A stretch blow-molded plastic container, including a container body, one longitudinal end of which is closed by a container bottom and to whose other longitudinal end is connected a shoulder section; and a container neck, which connects to the shoulder section, the shoulder section having at least two hinge-like areas that run in a circumferential direction, and which areas are arranged at a distance (a) from one another and in each case have a wall thickness (v, w) that is reduced compared to the adjoining areas, the stretch blow-molded plastic container having a total stretching ratio of greater than 11 for a longitudinal stretching ratio of 2.5 to 3.5.

A method of manufacturing a pressure vessel that includes heating a preform formed of a thermoplastic polymer, inserting a blow pin assembly that includes a bung portion and a plunger portion into an opening of the heated preform, clamping the heated preform between the bung portion and sections of a blow mold, extending the plunger portion into an interior of the heated preform to stretch the heated preform in the blow mold, and blowing air into the stretched preform under pressure to form the pressure vessel such that: (a) the pressure vessel includes a tank having a neck portion, a cylindrical body portion having a diameter of at least about 200 mm, and a bottom portion, (b) at least the thermoplastic polymer in the cylindrical body portion is biaxially oriented, and (c) threads are formed in the neck portion. Also a pressure vessel formed in accordance with the method.

Multi-barrier bottles having tabbed preforms, as well as methods of forming the same are disclosed. A tabbed preform includes an elongate body extending into a cavity of a first barrier, where the cavity is defined by at least one piece having a recess therein. The tabbed preform further includes at least one preform extension piece extending from the elongate body at a predetermined distance from a top surface of the elongate body. The at least one preform extension piece is sized and shaped to correspond to a size and a shape of the recess.

Polyesters compositions comprising gas barrier enhancing additives and containers comprising such polyester compositions are provided herein. Also provided are methods for preparing polyester containers comprising said gas barrier enhancing additives. The polyester containers of the present invention exhibit decreased permeability to gases thereby providing improved shelf-life.

A method includes injection molding a preform using a two phase injection system having a first phase in which a material is injected into the preform and a second phase in which the material is injected into the preform. The preform is disposed in a mold. The preform is blow molded into an intermediate article. The intermediate article is trimmed to form a finished container. The first phase includes injecting a material into the preform to form a single layer of the preform and the second phase includes injecting the material to form inner and outer layers and an intermediate layer between the inner and outer layers. The inner and outer layers include the material and the intermediate layer includes at least one additive. Finished containers are disclosed.

A method for manufacturing a thermoplastic container may include locally heating a middle zone of a thermoplastic tube; gripping the tube on either side by using retaining members; pulling the tube apart, causing a middle zone to narrow; pushing the inner wall of the middle zone against each other to obtain a closure; and cutting through the closed-off middle zone to obtain two separate tubular parts. Further is provided a system for pulling apart a tube, the system may include a first retaining member which is provided for insertion into the first zone via the first end and a second retaining member provided for insertion into the second zone via the second end, each retaining member being adjustable between a first position in which the retaining member fits inside the tube and a second position in which, in use, the retaining member exerts a pressure on the inner wall of the tube.

A method includes injection molding a preform using a two phase injection system having a first phase in which a material is injected into the preform and a second phase in which the material is injected into the preform. The preform is disposed in a mold. The preform is blow molded into an intermediate article. The intermediate article is trimmed to form a finished container. The first phase includes injecting a material into the preform to form a single layer of the preform and the second phase includes injecting the material to form inner and outer layers and an intermediate layer between the inner and outer layers. The inner and outer layers include the material and the intermediate layer includes at least one additive. Finished containers are disclosed.

A preform is provided for blow-molding to form a container. The preform includes a finish portion for rotatably engaging a closure to seal pressurized contents within an interior of the container. The finish portion comprises a cylindrical body that begins at an opening to the interior and extends to and includes a tamper evidence ledge. A bevel at a beginning of the opening receives a plug seal of the closure. Multiple mirror polished surfaces beyond the bevel are configured to cooperate with the plug seal to seal the container. Mirror polished transition surfaces are disposed between diameter changes within the finish portion. In some embodiments, wherein the plug seal includes a sidewall profile that mates with the transition surfaces, an interior surface of the preform has a diameter that tightly compresses an end of the plug seal to contain pressurized contents within the container.

A preform configured to form a container by stretch blow molding. The preform includes a finish portion and a tip portion. The finish portion is at a first end of the preform and is a container finish of the container. The tip portion is at a second end of the preform opposite to the first end. The tip portion is configured to form a container base and a container heel of the container. An outer surface of the tip portion includes a flat surface, a first radius on a first side of the flat surface, a second radius between the first radius and the flat surface, a third radius extending from the flat surface on a second side of the flat surface, and a fourth radius extending from the third radius towards the second end of the preform through which a longitudinal axis of the preform extends.

There is provided a cooling mold for cooling a resin preform that has a gate portion protruding outward from a center of a bottom portion, in which an accommodating space that accommodates the preform is formed in the cooling mold, a bottom region facing the bottom portion of the preform in the accommodating space has a shape following the bottom portion of the preform, and an air sucking hole for sucking air is formed in the bottom region at a position shifted from the center of the bottom portion of the preform.