MXPA97003095A - Container or bottle of plastic that can be filled in hot, with section of panel alta and delg - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a plastic container that can be hot filled, includes a panel section having a substantially cylindrical panel circumference and a plurality of vacuum panels positioned symmetrically around the panel circumference, the panel section it also includes pole walls, vacuum panels and flat areas above and below the vacuum panels, characterized in that: the container has a relatively high and thin panel section, and an empty panel height ratio D with respect to diameter C of panel in the limit of 0.85 to 1.05; longitudinal post reinforcements in the pole walls, each of the flat areas has a height E greater than in the order of 1.14 cm (0.45 inches) and the ratio of E to C is in the order of more than 0.1; reinforcements of circumferential rings in plan areas

Description

PACKAGING OR BOTTLE OF PLASTIC THAT CAN BE FILLED IN HOT, WITH SECTION OF HIGH AND THIN PANEL Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a panel design for a hot-fill plastic container or bottle having a high and thin panel section, and more particularly to providing such a panel section with increased resistance to longitudinal bending and crushing the hoop.

Background of the Invention Hot-filled containers or bottles are designed to pack liquids that must be placed in the container or bottle while they are hot to prepare for proper sterilization. During filling, the container is subjected to elevated temperatures in the order of 82-85 ° C (180-185 ° F) (product temperature) and positive internal pressures in the order of 0.14-0.35 g / cpT (2-5 psi) (filling line pressure). The container is then capped and as the product is REF cooled, a negative internal pressure is formed in the sealed container. Biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate (PET) beverage bottles have been designed to receive a hot filled product with minimal wrinkling or volume reduction and heat distortion. Such a bottle is described in U.S. Patent No. 4,863,046 entitled "Hot Fill Container," which was issued September 5, 1989 to Collette et al. The container or bottle of Collette et al. Is provided with a plurality of slotted vacuum panels in the middle section of the container or bottle panel, which reduce the magnitude of the vacuum generated in the filled and capped container or bottle to prevent any large distortion of the container. the uncontrolled form. As the product cools, vacuum panels (all of them) deform and move inward at the same time. A wrapped label surrounds the vacuum panels and is supported by centered wall portions, raised in the vacuum panels, post or column areas between the vacuum panels, and horizontal glue contact areas above and below the panels. empty. Longitudinal grooved (vertical) ridges can be provided in the post or column areas and raised wall portions of the panels to increase the rigidity or longitudinal bending strength of the panel section. The design of the vacuum panels may vary; other designs are-illustrated in: 1) US design patent No. 315,869, "Container Body For Liquids Or The Like", April 2, 1991 issued to Collette; 2) U.S. Patent No. 5,255,889, "Modular Mold", October 26, 1993 issued to Collette et al .; 3) U.S. Patent No. 5,178,289, "Panel Design For A Hot-Fillable Container," January 12, 1993 issued by Krishnakumar et al .; and 4) U.S. Patent No. 5,303,834, "Squeezable Container Resistant To Denting," April 19, 1994 issued to Krishnakumar et al., each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. There is a need for a hot-fill plastic container or bottle having a high and thin panel section in order to accommodate a large label or achieve a certain volume capacity for a given panel diameter.

This high and thin configuration makes it more difficult to resist the increase in pressure during filling and provide a uniform vacuum crush during cooling. More specifically, it is difficult to make the long and narrow vacuum panels sufficiently flexible to achieve the necessary deformation under vacuum, and at the same time to make the surrounding contact areas and post or column walls sufficiently rigid to withstand crushing. In particular, it would be desirable to provide a relatively high and thin sports bottle, such as the type used by runners and cyclists, which can be hot filled directly by the beverage manufacturer. Instead, at present, most of the hot filled beverages are sold in containers or more bottles; It is transferred by the user to a separate polyethylene sports bottle.

Brief Summary of the Invention This invention provides a high and thin panel section for a hot-fill plastic container or bottle having increased resistance to longitudinal bending and crushing of the hoop, while still providing high hoop flexibility for maximum movement of the panels of emptiness. To prevent an uncontrolled longitudinal deformation of the post or column walls of the panel, longitudinal post or column flanges are provided and a limit is specified in the ratio of the height of the vacuum panel to the diameter of the panel. More specifically, the ratio of the height of the vacuum panel D to the panel diameter C (see Figure 1) is in the order of 0.85 to 1.05. To prevent ovalization or crushing of the rim in the panel section, horizontal rim flanges are provided in the contact areas above and below the vacuum panels. Such rim rims are required where the contact areas are of a height E greater than in the order of 1.14 cm (0.45 inches), and where the container or bottle has a height ratio of contact area E to the diameter of the panel C in the order of greater than 0.1. A specific modality is described as having six vacuum panels arranged symmetrically. Alternatively, four or eight vacuum panels can be provided. The high and thin panel section generally has a height ratio of the panel B to the diameter of the panel C in the order of 1.2 and greater. A mold for making a container or bottle of this kind is also described. These and other advantages of the present invention will be more particularly described with respect to the following description and drawings of the selected embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a first embodiment of the hot-filled bottle or bottle of this invention, having six vacuum panels arranged symmetrically, with a partial label shown on a portion of the panel section. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the container or bottle of Figure 1, taken along the line of section 2-2, showing six vacuum panels separated by post or column areas with some pole shoulders or longitudinal column, and that shows in phantom lines or in transparency, the deflection of the vacuum panels and post or column areas during cooling of the product. Figure 3 is a fragmentary, elongated cross-sectional view of a vacuum panel of Figure 2, showing in phantom or in transparency lines, the vacuum panel and the post or column area deformed. Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the section of the panel taken along section line 4-4 of Figure 2, showing in phantom or transparency lines the deformation of the vacuum panel. Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the panel section taken along the section line 5-5 of Figure 2, showing in ghost lines or in transparency, the deformation of the pole area and the pole shoulder , and that defines the relative heights of the vacuum panel and the contact areas with upper and lower tail. Figure 6 is a sectional view, similar to Figure 5, showing an alternative post or column flange configuration of a non-uniform depth or depth, to maximize the resistance to longitudinal bending at the center point of the flange.

Figure 7 is a sectional view similar to Figure 5, showing an alternative panel configuration in which the original panel (before filling) arcs outward (solid lines) so that in vacuum deformation it becomes Substantially arranged vertically (phantom lines or in transparency). Figure 8 is a front elevational view of another embodiment of the hot fill bottle or bottle of this invention, which shows an alternative vacuum panel configuration having a raised central area incorporating a longitudinal panel flange. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the container or bottle of Figure 8 taken along section line 9-9, showing six vacuum panels separated by post or column areas. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a molding apparatus for blow-molding the package or bottle of this invention from a preform. Figure 11 is a front elevational view of a further embodiment of the hot fill bottle or bottle of this invention, showing an alternate panel configuration with interrupted radial rim flange sections attached to the pole flanges or longitudinal column. Figure 12 is a front elevational view of a still further embodiment of the hot fill container or container of this invention, showing an alternate panel configuration with radial rim flange sections, interrupted, arranged up and down of the longitudinal pole or column flanges.

Detailed description Figure 1 shows a particular embodiment of the present invention, specifically a lei-ET hot-fill beverage bottle of 0.574 kq • 2 > ) nzas). The bottle 13o is molded by blowing compressed air from an injection molded preform 12 ') (shown in phantom or ransparency) having an upper threaded termination 122 and a lower tube portion 124. During insufflation, the preform expands and assumes the shape of an interior molding surface (see Figure 10) to form a bottle biaxially oriented, substantially transparent. The threaded termination 122 does not expand and the threaded termination of the. bottle with an open mouth 132 for receiving a screw cap (not shown). The tube portion of the lower preform 124 expands to form: (a) a shoulder section 134 that generally increases in diameter from the neck termination to a cylindrical panel section 136; (b) the panel section 136 which includes upper and lower tail contact areas 138 and 142, vacuum panels 140 and post or column walls 162; and (c) a base 144. A label is applied fully rolled over the panel section 136; a portion of the label 150 is shown. The 0.574 kg (30 ounce) bottle 130 has a total height A (see Figure 1) of approximately 195 mm, a panel section height B of approximately 89 mm, a diameter C of about 72 mm, a height of vacuum panel D of about 62 mm, and each of the contact areas or upper and lower planes of height E is about 13.5 mm. The thickness of the container or bottle in the panel section is in the order of 0.4 mm. In this embodiment, the lower shoulder section includes a slotted radial ring shoulder 131 between the elongated diameter portions 133 and 146. The lower portion 146 forms an elongated shock absorber, just above the panel section, which is a diameter greater than the panel section, in order to protect the attached label 150 during shipping and storage. The base 144 also includes a shock absorber of elongated diameter 144 to protect the label. The base further includes a slotted closed bottom end 152 which may include additional deforming elements that move inwardly to reduce the negative pressure generated during cooling of the product. The substantially cylindrical panel 136, shown in the horizontal cross section in Figure 2, includes six ribbed void panels 140 symmetrically positioned around a vertical center line 102. The panels 140 are also approximately symmetrically each of two orthogonal vertical planes 104A, 104B passing through the center line 102. Each vacuum panel 140 is placed between a pair of post or column walls 162, which constitute part of the outermost cylindrical panel wall disposed at a first radial distance of Di of the vertical center line 102. Each vacuum panel 140 includes a vertically disposed rectangular cavity 160 that forms an arc or other inwardly concave shape in the horizontal cross section (see Figure 2), the midpoint P of the cavity is placed in the second distance D2 from the vertical centerline 102 which is less than the first distance Di from the post wall in column 162. It is provided a vertically elongated rib or post column or flange 164 is formed in the post wall or column 162 intermediate between each vacuum panel 140, to provide resistance to longitudinal flexure, and a third distance D3 is disposed from the vertical centerline 102 which is smaller than the first distance Di of the post or column wall 162. The post or column flange 164 is a relatively small diameter arc with rounded edges for a smooth continuation in the adjacent post or column wall, while the cavity of the vacuum panel 160 is generally a deeper and wider concave ratio.

In this six panel mode, each vacuum panel occupies an angular extent or degree G (see Figure 2) in the order of 39 to 46 °, outside the circumference of the total 360 ° panel. The combined angular extension F of a vacuum panel 140 and a post or column wall 162 is 60 ° (360 -5- 6 = 60), leaving the post or column wall with an angular extension in the order of 14 to 21 °. The relative angular extensions of the vacuum panel and the post or column wall are adjusted to maximize the vacuum deformation of the cavity 160, without allowing crushing or ovalization of the post or column walls 162 as described hereinafter. Figure 2 shows in phantom lines the vacuum controlled deformation of six vacuum panels and post or column areas. The vacuum panel 140 is deformed substantially radially inwardly to deform the vacuum panel 140 ', while the post or column wall 162 deforms slightly inwardly to deform the post or column wall lt > 2'. Figure 3 shows the controlled deformation of a representative vacuum panel and the adjacent portions of the post or column walls. As desired, the maximum deformation occurs at the center point P of the vacuum panel 140, which moves inward from the point P '. Much less deformation occurs at the points Q, R, S, T, and U, which define the post or column wall and the post or column flange, which deform inward to the points Q ', R', S ' , T ', and U', respectively. The peripheral length from P 'to U' is the same as that from P to U, but the radial deflection P, P 'is much greater than U, U'. To maximize the inward movement of P, P ', the stiffness of the PU segment ring must be decreased by providing a relatively thinner wall panel section, and two QRS and TU corner sections on either side of the wall of post or column ST. The corners make possible 'that is, increase in angular extension) ba-o information, allow the maximum movement towards i i ^ ntro of PP'. At the same time, the longitudinal ili biamiento resistance of the pole wall or -o i .. .. ST is increased by maximizing the radial depth of RS and TU, and the angular extension STU. In this mode, STU is in the middle of the preferred range of 14 to 21 ° (see Figure 3), or in the order 7 to 10.5 °. The PS depth and the TU depth are preferably in the order of 0.0762 to .254 cm (0.030 to 0.100 inches). It is important to note that the longitudinal post or column flange 164 decreases the rigidity of the hoop, while at the same time maximizing the resistance to longitudinal bending. The longitudinal pole or column flanges make it possible to lighten the weight of the container label panel. In a container or bottle of 0.574 kg (20 ounces), the thickness of the panel wall with the longitudinal pole or column flanges incorporated in this design is 20 to 25% thinner (0.025 cm to 0.033 cm versus 0.038 cm a 0.040 cm (0.010"to 0.013" versus 0.015"to 0.016")). This results in a reduction in panel weight from 17 to 20%. Referring again to Figure 1, C is the diameter of the panel section and D is the height of the vacuum panel. The larger the D / C ratio, the higher the moment of longitudinal bending in the post or column walls and the greater the need for longitudinal pole or column flanges. The longitudinal pole or column flanges are necessary when D / C is in the order of at least 0.85. The upper limit of D / C (with post or column flanges) is in the order of 1.05. The angular extent of the vacuum panel (G in Figure 2) is in the order of 39 to 46 °. If the angle extension is too low, the vacuum panel will not be flexible enough. If the angular extension is too large, the pole wall will not be strong enough. With reference to Figure 1, B is the height of the panel section and E is the height of each contact area or flat for the label above and below the vacuum panel. To prevent ovalization of the panel and crushing of the hoop during vacuum deformation (ie, a vertical increase formed above and below the empty panel), grooved rim flanges 137,139 are provided in the middle part of the contact areas or upper and lower tail plane 138, 142 when E is in the order of greater than 1.14 cm (0.45 inches) and when the E / C ratio is in the order of greater than 0.1. The high and thin panel section preferably has a panel height B in the order of 6,193 cm to 20,320 cm (2.4 to 8 inches), and a panel diameter C in the order of 5.08 to 15.24 cm (2 to 6). inches). The thickness of the panel wall is preferably in the order of 0.030 to 0.065 cm (0.012 to 0.025 inches). Figure 4 illustrates a longitudinal cross-section of the deflection of the vacuum panel 140. More specifically, the ribbed vacuum panel wall 160 deforms inwardly at 160 'with a maximum deformation occurring at the vertical center point PP' . Figure 5 shows deformations of the post or column wall and the substantially smaller post or column flange; the post or column wall 162 is deformed at 162 ', and the post or column flange 164 deforms to 164'. Figure 6 shows in the longitudinal section, similar to Figure 5, a post or column flange 264 of an alternative container or bottle 230. Unless otherwise indicated, the container or bottle 230 is identical in all respects to the container or bottle 130, and the corresponding elements have been numbered by simply adding "100" to the number of the corresponding figure of figure 1, to form serial numbers "200". The difference in Figure 6 is that the post or column flange 264 is of varying depth in the longitudinal direction in order to maximize the resistance to longitudinal bending. More specifically, the post or column flange 264 has a maximum depth d2 at a vertical midpoint, compared to a relatively smaller depth di at points adjacent to the upper and lower contact areas or planes-s and 238 and 242. The maximum depth at the midpoint it provides the maximum resistance to longitudinal bending, where the bending moment is greatest. Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of an alternative container or bottle 330 similar in all respects to the container or bottle 130 of Figure 1, and where the corresponding elements have been given a 300 series designation. However, in the container or bottle 330, the panel section 336 is formed in an orifice (i.e., is molded by blowing in compressed air) with an outwardly arched configuration, as shown by the solid line 262 for the post or column wall, and the solid line 264 for the post or column flange. In the vacuum deformation during cooling of the product, the pole or column wall and the curved pole or column flange move radially inward to a substantially vertical configuration at 262 'and 264', respectively. Figures 8-9 show front cross-sectional and elevational views respectively of an additionally alternative container or bottle 430 which has a modified vacuum panel construction. Again, the corresponding elements are given similar numbers as in Figure 1 to form a series "400". However, in this embodiment, each vacuum panel 440 further includes a rectangular, vertically elongated raised wall 466 in the middle portion of the cavity 460, which is disposed at the fourth distance D4 from the centerline 102 that is greater than the second. distance D of cavity 460. In this example, D4 is the same as the first distance Dx of the wall ie post or column 462. The raised wall 466 pf ^ r: nna another area to support the label, j r. * o -in the post or column walls 462 and the contact or flat areas with upper and lower glue 438, 442. In addition, a ridged and visible vertical panel flange 468 in the center of the raised wall 466 provides resistance to bending additional longitudinal, the panel flange 468 is disposed at a distance D5 from the center line 102, which is smaller than the first distance Di of the post or column wall 462 and the raised wall 466. Figure 10 illustrates an apparatus of insufflation molding 500 compressed air used in the manufacture of the container or bottle of this invention. More specifically, a transparent and substantially amorphous PET preform 120 (see Figure 1) is again heated to a temperature above the vitreous transition temperature and placed on a blowing edge 502. A stretching rod 504 axially elongates the preform inside the blow mold to ensure full and centered axial elongation of the preform. A blowing gas (shown by arrows 506) is introduced to radially inflate the preform in a customary manner to match the mold configuration of the interior mold surface 508 of the blow mold. The container or bottle 510 formed remains substantially transparent but has been subjected to pressure induced crystallization to provide increased resistance. The container or bottle can be made from any of the known polymer resins that provide good resistance to high filling temperatures, such as polyesters, polyolefins, polycarbonates, nitriles and copolymers of the foregoing, as well as other high temperature polymers. The italic acid polyesters based on terephthalic or isophthalic acid are commercially available and convenient. The hydroxy compounds are typically ethylene glycol and 1,4-di- (hydroxymethyl) -cyclohexane. The intrinsic viscosity for the phthalate polyesters is typically in the range of 0.6 to 1.2, and more particularly 0.7 to 1.0 (for O-chloro-phenol solvent). 0.6 corresponds approximately to a viscosity average molecular weight of 59,000 and 1.2 at an average viscosity molecular weight of 112,000. In general, the phthalate polyester can include polymeric linkages, side chains, and end groups unrelated to the formal precursors of a simple phthalate polyester. Conveniently, at least 90 mole percent will be terephthalic acid and at least 45 percent mol glycol or aliphatic glycols, especially ethylene glycol.

Another useful polymer, with physical properties similar to PET, is polyethylene naphthalate (PEN). He PEN provides a 3-5X improvement in the oxygen barrier property (over PET) at some additional cost. The package or bottle may be either a monolayer or multilayer construction, including layers of an oxygen barrier material such as ethylene vinyl alcohol or polyvinylidene chloride, and may include a layer of reprocessed waste material, such as PET after of the consumer or recycled. The container or bottle may have a different closure from a screw cap, such as a slidable nozzle as used in sports bottles. Two additionally alternative configurations are shown for the flanges of radial rings and longitudinal pole or column flanges in Figures 11-12. Both incorporate an interrupted rim flange that does not extend around the entire circumference of the panel section, without preferably comprising rim flange sections disposed above and below the longitudinal post or column flanges. This provides resistance to ovalization and crushing of the hoop where greater strength is required, specifically above and below the areas of the post or column wall. More specifically, Figure 11 shows an alternative container or bottle 230 with panel section 636 having a flange in the form of an "I-beam" 670 incorporating the upper and lower horizontal hoop sections 671,672 respectively which are joined by a longitudinal column or pole flange section 673. Figure 12 shows an alternative container or bottle 730 having a panel section 736, with upper and lower horizontal hoop sections 771, 772, respectively centered above and below, but spaced apart from one another. post or longitudinal column flange 773. Although certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, it should be understood that variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the sizes and shapes of the container or bottle may vary as well as the vacuum panel design. In addition, the containers or bottles may be different than the bottles and must be made of other resins or thermoplastic materials. In this manner, all variations should be considered as part of the invention as defined by the following claims.

It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.

Having described the invention as above, the content of the following claims is claimed as property.

Claims (29)

1. In a hot-fill plastic container or bottle, which includes a panel section having a substantially cylindrical panel circumference and a plurality of vacuum panels arranged symmetrically around the circumference of the panel, the panel section further includes post or column walls between the vacuum panels and the contact or flat areas above and below the vacuum panels, the improvement is characterized in that it comprises: the container or bottle has a high and thin panel section respectively and a ratio of the height of vacuum panel D to the diameter of panel C in the order of 0.85 to 1.05; longitudinal pole or column flanges on post or column walls; the contact or flat areas each having a height E greater than in the order of 1.14 cm (0.45 inches) and the ratio of E to C is in the order of greater than 0.1; and circumferential rim flanges in the contact or flat areas.

2. The container or bottle according to claim 1, characterized in that the high and thin panel section has a height ratio of the panel B to the diameter of the panel C in the order of 1.2 and greater.

3. The container or bottle according to claim 2, characterized in that the height of the panel B is in the order of 6.096 cm to 20.32 cm (2.4 to 8 inches) and the diameter of the panel C is in the order of 5.08 to 15.24 cm ( 2 to 6 inches).

4. The container or bottle according to claim 3, characterized in that the panel section has a wall thickness in the order of 0.030 to 0.063 cm (0.012 to 0.025 inches).

5. The container or bottle according to claim 4, characterized in that the container or bottle has six vacuum panels.

6. The container or bottle according to claim 5, characterized in that each vacuum panel has an angular extension in the order of 39 to 46 °.

7. The container or bottle according to claim 6, characterized in that the post or column walls are found in the vacuum panels at the corners that have a radial depth in the order of 0.076 to 0.254 cm (0.030 to 0.100 inches).

8. The container or bottle according to claim 7, characterized in that the longitudinal pole or column flanges extend radially inward from the post or column walls in the order of 0.076 to 0.254 cm (0.030 to 0.100 inches).

9. The container or bottle according to claim 3, characterized in that the number of vacuum panels is selected from the group consisting of four, six and eight.

10. The container or bottle according to claim 9, characterized in that the number of vacuum panels is six.

11. The container or bottle according to claim 1, characterized in that the circumferential rim flanges extend around the circumference of the entire panel.

12. The container or bottle according to claim 1, characterized in that the circumferential rim flanges comprise stub flange sections interrupted above and / or below the post or column walls.

13. The container or bottle according to claim 12, characterized in that the rim flange sections are positioned above and below the post or column walls.

14. The container or bottle according to claim 12, characterized in that the rim flange sections are connected to the longitudinal pole or column flanges.

15. The container or bottle according to claim 12, characterized in that the rim flange sections are separated from the longitudinal post or column flanges.

16. The container or bottle according to claim 1, characterized in that the longitudinal rim flanges are of variable depth in the longitudinal direction, and have a greater depth adjacent to the middle portion of the panel section.

17. The container or bottle according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes a coupling of the label in the contact or flat areas and the post or column parts.

18. The container or bottle according to claim 1, characterized in that the vacuum panels have a raised central wall for supporting a label arranged around the section of the panel.

19. The container or bottle according to claim 18, characterized in that the raised central wall has a longitudinal rim.

20. The container or bottle according to claim 1, characterized in that the panel section arches outward before the application of a negative internal pressure inside the container or bottle.

21. The container or bottle according to claim 1, characterized in that the plastic is selected from the group consisting of polyesters, polyolefins, polycarbonates, polyethylene naphthalates, nitriles, and copolymers thereof.

22. The container or bottle according to claim 1, characterized in that the container or bottle is a container or bottle of polyester molded by blowing with compressed air, oriented biaxially, substantially transparent.

23. The container or bottle according to claim 22, characterized in that the polyester is substantially polyethylene terephthalate.

24. In a mold for making a hot-fill plastic container or bottle having an inner mold surface that includes a substantially cylindrical panel section with a plurality of sections forming longitudinal vacuum panels, symmetrically arranged around the circumference of the panel section to form vacuum panels in a cylindrical panel wall of the container or bottle, longitudinal areas between the vacuum panels to form post or column walls in the container or bottle, and circumferential areas above and below the sections forming the vacuum panel to form contact areas or upper and lower planes in the container or bottle, the improvement is characterized in that it comprises: the panel section which is relatively high and thin and which has a height ratio forming the panel from vacuum D to the diameter forming panel C in the order of 0.85 to 1.05; the raised, longitudinal ridges in the longitudinal areas to form post or column flanges in the post or column walls of the container or bottle; the circumferential areas each that is of a height E in the order of greater than 1.14 cm (0.45 inches), and the relation E and C that is in the order of greater than 0.1; and circumferential raised ridges in the circumferential areas to form the rim flanges in the contact or flat areas of the container or bottle.

25. The mold according to claim 24, characterized in that the high and thin panel section has a ratio of the height that the panel B forms to the diameter forming the panel C in the order of 1.2 and greater.

26. The mold according to claim 25, characterized in that the height forming the panel B is in the order of 6.096 to 20.32 cm (2.4 to 8 inches) and the diameter forming the panel C is in the order of 5.08 to 15.24 cm (2 to 6 inches).

27. The mold according to claim 24, characterized in that the number of sections forming the vacuum panel is selected from the group consisting of four, six and eight.

28. The mold according to claim 27, characterized in that the mold has six sections that form the vacuum panel.

29. The mold according to claim 28, characterized in that each of the sections forming the vacuum panel has an angular extension in the order of 39 to 46 °. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A panel design for a hot-fill plastic container or bottle that has a high and thin panel section. The panel configuration provides increased resistance to longitudinal bending and crushing of the rim, still provides good hoop flexibility to maximize the movement of the vacuum panel. The panel section (136) has a substantially cylindrical circumference with a plurality of vacuum panels (140) arranged symmetrically around the post or column walls of the panel circumference (162) between the vacuum panels and contact areas or flat (138, 142) up and down in the vacuum panels. The ratio of height ie vacuum panel D to panel diameter C is >; > n > i order from 0.85 to 1.05. The longitudinal or longitudinal flanges (164) are provided on the pole or column panels, the contact areas or flat top and bottom of the vacuum panels are of a height E greater than that of the order of 1.14 cm (0.45 inches) and the ratio of the height of the contact area or flat E to the diameter of panel C is in the order of greater than 0.1 The circumferential rim flanges (137.134) are provided in the contact areas or flat to prevent ovalization and crush the ring.