Pepsico, Inc.

Pepsi-cola S.a.

Christopher J Mero

Alex E Gnann

John W Cahill

Robert Nathan Le Bras-Brown

Shriram Venkataraman

Laurent Lepoitevin

Damien Bourne

Stuart Leslie

Taek Kim

Richard F Bellas

Bottle

A blow molded plastic beverage container, comprising neck, shoulder, body and base portions. A bulge is formed in one, or both, of the shoulder and base portions bulging to facilitate gripping and handling the container. Preferably, a respective bulge is formed in both the shoulder and base portions, forming a pair of bulges that bracket the container body. Also, preferably, grooves are formed in the shoulder and base portions of the container to facilitate formation of the bulges. The container is formed in a multi-step process from a preform that may have a conventional design. In this process, the preform is expanded into an initial container shape having a neck portion, a shoulder portion, a body portion, and a base portion. That container is filled with a beverage, and a bulge is formed in one, or both, of the shoulder and base portions of the container. For example, the container may be filled with a beverage at greater than ambient pressure, and this greater than ambient pressure may be used to form bulges in the shoulder and base portions of the container.

Plastic container having an outwardly bulged portion

A process and apparatus for annealing biaxially oriented articles is disclosed, particularly blow molded articles prepared from unique tapered preforms which are immediately annealed using warm fluid in a segmented mold. Portions of the segment mold, used to form the articles, are temperature controlled at various temperatures by passing warm water through conduits in the neck-shoulder portion and body portion of the mold segment and cold water through the bottom and shoulder portion of the mold to bring the temperature of the article wall to about 65.degree. C. to 85.degree. C. for PET bottles. The body wall temperature is preferably lowered to about 80.degree. C. while the necks-shoulder and bottom and shoulder portions are lowered to at least 70.degree. C. The annealing increases the articles structural strength, removes temperature and biaxial stress, reduces gas permeability, retains transparency and allows for multiple reuse of the article including hot washing thereof.

Preform and process and apparatus for annealing biaxially oriented

The present invention relates to a blow molded plastic container whose thin wall shoulder portion has a plurality of rib-like protrusions. Each of said rib-like protrusions are configured with multiple radii of curvature having a specifically defined relationship. The protrusions so formed do not adversely affect the integrity of the shoulder portion wall structure and do not distort upon internal pressurization of the container.

Rib for plastic container

An apparatus for annealing biaxially oriented articles is disclosed, particularly blow molded articles prepared from unique tapered preforms which are immediately annealed using warm fluid in a segmented mold. Portions of the segment mold, used to form the articles, are temperature controlled at various temperatures by passing warm water through conduits in the neck-shoulder portion and body portion of the mold segment and cold water through the bottom and shoulder portion of the mold to bring the temperature of the article wall to about 65.degree. C. to 85.degree. C. for PET bottles. The body wall temperature is preferably lowered to about 80.degree. C. while the neck-shoulder and bottom and shoulder portions are lowered to at least 70.degree. C. The annealing increases the articles structural strength, removes temperature and biaxial stress, reduces gas permeability, retains transparency and allows for multiple reuse of the article including hot washing thereof.

Apparatus for annealing and blowing a thermoplastic biaxially oriented

A process and apparatus for annealing biaxially oriented articles is disclosed, particularly blow molded articles prepared from unique tapered preforms which are immediately annealed using warm fluid in a segmented mold. Portions of the segment mold, used to form the articles, are temperature controlled at various temperatures by passing warm water through conduits in the neck-shoulder portion and body portion of the mold segment and cold water through the bottom and shoulder portion of the mold to bring the temperature of the article wall to about 65.degree. C. to 85.degree. C. for PET bottles. The body wall temperature is preferably lowered to about 80.degree. C. while the neck-shoulder and bottom and shoulder portions are lowered to at least 70.degree. C. The annealing increases the articles structural strength, removes temperature and biaxial stress, reduces gas permeability, retains transparency and allows for multiple reuse of the article including hot washing thereof.

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New Milford, CT, United States of America

Christopher J Mero