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:
Oct. 05, 1999
Filed:
Feb. 24, 1997
Roger P Smith, Napoleon, OH (US);
Thomas J Krall, Toledo, OH (US);
Owens-Illinois Plastic Products Inc., Toledo, OH (US);
Abstract
A flexible plastic tube and a method of forming a flexible plastic tube includes injection molding a finish having an opening, extruding a tube integrally with the finish by relevant movement of the finish with respect to an extruder, moving the finish axially away from the extruder while continuing continuously extruding the tube, closing a blow mold about the extruded tube, blowing the tube into an integral container body having a closed bottom, opening the molds to provide an integral flexible tube with a finish thereon. Thereafter the method includes decorating the body with indicia, cutting the closed end of the tube leaving an open-ended tube of the end opposite the finish, and applying a closure to the finish. Subsequently, the tube is filled through the open end and the open end is closed. The decorating includes rotating the tube about the longitudinal axis of the tube while engaging the finish and bottom. The step of decorating preferably includes rotating the container relative to a silk screen printing device. The step of injection molding and extrusion molding preferably includes injecting and extruding linear low density polyethylene. A closure is applied before or after cutting the bottom from the container.