A temperature adjustment part is configured to stretch a preform by moving a temperature adjustment rod toward a bottom surface portion (lower body portion) side of a body portion by a predetermined distance, after inserting the temperature adjustment rod into the preform to bring the temperature adjustment rod into contact with an inner surface of the body portion of the preform other than a boundary portion between the body portion and a neck portion.

When an injection stretch blow molding machine in which the molding cycle is tried to be shortened manufactures hollow molded bodies, blow molding in which shaping and cooling are simultaneously performed by blowing compressed air from a single compressed air supply source while discharging compressed air is performed to achieve energy saving for manufacturing hollow molded bodies.

A blowing apparatus 10 of a stretch blow molding apparatus 11 includes a compressed air supply source 32 configured to send out compressed air adjusted to have an air pressure at which an object to be shaped e is inflated to be shaped into a hollow molded body, an inflow passage 33 through which the compressed air from the compressed air supply source 32 flows to the internal space of the object to be shaped e disposed in a blow mold 8, and a non-closed outflow passage 34 through which the compressed air flows out from the internal space of the object to be shaped e to a discharging space outside the blow mold. In the entire process of the blowing operation by the blowing apparatus 10, a compressed air flow passage 36 is formed through which the compressed air from the compressed air supply source 32 flows through the inflow passage 33 and the internal space of the object to be shaped e and through the outflow passage 34 into the discharging space. Shaping and cooling are simultaneously performed by blowing the compressed air adjusted to have an air pressure at which the object to be shaped e being in the form of a preform is inflated to be shaped into the hollow molded body throughout the entire process of the blowing operation.

A stretch blow moulding method for manufacturing a plastic container, wherein a preform, configured in an essentially tubular manner with a neck part, is inserted into a mould cavity of a blow moulding tool of a stretch blow moulding machine. The preform is stretched with a stretching mandrel and is inflated in accordance with the mould cavity by overpressure with a fluid. A dome connects onto a container section which is provided with at least one structure which projects or recedes with respect to the container wall and is separated away. With the stretch blow moulding method, at least one section of the structure is axially compressed to a settable extent within the mould cavity before the plastic container is removed from the mould.

A method for blow molding a container includes heating a central region of a preformed puck to a first temperature, and heating an annular region surrounding the central region of the preformed puck to a second temperature that is greater than the first temperature. The heated preformed puck is arranged at an upper end of a mold cavity of a mold that defines an outer shape of the container. The heated preformed puck is secured to the upper end of the mold cavity. The heated reformed puck is stretched by pressing a plunger into the heated preformed puck and into the mold cavity in a longitudinal direction of the mold cavity toward a lower end of the mold cavity. Pressurized air is then applied to the mold cavity so that the heated preformed puck stretches to conform to the shape of the inner wall of the mold cavity.

The invention relates to a preform for producing a plastic container in a 2-stage stretch blow molding method, said preform having a preform body that extends along a central axis and that comprises: a first end a second end that lies opposite the first end, wherein the first end is closed and a neck part with a pouring opening adjoins the second end; and an inner wall that delimits an interior of the preform. Along a length of at least 30 mm of the interior, every point of the inner wall is at a distance of less than 3.5 mm from the central axis. Also disclosed are a suitable method and a device for producing such a preform.

A blow core mold unit includes a first core member configured to be loosely fitted to a neck portion of a preform, a second core member provided around the first core member and in contact with a neck mold, and a third core member provided in a space portion formed between the first core member and the second core member, and the blow core mold unit has a second supply flow path for supplying a high-pressure fluid into the space portion.

An apparatus and method for simultaneously forming and filling a plastic container without the use of a mold forming a mold cavity (116, 16) is provided. A pressure source (120, 20) includes an inlet (146, 150, 46, 50) and a piston-like device (140, 40). The piston-like device (140, 40) is moveable in a first direction wherein liquid is drawn into the pressure source (120, 20) through the inlet (146, 150, 46, 50) and in a second direction wherein the liquid is urged toward the preform (112, 12). A blow nozzle (122, 22) may be adapted to receive the liquid from the pressure source (120, 20) and transfer the liquid at high pressure (P2) into the preform (112, 12) thereby urging the preform (112, 12) to freely expand until an unopened end thereof contacts a platen (118). The platen (118) forms a bottom in a resultant container. The liquid remains within the container as an end product.

According to the present invention, in order to improve the productivity of an injection stretch blow molding machine, when a core mold is lifted during mold opening at an injection molding part of the injection stretch blow molding machine, stress is dispersed so as not to concentrate at an area where the thickness changes between a preform opening and a preform body so that the preform body is inhibited from being lifted at a skin layer formed in the area where the thickness changes between the preform opening and the preform body. In a preform (30) where a skin layer (34) at the surface has a lower temperature than a middle layer (35) so as to allow a preform body (32) and a preform bottom (33) to expand and deform from the inside of the preform toward the outside of the preform, the skin layer (34) bridging between the inner surface of the preform body (32) and the inner surface of the preform opening (31) is formed in a tapered shape that opens upward at an outward slant with respect to an extension line (38) of the inner surface of the preform body (32) extending above the skin layer (34) so that, during the lifting of the core mold, the stress exerted from the preform body (32) is dispersed at a stress dispersing plane section (39) formed with the skin layer (34).

A method and apparatus for the formation of double-walled containers includes two integrally connected containers extending in the same direction with an air gap between them, stretch-blow moulded as single bodies out of thermoplastic material, and suitable for mass-production. A thermoplastic tubular blank is formed and then heat-conditioned. The heat-conditioned tubular blank is then mechanically stretched longitudinally and blow-formed outwards by gas pressure to form first and second containers. A piston and mould cavity cooperate to further mould the containers such that the second smaller container side wall(s) are at least substantially not in contact with the second container shaped mould cavity set and may be inverted inside-out, while the second smaller container bottom wall at least substantially does not invert, in order for the second smaller container to become a substantially mirror-image inverted second smaller container extending in the same direction as, and interior to, the first container.

A preform is provided for blow-molding to form a container. The preform includes a finish portion for rotatably engaging a closure to seal contents within an interior of the container. The finish portion comprises a cylindrical body that begins at an opening to the interior and extends to and includes a tamper evidence ledge. A mirror polished sealing surface inside the finish portion cooperates with a plug seal of the closure to seal the container. Threads outside the finish portion engage with similar threads inside the closure. Thread starts of the threads reduce potential damage to the threads during installation of the closure. The thread starts may include a start pitch that is greater than a thread pitch of the threads. A handling valley disposed between the threads and the tamper evidence ledge facilitates air-conveying the container along a manufacturing assembly line.