response to reductions in volume in the containers so that the filled level of the liquid remains at a pre-determined location. 
     Examples of containers having such panels may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,749,092; 4,805,788; and 4,946,053. Two recently issued patents having hand grips with flex panels formed in the hand grips are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,141,120 and 5,341,121. Other collapse-resistent containers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,923,178; 4,381,061; 4,387,816; and 4,610,366. Containers having recessed sidewalls providing handgrips are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. D282,050. 
     Although various ones of the referenced containers may function satisfactorily for their intended purposes, there is a need for blow-molded plastic containers which not only accommodate reductions in volume due to cooling of a hot-filled liquid, but which also retain their structural integrity after being opened by a consumer and contents poured from the container. In other words, a desirable container should also be capable of retaining its intended shape when gripped hiring pouring and handling. Furthermore, such a container should also be capable of being molded with a minimum of plastic to minimize costs. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     With the foregoing in mind, a primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved blow-molded, hot-fillable plastic container which overcomes the limitations of known hot-fillable containers. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel hot-fillable, blow-molded plastic container having hand grips which facilitate handling and pouring of contents. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a hot-fillable, blow-molded plastic container which not only accommodates reductions in volume due to cooling of hot-filled contents, but also retains its structural integrity throughout its period of utility. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     More specifically, the present invention provides a hot-fillable, blow-molded plastic container particularly suited for containing a liquid filled initially in a hot state and subsequently sealed so that cooling of the liquid creates a reduced volume of the liquid in the container. The container includes a bottom portion having a circular cross-section, a shoulder portion having a circular cross-section corresponding to the cross-section of the bottom portion, and aligned vertically with the bottom portion. A closable neck portion is provided on the shoulder portion to permit filling and discharge of liquid from the container. The container has a body portion which connects the bottom portion and the shoulder portion in which the improvement of the present invention is provided. 
     The improvement comprises an arcuate front label panel which extends between the bottom and shoulder portions, an arcuate rear palm panel located diametrically opposite the front label panel and extending likewise between the bottom and shoulder portions. A pair of flex panels are set inwardly from, and extend between, the shoulder and bottom portions on opposite sides of the container. The flex panel extends between the front label panel and rear palm panel, and each has formed therein a rigid grip structure for receiving a person&#39;s thumb and fingers on opposite sides of the container when the palm panel is engaged by the person&#39;s palm. The grip structures are deeper closer to the front label panel than to the rear palm panel and are formed to resist inverting in response to changes in volume of the liquid within the container. Each of the flex panels has a substantially rectangular elevational configuration with its lengthwise dimension being disposed vertically. Vertical stiffening ribs extend lengthwise of each flex panel between the bottom and shoulder portions adjacent the front label panel and the rear palm panel. Each panel has upper and lower chordal stiffening means extending horizontally between the front and rear panels and the flex panels stiffening ribs. Each flex panel, as manufactured, has a slightly outwardly-bowed convex configuration so that when filled, closed, and cooled, the flex panels can flex inwardly without effecting unwanted distortion of the container and thereby affecting adversely the level of fluid charged into the container prior to capping. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other objects features and advantages of the present invention should become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a front elevational view of a hot-fillable, blow-molded plastic container embodying the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a rear elevational view of the container; 
     FIG. 3 illustrates one side elevational view thereof; 
     FIG. 4 illustrates the opposite side elevational view thereof; and 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line 5--5 of FIG. 2. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a hot-fillable, blow-molded plastic container 10 which embodies the present invention. The container 10 is particularly suited to be filled with a liquid initially in a hot state and subsequently sealed. As the liquid cools, its volume decreases in the sealed container. 
     As discussed heretofore, various container designs have been proposed to accommodate the reduction in volume in a manner which retains the aesthetics of the container. These designs have met with varying degrees of success. The present invention overcomes the limitations of the prior art containers by means of a novel combination of structural elements which cooperate to provide a commercially-desirable container which retains its appearance before opening and its structural integrity after opening and use by the consumer. 
     To this end, the container 10 has a bottom portion 12 with a circular cross section and a circular shoulder portion 14 aligned vertically with the bottom portion 12. A neck 16, which may be threaded as illustrated, is connected to the shoulder portion 14 by a double-domed wall 18 having a circumferential finger grip indentation 20. A cap (not shown) closes the neck 16 to seal the container 10. 
     The novel portion of the container 10 is found in the body portion 22 which extends between the shoulder portion 14 and the bottom portion 12. The body portion 22 comprises an arcuate front label panel 24 which extends vertically between the bottom 12 and the shoulder 14 and is of the same arcuate extent throughout. The front label panel 24 has a plurality of horizontally extending inwardly recessed reinforcing channels 24a, 24b which extend in vertically spaced relation throughout substantially the entire vertical extent of the label panel 24. A label (not shown) is adapted to be affixed to the label panel by conventional means, such as an adhesive. 
     An arcuate rear palm panel 26 is provided in the body portion 22 diametrically opposite the front label panel 24. The rear palm panel 26 is of lesser arcuate extent than the front label panel 24 and, like it, extends vertically between the bottom 12 and shoulder 14. The rear palm panel 26 has a series of horizontally-extending reinforcing channels 26a, 26b spaced vertically throughout substantially the entire vertical extent of the rear palm panel 26. 
     As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the body portion 22 has a pair of flex panels 28 and 30 extending between the front label panel 24 and the rear palm panel 26 on diametrically opposite sides of the container 10. The flex panels 28 and 30 are of like construction, so that reference will be made hereinafter to the flex panel 28, it being understood that the same description applies with respect to the flex panel 30. 
     Referring specifically in FIGS. 1 and 2, the flex panels 28 and 30 are both inset inwardly from the shoulder 14 and bottom 12 and flare outwardly adjacent their upper and lower ends from horizontally extending inwardly convex upper and lower chordal stiffening means 28a and 28b, respectively. See FIG. 2. The chordal stiffening means 28a and 28b extend substantially between the front label panel 24 and the rear palm panel 26 to stiffen the flex panels 28 and 30 adjacent their upper and lower ends. Each flex panel, such as the flex panel 28, has a rectangular elevational configuration between the upper and lower stiffening ribs 28a and 28b with its lengthwise dimension being disposed vertically. Each flex panel, such as the flex panel 28, has a pair of inwardly concave vertically-extending stiffening ribs 28c and 28d (FIG. 5) extending vertically between the upper and lower chordal stiffening ribs 28a and 28b adjacent the front label panel 24 and rear palm panel 26, respectively. As best seen in FIG. 3, the rectangular shape of flex panel 28 is defined by the vertical ribs 28c, 28d and the horizontal stiffening means 28a and 28b. 
     Each flex panel, such as the flex panel 28, has a rigid inwardly recessed grip structural portion 28e of generally trapezoidal shape. The grip structural portion 28e has its base located adjacent the rear palm panel 26. As best illustrated in FIG. 5, each grip structural portion 28e tapers into the container from the rear palm panel 26. The grip structural portion 28e has a pair of vertically extending reinforcing ribs 28f and 28g to enhance gripability of the grip structures 28 and 30 by the user when the user&#39;s palm is engaged with the palm panel 26. As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, each grip structure such as 28e, is of lesser extent than the flex panel 28 in which it is formed. 
     As best seen in FIGS. 1-4, a peripheral reinforcing rib 32 extends inwardly above the base 12 continuously about the container 10 from the lower end of the vertically-extending reinforcing rib 28c on the flex panel 28 to its counterpart at the same location with respect to the flex panel 30. A similar peripheral reinforcing rib 34 extends in a like manner between the same locations adjacent the shoulder 14. 
     As initially formed, the container 10 has a slightly outwardly bowed convex configuration in the region between the reinforcing ribs 28a, 28b, 28c, and 28d. This causes the entire flex panel 28, and, of course, its companion flex panel 30, to have a slightly convex configuration with respect to the interior of the container 10. Thus, when the container 10 is filled with a liquid at an elevated temperature, capped and sealed, reduction in the volume inside the container due to cooling of the liquid causes the flex panels 28 and 30 to return to the configuration substantially as illustrated in FIG. 5 thereby to accommodate the reduction in volume in the container 10. However, after the container 10 has been opened, and even after some of its contents has been poured, the afore-described structural configuration provides the container 10 with sufficient rigidity to enable it be handled by the consumer without tendency for lateral collapse, particularly when partially filled. As a result, the container 10 can be made relatively thin and yet still retain desirable aesthetics and handling qualities. The illustrated embodiment is a 3/4 scale of a preferred PET container 10 capable of holding 64 fluid ounces. 
     While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail, various modifications, alterations and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.