The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 30, 2014
Filed:
Oct. 03, 2011
Justin A. Howell, New Cumberland, PA (US);
Mark O. Borger, York, PA (US);
Raymond A. Pritchett, Jr., Manchester, PA (US);
Justin A. Howell, New Cumberland, PA (US);
Mark O. Borger, York, PA (US);
Raymond A. Pritchett, Jr., Manchester, PA (US);
Graham Packaging Company, L.P., York, PA (US);
Abstract
A plastic container, sidewall portions, and method of same are described. The sidewall portion can accommodate a vacuum in a filled and sealed container and includes a plurality of columns extending between upper and lower ends of the sidewall portion, and a plurality of vacuum panels oriented vertically between respective adjacent ones of the columns, each vacuum panel including an upper section, a middle section, and a lower section, a first hinge connecting the upper and middle sections, and a second hinge connecting the middle and lower sections. The vacuum panels can move radially inward toward a container central axis such that the container vacuum is accommodated. As the vacuum panel moves radially inward, the middle section can maintain a substantially parallel orientation with respect to the central axis, and the upper and lower sections rotate about first and second hinges, respectively, and incline away from the central axis.