Container having label protection feature

Abstract

A blow molded plastic container adapted for label protection having an upper portion including a mouth defining an opening into the container, a lower portion forming a base and a sidewall connected with and extending between the upper portion and the lower portion. The sidewall defined in at least part by a textured surface area, a product label area and a label protection area. The textured surface area and the label protection area in combination providing label protection that is subtle and virtually indetectable.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention generally relates to plastic containers that retain a commodity. More specifically, this invention relates to a blow molded plastic container having a novel construction allowing for significant label protection that is virtually indetectable, improves the visual continuity of the container profile and promotes the positive impact crated by the container product label. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Traditionally, containers used for the storage of products for human consumption were made of glass. Typical desirable glass characteristics include transparency, indeformability and perfect label fixation. Nevertheless, because glass is fragile, easily breakable and heavy, it has become cost prohibitative, due to the high number of bottle breaks during handling. Moreover, as a result of breakage preventive measures and weight, the transportation expenses associated with glass greatly increases the cost of the product. [0003] Num...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014] Accordingly, this invention provides for a plastic container which maintains aesthetic and mechanical integrity during any subsequent handling having a structure that is designed to provide label protection that is virtually indetectable, improves the visual continuity of the container profile and promotes the positive impact created by the container product label without unwanted deformation.

Problems solved by technology

Nevertheless, because glass is fragile, easily breakable and heavy, it has become cost prohibitative, due to the high number of bottle breaks during handling.

Moreover, as a result of breakage preventive measures and weight, the transportation expenses associated with glass greatly increases the cost of the product.

Due to the relative high cost of PET material, even slight increases in the weight of the material of the container will result in an excessive increase in its cost, making it less competitive in relation to the glass bottle, thereby resulting in the infeasibility of such a solution to the problem.

While somewhat commercially successful, these ledges create high stress points at their top and bottom edges, especially at the upper and lower corners of these ledges, and add weight and thus costs from a material standpoint.

These stress points weaken the area of the sidewall near these edges, allowing the sidewall to collapse inwardly and / or fail during handling of the container or when containers are stacked together.

These ledges also interrupt the visual continuity of the container profile, taking away from the positive impact generated by the product label.

Such an increase also increases the material cost for the container and the weight of the container, both of which are unacceptable options.

Containers subject to the above-described stresses have exhibited a somewhat limited ability to withstand loading forces during filling, capping, labeling and stacking for transporting or storage operations.

As a result of this type of loading, or when the container is dropped, the container can become deformed and undesirable to the consumer.

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