There is provided a system, a method and preform suitable for executing liquid forming of the preform into a final-shaped container. The present technology includes various improvements to methods, apparatuses, and systems for forming final-shaped containers from preforms using a liquid destined to be contained in the final-shaped container.

An apparatus for cooling molded preforms may comprise a conveyor device for conveying the molded preforms and a tempering insert. The conveyor device may also comprise an extraction plate that contains a cooling cavity for receiving and cooling a closed section of a molded preform. The tempering insert may be connected to the conveyor device and be configured to temper a neck region of the preform by direct contact. The tempering insert may be designed to both temper and accommodate a preform in the conveyor device. The apparatus may further comprise a heat pipe that is configured to draw heat from the cooling cavity to cool the closed section of the preform.

Preform (1) made of a plastic material for the manufacturing of a container (2) by blow molding or stretch-blow molding, the preform (1) including a sidewall (20) extending along a main axis (Z), an open neck (4) and a substantially hemispherical closed bottom (21) having a thickness (T) which varies at least locally around the main axis (Z).

There is provided a system, a method and preform suitable for executing liquid forming of the preform into a final-shaped container. The present technology includes various improvements to methods, apparatuses, and systems for forming final-shaped containers from preforms using a liquid destined to be contained in the final-shaped container.

A method of manufacturing a pressure vessel that includes heating a preform formed of a thermoplastic polymer, inserting a blow pin assembly that includes a bung portion and a plunger portion into an opening of the heated preform, clamping the heated preform between the bung portion and sections of a blow mold, extending the plunger portion into an interior of the heated preform to stretch the heated preform in the blow mold, and blowing air into the stretched preform under pressure to form the pressure vessel such that: (a) the pressure vessel includes a tank having a neck portion, a cylindrical body portion having a diameter of at least about 200 mm, and a bottom portion, (b) at least the thermoplastic polymer in the cylindrical body portion is biaxially oriented, and (c) threads are formed in the neck portion. Also a pressure vessel formed in accordance with the method.

A mold for blow molding a container from a preform, the container including a wall portion and a base including a high standing ring and a central outwardly-inclined invertible diaphragm, the mold including sidewalls forming a counter print of the wall portion of the container (1) and a mold base (36) having an upper surface (37) defining a counter print of the container base, wherein the upper surface (37) includes: an annular peripheral face (43) corresponding to an annular support flange of the container base; a frusto-conical outer face (44) corresponding to an inner portion (11) of the high standing ring, the outer face (44) protruding upwardly with a draft angle (A2) from an inner edge of the peripheral annular face (43) up to a sharp apex (45), and a frusto-conical downwardly inclined inner face (46) corresponding to the invertible diaphragm.

A preform including: an opening portion; a body portion; and a bottom portion, the preform having a two-layer structure in which the body portion and the bottom portion include an inner layer made of a virgin material and an outer layer made of a recycled material, in which a weight ratio of the recycled material to a total weight of the preform is 50% by weight or more, a ratio of a thickness of the outer layer to a thickness of the inner layer in the body portion is 1.5 or more, and a haze of a body portion of a container molded from the preform is 1.8% or less.

A method, system, and preform for liquid forming of the preform into a final-shaped container using the liquid to be contained in the final-shaped container. The preform undergoes a stretching step to a size less than the size of a base of the final-shaped container, before being relocated and stretched to the final shape by the liquid. A stretch rod sealably connects with an interior surface of the preform to partially isolate a gate portion of the preform. The isolation is effected by a portion of the inner surface of the preform extending inwardly, or by a deformable member on the stretch rod which can selectively extend outwardly to contact the interior surface of the preform. The stretch rod includes a selectively heatable tip to heat the gate portion of the preform. The gate portion of the preform includes inner, outer, and core layers which comprise a material configured to affect the thermal properties of the gate portion.

The invention concerns a preform for a container made of plastic material, comprising a cylindrical body that extends along an axis of revolution of the preform and a bottom that closes the cylindrical body. The bottom has an outer profile with a central portion and a curved portion joining the central portion to the cylindrical body. The central portion has, in longitudinal cross-section, a first concave section. The curved portion has successively, in longitudinal cross-section, from the first concave section towards the cylindrical body, a first convex or frustoconical section, a second concave section and a second convex or frustoconical section.

The present application includes an injection molding step and a stretch blow molding step. The stretch blow molding step is configured to include: a first step in which preliminary blow air is introduced into a preform to stretch the preform in a state in which a stretching rod does not contact the bottom of the preform; a second step which is executed after the first step, and in which the preliminary blow air is introduced into the preform and the stretching rod is moved at a set speed and pressed against the bottom of the preform to stretch the preform; and a third step which is executed after the second step, and in which final blow air is introduced into the preform to stretch the preform.