Plastipak Packaging, Inc.

Other

Richard L Dunlap

Edward L Sanford

Richard C Darr

William A Slat

David M Amirault

Craig A Larson

Edward Sanford

A water resistant tote box is provided. The tote box includes a base, longitudinally extending sidewalls, laterally extending end walls, and a two-piece lid. The base includes a concave lower surface that matches a convex upper surface of the lid, for preserving the structural integrity of the convex upper surface when stacking a like tote box thereon. The two-piece lid includes a pair of lid halves including a rear end hingedly attached to the sidewalls and a free end including interlocking flaps that are securable via a line of connection. Drain troughs disposed on the walls are in fluid communication with drain channels disposed on the lid, enabling moisture to flow off the top of the tote box. Drain gutters disposed on the lid halves are configured to direct moisture, permeating the line of connection, towards the walls. In this way, the tote box has a synergistic effect of resisting water by directing moisture away from the top of the tote box and preventing moisture from leaking into its interior.

Water resistant tote box

A method for making a container including a radio frequency identification label is provide. In an embodiment the method includes placing a radio frequency identification (RFID) label into a mold; positioning the RFID label so that an outer portion of the label is substantially flush with the mold surface; and molding a container such that the outer portion of the RFID label is substantially flush with the outer surface of the side wall of the container. An article, which may be formed using the foregoing method, is also disclosed.

Application of radio frequency identification

A blow molded container () having a trimmed nonround opening () is blow molded from a preform () and then positioned by a positioner () of a nonround trimmer () that includes a rotary driven arm assembly () having a knife holder (). A guide () guides the knife holder () in a nonround path to perform the trimming.

Blow molded container

A plastic container with the sidewall thereof including a label panel and a label adhered to the label panel. The label includes micro-optics as at least part of the label to create an image of depth in the micro-optic area.

Plastic containers with micro-optic identification

Method for making a blow molded container

Blow molding trimming

An in-mold labeler ( ) and a method for in-mold labeling a rotary plastic blow molding machine ( ) includes a dispensing assembly ( ) having a dispensing wheel ( ) that is rotatably mounted on a base ( ) and supports a plurality of dispensing head assemblies ( ) each of which includes a support ( ) and a dispensing head ( ). An actuator ( ) including a first cam mechanism ( ) and a second cam mechanism ( ) moves the support ( ) of each dispensing head assembly ( ) along the rotary path of movement of an adjacent open mold ( ) of the blow molding machine and angularly positions the support in alignment with a moving mold parting plane of the adjacent open mold in a manner that permits high speed operation of the in-mold labeling.

Rotary in-mold labeling

A plastic blow molding system ( ) and a method for blow molding utilize an in-mold labeler ( ) and a method for in-mold labeling a rotary plastic blow molding machine ( ) includes a dispensing assembly ( ) having a dispensing wheel ( ) that is rotatably mounted on a base ( ) and supports a plurality of dispensing head assemblies ( ) each of which includes a support ( ) and a dispensing head ( ). An actuator ( ) including first and second cam mechanisms ( ) moves the support ( ) of each dispensing head assembly ( ) along the rotary path of movement of an adjacent open mold ( ) of the blow molding machine and angularly positions the support in alignment with a moving mold parting plane of the adjacent open mold in a manner that permits high speed operation of the in-mold labeling. Label transfer apparatus ( ) provides high speed labeling of the dispensing assembly.

Rotary plastic blow molding system having in-mold labeling

Label transfer apparatus ( ) and a method for transferring labels ( ) from a label stack ( ) for in-mold labeling prior to blow molding utilize a transfer head ( ) that is movable on a rotary table ( ) with additional transfer heads ( ), adjacent a label magazine ( ) with an exposed end ( ) from which the labels are sequentially dispensed. The transfer head includes a pair of vacuum openings ( ) to which a vacuum is supplied and an actuator ( ) moves the transfer head with a rolling motion to engage the one vacuum opening with the label to initially pull an extremity ( ) of the label, to subsequently pull an intermediate portion ( ), and to finally engage the other vacuum opening with the label to pull an opposite extremity ( ) of the label away from the label stack in a manner that permits high speed labeling.

Apparatus and method for transferring labels from a label magazine for in-mold labeling prior to blow molding

Apparatus ( ) for trimming a blow molding ( ) includes a rotary trimming assembly ( ) rotatively mounted and driven on a trimmer head ( ). The trimming assembly ( ) includes a tube ( ) of a rotary member ( ) aligned with the blow molding such that operation of an actuating mechanism ( ) provides cam actuated movement of a knife holder ( ) to perform the trimming which allows the trimmed off blow molding portion to move through the tube ( ) away from the trimmed blow molding in preparation for the next trimming cycle. A vacuum source ( ) draws a vacuum within a conduit ( ) connected to the tube ( ) to provide the movement of the trimmed off blow molding portion away from the trimmer head.

Apparatus for trimming plastic blow moldings

A dispensing head (,) for an in-mold labeling system includes a lever assembly (,) rotatively driven by a rotary drive member (,) and having a pair of levers (,) that are adjustable with respect to the rotary drive member independently of each other. Each lever (,) has a cam and follower connection (,) to an associated label carrier (,) such that rotation of the rotary drive member (,) provides movement of the label carriers (,) between retracted and label transfer positions.

Label dispensing head for plastic blow molding in-mold labeling system

An in-mold labeling system for use with a rotary blow molding machine (,) includes first and second electrical servomotors (,) and first and second cam mechanisms (,) respectively driven by the servomotors to move a dispensing head (,) between supply and delivery locations and to move a label carrier (,) on the dispensing head between retracted and label transfer positions independently of each other. A sensor (,) of the system senses rotation of a rotary wheel (,) of the machine to operate first and second electrical controllers (,) that respectively operate the first and second electrical servomotors (,) in coordination with the machine operation but independently of each other.

Plastic blow molding in-mold labeling system

Apparatus (30) for finishing a blow molding (24) is disclosed as including a rotary head (42) on which a first knife holder (44) is provided for mounting a knife (46) for radial movement with respect to the rotational axis (A). A second knife holder is mounted in a diametrically opposite relationship to the first knife holder and actuated so as to maintain a balanced relationship during rotation of the rotary head. An actuating mechanism (48) actuates the knife holder (44) to move the knife (46) radially inward with respect to the rotational axis (A) during rotation of the head (42) to cut the blow molding received thereby and thereby provide finishing that removes excess material. The actuating mechanism (42) is preferably constructed as a cam actuator (50) including a cam follower (56) and a cam (58) that operate after a first portion (52) of the rotary head (42) is stopped from continued axial movement as a second portion (54) of the rotary head continues to be moved axially during the rotation. A slow down control (178) slows the extension during the cam actuation and thereby provides knife movement sufficiently slow so that the knife (46) completes at least one full rotation after commencing cutting before completing the cutting and thereby prevents a piercing that can cause a wavy cut line.

Apparatus for finishing a blow molding

An in-mold label supply system (20) for a plastic blow molding machine (22) has particular utility for use with rotary wheel type blow molding and includes a hopper assembly (68) including a feed hopper (70) for positioning discrete sheet-like labels (72) in a vertical feed stack (74). A feeder (76) of the system includes a feed member (78) that selectively grips the lowermost label (72) of the feed stack (74) to provide delivery thereof to a conveyor (80) for conveyance to the blow molding machine (22) where a label dispenser (82) transfers the label (72) to a mold (24) of the machine for placement within a mold cavity section (28). A gate (104) of the feeder (76) cooperates with the feed member (78) to permit only the lowermost label (72) to be fed from the feed stack (74) to the conveyor (80). The feed member (78) is preferably embodied by a feed roller (114) to which pressurized gas and a vacuum are alternately fed to control the label feeding.

In-mold label supply system for plastic blow molding machine

An in-mold label dispenser (42) for supplying labels to a plastic blow molding machine mold (32) whose mold sections open and close along a first direction (A) is disclosed as including a dispensing head (48) mounted for rectilinear movement between withdrawn and inserted positions along a second direction (B) perpendicular to the first direction (A) and supporting at least one label carrier (52) that provides transfer of labels (57) from a label supply (46). An actuator (50) moves the dispensing head (48) and a cam mechanism (58) moves each label carrier (52) between a retracted position and a label transfer position to provide the in-mold label operation. Each label carrier (52) extends from a first end thereof (54) about which pivoting takes place toward the mold to a second end (56) thereof along the second direction (B) in the retracted position and extends from the first end (54) thereof toward the second end (56) thereof along the first direction (A) in the label transfer position to thereby provide accurate registration during the in-mold labeling operation.

Growing community of inventors

Cairo, OH, United States of America

Richard L Dunlap