Polymeric container

Abstract

A container has a bottom formed from polymeric material having a floor and a skirt projecting from the floor and a sidewall formed from polymeric material having opposite sides joined to one another and a lower end joined to the skirt so as to form an interior having a mouth, wherein the mouth has a dimension not less than the floor.

1 . A container comprising: 
 a bottom formed from a polymeric material having a floor and a skirt projecting from the floor; and    a sidewall formed from a polymeric material having opposite sides joined to one another and a lower end joined to the skirt so as to form an interior having a mouth, the mouth having a dimension not less than the floor.    
   
   
       2 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the skirt has an edge and wherein the lower end of the sidewall wraps about the edge.  
   
   
       3 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the bottom and the sidewall is formed from polypropylene.  
   
   
       4 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the bottom and the sidewall includes a layer of recycled polypropylene material sandwiched between two layers of virgin polypropylene material.  
   
   
       5 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the container has an interior, wherein at least one of the bottom and the sidewall has an inner layer of virgin polymeric material adjacent the interior and a layer of recycled polymeric material adjacent an exterior to the layer of virgin polymeric material.  
   
   
       6 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein the inner layer of virgin polymeric material has a minimum thickness of at least about 0.001 inches.  
   
   
       7 . The container of  claim 6 , wherein the inner layer of virgin polymeric material has a maximum thickness of no greater than 0.040 inches.  
   
   
       8 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein the inner layer of virgin polymeric material has a maximum thickness of no greater than 0.040 inches.  
   
   
       9 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein the layer of recycled polymeric material has a minimum thickness of 0.005 inches.  
   
   
       10 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein the layer of recycled polymeric material has a maximum thickness of no greater than 0.040 inches.  
   
   
       11 . The container of  claim 5  including an outer layer of polymeric material adjacent an exterior to the layer of recycled polymeric material.  
   
   
       12 . The container of  claim 11 , wherein the outer layer of virgin polymeric material has a minimum thickness of no greater than 0.001 inches.  
   
   
       13 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein the outer layer of virgin polymeric material has a maximum thickness of no greater than 0.040 inches.  
   
   
       14 . The container of  claim 11 , wherein the outer layer of virgin polymeric material has a maximum thickness of no greater than 0.040 inches.  
   
   
       15 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall has a maximum thickness of no greater than 0.040 inches.  
   
   
       16 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall has a minimum thickness of at least 0.007 inches.  
   
   
       17 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the layers includes a filler material.  
   
   
       18 . The container of  claim 17 , wherein the filler material comprises talc.  
   
   
       19 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the bottom and the sidewall includes a filler material.  
   
   
       20 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the skirt includes a plurality of inwardly extending notches.  
   
   
       21 . The container of  claim 20 , wherein the notches are V-shaped.  
   
   
       22 . The container of  claim 21 , wherein the notches have an outer most radial width of between about 0.2 inches and 0.3 inches.  
   
   
       23 . The container of  claim 21 , wherein the ends of the notches are spaced between 0.1 inches and 0.125 inches from the floor.  
   
   
       24 . The container of  claim 20 , wherein the notches are equally spaced about an entire perimeter of the skirt.  
   
   
       25 . The container of  claim 20  including at least 10 notches.  
   
   
       26 . The container of  claim 20 , wherein the bottom includes a circular score at a junction of the floor and the skirt.  
   
   
       27 . The container of  claim 26 , wherein the bottom has a thickness and wherein the circumferential score has a depth of at least one-half the thickness.  
   
   
       28 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom has a plurality of inwardly extending scores.  
   
   
       29 . The container of  claim 28 , wherein the plurality of scores extend from an edge of the skirt to the floor.  
   
   
       30 . The container of  claim 28 , wherein the plurality of scores are uniformly spaced along an entirety of the skirt.  
   
   
       31 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the skirt includes a plurality of inwardly extending slits.  
   
   
       32 . The container of  claim 31 , wherein the slits extend at least two-thirds of a radial width of the skirt.  
   
   
       33 . The container of  claim 31 , wherein the slits are uniformly spaced along an entirety of the skirt.  
   
   
       34 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the skirt is fused to the sidewall.  
   
   
       35 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom is formed entirely from at least one polymeric material.  
   
   
       36 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall includes printing on an outer surface.  
   
   
       37 . A container comprising: 
 a bottom having a floor and a skirt; and    a sidewall having opposite side ends joined to one another and a lower end joined to the skirt to form a container interior, wherein at least one of the bottom and sidewall includes an inner layer of virgin polymeric material adjacent the interior and a layer of recycled polymeric material exterior to the layer of virgin polymeric material.    
   
   
       38 . The container of  claim 37 , wherein at least one of the bottom and the sidewall is formed from polypropylene.  
   
   
       39 . The container of  claim 37  including an outer layer of virgin polymeric material adjacent to the layer of recycled polymeric material.  
   
   
       40 . A container comprising: 
 a bottom formed substantially from a polymeric material and having a floor and a skirt; and    a sidewall formed substantially from a polymeric material having opposite sides joined to one another and a lower end joined to the skirt, wherein the skirt includes a plurality of resiliency lessening treatments.    
   
   
       41 . The container of  claim 40 , wherein the resiliency lessening treatments comprise notches.  
   
   
       42 . The container of  claim 41 , wherein the notches are V-shaped.  
   
   
       43 . The container of  claim 41 , wherein ends of the notches are spaced between about 0.1 inches and about 0.125 inches from the floor.  
   
   
       44 . The container of  claim 41 , wherein the notches are equally spaced about the entire perimeter of the skirt.  
   
   
       45 . The container of  claim 41 , wherein the bottom includes a circular score at a junction of the floor and the skirt.  
   
   
       46 . The container of  claim 45 , wherein the bottom has a thickness and wherein the circumferential score has a depth of at least one-half of the thickness.  
   
   
       47 . The container of  claim 40 , wherein the resiliency lessening treatments comprise slits.  
   
   
       48 . The container of  claim 40 , wherein the resiliency lessening treatments comprise scores.  
   
   
       49 . The container of  claim 40 , wherein at least one of the bottom and the sidewall includes a layer of virgin polymeric material.  
   
   
       50 . The container of  claim 40 , wherein the floor extends in a first plane and wherein the sidewall extends in a second plane perpendicular to the first plane.  
   
   
       51 . A method for forming a container, the method comprising: 
 forming a substantially planar bottom blank from a first sheet formed substantially from at least one polymeric material;    forming a circumferential score in the bottom blank, the score separating the bottom blankblank into a floor and a skirt;    bending the skirt relative to the floor;    forming a substantially planar sidewall blank from a second sheet formed substantially from at least one polymeric material;    joining opposite sides of the sidewall blank; and    joining a lower end of the sidewall blank to the skirt such that the floor extends in a first plane and such that the sidewall extends in a second plane perpendicular to the first plane.    
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 51  including treating the skirt at a plurality of spaced locations to weaken resiliency of the at least one polymeric material.  
   
   
       53 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein treating includes scoring the skirt.  
   
   
       54 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein treating includes slitting the skirt.  
   
   
       55 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein treating includes notching the skirt.  
   
   
       56 . The method of  claim 51  including wrapping the lower end of the sidewall about an edge of the skirt.  
   
   
       57 . The method of  claim 51  including fusing the lower end of the sidewall to the skirt.  
   
   
       58 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the sheet includes a first layer of virgin polymeric material and a second layer of recycled polymeric material and wherein the method includes positioning the virgin polymeric material adjacent an interior of the cylinder.  
   
   
       59 . A method for forming a container, the method comprising: 
 forming a substantially planar bottom blank from a first sheet formed substantially from at least one polymeric material;    forming a circumferential score in the bottom blank, the score separating the bottom blank into a floor and a skirt;    bending the skirt relative to the floor;    forming a substantially planar sidewall blank from a second sheet formed substantially from at least one polymeric material;    joining opposite sides of the sidewall blank; and    joining a lower end of the sidewall blank to the skirt, wherein at least one of the first sheet and the second sheet includes a first layer of virgin polymeric material and a second layer of recycled polymeric material and wherein the method further includes positioning the virgin polymeric material adjacent an interior of the container.    
   
   
       60 . A method for forming a container, the method comprising: 
 forming a substantially planar bottom blank from a sheet formed substantially from at least one polymeric material;    forming a circumferential score in the bottom blank the score separating the bottom blank into a floor and a skirt;    bending the skirt relative to the floor;    forming a substantially planar sidewall blank from a sheet formed substantially from at least one polymeric material;    joining opposite sides of the sidewall blank; and    joining a lower end of the sidewall blank to the skirt, the additional step of treating the skirt at a plurality of spaced locations to weaken resiliency of the at least one polymeric material.