CONTAINER WITH CAVITY BASE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

5 The present invention relates generally to a container having a base that forms an external cavity. More particularly the invention relates to a container having a base that forms an external cavity formed by an inwardly projecting invertible end wall. Related Art

Blow molded plastic containers have come into common use in packaging a wide variety 10 of liquid, viscous or solid products including, for example, juices, other beverages, yogurt, sauces, pudding, lotions, soaps in liquid or gel form, and bead shaped objects such as candy. Containers are generally formed with a base that is either predominately flat, which are typically used for products packaged for cold fill processes, or with a relatively shallow dome. Shallow domed bases are frequently used for packages intended to be filled in a hot 15 fill process, and typically include structural ribs or other structural features for strengthening to prevent base roll out.

For advertising, shipping or other purposes, packagers and processors of goods may require the use of a base with a relatively deep hollow portion. It may also be desirable that such a base be substantially free of ribs and other supporting structures. There is thus a need 20 in the art for continuing development of differing base designs to fit the need of food processors, the primary purchasers of plastic containers, and consumers, the ultimate users of these goods.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In summary, the invention is a base that includes a cavity. The cavity can be used to 25 store a second product that may be associated with the product to be filled in the container.

The base structure can be substantially free of additional structurally features, other than a dome. The base can be made by standard blow molding techniques.

One embodiment of the invention is a container base. The base includes a standing ring at an end of a sidewall of a container and a closed arcuate end wall. The end wall extends 30 from the standing ring and projects inwardly relative to the end of the sidewall such that it is

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entirely within the sidewall and an imaginary plane extending through the standing ring. A hinge can be present between the standing ring and the end wall. Trie base can further include a sheet-like material that forms a seal attached to the standing ring and extending in a plane extending through the standing ring. An object, such as a toy or novelty item can be 5 placed in the cavity defined by the inwardly projecting end wall and the seal.

Another embodiment of the invention is a container that includes the base. To this end, the container also includes a plastic body having a tubular sidewall and an open dispensing end. The tubular sidewall can have any cross-sectional shape including, for example, circular, oval and substantially square. The base end wall can be invertible between the

10 inwardly projecting position and an outwardly projecting position where the end wall extends entirely beyond the sidewall and the plane extending through the standing ring. The container sidewall can have one or more concave circumferential rings.

A container according to the invention can be made from an intermediate container, which can be manufactured with either an inwardly projecting or an outwardly

15 projecting end wall. If the intermediate container has an outwardly projecting end wall, the end wall is invertible between the outwardly projecting position and the inwardly projecting position.

In a method of making a plastic container, an embodiment of trie invention includes blow molding, for example extrusion blow molding, in a blow mold the plastic container body

20 with a tubular sidewall; a dispensing end at a first end; and a standing ring and closed end wall at a second end. The end wall is arcuate and projects from the standing ring, and the dispensing end is trimmable to form an open end and includes a structure for accepting a closure. The container, as formed, can have the end wall in an outwardly projecting position or an inwardly projecting position. If manufactured in an outwardly projecting position, the

25 method includes inverting the. end wall about the standing ring from the outwardly projecting position to the inwardly projecting position such that the end wall extends entirely within the sidewall and below an imaginary plane extending through said standing ring. A hinge can be formed between the standing ring and the end wall that permits the end wall to invert from the outwardly projecting position to the inwardly projecting position. The method further

30 includes trimming the first end of the sidewall located opposite from the end wall such that the first end is open, and trimming scrap away from the sidewall. If desired, an object can be

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placed in the cavity defined by the inwardly projecting end wall and the plane extending through the standing ring and a sheet-like seal can be bonded to the standing ring to extend over the end wall to retain the object within the cavity. The container can be filled and a closure placed on the container at the dispensing end either before or after an object is placed in the cavity.

Further objectives and advantages, as well as the structure and function of preferred embodiments will become apparent from a consideration of the description., drawings, and examples.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similar elements.

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary embodiment of an empty container according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary intermediate container that can be used in the manufacture of a container having a base according to the present invention; and

FIG. 3 depicts a filled and capped container according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention with an object stored within the base cavity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention are discussed in detail below. In describing embodiments, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected. While specific exemplary embodiments are discussed, it should be understood that this is done for illustration purposes only. A person skilled in the relevant art will recognize that other components and configurations can be used without parting from the spirit and scope of the invention. All references cited herein are incorporated by reference as if each had been individually incorporated. Related U.S. Patent No. 6,673,301, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses a flexible tube and a method of making a flexible tube. The tube includes an

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invertible dome at a dispensing end. The dome is invertible between a concave position, for storage and standing, and a convex position for dispensing.

The present invention is a container base and a container including the base. The base includes a cavity for storing a product. FIG. 1 illustrates a container 10 embodying a base according to the present invention. The container 10 has a one-piece construction and is uniformly made of a monolayer plastic material, such as LDPE, or a multilayer plastic material. The container 10 can be used to package a wide variety of liquid, viscous or solid products including, for example, juices, other beverages, yogurt, sauces, pudding, lotions, soaps in liquid or gel form, and bead shaped objects such as candy. Turning first to the structural aspects of the container 10, it has a sidewall 12 with opposite ends 14 and 16. A first end 14 is the dispensing end of the container 10. The dispensing end 14 can include a closure retaining structure, for example, threads 18, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The open dispensing end 14 can also be used for filling the container 10, as described further below. The second end 16, which is opposite from the dispensing end 14, forms the base of the container.

The sidewall 12, as formed, is substantially tubular and can have any cross-sectional shape. Cross sectional shapes can include, for example, a circular transverse cross-section, as illustrated; an oval transverse cross-section; a substantially square transverse cross- section; other substantially polygonal transverse cross-sectional shapes such as triangular, pentagonal, etc.; or combinations of curved and arced shapes with linear shapes. As will be understood, when the container has a substantially polygonal transverse cross-sectional shape, the corners of the polygon are typically rounded or chamfered.

The sidewall 12 terminates at the base end 16 in a standing ring 20 on which the container can be freely stood. The standing ring can be circular or, in the case where the sidewall is other than circular, can be similar in shape to the cross-sectional shape of the sidewall. Circumferential grooves 22 can be formed in the sidewall 12 to prevent ovalization or distortion of the container 10 and reinforce the adjacent section of the sidewall 12. The sidewall 12, including the circumferential grooves 22, can be covered with a label (not shown). According to alternative embodiments, the sidewall 12 can include vacuum panels, vertical ribs, or any other number of structures to prevent distortion of the container 10.

The base end 16 of the container 10 has an arcuate end wall 26 extending from the

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standing ring 20. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the end wall 26 is in a concave position (with respect to the exterior of the container) extending within the sidewall 12 and below an imaginary plane "P" extending through the standing ring 20. Thus, the end wall 26 as illustrated in FIG. 1 has an inverted dome shape that does not interfere with the free standing of the container 10 on the standing ring 20. In the case where the base is other than circular, the end wall will have an analogous modified dome structure. The end wall 26 can be devoid of other structural features, such as ribs, and have a smooth surface. The end wall thus forms a cavity 32 within the base end 16 of the container 10. A hinge 24 can be formed at the interconnection of the standing ring 20 and the end wall 26 which enables the end wall 26 to invert from the concave position as illustrated in FIG. 1 to an outwardly projecting or convex position, as illustrated in FIG. 2, or vice versa.

The base thus has a cavity 32 defined by the concave end wall 26 and the plane "P" extending through the standing ring. Containers according to the present invention can store a second product within the concavity formed in the base. For example, for advertising purposes, a manufacturer or packager could place a toy o>τ other novelty item within the base cavity. Alternatively, additives for the packaged product could be placed within the base cavity. These additives could include, for example, flavor additives to be added to the packaged product, such as chocolate or other flavored syrups to be added to milk or other beverages; color additives; or other ingredients such as granola to be added to a yogurt product. For illustrative purposes, FIG. 3 shows a filled and capped container 10 with a cutaway lower portion to show a ball 34 enclosed within the base cavity 32. A seal 36 can be placed over the cavity 32 and bonded to the standing ring 20 in order to hold the object 34 within the cavity 32. After purchasing, a consumer can break or remove the seal 36 and remove the object 34 from the cavity 32. The filled container 10 can include a closure 28 attached to the dispensing end 14 of the container as shoΛvn in FIG. 3. The closure can be held in place by a closure retaining structure, for example threads 18 or a ring for friction fitting the closure onto the dispensing end. Alternatively, or in conjunction with a closure, the open dispensing end can be sealed with foil or other sheet-like material, for example by therrnosealing or adhesive. The use of a foil closure is more frequently used in smaller containers that will be consumed in a single serving.

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The container 10 can be made by an extrusion blow molding technique similar to the technique for manufacturing the tube disclosed in U.S. Patent NTo. 6,673,301. To this end, a molten tube of thermoplastic material, or plastic parison, is extruded relative to a pair of open blow mold halves. The blow mold halves close about the parison and cooperate to 5 provide a cavity into which the parison is blown to form the container 10. In the molding process, the dispensing end 14 can be formed with a closure retaining structure, such as threads 18.

In a first method of manufacture, an intermediate container 10' is formed having the end wall 26 in an outwardly projecting position as illustrated in FIG. 2. After being removed

10 from the blow mold halves, the sidewall 12 is trimmed to remove scrap material from the sidewall 12 and the dispensing end 14 to form an opening in the dispensing end. The end wall 26 of the intermediate container 10' is inverted about the standing ring 20 from its as blown outwardly projecting convex position to an inwardly projecting concave position. This can locate the end wall 26 entirely within the sidewall 12 below the imaginary plane "P"

15 extending through the standing ring 20. See FIG. 1. As previously stated, the structure of the base end 16 can create a hinge 34 at the interconnection of the standing ring 20 and the end wall 26. This permits the end wall 26 to be more easily retracted into a concave position.

In a second method of manufacture, the container 10 is formed during the blow molding

20 process with the end wall 26 in an inwardly projecting position as illustrated in FIG. 1. In order to form the container 10 with an inwardly projecting end wall 26, the mold can include a movable base molding portion that could be triggered by a hydraulic cylinder to move within the mold cavity prior to inflating the parison. After molding, the hydraulic cylinder can move the base molding portion away from the concave base, so as to allow the bottle to

25 separate and exit from the mold.

A label can be applied to the sidewall 12 during the molding process. To this end, the label is positioned in the cavity of the blow mold just before the parison is about to be inflated. Thus, when the parison is inflated, the molten plastic is blown into engagement with the label, and a heat sensitive adhesive on the label activates to bond the label to the sidewall

30 12 of the blown intermediate container 10 ' or container 10.

The container 10 can be filled in a typical filling operation, as is known in the art. For

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example, the upright container 10, resting on its base portion 16, is processed through a filling station in which a product is supplied via the dispensing end 14 into the container 10. After filling, the dispensing end 14 is fitted with a closure 28 for sealing the product within the container. The filling process can be accomplished using known hot or cold fill techniques. Particularly when hot filled processing is used, the container 10 can have structures that prevent deformation of the container trxat can result from the reduction in volume and pressure that takes place within the container as the hot substance cools. For example, circumferential grooves 22 or other structures can be formed in the container to provide rigidity to the sidewall and base to prevent ovalization or other distortion. As is known in the art, other structures that can accommodate the barometric and volumetric changes within the container can be used. For example, the container may include flex panels designed to move toward the container interior in response to the reduction in volume and pressure. These may be required in the case where the container holds a relatively large volume of product that would cause larger changes in volume and pressure. The use of reinforcing structures and flex panels is known in the art and the invention is not limited to any particular method of resisting deformation or accommodating pressure and volume changes.

Before or after filling the container with a packaged product, a second product or object 34, such as a ball or toy, can be sealed within the base cavity 32. A seal 30 such as a foil or other sheet-like covering can be utilized to hold the ofcject 34 within the cavity 32 before its removal by the purchasing consumer. Thus, the object 34 can be placed within the base cavity 32, and the seal 36 can then be applied and bonded to the standing ring 20 using, for example, adhesive or glue, or can be thermosealed onto the standing ring 20.

The embodiments illustrated and discussed in this specification are intended only to teach those skilled in the art the best way known to the irrventors to make and use the invention.

Nothing in this specification should be considered as limiting the scope of the present invention. All examples presented are representative and non-limiting. The above-described embodiments of the invention maybe modified or varied, without departing from the invention, as appreciated by those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.