CONTAINER HOOP
A plastic bottle includes any type of body and hoop supports that encircle the dome. The hoop supports may include continuous wave-like ribs; discontinuous ribs that are overlapping; plural, discrete segments that are inclined and overlapping; plural block-like segments formed of mutually perpendicular rectangles; indicia; horizontal segments in rows that overlap; and series of segments that are mutually interfering and overlaid. The hoop supports provide greater top load performance than conventional deep waist configurations.
This application is a divisional application of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/862,698 filed on Sep. 27, 2007, which claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/847,573 filed Sep. 27, 2006, which are all incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
BACKGROUNDHot-fill plastic bottles are designed to receive a liquid product at about 185 degrees F. Often, vacuum panels are disposed around the circumference of the body of the bottle. The vacuum panels are pulled inward in response to vacuum inside the bottle caused by cooling and contraction of the contents after hot-filling and sealing. The deflection of the panels enables the remainder of the bottle to have its desired shape.
In many hot-fill bottles, a waist is located above the panels. An example of a bottle having a conventional waist 3 is shown in
A main purpose of the waist is to increase provide support just above the vacuum panels to help keep the bottle dome (above the waist) and the bottle body (below the waist) circular after hot filling. Without waist support, the bottle may become oval or kinked by internal vacuum because, for example, (i) the panels might not all deflect by the same magnitude or at the same time, (ii) the sidewall thickness may not be uniform around the circumference of the bottle, (iii) orientation or heat treating or cooling of the bottle may not be uniform, or a combination of these and other reasons.
The top load rating of the bottle, and of the waist, is important for stacking and filling. Conventional waist configurations have the drawback of poor top load performance. In this regard, when a downward load is applied to the top of the container, the force is transmitted through the dome to the upper part of the waist, where a large bending moment is created. Conceptually, the innermost part of the waist forms a hinge about which the upper and lower walls may pivot. Conventional waists, which often are not covered by a label because of their positions at the base of the dome, are also generally considered unappealing to consumers.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,932,230 (Pedmo) discloses a hot fill container having a discontinuous rib in its body below the waist and above its vacuum panels. U.S. Pat. No. 6,036,037 (Scheffer) discloses a hot fill container having a row of rib segments in its body above and below its vacuum panels. Both the Pedmo and Scheffer references disclose a conventional waist.
There is a general need for improved waist configurations in containers.
SUMMARYA hot fill container includes a base, a body portion that includes vacuum panels, a dome, a finish, and hoop support. The hoop support includes various shapes, and generally includes either a continuous wave-like structure or plural shapes that are arranged circumferentially such that one shape overlaps an adjacent. Such structure provides significant increases of top load performance compared with a conventional waist without sacrificing or having only a small decrease in vacuum performance. The present invention also encompasses employing the hoop supports described herein in bottles that are not intended for hot-filling.
The present invention is not limited to the hoop support structure being located in the top portion. Rather, the present invention encompasses employing the hoop support described herein in the body of the container. For example, any of the hoop support described herein may be employed in place of the circumferential rib that is typically employed above the vacuum panels and below the shoulder. Further, any of the hoop supports may be employed in place of, or to form, a shoulder.
Preferably, the body of the bottle having the hoop support is approximately circular or cylindrical, and the dome is circular in transverse cross section, because the top load issues of the conventional rib described in the background section are most problematic with circular bottles. And preferably spaces between the segments and the segments themselves are approximately circular arcs. The present invention, however, is not limited to circular bottles and encompasses bottles having other shapes unless specifically recited in the claims. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to containers or domes having superior top load performance, and the hoop supports may be covered by a label.
Some attributes of a conventional waste configuration are described in this specification. The hoop supports of the present invention(s) does not preclude employing some features of a conventional waist. Rather, the claims define the scope of the invention. Further, the preferred embodiments of the domes having the inventive hoop supports have no conventional waste, but the present invention is not so limited unless specifically recited in the claims.
The figures illustrate various embodiments of hoop supports for hot fill containers. As illustrated in
Body 24 preferably is cylindrical and includes several vacuum panels 26 located about its circumference. The vacuum panels 26 are separated by posts 28, which preferably are stiff relative to the compliant panels 26. Body 24 preferably is separated from heel 18 by a shoulder 25, or by other structure (not shown in the figure) such as a rib. Preferably, a rib 29 is located in body 24 above panels 26 and a below shoulder 27.
Top portion 14 extends upwardly from body 24. Preferably, top portion 14 is separated from body 24 by shoulder 27, or by other structure (not shown in the figure) such as a rib. Top portion 14 includes a hoop support 30 formed on or in a dome 34. Hoop support 30 is shown in
Dome 34 may include a transition between body 24 and hoop support 30, and dome 34 extends upwardly to a neck 36 and a finish 40 formed on or above neck 36. A closure (not shown in the figures) is applied to finish 40 to seal the container upon filling.
Body 24 preferably is cylindrical and includes several vacuum panels 26 located about its circumference. The vacuum panels 26 are separated by posts 28, which preferably are stiff relative to the compliant panels 26. Body 24 preferably is separated from heel 18 by a shoulder 25, or by other structure (not shown in the figure) such as a rib. Preferably, a rib 29 is located in body 24 above panels 26 and a below shoulder 27. Alternatively, a hoop support 30 may be employed in place of rib 29.
Top portion 14′ extends upwardly from body 24. Preferably, top portion 14′ includes a hoop support 30 formed below a dome 34. A closure (not shown in the figures) is applied to finish 40 to seal the container upon filling. Hoop support 30 is shown in
Hoop supports 30 generally provide improved top load strength without significantly sacrificing vacuum capability. For some embodiments, vacuum capability in increased. Even for the configurations in which vacuum capability is less than the conventional waist, the magnitude of the lessened vacuum capability is not considered critical because of the magnitude in improved top load characteristics and because, in some circumstances, the vacuum capability is not the most critical parameter in bottle failure.
For the embodiments shown in
Based on the calculated performance of the embodiments of
Preferably, the portions of hoop support 30a outside of ribs 50a and segments 56a is in transverse cross section without vertically oriented ribs or corrugation, and the outermost surfaces of ribs 50a and segments 56a fall onto a circular cylinder. The present invention is not limited to such structure, however.
The top portion of
The lower portion of
Preferably, each rib 50d is recessed relative to the surrounding portions of dome 34 and overpassing portion 53d is recessed by a smaller dimension that underpassing portion 51d. The present invention encompasses raised ribs and ribs having a portion raised and other portions recessed.
The lower portion of
The lower portion of
Preferably, the portions of hoop supports 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d, 30e, and 30f outside of the identified features 50a, 50b, 50c, 50d, 50e, and 50f and outside their complimentary or additional raised or recessed features, such as features 56a, 56b, and 56c, are circular in transverse cross section without vertically oriented ribs or corrugations. And the innermost surfaces of the recessed portions of the ribs are coincident with a circular cylinder having its centerline collinear with the bottle longitudinal centerline. If any of the surfaces of the ribs are raised, then the outermost surfaces of the raised portions are coincident with a circular cylinder having its centerline collinear with the bottle longitudinal centerline. The present invention, however, is not limited to structure described in this paragraph.
Preferably, first portion 152a is a lower portion and second portion 154a is an upper portion (as viewed in elevation and shown in
The top portion of
The top portion of
The top portion of
Upper portion 154e is trending downwardly such that a tangent to it at tip 156e has a negative slope; and lower portion 152e is trending upwardly such that a tangent to it at tip 156e has a positive slope. Preferably, each segment 150e is recessed relative to the surrounding dome surface, and the depth of the recess relative to the surrounding dome surface diminishes near its tips 156e. Because tips 156e are near the intermediate portions 153e, segments 150e give the appearance of twisted strands.
Upper portion 154f is trending downwardly such that a tangent to it at tip 156f has a negative slope; and lower portion 152f is trending upwardly such that a tangent to it at tip 156f has a positive slope. Preferably, each segment 150f is raised relative to the surrounding dome surface, and its radial height relative to the surrounding dome surface diminishes near its tips 156f Because tips 156f are near the intermediate portions 153f, segments 150f give the appearance of twisted strands.
Preferably, the portions of hoop supports 130a, 130b, 130c, 130d, 130e, and 130f outside of the identified features 150a, 150b, 150c, 150d, 150e, and 150f and outside their complimentary or additional raised or recessed features (not shown in the figures), are circular in transverse cross section without vertically oriented ribs or corrugations. And the innermost surfaces of the recessed portions of the ribs are coincident with a circular cylinder having its centerline collinear with the bottle longitudinal centerline. If any of the surfaces of the ribs are raised, then the outermost surfaces of the raised portions are coincident with a circular cylinder having its centerline collinear with the bottle longitudinal centerline. The present invention, however, is not limited to structure described in this paragraph.
A hoop support formed by discrete segments that generally overlap, when viewed in elevation, form another aspect of the present invention.
Preferably, each notch 250a is formed by parallel lateral sidewalls 255a and 256a, each of which is inclined relative to the vertical axis. A first inclined lateral wall 256a overhangs the second inclined lateral sidewall 255a of the adjacent notch.
The top portion of
The bottom portion of
For the embodiments having overlapping lateral sidewalls, the invention is limited neither to parallelograms or to straight sidewalls. The top portion of
The lower portion of
The upper portion of
Hoop support 230g includes triangles, trapezoids, and parallelograms 250g having oblique lateral sidewalls 260g that overhang or overlap laterals sidewalls 261g of adjacent shapes. Hoop support 230h includes pentagrams, triangles, and parallelograms 250h having oblique lateral sidewalls 260h that overhand or overlap lateral sidewalls 261h of adjacent shapes. Hoop support 230i has the same shapes and arrangement as that of hoop support 230h of the top portion of
The lower portion of
Preferably, the portions of hoop support 230a, 230b, 230c, 230d, 230e, 230f, 230g, 230h, 230i, and 230j outside of the identified features 250a, 250b, 250c, 250d, 250e, 250f, 250g, 250h, 250i, and 250j and outside their complimentary or additional raised or recessed features (not shown in the figures), are circular in transverse cross section without vertically oriented ribs or corrugations. And the innermost surfaces of the recessed portions of the ribs are coincident with a circular cylinder having its centerline collinear with the bottle longitudinal centerline. If any of the surfaces of the ribs are raised, then the outermost surfaces of the raised portions are coincident with a circular cylinder having its centerline collinear with the bottle longitudinal centerline. The present invention, however, is not limited to structure described in this paragraph.
The top and bottom portions of
The bottom portion of
The bottom portion of
The bottom portion of
Preferably, the portions of hoop supports 330a, 330b, 330c, and 330d outside of the identified features 350a, 350b, 350c, and 350d, and outside their complimentary or additional raised or recessed features (not shown in the figures), are circular in transverse cross section without vertically oriented ribs or corrugations. And the innermost surfaces of the recessed portions of the ribs are coincident with a circular cylinder having its centerline collinear with the bottle longitudinal centerline. If any of the surfaces of the ribs are raised, then the outermost surfaces of the raised portions are coincident with a circular cylinder having its centerline collinear with the bottle longitudinal centerline. The present invention, however, is not limited to structure described in this paragraph.
The height (in an elevational view, as shown in
Preferably, the radial dimension (that is, radial depth or height) of each block is different from surrounding blocks or groups of blocks to form a radially steps, which may be arranged randomly or in a pattern.
The top portion of
Preferably, the portions of hoop supports 430a, 430b, 430c, and 430d outside of the identified features 450a, 450b, 450c, and 450d and outside their complimentary or additional raised or recessed features (not shown in the figures), are circular in transverse cross section without vertically oriented ribs or corrugations. And the innermost surfaces of the recessed portions of the ribs are coincident with a circular cylinder having its centerline collinear with the bottle longitudinal centerline. If any of the surfaces of the ribs are raised, then the outermost surfaces of the raised portions are coincident with a circular cylinder having its centerline collinear with the bottle longitudinal centerline. The present invention, however, is not limited to structure described in this paragraph.
The top portion of
Indicia, like letters 571a, may be approximately the same height (in elevational view) as the height of recess 570a or larger. Preferably, the letters 571a are no more than approximately three times the vertical height of rib 570a, or approximately no more than approximately two times the height of recess 570a. The present invention also encompasses indicia that fully extends around the circumference such that there is almost no rib or, in other words, no rib-like structure that is not filled with indicia. Preferably, indicia 571a are centered relative to rib 570a. As shown in the top portion of
Preferably, the bands of hoop supports 530a and 530b outside of the identified indicia 550a and 550b and outside their complimentary or additional raised or recessed features (not shown in the figures), are circular in transverse cross section without vertically oriented ribs or corrugations. And the innermost surfaces of the recessed portions of the indicia 550a and 550b are coincident with a circular cylinder having its centerline collinear with the bottle longitudinal centerline. And the raised surfaces of indicia 550a and 550b are coincident with a circular cylinder having its centerline collinear with the bottle longitudinal centerline. The present invention, however, is not limited to structure described in this paragraph.
The bottom of
The top of
Ends 681b taper downwardly such that each end 681b slopes away from the center of its segment, which forms a rounded point near the underside of each segment 679b. All segments 679b preferably are elongate and may have the same arc length (that is, in the elongated, circumferential dimension). The present invention encompasses any arc length(s) of segments 679b, such as shown in the top portion of
For the latter configuration, dome 634b may also include additional rows 678b and 678b/. Preferably, segments 679b of rows 678b and 678b/ have vertical centerlines that are aligned with the vertical centerlines of segments 679b of row 677b, and taper to a rounded point near their undersides as described above. Preferably, each of segments 679b of uppermost row 678b/ have an arc length that is smaller than that of the corresponding segment 679b of row 678b, which has an arc length that is smaller than that of the corresponding segment 679b of row 677b to produce a segmented triangle.
The bottom portion of
Preferably, the portions of hoop supports 630a, 630b, and 630c outside of the recessed features, such as elements 679b of rows 678b and 678b/, are circular in transverse cross section without vertically oriented ribs or corrugations. And the innermost surfaces of the recessed portions of the ribs are coincident with a circular cylinder having its centerline collinear with the bottle longitudinal centerline. If any of the surfaces of the ribs are raised, then the outermost surfaces of the raised portions are coincident with a circular cylinder having its centerline collinear with the bottle longitudinal centerline. The present invention, however, is not limited to structure described in this paragraph.
The top and bottom portions of
Surfaces 787a and 788a form an appearance of a chain link that is upstanding, and surface 789a form the appearance of a link of the chain that is oriented horizontally. The present invention, of course, encompasses other structures to create the appearance of chain links, such as the upstanding rectangle 787a (or center portion 788a) being raised relative to other portions of hoop support 730a, or any other combination of raised and recessed portions. Any of portions 787a, 788a, and 789a may have varying depths and still be considered overlaid.
In this regard, the terms overlay or overlaid, as used herein, refer to a first structure having a raised surface relative to a connecting second structure such that the first structure appears to interrupt or be located on top of the second structure.
Hoop support 730b shown on the bottom portion of
Preferably, the portions of hoop supports 730a and 730b outside of the identified features 750a and 750b, and outside their complimentary or additional raised or recessed features (not shown in the figures) are circular in transverse cross section without vertically oriented ribs or corrugations. And the innermost surfaces of the recessed portions of the ribs are coincident with a circular cylinder having its centerline collinear with the bottle longitudinal centerline. The raised portions are coincident with a circular cylinder having its centerline collinear with the bottle longitudinal centerline. The present invention, however, is not limited to structure described in this paragraph.
The particular dimensions of hoop supports 30, 130, 230, 330, 430, 530, 630, and 730, including the dimension of the overlap of adjacent segments, the angle at which the segments are inclined (where applicable), and like parameter, may be chosen according to various parameters including container volume and diameter, wall thickness, material distribution, and like parameters, and may depend on the particular aesthetic appearance desired. Persons familiar with container engineering upon considering the present disclosure will understand the interplay among these parameters.
Any of the hoop supports 30, 130, 230, 330, 430, 530, 630, and 730 may be formed by either recessed structure, raised structure, or a combination of raised and recessed structure. For example, hoop supports or segments that are described or shown as recesses may also be formed by raised portions or a combination of raised and recessed portions, and hoop supports or segments that are shown as raised areas may also be formed by recesses or a combination of raised and recessed portions.
Referring to
A second curved recess 811, again shown in
Referring to
Recess 821 is formed by a radius R1 and includes a substantially straight sidewall 825 that forms an angle ω3 with a horizontal line. The angle range of m3 preferably is chosen according to the range described above for recess 820.
Referring to
The right side of
The structural features of the hoop supports described in each of the embodiments above are preferably formed by recesses in the dome wall. The present invention, however, is not limited to any specific depth of the recesses, and the present invention encompasses forming the features of the hoop supports as raised portions. The present invention additional reference numerals, formed by recessed surfaces, raised surfaces, textured surfaces, surfaces approximately coplanar with the surrounding dome surfaces where abutting recessed or raised surfaces, and any combinations.
Claims
1. A bottle comprising:
- a bottom portion comprising:
- an enclosed base; and
- a body extending upwardly from the base; and
- a waste extending circumferentially about the bottle;
- a top portion extending upwardly from the bottom portion, the top portion consisting essentially of:
- a substantially circumferential hoop support comprising a wave-like rib wherein the rib (i) is circumferentially continuous and (ii) has a repeating pattern of peaks and valleys in elevational view, wherein the valleys are disposed above the waist and are convex with respect to a horizontal reference line disposed below the valleys; and
- an upwardly extending dome; and a finish at the uppermost portion of bottle.
2. The bottle of claim 1, wherein the bottom portion includes a shoulder located above the body, and the top portion extends upwardly from the shoulder.
3. The bottle of claim 2, wherein the body includes a circumferential rib disposed below the shoulder.
4. The bottle of claim 1, wherein the hoop support includes rib segments located beneath each peak and above each valley.
5. The bottle of claim 1, wherein the hoop support includes an opposing wave-like rib such that the ribs are twisted.
6. The bottle of claim 5, wherein the opposing rib is circumferentially continuous.
7. A bottle comprising:
- a bottom portion comprising:
- an enclosed base having a standing ring;
- a body extending upwardly from the base and defining a vertical axis oriented perpendicular to the standing ring; and
- a top portion extending upwardly and away from the body, the top portion consisting essentially of:
- a substantially circumferential hoop support defining a generally horizontally-oriented band that consists essentially of plural segments, each one of the segments having a lower portion, an intermediate portion extending from the lower portion, and an upper portion extending from the intermediate portion relative to the vertical axis of the body, the upper and lower portions are approximately straight, approximately mutually parallel, and approximately horizontal, the lower portions being located closer to the standing ring than the upper portions, and each one of the segments being (i) separate and spaced apart from circumferentially adjacent segments, (ii) elongate, and (iii) vertically overlapping relative to the vertical axis of the body, such that the upper portion of each segment is vertically located over the lower portion of a circumferentially adjacent segment, a tangent to a centerline of the upper portion proximate the end of the upper portion has a negative slope and a tangent to a centerline of the lower portion proximate the end of the lower portion has a positive slope, whereby the segments give the appearance of circumferentially spaced apart, vertically spaced, twisted strands;
- a dome that extends upwardly from the hoop support; and
- a finish at an uppermost portion of bottle.
8. The bottle of claim 7, wherein a rib is recessed relative to surrounding body surfaces.
9. The bottle of claim 7, wherein the rib is raised relative to surrounding dome surfaces.
10. A bottle comprising:
- a bottom portion comprising:
- an enclosed base; and
- a body extending upwardly from the base; and
- a top portion extending upwardly from the body, the top portion consisting essentially of:
- a finish at the uppermost portion of bottle;
- a dome that extends upwardly toward the finish; and
- a substantially circumferential hoop support located at a lower portion of the dome, the hoop support comprising plural discrete segments that are oriented about the circumference of the dome such that each segment has adjacent segments on opposing sides thereof, each one of the segments having a first inclined lateral wall and an opposing second inclined lateral wall, each one of the lateral walls either overhanging or undercutting the lateral walls of adjacent segments in elevational view, and each of the lateral walls is inclined by at least approximately 40 degrees from a vertical reference line.
11. The bottle of claim 10, wherein the opposing inclined lateral walls of each segment are oriented in the same direction such that the first inclined wall overhangs a wall of its adjacent segment and the second inclined wall undercuts a wall of its adjacent segment.
12. The bottle of claim 11, wherein the segments are spaced apart by intermediate surfaces that smoothly merge into the dome.
13. A bottle comprising:
- a bottom portion comprising:
- an enclosed base having a standing ring;
- a body extending upwardly from the base and devoid of a waist, the body defining a vertical axis; and
- a top portion extending upwardly from the body, the top portion consisting essentially of:
- a finish at an uppermost portion of bottle;
- a dome that extends upwardly toward the finish; and
- a substantially circumferential hoop support defining a generally horizontally-oriented band located at a lower portion of the dome, the hoop support comprising plural discrete shapes arranged in a mutually overhanging and undercutting pattern relative to the vertical axis of the body, such that each shape overlaps or undercuts at least one circumferentially adjacent shape, wherein the shapes are identical geometrical shapes inclined relative to a vertical axis, each one of the shapes having a lower portion, an intermediate portion extending from the lower portion, and an upper portion extending from the intermediate portion relative to the vertical axis of the body, and a tangent to a centerline of the upper portion proximate the end of the upper portion has a negative slope and a tangent to a centerline of the lower portion proximate the end of the lower portion has a positive slope, whereby the shapes give the appearance of circumferentially spaced apart, twisted strands.
14. The bottle of claim 13, wherein the shapes are images inclined relative to a vertical axis.
15. The bottle of claim 13, wherein each shape is spaced apart from adjacent shapes.
16. The bottle of claim 13, wherein the shapes are triangular in alternating arrangement.
17. A bottle comprising:
- a bottom portion comprising:
- an enclosed base; and
- a body extending upwardly from the base; and
- a top portion extending upwardly from the body, the top portion consisting essentially of:
- a finish at the uppermost portion of bottle;
- a dome that extends upwardly toward the finish; and
- a substantially circumferential hoop support located at a lower portion of the dome, the hoop support consisting essentially of plural block-like segments substantially formed of mutually perpendicular or parallel rectangles, at least some or a portion of said rectangles being radially raised or radially recessed relative to adjacent bottle diameter.
18. The bottle of claim 17, wherein the segments are spaced apart about the circumference of the dome.
19. The bottle of claim 17, wherein each segment is spaced apart from adjacent segments in an overhanging and under cutting pattern.
20. The bottle of claim 17, wherein the segments are connected together to form a substantially unbroken hoop support.
21. The bottle of claim 20, wherein the surfaces forming the rectangles are substantially planar.
22. The bottle of claim 21, wherein each surface forming the rectangles is oriented tangentially, and the rectangles are located at various radial positions, whereby the rectangles form a stepped configuration.
23. The bottle of claim 17, wherein the rectangles of the segments are curved at approximately the curvature of the lower portion of the dome.
24. The bottle of claim 17, wherein the rectangles are located at various radial positions, whereby the rectangles form a stepped configuration.
25. The bottle of claim 17, wherein each one of the rectangles has its longitudinal axis either parallel or perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the bottle.
26. A bottle comprising:
- a bottom portion comprising:
- an enclosed base; and
- a body extending upwardly from the base; and
- a top portion extending upwardly from the body, the top portion consisting essentially of:
- a finish at the uppermost portion of bottle;
- a dome that extends upwardly toward the finish; and
- a substantially circumferential hoop support located at a lower portion of the dome, the hoop support consisting essentially of indicia formed by surfaces of at least two radial depths,
- wherein a vertical line extending along the bottle from a location between the waist and the hoop support to a location between the hoop support and the finish must pass through at least one of the indicia.
27. The bottle of claim 26, wherein the indicia includes radially raised portions relative to adjacent dome surfaces.
28. The bottle of claim 26, wherein the indicia includes radially recessed portions relative to the adjacent dome surfaces.
29. The bottle of claim 26, wherein indicia is formed by at least three radial depths.
30. A bottle comprising:
- a bottom portion comprising:
- an enclosed base; and
- a body extending upwardly from the base; and
- a top portion extending upwardly from the body, the top portion consisting essentially of:
- a finish at the uppermost portion of bottle;
- a dome that extends upwardly toward the finish; and
- a substantially circumferential hoop support located at a lower portion of the dome, the hoop support consisting essentially of substantially horizontal rows of spaced apart segments, each pair of adjacent segments having a gap therebetween, segments of the top row substantially overlapping segments of the bottom row such each gap in the bottom row of segments is directly vertically below a segment of the top row.
31. The bottle of claim 30, wherein the hoop support includes at least three rows.
32. The bottle of claim 30, wherein each segment is indicia.
33. The bottle of claim 30, wherein each segment is jagged and has a pointed end.
34. A bottle comprising:
- a bottom portion comprising:
- an enclosed base; and
- a body extending upwardly from the base; and
- a top portion extending upwardly from the body, the top portion consisting essentially of:
- a finish at the uppermost portion of bottle; a dome that extends upwardly toward the finish; and
- a substantially circumferential hoop support located at a lower portion of the dome, the hoop support consisting essentially a first series of segments and a second series of segments, the first series of segments alternating with the second series of segments, the second series of segments interfering with the first series of segment such that a portion of each one of the second series of segments appears to overlay a portion of each adjacent segment of the first series.
35. The bottle of claim 34, wherein the first series of segments are recesses relative to a surrounding dome surface and the second series of segments are raised relative to the surrounding dome surface.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 14, 2016
Publication Date: May 5, 2016
Inventor: Michael R. Mooney (Frankfort, IL)
Application Number: 14/996,211