Container with structure to accommodate vacuum pressure during hot fill process

Abstract

A container comprises a container body having a top, a bottom and a wall extending between the top and bottom. The container also comprises a lid located along the wall at the top of the container body. The lid and container body are made from PET. The lid includes a rounded portion that accommodates vacuum pressure during the hot fill process.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A container comprising:
 a container body having a top, a bottom and a wall extending between the top and bottom, and   a lid made integral with the container body, the lid including rounded portions that accommodate vacuum pressure during the hot fill process, the lid and container body being made from PET.   
     
     
         2 . The container as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the lid includes a lip that comprises an inner wall, the rounded portions being located in the inner wall. 
     
     
         3 . The container as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the rounded portions include three rounded portions. 
     
     
         4 . The container as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the rounded portions comprise a first convex portion, a second convex portion and a concave portion between the first and second convex portions. 
     
     
         5 . The container as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the concave portion has a larger diameter than the first and second convex portions. 
     
     
         6 . The container as claimed in  claim 5  wherein the lip has a top, the lid also comprising a floor, the lip made integral with the floor, the first convex portion being integral with the top of the lip and the second convex portion is made integral with the floor. 
     
     
         7 . The container as claimed in  claim 6  comprising an opening formed along the floor, the opening being closed by a removable tab. 
     
     
         8 . The container as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the lid includes an opening, the lid further including a post, a storage sealing member and a second sealing member, the storage sealing member and second sealing member movably connected to the post, the storage sealing member and second sealing member being movable together relative to the lid. 
     
     
         9 . The container as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the storage sealing member includes a gripping member. 
     
     
         10 . The container as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the lid comprises a lip having an inner wall, and a ceiling made integral with the inner wall. 
     
     
         11 . The container as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the lid includes a bottom, and wherein a membrane extends across the bottom of the lid, the lid and membrane defining a chamber adapted to store a liquid. 
     
     
         12 . A container lid comprising:
 a lip, the lip comprising an inner wall, the inner wall comprising rounded portions that accommodate vacuum pressure during the hot fill process.   
     
     
         13 . The container lid of  claim 12  wherein the rounded portions include three rounded portions. 
     
     
         14 . The container lid as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the rounded portions comprise a first convex portion, a second convex portion and a concave portion between the first and second convex portions. 
     
     
         15 . The container lid as claimed in  claim 14  wherein the concave portion has a larger diameter than the first and second convex portions. 
     
     
         16 . The container lid as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the lip has a top, the container lid also comprising a floor, the lip made integral with the floor, the first convex portion being integral with the top of the lip and the second convex portion is made integral with the floor. 
     
     
         17 . The container lid as claimed in  claim 16  wherein the lip has a top, the container lid also comprising a ceiling, the lip made integral with the ceiling, the first convex portion being integral with the top of the lip and the second convex portion is made integral with the ceiling.