Abstract: A reinforced plastic container having improved rim planarity. The container has a non-round main body portion integral with a finish portion. The main body portion has a central longitudinal axis and defines a hollow interior of the container. The finish portion has an upper surface defining a rim with a circumference framing a round opening that provides access to the hollow interior of the container, a radially outwardly extending snap bead being adapted to receive and retain a closure and hermetically seal the container and including interrupted portions located around the circumference of the rim, and a plurality of reinforcements located in the interrupted portions of the snap bead and assuring substantial planarity of the upper surface of the rim even when substantial forces act on the container. Each reinforcement has a strut bounded by and centered between a pair of strut indents, with each indent supported by a buttress.

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.

Abstract: Polymeric container includes a base defining a support surface and a sidewall extending upwardly from the base. The sidewall has at least a first contact portion extending about a perimeter of the sidewall. The sidewall includes a raised surface pattern at a select area proximate the first contact portion. The raised surface pattern includes a plurality of protrusions extending outwardly from the sidewall and having an outer surface. Each protrusion is spaced apart from adjacent protrusions within the selected area, and a shortest distance between each protrusion and any of the adjacent protrusions is less than a greatest surface dimension of the outer surface of each protrusion.

Abstract: Hot-fillable plastic bottle including a finished portion, a body portion with at least one circumferential rib configured to resist radial distortion, and a base portion. The base portion comprises a base sidewall, a bottom support surface extending radially inward from the base sidewall and defining a reference plane, an inner support wall extending upwardly from the bottom support surface, and a diaphragm extending radially inward from the inner support wall. The diaphragm comprises an inner wall having an arcuate shape with a radius r1 and a central conical structure, where the diaphragm is in an initial as-formed position with the conical structure above the reference place. The diaphragm is configured to move from an initial as-formed position toward a second position when an internal pressure relative an external pressure exceeds a threshold value.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composition comprising: a polyester base polymer; an oxidizable polyether-based additive; and a transition metal catalyst, wherein the polyester base polymer is substantially free of antimony. Containers made include a wall made of the composition. The polyester base polymer may preferably include polyethylene terephthalate and include less than about 100 ppm of antimony, less than about 50 ppm, less than about 10 ppm, or between about 0 and about 2 ppm. Containers made from the composition are substantially clear and exhibit excellent oxygen scavenging properties with little to no induction period.

Abstract: Method of making a blow-molded plastic container comprises forming a hollow blow-molded article comprising a main body portion defining an interior space, a finish portion defining a mouth in fluid communication with the interior space, the finish portion having a substantially cylindrical circumferential wall of generally uniform thickness surrounding the mouth, the circumferential wall having an upper edge with a perimeter flange and a pair of tabs projecting radially inward from the circumferential wall, the pair of tabs defining a spout therebetween, and a moil portion extending from the perimeter flange in a direction opposite the main body portion. Method further includes inflating the plastic material within the mold cavity to form the hollow blow-molded article and removing the moil portion from the perimeter flange. Blow-molded plastic container having a finish portion with directional pour spout and blow-molded article comprising container and moil portion also disclosed.

Abstract: Container having a body portion with sidewall defining outer perimeter and hollow interior. The body portion includes a plurality of continuous ribs extending about the outer perimeter of the sidewall, each rib having alternating horizontal segments and branched segments. Each branched segment includes a top branch and bottom branch joined at either end to define a bounded area therebetween. The plurality of continuous ribs includes at least a first continuous rib and second continuous rib spaced vertically from the first continuous rib. A midpoint of each branched segment of the first continuous rib is aligned along a vertical axis with a midpoint of a corresponding horizontal segment of the second continuous rib, and a midpoint of each horizontal segment of the first continuous rib is aligned along a vertical axis with a midpoint of a corresponding branched segment of the second continuous rib.

Abstract: A container including a body having a base defining a closed end, a finish defining an opposite open end, and a sidewall between the base and finish. The base includes a support surface defining a reference plane and a contoured base recess extending inwardly from the support surface to a maximum base recess height “hbrmax” from the plane. The sidewall includes a concave rib extending circumferentially around the body. A center of the rib is disposed at a rib height “hr” from the plane. The ratio “hbrmax:hr” is between 1:3 and 1:5. The rib includes a radiused transition surface extending from the base to an angled inner surface and having a radius of curvature “r1” of at least 0.10 inches. The angled inner surface has an angle “a” relative to the plane of between 28 and 80 degrees. A method and mold assembly for making the container are also provided.

Abstract: A plastic container has a main body portion, a neck portion and a molded feature such as an anti-rotation lug adjacent to the neck portion. The molded feature has a volume that is less than a volume that would be defined by the maximum external dimensions of the feature. This reduces the shrinkage differential between the molded feature and the neck portion, which could otherwise cause sealing problems with a closure as a result of deformation of the neck portion. A method of blow molding a plastic container with a reduced volume of the molded feature is also disclosed.

Abstract: A vertical additive processing system for use with a blow molding machine having a flow head from which a plastic parison is delivered to a mold and producing an article. The system has a servo-controlled accumulation technology (SCAT) unit including (a) an accumulator collecting plastic material when retracted and delivering plastic material when extended, and (b) an actuator directing the accumulator to retract and extend. The system further has a tooling unit including a bushing body adapted to engage the flow head, a distribution ring, a bushing cap, a central aperture defining a main parison flow path, and a distribution channel delivering additional plastic material received from the accumulator to the main parison flow path. The system still further has a material duct connecting the two units through which plastic material delivered by the SCAT unit is transported to and received by the tooling unit.

Abstract: Molded multilayer polymer compositions and structures are provided, including a body portion having a body wall. The body wall has a first layer comprising a copolymer HDPE, a second layer comprising a homopolymer HDPE, and a third layer comprising a mix of the copolymer HDPE of the first layer and the homopolymer HDPE of the second layer, wherein the third layer is disposed between the first layer and the second layer, and a total weight content of the homopolymer HDPE is at least about 30 wt-% of the body wall. The body wall has an overall wall thickness T, the first thickness is about 10% of the overall wall thickness T, the second thickness is about 20% of the overall wall thickness T, and the third layer has a third thickness of about 70% of the overall wall thickness T.

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.