A method, system, and preform for liquid forming of the preform into a final-shaped container using the liquid to be contained in the final-shaped container. The preform undergoes a stretching step to a size less than the size of a base of the final-shaped container, before being relocated and stretched to the final shape by the liquid. A stretch rod sealably connects with an interior surface of the preform to partially isolate a gate portion of the preform. The isolation is effected by a portion of the inner surface of the preform extending inwardly, or by a deformable member on the stretch rod which can selectively extend outwardly to contact the interior surface of the preform. The stretch rod includes a selectively heatable tip to heat the gate portion of the preform. The gate portion of the preform includes inner, outer, and core layers which comprise a material configured to affect the thermal properties of the gate portion.

A flexible inner socket is fabricated by forming a pre-socket. The pre-socket includes a body formed with an opening and an enclosed end. The enclosed end is opposite to the opening. The body of the pre-socket has an outer circumference that is smaller than the inner circumference of the rigid prosthetic socket. Different portions of the body may have different thicknesses. The preform socket is heated. After the heating, the flexible inner socket is formed by molding the pre-socket onto the inner surface of the rigid prosthetic socket to form the flexible inner socket. The inner circumference of the rigid prosthetic socket is reduced by a thickness of the flexible inner socket when the flexible inner socket is attached to the inner surface of the rigid prosthetic socket. An opening of the flexible inner socket may be trimmed after the formation to fit contours of an opening of the rigid prosthetic socket.

Non-symmetric and volume reduced preforms and containers stretch blow moulded therefrom by a continuously rotating, preform feed, stretch-blow-moulding machine dedicated to the stretch-blow-moulding of containers from non-symmetric or reduced volume injection moulded preforms; the non-symmetric or reduced volume preforms including an integral handle extending from a first junction point to a second junction point on a body of the preform; the body of the preform and the integral handle constituted from the same material.

Method for making blow molded articles having a predetermined feature incorporated into the wall provided by variations in the thickness of the wall of the article corresponding to a predetermined pattern etched into the preform from which the article was formed.

A method of manufacturing an off-center container includes: stretching a preform made of resin having a bottomed shape with a stretching rod, heating the preform; and blow-molding the off-center container, in which a central axis of a neck portion is displaced from a central axis of a body portion, by introducing a pressurized fluid into the preform disposed in a mold. The container has a flat shape and a dimension in a first direction in a cross section is longer than in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. In a circumferential cross section of the preform, a thickness of a first region corresponding to a surface extending in the first direction of the container is set to be thicker than a thickness of a second region corresponding to a surface extending in the second direction of the container.

Non-symmetric and volume reduced preforms and containers stretch blow moulded therefrom by a continuously rotating, preform feed, stretch-blow-moulding machine dedicated to the stretch-blow-moulding of containers from non-symmetric or reduced volume injection moulded preforms; the non-symmetric or reduced volume preforms including an integral handle extending from a first junction point to a second junction point on a body of the preform; the body of the preform and the integral handle constituted from the same material.

Method of making a blow molded article from a preform including: a) providing a preform of a thermoplastic material having a plurality of effect structures each having an effect surface having a normal with an orientation, the preform having a body with one or more walls and an opening, wherein at least a portion of the one or more walls of the preform has a three-dimensional pattern of cavities and/or protrusions thereon; and b) blow molding the preform to form a blow molded article, wherein the step of blow molding the preform changes the orientation of the normal of at least some of the effect surfaces of the effect structures to create a visual effect in at least one wall of the blow molded article.

A preform for a stretch-blow-molded plastic container includes an elongated, tube-like preform body. An outer wall and an inner wall delimit a bottom thickness (b). An outer wall and an inner wall delimit a wall thickness (w). An inner surface and an outer surface (E1) curved in three-dimensionally convex manners are spaced apart such that a distance from their respective apex (S, S′) to the preform body continuously increases. Extensions of the outer wall of the preform bottom along the outer three-dimensionally curved surface (E1), and of the inner wall of the preform bottom along the inner three-dimensionally curved surface (E2) are configured to be interrupted by set-backs area outside of their respective apex (S, S′) thereof.

A composite preform including a preform and a plastic member in close contact with the outer surface of the preform is made by preparing the preform made of plastic material and arranging the plastic member to surround the outer surface of the preform. Subsequently, the composite preform is heated and inserted in a blow molding die and undergoes blow molding in the blow molding die, by which the preform and the plastic member of the composite preform are inflated integrally and a composite container is obtained.

A continuously rotating, non-symmetric preform feed, stretch-blow-moulding machine dedicated to the stretch-blow-moulding of containers from non-symmetric injection moulded preforms; the non-symmetric preforms including an integral handle extending from a first junction point to a second junction point on a body of the preform; the body of the preform and the integral handle constituted from the same material.