Patent ID: 8590729

Claim:
A plastic container configured to absorb negative internal pressure, the plastic container comprising: a container body defining an upper portion that extends upwardly to a finish, and an opposing lower portion; an enclosed base connected to the lower portion of the container body, the base comprising: a standing member configured to rest on a support surface; a centrally disposed hub disposed radially inward from the standing member, said hub having a convex exterior wall directed toward a support surface upon which a base of the container is placed, said convex exterior wall defining an internal recess; a base body including a wall that extends between the standing member and the central hub, said wall including a convex ring interface portion between the standing member and the central hub, at least one deflection rib attached to said wall and configured to buckle in response to a threshold level of negative internal pressure, the at least one deflection rib extending across said convex ring interface portion, wherein the base body can deform from an as-molded state to a deformed state in response to an increase in negative internal pressure, and further deformation of the base body in response to further increased negative internal pressure causes the rib to buckle, thereby allowing the base body to further deform from the deformed state to a deflected state.