Faceted container

Abstract

A container having a faceted region, the peripheral wall of which above the waist is substantially free from facets.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A container comprising:
 a closed end having a closed end periphery; and   a peripheral wall extending from said closed end periphery about a longitudinal axis of said container to an open end, said closed end and said peripheral wall comprising a thermoplastic material;   wherein said peripheral wall defines a variable open cross-section of said container in a plane orthogonal to said longitudinal axis as a function of distance from said closed end;   wherein said container has a waist having a waist open cross-section orthogonal to said longitudinal axis that is smaller than said waist open cross-section orthogonal to said longitudinal axis above and below said waist;   wherein said peripheral wall comprises a faceted region comprising a plurality of facets arranged edge to edge with one or more adjacent facets, 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; and   wherein said peripheral wall above said waist is substantially free from said facets.   
     
     
         2 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein said peripheral wall above said waist 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 waist 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 8 , wherein said waist is nearer to said open end than said closed end. 
     
     
         10 . The container according to  claim 9 , wherein said waist has a waist open cross-section having an area between about 5 cm 2  and about 60 cm 2 . 
     
     
         11 . The container according to  claim 10 , 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. 
     
     
         12 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein said container has a total volume defined by said closed end, said peripheral wall, and said open end, and a partial volume above said waist, wherein said partial volume is between about 1% and about 20% of said total volume. 
     
     
         13 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said adjacent facets in said faceted region have a facet exterior surface area within about 20% of one another. 
     
     
         14 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein said peripheral wall below said waist has an peripheral wall exterior surface, wherein said faceted region comprises between about 30% and about 100% of said peripheral wall exterior surface. 
     
     
         15 . 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. 
     
     
         16 . The container according to  claim 15 , wherein said facet exterior surfaces of said plurality of facets are positioned convexly relative to said longitudinal axis about said longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         17 . The container according to  claim 1 , 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. 
     
     
         18 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein said waist has a waist open cross-section having an area between about 5 cm 2  and about 60 cm 2 . 
     
     
         19 . 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. 
     
     
         20 . A container comprising:
 a closed end having a closed end periphery; and   a peripheral wall extending from said closed end periphery about a longitudinal axis of said container to an open end, said closed end and said peripheral wall comprising a thermoplastic material;   wherein said peripheral wall defines a variable open cross-section of said container in a plane orthogonal to said longitudinal axis as a function of distance from said closed end;   wherein said container has a waist having a waist open cross-section orthogonal to said longitudinal axis that is smaller than said waist open cross-section orthogonal to said longitudinal axis above and below said waist;   wherein said peripheral wall comprises a faceted region comprising a plurality of facets arranged edge to edge with one or more adjacent facets, 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 said peripheral wall above said waist is free from said facets;   wherein individual said facets have a radius of curvature of the principal curvatures at a centroid of said facets greater than about 60 mm;   wherein said peripheral wall in said faceted region comprises an outer skin layer;   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;   wherein said waist is nearer to said open end than said closed end;   wherein said waist has a waist open cross-section having an area between about 5 cm 2  and about 60 cm 2 ; and   wherein said container has a total volume defined by said closed end, said peripheral wall, and said open end, and a partial volume above said waist, wherein said partial volume is between about 1% and about 20% of said total volume.