An injection nozzle for cooling and providing counter pressure to a neck of a preform during a forming of a container from the preform. The injection nozzle includes a manifold that defines a receiving space into which the neck of the preform is received. A cavity is also defined in a part by an inner wall and an outer wall of the manifold and a plurality of ports are provided through the inner wall to communicate the cavity with the receiving space. When a cooling medium is received into the cavity, the cooling medium is directed through at least some of the ports toward the neck of the preform located within the receiving space.

A fluid channel of a container processing system for processing containers, such as bottles, is described, the container processing system comprising a blow molding machine and a container processing machine arranged downstream of the blow molding machine in the process direction. The fluid channel is arranged downstream of the blow molding machine and upstream of the downstream container treatment machine in the process direction and comprises at least one component, through which the fluid can flow and which comprises at least one outlet opening through which the fluid can escape from the fluid channel in the direction of a bottom of a container transported in the process direction. The component is produced by a generative manufacturing method.

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.

An apparatus (1) for handling and cooling plastic preforms comprising a rotatable handling station (2), provided with a plurality of retaining and cooling pins (3) for preforms and adapted to cooperate with an extraction plate (4) adapted to extract the preforms from an injection mold; an aeraulic circuit (5) connected to said station and comprising an aspiration duct (6) for aspirating air from the inside of the station; a delivery duct (7) for sending air to said station; cooling means (8) arranged along the delivery duct for cooling the air sent to said station; aspiration means (9, 19, 29) connected at least to the aspiration duct and to the delivery duct, and wherein switching means are further provided, to pass from a first circuit configuration, in which there is an air passage from the delivery duct to the inside of the station, to a second circuit configuration in which there is an air passage from the inside of the station to the aspiration duct, whereby, in the first configuration, air is blown by means of the plurality of pins, while, in the second configuration, air is aspirated by means of said plurality of pins.

A method of blow molding a glossy article having at least one layer of thermoplastic material. The method comprises the steps of feeding a parison of said thermoplastic material into a mold having an inner surface with at least a portion of SPI finish standard selected from the group consisting of A-1, A-2, A-3, B-1, B-2 and B-3 mold and a first temperature of greater than 55 C.; blowing the parison against the inner surface of the mold to form the article; and subsequently lowering the temperature of the mold to a second temperature of between 10 C. to 55 C. before release of the molded article. The cycle time of the mold (t.sub.ct) is less than 250 seconds.

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 method of forming a plastic container from a preform that includes cooling and optionally providing counter pressure to a finish of a preform during forming of a container. During the method, an injection nozzle directs a cooling medium into a receiving space into which the finish is received.

Provided is a stretching rod for a molding unit for manufacturing a container from a preform and a method for manufacturing a container by stretch blow-molding. The stretching rod extends longitudinally, parallel to a main axis Y, and comprises a body of cylindrical or tubular form, a distal end in the extension of said body, at least one internal channel to allow the circulation of a cooling gas to said distal end, a flat situated at the distal end of the stretching rod, an end-fitting protruding from said flat and a plurality of orifices, said orifices being fluidically connected with said internal channel and being distributed around said end-fitting on said flat. The rod can include an annular skirt in the extension of said body, at said distal end, said skirt having a height less than the height of said end-fitting.

A process for laminating elements together to form an article having a predetermined shape including an interior cavity comprises: placing a first sheet atop a first die; placing a first pressure introduction port atop the first sheet; placing a second sheet atop the first port and atop the first sheet; placing a second die atop the second sheet; clamping the first sheet, first port, and second sheet between the first and second dies to form an assembly comprising first die, first sheet, pressure introduction port, second sheet, and second die; introducing an applied gas pressure between the first and second sheets of the assembly, via the first pressure introduction port; heating the assembly to a temperature at which the first and second sheets can thermally deform, thereby achieving simultaneous lamination and blow molding of the first and second sheets; and cooling the assembly, such that the article is created.