Plastic container and method of integrally securing a neck attachment thereto
A method of making a container by providing a container having a neck, providing a container attachment having a circumferentially continuous ring, telescoping the ring over the neck, and radially expanding at least a portion of the neck to secure the attachment to the neck.
The present invention is directed to manufacture of containers, and more particularly to the manufacture of plastic containers having components, such as finish rings and handles, assembled thereto.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONContainers for flowable products, such as liquids and granular products, have been formed of plastic by a variety of methods. For example, plastic containers have been blow molded from preforms to provide container bodies having integral neck finishes and handles. Also, plastic containers have been formed with a container body, including a neck finish integral with the container body, and a handle separately attached to the container. Other containers have been formed by positioning an injected molded handle and finish in a blow mold so that the handle and finish are incorporated into the container as it is blow molded.
In at least some instances, it may be desirable to form a container body separately from a neck finish and/or handle. One reason is that a neck finish that is integrally formed with a preform typically requires more accurate and stable dimensioning than the rest of body of the preform, which may limit the cycle time of the preform molding process. Another reason is that the blow molds used to form the container body can be more simple in design in that they do not require pockets to form or hold an integrally molded handle. It may also be desirable to use a different plastic material for strength, color, esthetics or cost issues, for example, wherein the handle and finish need not be made of the same material as the container body.
The invention includes a number of different aspects, which may be implemented separately from or, more preferably, in combination with each other.
A method in accordance with one aspect of the invention includes the steps of providing a container having a neck, providing a container attachment having a circumferentially continuous ring, telescoping the ring over the neck, and radially expanding the neck to secure the attachment to the neck.
In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of making a handled container that includes the steps of providing a container having a neck, providing a handle having a circumferentially continuous ring, telescoping the ring externally over the neck, and radially expanding the neck to secure the handle to the neck.
In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of making a handled container that includes the steps of pressure molding a preform having a body and a neck with at least one external engagement element, providing a handle having a circumferentially continuous attachment ring, blow molding the body of the preform to form the body of a container having the neck extending therefrom. Either prior to or subsequent to the blow molding step, the method further includes telescoping the ring of the handle over the neck of the container until the ring is adjacent to the at least one external engagement element, and then expanding at least a portion of the neck containing the at least one external engagement element radially outwardly into engagement with the ring to secure the handle to the neck.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a container that includes a body, a neck extending from the body, and an attachment that includes an attachment ring encircling a portion of the neck, the portion of the neck being strain hardened by radial expansion against an inside diameter of the ring.
In accordance with a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided an attachment for a container having a body and a neck extending from the body wherein the neck includes a pair of external engagement beads, the attachment includes a ring having an internal diametrical surface having at least one anti-rotational engagement feature, wherein the attachment is adapted for securement to the neck of the container between the pair of external engagement beads and further wherein the pair of external engagement beads axially restrain the ring and the at least one anti-rotational engagement feature rotationally restrains the ring from movement relative to the container.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe invention, together with additional objects, features, advantages and aspects thereof, will be best understood from the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which:
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Several advantages are provided with one or more of the embodiments of the present invention described above. For example, it is now possible to integrally secure an attachment or component to a neck of a container using the same machine or station that is used to stretch the neck finish to desired size, thereby adding value to a container product without adding capital costs. Simultaneously, the neck size of different preform designs can be produced to a common single diameter and thereafter expanded to a variety of desired sizes, thereby minimizing perso parts. Also, the present invention enables the integral securing of an attachment to a container neck using an integral compression fit, rather than the more cumbersome processes of gluing or swaging. It may also be possible to reduce the cost of container manufacture as a result of higher preform cavitation due to employing a smaller common neck size. Finally, the present invention also provides a simplified method of orienting a finish or handle to a container and minimizes undesired rotation of an attachment relative to a container neck.
There have thus been described a container, an attachment for a container, a method of making a container, and methods of making a handled container that fully satisfy all of the objects and aims previously set forth. The present invention has been disclosed in conjunction with presently preferred embodiments thereof, and a number of modifications and variations have been discussed. Other modifications and variations will readily suggest themselves to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the foregoing description. Directional words such as top, bottom, upper, lower, radial, circumferential, and the like are employed by way of description and not limitation. Indeed, the invention is intended to embrace all modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims;
Claims
1. A method of making a container that includes the steps of:
- (a) providing a container having a neck,
- (b) providing a container attachment having a circumferentially continuous ring,
- (c) telescoping said ring over said neck, and
- (d) radially expanding at least a portion of said neck to secure said attachment to said neck.
2. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein said attachment has at least one external thread segment.
3. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein said attachment includes a handle coupled to said ring.
4. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein said step (a) includes providing at least one external engagement element on said neck to engage said ring upon expansion of said neck in said step (d).
5. The method set forth in claim 4 wherein said step of providing at least one external engagement element includes providing spaced beads on said neck for engaging said ring.
6. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of steps (a) and (b) includes providing at least one anti-rotational feature on at least one of said neck and said ring.
7. The method set forth in claim 6 wherein said providing step includes providing knurling on at least one of said neck and said ring.
8. The method set forth in claim 6 wherein said providing step includes providing at least one lug on one of said neck and said ring and at least one corresponding pocket on the other of said neck and said ring such that said at least one lug engages said at least one corresponding pocket.
9. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein step (d) includes axially driving an anvil into said container to radially outwardly expand at least a portion of said neck into engagement with said attachment.
10. The method set forth in claim 9 wherein said step (a) includes providing at least one external engagement element on said neck to engage said ring upon expansion of said neck in said step (d), further wherein said anvil simultaneously expands a finish portion of said neck and said at least one external engagement element on said neck.
11. The method set forth in claim 9 wherein said step (a) includes providing at least one external engagement element on said neck to engage said ring upon expansion of said neck in said step (d), further wherein said anvil expands said at least one external engagement element on said neck but does not expand a finish portion of said neck.
12. A container produced by the method of claim 1.
13. A method of making a handled container that includes the steps of:
- (a) providing a container having a neck,
- (b) providing a handle having a circumferentially continuous ring,
- (c) telescoping said ring externally over said neck, and
- (d) radially expanding at least a portion of said neck to secure said handle to said neck.
14. The method set forth in claim 13 wherein said attachment ring includes at least external thread forming an externally threaded finish when said ring is secured to said neck in said step (d).
15. The method set forth in claim 13 wherein said neck includes at least one external thread, a capping flange, and a pair of spaced beads.
16. The method set forth in claim 15 wherein said neck and said pair of spaced beads are smaller in diameter than that of said capping flange and said at least one external thread, and wherein said step (d) includes expanding that portion of said neck having said spaced beads without expanding that portion of said neck having said capping flange or said at least one external thread.
17. The method set forth in claim 13 wherein at least one of steps (a) and (b) includes providing at least one anti-rotational feature on at least one of said neck and said ring of said handle.
18. The method set forth in claim 17 wherein said providing step includes providing knurling on at least one of said neck and said ring of said handle.
19. The method set forth in claim 17 wherein said providing step includes providing at least one lug on one of said neck and said ring and at least one corresponding pocket on the other of said neck and said ring such that said at least one lug engages said at least one corresponding pocket.
20. The method set forth in claim 13 wherein step (d) includes axially driving an anvil into an open end of said container to radially outwardly expand at least a portion of said neck into engagement with said ring of said handle.
21. A handled container produced by the method set forth in claim 1
22. A method of making a handled container that includes the steps of:
- (a) pressure molding a preform having a body and a neck with at least one external engagement element,
- (b) providing a handle having a circumferentially continuous attachment ring,
- (c) blow molding said body of said preform to form a body of a container having said neck extending therefrom, and
- (d) either prior to or subsequent to said step (c):
- (d1) telescoping said ring of said handle over said neck of said container until said ring is adjacent to said at least one external engagement element, and then
- (d2) expanding at least a portion of said neck containing said at least one external engagement element radially outwardly into engagement with said ring to secure said handle to said neck.
23. A handled container produced by the method set forth in claim 22.
24. A container that includes:
- a body,
- a neck extending from said body, and
- an attachment that includes an attachment ring encircling a portion of said neck,
- said portion of said neck being strain hardened by radial expansion against an inside diameter of said attachment ring.
25. An attachment for a container having a body and a neck extending from said body wherein said neck includes a pair of external engagement beads, said attachment includes a ring having an internal diametrical surface having at least one anti-rotational engagement feature, wherein said attachment is adapted for securement to said neck of said container between said pair of external engagement beads by radially outward expansion of said neck and further wherein said pair of external engagement beads axially restrain said ring and said at least one anti-rotational engagement feature rotationally restrains said ring from movement relative to said container.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 21, 2004
Publication Date: Oct 27, 2005
Inventor: Michael Lonsway (Toledo, OH)
Application Number: 10/828,759