A generally hollow preform for making a stretch blow-molded container may include a threaded finish portion; a neck portion depending from the finish portion; a transition portion depending from the neck portion; a main portion depending from the transition portion; and a closed, generally rounded tip portion depending from the main portion. The preform may include stretch ratios with respect to the container including an axial stretch ratio of about 3.0 to 3.5, a hoop stretch ratio of about 5.0 to 5.5, and a total stretch ratio of about 15 to 19.25. In some embodiments, high stretch ratios may be achieved with less material, yielding substantial cost savings.

The outer circumferential surface of a bottom 4 of a preform 1 and a lower site 3a of a trunk 3 continuous with the bottom 4 is mechanically brought into intimate contact with a cooling pot 16 to undergo reliable cooling. The trunk 3, excluding the lower site 3a of the trunk 3 continuous with the bottom 4, is heated to a predetermined temperature by a heating block 17. When blow-molded, the so treated preform 1 can provide a container having a bottom of a desired thickness and having a uniformly stretched thin-walled trunk.

Disclosed are preforms which incorporate improvements in the region of the neck and upper segment of the body to allow the production of lightweight containers, such as bottles suitable for containing water or other beverages. In accordance with certain embodiments, the improvements include a thinner neck finish area than conventional bottles, where the thinner area is extended into the upper segment of the body portion below the support ring. Reducing the thickness in these areas of the bottle allows for less resin to be used in forming the preform and bottle.

Disclosed are preforms which incorporate improvements in the region of the neck and upper segment of the body to allow the production of lightweight containers, such as bottles suitable for containing water or other beverages. In accordance with certain embodiments, the improvements include a thinner neck finish area than conventional bottles, where the thinner area is extended into the upper segment of the body portion below the support ring. Reducing the thickness in these areas of the bottle allows for less resin to be used in forming the preform and bottle.

Disclosed are preforms which incorporate improvements in the region of the neck and upper segment of the body to allow the production of lightweight containers, such as bottles suitable for containing water or other beverages. In accordance with certain embodiments, the improvements include a thinner neck finish area than conventional bottles, where the thinner area is extended into the upper segment of the body portion below the support ring. Reducing the thickness in these areas of the bottle allows for less resin to be used in forming the preform and bottle.

A stretch blow-molded plastic container, including a container body, one longitudinal end of which is closed by a container bottom and to whose other longitudinal end is connected a shoulder section; and a container neck, which connects to the shoulder section, the shoulder section having at least two hinge-like areas that run in a circumferential direction, and which areas are arranged at a distance (a) from one another and in each case have a wall thickness (v, w) that is reduced compared to the adjoining areas, the stretch blow-molded plastic container having a total stretching ratio of greater than 11 for a longitudinal stretching ratio of 2.5 to 3.5.

An injection-molded preform is disclosed for production of a plastic container by a blow-molding method with an elongated, tube-like body, which is closed on its one longitudinal end and has a neck section that is provided with a pour opening on its other longitudinal end, which neck section includes an injection molded connection to an injection molded closure part, wherein the closure part includes: a flip-top closure and an annular section with an inner wall, which inner wall rests directly on an outer surface of the neck section and completely encloses an annular area of the outer surface of the neck section.

A preform configured to be blow-molded into a plastic bottle includes a neck section defining an opening, the neck section including a threaded portion configured to engage a closure, and a neck ring, a transition section having a first end positioned adjacent to the neck ring and a second end opposite the first end, a cylindrical body section extending from the second end of the transition section to a base, and a longitudinal axis extending from the opening through the base. The neck section, transition section, and the body section define a hollow channel positioned between the opening and the base. The transition section defines a tapered sidewall relative to the longitudinal axis, the tapered sidewall decreases a cross-sectional diameter of the hollow channel. The tapered sidewall of the transition section contains 20% to 30% of a total weight of the preform.

A generally hollow preform for making a stretch blow-molded container may include a threaded finish portion; a neck portion depending from the finish portion; a transition portion depending from the neck portion; a main portion depending from the transition portion; and a closed, generally rounded tip portion depending from the main portion. The preform may include stretch ratios with respect to the container including an axial stretch ratio of about 3.0 to 3.5, a hoop stretch ratio of about 5.0 to 5.5, and a total stretch ratio of about 15 to 19.25. In some embodiments, high stretch ratios may be achieved with less material, yielding substantial cost savings.

A preform for blow moulding to form a container, the preform being formed of a thermoplastic material, the preform comprising a neck finish at an open end of the preform, an elongate body section and a closed end, wherein the body section has elongate, longitudinally extending inner and outer surfaces each centered about a longitudinal axis of the preform, the inner and outer surfaces defining therebetween a wall of the body section, wherein the wall of the body section has at least one locally thickened portion along the body section, the locally thickened portion being thicker than adjacent first and second thinner portions at respective opposite longitudinal ends of the thickened portion, the thickened portion having an inner surface portion which is nearer to the longitudinal axis than respective first and second inner surface portions of the first and second thinner portions.