An extrusion blow mold machine forming hollow containers. The machine has at least one pair of opposing half molds that combine to form a mold and define a mold cavity. Each of the half molds is positioned on a carrier plate and includes first, second, and third mold segments. The first and third mold segments can move with respect to each other and with respect to the second, fixed mold segment. A mechanical structure creates vertical movement of the first and third mold segments relative to the second mold segment as the mold opens horizontally, without the aid of any electrical, hydraulic, or pneumatic device. A closing unit engages the carrier plate to move the carrier plate and its respective half mold toward and away from the opposing half mold and its respective carrier plate, thereby closing and opening the mold.

A liquid blow-molding apparatus in which a liquid circulates between a feed path formed in a support block, when a valve mechanism is in a closed state, and a pressurized liquid feed unit, and pressurized liquid is fed from the feed path through a blow nozzle into a preform when the valve mechanism is in an open state. The feed path has a shape including a flow path body, a dome chamber that is formed in a domed shape and that is continuous with an upper end of the flow path body, a first port that has the same upper end as the dome chamber and which extends horizontally from the dome chamber, and a second port connected to the flow path body.

A liquid blow-molding apparatus in which a liquid circulates between a feed path formed in a support block, when a valve mechanism is in a closed state, and a pressurized liquid feed unit, and pressurized liquid is fed from the feed path through a blow nozzle into a preform when the valve mechanism is in an open state. The feed path has a shape including a flow path body, a dome chamber that is formed in a domed shape and that is continuous with an upper end of the flow path body, a first port that has the same upper end as the dome chamber and which extends horizontally from the dome chamber, and a second port connected to the flow path body.

A blow molding device in which pressure is accumulated in advance in a cylinder, which is used for providing pressurized an air space about a mouth of a preform to be molding into a container within a mold using a pressurized liquid. Pressure is also accumulated in advance in an accumulator. When a pressurized liquid is supplied into the preform, the opening-closing valve of the accumulator is opened to thereby apply the accumulated pressure within the accumulator to the liquid supplied into the preform, and the opening-closing valve is closed to thereby allow the accumulated pressure within the cylinder to pressurize the air space.

A blow molding device in which pressure is accumulated in advance in a cylinder, which is used for providing pressurized an air space about a mouth of a preform to be molding into a container within a mold using a pressurized liquid. Pressure is also accumulated in advance in an accumulator. When a pressurized liquid is supplied into the preform, the opening-closing valve of the accumulator is opened to thereby apply the accumulated pressure within the accumulator to the liquid supplied into the preform, and the opening-closing valve is closed to thereby allow the accumulated pressure within the cylinder to pressurize the air space.

A method for manufacturing a hollow body, typically a tank, from a plastic material. The method includes molding a preform into shells in a molding tool; joining an insert to an inner surface of a shell of said shells, the insert defining a sub volume within the hollow body to be made; joining together the shells to form the hollow body by closing the molding tool and applying a main pressure to a main volume enclosed by the shells. It is proposed to apply a sub pressure to the sub volume while applying the main pressure to the main volume, such that a pressure difference between the main volume and the sub volume is bigger than 0.20 bar (P1P2>0.20 bar) and smaller than 3.00 bar (P1P2<3.00 bar).

A method for manufacturing a hollow body, typically a tank, from a plastic material. The method includes molding a preform into shells in a molding tool; joining an insert to an inner surface of a shell of said shells, the insert defining a sub volume within the hollow body to be made; joining together the shells to form the hollow body by closing the molding tool and applying a main pressure to a main volume enclosed by the shells. It is proposed to apply a sub pressure to the sub volume while applying the main pressure to the main volume, such that a pressure difference between the main volume and the sub volume is bigger than 0.20 bar (P1P2>0.20 bar) and smaller than 3.00 bar (P1P2<3.00 bar).

A method for simultaneously forming and filling a container by injecting a pressurized liquid in a preform. The method includes placing the preform in a mold and injecting the pressurized liquid into the preform such that the liquid expands the preform and urges the wall of the preform against the wall of the molding cavity forming the preform into a container and the container is filled with liquid. A swirl imparting element extends in the injection flow and imparts a swirl flow on the pressurized liquid such that the pressurized liquid applies a centrifugal force on the wall of the preform during forming and filling of the preform, thereby promoting a radial expansion of the preform in radial planes substantially perpendicular to the preform axis.

A method for simultaneously forming and filling a container by injecting a pressurized liquid in a preform. The method includes placing the preform in a mold and injecting the pressurized liquid into the preform such that the liquid expands the preform and urges the wall of the preform against the wall of the molding cavity forming the preform into a container and the container is filled with liquid. A swirl imparting element extends in the injection flow and imparts a swirl flow on the pressurized liquid such that the pressurized liquid applies a centrifugal force on the wall of the preform during forming and filling of the preform, thereby promoting a radial expansion of the preform in radial planes substantially perpendicular to the preform axis.

The present invention relates to molded foam having no hollow space caused in a plate-shaped portion. The molded foam comprises a tube body and a plate-shaped portion joined to the outer side of the tube body. The expansion ratio of the molded foam is lower than two, and a value of a thickness B/a thickness A as a relationship between the thickness A of the tube body at the periphery of a point joined to the plate-shaped portion and the thickness B of the plate-shaped portion is less than 2.82.