A flexible prosthetic inner socket that resides inside of a rigid prosthetic socket that is fabricated by forming a sized, injection molded, flexible inner pre-socket. The flexible inner pre-socket includes a body formed with an opening and an enclosed end. The Pre-socket can be heated and stretched over a prosthetic residual limb model and then a prosthetic rigid socket can be formed over it. It can also be heated and vacuum-formed inside of an existing hard prosthetic socket in order to provide global volume reduction intended to make the rigid prosthetic socket fit tighter onto the residual limb. The opening of the flexible inner socket may be trimmed after the formation to fit contours of an opening of the rigid prosthetic socket.

Disclosed herein, amongst other things, is a molded article, such as a preform that is blow moldable to form a container, and a related method of forming and recycling a container. The structure and steps includes injection molding a molded article having tubular body.

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.

A system for forming a container from a preform includes a first mold having a plurality of first portions that cooperate to define a first internal surface against which the preform is blown for forming a first form. The system also includes a second mold having a plurality of second portions that cooperate to define a second internal surface against which the first form is blown for forming a second form. Also, the system includes a mold servo motor that actuates the plurality of first portions relative to each other and/or actuates the plurality of second portions relative to each other. Furthermore, the system includes a controller that controls the mold servo motor for controlled actuation of the plurality of first portions and/or the plurality of second portions.

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 flexible inner socket is fabricated by forming a pre-socket. The pre-socket includes a body formed with an opening and an enclosed end. The enclosed end is opposite to the opening. The body of the pre-socket has an outer circumference that is smaller than the inner circumference of the rigid prosthetic socket. Different portions of the body may have different thicknesses. The preform socket is heated. After the heating, the flexible inner socket is formed by molding the pre-socket onto the inner surface of the rigid prosthetic socket to form the flexible inner socket. The inner circumference of the rigid prosthetic socket is reduced by a thickness of the flexible inner socket when the flexible inner socket is attached to the inner surface of the rigid prosthetic socket. An opening of the flexible inner socket may be trimmed after the formation to fit contours of an opening of the rigid prosthetic socket.

A unit for bonding the container with the lid, made of plastic, designated especially for pressurised beverages, having a profiled rim of the container opening and a profiled rim of the lid, characterised in that the profiled rim of the opening (2) of the container (1) comprises a flange (3) formed around the said opening (2), extending outwards away from the side wall of the container, where the flange (3) has a top surface (4), side surface (5) and bottom surface (6) bonded to the external side surface of the container (1), and where formed on the top surface (4) around the opening (2) of the container (1) there is a rib (7) protruding above the surface (4), while the profiled rim of the lid (8) comprises a groove (9) formed on the bottom surface (10) of the lid (8) around its bottom edge, the groove (9) accommodating the said rib (7) which supports the lid (8) without touching on the top surface (4) of the flange (3), where there is an energy director (12, 13) formed on the bottom of the groove (9) or the top surface of the rib (7), which focuses ultrasonic energy in the process of ultrasonic welding of the rib (7) and the lid (8).

The invention relates to a preform (1) for a container (2) made of plastic, wherein the preform (1) comprises a body part (3) comprising a wall having a thickness (e1) which extends along a longitudinal axis (X) and which is connected, via a periphery (8), to a closed bottom part (5) which has an apex (10). According to the invention, the bottom part (5) has ribs (11) which each extend from the apex (10) of the bottom part (5) to the periphery (8) so as to form a star, and a substantially triangular zone (12) arranged between two adjacent ribs (11) and a portion (8a) of the periphery (8) has a thickness (e3) which is less than the thickness (e1).

Disclosed herein, amongst other things, is a molded article, such as a preform that is blow moldable to form a container, and a related method of forming and recycling a container. The structure and steps includes injection molding a molded article having tubular body.

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.