US20240246743A1

US20240246743A1 - Container with structure to accommodate vacuum pressure during hot fill process

Info

Publication number: US20240246743A1
Application number: US18/419,157
Authority: US
Inventors: Mark D. Schneider
Original assignee: Graham Packaging Co LP
Current assignee: Graham Packaging Co LP
Priority date: 2023-01-23
Filing date: 2024-01-22
Publication date: 2024-07-25
Also published as: WO2024158709A1

Abstract

A container comprises a container body having a top, a bottom and a wall extending between the top and bottom. The container also comprises a lid located along the wall at the top of the container body. The lid and container body are made from PET. The lid includes a rounded portion that accommodates vacuum pressure during the hot fill process.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/440,681, filed Jan. 23, 2023, the contents and disclosure of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to beverage containers and more specifically to beverage containers made from polyethylene terephthalate that include structure for accommodating vacuum pressure during a hot fill process.

BACKGROUND

‘Hot fill’ containers are well known in the art. Such hot-fill containers may be made from polyethylene terephthalate, also referred to as PET. PET is a type of clear, strong, lightweight and 100% recyclable plastic. During the conventional hot fill process, the previously stretch blow molded PET container is located at a liquid fill station. Liquid is flowed into the PET container. The liquid flowed into the container is provided at a high temperature such as around 85 degrees C. (185 degrees F.).
The container is manufactured to withstand the thermal shock to the container that is produced as a result of flowing and holding a heated liquid into the container, resulting in a ‘heat-set’ plastic container. This thermal shock is a result of either introducing the hot liquid when the container is filled, or by heating the liquid after it is flowed into the container.
The container is capped and the liquid in the container is allowed to cool from its hot fill temperature. As the liquid cools in the capped container, the volume of the liquid in the container is reduced, creating a vacuum within the container. This reduction in the volume produces vacuum pressures that urge inwardly the side and end walls of the container. This inwardly urged side and end walls may in turn cause the walls to deform. Hot filled, plastic bottles will deform unless they are provided with the structure and rigidity required to counteract the vacuum pressures that will cause bottle deformations.
Frequently, vacuum pressures have been accommodated by the use of vacuum panels, which distort inwardly under vacuum pressure. The vacuum panels are oriented vertically, and the vertically oriented vacuum panels distort inwardly and thereby allow containers to withstand the varying temperatures and associated stresses of a hot fill procedure. In addition to the vertically oriented vacuum panels, prior art containers also may include flexible base regions to provide additional support for counteracting the vacuum pressures associated with the hot fill process. Prior art containers designed for hot filling have various modifications to their end-walls, or base regions to allow for as much inward flexure as possible to accommodate at least some of the vacuum pressure generated within the container.
The modifications in the end or base walls as well as the vertical vacuum panels can have a complex design that adds complexity to the blow molding process, as well as adding to the cost to manufacture each bottle.
Additionally, after hot filling the container, the container opening is typically closed by connecting a cap or lid to the open container end. The lid fully closes the container. In a container manufactured using a hot fill process, the container lid must be fully removed to consume/access the container contents. As a result of the vacuum pressures associated with the hot fill process, containers that are fully recyclable and filled using a hot filled process have not included a lid that can be either fully or partially opened to access container contents.
There is a need for a fully recyclable container filled using a hot fill process that provides a lid that can be either fully opened or provide a partial opening in the lid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

In one example, a container is described. The container comprises a container body having a top, a bottom and a wall extending between the top and bottom, and a lid made integral with the container body, the lid including rounded portions that accommodate vacuum pressure during the hot fill process, the lid and container body being made from PET.
The features, functions, and advantages that have been discussed can be achieved independently in various examples of the present disclosure or may be combined in yet other examples, further details of which can be seen with reference to the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container of a present embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container of FIG. 1 that includes a cap;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the container of the current disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the container of the current disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment container of the current disclosure;

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment container of the current disclosure;

FIG. 6B is the container of FIG. 6A with a straw to be inserted through the opening in the top of the container lid;

FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C illustrate the different positions of movement of a movable sealing tab that may be used to selectively open and seal the opening in the container lid;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the container of FIG. 3 ;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line 9-9 in FIG. 8 ;

FIG. 10 is a partial sectional view of containers stacked with the base of the upper container nested in the lid of the lower container; and

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the container lid taken along line 11-11 in FIG. 6A.

Although specific features of various examples may be shown in some drawings and not in others, this is for convenience only. Any feature of any drawing may be referenced and/or claimed in combination with any feature of any other drawing.
Unless otherwise indicated, the drawings provided herein are meant to illustrate features of examples of the disclosure. These features are believed to be applicable in a wide variety of systems comprising one or more examples of the disclosure. As such, the drawings are not meant to include all conventional features known by those of ordinary skill in the art to be required for the practice of the examples disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiment of the disclosure described herein relates to containers that are fully recyclable, manufactured from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and filled using a hot fill process. Additionally, the container includes a lid that includes structure that will enable the container to accommodate the vacuum pressure that is created after the lid is made integral with the container and as the container cools. The container of the embodiment of the disclosure also comprises a lid that can be fully or partially opened.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment container 10 of the present disclosure. The container 10 includes a container body 20 having a closed end 22, an open top 24 and a wall 26 that extends between the top 24 and closed bottom 22. The wall and closed end define a container chamber (not shown). During the manufacturing process, a liquid is flowed into the chamber. The liquid may be flowed into the chamber using a known hot fill process. Lid 30 includes a floor 32 with an opening 34 formed along the floor. The floor is substantially planar. An annular lip 36 is located along the outer periphery of the floor. The lip 36 includes an inner wall 38 extending between the top of the annular lip and the floor 32. As will be described further below, the lip is adapted to be made integral with the top of the container. The container body and lid are made from PET using well known processes. The lid may be made using an injection molding process and the container body may be made using a blow molding process. A conventional induction or conduction welding process utilizes an eddy current producing coil to hermetically seal the lid and the container body. An eddy current coil focused on the annular surface where the lid and container are joined heats the surface in a conventional manner to form the desired hermetic seal. This process is utilized to hermetically seal the lid and container body of the further embodiments of the disclosure disclosed herein below.
FIG. 2 shows the container 10 of FIG. 1 with cap 40 seated on the lid 30 of container body 20. The cap includes a centrally located cylindrical dome 41 made integral with an outer periphery 42. The annular outer periphery extends around the lower portion of the dome. The cap is seated on the top of annular lip 36 of the lid 30 of FIG. 1 . The cap is removably located on the lid. The outer periphery of the cap is suitably dimensioned to snap into engagement with the lip 36 in a conventional manner. The cap 40 may be made from PET using an injection molding process.
FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment container 110 of the current disclosure that includes lid 130 that is adapted to be made integral with container body 20 in the manner described above in reference to the combination of container 10 and the lid 30. As shown in FIG. 3 , the lid 130 includes a floor 132 and a raised annular lip 136 that is made integral with the floor and extends upwardly from the floor. An inner wall 138 extends between the upper end of the lip 136 and the floor 132. The floor 132 is substantially planar. In the present disclosure, the lid is a unitary member. The annular lip 136 is located along the periphery of the floor 132. The annular lip 136 is endless as it extends annularly about the floor 132. As shown in FIG. 2 , the lip 136 extends upward, away from the floor. An opening 134 is included along the floor, proximate the lip 136. In the embodiment of the disclosure, the opening has a kidney-shape, however the opening may have any shape that enables the fluid stored in the container chamber to be flowed outwardly therefrom.
FIG. 4 shows a third embodiment container 210 of the present disclosure that includes lid 230 that is adapted to be made integral with container body 20 in the manner described above in reference to the combination of container 10 and the lid 30. As shown in FIG. 4 , the lid 230 includes a floor 232 and a raised annular lip 236 that is made integral with the floor. The floor 232 is substantially planar. In the present disclosure, the lid is a unitary member. The annular lip 236 is located along the outer periphery of the floor 232. The annular lip 236 is endless as it extends around the floor 232 and the lip 236 extends upward, away from the floor. An opening 234 is included along the floor, at a location along the floor proximate the lip 236. The opening has a kidney shape; however the opening may have any shape that enables the fluid located in the container chamber to be flowed outwardly therefrom. As shown in FIG. 4 , the inner wall 238 of the lip 236 is tapered outwardly as the wall extends upwardly from the floor 232. The inner wall extends between the upper end of the lip 236 and the floor 232.
A pull tab 60 closes openings 34, 134, 234, 334 and 434. The pull tab may be removed from the floor to open the openings 34, 134, 234, 334 and 434 to access the contents of the container. The pull tab 60 has a base 64 and a finger 62 joined to the base. A suitable adhesive is applied to the underside of the base 64 to fix the base 64 of pull tab 62 to the respective floor. The base 64 is sized to cover the associated opening in the lid. The adhesive is applied to the area of the base that is placed in sealing contact with the floor. To remove the pull tab from the floor to access the associated opening, the finger 62 is gripped and pulled, thereby breaking the sealing contact between the base 64 and floor to remove the pull tab 60 from sealing engagement with the lid.
FIG. 5 shows a fourth embodiment container 310 of the present disclosure that includes lid 330 that is adapted to be made integral with container body 20 in the manner described above in reference to the combination of container 10 and the lid 30. As shown in FIG. 5 , the lid 330 includes an annular lip 336, a ceiling 340. The lip 336 includes an inner wall 338. An angled wall 339 extends between the ceiling and the lower portion of the inner wall 338 of the lip 336. The lid 330 is similar to the structure of lid 430, The angled wall 339 is similar to the angled wall 439 described hereinbelow relative to lid 440. It should be understood that the description of angled wall 439, are applicable to angled wall 339 of lid 330. In the present disclosure, the lid is a unitary member. The annular lip 336 is located along the periphery of the lid 330. The annular lip 336 is endless as it extends around the lid 330. The lip extends upward, toward the ceiling 340. An opening 334 is included along the ceiling, proximate the edge of the outer periphery of the ceiling near the wall 338. The opening 334 has a kidney shape, however the opening may have any shape that enables the fluid stored in the container chamber to be flowed outwardly therefrom.
FIG. 6A and 6B shows a fifth embodiment container 410 of the present disclosure that includes lid 430 that is adapted to be made integral with container body 20 in the manner described above in reference to the combination of container 10 and the lid 30. As shown in FIG. 6A, the lid 430 includes an annular lip 436, an inner wall 438, and a ceiling 440. The ceiling includes an angled wall 439 that extends between the ceiling 440 and wall 438 of the lip 436. The wall 439 joins the wall 438 at the lower edge of the wall 438. In the present disclosure, the lid is a unitary member. The annular lip 436 is located along the periphery of the lid 430. The annular lip 436 is endless as it extends around the lid 430. The lip extends upward, toward the ceiling 440. An opening 434 s included along the ceiling, proximate the edge of the outer periphery of the ceiling near the wall 438. The opening has a circular shape, however the opening may have any shape that enables the fluid stored in the container chamber to be flowed outwardly therefrom. The openings 34, 134, 234,334, 434 may be selectively opened using the pull tab 60 as described hereinabove. As shown specifically in FIG. 6B with reference to container 410, a straw 700 may be inserted through opening 434 and into the interior of the container. The straw may be used to consume the liquid in the container. The straw 700 may be inserted through any of the openings 34, 134, 234, 334 or 434 of the respective lids 30, 130, 230, 330, or 430 previously described.
As shown in FIG. 11 , the lid 410 may include a membrane 910 that extends along the bottom of the lid, below the lip 436. A chamber 910 is defined between the membrane 910, the lip 436, the wall 438 and the ceiling 440. The chamber may include liquid 900, medicine, etc. With the lid affixed to the container, when a straw or other member is inserted through opening 434, the liquid 900 or other chamber contents may be released into the liquid In the container and mixed therewith.
Any of the openings 34, 134, 234, 334 and 434 provided in the respective lids 30, 130, 230, 330 or 430 of containers 10, 110, 210, 310 and 410 may be selectively sealed by pull tab 60. FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C disclose an alternate sealing arrangement that incorporates pull tab 60. For purposes of the description, the container 10 will be described. Opening 34 is sealed by a pull tab 60 previously described and a second sealing member 80. The second sealing member 80 is fixed to the floor 32 of the lid 30. As previously described the pull tab 60 has base 64. The base 64 is fixed to the second sealing member 80. A finger 62 is made integral with the base 64. When access to the liquid in the container is desired, the pull tab is removed from secondary sealing member 80 in the manner previously described above and thereby providing access to opening 34. See FIG. 7B. A straw 700 may pierce second sealing member 80 and thereby be passed through opening 34. As shown in FIG. 7C, the second sealing member 80 may comprise a membrane that is suitably sized to cover the opening 34 when the second sealing member is fixed to the floor 32. A straw 700 may be used to pierce the secondary sealing member 80 and thereby gain access to the liquid in the container.
The second sealing member 80 has an arcuate outer periphery adjacent the lip 36. The portion of the second sealing member 80 proximate the center of the floor 32 is made integral with a post 82. See FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C. The post is fixed to the floor and extends upwards from the floor and is perpendicular thereto. The second sealing member 80 is movable relative to the post 82. A storage sealing member 86 is also connected to the post 82 and is also movable relative to the post. The storage sealing member 86 and second sealing member 80 are movable together, as a single member in a path relative to the post 82. For purposes of describing the embodiment of the disclosure, the second sealing member 80 and storage sealing member 86 are movable in an arcuate path relative to the post 82. The arcuate path is defined between the post 82 and the lip 36. When the sealing members 80 and 86 are moved, when member movement is initiated by the user moving either member 80, 86 is moved in a first direction, the other member moves in the same direction, e.g. clockwise about the post. For example, when second sealing member 80 is moved clockwise relative to the post, the storage sealing member 86 also moves in the same clockwise direction. The storage sealing member 86 includes a gripping member 88 that may be gripped by the user for easy movement of the combined storage sealing member/second sealing member.
In use, when the second sealing member 80 has been pierced and less than all of the liquid contents of container have been consumed, it is necessary to store the container and remaining liquid contents. When it is necessary to seal the opening 34, the gripping member is held/used to urge the storage sealing member 86 by the user. As a result, the storage sealing member is moved in a first direction towards the opening 34 and the second sealing member is moved in the same direction away from the opening 34. The members 80 and 86 are moved in an arcuate path until the storage sealing member 86 is located across opening 34 to seal the container contents. With the storage sealing member across opening 34, the sealing member is then located away from the opening 34.
FIG. 8 is a top view of lid 130. The lid 130 is used for exemplary purposes. As the description proceeds the description may be applied to any of the lids 30, 130, 230, 330, 430 of the exemplary disclosure previously described. FIG. 8 includes a sectional line 9-9 that is used to create sectional view of the lid shown in FIG. 9 .
The container of the embodiment of the disclosure includes one of the disclosed embodiment lids 30, 130, 230, 330, 430 that includes structure in the lid that enables the lid to be fully or partially opened after the hot fill process. As shown in FIG. 9 a series of rounded portions 800, 802 and 804 extend between the lip 136 and floor 132. The wall 138 comprises the rounded portions. The rounded portions extend annularly. The rounded portions serve to accommodate the vacuum pressure that is created during the hot fill process, after the lid 110 is made integral with the container using a conventional inductive or conductive heating process and the hot liquid temperature decreases. The rounded portions may be included in the inner walls 38, 138, 238, 338 and 448 or respective lids 30, 130, 230, 330 and 440. The associated radii of the rounded portions provide flexibility in the lid that serves to accommodate the rise in vacuum pressure. Although the rounded portions are described in regard to the lid 110, it should be understood that the rounded portions may be included in each of the lids described herein. The rounded portions are annular, extending around the entire lid. As shown in FIG. 9 , relative to floor 132, the wall 138 comprises convex rounded portion 800, and concave rounded portions 802 and 804. Concave rounded portion 802 is located between the convex portion 800 and concave portion 804. The concave portion 804 is made integral with the floor 132 and the convex portion 800 is made integral with the upper end of the lip 136. As shown in FIG. 9 , the radius of the portion 802 is greater than the radii of both convex portion 800 and concave portion 804. The combined portions serve to effectively absorb the pressures to the container while cooling, after the hot fill process.
As shown in FIG. 10 , the free end of the PET container is located in the open volume defined by the lip 136 and floor 132. The lids 30, 130, and 230, previously described comprise open volumes defined by the respective lip and floor combination. The lower end of the container may be located in the open volume of the lids 30, 130, and 230 defined by respective lip and floor combinations: 36 and 32; 136 and 132; and 236 and 232. The upper end 24 of the container is nested in the lip of the associated lid. The container wall and the lid are then welded or otherwise made integral.
As shown in FIG. 10 , containers may be stacked by locating the bottom 22 of an adjacent container adjacent the floor 32 of the next adjacent container, below the upper container. The container is maintained stationary when the base is located in the lid. The bottom 22 of the container 10 includes rounded portion 23. The rounded portion 23 includes concave portions 25 a and 25 b and convex portion 25 c that is made integral with container wall 26 by angled wall 27. Annular angled wall 27 may contact the top of lip 136 when the end 22 is seated in the volume defined by the lip 136 and the floor 132. The rounded portion 25 b is located between portions 25 a and 25 c. The rounded portions are located proximate rounded portions 800, 802, and 804 when the end 22 is located in the chamber formed by the lip 136 and floor 132. The rounded portion 23 also serves to absorb vacuum pressure present as the hot filled liquid cools.
This written description uses examples to disclose various implementations, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various implementations, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the disclosure is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A container comprising:

a container body having a top, a bottom and a wall extending between the top and bottom, and

a lid made integral with the container body, the lid including rounded portions that accommodate vacuum pressure during the hot fill process, the lid and container body being made from PET.

2. The container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lid includes a lip that comprises an inner wall, the rounded portions being located in the inner wall.

3. The container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the rounded portions include three rounded portions.

4. The container as claimed in claim 3 wherein the rounded portions comprise a first convex portion, a second convex portion and a concave portion between the first and second convex portions.

5. The container as claimed in claim 4 wherein the concave portion has a larger diameter than the first and second convex portions.

6. The container as claimed in claim 5 wherein the lip has a top, the lid also comprising a floor, the lip made integral with the floor, the first convex portion being integral with the top of the lip and the second convex portion is made integral with the floor.

7. The container as claimed in claim 6 comprising an opening formed along the floor, the opening being closed by a removable tab.

8. The container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lid includes an opening, the lid further including a post, a storage sealing member and a second sealing member, the storage sealing member and second sealing member movably connected to the post, the storage sealing member and second sealing member being movable together relative to the lid.

9. The container as claimed in claim 8 wherein the storage sealing member includes a gripping member.

10. The container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lid comprises a lip having an inner wall, and a ceiling made integral with the inner wall.

11. The container as claimed in claim 10 wherein the lid includes a bottom, and wherein a membrane extends across the bottom of the lid, the lid and membrane defining a chamber adapted to store a liquid.

12. A container lid comprising:

a lip, the lip comprising an inner wall, the inner wall comprising rounded portions that accommodate vacuum pressure during the hot fill process.

13. The container lid of claim 12 wherein the rounded portions include three rounded portions.

14. The container lid as claimed in claim 13 wherein the rounded portions comprise a first convex portion, a second convex portion and a concave portion between the first and second convex portions.

15. The container lid as claimed in claim 14 wherein the concave portion has a larger diameter than the first and second convex portions.

16. The container lid as claimed in claim 15 wherein the lip has a top, the container lid also comprising a floor, the lip made integral with the floor, the first convex portion being integral with the top of the lip and the second convex portion is made integral with the floor.

17. The container lid as claimed in claim 16 wherein the lip has a top, the container lid also comprising a ceiling, the lip made integral with the ceiling, the first convex portion being integral with the top of the lip and the second convex portion is made integral with the ceiling.