A molding tool (1000), in particular a thermoforming tool, for producing a container (10) is provided. The molding tool comprises a mold bottom (200) and a mold insert (100) receiving the mold bottom (200), wherein the mold insert (100) is constructed of at least two mold insert parts (110, 120) that together with the mold bottom (200) define a cavity (300) provided for reshaping a two-dimensional web of material into a container, wherein a first mold insert part (110) is mounted stationary in the molding tool (1000) and a second mold insert part is axially movable in the molding tool (1000).

A method of manufacturing a plastic container having a curled rim (320) comprises the steps of providing a sheet of plastic material; drawing a portion thereof into a mould (120) to form a bottom and wall (310′) of the container, leaving a surrounding portion of material to form a rim (320) of the container; cutting the rim loose from a remaining portion of material; and curling the rim. In the curling step, an inner part of the rim is supported by a supporting member while an outer part is pressed by a pressing member (230) moving relative to the supporting member for the rim to be bent around the supporting member.

An apparatus for thermoforming plastic containers comprising a thermoforming device (3) in turn comprising a shaped mould (4) and a closing element (5) movable relative to one another at least between a home position and a forming position, and an extracting device (9) for extracting the thermoformed container (2) from the shaped mould (4), the extracting device comprising at least one gripper element (68) shiftable between a pickup position and a releasing position; in which when the shaped mould (4) and the closing element (5) are in an extracting position, the gripper element (68) in the pickup position can grip a projecting edge (66) of a projecting flange (71) of the container (2) for retaining it, whilst when the gripper element (68) is in the releasing position it can release a thermoformed container (2), retained by it, onto a conveying device (69); and in which the gripper element (68) and the shaped mould (4) are also movable relative to each other, starting from the position in which the gripper element (68) has gripped the edge (66) of the container (2), along an extracting line, for causing the container (2) to come out of the shaped mould (4).

The present invention provides a multi-cup arrangement comprising a polypropylene sheet, wherein the polypropylene sheet comprises at least two cavities, the cavities each protruding from the sheet from a bottom surface of the sheet, wherein the cavities are separated from each other via one or more spacer area(s) on the sheet, wherein the spacer area(s) each comprise one or more groove(s) on the bottom surface of the sheet that are positioned to allow the sheet to be broken along the groove by bending the sheet towards the top surface, wherein the grooves are positioned to divide the sheet into multiple segments, each segment comprising one or more cavities, wherein each of the groove(s) has a maximum depth of ≥25% and ≤80% with regard to the thickness of the polypropylene sheet. Such multi-cup arrangement may be separated into individual cup segments by moderate manual force, whilst the arrangement does not undesirably bend nor snap under the action of its own weight.

A method of manufacturing a plastic container having a curled rim (320) comprises the steps of providing a sheet of plastic material; drawing a portion thereof into a mould (120) to form a bottom and wall (310) of the container, leaving a surrounding portion of material to form a rim (320) of the container; cutting the rim loose from a remaining portion of material; and curling the rim. In the curling step, an inner part of the rim is supported by a supporting member while an outer part is pressed by a pressing member (230) moving relative to the supporting member for the rim to be bent around the supporting member.

An apparatus for thermoforming plastic containers comprising a thermoforming device (3) in turn comprising a shaped mould (4) and a closing element (5) movable relative to one another at least between a home position and a forming position, and an extracting device (9) for extracting the thermoformed container (2) from the shaped mould (4), the extracting device comprising at least one gripper element (68) shiftable between a pickup position and a releasing position; in which when the shaped mould (4) and the closing element (5) are in an extracting position, the gripper element (68) in the pickup position can grip a projecting edge (66) of a projecting flange (71) of the container (2) for retaining it, whilst when the gripper element (68) is in the releasing position it can release a thermoformed container (2), retained by it, onto a conveying device (69); and in which the gripper element (68) and the shaped mould (4) are also movable relative to each other, starting from the position in which the gripper element (68) has gripped the edge (66) of the container (2), along an extracting line, for causing the container (2) to come out of the shaped mould (4).

The present invention provides a multi-cup arrangement comprising a polypropylene sheet, wherein the polypropylene sheet comprises at least two cavities, the cavities each protruding from the sheet from a bottom surface of the sheet, wherein the cavities are separated from each other via one or more spacer area(s) on the sheet, wherein the spacer area(s) each comprise one or more groove(s) on the bottom surface of the sheet that are positioned to allow the sheet to be broken along the groove by bending the sheet towards the top surface, wherein the grooves are positioned to divide the sheet into multiple segments, each segment comprising one or more cavities, wherein each of the groove(s) has a maximum depth of ?25% and ?80% with regard to the thickness of the polypropylene sheet. Such multi-cup arrangement may be separated into individual cup segments by moderate manual force, whilst the arrangement does not undesirably bend nor snap under the action of its own weight.

A package comprises an entirety of a tray (10) having an open side and a ring-shaped cover rim (20) which is located at the open side of the tray (10), at an outer circumferential rim (16) of the tray (10), and which is connected to the tray (10) through a relatively weak breaking portion (30). For the purpose of manufacturing the package, a mold (41) is provided. Also, a sheet (40) is provided and placed in the mold (41), wherein a movement of the sheet (40) is forced in two different directions. The cover rim (20) is formed with an inner ring (21) in which an inward bulge (28) is realized, along at least a portion of the circumference thereof, as an aids in establishing a clamping connection between the cover rim (20) and the tray (10) once the cover rim (20) has been broken away from the tray (10).

A method for making a containment element that has a bottom wall (3), a lateral wall (4) connected at the bottom to the bottom wall (3) and a shaped perimetric flange that extends outwards from an upper part of the lateral wall (4), wherein the method comprises a thermoforming operating step in which a flat sheet is thermoformed and the bottom wall (3), the lateral wall (4) and an annular band (2) that projects outwards from the upper part of the lateral wall (4) are created and, subsequently, a hot bending operating step for bending the annular band (2), dividing the annular band (2) into a first annular portion (6) and a second annular portion (7) which are concentric and are not coplanar, after the hot bending the annular band (2) constituting the shaped perimetric flange. An apparatus and a machine able to implement all or part of that method are also claimed.

A molding tool (1000), in particular a thermoforming tool, for producing a container (10) is provided. The molding tool comprises a mold bottom (200) and a mold insert (100) receiving the mold bottom (200), wherein the mold insert (100) is constructed of at least two mold insert parts (110, 120) that together with the mold bottom (200) define a cavity (300) provided for reshaping a two-dimensional web of material into a container, wherein a first mold insert part (110) is mounted stationary in the molding tool (1000) and a second mold insert part is axially movable in the molding tool (1000).