METHOD FOR FORMING A CONTAINER BY MOVING THE HANDLE DURING BLOWING

Abstract

A method of forming a container from bi-axially orientable plastics material and having an integral handle with the steps of forming a preform having a neck portion and an expandable portion below the neck portion with the neck portion including a locating ring above the expandable portion and a handle molded to the non expandable at one end and molded to the expandable portion at the other end. Where the molded-in handle is the approximate length of the handle of the finished container. The unblown preform of orientable plastics is inserted into a blow molder and thereafter stretched by a stretch rod. During the stretch process the handle on the preform unbends rather than stretching to form the approximate shape of the handle in the finished container. The blow mold then closes on the stretched preform thus capturing the handle. Blow gas is then injected into the interior.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. A method for forming a blown container from a preform, comprising: placing the preform in a blow mold, the preform comprising: an expandable main body having an interior cavity, and a handle attached to an exterior wall of the main body at two attachment points; and blowing the preform to form the blown container, wherein, when placing the preform in the blow mold, the handle is disposed in an initial position, and wherein, while blowing the preform, the handle is moved to a final position different from the initial position.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, while blowing the preform, the handle is rotated outwards to the final position.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the handle is rotated to be at a different angle with respect to the main body at the final position from the initial position.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein at the final position, an entirety of the handle is at a different position from the initial position.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein a handle pocket of the blow mold is inserted into the handle.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the handle pocket moves while blowing the preform, so as to move the handle from the initial position to the final position.

19. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: stretching the preform with a stretch rod prior to blowing the preform.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the handle comprises a coiled portion, and wherein, while stretching the preform with the stretch rod, the coiled portion is uncoiled.

21. The method according to claim 19, further comprising: wherein the stretching the preform is performed within the blow mold.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0014] Without restricting the full scope of this invention, the preferred form of this invention is illustrated in the following drawings:

[0015] FIG. 1a shows the preform prior to being blown;

[0016] FIG. 1b shows a side view of the preform prior to being blown;

[0017] FIG. 1c shows a cross section of the preform prior to being blown;

[0018] FIG. 1d shows a cross section of the handle;

[0019] FIG. 2 shows a schematic of the preform in the stretched position with an adjustable stretch rod in the blowmold with the moveable handle piece; and

[0020] FIG. 3 shows a schematic of the blown bottle in the mold with the moveable handle piece shifted to it final position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The following description is demonstrative in nature and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention or its application of uses.

[0022] There are a number of significant design features and improvements incorporated within the invention.

[0023] The current invention is a method of forming a container 100 from bi-axially orientable plastics material and having an integral handle 10 with the method of forming from a preform 1.

[0024] According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a preform 1 for a container 100 comprised of orientable thermoplastic material and arranged so that the resultant blown container 100 will include a handle 10 with the preform 1 comprising a molded structure having a neck portion 20 and an expandable portion below the neck as shown in. FIGS. 1a and 1b. The preform 1 will have an opening 30 and cavity 40 as shown in the cross section view of FIG. 1c with a handle cross section 12.

[0025] The neck 20 typically includes a locating ring above the expandable portion as shown in a cross section in FIG. 1d. The preform has an integrally molded solid handle attached at 2 points along the vertical axis. The first point of attachment can be either at the non expandable portion of the preform or the expandable portion of the preform. The second point of attachment is at the expandable portion of the preform. The approximate length of the desired handle in the finished container 100 determines the length of the handle. Therefore the shape of the attached handle can be of various geometries to accommodate the desired handle length.

[0026] During the blow molding operation the preform 1 is oriented in a manner to provide sufficient heat behind the handle 10 while not overheating the handle 10. On the final station prior to blowing the container 100 the preform 1 is oriented so that the handle 10 is in the proper alignment with mold 70. In a typical injection stretch process the mold 70 would close, the stretch rod 60 would be extended and the blow air would create the container. Unlike typical injection stretch blown processes when the preform 1 arrives at the blowing station the neck 20 of the preform 1 is externally secured. The modified stretch rod 60 is extended causing the preform to stretch.

[0027] The modified stretch rod 60 may have an adjustment portion 65 to adjust the size of the rod 60.

[0028] When the preform 1 stretches, the attachment points of the handle 10 become separated to the distance of the blown container. The handle 20 itself does not stretch rather uncoils. This causes a sufficient gap between the preform 1 and the handle 20. The mold then closes and the handle 20 is then trapped in the handle pocket 80 of the mold. The handle pocket 80 of the mold 70 is allowed to move to its final location by means of the blow air while the container 100 is blown. The movable mold segments within the blow mold cavity may be unitary segments or may themselves consist of multiple parts. When the mold 70 is opened the handle pocket 80 is retracted resulting in an injection stretch blown container with an integral handle attached at 2 points.

[0029] In an alternate version of the preform, the preform handle could be achieved by mechanical means by physically attaching the handle to the preform outside the injection molding process or by coinjecting the handle on the preform.

[0030] In an alternate version of the preform, the preform could be molded with a handle that is shorter than the finished handle. The handle 10 itself could be stretched to the desired length with the stretch rod 60.

[0031] In an alternate form of this invention utilizing the handled preform 1 the sequence of the injection stretch operations could be modified. When the oriented preform is sequenced into the molding station the molds 70 would close, the stretch rod 60 would be extended. However prior to blowing the container 100, the handle pockets in the mold 70 would extend to capture the handle 20. When the container 180 is blown the handle pocket would be allowed to move to the finished container requirements. The movable mold segments within the blow mold cavity may be unitary segments or may themselves consist of multiple parts.

[0032] Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore, the point and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.

[0033] As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided.