Faceted container

Abstract

A container having a faceted region, the container being substantially free from facets above a location along the longitudinal axis at which the aspect ratio is between about 1 and about 1.1.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A container comprising:
 an open end circumscribing a longitudinal axis; and   a peripheral wall extending from said open end about said longitudinal axis to a closed end;   wherein said peripheral wall and said closed end comprise a thermoplastic material;   wherein said peripheral wall comprises a faceted region comprising a plurality of facets arranged edge to edge with at least one adjacent facet, at least a portion of said faceted region being located nearer to said closed end than to said open end;   wherein said peripheral wall has a peripheral wall exterior surface oriented away from said longitudinal axis, said peripheral wall exterior surface having a peripheral wall exterior surface area;   wherein each of said plurality of facets has a facet exterior surface oriented away from said longitudinal axis and each of said facets has a facet exterior surface area that is between about 0.0001% and about 4% of said peripheral wall exterior surface area;   wherein at local positions along said longitudinal axis said container has a local maximum internal dimension orthogonal to said longitudinal axis, a local major axis coincident with said local maximum internal dimension, a local minor axis orthogonal to said local major axis and said longitudinal axis, a local minor internal dimension coincident with said local minor axis, and a local aspect ratio defined as a ratio of said local maximum internal dimension to said local minor internal dimension;   wherein said peripheral wall is substantially free from said facets above a location along said longitudinal axis at which said aspect ratio is between about 1 and about 1.1.   
     
     
         2 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein said peripheral wall above said neck is free from said facets. 
     
     
         3 . The container according to  claim 2 , wherein individual said facets have a radius of curvature of the principal curvatures at a centroid of said facets greater than about 60 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The container according to  claim 3 , wherein said peripheral wall in said faceted region comprises an outer skin layer. 
     
     
         5 . The container according to  claim 4 , wherein said skin layer is a label selected from the group consisting of a shrink-sleeve label, a stretch-sleeve label, an in-mold label, a heat transfer label, and an adhesive label. 
     
     
         6 . The container according to  claim 5 , wherein said skin layer is a metallic ink printed shrink-sleeve label or a metallic ink printed stretch-sleeve label. 
     
     
         7 . The container according to  claim 6 , wherein said peripheral wall below said neck has a surface area, wherein said faceted region comprises between about 50% and about 100% of said surface area. 
     
     
         8 . The container according to  claim 7 , wherein said container comprises a plug seal closure. 
     
     
         9 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said adjacent facets have a facet exterior surface area within about 20% of one another. 
     
     
         10 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein said faceted region extends around said peripheral wall. 
     
     
         11 . The container according to  claim 10 , wherein said facet exterior surfaces of said plurality of facets are positioned convexly relative to said longitudinal axis about said longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         12 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said facets has a facet exterior surface oriented away from said longitudinal axis and said facet exterior surfaces of said plurality of facets are positioned convexly relative to said longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         13 . The container according to  claim 2 , wherein said facets have a shape selected from the group consisting of substantially polygonal, substantially triangular, substantially quadrilateral, substantially rhomboidal, substantially hexagonal, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein individual said facets have a radius of curvature of the principal curvatures at a center point of said facets greater than about 60 mm. 
     
     
         15 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein said peripheral wall has a peripheral wall exterior surface oriented away from said longitudinal axis and wherein each of said facets has a centroid, wherein said centroids of adjacent facets are aligned with one another on said peripheral wall exterior surface at positions along said longitudinal axis L. 
     
     
         16 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein said peripheral wall has a peripheral wall exterior surface oriented away from said longitudinal axis and wherein each of said facets has a centroid, wherein said centroids of adjacent facets are aligned with one another on said peripheral wall exterior surface of said container at positions about said longitudinal axis L. 
     
     
         17 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said facets has a facet exterior surface area that is between about 0.0001% and about 1% of said peripheral wall exterior surface area. 
     
     
         18 . A container comprising:
 an open end circumscribing a longitudinal axis; and   a peripheral wall extending from said open end about said longitudinal axis to a closed end;   wherein said peripheral wall and said closed end comprise a thermoplastic material;   wherein said peripheral wall comprises a faceted region comprising a plurality of facets arranged edge to edge with at least one adjacent facet, at least a portion of said faceted region being located nearer to said closed end than to said open end;   wherein said peripheral wall has a peripheral wall exterior surface oriented away from said longitudinal axis, said peripheral wall exterior surface having a peripheral wall exterior surface area;   wherein each of said plurality of facets has a facet exterior surface area oriented away from said longitudinal axis and each of said facets has a facet exterior surface area that is between about 0.0001% and about 4% of said peripheral wall exterior surface area;   wherein at local positions along said longitudinal axis said container has a local maximum internal dimension orthogonal to said longitudinal axis, a local major axis coincident with said local maximum internal dimension, a local minor axis orthogonal to said local major axis and said longitudinal axis, a local minor internal dimension coincident with said local minor axis, and a local aspect ratio defined as a ratio of said local maximum internal dimension to said local minor internal dimension;   wherein said peripheral wall is free from said facets above a location along said longitudinal axis at which said aspect ratio is between about 1 and about 1.1;   wherein individual said facets have a radius of curvature of the principal curvatures at a center point of said facets greater than about 60 mm;   wherein said peripheral wall in said faceted region comprises a metallic ink printed outer skin layer;   wherein said container comprises a plug seal closure.