Patents Assigned to Graham Packaging Company, L.P.
  • Patent number: 10035690
    Abstract: Method and system for handling a plurality of hot-filled and capped containers having temporary deformations or distortions caused by vacuums induced in the containers. For each container, temporary deformations are confined or directed to a particular portion of the container. Annular hoop rings can be provided to confine the temporary deformations to a smooth sidewall portion of the container between the annular hoop rings. Alternatively, one or more supplemental vacuum panels can be provided to confine or direct the temporary deformation thereto. The annular hoop rings and the one or more supplemental vacuum panels can provide for substantially stable touch points for the container. The containers are conveyed with temporary deformations such that substantially stable contact points of each container are in contact with corresponding substantially stable contact points of other containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Paul V. Kelley, Scott E. Bysick
  • Patent number: 10029817
    Abstract: Base includes an outer support wall, a support surface extending inwardly from the outer support wall and defining a reference plane, an inner support wall extending upwardly from the support surface, a first radiused portion extending radially inward from the inner support wall and concave relative to the reference plane, a second radiused portion extending radially inward from the first radiused portion and convex relative to the reference plane, an intermediate surface extending radially inward from the second radiused portion, a third radiused portion extending radially inward from the intermediate surface and convex relative to the reference plane, and a central portion disposed proximate the third radiused portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Paul Lee Wright, Justin A. Howell, Travis A. Hunter, Romauld M. Philippe, Michael T. Kelly, Robert Waltemyer
  • Publication number: 20180186039
    Abstract: A mold cleaner for in-line cleaning of a mold cavity of a blow mold of a blow molding machine. The cleaner has a mount attaching the cleaner to the collet of the machine, enabling the feed belt of the machine to transport the collet and the cleaner to and from the blow mold to be cleaned. An air-powered motor engages the mount, has a motor shaft, and receives air from the blow seal of the machine, which activates the motor and rotates the motor shaft. A bearing carrier surrounds the motor and engages the mount. A cleaning unit is carried by the bearing carrier and rotated by the motor shaft, and contacts the mold cavity to clean the mold cavity. A related method is also provided of using the mold cleaner to perform in-line cleaning of a mold cavity of a blow mold of a blow molding machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Applicant: Graham Packaging Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Dustin J. Craig, Clarence Fields, Ryan Smith, Brant Meier, Kevin Kotal, Brian Herrera, Tyler Stagner
  • Publication number: 20180186500
    Abstract: Plastic container comprises a container body having a bottom portion, a sidewall portion and an upper portion, with a chamber defined therein. The bottom portion includes a support surface and a variable dynamic base portion. The sidewall portion includes a lower circumferential groove ring, an upper circumferential groove ring, and a pair of longitudinal grooves extending longitudinally therebetween to define a front sidewall segment and a rear sidewall segment. The rear sidewall segment comprises a waist groove extending circumferentially between the pair of longitudinal grooves to define an upper rear sidewall segment and a lower rear sidewall segment, wherein one of the upper rear sidewall segment or the lower rear sidewall segment includes two vacuum panels with a rigid longitudinal support therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Applicant: GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Sheldon E. Yourist, Raymond A. Pritchett, JR.
  • Publication number: 20180162581
    Abstract: A method of forming a retortable plastic container, the container including a main body and a bottom. The bottom defines a raised inner portion and at least one substantially flat bottom support surface. The substantially flat bottom support surface is curved and positioned near a radially outermost edge on the bottom when viewed in bottom plan. A groove is defined in the substantially flat bottom support surface. In addition, a first side wall portion that extends upwardly from the radially outermost edge of the bottom is shaped as a truncated cone, giving the bottom portion greater dimensional stability under retort conditions. The container bottom exhibits superior dimensional stability with respect to predecessor designs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Applicant: GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventor: Sheldon E. Yourist
  • Patent number: 9994350
    Abstract: A finish portion for a plastic container includes a threaded portion having at least one helical thread and a substantially flat thread positioned beneath the helical thread. The helical thread is merged into the flat thread. A transfer bead is positioned beneath the threaded portion and a gripping indentation is defined between the threaded portion and the transfer bead for facilitating automated conveyance. The gripping indentation may be shaped so that no separate ledge is defined between the threaded portion and the transfer bead. The gripping indentation may have a height that is at least about 0.085 inch. The finish portion has a maximum thread diameter and a maximum height, and a ratio of the maximum thread diameter to the maximum height may be at least about 2.3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Joseph P. Labadie, Lance J. Novotny, Richard R. Johnston
  • Patent number: 9994378
    Abstract: Plastic containers, base configurations for plastic containers, and systems, methods, and base molds thereof. Plastic containers have base portions constructed and operative to accommodate internal pressures within the container due to elevated temperature processing, such as hot-filling, pasteurization, and/or retort processing. Plastic containers can also be constructed and operative to accommodate internal pressures within the filled container resulting from subjecting the filled plastic container to cooling or cool-down processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Michael P. Wurster, Scott E. Bysick
  • Patent number: 9993959
    Abstract: Disclosed is a mold for forming a deep grip container, the mold having drive mechanisms opposably to drive moveable inserts into the mold. The drive mechanisms may be located entirely within the mold and may include a slotted cam. Also disclosed is a method of manufacturing a blow molded bottle with a deep pinch grip comprising: providing a mold hanger having an outer envelope and providing within the outer envelope a drive mechanism to drive moveable inserts into the mold after blowing molten plastic into contact with the mold. Further disclosed is a blow molded bottle with a deep pinch grip manufactured according to the disclosed methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Stephen R. Guerin, David P. Piccioli, Thomas E. Nahill, Keith J. Barker
  • Patent number: 9969520
    Abstract: A hot-fillable container that is cylindrical in shape. The container may have two ribs. A top rib is located in the top bumper and a bottom rib is located in the bottom bumper. Both the top and the bottom ribs have depth that is deep enough so that the container may withstand the hot-fill process and increase its top load ability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Matthew T. Gill, Raymond A. Pritchett, Jr., Travis A. Hunter
  • Publication number: 20180118424
    Abstract: Plastic container comprises a main body portion defining an interior space; and a finish portion defining a mouth in fluid communication with the interior space, the finish portion having an upper portion including a circumferential wall surrounding the mouth, the circumferential wall having a lower end and an upper edge defining a height of the circumferential wall, the circumferential wall comprising a first indent and a second indent each extending inwardly into the mouth to form a spout portion disposed between the first indent and the second indent, the upper portion further comprising at least one thread disposed on the height of the circumferential wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Applicant: GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: BENTON A. LEWIS, Brian Hagan
  • Patent number: 9956715
    Abstract: A method of producing a container and a closure comprises blow molding a body comprising a container portion and a closure portion joined together, and separating the closure portion from the container portion. A container and/or a closure produced according to the method are also disclosed, as well as an intermediate product for producing a container and a closure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Sheldon Yourist, David W. Cargile, Edward V. Perone
  • Patent number: 9926097
    Abstract: A plastic container that is fabricated from an extrudable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) using an extrusion blow molding process includes a neck portion, a bottom portion and a main body portion. The main body portion has a central opening that extends completely through the main body portion and may have generally toroidal area surrounding the central opening. The bottom portion includes a plurality of support feet and a substantially smooth central raised portion that has substantially no discontinuities such as the gate well that is commonly found on PET containers fabricated using the conventional stretch blow molding process. The neck portion may be offset from a longitudinal axis of the container so as to facilitate pouring by a consumer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventor: Sheldon E. Yourist
  • Publication number: 20180079128
    Abstract: Method to manufacture a container includes disposing a first parison within a first mold assembly having a first inner surface defining a first mold chamber. The first mold assembly includes at least one first insert disposed on the first inner surface within the first mold chamber. The first parison is blow molded to form a first container body within the first mold chamber, wherein at least one first portion of the first container body corresponding to the at least one first insert has a first portion temperature greater than a remaining portion of the first container body. The at least one first portion of the first container body can be contacted to at least one second portion of a second container body to attach the first and second container bodies. Assemblies, systems, and intermediate stage pre-assembly multi-chamber containers are also disclosed, as well as multi-chamber containers formed from the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Applicant: Graham Packaging Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Gilles J. Rapet, Armel A. Archeny, Gregory Antier
  • Patent number: 9896254
    Abstract: A round, hot fillable plastic container includes an upper portion defining an opening; a bottom portion; and a main body portion having a plastic sidewall that has a plurality of vacuum panels defined therein. The main body portion has a generally hourglass shape with a central portion that is narrower than upper and lower portions thereof. The hourglass shape optimizes grippability of the container. Grippability is optimized further by the presence of indentations that are formed between columns that define the hourglass shape and pillow portions that are provided for finger support. The indentations permit a consumer to gain finger traction and purchase with respect to the container body, even when a label is positioned between the container body and the user's fingers. The main body portion further has a first groove defined in the upper portion thereof, a second groove defined in the lower portion thereof and a third groove that is defined in the central portion thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Sheldon E. Yourist, Raymond A. Pritchett, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9896233
    Abstract: A blow molded plastic container is provided. The container has a body section having a substantially non-circular cross-sectional shape, the body section having an enclosed bottom portion that forms a bottom end of the container and substantially flat side portions extending upwardly from the bottom end; a finish defining an opening; and a dome extending from the body section to the finish. The dome includes at least one stiffening structure formed by an inwardly indented, vertically extending groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: John Denner, Gregory Trude, Paul Kelley, Richard K. Ogg, Seungyeol Hong, David Melrose
  • Publication number: 20180037399
    Abstract: A method of forming a plastic aerosol container, including, providing a preform having a finish portion, blow molding a plastic container from the preform, and reforming the finish portion so that an inner surface thereof has an undercut defined therein proximate an upper rim fo the finish portion. The undercut includes a substantially horizontal orientation and reforming the finish portion is performed after providing a preform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Applicant: GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Ralph Armstrong, Thomas E. Nahill, Keith J. Barker, Brian A. Lynch
  • Publication number: 20180037384
    Abstract: Blow-molded plastic container is provided having a main body portion (102), a finish portion (110) and a sealing lip (130). The main body portion includes a bottom region (104) defining a support reference plane and an upstanding sidewall (106) defining a body portion chamber (108) and a perimeter of the main body portion. The finish portion (110) is disposed proximate an upper region of the main body portion opposite the bottom region and defines a finish portion chamber (108) and an opening (116) in communication with body portion chamber. The finish portion is configured to engage a lid member (150,250). The sealing lip (130) is disposed between the main body portion and the finish portion. The sealing lip extends inwardly from the perimeter of the main body portion and is configured to receive a sealing member (140) to seal the opening between the body portion chamber and the finish portion chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Applicant: GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Armel Archeny, David Araujo
  • Patent number: D813674
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: April M. Peacock, Tapan Y. Patel
  • Patent number: D814935
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventor: Eric B. Ungrady
  • Patent number: D818837
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventor: Anthony J. Schlies