A blow-molded plastic structure may include an inwardly extending portion with an undercut. The inwardly extending portion may be disposed in an outer surface of the blow-molded plastic structure and the undercut may be disposed in the inwardly extending portion. The structure may be formed by placing a tool in a mold, forming a parison of molten plastic, disposing the parison of molten plastic in the mold, closing the mold around the parison of molten plastic, inflating the parison, and creating an inwardly extending portion with an undercut with the tool during the blow-molding process. The tool used to create the undercut in a blow-molded plastic structure may include a base, one or more guides, and one or more fingers movable relative to the base between a molding position and a release position. The fingers may include an elongated body and an outwardly extending portion.

Method for processing hot-filled plastic containers are provided. In some embodiments, the method may include hot-filling a plastic container, sealing the container, and conveying the sealed container, each with an inner annular wall and a push-up portion in a first position. In some embodiments, the method may further include creating a vacuum pressure in the hot-filled and sealed container and repositioning or inverting the push-up portion from the first position to a second position under the vacuum pressure.

A plastic container has a mouth portion, a main body, and a base portion which adjoins the main body. The base portion has a central region as well as a diaphragm which runs in a circumferential direction and extends from the central region to the main body. The central region is pivotable relative to the main body between at least two positions which differ with regard to an internal volume of the container. The wall has at least one and preferably at least two circumferential grooves and are spaced apart from one another. The central region has a projection extending in the direction of the interior of the plastic container, and at least one web extending at least in part in a radial direction in the circumferential wall.

The present invention relates to a base assembly (100) for forming a base portion of a plastic container. The base assembly comprises a base pedestal (104), a base mold attached to the base pedestal, a push rod (102) movable between a first position and a second position with respect to the base mold to reposition a portion of the plastic container, and an activation mechanism adapted to move the push rod between the first position and the second position.

A container production method by liquid blow molding. The method includes a head space forming step of forming a head space in the upper portion of a container, in which, with the container disposed in a cavity, a bottom panel portion molded into an upward convex shape on a bottom of the container is inverted by pushing it down with a pushing rod and is plastically deformed into a downward convex shape.

A plastic container comprises an upper portion including a finish defining an opening into the container, a lower portion including a base defining a standing surface, a sidewall extending between the upper portion and the lower portion, the sidewall defining a longitudinal axis, and at least one substantially transversely-oriented pressure panel located in the lower portion. The pressure panel is movable between an outwardly-inclined position and an inwardly-inclined position to compensate for a change of pressure inside the container. The standing surface defines a standing plane, and the entire pressure panel is located between the standing plane and the upper portion of the container when the pressure panel is in the outwardly-inclined position.

A container including an opening defined by a finish portion, and a base at an end of the container opposite to the opening. The base includes a standing ring extending inward from a heal to a center pushup portion. The center pushup portion includes an pushup ring surrounding an inversion portion. In an as-blown position the inversion portion extends outward and beyond the pushup ring such that the inversion portion is further from the opening than the pushup ring. In a final position the inversion portion is inverted relative to the as-blown position such that the inversion portion extends inward so as to be closer to the opening than the pushup ring. The inversion portion is mechanically moved from the as-blown position to the filled position with an inversion device after the container has been filled to reduce vacuum or increase pressure within the container.

Method for processing hot-filled plastic containers are provided. In some embodiments, the method may include hot-filling a plastic container, sealing the container, and conveying the sealed container, each with an inner annular wall and a push-up portion in a first position. In some embodiments, the method may further include creating a vacuum pressure in the hot-filled and sealed container and repositioning or inverting the push-up portion from the first position to a second position under the vacuum pressure.

Method for processing hot-filled plastic containers are provided. In some embodiments, the method may include hot-filling a plastic container, sealing the container, and conveying the sealed container, each with an inner annular wall and a push-up portion in a first position. In some embodiments, the method may further include creating a vacuum pressure in the hot-filled and sealed container and repositioning the push-up portion from the first position to a second position under a mechanical force.

A displacement device for moving a truncated cone at a base of a container from an as-blown position to a displaced position. The base includes a deep base ring between a standing surface and the truncated cone. The displacement device includes a collar sized and shaped to be received within the deep base ring. A plunger includes a head at an end of a shaft extending through the collar. The head is sized and shaped to be received within the receptacle of the collar. The plunger is movable from a retracted position, at which the head is seated within the receptacle, to an extended position at which the head extends out from within the receptacle to allow the head to contact the truncated cone and move the truncated cone from the as-blown position to the displaced position.