A method of forming a retortable plastic container, the container including a main body and a bottom. The bottom defines a raised inner portion and at least one substantially flat bottom support surface. The substantially flat bottom support surface is curved and positioned near a radially outermost edge on the bottom when viewed in bottom plan. A groove is defined in the substantially flat bottom support surface. In addition, a first side wall portion that extends upwardly from the radially outermost edge of the bottom is shaped as a truncated cone, giving the bottom portion greater dimensional stability under retort conditions. The container bottom exhibits superior dimensional stability with respect to predecessor designs.

An apparatus (1) for the shaping of plastics material pre-forms (10) into plastics material containers (20) with a movable carrier (2) on which is arranged at least one shaping station (4), wherein the shaping station has a blow molding device (6), and wherein the shaping station additionally has a stressing device (12) which acts upon the plastics material pre-forms with a flowable medium for their expansion, wherein the shaping station additionally has a rod-like body (14) which is capable of being inserted into the plastics material pre-forms in order to stretch them in the longitudinal direction (L) thereof, wherein the shaping station has a drive device (24) which moves the rod-like body (14) with respect to the plastics material pre-form. According to the invention a coupling device (30) is provided which couples a movement of the rod-like body (14) with respect to the plastics material pre-form to a movement of the stressing device (12) with respect to the plastics material pre-form (10)in particular in a mechanical mannerat least for a time, and the apparatus has an influencing device (40) which influences a supply movement of the stressing device (12) towards the plastics material pre-form at least locally.

A compressed air is ejected from air ejector ports (14) to between a mold surface defining cavity (12) of mold (7) and a surface of a hot melt resin layer after starting to fill or inject the hot melt resin material into cavity (12) and before a temperature of the hot melt resin material becomes equal to or lower than a softening point thereof. Recesses (Q) are formed by positively generating a sink mark on a surface of edge protector (6) by ejection of the compressed air, and at the same time, gap (G) is formed between the surface of edge protector (6) and the mold surface. As a result, when bead-shaped edge protector (6) is integrally formed in long-side heat-fused portions (5c) of laminated-film exterior package case (5) by using a thermoplastic hot melt resin material, mold releasability of the molded edge protector from the mold can be enhanced.