Hoover Universal, Inc.

Theodore F Eberle, Jr

Dwayne G Vailliencourt

Container sidewall

A hot-fill plastic container includes a plurality of elongated vertically oriented vacuum absorption panels in its sidewall, each of the panels having an outwardly projecting center portion which is divided into upper and lower panel portions by a transversely extending rib, the panel portions being connected to the top and bottom of the vacuum panel by outwardly curved connecting portions which reverse the curvature of the vacuum panel adjacent to its upper and lower edges to reinforce the vacuum panels to prevent the sidewall from taking a permanent set which deflected inwardly, the corners of the vacuum panel having a relatively large radius of curvature to provide stiffening of the panels at their corners. Annular reinforcement ribs located in the sidewall above and below the vacuum panels provide additional support for the upper and lower edges of the vacuum panels.

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Kapellen, Belgium

Theodore F Eberle, Jr