A system and method for autonomously defining regions of interest for a container are provided. The system comprises a platform for supporting the container, a detector for capturing feature data of the container while on the platform, and a computer system. The computer system is in communication with the detector and platform. The computer system is programmed to locate features of the container from the captured feature data, and define the regions of interest for the container based on the located features.

The present invention relates to a beverage container assembly for holding a beverage. The assembly comprises an outer container defining a body portion and a cylindrical neck portion. The cylindrical neck portion defines a rim located opposite the body portion. The beverage container assembly further comprises an inner bag positioned within the outer container and defining a pressure space inside the inner bag and a beverage space between the inner bag and the outer container. The beverage space is filled by beverage and the inner bag initially defines a folded state. By subjecting the inner bag) to a pressure fluid it is capable of expanding into an unfolded state in which the pressure space at least partially substitutes the beverage space. Both the inner bag and the neck portion are sealed off by a cap at a location between the rim and the body portion.

A synthetic resin delamination container formed by blow molding a preform assembly having an outer preform and an inner preform, at least either one of an inner surface of the outer preform and an outer surface of the inner preform being applied with a release agent. The delamination container has: an outer layer body including an outer mouth portion and a bottomed tubular body portion being continuous with the outer mouth portion; an inner layer body including an inner mouth portion and a volume-reducible and deformable storage portion peelably laminated on an inner surface of the body portion through a release agent layer formed by the release agent; and an outside air introduction port configured to introduce outside air between the outer layer body and the inner layer body, in which an applying amount per unit area of the release agent layer is 10 to 850 mg/m.sup.2.

A method for injection molding a preform includes: a) loading a barrier membrane into a first mold cavity; b) injecting melt into the first mold cavity to undermold the barrier membrane and form a preform inner layer on an inside of the barrier membrane; c) moving the preform inner layer and the barrier membrane from the first mold cavity into a second mold cavity; and d) injecting melt into the second mold cavity to overmold the barrier membrane and form a preform outer layer on an outside of the barrier membrane. Preforms formed by the method and an injection molding machine to carry out the method are also disclosed.

A method for manufacturing a composite preform is provided, including preparing a preform that is formed from a plastic material, preparing a tubular heat shrinkable plastic member that is longer than the preform and has a margin for thermocompression bonding at one end, inserting the preform into the plastic member having the plastic member undergo thermal shrinkage by heating the preform and the plastic member, and bonding the margin of the plastic member by thermocompression.

The invention relates to a method for controlling a production facility of a series of containers from a series of preforms made of plastic materials. The method includes a first step of producing a preliminary series of individual containers from a preliminary series of preforms made of plastic materials. For each individual container produced during a tracking period, the method records (i) a marking that distinguishes said container other containers produced during said tracking period, and (ii) data relative to the production facility, its operation, and/or the preform or container. The method also includes a second step during which one or more physical values of each of the individually identified containers are measured during the first step, and a third step of compiling a database that matches, for each individually identified container, the measurement(s) of the second step, and the series of data acquired during the first step.

The disclosure provides a preform layered body and a layered container produced by biaxial stretch-blow forming of the layered body. In this preform layered body, an RFID tag has been inserted between an inner-layer-use mouth part and an outer-layer-use mouth part that are to remain unaltered, with no biaxial stretch-blow forming performed thereon, as a container mouth part for a layered container. Since the container mouth part does not become exposed to the high temperature and high pressure for stretch-blow forming purposes, abuses to the RFID tag, such as damage, breakage, and deformation, which arise from the heating, pressurization, and stretching during the stretch-blow forming, can be avoided reliably. In addition, labor-saving and counterfeit prevention effect can be anticipated by causing the RFID tag to hold product information.

Method for the production of containers from a series of plastic preforms heated in a container production facility having at least one heating station, a forming machine with a number of forming stations, one or more treatment machines with a number of treatment stations. The method includes: forming the preforms in the forming machine; treating the individual containers in the treatment machine; and circulating each container held individually between the forming machine and the treatment machine(s). The method also includes individual identification of each container that is produced during a predetermined tracking period, an individual identification phase including a marking step during which each individual container that is produced during the tracking period receives a marking that matches the container, making it possible to identify individually the container by distinguishing it from all of the other containers produced by the production facility during the tracking period.

A blow moulding machine for blow moulding a container having an integrally formed handle; said container blow moulded from a previously injection moulded preform; said preform comprising a body portion and said integrally formed handle; said machine including a preform loading station at which said preform is oriented by a preform orienting apparatus.

A blow moulding machine for blow moulding a container having an integrally formed handle; said container blow moulded from a previously injection moulded preform; said preform comprising a body portion and said integrally formed handle; said machine including a preform loading station at which said preform is oriented by a preform orienting apparatus.