Abstract: A bottle configured to house and dispense items. The bottle comprises a body, a finish positioned above the body, and a ramp protruding into an interior space defined by the body. The body includes a base and a sidewall extending up from the base. The body defines the interior space for housing the items. The finish presents an opening for dispensing the items from the body. The ramp is formed with a concave shape configured to support one or more of the items.

Abstract: A carrier assembly for injection molding a parison with internal threads. The carrier assembly may be used with an injection stretch blow molding machine that includes a core rod. The carrier assembly comprises a carrier insert surrounding a portion of the core rod. The carrier insert includes a thread-forming portion presenting an interior radial surface and an exterior radial surface. The interior radial surface is configured to be positioned adjacent to the core rod, and the exterior radial surface includes a threaded protrusion configured to extend away from the core rod. The carrier assembly also includes a pinion insert surrounding at least a portion of the threaded protrusion of the thread-forming portion of the carrier insert. The pinion insert is spaced apart from the thread-forming portion of the carrier insert so as to present a thread-forming cavity between the pinion insert and the carrier insert.

Abstract: An injection station of an injection blow molding machine. The injection station comprises a lower die plate and an upper die plate, with lower and upper die plates being shiftable relative to one another between an open position and a closed position. The injection station additionally includes one or more lower mold halves rigidly secured to the lower die plate. The injection station additionally includes one or more upper mold halves floatingly secured to the upper die plate such that positions of the upper mold halves are configured to be adjusted with respect to the upper die plate. Each of the lower mold halves corresponds with an upper mold half to present one or more mold cavities when the lower and upper die plates are in the closed position.

Abstract: Stretch blow station tooling for stretch blowing at least one parison into a molded article, with such parison including a handle. The tooling comprises at least one blow mold assembly including first and second blow mold halves shiftable between an open position and a closed position. The first and second blow mold halves each include a body cavity surface formed therein. In the closed position, the body cavity surfaces of the first and second blow mold halves are aligned to define a blow cavity for receiving at least a portion of the parison. The tooling further comprises a plunger assembly including a plunger configured to be selectively positioned within the blow cavity. When the plunger is positioned within the blow cavity, the plunger is configured to contact the handle of the parison.

Abstract: Injection stretch blow molding tooling for forming at least one parison and at least one stretch blown article having an integral handle. The tooling includes at least one cavity block, a body mold supported within the cavity block, a handle mold supported within the cavity block, and a thread split assembly positioned adjacent to said cavity block. The thread split assembly includes first and second thread split halves shiftable between an open position and a closed position. As such, the body mold, the handle mold, and the thread split assembly cooperatively define a parison-forming cavity, with such parison-forming cavity including a body cavity for forming a body of the parison and a handle cavity for forming a handle of the parison.

Abstract: A carrier assembly for injection molding a parison with internal threads. The carrier assembly may be used with an injection stretch blow molding machine that includes a core rod. The carrier assembly comprises a carrier insert surrounding a portion of the core rod. The carrier insert includes a thread-forming portion presenting an interior radial surface and an exterior radial surface. The interior radial surface is configured to be positioned adjacent to the core rod, and the exterior radial surface includes a threaded protrusion configured to extend away from the core rod. The carrier assembly also includes a pinion insert surrounding at least a portion of the threaded protrusion of the thread-forming portion of the carrier insert. The pinion insert is spaced apart from the thread-forming portion of the carrier insert so as to present a thread-forming cavity between the pinion insert and the carrier insert.

Abstract: An injection station of an injection blow molding machine and a method for forming parisons and molded articles. The injection station includes a die plate with a keyway formed through a least a portion of a surface of the die plate. The keyway separates front and back portions of the surface of the die plate. The injection station further includes a resin injection tooling comprising a draw bar, with at least a portion of the draw bar operable to be positioned within the keyway of the die plate, a base plate secured to a back side of the draw bar and operable to be secured to the back portion of the surface of the die plate and, and a manifold secured to a top of the base plate, with the manifold being configured to discharge resin into cavities to form the parisons.

Abstract: An injection blow molding (IBM) system and method for forming a plurality of parisons and molded articles. The IBM system includes at least one upper body mold half and one lower body mold half, with the upper and lower body mold halves cooperatively presenting a body cavity and being configured to define an exterior shape of a body of the parison. The tooling additionally comprises at least one upper neck mold half and one lower neck mold half, with the upper and lower neck mold halves cooperatively presenting a neck cavity and being configured to define an exterior shape of a neck of the parison. The tooling further comprises an upper thermal barrier plate positioned between the upper body mold half and the upper neck mold half and a lower thermal barrier plate positioned between the upper body mold half and the upper neck mold half.

Abstract: An injection blow molding (IBM) system and method for forming a plurality of parisons and molded articles. The IBM system includes an injection station having upper and lower die sets and a plurality of upper and lower mold half blocks each attached to a respective die set. Each of the upper mold half blocks has a corresponding lower mold half block with which it cooperatively defines one or more cavities for forming the exterior shape of the body of one or more of the parisons. The individual, independent attachment of the mold half blocks to the die sets allows easy individual replacement of faulty or worn mold blocks. Further, such an independent attachment configuration also permits the mold half blocks of each die set to be spaced from one another, so as to reduce thermal expansion problems and ease dimensional tolerances required for the width of the mold half blocks.

Abstract: An injection blow molding (IBM) system and method for forming a plurality of parisons and molded articles. The IBM system includes an injection station having upper and lower die sets and a plurality of upper and lower mold half blocks each attached to a respective die set. Each of the upper mold half blocks has a corresponding lower mold half block with which it cooperatively defines one or more cavities for forming the exterior shape of the body of one or more of the parisons. The individual, independent attachment of the mold half blocks to the die sets allows easy individual replacement of faulty or worn mold blocks. Further, such an independent attachment configuration also permits the mold half blocks of each die set to be spaced from one another, so as to reduce thermal expansion problems and ease dimensional tolerances required for the width of the mold half blocks.

Abstract: An injection blow molding (IBM) system and method for consistently maintaining the surface temperature of the parison molds within a desired range. Implementation of this system/method can result in more consistent production of higher quality parisons and molded articles. Additionally, this system/method reduces the discretion required by the IBM operator and shifts the burden of consistently making high-quality parisons and molded articles onto the designer of the IBM tooling.

Abstract: An injection nozzle that can be used in an injection blow molding system without use of an external heat source comprises a two-piece structure broadly including a structural outer body for coupling the nozzle to a resin manifold and a thermally conductive insert. At least a portion of an axial length of the insert has an outer diameter that is less than an inner diameter of a coinciding coaxial portion of the outer body, such that the differences in the inner and outer diameters present an insulating air gap along at least a portion of the nozzle length. A sufficient operating temperature for hot melt resin can then be obtained without use of the external heat source.

Abstract: An injection blow molding (IBM) system and method for forming a plurality of parisons and molded articles. The IBM system includes an injection station having upper and lower die sets and a plurality of upper and lower mold half blocks each attached to a respective die set. Each of the upper mold half blocks has a corresponding lower mold half block with which it cooperatively defines one or more cavities for forming the exterior shape of the body of one or more of the parisons. The individual, independent attachment of the mold half blocks to the die sets allows easy individual replacement of faulty or worn mold blocks. Further, such an independent attachment configuration also permits the mold half blocks of each die set to be spaced from one another, so as to reduce thermal expansion problems and ease dimensional tolerances required for the width of the mold half blocks.

Abstract: An injection blow molding (IBM) system and method for forming a plurality of parisons and molded articles. The IBM system includes an injection station having two die sets, two body mold halves, and two neck mold halves. Each of the neck mold halves is attached directly to one of the die sets. The neck mold halves are configured to cooperatively form the exterior shape of the necks of one or more parisons. This type of neck mold attachment configuration can allow for better temperature control of the neck portion of the parison being molded therein. Further, such a neck mold configuration can reduce the cost of fabricating, installing, and/or replacing the neck molds.

Abstract: An injection blow molding (IBM) system and method for forming a plurality of parisons and molded articles. The IBM system includes an injection station having two die sets and a plurality of first and second body mold halves each attached to a respective die set. Each of the first body mold halves has a corresponding second body mold half with which it cooperatively defines a cavity for forming the exterior shape of the body of one of the parisons. The individual, independent attachment of the body mold halves to the die sets allows easy individual replacement of faulty or worn molds. Further, such an attachment configuration also permits the body mold halves connected to a common die set to be spaced from one another, so as to reduce thermal expansion problems and ease dimensional tolerances required for the width of the body mold halves.

Abstract: An injection blow molding (IBM) system and method for forming a plurality of parisons and molded articles. The IBM system includes an injection station having two die sets and two mold half assemblies. Each of the mold assemblies is attached to one of the die sets. The mold half assemblies are configured to cooperatively form the exterior shape of the necks of a plurality of parisons. Heat transfer channels formed in both the die sets and the mold half assemblies are fluidly connected with each other, such that a heat transfer fluid can be routed to the mold half assemblies via the die sets.

Abstract: An injection blow molding (IBM) system and method for controlling the surface temperature of the parison molds by passing heat transfer fluid through a plurality of fluidly-coupled heat transfer channels. The heat transfer channels can be formed primarily in die sets to which the parison molds are attached. The placement and distribution of the heat transfer channels relative to the parison-forming surfaces helps control the temperatures of the bodies and necks of the parisons being formed, instead of relying on various adjustments by an IBM operator. This system/method reduces the discretion required by the IBM operator and shifts the burden of consistently making high-quality parisons and molded articles onto the designer of the IBM tooling.

Abstract: An injection nozzle that can be used in an injection blow molding system without use of an external heat source comprises a two-piece structure broadly including a structural outer body for coupling the nozzle to a resin manifold and a thermally conductive insert. At least a portion of an axial length of the insert has an outer diameter that is less than an inner diameter of a coinciding coaxial portion of the outer body, such that the differences in the inner and outer diameters present an insulating air gap along at least a portion of the nozzle length. A sufficient operating temperature for hot melt resin can then be obtained without use of the external heat source.

Abstract: An injection nozzle that can be used in an injection blow molding system without use of an external heat source comprises a two-piece structure broadly including a structural outer body for coupling the nozzle to a resin manifold and a thermally conductive insert. At least a portion of an axial length of the insert has an outer diameter that is less than an inner diameter of a coinciding coaxial portion of the outer body, such that the differences in the inner and outer diameters present an insulating air gap along at least a portion of the nozzle length. A sufficient operating temperature for hot melt resin can then be obtained without use of the external heat source.