Abstract: A plastic blow molded bottle or wide mouth jar useful in containing hot-filled beverages or food products. The container has a multi-sided sidewall which is capable of accommodating vacuum associated with hot filling, capping and cooling of the container, which is reinforced to resist unwanted deformation, and which enables a label to be aesthetically displayed on the container sidewall. To this end, the sidewall comprises a plurality of panels which include outwardly bowed arcuate sections, as-formed, which flatten to accommodate induced vacuum. Thus, a label can be supported on the sidewall with very few voids, or like sunken areas, behind the label to ensure that the label is prominently displayed on the aesthetically appealing novel container configuration.

Abstract: A blow-molded plastic bottle body for use in containing hot-filled beverages. The bottle body has a dome with various interactive functional zones. For example, some of the zones are primarily responsible for accommodating vacuum absorption, while other zones are primarily intended to rigidify the container such as by providing column strength to improve container top loading capability. Although each zone may have a primary function, each zone also aids adjacent zones in providing their functions. Thus, the entire dome, and not merely selected locations, reacts in a progressive manner to the forces generated by the hot-fill process on the bottle body. Preferably, the bottle body is slender and capable of readily being gripped by a single hand, and preferably the flex panels in the dome accommodate at least 90% of the total vacuum absorption required by the bottle.

Abstract: A lightweight hot-fill blow-molded plastic container (10, 110) having a sidewall (16) with a rigid grip portion (24, 124) and a flexible vacuum absorption portion (26, 126).

Abstract: A hot-fillable, slender, blow-molded plastic bottle for use in containing hot-filled beverages. The bottle has a sidewall with various interactive zones of function. For example, some of the zones are primarily responsible for accommodating vacuum absorption, while other zones are primarily intended to rigidify the container such as by providing post strength to improve container top loading capability. Although each zone may have a primary function, each zone also aids adjacent zones in providing their functions. Thus, the entire sidewall, and not merely selected locations, reacts to the forces generated by the hot-fill process on the container.

Abstract: A blow-molded plastic bottle body for use in containing hot-filled beverages. The bottle body has a dome with various interactive functional zones. For example, some of the zones are primarily responsible for accommodating vacuum absorption, while other zones are primarily intended to rigidify the container such as by providing column strength to improve container top loading capability. Although each zone may have a primary function, each zone also aids adjacent zones in providing their functions. Thus, the entire dome, and not merely selected locations, reacts in a progressive manner to the forces generated by the hot-fill process on the bottle body. Preferably, the bottle body is slender and capable of readily being gripped by a single hand, and preferably the flex panels in the dome accommodate at least 90% of the total vacuum absorption required by the bottle.

Abstract: A plastic blow molded bottle or wide mouth jar useful in containing hot-filled beverages or food products. The container has a multi-sided sidewall which is capable of accommodating vacuum associated with hot filling, capping and cooling of the container, which is reinforced to resist unwanted deformation, and which enables a label to be aesthetically displayed on the container sidewall. To this end, the sidewall comprises a plurality of panels which include outwardly bowed arcuate sections, as-formed, which flatten to accommodate induced vacuum. Thus, a label can be supported on the sidewall with very few voids, or like sunken areas, behind the label to ensure that the label is prominently displayed on the aesthetically appealing novel container configuration.

Abstract: A blow-molded plastic bottle body for use in containing hot-filled beverages. The bottle body has a dome with various interactive functional zones. For example, some of the zones are primarily responsible for accommodating vacuum absorption, while other zones are primarily intended to rigidify the container such as by providing column strength to improve container top loading capability. Although each zone may have a primary function, each zone also aids adjacent zones in providing their functions. Thus, the entire dome, and not merely selected locations, reacts in a progressive manner to the forces generated by the hot-fill process on the bottle body. Preferably, the bottle body is slender and capable of readily being gripped by a single hand, and preferably the flex panels in the dome accommodate at least 90% of the total vacuum absorption required by the bottle.

Abstract: A lightweight hot-fill blow-molded plastic container (10, 110) having a sidewall (16) with a rigid grip portion (24, 124) and a flexible vacuum absorption portion (26, 126).