Disclosed is an apparatus for expanding and filling plastic parisons to form plastic containers with a liquid medium, with at least one transforming station which has a hollow mould, inside which the plastic parisons can be expanded into plastic containers and can be simultaneously filled by application of a liquid medium, wherein the transforming station is arranged on a carrier and wherein the transforming station has a filling device which feeds the liquid medium to the plastic parisons under pressure, wherein the transforming station has a pressure chamber to which a gas can be applied, wherein for filling of the plastic parisons the filling device can be introduced into the pressure chamber and after the filling can be removed at least partially, and wherein a closing unit can be introduced into the pressure chamber, in order to close the expanded und filled plastic containers.

A liquid container manufacturing method includes: a nozzle fitting step of fitting a blow nozzle to a mouth of a preform; a liquid blow molding step of liquid blow molding the preform into a halfway shape by supplying a predetermined volume of liquid that is less than a full capacity of a liquid container from a liquid supply port of the blow nozzle to the preform; and an air blow molding step of molding the preform into a shape conforming to an inner surface of a mold for blow molding by supplying pressurized air from a gas supply port to the preform after the liquid supply port is closed, in which a headspace is generated in the liquid container, having a volume corresponding to a difference between a volume of the liquid supplied to the preform in the liquid blow molding step and a full capacity of the liquid container.

Ways for simultaneously forming and filling a container are provided. A hydraulic intensifier (60) receives a first liquid (18) and dispenses the first liquid (18) at a first pressure, where a moveable member (62) having a first surface (64) contacts the first liquid (18) and a second surface (66) contacts a second liquid (68). The second liquid (68) provides a second pressure on the second surface (66) so that the first pressure is applied to the first liquid (18) by the first surface (64). The first surface (64) has a smaller area than the second surface (66) and the first pressure is greater than the second pressure. A blow nozzle (22) transfers the first liquid (18) at the first pressure into a preform (12) within a mold cavity (16) to urge the preform (12) to expand toward an internal surface (34) of the mold cavity (16) and form a resultant container. The first liquid (18) remains within the container as an end product.

Systems and methods for making a reduced material container (105) are provided that hold a preform (130) adjacent to an open end (165) of the preform (130), stretch the preform (130), close a mold (110, 120) about the stretched preform (175) to form a truncated preform (185), and introduce a pressurized fluid (160) into the truncated preform (185) to expand the truncated preform (185) and form the reduced material container (105). A stretch rod (125) can be inserted into the preform (130) to mechanically stretching the preform (130). The mold (110, 120) accepts the preform (130) at a first end (135) thereof, has an open state and a closed state, and the closed state forms a cavity (140) defining an internal surface (145) having a second end (150) located remotely from the first end (135). A first length (155) is defined by a distance between the first end (135) and the second end (150), the stretch rod (125) mechanically stretching the preform (130) to a second length (170), the second length (170) being greater than the first length (155).

Ways for simultaneously forming and filling a container with a product are provided that include a mold cavity, a two-stage injection unit, and a blow nozzle. The mold cavity defines an internal surface and is configured to accept a preform. The two-stage injection unit receives and dispenses the product where a first stage includes an extruder and a second stage includes an accumulator. The extruder imparts mechanical energy to the product to reduce a viscosity of the product and transfers the reduced-viscosity product to the accumulator. The accumulator receives the reduced-viscosity product from the extruder and dispenses a charge of the reduced-viscosity product. The blow nozzle transfers the charge of the reduced-viscosity product dispensed from the accumulator into the preform to urge the preform to expand toward the internal surface of the mold cavity and form a resultant container.

A container including a finish defining an opening at a first end of the container that provides access to an internal volume defined by the container. A base portion of the container includes a diaphragm that is concave relative to an exterior of the container. The diaphragm extends from a standing surface of the container to a center push-up portion of the base portion. The standing surface is at a second end of the container opposite to the first end. The diagram is configured to move from an as-blown first configuration to a second configuration in which the diaphragm is closer to the first end as compared to the first configuration in order to reduce residual vacuum within the container. The diaphragm is generally hemispherical in cross-section when in the second configuration.

A liquid blow molding device and a liquid blow molding method are configured to supply pressurized liquid to a preform mounted to a mold to mold the preform into a shape along a cavity of the mold, and includes a blow nozzle fitted into a mouth portion of the preform, a plunger pump configured to supply pressurized liquid to the preform through the blow nozzle and a controller configured to control operation of the plunger pump. The controller controls operation of the plunger pump by position control in which a plunger of the plunger pump is moved from an original position to a predetermined final position with a predetermined operating force.

A method of forming a container from a plastic preform while using a liquid as a blow medium. During the method, liquid is withdrawn from the container to reduce pressure within the container prior to disengaging of the injection head from the container. In one aspect the method involves the opening of a recirculation valve to reduce the pressure. The opening of the recirculation valve allowing air dispersed within the liquid to rise to the top of the container before disengaging of a forming head from the container. As a result, splashing and spillage of liquid from the neck of the container is eliminated when the forming head disengages from the container.

A liquid container manufacturing method includes: a liquid blow molding step of molding a preform into a liquid container having a shape conforming to an inner surface of a blow-molding mold, by supplying a pressurized liquid to an interior of the preform through a supply path in a state where a blow nozzle is engaged to a mouth of the preform; and a headspace forming step of forming a headspace in the liquid container, by discharging the liquid from an interior of the liquid container through a discharge port in a discharge rod extending to the interior of the liquid container through the blow nozzle, by introducing a pressurized gas to the interior of the liquid container through a gas inflow path in a state where the supply path is closed.

Ways for simultaneously forming and filling a container are provided. A hydraulic intensifier (60) receives a first liquid (18) and dispenses the first liquid (18) at a first pressure, where a moveable member (62) having a first surface (64) contacts the first liquid (18) and a second surface (66) contacts a second liquid (68). The second liquid (68) provides a second pressure on the second surface (66) so that the first pressure is applied to the first liquid (18) by the first surface (64). The first surface (64) has a smaller area than the second surface (66) and the first pressure is greater than the second pressure. A blow nozzle (22) transfers the first liquid (18) at the first pressure into a preform (12) within a mold cavity (16) to urge the preform (12) to expand toward an internal surface (34) of the mold cavity (16) and form a resultant container. The first liquid (18) remains within the container as an end product.