The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 12, 1995
Filed:
Sep. 24, 1993
Suppayan M Krishnakumar, Nashua, NH (US);
Wayne N Collette, Merrimack, NH (US);
Nikhil Mani, Billerica, MA (US);
Continental PET Technologies, Inc., Florence, KY (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for forming a plastic container having an enhanced level of crystallinity for improved thermal stability. A substantially amorphous and transparent preform in the molecular orientation temperature range is expanded by a pulse-blow process one or more times to form an intermediate article, prior to a final expansion step to the full container dimensions. The pulse-blow step is conducted at a relatively high-strain rate to maximize the formation of crystal nucleation sites, followed by deflation to relax the amorphous orientation, and the final expansion step is conducted at a low-strain rate to minimize the amorphous orientation. The resulting container has a higher thermal deformation temperature and reduced thermal shrinkage and is particularly adapted for use as a refillable or hot-fill beverage container. A blow-mold and fluid supply apparatus is provided, including a metering chamber and piston, for alternatively supplying the high and low-strain rate inflations.