Container hoop

Abstract

A plastic bottle includes any type of body and hoop supports that encircle the dome. The hoop supports may include continuous wave-like ribs; discontinuous ribs that are overlapping; plural, discrete segments that are inclined and overlapping; plural block-like segments formed of mutually perpendicular rectangles; indicia; horizontal segments in rows that overlap; and series of segments that are mutually interfering and overlaid. The hoop supports provide greater top load performance than conventional deep waist configurations.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A bottle comprising:
 a bottom portion comprising:   an enclosed base; and   a body extending upwardly from the base; and   a waste extending circumferentially about the bottle;   a top portion extending upwardly from the bottom portion, the top portion consisting essentially of:   a substantially circumferential hoop support comprising a wave-like rib wherein the rib (i) is circumferentially continuous and (ii) has a repeating pattern of peaks and valleys in elevational view, wherein the valleys are disposed above the waist and are convex with respect to a horizontal reference line disposed below the valleys; and   an upwardly extending dome; and a finish at the uppermost portion of bottle.   
     
     
         2 . The bottle of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom portion includes a shoulder located above the body, and the top portion extends upwardly from the shoulder. 
     
     
         3 . The bottle of  claim 2 , wherein the body includes a circumferential rib disposed below the shoulder. 
     
     
         4 . The bottle of  claim 1 , wherein the hoop support includes rib segments located beneath each peak and above each valley. 
     
     
         5 . The bottle of  claim 1 , wherein the hoop support includes an opposing wave-like rib such that the ribs are twisted. 
     
     
         6 . The bottle of  claim 5 , wherein the opposing rib is circumferentially continuous. 
     
     
         7 . A bottle comprising:
 a bottom portion comprising:   an enclosed base having a standing ring;   a body extending upwardly from the base and defining a vertical axis oriented perpendicular to the standing ring; and   a top portion extending upwardly and away from the body, the top portion consisting essentially of:   a substantially circumferential hoop support defining a generally horizontally-oriented band that consists essentially of plural segments, each one of the segments having a lower portion, an intermediate portion extending from the lower portion, and an upper portion extending from the intermediate portion relative to the vertical axis of the body, the upper and lower portions are approximately straight, approximately mutually parallel, and approximately horizontal, the lower portions being located closer to the standing ring than the upper portions, and each one of the segments being (i) separate and spaced apart from circumferentially adjacent segments, (ii) elongate, and (iii) vertically overlapping relative to the vertical axis of the body, such that the upper portion of each segment is vertically located over the lower portion of a circumferentially adjacent segment, a tangent to a centerline of the upper portion proximate the end of the upper portion has a negative slope and a tangent to a centerline of the lower portion proximate the end of the lower portion has a positive slope, whereby the segments give the appearance of circumferentially spaced apart, vertically spaced, twisted strands;   a dome that extends upwardly from the hoop support; and   a finish at an uppermost portion of bottle.   
     
     
         8 . The bottle of  claim 7 , wherein a rib is recessed relative to surrounding body surfaces. 
     
     
         9 . The bottle of  claim 7 , wherein the rib is raised relative to surrounding dome surfaces. 
     
     
         10 . A bottle comprising:
 a bottom portion comprising:   an enclosed base; and   a body extending upwardly from the base; and   a top portion extending upwardly from the body, the top portion consisting essentially of:   a finish at the uppermost portion of bottle;   a dome that extends upwardly toward the finish; and   a substantially circumferential hoop support located at a lower portion of the dome, the hoop support comprising plural discrete segments that are oriented about the circumference of the dome such that each segment has adjacent segments on opposing sides thereof, each one of the segments having a first inclined lateral wall and an opposing second inclined lateral wall, each one of the lateral walls either overhanging or undercutting the lateral walls of adjacent segments in elevational view, and each of the lateral walls is inclined by at least approximately 40 degrees from a vertical reference line.   
     
     
         11 . The bottle of  claim 10 , wherein the opposing inclined lateral walls of each segment are oriented in the same direction such that the first inclined wall overhangs a wall of its adjacent segment and the second inclined wall undercuts a wall of its adjacent segment. 
     
     
         12 . The bottle of  claim 11 , wherein the segments are spaced apart by intermediate surfaces that smoothly merge into the dome. 
     
     
         13 . A bottle comprising:
 a bottom portion comprising:   an enclosed base having a standing ring;   a body extending upwardly from the base and devoid of a waist, the body defining a vertical axis; and   a top portion extending upwardly from the body, the top portion consisting essentially of:   a finish at an uppermost portion of bottle;   a dome that extends upwardly toward the finish; and   a substantially circumferential hoop support defining a generally horizontally-oriented band located at a lower portion of the dome, the hoop support comprising plural discrete shapes arranged in a mutually overhanging and undercutting pattern relative to the vertical axis of the body, such that each shape overlaps or undercuts at least one circumferentially adjacent shape, wherein the shapes are identical geometrical shapes inclined relative to a vertical axis, each one of the shapes having a lower portion, an intermediate portion extending from the lower portion, and an upper portion extending from the intermediate portion relative to the vertical axis of the body, and a tangent to a centerline of the upper portion proximate the end of the upper portion has a negative slope and a tangent to a centerline of the lower portion proximate the end of the lower portion has a positive slope, whereby the shapes give the appearance of circumferentially spaced apart, twisted strands.   
     
     
         14 . The bottle of  claim 13 , wherein the shapes are images inclined relative to a vertical axis. 
     
     
         15 . The bottle of  claim 13 , wherein each shape is spaced apart from adjacent shapes. 
     
     
         16 . The bottle of  claim 13 , wherein the shapes are triangular in alternating arrangement. 
     
     
         17 . A bottle comprising:
 a bottom portion comprising:   an enclosed base; and   a body extending upwardly from the base; and   a top portion extending upwardly from the body, the top portion consisting essentially of:   a finish at the uppermost portion of bottle;   a dome that extends upwardly toward the finish; and   a substantially circumferential hoop support located at a lower portion of the dome, the hoop support consisting essentially of plural block-like segments substantially formed of mutually perpendicular or parallel rectangles, at least some or a portion of said rectangles being radially raised or radially recessed relative to adjacent bottle diameter.   
     
     
         18 . The bottle of  claim 17 , wherein the segments are spaced apart about the circumference of the dome. 
     
     
         19 . The bottle of  claim 17 , wherein each segment is spaced apart from adjacent segments in an overhanging and under cutting pattern. 
     
     
         20 . The bottle of  claim 17 , wherein the segments are connected together to form a substantially unbroken hoop support. 
     
     
         21 . The bottle of  claim 20 , wherein the surfaces forming the rectangles are substantially planar. 
     
     
         22 . The bottle of  claim 21 , wherein each surface forming the rectangles is oriented tangentially, and the rectangles are located at various radial positions, whereby the rectangles form a stepped configuration. 
     
     
         23 . The bottle of  claim 17 , wherein the rectangles of the segments are curved at approximately the curvature of the lower portion of the dome. 
     
     
         24 . The bottle of  claim 17 , wherein the rectangles are located at various radial positions, whereby the rectangles form a stepped configuration. 
     
     
         25 . The bottle of  claim 17 , wherein each one of the rectangles has its longitudinal axis either parallel or perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the bottle. 
     
     
         26 . A bottle comprising:
 a bottom portion comprising:   an enclosed base; and   a body extending upwardly from the base; and   a top portion extending upwardly from the body, the top portion consisting essentially of:   a finish at the uppermost portion of bottle;   a dome that extends upwardly toward the finish; and   a substantially circumferential hoop support located at a lower portion of the dome, the hoop support consisting essentially of indicia formed by surfaces of at least two radial depths,   wherein a vertical line extending along the bottle from a location between the waist and the hoop support to a location between the hoop support and the finish must pass through at least one of the indicia.   
     
     
         27 . The bottle of  claim 26 , wherein the indicia includes radially raised portions relative to adjacent dome surfaces. 
     
     
         28 . The bottle of  claim 26 , wherein the indicia includes radially recessed portions relative to the adjacent dome surfaces. 
     
     
         29 . The bottle of  claim 26 , wherein indicia is formed by at least three radial depths. 
     
     
         30 . A bottle comprising:
 a bottom portion comprising:   an enclosed base; and   a body extending upwardly from the base; and   a top portion extending upwardly from the body, the top portion consisting essentially of:   a finish at the uppermost portion of bottle;   a dome that extends upwardly toward the finish; and   a substantially circumferential hoop support located at a lower portion of the dome, the hoop support consisting essentially of substantially horizontal rows of spaced apart segments, each pair of adjacent segments having a gap therebetween, segments of the top row substantially overlapping segments of the bottom row such each gap in the bottom row of segments is directly vertically below a segment of the top row.   
     
     
         31 . The bottle of  claim 30 , wherein the hoop support includes at least three rows. 
     
     
         32 . The bottle of  claim 30 , wherein each segment is indicia. 
     
     
         33 . The bottle of  claim 30 , wherein each segment is jagged and has a pointed end. 
     
     
         34 . A bottle comprising:
 a bottom portion comprising:   an enclosed base; and   a body extending upwardly from the base; and   a top portion extending upwardly from the body, the top portion consisting essentially of:   a finish at the uppermost portion of bottle; a dome that extends upwardly toward the finish; and   a substantially circumferential hoop support located at a lower portion of the dome, the hoop support consisting essentially a first series of segments and a second series of segments, the first series of segments alternating with the second series of segments, the second series of segments interfering with the first series of segment such that a portion of each one of the second series of segments appears to overlay a portion of each adjacent segment of the first series.   
     
     
         35 . The bottle of  claim 34 , wherein the first series of segments are recesses relative to a surrounding dome surface and the second series of segments are raised relative to the surrounding dome surface.