# US 11,110,640 B2 · Container and manufacture thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,110,640 B2 - Document ID: US11110640B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/315,682 - Filed: 2017-07-07 - Published: 2019-07-11 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-08 - Assignees: Gr8 Engineering Limited - Applicants: Gr8 Engineering Limited - Inventors: Peter Reginald Clarke - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11110640B2 ## CPC - B29C 49/4273: {Auxiliary operations after the blow-moulding operation not otherwise provided for} - B29C 49/06: Injection blow-moulding - B29C 49/70: Removing or ejecting blown articles from the mould - B29C 51/04: Combined thermoforming and prestretching, e.g. biaxial stretching - B29C 51/44: Removing or ejecting moulded articles - B29C 49/1212: {the stretching rod comprising at least one opening on the surface, e.g. through which compressed air is blown into the preform to expand the same} - B29C 2049/023: {using inherent heat of the preform, i.e. 1 step blow moulding} - B29C 2049/2412: {outside the article} - B29K 2067/003: {PET, i.e. poylethylene terephthalate} - B29K 2995/0041: Crystalline - B29L 2031/712: {Containers; Packaging elements or accessories, Packages (closures therefor B29L2031/56; ink or toner cartridges B29L2031/7678; squeeze tubes B29L2023/20; suitcases B29L2031/7418)} - B29L 2031/716: {of the wide mouth type, i.e. the diameters of the bottle opening and its body are substantially identical} - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES ## Abstract A method of forming a container, the method comprising the steps of: providing an injection moulded preform composed of a biaxially-orientable thermoplastic material, the preform being substantially planar and having a peripheral edge and a central portion; clamping at least a portion of the peripheral edge of the preform in a frame; heating the preform; stretch blow moulding the heated preform, clamped with the frame, within a mould cavity defined by a first female mould to form an intermediate article having a bottom wall and an annular sidewall beneath an upper edge clamped within the frame, the stretch blow moulding step using a stretch rod to engage an inner side of at least the central portion of the preform and axially to stretch at least a part of the central portion of the preform prior to blowing a pressurized gas against the inner side which urges the opposite side of the preform radially outwardly against the mould; and shrinking the intermediate article, clamped with the frame, onto a second male mould to form a container having a bottom wall, defining a base, and an annular sidewall, defining a body portion, beneath the upper edge clamped within the frame, the container comprising biaxially oriented thermoplastic material in the annular sidewall and at least an outer portion of the bottom wall. Also disclosed is a wide mouth container which may be formed by the method. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of forming a container, the method comprising the steps of: i) providing an injection moulded preform composed of a biaxially-orientable thermoplastic material, the preform being substantially planar and having a peripheral edge and a central portion; ii) clamping at least a portion of the peripheral edge of the preform in a frame, wherein the frame comprises a pair of upper and lower mating frame members forming an opening in the frame, wherein the peripheral edge is clamped between the frame members and the central portion is located in the opening and the frame is coupled to a heating device for heating the frame to a controlled temperature or the frame is coupled to a cooling device for cooling the frame to a controlled temperature; iii) heating the preform, wherein the preform is clamped in the frame during the heating step iii; iv) stretch blow moulding the heated preform, clamped with the frame, within a mould cavity defined by a first female mould to form an intermediate article having a bottom wall and an annular sidewall beneath an upper edge clamped within the frame, the stretch blow moulding step using a stretch rod to engage an inner side of at least the central portion of the preform and axially to stretch at least a part of the central portion of the preform prior to blowing a pressurized gas against the inner side which urges the opposite side of the preform radially outwardly against the mould; and v) shrinking the intermediate article, clamped with the frame, onto a second male mould to form a container having a bottom wall, defining a base, and an annular sidewall, defining a body portion, beneath the upper edge clamped within the frame, the container comprising biaxially oriented thermoplastic material in the annular sidewall and at least an outer portion of the bottom wall. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein the substantially planar preform has a wall thickness T of from 0.75 to 4 mm, or from 1 to 3 mm, or from 1.25 to 1.75 mm, over at least the central portion of the preform. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein the container is a tray and the substantially planar preform has a wall thickness T of from 0.3 to 0.75 mm, or from 0.4 to 0.6 mm, or about 0.5 mm, over at least the central portion of the preform. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein the substantially planar preform has an overall general shape and configuration which is planar and the preform has some localised three-dimensional shaping. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein the heating device is controlled to heat the lower frame member to a temperature of from 125° C. to 145° C. to induce crystallinity in the thermoplastic material in contact with the lower frame member, which thermoplastic material is polyethylene terephthalate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A method according to claim 5 wherein the heating device is controlled to heat the upper frame member to a temperature of from 65° C. to 100° C. to reduce or prevent the induction of surface crystallinity in the thermoplastic material in contact with the upper frame member, which thermoplastic material is polyethylene terephthalate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A method according to claim 6 wherein a lidding film is subsequently applied by application of at least one of heat and pressure to the thermoplastic material of reduced surface crystallinity after filling the container with contents to be packaged therein. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein the cooling device is controlled to cool the upper frame member to a temperature of from 5° C. to 20° C. to reduce or prevent the induction of crystallinity in the thermoplastic material in contact with the upper frame member. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein during the heating step iii the preform is heated either conductively by contact with at least one heated element or by preheating using infrared and/or near-infrared and/or microwave radiation and subsequent thermal conditioning by conductive contact with at least one heated element. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein during the heating step iii the preform is differentially heated so that preform material in a first region to form a corner in the container between the bottom wall and the annular sidewall is heated to a lower temperature than at least one adjacent second region. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein at least an annular outer part of the preform has a constant thickness which is heated to a common temperature during the heating step iii. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein at least the central portion of the preform has a varying thickness which is heated to correspondingly varying temperatures during the heating step iii. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein in step (v) the second male mould has a temperature which is higher than a glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic material, or lower than a temperature of the first female mould, or from 80 to 120° C., or from 95 to 105° C., and step (v) thermoforms the container. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A method according to claim 13 further comprising heat setting the container by holding the container at an elevated temperature in contact with the second male mould thereby to increase the crystallinity of the thermoplastic material. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A method according to claim 14 wherein in step (v) the crystallinity of the thermoplastic material in the sidewall is increased during contact of the container on the second male mould, from a crystallinity value in the sidewall of the intermediate article of less than 30%, or from 20 to less than 30%, to a crystallinity value in the sidewall of the container of greater than 30%, or from 30 to 45%. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein in step (v) the intermediate article shrinks to form the container so that at least 50%, or from 75 to 100%, or from 95 to 100%, of the surface area of the bottom wall and annular sidewall of the intermediate article are shrunk inwardly onto the second male mould by a distance of from 0.5 to 5 mm, or from 1 to 4 mm, or from 1 to 3 mm, or from 1.5 to 2.5 mm. ### Claim 17 A method of forming a container, the method comprising the steps of: i) providing an injection moulded preform composed of a biaxially-orientable thermoplastic material, the preform being substantially planar and having a peripheral edge and a central portion; ii) clamping at least a portion of the peripheral edge of the preform in a frame, wherein the frame comprises a pair of upper and lower mating frame members forming an opening in the frame, wherein the peripheral edge is clamped between the frame members and the central portion is located in the opening; iii) heating the preform, wherein the frame is coupled to a heating device for heating the frame to a controlled temperature, wherein the heating device is controlled to heat the lower frame member to a first temperature and to heat the upper frame member to a second temperature, wherein the second temperature is lower than the first temperature; iv) stretch blow moulding the heated preform, clamped with the frame, within a mould cavity defined by a first female mould to form an intermediate article having a bottom wall and an annular sidewall beneath an upper edge clamped within the frame, the stretch blow moulding step using a stretch rod to engage an inner side of at least the central portion of the preform and axially to stretch at least a part of the central portion of the preform prior to blowing a pressurized gas against the inner side which urges the opposite side of the preform radially outwardly against the mould; and v) shrinking the intermediate article, clamped with the frame, onto a second male mould to form a container having a bottom wall, defining a base, and an annular sidewall, defining a body portion, beneath the upper edge clamped within the frame, the container comprising biaxially oriented thermoplastic material in the annular sidewall and at least an outer portion of the bottom wall. ### Claim 18 A method of forming a container, the method comprising the steps of: i) providing an injection moulded preform composed of a biaxially-orientable thermoplastic material, the preform being substantially planar and having a peripheral edge and a central portion; ii) clamping at least a portion of the peripheral edge of the preform in a frame, wherein the frame comprises a pair of upper and lower mating frame members forming an opening in the frame, wherein the peripheral edge is clamped between the frame members and the central portion is located in the opening and the frame is coupled to a heating device for heating the frame to a controlled temperature or the frame is coupled to a cooling device for cooling the frame to a controlled temperature; iii) heating the preform, wherein the preform is clamped in the frame during the heating step iii; iv) stretch blow moulding the heated preform, clamped with the frame, within a mould cavity defined by a first female mould to form an intermediate article having a bottom wall and an annular sidewall beneath an upper edge clamped within the frame, the stretch blow moulding step using a stretch rod to engage an inner side of at least the central portion of the preform and axially to stretch at least a part of the central portion of the preform prior to blowing a pressurized gas against the inner side which urges the opposite side of the preform radially outwardly against the mould; and v) shrinking the intermediate article, clamped with the frame, onto a second male mould to form a container having a bottom wall, defining a base, and an annular sidewall, defining a body portion, beneath the upper edge clamped within the frame, the container comprising biaxially oriented thermoplastic material in the annular sidewall and at least an outer portion of the bottom wall, wherein in step (v) the second male mould has a temperature which is higher than a glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic material and step (v) thermoforms the container and heat sets the container by holding the container at an elevated temperature in contact with the second male mould thereby to increase the crystallinity of the thermoplastic material in the sidewall during contact of the container on the second male mould from a crystallinity value in the sidewall of the intermediate article of less than 30% to a crystallinity value in the sidewall of the container of greater than 30%.