A plastic container comprises an upper portion including a finish defining an opening into the container, a lower portion including a base defining a standing surface, a sidewall extending between the upper portion and the lower portion, the sidewall defining a longitudinal axis, and at least one substantially transversely-oriented pressure panel located in the lower portion. The pressure panel is movable between an outwardly-inclined position and an inwardly-inclined position to compensate for a change of pressure inside the container. The standing surface defines a standing plane, and the entire pressure panel is located between the standing plane and the upper portion of the container when the pressure panel is in the outwardly-inclined position.

In one embodiment, a method of processing a plastic container having a longitudinal axis is disclosed. The method includes: blow-molding a plastic container having an upper portion including a finish, a sidewall, a lower portion including a base defining a standing surface, and a substantially transversely-oriented pressure panel having an inner annular wall and a central push-up portion located in the base, wherein a base mold portion is displaced longitudinally with respect to first and second side mold portions to form the pressure panel set above the standing surface; introducing heated liquid contents into the plastic container with the pressure panel located in an outwardly-inclined position entirely between the standing surface and the upper portion; capping the plastic container; and, moving the pressure panel to an inwardly-inclined position entirely between the standing surface and the upper portion.

A plastic container comprises an upper portion including a finish defining an opening into the container, a lower portion including a base defining a standing surface, a sidewall extending between the upper portion and the lower portion, the sidewall defining a longitudinal axis, and at least one substantially transversely-oriented pressure panel located in the lower portion. The pressure panel is movable between an outwardly-inclined position and an inwardly-inclined position to compensate for a change of pressure inside the container. The standing surface defines a standing plane, and the entire pressure panel is located between the standing plane and the upper portion of the container when the pressure panel is in the outwardly-inclined position.

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for processing containers. The system may include an apparatus for processing sealed plastic containers having a first headspace pressure. The apparatus may include: an open entry port or tunnel for continuously receiving containers; a sanitizer configured to sanitize outside surfaces of the received containers; a perforator configured to perforate or open a cap or seal of the containers within the apparatus; a sealer configured to seal the perforation or opening formed in the cap or seal of the containers; an open exit port or tunnel for continuously exiting the processed containers; and a conveyor system configured to transport or convey the containers. The system may further include a production line including a filler for filling empty blow-moulded containers with a heated liquid to pasteurize inside surfaces of the containers and a capper for sealing the filled blow moulded containers.

Filling line for heat-treating and filling a liquid, comprising a pre-heater (1) for pre-heating the liquid, a heater (2) for heating the liquid after pre-heating, a cooler (3) for cooling down the liquid after heating, an a filling unit (4) for filling the liquid, where the filling line is suitable for hot filling and cold filling, where the liquid path from the pre-heater to the filling unit for hot filling differs from the liquid path from the pre-heater to the filling unit for cold filling, and the filling line comprises a switching option (5) for switching between the two liquid paths; and a method for heat-treating and filling a liquid in which such a filling line is used.

A container filling valve may include a shuttle and a drive sleeve that are magnetically coupled. Movement of the drive sleeve may move the shuttle from a position in which the filling valve is closed to a position in which the filling valve is open. A container handling arm may include a distal end configured to hold a container and a proximal end that includes a load cell. A low flow setpoint system may be configured to arrest closing of a filling valve when that filling valve is partially closed. A pressure control system may be configured to maintain a desired pressure in a reservoir or in a flow path from that reservoir. A product recirculation system may be configured to adjust flow rate in the product recirculation system.

A method of forming a container and filling the container with a product. The method includes heat-set blow molding the container from a preform and hot-filling the container with the product such that the product occupies about 95% or more of a total interior volume of the container. A headspace volume is defined between a top fill line of the product and a brim of the container. The headspace volume is less than about 5% of the total interior volume of the container. The container is capped and allowed to cool. The container is configured to shrink during cooling such that the total interior volume decreases by about 0.5% to 1.5% during cooling. A base of the container is displaced after hot-filling and capping to reduce the total interior volume by less than about an additional 0.5% to 4%. The hot-filling, capping, cooling, and displacing of the base creates a pressure change within the container.

A container filling valve may include a shuttle and a drive sleeve that are magnetically coupled. Movement of the drive sleeve may move the shuttle from a position in which the filling valve is closed to a position in which the filling valve is open. A container handling arm may include a distal end configured to hold a container and a proximal end that includes a load cell. A low flow setpoint system may be configured to arrest closing of a filling valve when that filling valve is partially closed. A pressure control system may be configured to maintain a desired pressure in a reservoir or in a flow path from that reservoir. A product recirculation system may be configured to adjust flow rate in the product recirculation system.

Machine (18, 19) for processing containers (1) including a base (7) having a high standing ring (8) and a central invertible diaphragm (9), the machine (18, 19) including: a container supporting frame (20) including a hollow support ring (21) for engaging a container base (7), a pusher (26) movable with respect of the container supporting frame (20), capable of coming into abutment with the container base (7) through the supporting frame (20), an actuator (28) for slidingly moving the pusher (26) frontwards towards the container base (7) through the supporting frame (20), and backwards, a strain gauge (29) coupled to the actuator (28) for gauging a strain applied by the actuator (28) to the pusher (26), a control unit (30) including a processor (32) connected to the strain gauge (29) and programmed for comparing a gauged strain value to a memorized strain reference value.

A valve assembly in a product channel comprises a regulating valve, a filling valve, and an elongated actuation element that is common to both. A filling-valve element that interacts with a filling-valve seat to open and close the filling valve. The regulating valve comprises an actuation element-side regulating valve element that interacts with a regulating-valve seat to control a product quantity to be filled. Both the regulating and filling valve elements are arranged on the actuation element. A driven actuator changes a position of the actuation element relative to the regulating valve seat and the filling valve seat as part of a filling operation.