Container, particularly a bottle, made of a thermoplastic material

Abstract

The invention relates to a vessel ( 1 ), mainly a bottle, of a thermoplastic material made by blowing or stretching-blowing a heated perform, the vessel comprising a bottom ( 2 ) and a neck ( 3 ) connected to a body ( 4 ), characterised in that the body ( 4 ) includes an axially central portion ( 5 ) surrounded by an axially lower portion ( 6 ) and an axially upper portion ( 7 ) defining a connection area respectively with the bottom ( 2 ) and the neck ( 3 ), the axially central portion ( 5 ) being essentially rigid while the axially upper and lower potions ( 6, 7 ) can be essentially deformed and a have shape-memory characteristics so that they can recover their initial shape under the hydrostatic pressure of the liquid content.

1 . Container, in particular a bottle, made of a thermoplastic material produced by blow moulding or stretch-blow moulding a heated preform, which container has a base and a neck connected to a body, in which the neck and the base are substantially rigid and the body includes an axially central portion flanked by an axially lower portion and by an axially upper portion forming bonding zones respectively with the base and the neck,
 wherein the axially upper and lower portions are substantially cylindrical of revolution shaped,   wherein the axially central portion is substantially rigid and the axially upper and lower portions are deformable with shape memory, whereby, when the container is closed with a liquid content occupying substantially the whole of the internal volume of the container, said axially upper and lower portions, when having been deformed due to an external pressure, return to their initial shape under the hydrostatic pressure of the liquid content without undergoing irreversible deformations,   wherein said lower and upper portions have zones rigidified by relief alternating with zones not rigidified by relief, the zones not rigidified by relief forming zones of pivoting with respect to the zones rigidified by relief, and   wherein the thickness of said axially central portion is greater than the thickness of the axially upper and lower portions.   
   
   
       2 . Container according to  claim 1 , wherein said axially central portion includes reinforcement means in the form of at least one annular groove. 
   
   
       3 . Container according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic material is PET and Wherein the thickness of said lower and upper portions is substantially less than 0.12 mm. 
   
   
       4 . Container according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic material is PET and wherein the thickness of said axially central portion is substantially less than 0.15 mm. 
   
   
       5 . Container according to  claim 1 , wherein the axially central portion is adapted for radially resisting a force substantially less 1.5 daN with a deflection substantially less 3 mm. 
   
   
       6 . Container according to  claim 1 , wherein the axially central portion has a transverse dimension substantially lower than the transverse dimension of the axially upper and lower portions.