Container with corrugations

Abstract

The present invention relates to a container with a side wall of plastic encloses a container volume. Horizontally oriented grooves spaced vertically apart from one another are formed in the side wall, and the grooves include first grooves for stiffening the side wall. The first grooves have a first groove depth and are configured such that a projection protruding into the enclosed container volume is formed in the inner surface of the side wall. The grooves also include second grooves having a second groove depth. The first groove depth is greater than the second groove depth. The first and second grooves are arranged such that at least one second groove is in each case arranged in the vertical direction between two first grooves. The subvolumes enclosed by two horizontal planes, which are defined by two adjacent grooves, and the side wall are in each case identical.

Claims

1. A container with a side wall of plastic which encloses a container volume, wherein horizontally oriented grooves spaced vertically apart from one another are formed in the side wall, wherein the grooves comprise first grooves for stiffening the side wall, which first grooves have a first groove depth and are configured such that a projection protruding into the enclosed container volume is formed in the inner surface of the side wall, wherein the grooves moreover comprise second grooves which have a second groove depth, wherein the first groove depth is greater than the second groove depth, and wherein the first and second grooves are arranged such that at least one second groove is in each case arranged in the vertical direction between two first grooves, wherein the side wall and the horizontally oriented grooves of the side wall, with regard to the material and the thickness, are configured such that the side wall and the horizontally oriented grooves are not deformed when there is a negative pressure in the enclosed container volume, even if as a result of the negative pressure a pressure of 1 atm acts on the side wall and the horizontally oriented grooves, and subvolumes enclosed by two horizontal planes, which are defined by two adjacent grooves, and the side wall are in each case identical.

2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the side wall is transparent or translucent, at least in the region of the horizontally oriented grooves spaced vertically apart from one another.

3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the grooves form a scale for the volume received by the container, wherein the subvolume enclosed by a container base, the side wall and a horizontal plane defined by the lowermost groove is an integer multiple of the subvolume enclosed by two horizontal planes, which are defined by two adjacent grooves, and the side wall.

4. The container according to claim 1, wherein two adjacent first grooves are in each case at a vertical distance a from each other, wherein the condition 0.10 D≤a≤0.30 D is met for the vertical distance a, wherein D is the greatest possible horizontal internal extent inside the container in the region of the vertical distance a between the two adjacent grooves.

5. The container according to claim 1, wherein the condition 0.01 D≤t1≤0.10 D, is met for the first groove depth, wherein D is the greatest possible horizontal internal extent inside the container in the region of the vertical distance a between two adjacent grooves, and t1 is the first groove depth.

6. The container according to claim 1, wherein the condition 0.005 D≤t2≤0.05 D, is met for the second groove depth, wherein D is the greatest possible horizontal internal extent inside the container in the region of the vertical distance a between two adjacent grooves, and t2 is the second groove depth.

7. The container according to claim 4, wherein the side wall of the container has a circular cross section, and D is the internal diameter of the side wall between the grooves.

8. The container according to claim 1, wherein the first grooves are arc-shaped at the first groove depth.

9. The container according to claim 1, wherein the first grooves have the contour of a circle segment at the first groove depth.

10. The container as claimed in claim 9, wherein the ratio of the first groove depth to the radius of the circle of the circle segment (r) of the first grooves is in a range of 1.5 to 2.5.

11. The container according to claim 1, wherein the projection, which is formed from one of the first grooves and which in the inner surface of the side wall protrudes into the enclosed container volume, has a rounded transition to the inner surface of the side wall.

12. The container according to claim 1, wherein each of the grooves is configured as a closed ring in the side wall.

13. The container according to claim 1, wherein the plastic from which the side wall is made is composed of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or co-extruded plastic films (COEX).

14. The container according to claim 1, wherein the thickness (d) of the side wall is substantially constant at and between the grooves.

15. The container according to claim 1, wherein a recloseable opening is formed above the uppermost groove.

16. The container according to claim 4, wherein the condition 0.15 D≤a≤0.25 D, is met for the vertical distance a.

17. The container according to claim 5, wherein the condition 0.03 D≤t1≤0.07 D, is met for the first groove depth.

18. The container according to claim 6, wherein the condition 0.01 D≤t2≤0.03 D, is met for the second groove depth.

19. The container according to claim 5, wherein the side wall of the container has a circular cross section, and D is the internal diameter of the side wall between the grooves.

20. The container according to claim 6, wherein the side wall of the container has a circular cross section, and D is the internal diameter of the side wall between the grooves.

Description

(1) The invention is now explained in detail on the basis of the following illustrative embodiment and with reference to the drawings.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of the container 1 according to the invention, and

(3) FIG. 2 shows an enlarged detail A1 from FIG. 1 in order to illustrate the configuration of the first and second grooves, and

(4) FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of part of the container according to the invention in order to illustrate the configuration of the first and second grooves as projections protruding into the enclosed container volume.

(5) The cylindrical container 1 according to the invention as shown in FIG. 1 is made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). It is rotationally symmetrical about the axis A and comprises a circular container base 3 and a cylindrical side wall 2. At the upper end of the side wall 2, a tapering shoulder 4 leads into an opening 6 which is recloseable, for example by a lid with a screw thread, and through which a content of the container can be removed.

(6) The side wall 2 is translucent and has four horizontally oriented first grooves 7.1-7.4 which serve to stiffen the side wall 2 (“stiffening grooves”). The first grooves 7.1-7.4 are also designated generally by 7. Furthermore, the side wall 2 has three horizontally oriented second grooves 8.1-8.3, also designated generally by 8, wherein the grooves 7, 8 are each arranged at a vertical distance a from each other (see FIG. 2). The grooves 7 and 8 are arranged alternating with each other, i.e. there is always a second groove 8 arranged above a first groove 7 and there is always a first groove 7 arranged above a second groove 8, until the arrangement terminates at a first or a second groove 7, 8. The sequence of the grooves can start at a first groove 7 or a second groove 8.

(7) With other container volumes and other container diameters, it is also possible to provide a different number of first and/or second grooves 7, 8. Moreover, it is also possible for several second grooves 8 to be arranged between two first grooves 7.

(8) Each groove 7, 8 extends around the side wall 2 as a closed ring. Through the arrangement of the first grooves 7 (“stiffening grooves”), the side wall 2 of the container 1 is stiffened in such a way that, with a uniform wall thickness and a negative pressure of 0.5 bar, no deformation of the container 1 occurs.

(9) FIG. 1 also shows the horizontal planes 9.1-9.4 which are defined by the first grooves 7, and the horizontal planes 10.1-10.3 which are defined by the second grooves 8. In the container 1 according to the invention, two adjacent horizontal planes 9, 10 each enclose identical subvolumes with the side wall 2 of the container 1. Moreover, the subvolume enclosed by the lowermost horizontal plane 9.4, which is defined by the lowermost groove 7.4, the container base 3 and the side wall 2 is an integer multiple of the further above-described subvolumes. Consequently, the arrangement of the grooves 7, 8 and of the associated planes 9, 10 results in a finely graduated scale for the volume received by the container 1, with the aid of which scale the above-described subvolumes of the container content can be measured off and removed from the container 1.

(10) FIG. 1 also shows the greatest possible horizontal internal extent D inside the container 1 in the region of the vertical distance a between the two adjacent grooves 7, 8. In the present illustrative embodiment, this variable corresponds to the internal diameter of the cylindrical container 1.

(11) FIG. 2 moreover shows the inner surface 5 of the container 1, and also the groove depth t1 and the radius r of the circle segment of the first grooves 7, and also the groove depths t2 of the second grooves 8. FIG. 3 shows the thickness d of the side wall 2 of the container 1 with the projections 11 which are formed by the grooves 7, 8 and which protrude into the enclosed container volume. The projections 11 are configured such that they have a rounded transition to the inner surface 5 of the side wall 2. The thickness d of the side wall 2 of the container 1 is substantially constant at each point of the container 1.

(12) The illustrative embodiment of the container according to the invention as described here has the following dimensions:

(13) The height of the container 1 is 234 mm and the greatest possible horizontal internal extent D inside the container 1 in the region of the vertical distance a between the two adjacent grooves 7, 8 (internal diameter of the cylindrical container 1 between two grooves 7, 8) is 85.9 mm. The lowermost first groove 7.4 is at a distance of 43.5 mm from the container base 3. A volume of 200 ml is enclosed between the container base 3, the side wall 2 and the plane 9.4. All further grooves 7, 8 are spaced apart from each other by 18.4 mm (corresponds to distance a). The volume enclosed by the planes 9, of second adjacent grooves 7, 8 and the side wall 2 is in each case 100 ml. As has been mentioned above, the volume enclosed by the lowermost plane 9.4, the container base 3 and side wall 2 is 200 ml, which corresponds to twice the volume (or the integer multiple of 2).

(14) The depth t1 of the first grooves 7 is 4 mm, and the radius of the circle segment r of the first grooves 7 is 2 mm. This results in a ratio of the first groove depth t1 to the circle radius of the circle segment r of 2.0. The depth t2 of the second grooves 8 is 1 mm (t1>t2). The thickness d of the side wall 2 is 950 μm and is substantially constant at and between the grooves 7, 8. The ratio of the thickness d of the side wall 2 to the internal diameter of the side wall 2 between the grooves 7, 8 has a value of 0.01 in the present container 1 according to the invention.

(15) In other illustrative embodiments of the container, the latter has different dimensions. In this way, it is possible to produce containers for different volumes, which containers are sufficiently stiff, despite having low material consumption, provide a scale for subvolumes and at the same time have optimized emptying and pouring properties.

(16) In a further illustrative embodiment, the side wall 2 with the grooves 7, 8 is configured such that it is not deformed when there is a negative pressure in the enclosed container volume. It is sufficiently stiff. Even if there is a pressure of 1 atm (1013.25 bar), for example, acting on the side wall, the side wall 2 is not deformed. In particular, as regards material and thickness, the horizontal grooves 7, 8 are configured such that they are not deformed. In the case of a V shape or an elliptic shape of a groove 7, 8, there is the danger of the axially upper part and the axially lower part of the side wall 2, in relation to the groove 7, 8, being moved toward each other if there is a negative pressure, with the result that the enclosed container volume is reduced by the deformation of the groove 7, 8. In this case, the subvolumes between two grooves 7, 8 change according to the negative pressure, such that the grooves 7, 8 can no longer serve as a scale. This is avoided in the illustrative embodiment. The grooves can serve as a scale even when there is a negative pressure in the enclosed container volume, since there is no change of the subvolume between two grooves 7, 8.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(17) 1 container 2 side wall 3 container base 4 shoulder 5 inner surface 6 recloseable opening 7.1 first groove 7.2 first groove 7.3 first groove 7.4 first groove 8.1 second groove 8.2 second groove 8.3 second groove 9.1 horizontal plane, defined by first groove 7.1 9.2 horizontal plane, defined by first groove 7.2 9.3 horizontal plane, defined by first groove 7.3 9.4 horizontal plane, defined by first groove 7.4 10.1 horizontal plane, defined by second groove 8.1 10.2 horizontal plane, defined by second groove 8.2 10.3 horizontal plane, defined by second groove 8.3 11 projection A axis a vertical distance between two adjacent grooves 7, 8 D greatest possible horizontal internal extent d thickness of the side wall 2 r radius of the circle of the circle segment of a groove 7 t1 depth of a first groove 7 t2 depth of a second grove 8