To provide a composite preform that can ensure that worsening of the appearance of a surface of a plastic member caused by near-infrared heating prior to blow molding is effectively prevented and that an inner preform is efficiently heated. The composite preform of the present invention includes a preform and a heat-contractive plastic member, the preform including a mouth part; a trunk part linked to the mouth part; and a bottom part linked to the trunk part, and the heat-contractive plastic member being disposed so as to surround the outside of the preform and including at least a colored layer that contains a resin material and a colorant, wherein the heat-contractive plastic member has a near-infrared transmittance of 50% or higher.

A foamed and stretched plastic bottle having, in the body portion thereof, a foamed region in which foamed cells are distributed, wherein, in at least a portion of the foamed region, the lengths of the foamed cells in the axial direction of the bottle are so distributed as to gradually decrease as the positions of the foamed cells shift from the outer surface side of the body portion toward the central portion thereof and then gradually increase as their positions shift from the central portion thereof toward the inner surface side thereof. The foamed and stretched plastic bottle of the invention exhibits excellent light-shielding property.

A foamed and stretched plastic bottle having, in the body portion thereof, a foamed region in which foamed cells are distributed, wherein, in at least a portion of the foamed region, the lengths of the foamed cells in the axial direction of the bottle are so distributed as to gradually decrease as the positions of the foamed cells shift from the outer surface side of the body portion toward the central portion thereof and then gradually increase as their positions shift from the central portion thereof toward the inner surface side thereof. The foamed and stretched plastic bottle of the invention exhibits excellent light-shielding property.

A finish portion of a preform for rotatably engaging with a closure to seal pressurized contents within an interior of a container formed from the preform. The finish portion includes a cylindrical body that begins at an opening to the interior. The cylindrical body has a base surface, threads extending from the base surface, a tamper evidence ledge, and a handling surface disposed between the threads and the tamper evidence ledge. A stepped interior includes a graduated narrowing of the cylindrical body between the base surface and the handling surface.

A preform is disclosed for the production of plastic containers, for example plastic bottles, in a stretch-blow-molding method. The preform can include an elongated preform body having a closed longitudinal end and which connects on an opposite longitudinal end to a neck section having a pour opening, the neck section having an outside wall with a fastening means. A rotating flange at a transition from the preform body to the neck section, wherein at least a portion of the rotating flange is annular and radially extends above an outside wall of the preform body. A peripheral annular groove can extend obliquely from a base of the annular groove to the outside wall of the neck section forming a circumferential inner collar, and wherein the inner collar the direction of the preform body, extends axially above the annular groove and extends into an inside wall of the preform body.

A method for forming a container with an integral handle includes heating a preform having an integral handle in a first oven, stretching the preform, closing a first mold having a first mold recess and a second mold having a second mold recess around the preform, and blowing air into the preform. A handle pocket wedge block is inserted into a handle pocket of the integral handle of the preform within the first mold and the second mold.

A method for manufacturing a food and/or beverage packaging container is provided. The method includes injection molding a preform using a two phase injection system. A first phase of the two phase injection system includes injecting a first material into the preform and a second phase of the two phase injection system includes injecting a second material into the preform. The method further includes disposing the preform in a mold, blow molding the preform into an intermediate article having a length, a diameter and side walls having a wall thickness, and trimming the intermediate article to form a finished container having a wide mouth neck. Systems and finished products are disclosed.

A finish portion of a preform for rotatably engaging with a closure to seal contents within an interior of a container includes a body that begins at an opening to the interior, a sealing surface adjacent to the opening and including a first polished buffer zone configured to cooperate with a plug seal, and a transition surface extending from the sealing surface to a narrower handling surface. The first buffer zone is polished by way of a machine polishing technique.

A container includes a flat foot base having a gate centered on a central axis of the container and a sidewall connected to the base and defining a portion of an interior of the container. A plurality of strap ribs are positioned in the base, each one of which extends radially outward toward the sidewall. A plurality of recessed columns are positioned in the sidewall and formed from varying depth sidewall ribs extending along a periphery of the sidewall. Each varying depth rib includes shallow sections and deep sections, the shallow sections having a rib depth less than a rib depth of the deep sections. The shallow sections of the varying depth ribs are aligned to form the recessed columns. At least one strap rib is aligned with at least one recessed column.