A method of forming an insulated structure for an appliance includes forming a structural enclosure having an outer wrapper and an inner liner and an insulating cavity defined therebetween, forming an insulating powder material, compacting the insulating powder material to form a pre-densified core material, disposing the pre-densified core material within an insulating cavity, wherein the insulating cavity is defined between the outer wrapper and the inner liner and expressing at least a portion of the gas contained within the insulating cavity, wherein the insulating cavity is hermetically sealed to define a vacuum insulated structure.

A container that includes a microwave interactive web at least partially overlying and joined to a three-dimensional support, wherein the three-dimensional support may be formed prior to having the microwave interactive web mounted thereto. The three-dimensional support may be a preformed container that is sufficiently rigid and dimensionally stable for use in containing food.

Tub-shaped or dish-shaped packaging with a lower part (1) and/or a cover (31) of a thermomouldable and/or injection mouldable material, preferably a plastics material, wherein at least one surface is formed to be modified with respect to its appearance and/or its feel.

A container that includes a microwave interactive web at least partially overlying and joined to a three-dimensional support, wherein the three-dimensional support may be formed prior to having the microwave interactive web mounted thereto. The three-dimensional support may be a preformed container that is sufficiently rigid and dimensionally stable for use in containing food.

A frame is injection molded onto a group of panels to form a container. The panels extend at least partially around, and at least partially define, a cavity of the container.

A thermoforming machine and a thermoforming method are provided, in particular for producing capsules for obtaining beverages. The capsules (C) are produced from a film (F) of thermoformable material by thermoforming one or more predefined portions (X) of the film. The one or more predefined portions (X) of the film of thermoformable material are pre-heated, i.e. they are heated before being subjected to thermoforming so as to minimize the probability that the film of thermoformable material tears or breaks during thermoforming or after thermoforming.

A method of forming an insulated structure for an appliance includes forming a structural enclosure having an outer wrapper and an inner liner and an insulating cavity defined therebetween, forming an insulating powder material, compacting the insulating powder material to form a pre-densified core material, disposing the pre-densified core material within an insulating cavity, wherein the insulating cavity is defined between the outer wrapper and the inner liner and expressing at least a portion of the gas contained within the insulating cavity, wherein the insulating cavity is hermetically sealed to define a vacuum insulated structure.

An apparatus for making a container (2) which comprises an outer skeleton (6), which includes at least one first sheet (8) and one second sheet (9), and a layer of thermoplastic material (7) the apparatus (1) comprising a conveying element (15) which defines a housing (22), which is mounted on a supporting structure (11) and which is movable along a movement path (16) which extends from an infeed station (17) to an outfeed station (18), along the movement path (16) the apparatus (1) having a first feeding station (19), a second feeding station (20), and a thermoforming station (21) placed downstream of the feeding stations, the apparatus also comprising a first feeding device (23) at the first feeding station (19) and configured to insert the first sheet (8) into the housing (22), a second feeding device (24) at the second feeding station (20) and configured to insert the second sheet (9) into the housing (22), and a thermoforming device (31) at the thermoforming station (21) and configured to thermoform a thermoplastic material (10) on the first sheet (8) and on the second sheet (9).

A method of forming a blow moulded container in the form of a tub, the method comprising the steps of: providing an injection moulded preform composed of a biaxially-orientable thermoplastic material, the preform being substantially planar; heating the preform; and stretch blow moulding the heated preform within a mould cavity to form a tub having a bottom wall and an annular sidewall having an upper edge, the tub comprising biaxially oriented thermoplastic material in the annular sidewall and at least an outer portion of the bottom wall, the stretch blow moulding step using at least one stretch rod to engage an inner side of the preform and axially to stretch at least a part of the preform prior to blowing a pressurized gas against the inner side which urges the opposite side of the preform radially outwardly against the mould.

An apparatus for making containers (2) comprising a rotor (6) rotatably mounted on a supporting structure (5), a thermoforming device (7) comprising a supporting unit (11) mounted on the rotor (6) and a closing unit (12) which is stationary relative to the rotation of the rotor (6), a feeding device (8) for feeding to the supporting unit (11) a first article (13) for making a supporting skeleton (3), a positioning device (16) for positioning a sheet of thermoformable material (14) between the supporting unit (11) and the closing unit (12), and an extracting device (9) configured to extract the containers (2) from the supporting unit (11), the rotor (6) rotating in a stepping fashion to position the supporting unit (11) one after another in a loading predetermined angular position in which the feeding device (8) feeds a first article (13) to it, a thermoforming predetermined angular position in which the closing unit (12) and the supporting unit (11) are coupled for thermoforming the sheet of thermoformable material (14) on the first article (13), and an unloading predetermined angular position in which the extracting device (9) picks up the finished container (2) from the supporting unit (11).