The part under the neck ring (9) of a preform for blowing a PET bottle of predetermined capacity not larger than 75 cl and with a max. material weight of 15 g, is inclined by an angle less accentuated than normal, max. 17, which allows to make a preform with a thickness t.sub.2 of the wall thinner than 1.9 mm and a thinner inner diameter of the preform body in order to allow a lower stretch ratio starting from a larger preform to obtain the final bottle of predetermined capacity.

A preform is provided for blow-molding to form a container. The preform includes a finish portion for rotatably engaging a closure to seal pressurized 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 bevel at a beginning of the opening receives a plug seal of the closure. Multiple mirror polished surfaces beyond the bevel are configured to cooperate with the plug seal to seal the container. Mirror polished transition surfaces are disposed between diameter changes within the finish portion. In some embodiments, wherein the plug seal includes a sidewall profile that mates with the transition surfaces, an interior surface of the preform has a diameter that tightly compresses an end of the plug seal to contain pressurized contents within the container.

An injection moulded thermoplastic preform for blow moulding to form a container, the preform comprising a lower closed base portion, a hollow body portion, a hollow transition portion between the lower closed base portion and the hollow body portion, and an upper open end portion adjacent to an upper part of the hollow body portion, wherein the closed base portion comprises a central portion which extends over at least 50% of an internal radius of a lower end of the hollow body portion and is either substantially flat or has a shallow concave or convex internal curvature, and the transition portion comprises an upwardly and radially outwardly tapering portion extending away from the central portion to connect to the hollow body portion, the tapering portion being inclined at an angle of from 1 to 20 degrees to a longitudinal axis of the preform and the tapering portion increasing in thickness from the central portion to the hollow body portion. Also disclosed is a method of injection moulding the thermoplastic preform.

Disclosed are preforms which incorporate improvements in the region of the neck and upper segment of the body to allow the production of lightweight containers, such as bottles suitable for containing water or other beverages. In accordance with certain embodiments, the improvements include a thinner neck finish area than conventional bottles, where the thinner area is extended into the upper segment of the body portion below the support ring. Reducing the thickness in these areas of the bottle allows for less resin to be used in forming the preform and bottle.

A method of inspecting a blow molded container having a finish, a base, a body between the finish and base, and etching at the base. The method includes identifying where on the base the etching is located, designating the base as accurately blow molded if the etching is located at a predetermined location of the base, and designating the base as not accurately blow molded if the etching is not located at the predetermined location of the base.

Disclosed are preforms which incorporate improvements in the region of the neck and upper segment of the body to allow the production of lightweight containers, such as bottles suitable for containing water or other beverages. In accordance with certain embodiments, the improvements include a thinner neck finish area than conventional bottles, where the thinner area is extended into the upper segment of the body portion below the support ring. Reducing the thickness in these areas of the bottle allows for less resin to be used in forming the preform and bottle.

Disclosed are preforms which incorporate improvements in the region of the neck and upper segment of the body to allow the production of lightweight containers, such as bottles suitable for containing water or other beverages. In accordance with certain embodiments, the improvements include a thinner neck finish area than conventional bottles, where the thinner area is extended into the upper segment of the body portion below the support ring. Reducing the thickness in these areas of the bottle allows for less resin to be used in forming the preform and bottle.

A preform configured to form a container by stretch blow molding. The preform includes a finish portion and a tip portion. The finish portion is at a first end of the preform and is a container finish of the container. The tip portion is at a second end of the preform opposite to the first end. The tip portion is configured to form a container base and a container heel of the container. An outer surface of the tip portion includes a flat surface, a first radius on a first side of the flat surface, a second radius between the first radius and the flat surface, a third radius extending from the flat surface on a second side of the flat surface, and a fourth radius extending from the third radius towards the second end of the preform through which a longitudinal axis of the preform extends.

Disclosed is a container perform made from plastic material, including: a body; an open neck that extends from the body from which it is separated by a radially projecting flange; a bottom that closes the body opposite the neck; the body having a concave portion in axial cross section, where: B0.9.Math.A 0.5.CC0.95.C in which A is the overall diameter of the body, measured below the flange; B is the outer diameter of the bottom, measured at the junction of same with the body; C is the cumulative height of the body and the bottom, measured from the flange; C is the height, measured axially, of the concave portion of the body, and the concave portion has, in axial cross-section, on an outer surface, an outer radius of curvature RE such that: 1.5.0RE10.C

A method for forming a container from a high-density polyethylene preform by one-step or two-step injection stretch blow molding. The method includes inserting the preform in a mold. The preform has a preform axial length. The method further includes blow-molding the preform into the mold to form the container, including stretching the preform to form the container with a container axial length that is 2.5-5 times greater than the preform axial length.