Bottle made from bioresin

Abstract

A method of making a bottle whereby a polylactic acid preform is stretch blow molded into a biodegradable bioresin bottle. An injection molded polylactic acid or polylactide preform having a finish, a transition portion, a body portion, and a closed end cap portion for making a blow molded biodegradable bioresin bottle having a substantially circular cross-section and a substantially elliptical cross-section. A biodegradable bioresin bottle having both substantially circular and substantially elliptical cross-sectional shapes. Hoop stiffness and bottle geometry are utilized to control the bottle shape resulting from deformation caused by vacuum creation as water vapor permeates outwardly through the bottle walls.

1 . A bottle made from bioresin comprising:
 a neck having a finish with an opening therein;   a shoulder adjacent said neck;   a base capable of supporting the bottle upright; and   a main body between said shoulder and said base, said main body having a first portion that is substantially circular in cross section, the substantially circular cross section having a diameter, and a second portion that is substantially elliptical in cross section at a predetermined location, the substantially elliptical cross section of the second portion having a major axis and a minor axis, and the hoop stiffness of the first portion being greater than the hoop stiffness of the second portion such that when a vacuum is created inside the bottle the second portion deforms inwardly to decrease the length of the minor axis and outwardly to increase the length of the major axis.   
   
   
       2 . A bottle made from bioresin as defined in  claim 1  wherein the second portion is capable of deforming outwardly to a point at which the length of the major axis of the substantially elliptical cross section of the second portion is greater than the length of the diameter of the substantially circular cross section of the first portion. 
   
   
       3 . A bottle made from bioresin as defined in  claim 1  wherein the bioresin is PLA. 
   
   
       4 . A bottle made from bioresin as defined in  claim 1  further comprising a circumferential rib separating the base from the second portion of said main body and a circumferential rib separating the first portion of said main body from the second portion of said main body. 
   
   
       5 . A bottle made from bioresin as defined in  claim 4  wherein the circumferential rib separating the base from the second portion of said main body and the circumferential rib separating the first portion of said main body from the second portion of said main body are not parallel. 
   
   
       6 . A bottle made from bioresin as defined in  claim 1  wherein the first portion of said main body further comprises at least one circumferential rib. 
   
   
       7 . A bottle made from bio-resin as defined in  claim 6  wherein the second portion of said main body is free from circumferential ribs. 
   
   
       8 . A bottle made from bioresin as defined in  claim 1  wherein the first portion of said main body further comprises at least two circumferential ribs. 
   
   
       9 . A bottle made from bioresin as defined in  claim 8  wherein at least one circumferential rib of the at least two circumferential ribs is a wave-like circumferential rib. 
   
   
       10 . A bottle made from bioresin as defined in  claim 9  wherein two circumferential ribs of the at least two circumferential ribs are parallel. 
   
   
       11 . A bottle made from bioresin as defined in  claim 8  wherein the second portion of said main body is free from circumferential ribs. 
   
   
       12 . A bottle made from bioresin as defined in  claim 1  wherein the longitudinal length of the first portion of said main body is less than the longitudinal length of the second portion of said main body. 
   
   
       13 . A bottle made from bioresin as defined in  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced arcuate projections extending outwardly from the second portion of said main body. 
   
   
       14 . A bottle made from bioresin as defined in  claim 1  further comprising a first plurality of longitudinally spaced arcuate projections extending outwardly from the second portion of said main body and a second plurality of longitudinally spaced arcuate projections extending outwardly from the second portion of said main body, the second plurality of arcuate projections and the first plurality of arcuate projections being separated by the minor axis of the substantially elliptical cross section of the second portion. 
   
   
       15 . A bottle made from bioresin as defined in  claim 14  wherein the concavity of the first plurality of longitudinally spaced arcuate projections points toward the base and the concavity of the second plurality of longitudinally spaced arcuate projections points toward the finish. 
   
   
       16 . A bottle made from bioresin as defined in  claim 1  wherein the diameter of a part of said shoulder is greater than the diameter of a part of the first portion of said main body. 
   
   
       17 . A bottle made from bioresin as defined in  claim 1  wherein the diameter of a part of said shoulder is approximately equal to the diameter of a part of the second portion of said main body and greater than the diameter of the first portion of said main body. 
   
   
       18 . A bottle made from bioresin as defined in  claim 1  wherein the bioresin is biodegradable. 
   
   
       19 . A bottle made from bioresin as defined in  claim 18  wherein the bio-resin is compostable. 
   
   
       20 . A bioresin bottle made from blow molding an injection molded preform in which the ratio of axial stretch ratio is in a range of about 2 to about 3.2, the hoop stretch ratio is in a range of about 3 to about 4, the overall stretch ratio is in a range of about 6 to 13, and the shape includes both a substantially circular cross sectional portion and a substantially elliptical cross sectional portion. 
   
   
       21 . A bottle made from bioresin as defined in  claim 20  in which the bio-resin is PLA.