Disclosed is a preform for a plastics container, which includes: a rotationally symmetrical body about a central axis; an open neck which extends in continuation of the body from an upper end of the latter; a bottom which closes the body starting from a lower end of the latter, the bottom being rotationally symmetrical about the central axis and having a central concavity and a protruding bulge around this concavity, the bottom having a thickness E, measured from an external face, that is variable in accordance with three different criteria respectively applied to three sections of the bottom, namely a central section [0; S.sub.1], an intermediate section [S.sub.1; S.sub.2] and a peripheral section [S.sub.2; L].

A blow molding machine for blow molding a container having an integrally formed handle; said container blow molded from a previously injection molded preform; said preform comprising a body portion and said integrally formed handle; said machine including a preform loading station at which said preform is oriented by a preform orienting apparatus.

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 container having varying material distribution or wall thickness is disclosed.

A preform 20 comprises a neck portion 22 having an opening 21, a cylindrical barrel portion 23, and a bottom portion 24 larger in diameter than the barrel portion 23, and has a corner portion 25 at a boundary between the barrel portion 23 and the bottom portion 24.

A preform configured to form a container by stretch blow molding. A finish portion is at a first end of the preform, and is a container finish. A tip portion is at a second end of the preform opposite to the first end, and is configured to form a container base and a container heel. The shoulder portion is adjacent to the finish portion and is between the finish portion and the tip portion. The shoulder portion is configured to form a container shoulder. The body portion is between the shoulder portion and the tip portion, and is configured to form a container body. The outer surface includes a first flat portion and a second flat portion at the tip portion. The first flat portion extends at a first angle and the second flat portion extends at a second angle that is different than the first angle.

A blow molding machine for blow molding a container having an integrally formed handle; said container blow molded from a previously injection molded preform; said preform comprising a body portion and said integrally formed handle; said machine including a preform loading station at which said preform is oriented by a preform orienting apparatus.

An injection moulded thermoplastic preform for blow moulding to form a container, the preform comprising a lower closed base portion, a hollow body portion, a hollow transition portion between the lower closed base portion and the hollow body portion, and an upper open end portion adjacent to an upper part of the hollow body portion, wherein the closed base portion comprises a central portion which extends over at least 50% of an internal radius of a lower end of the hollow body portion and is either substantially flat or has a shallow concave or convex internal curvature, and the transition portion comprises an upwardly and radially outwardly tapering portion extending away from the central portion to connect to the hollow body portion, the tapering portion being inclined at an angle of from 1 to 20 degrees to a longitudinal axis of the preform and the tapering portion increasing in thickness from the central portion to the hollow body portion. Also disclosed is a method of injection moulding the thermoplastic preform.

A plastic container includes a neck portion, a sidewall portion, and a base including a support ring that extends downward and is configured to support the container on a support surface; a first base portion that extends upwardly from the support ring; a second base portion that extends downwardly from the first base portion; and a reentrant portion that extends upwardly from the second base portion. In embodiments, the container can hold carbonated contents and the sidewall portion may be substantially smooth.

The present invention provides a double container capable of suppressing the deterioration of the gas barrier property under high humidity environment. According to the present invention, provided is a double container comprising a container body, wherein the container body has an outer shell and the inner bag, the container body is configured such that the inner bag contracts as content is reduced, and the inner bag comprises an inner layer, a gas barrier layer, and an outer layer, in order from an inside of the container body.