Preform extended finish for processing light weight ecologically beneficial bottles

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A preform suitable to form a container, the preform comprising: a neck portion having an opening to an interior of the preform; a tapered portion including a transition from a diameter of the neck portion to a diameter of an elongate member that extends to an end cap; a finish disposed on the neck portion and including one or more threads configured to rotatably engage with a cap; and one or more exterior columns disposed around the perimeter of the neck portion and aligned parallel to a longitudinal axis of the preform.

2. The preform of claim 1, wherein the one or more exterior columns comprise at least two columns forming a thicker portion of the neck portion.

3. The preform of claim 1, wherein the one or more exterior columns comprise three columns disposed uniformly around the perimeter of the neck portion.

4. The preform of claim 1, wherein the one or more exterior columns span across one thread of the one or more threads.

5. The preform of claim 1, wherein the one or more exterior columns span between two threads of the one or more threads.

6. The preform of claim 1, further including a neck ring, and wherein the one or more exterior columns are positioned on a side of the neck ring nearest the opening.

7. A preform suitable to form a container, the preform comprising: a neck portion having an opening to an interior of the preform; a tapered portion including a transition from a diameter of the neck portion to a diameter of an elongate member that extends to an end cap; one or more internal columns disposed withing the opening and aligned parallel to a longitudinal axis of the preform; and a finish disposed on the neck portion.

8. The preform of claim 7, wherein the one or more internal columns are positioned at 120-degree intervals.

9. The preform of claim 7, further including a neck ring, and wherein the one or more internal columns span from the neck ring to the tapered portion.

10. The preform of claim 7, further including one or more exterior columns disposed around the perimeter of the neck portion and aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the preform.

11. The preform of claim 10, wherein the one or more external columns are positioned around the perimeter of the neck portion to coincide with the position of the one or more internal columns.

12. The preform of claim 10, wherein the one or more internal columns are positioned further from the opening than the one or more external columns.

13. The preform of claim 10, wherein the one or more internal columns are positioned circumferentially in an alternating arrangement with the one or more external columns.

14. The preform of claim 10, wherein the finish comprises one or more threads configured to rotatably engage with threads disposed within a cap.

15. A preform suitable to form a container, the preform comprising: a neck portion having an opening to an interior of the preform; a tapered portion including a transition from a diameter of the neck portion to a diameter of an elongate member that extends to an end cap; a finish disposed on the neck portion and including one or more threads configured to rotatably engage with a cap; and one or more exterior columns disposed around the perimeter of the neck portion and extending across at least one thread of the one or more threads.

16. The preform of claim 15, wherein the one or more exterior columns comprise at least two columns forming a thicker portion of the neck portion.

17. The preform of claim 15, wherein the one or more exterior columns span between two threads of the one or more threads.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The drawings refer to embodiments of the present disclosure in which:

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a preform suitable for being blow-molded to form a bottle, according to the present disclosure;

(3) FIG. 2A illustrates a cross-sectional view of an exemplary preform without an extended lightweight finish;

(4) FIG. 2B illustrates a cross-sectional view of another exemplary preform without an extended lightweight finish;

(5) FIG. 2C illustrates a cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a preform in accordance with the present disclosure;

(6) FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a preform in the cavity of a blow-molding apparatus of the type that may be used to make a bottle or container, according to the present disclosure;

(7) FIG. 4 illustrates a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a bottle or container that has been blow-molded by way of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 3, according to the present disclosure;

(8) FIG. 5A illustrates a micro-CT slice of a neck and upper body of an exemplary preform as illustrated in FIG. 2A;

(9) FIG. 5B illustrates a micro-CT slice of the neck and upper body of an exemplary embodiment of a preform as is illustrated in FIG. 2C, in accordance with the present disclosure;

(10) FIG. 6 illustrates a superimposition of micro-CT slices of an exemplary preform as illustrated in FIG. 5B and a bottle blown therefrom;

(11) FIG. 7A illustrates a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a preform suitable for being blow-molded to form a bottle in accordance with the present disclosure;

(12) FIG. 7B illustrates a cross-sectional view of the preform illustrated in FIG. 7A, taken along a line 7B-7B, according to the present disclosure;

(13) FIG. 7C illustrates a cross-sectional view of the preform illustrated in FIG. 7A, taken along a line 7C-7C in accordance with the present disclosure;

(14) FIG. 8A illustrates a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a neck portion suitable for being incorporated into a preform, such as illustrated in FIG. 7A, in accordance with the present disclosure;

(15) FIG. 8B illustrates a cross-sectional view of the exemplary neck portion illustrated in FIG. 8A, taken along a line 8B-8B, according to the present disclosure;

(16) FIG. 8C illustrates a close up, detail view of a portion of the cross-sectional view illustrated in FIG. 8B, in accordance with the present disclosure;

(17) FIG. 9A illustrates a cross-sectional view of the exemplary neck portion illustrated in FIG. 8A, taken along a line 9A-9A, in accordance with the present disclosure;

(18) FIG. 9B illustrates a close up, detail view of a cross-sectional profile of threads illustrated in FIG. 9A, in accordance with the present disclosure;

(19) FIG. 9C illustrates a close up, detail view of a cross-sectional profile of a neck ring illustrated in FIG. 9A, according to the present disclosure; and

(20) FIG. 9D illustrates a close up, detail view of a cross-sectional profile of a support ring illustrated in FIG. 9A, in accordance with the present disclosure.

(21) While the present disclosure is subject to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. The invention should be understood to not be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(22) In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, to one of ordinary skill in the art that the invention disclosed herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, specific numeric references such as “first preform,” may be made. However, the specific numeric reference should not be interpreted as a literal sequential order but rather interpreted that the “first preform” is different than a “second preform.” Thus, the specific details set forth are merely exemplary. The specific details may be varied from and still be contemplated to be within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The term “coupled” is defined as meaning connected either directly to the component or indirectly to the component through another component. Further, as used herein, the terms “about,” “approximately,” or “substantially” for any numerical values or ranges indicate a suitable dimensional tolerance that allows the part or collection of components to function for its intended purpose as described herein.

(23) Disclosed herein are articles, including preforms and containers, which utilize less plastic in their construction while maintaining the ease of processing and excellent structural properties associated with current commercial designs.

(24) FIG. 1 illustrates a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a preform 30 suitable for being blow-molded to form a bottle, according to the present disclosure. The preform is preferably made of material approved for contact with food and beverages such as virgin PET and can be of any of a wide variety of shapes and sizes. The preform shown in FIG. 1 is of the type which will form a 12-16 oz. beverage bottle, but as will be understood by those skilled in the art, other preform configurations may be used depending upon the desired configuration, characteristics and use of the final article. The preform 30 may be made by injection molding methods including those that are well known in the art.

(25) FIG. 2A illustrates a cross-sectional view of an exemplary preform 30. The preform 30 has a neck portion 32 and a body portion 34, formed monolithically (i.e., as a single, or unitary, structure). Advantageously, the monolithic arrangement of the preform, when blow-molded into a bottle, provides greater dimensional stability and improved physical properties in comparison to a preform constructed of separate neck and body portions, which are bonded together.

(26) The neck portion 32 begins at an opening 36 to an interior of the preform 30 and extends to and includes a support ring 38. The neck portion 32 is further characterized by the presence of a structure for engaging a closure. In the illustrated embodiment, the structure includes threads 40, which provide a means to fasten a cap to the bottle produced from the preform 30. The illustrated preform has a shorter overall neck area than most conventional preforms, which shorter neck area may also be thinner than in conventional preforms. The thickness of the neck area 52A is measured at the very top or between the threads or any other protruding structures.

(27) The body portion 34 comprises an elongated structure extending down from the neck portion 32 and culminating in an end cap 42. In some embodiments the body portion 34 may be generally cylindrical, and the end cap 42 may be conical or frustoconical and may also be hemispherical, and the very terminus of the end cap may be flattened or rounded. The preform wall thickness 44 through most of the body portion 34 will depend upon the overall size of the preform 30 and the wall thickness and overall size of the resulting container. The preform wall thickness between 48A and 50A is slightly thinner than the wall thickness throughout the straight portion of the body portion, both of which are thicker than at 46A immediately below the support ring 38. A slight taper often below 0.01 mm may also be found from 50A to 44 to help with release of the injected preform from the core during processing.

(28) FIG. 2B illustrates a cross-section of another embodiment of a prior art preform 30. The preform 30 has a neck portion 32 and a body portion 34. The neck portion 32 of the preform is of an axial length as may be found in conventional preforms. Although the thickness of the upper segment or portion of the body portion 46B is of a similar thickness as the neck portion 52B, it is also substantially similar thickness or the same thickness as the remainder of the body portion of the preform (e.g. 44B, 50B). In contrast to the preform 30 illustrated in FIG. 2B, the preform illustrated in FIG. 2C is substantially thicker in the middle segment (e.g. 44C) of the body and in the end cap 42 than in the upper segment (e.g. 46C) of the body portion, which is of a similar thickness or same thickness as the neck portion 52C. In other embodiments, the upper segment of the body portion (e.g. 46C) may be thinner than the neck portion 52C.

(29) In contrast to the preform illustrated in FIG. 2A, the preform 30 illustrated in FIG. 2C has a reduced thickness in the upper portion of the body portion 34 of the preform below the support ring 38, in that point 46C is substantially thinner than the corresponding location 46A in the prior art preform, 48C is of similar thickness to 46C which is much thinner than 48A of the prior art preform, and the thickness increases from point 48C to 50C, at which point the body portion 34 transitions into the straight portion of the preform having the thickness 44C. Preforms and containers blown from such preforms having such a thinned area at the uppermost portion of the body portion are sometimes referred to herein as having an “extended finish.” A further illustration of this difference, in accordance with one embodiment, can be seen in FIG. 5B and FIG. 6. Further, the preform 30 illustrated in FIG. 2C also has a shorter overall neck area than most conventional preforms. As will be appreciated, the shorter neck area may also be thinner than in conventional preforms.

(30) As compared to the prior art preform in FIG. 2A, the thickness at 46C is about 20-50% of the thickness at 46A, the thickness at 48C is about 20-60% of the thickness at 48A, and the thickness at 50C is about 80-100% of the thickness at 50A. In one embodiment, the thicknesses of 46C and 48C differ by less than about 20%, including less than about 10%, or they are substantially the same thickness. As an example, for a preform used to form an 8 oz. bottle, the thickness at 46C is about 0.7 mm, the thickness at 48C is about 0.8, and the thickness at 50C is about 2 mm. By means of comparison, for the prior art preform used to form an 8 oz. bottle, the thickness at 46A is about 1.5 mm the thickness at 48A is about 2 mm, and the thickness at 50A is about 2.5 mm. As another example, for a preform used to form a 16.9 oz. bottle, the thickness at 46C is about 0.7 mm, the thickness at 48C is about 1 mm, and the thickness at 50C is about 2.4 mm, compared to about 1.2 mm at 46A, about 1.8 mm at 48A, and about 2.4 mm at 50A in a prior art preform. As another example, for a preform used to form a 33.8 oz. bottle, the thickness at 46C is about 0.75 mm, the thickness at 48C is about 1 mm, and the thickness at 50C is about 2.6 mm, compared to about 1.5 mm at 46A, about 1.9 mm at 48A, and about 2.7 mm at 50A in a prior art preform. The total weight of a preform used to form an 8 oz. bottle according to FIG. 2C is about 7 grams as compared to about 12.5 grams for a preform according to FIG. 2A. The total weight of a preform used to form a 16.9 oz. bottle according to FIG. 2C is about 8.5 grams as compared to about 9.2 grams for a preform according to FIG. 2A. The total weight of a preform used to form a 33.8 oz. bottle according to FIG. 2C is about 18.3 grams as compared to about 26 grams for a preform according to FIG. 2A. Using the information provided herein, one skilled in the art can prepare other sizes of preforms that have similar characteristics to those described herein. Also, the dimensions in other useful embodiments of preforms may vary from the above-stated dimensions by between substantially 0.1 mm and substantially 1 mm, inclusive.

(31) In accordance with certain embodiments, the upper segment of the body portion of the preform, which is adjacent to the support ring, has a thickness that is substantially similar to the thickness 52C of the neck portion 32. In some such embodiments, the thicknesses of the upper segment and the neck portion 32 may differ by +/−0 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm, or 0.4 mm. In some such embodiments, the thicknesses of the upper segment and the neck may differ by up to 10%, up to 20%, or up to 30%. Accordingly, the thickness of the upper segment of the body portion of the preform may be substantially the same thickness, or it may be either thicker or thinner than the neck portion 52C. In accordance with other embodiments, the thickness of the upper segment of the body portion 34 of the preform is less than that of a middle or lower segment of the body portion. In some such embodiments, the wall thickness of the upper section is about 10% to about 40% of the thickness of the lower and/or middle section of the body, including about 15% to about 40%, about 15% to about 30%, about 25% to about 35%, about 20% to about 35%, about 20% to about 30%, including about 12%, about 13%, about 17%, about 19%, about 22%, about 24%, about 27%, about 29%, about 31%, and about 33%, including ranges bordered and including the foregoing values. In some such embodiments, the wall thickness of the upper segment of the body is about 0.3 mm to about 0.9 mm, including about 0.3 mm to about 0.5 mm, about 0.4 mm to about 0.7 mm, about 0.5 mm to about 0.9 mm, about 0.7 mm to about 0.8 mm, including about 0.35 mm, about 0.45 mm, about 0.55 mm, about 0.65 mm, about 0.75 mm, and about 0.85 mm, including ranges bordered and including the foregoing values. In accordance with other embodiments, the axial length of the upper segment measures about 20% or more, including about 25% or more of the axial length of the neck portion, including about 20% to about 30%, about 20% to about 35%, about 25% to about 30%, and about 25% to about 35% of the axial length of the neck portion. Preforms may include one or more or all of the features described above.

(32) After a preform, such as that depicted in FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C, is prepared by injection molding, the preform is subjected to a stretch blow-molding process. Referring to FIG. 3, in this process a preform 50 is placed in a mold 80 having a cavity corresponding to a desired container shape. The preform 50 is then heated and expanded by stretching such as by a stretch rod inserted into the center of the preform to push it to the end of the mold and by air forced into the interior of the preform 50 to fill the cavity within the mold 80, creating a container 82. The blow-molding operation normally is restricted to the body portion 34 of the preform with the neck portion 32, including the support ring 38, retaining the original configuration as in the preform.

(33) When performing the stretch blow-molding process to create the container, preforms are conventionally loaded onto a spindle which engages the inner wall of the neck portion of the preform and facilitates transporting the preform into and through the stretch blow-molding machinery. Because of the extended neck finish in accordance with embodiments described herein, it may be beneficial to have the spindle extend into the inner wall of the preform into the region of the upper segment of the body portion, beyond the neck portion. In some embodiments, the spindle loads into the preform the full extent of the extended neck finish. This may be accomplished by adjusting the depth to which the spindle loads and/or by changing the spindle to have sufficient length to extend the greater distance. The extended spindle loading depth helps to maintain the dimensions of the extended neck finish, especially in those embodiments where the extended neck finish is relatively thin such that the dimensional stability of the lower part of the extended neck finish and/or the lower part of the upper segment of the body portion would otherwise be at risk due to exposure to heating elements and/or elevated temperatures in other portions of the body during the stretch blow-molding process.

(34) FIG. 4 illustrates a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a container 82 that may be made by way of blow-molding the preform 50 of FIG. 3, or the preforms 30 illustrated in FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C. The container 82 has a neck portion 32 and a body portion 34 corresponding to the neck and body portions of the preforms 30 illustrated in FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C. The neck portion 32 is further characterized by the presence of threads 40 or other closure engagement means that provides a way to fasten a cap onto the container 82.

(35) In preforms having neck finishes that are lighter in weight and portions immediately below the finish (uppermost portion of the body), such as those described herein, the lighter weight portions are more susceptible to damage or softening from the heat supplied to the remainder of the preform during blow-molding. Aggressive cooling of the finish was seen as a way to enable light weighting. Since not all machines cool identically or as effectively, it was observed that to properly blow the bottle, the finish would go through distortion. A short term solution to prevent distorting the finish was to limit heating of the preform below the support ring 38. This left plastic from the preform in the neck of the bottle. This is referred to as a “ring” in the neck. While unattractive and inefficient from a resin use perspective, such a decision allowed the light weight preform to continue to produce acceptable bottles.

(36) Thus, a concept was conceived where the material normally placed in the preform to be stretched from directly below the support ring was removed and replaced with a wall thickness at the desired dimensions of the finished product. The distance of this bottle “neck” was set by the bottle design, but the new extended finish concept allows for some heating and stretching. By definition the design change also provides for a transition from fully blown bottle to rigidly retained threads across this zone. An extended finish is especially useful in smaller finishes that are substantially shorter from the support ring to the top of the finish as compared to prior finishes that have considerable distance (up to 10 mm) from the threads to the base of the support ring. Such shorter finishes may also be thinner. This new design was also discouraged because having a thin area upstream of a thicker threaded area in an injection mold would be difficult, if not impossible, to mold properly since it would likely prevent resin from completely filling the neck finish under usual injection pressures. Thus injection limitations have historically limited this approach rather than mechanical performance. Accordingly, in some embodiments, during the injection molding process, the closing of the neck ring can be slightly delayed to allow filling of the small spaces before clamping it down to mold at least the neck and finish. Minimal experimentation is needed to determine the correct timing and amount of polymer melt to ensure complete filling of the neck and finish while minimizing flashing.

(37) In addition to providing lighter weight preforms and bottles, the extended finish preforms disclosed herein, which may incorporate other lightweighting features described herein such as a shorter and/or thinner neck and/or thinner walls in the body portion, can also have the advantage of being produced using a lower cycle time in molding. Lower cycle time increases the number of preforms that can be made by a single piece of equipment in a day and can lower the total energy needed to produce a single preform, resulting in additional cost savings to the manufacturer.

(38) It was also generally thought that a thicker support ring and larger amounts of plastic near that region (above in the finish and below at the uppermost portion of the body) was needed to absorb heat and prevent it from transferring into the finish. This has also been shown by the present applicant to be incorrect. It has been found that the thick ring of plastic provides heat storage and serves as a heat source during later bottle handling and processing steps. Thinning the region below the support ring, under this new perspective, provides resistance to heat travelling up to the finish in that this area can rapidly cool so that it is not a latent heat source during later operations. Since, in certain embodiments, this region does not need to be stretched during blow-molding, it does not need to be heated and the blow-molding procedure and apparatus may be adjusted such that the uppermost portion or upper segment of the preform/container body (in the area of the extended finish) is not heated, or heated very little as compared to the bulk of the body of the preform, as part the blow-molding process. This change is easy to accommodate in modem equipment and makes the production process easier and more stable. For example, the position of the cooling rail or shims may be adjusted to provide greater protection from heat for the extended finish, the intensity of the heating element(s) may be adjusted, and/or the position of the heating element(s) may be adjusted. It should be noted that preforms having an extended finish may be blow-molded in conventional processes that actively heat the lower portion of the extended finish (i.e. the uppermost portion of the body), but such processes are generally less effective in creating consistently stable bottles during production.

(39) The applicant has discovered that when the preform of FIG. 2A is blown to form a bottle in a process that protects the extended finish from heating during blow-molding as described above, the thickness at 46A and 48A changes very little, with essentially all of the wall portion of the bottle being formed from the stretching of the wall around 50A and below. This is shown in FIG. 6 which presents a superimposition of cross-sections of a preform having an extended finish and a bottle blown therefrom. Accordingly, the wall thickness at the lower segment of the neck portion of the preform, including at 46C and 48C, is lessened as described hereinabove to reduce the amount of material needed to form the preform while still maintaining the necessary degree of structural integrity to allow for ease in blow-molding to form a container that has sufficient mechanical strength to withstand the forces exerted on it during formation, filling, transportation and use.

(40) In accordance with some embodiments herein, the width of the support ring may be increased as compared to that in a standard shorter finish. Given that a 0.6 mm width to the support ring (as in a standard shorter finish) provides forces upon a finger that are considered to be within the pain threshold for a finger, increasing the width may provide greater comfort for the consumer. Accordingly, a width of at least about 1 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.6 mm, 1.8 mm, 2 mm, 2.2 mm, 2.4 mm, 2.6 mm or greater would provide greater comfort to the consumer when opening the closure. Alternatively or concomitantly, changes may be made to the cap including by increasing the apparent cap diameter such as by providing ribs on the tamper ring that are of greater height than the remaining cap. Other reasons to widen the ring include conveyor handling, heat sink properties of the ring, better feel when opening the container, greater resistance to damage during processing and transport. It should be noted that increasing the width of the support ring is counter to lightweighting, such that it should be balanced with other considerations when designing a preform and container.

(41) In some embodiments, in which it is desired for the container to be heat-set, it is preferred that the containers be blow-molded in accordance with processes generally known for heat set blow-molding, including, but not limited to, those which involve orienting and heating in the mold, and those which involve steps of blowing, relaxing and reblowing. The mold 80 can quickly cool the container during this process, especially with high heat transfer material absorbing heat from the container at a high rate.

(42) In some embodiments, the blow-mold may be used to produce crystalline neck finishes. For example, the neck portion of the blow-mold and the body portion of the blow-mold can selectively control the temperature of the preform/container to achieve a desired amount of crystallization. Thus, the neck portion of the preform/container can be heated and gradually reduced in temperature to produce a desired amount of crystalline material.

(43) In some embodiments for preforms in which the neck finish is formed primarily of PET, the preform may be heated to a temperature of preferably 80° C. to 120° C., with higher temperatures being preferred for the heat-set embodiments, and given a brief period of time to equilibrate. After equilibration, the preform may be stretched to a length approximating the length of the final container. Following the stretching, pressurized air, such as chilled food grade air, may be forced into the preform which acts to expand the walls of the preform to fit the mold in which it rests, thus creating the container. Fluid may be circulated through the mold so as to rapidly cool the container contacting the interior surface. The temperature of the chilled air for stretching the preform and the temperature of the fluid cooling the mold may be selected based on the desired container finish, production time, and the like.

(44) FIGS. 7A through 7C illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a preform 90 suitable for being blow-molded to form a bottle, such as the container 82, in accordance with the present disclosure. Similar to the preforms 30, 50, the preform 90 comprises a neck portion 32 and a body portion 34 that are monolithically formed. The neck portion 32 begins at an opening 36 to an interior of the preform 90 and extends to a tapered portion 92 of the body portion 34. The tapered portion 92 comprises a smooth transition from a diameter of the neck portion 32 to a relatively smaller diameter of a cylindrical 94 portion of the preform 90. The cylindrical portion 94 is a generally elongate member that extends to an end cap 42.

(45) As best shown in FIG. 7B, a wall thickness of the cylindrical portion 94 is substantially uniform throughout the cylindrical portion and the end cap 42. A wall thickness of the tapered portion 92, however, generally decreases from the wall thickness of the cylindrical portion 94 to a relatively thinner wall thickness of the neck portion 32. As discussed herein, the wall thickness of the cylindrical portion 94 is relatively greater than the wall thickness of the neck portion 32 so as to provide a wall thickness at the desired dimensions of a finished product after being blow-molded into the shape and size of a bottle, such as the container 82.

(46) As shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C, the neck portion 32 may be characterized by a plurality of longitudinally oriented internal columns 96 within the opening 36. In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of internal columns 96 comprises three internal columns that are equally spaced around the circumference of the neck portion 32. Thus, as shown in FIG. 7C, adjacent internal columns 96 are positioned at substantially 120-degree intervals around the circumference of the neck portion 32. As will be appreciated, incorporating the plurality of internal columns 96 into the neck portion 32 facilitates incorporating a wall thickness within the neck portion that is relatively thinner than conventional neck portions. Thus, the internal columns 96 facilitate a wall thickness within the neck portion 32 of the preform 90 that reduces the amount of material needed to form the preform 90 while still maintaining the necessary degree of structural integrity to allow for ease in blow-molding to form a container that has suitable mechanical strength to withstand forces encountered during formation, filling, transportation, and use. It should be understood, however, that the number of internal columns 96 may be other than three, and that the spacing between adjacent internal columns 96 need not necessarily be uniform, nor limited to 120-degree intervals.

(47) The neck portion 32 is further characterized by a presence of threads 40 configured to rotatably engage with similar threads disposed within a cap or other suitable closure so as to provide a way to seal contents within the container 82. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7A, and as shown in greater detail in FIGS. 8A-9D, each of the threads 40 generally extends along a section of the circumference of the neck portion 32 and approaches a neck ring 98. Thus, when the threads of a cap are engaged with the threads 40, and the cap is rotated in a clockwise direction, the cap advances toward the support ring 38. As best shown in FIG. 8A, the threads 40 comprise three threads that each begins at a thread start 102 and extends along a substantially 144-degree section of the neck portion 32. The thread start 102 is configured to guide the thread 40 into a space, or valley, between adjacent threads of the cap so as to threadably engage the cap with the neck portion 32, as described herein. Further, the threads 40 generally are disposed adjacently to one another and are spaced uniformly around the circumference of the neck portion 32. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8A, the thread starts 102 of adjacent threads 40 are spaced at substantially 120-degree intervals around the perimeter of the neck portion 32. As will be appreciated, however, more or less than three threads 40 may be incorporated into the neck portion 32 without deviating beyond the scope of the present disclosure.

(48) In some embodiments, one or more exterior columns 104 may be incorporated into the neck portion 32. Similar to the internal columns 96, described above, the exterior columns 104 facilitate a wall thickness within the neck portion 32 of the preform 90 that reduces the amount of material needed to form the preform while still maintaining a necessary degree of structural integrity, as described herein. Thus, the exterior columns 104 may be incorporated into the neck portion so as to promote ease in blow-molding to form a container that has suitable mechanical strength to withstand forces encountered during formation, filling, transportation, and use

(49) In the present embodiment, three exterior columns 104, each comprising a vertically aligned thicker portion of the neck portion 32, are disposed uniformly around the perimeter of the neck portion, as best shown in FIGS. 8B and 8C. In some embodiments, however, other than three exterior columns 104 may be disposed around the neck portion 32, such as, by way of non-limiting example, two exterior columns disposed on opposite sides of the neck portion 32, or four exterior columns disposed at 90-degree intervals around the neck portion 32. Further, the spacing between adjacent exterior columns 104 need not be uniform around the perimeter of the neck portion, but rather the exterior columns may be disposed at various intervals around the neck portion.

(50) Moreover, in some embodiments, the external columns 104 may be positioned around the perimeter of the neck portion 32 so as to coincide with the locations of the internal columns 96. In such embodiments, therefore, the internal columns 96 may be positioned directly beneath the external columns 104. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the external columns 104 may be positioned at specific intervals between adjacent internal columns 96. For example, adjacent internal and external 96, 104 may be separated by 60-degree intervals. Further, the internal and external columns 96, 104 need not necessarily be positioned at the same distance relative to the opening 36. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 7A-9D, for example, the external columns 104 are positioned above the neck ring 98, whereas the internal columns 96 generally extend from the neck ring 98 into the tapered portion 92 of the preform 90, as best shown in FIG. 7B. It should be understood, therefore, that the internal and external columns 96, 104 may be incorporated onto the neck portion 32 in any configuration deemed suitable without deviating beyond the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

(51) FIG. 9A illustrates a cross-sectional view of the neck portion 32, taken along a line 9A-9A of FIG. 8A. As described above, the neck portion 32 comprises a generally cylindrical member having an opening 36 suitable to provide access to an interior of the container 82. A bevel 106 is disposed at the beginning of the opening 36. The bevel 106 is configured to enter into sliding contact with a sealing flange of a suitable cap so as to prevent contents within the container 82 from leaking out of the container. In some embodiments, the bevel 106 may compress the sealing flange to a predetermined degree, thereby forming a tight seal suitable to retain pressurized contents within the container 82.

(52) FIGS. 9B through 9D illustrate detailed close up views of portions of the cross-sectional view of FIG. 9A. A cross-sectional profile of the threads 40 is illustrated in FIG. 9B. The threads 40 generally extend outward from the neck portion 32 such that a valley 108 is disposed between adjacent threads. The cross-sectional profile of the threads 40 is configured such that the threads advantageously engage with similar threads disposed within a suitable cap for sealing contents within the container 82. As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the valley 108 is configured to allow passage of a thread disposed in the cap to pass between adjacent threads 40 during tightening of the cap onto the neck portion 32, as described herein.

(53) FIG. 9C illustrates a close up view of the cross-sectional profile of the neck ring 98. As shown in FIG. 9C, the neck ring 98 comprises a rounded upper portion 112 and a substantially flat lower portion 116. As will be appreciated, the rounded upper portion 112 facilitates passing a tamper-evident ring portion of the cap over the neck ring 98 during assembly of the cap onto the container 82. The flat lower portion 116 is configured to retain the tamper-evident ring positioned below the neck ring 98 during loosening of the cap. For example, when the cap is initially installed onto the container 82 by a manufacturer, the tamper-evident ring easily passes over the neck ring 98 due to the rounded upper portion 112. When an end-user later loosens the cap, the flat lower portion 116 retains the tamper-evident ring below the neck ring 98; causing the tamper-evident ring to break loose from the cap. Thus, the flat lower portion 116 of the neck ring 98 and the tamper-evident ring of the cap cooperate to indicate to the end-user that the cap has not been previously loosened after being installed by the manufacturer.

(54) FIG. 9D illustrates a close up view of the cross-sectional profile of the support ring 38. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9D, the support ring 38 comprises a substantially flat lower surface 120. As will be recognized, the flat lower surface 120 of the support ring 38 facilitates supporting the preform 90 in the mold 80 during the blow-molding process described above and illustrated in FIG. 3.

(55) The articles described herein may be made from any suitable thermoplastic material, such as polyesters including polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyolefins, including polypropylene and polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamides, including nylons (e.g. Nylon 6, Nylon 66, MXD6), polystyrenes, epoxies, acrylics, copolymers, blends, grafted polymers, and/or modified polymers (monomers or portion thereof having another group as a side group, e.g. olefin-modified polyesters). These materials may be used alone or in conjunction with each other. More specific material examples include, but are not limited to, ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (“EVOH”), ethylene vinyl acetate (“EVA”), ethylene acrylic acid (“EAA”), linear low density polyethylene (“LLDPE”), polyethylene 2,6- and 1,5-naphthalate (PEN), polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), poly(cyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate), polystryrene, cycloolefin, copolymer, poly-4-methylpentene-1, poly(methyl methacrylate), acrylonitrile, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidine chloride, styrene acrylonitrile, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polyacetal, polybutylene terephthalate, ionomer, polysulfone, polytetra-fluoroethylene, polytetramethylene 1,2-dioxybenzoate and copolymers of ethylene terephthalate and ethylene isophthalate. In certain embodiments preferred materials may be virgin, pre-consumer, post-consumer, regrind, recycled, and/or combinations thereof.

(56) In some embodiments polypropylene also refers to clarified polypropylene. As used herein, the term “clarified polypropylene” is a broad term and is used in accordance with its ordinary meaning and may include, without limitation, a polypropylene that includes nucleation inhibitors and/or clarifying additives. Clarified polypropylene is a generally transparent material as compared to the homopolymer or block copolymer of polypropylene. The inclusion of nucleation inhibitors helps prevent and/or reduce crystallinity, which contributes to the haziness of polypropylene, within the polypropylene. Clarified polypropylene may be purchased from various sources such as Dow Chemical Co. Alternatively, nucleation inhibitors may be added to polypropylene.

(57) As used herein, “PET” includes, but is not limited to, modified PET as well as PET blended with other materials. One example of a modified PET is IP A-modified PET, which refers to PET in which the IPA content is preferably more than about 2% by weight, including about 2-10% IP A by weight, also including about 5-10% IP A by weight. In another modified PET, an additional comonomer, cylohexane dimethanol (CHDM) is added in significant amounts (e.g. approximately 40% by weight or more) to the PET mixture during manufacture of the resin.

(58) Additives may be included in articles herein to provide functional properties to the resulting containers. Such additives include those providing enhanced gas barrier, UV protection, scuff resistance, impact resistance and/or chemical resistance. Preferred additives may be prepared by methods known to those of skill in the art. For example, the additives may be mixed directly with a particular material, or they may be dissolved/dispersed separately and then added to a particular material. Additives are preferably present in an amount up to about 40% of the material, also including up to about 30%, 20%, 10%, 5%, 2% and 1% by weight of the material. In other embodiments, additives are preferably present in an amount less than or equal to 1% by weight, preferred ranges of materials include, but are not limited to, about 0.01% to about 1%, about 0.01% to about 0.1%, and about 0.1% to about 1% by weight.

(59) Another possible additive is microparticulate clay or graphene based materials. These materials comprise tiny, micron or sub-micron size (diameter), particles of materials which enhance the barrier and/or mechanical properties of a material by creating a more tortuous path for migrating gas molecules, e.g. oxygen or carbon dioxide, to take as they permeate a material and/or providing added stiffness. In preferred embodiments nanoparticulate material is present in amounts ranging from 0.05 to 1% by weight, including 0.1%, 0.5% by weight and ranges encompassing these amounts. One preferred microparticulate clay based product is Cloisite® available from Southern Clay Products. In certain embodiments preferred nanoparticles comprise monmorillonite that may be modified with a ternary or quaternary ammonium salt. In further embodiments, such particles comprise organoclays as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,780,376, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference and forms part of the disclosure of this application. Other suitable organic and inorganic microparticulate clay based or nano-sized products may also be used. Both man-made and natural products are also suitable.

(60) In some embodiments, the UV protection properties of the material may be enhanced by the addition of one or more additives. In a preferred embodiment, the UV protection material used provides UV protection up to about 350 nm or less, preferably about 370 nm or less, more preferably about 400 nm or less. The UV protection material may be used as an additive with layers providing additional functionality or applied separately as a single layer. Preferably additives providing enhanced UV protection are present in the material from about 0.05 to 20% by weight, but also including about 0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 5%, 10%, and 15% by weight, and ranges encompassing these amounts. Preferably the UV protection material is added in a form that is compatible with the other materials. In some embodiments, a preferred UV protection material comprises a polymer grafted or modified with a UV absorber that is added as a concentrate. Other preferred UV protection materials include, but are not limited to, benzotriazoles, phenothiazines, and azaphenothiazines. UV protection materials may be added during the melt phase process prior to use, e.g. prior to injection molding or extrusion. Suitable UV protection materials are available from Milliken, Ciba and Clariant.

(61) While the invention has been described in terms of particular variations and illustrative figures, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the variations or figures described. In addition, where methods and steps described above indicate certain events occurring in certain order, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the ordering of certain steps may be modified and that such modifications are in accordance with the variations of the invention. Additionally, certain of the steps may be performed concurrently in a parallel process when possible, as well as performed sequentially as described above. To the extent there are variations of the invention, which are within the spirit of the disclosure or equivalent to the inventions found in the claims, it is the intent that this patent will cover those variations as well. Therefore, the present disclosure is to be understood as not limited by the specific embodiments described herein, but only by scope of the appended claims.