A plastic container comprises an upper portion including a finish defining an opening into the container, a lower portion including a base defining a standing surface, a sidewall extending between the upper portion and the lower portion, the sidewall defining a longitudinal axis, and at least one substantially transversely-oriented pressure panel located in the lower portion. The pressure panel is movable between an outwardly-inclined position and an inwardly-inclined position to compensate for a change of pressure inside the container. The standing surface defines a standing plane, and the entire pressure panel is located between the standing plane and the upper portion of the container when the pressure panel is in the outwardly-inclined position.

A molding unit (1) for blow molding a container from a parison, the container including a wall portion and a base, the molding unit (1) including: a mold sidewall (2) extending along a main axis (X) and having an inner molding surface (3) defining a counter print of the wall portion of the container, and an opening (8) at a lower end of the inner molding surface (3), a cylinder jacket (10) fixed to the mold sidewall (2) and extending axially below the opening (8); a movable mold base (14) having a cylindrical bracket (17) slidingly received within the cylinder jacket (10) and a body (15) axially protruding from the bracket (17), a wear ring (33) fixed to the mold base (14), the wear ring (33) including a cylindrical guiding bushing (34) interposed between the bracket (17) and the cylinder jacket (10).

Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a container (2) from a blank (3) made of plastic material, in a stretch-blow molding unit (7) including: a mold (11) provided with a wall (13) and a mold base (14) which is axially movable relative to the wall (13) between a low position and a raised position; a stretch rod (22) which is axially movable relative to the mold (11) between a high position and a low position; the method including: a phase of inserting the blank (3) in the mold (11); a phase of stretch-blow molding; a phase of boxing; a phase of determining the start and end of the boxing phase, respectively, by detecting the movement of the rod (22) from the low position thereof and the stopping of the rod (22) at the raised position thereof.

A plastic container comprises an upper portion including a finish defining an opening into the container, a lower portion including a base defining a standing surface, a sidewall extending between the upper portion and the lower portion, the sidewall defining a longitudinal axis, and at least one substantially transversely-oriented pressure panel located in the lower portion. The pressure panel is movable between an outwardly-inclined position and an inwardly-inclined position to compensate for a change of pressure inside the container. The standing surface defines a standing plane, and the entire pressure panel is located between the standing plane and the upper portion of the container when the pressure panel is in the outwardly-inclined position.

Systems and methods for vacuum compensation in hot-filled and cooled containers. Each container reduces, via one or more vacuum panels, a first portion of a vacuum created in the container. Each container also has a repositionable portion to reduce a second portion of the vacuum. During hot-filling, no portion of the repositionable portion extends below a standing or bearing surface of the container.

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.

Described are a mold and molding process for manufacturing devices and containers that are scalable, modular, and lockable laterally and vertically with other like devices or containers. The mold is formed with a cup mold and top end mold sections specially designed to allow for molding and demolding a container with an undercut. The cup mold includes, on a vertical wall, one or more undercuts. Multiple undercuts may further form tongues with undercuts each of which forms a groove with undercuts on the molded article, and/or one or more grooves with undercuts each of which form a tongue with undercuts in the molded article. Molding and Demolding of the article with undercuts is further enabled by utilizing an improved method of molding said article with an undercut, and demolding said article from the mold once it is molded, by improvements to each stage of the molding process, including the preform stage, the conditioning station stage, the blow stage and the release stage.

A device for blow molding a container from a preform. The device includes a mold base and a pedestal for supporting the mold base. An electric heating element is beneath the mold base for heating the mold base. An insulator is between the heating element and the pedestal.

A blow-molded plastic structure, such as a tabletop, may include an undercut. For example, the tabletop may include a frame receiving portion and a frame connecting structure with an undercut may be disposed in the frame receiving portion. A portion of the frame may contact or engage the frame connecting structure, such as the undercut, when the frame is connected to the tabletop. In an exemplary embodiment, a first side of the frame receiving portion may include a first frame connecting portion with an undercut and a second side of the frame receiving portion may include a second frame connecting portion with an undercut. The first frame connecting portion with an undercut may be disposed on an opposing surface from the second frame connecting portion with an undercut.

A modular system for blow molding a container. The system may include a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion. The first portion and second portion may each include a shell, a mold removably coupled to the shell, and a top plate. The third portion may include a base and a base mold. The molds may be 3D printed. The molds together may define a blow mold cavity. The modular system may be used at lab scale, pilot scale, or full production scale. The molds may be durable and smooth enough for full production scale. Some embodiments are directed to methods for making a modular system for blow molding a container.