Hot fill container with reconfigurable convex volume control panel

摘要

A blow-molded and tempered PET container specially adapted for hot filling includes a plurality of panels situated in circumferentially spaced locations around the periphery of the container, the panels bulging outwardly with respect to the body portion immediately contiguous thereto. The panels are mechanically reconfigurable to an inwardly collapsed position with respect to the immediately contiguous body portion for providing controlled volumetric reduction of the container to compensate for the development of a partial vacuum within the container.