Container Bottom and Methods

Abstract

Substantially triangular shaped container bottoms include a bottom wall with a concave surface. The container bottom can be used with a container body having an interior chamber for receiving at least one article. Exemplary embodiments include a container bottom attached to a container body wherein the container bottom includes a central surface area that is inwardly concave towards an interior chamber of the container body. Methods of loading a plurality of articles in a container are also provided.

1 . A container comprising:
 a) a substantially triangular container body defining an interior chamber; and   b) a substantially triangular container bottom attached to the container body, wherein the container bottom includes a central surface area that is inwardly concave towards the interior chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the container bottom includes an inner wall, an outer wall, and a bottom wall including the central surface area, wherein the inner wall is attached to the bottom wall and wherein the outer wall is attached to the container body, and wherein the inner wall and outer wall define a lateral cavity in fluid communication with the interior chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein the container bottom includes a geometric central axis, and wherein at least a portion of the lateral cavity extends a greater radial distance from a geometric central axis along a first radial line extending perpendicular from the geometric central axis than a maximum radial distance between the container body and the central axis along a second radial line parallel to the first radial line. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the container body has a first maximum cross-sectional width taken along an imaginary plane that is perpendicular to a geometric central axis of the container bottom, and wherein the container bottom has a second maximum cross-sectional width taken along another imaginary plane that is perpendicular to the geometric central axis, wherein the second maximum cross-sectional width is larger than the first maximum cross-sectional width. 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the concave surface is defined by a function rotated about a vertical axis. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein the vertical axis is a geometric central axis of the container bottom. 
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein the concave surface is spherically concave. 
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the concave surface is defined by a function rotated about a horizontal axis. 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 8 , wherein the horizontal axis is perpendicular to a geometric central axis of the container bottom. 
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 8 , wherein the concave surface is circularly cylindrically concave. 
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the central surface area includes a geometric center of the container bottom. 
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein a geometric central axis extends from a geometric center of the container bottom, a maximum radial length is defined between the container body and the geometric central axis of the container body along a direction perpendicular to the geometric central axis, and wherein an inwardly concave portion of the central surface area is located from the geometric central axis within 85% of the maximum radial length. 
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein the inwardly concave portion of the central surface area is located from the geometric central axis within 25% of the maximum radial length.