Container having vacuum compensation elements

Abstract

A lightweight container includes an enclosed base, an upper portion that extends upwardly to a finish; and a body located between the base and the upper portion. The sidewall includes vacuum compensation elements having a series of arches that are arranged to resemble water ripples formed by a water droplet.

1 . A plastic hot-fill bottle comprising:
 an enclosed base;   an upper portion that extends upwardly to neck and a finish; and   a body located between the base and the upper portion, the body including a sidewall comprising alternating panels and posts, at least one panel including:
 an intermediate curved structure having an upper portion and a lower portion; 
 a first upper arch and a second upper arch located above the intermediate structure, the first upper arch being vertically spaced apart from the upper portion of the intermediate structure by a first dimension, the second upper arch being vertically spaced apart from the first upper arch by a second dimension that is greater than the first dimension; and 
 a first lower arch and a second lower arch located below the intermediate structure, the first lower arch being vertically spaced apart from the lower portion of the intermediate structure by a third dimension, the second lower arch being vertically spaced apart from the first lower arch by a fourth dimension that is greater than the third dimension. 
   
     
     
         2 . The bottle of  claim 1  wherein the intermediate structure is an oval. 
     
     
         3 . The bottle of  claim 2  further comprising an inner oval located inside of the intermediate structure. 
     
     
         4 . The bottle of  claim 2  further comprising a third lower arch that is vertically spaced apart from the second lower arch by a fifth dimension that is greater than the fourth dimension. 
     
     
         5 . The bottle of  claim 2  wherein the third dimension is greater than the first dimension and the fourth dimension is greater than the second dimension such that the lower arches are spaced apart from each other and from the intermediate structure by a larger distance than the first arches are spaced apart from each other and the intermediate structure. 
     
     
         6 . The bottle of  claim 5  wherein the arches simulate a section of a perspective view of ripples in the surface of water. 
     
     
         7 . The bottle of  claim 1  further comprising a droplet located above the second upper arch. 
     
     
         8 . The bottle of  claim 1  wherein the upper arches have a positive curvature and the lower arches have a negative curvature. 
     
     
         9 . The bottle of  claim 8  wherein the intermediate structure and upper arches form at least a portion of a concentric ring pattern and the lower arches from at least a portion of another concentric ring pattern. 
     
     
         10 . The bottle of  claim 1  wherein the sidewall further comprises an upper portion and a lower portion that are substantially circular in transverse cross section. 
     
     
         11 . The bottle of  claim 10  wherein the posts have approximately the same diameter in transverse cross section as the upper and lower portions before filling.