# US 2020/0198212 A1 · Multi-Layer Blow Molded Article with Functional Visual and/or Tactile Effects

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- Number: US 2020/0198212 A1
- Document ID: US20200198212A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/720,036
- Filed: 2019-12-19
- Published: 2020-06-25
- Earliest claimed: 2018-12-19
- Assignees: The Procter & Gamble Company
- Applicants: The Procter & Gamble Company
- Inventors: Nicole Ashley Rizzo; Andrew Joseph Horton; Joseph Craig Lester; Philip Andrew Sawin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200198212A1

## CPC

- B29C 49/06: Injection blow-moulding
- B65D 1/0215: {multilayered (B65D81/3837 takes precedence)}
- B29B 11/14: characterised by structure or composition
- B29C 49/071: {Preforms or parisons characterised by their configuration, e.g. geometry, dimensions or physical properties}
- B29C 49/24: Lining or labelling
- B29C 49/4252: {Auxiliary operations prior to the blow-moulding operation not otherwise provided for}
- B32B 1/00: Layered products having a non-planar shape
- B32B 3/263: {characterised by a layer having non-uniform thickness}
- B32B 7/02: Physical, chemical or physicochemical properties
- B29B 11/08: Injection moulding
- B29C 2049/023: {using inherent heat of the preform, i.e. 1 step blow moulding}
- B29C 2795/00: Printing on articles made from plastics or substances in a plastic state
- B29C 2795/002: before shaping
- B29C 2795/007: after shaping
- B29C 2949/0715: the preform having one end closed
- B29C 2949/072: having variable wall thickness
- B29C 2949/0721: Tangentially varying thickness
- B29C 2949/0724: at body portion
- B29C 2949/074: having ribs or protrusions
- B29C 2949/0744: at neck portion
- B29C 2949/0745: at flange portion
- B29C 2949/0746: at body portion
- B29C 2949/0747: at bottom portion
- B29C 2949/0768: characterised by the shape of specific parts of preform
- B29C 2949/0773: Threads
- B29C 2949/08: Preforms made of several individual parts, e.g. by welding or gluing parts together
- B29C 2949/0811: Wall thickness
- B29C 2949/0868: at the neck portion
- B29C 2949/0869: at the flange portion
- B29C 2949/087: at the body portion
- B29C 2949/0871: at the bottom portion
- B29C 2949/30: Preforms or parisons made of several components
- B29C 2949/3006: having tangentially different components within one layer, e.g. longitudinal stripes
- B29C 2949/3008: at neck portion
- B29C 2949/3012: at flange portion
- B29C 2949/3016: at body portion
- B29C 2949/302: at bottom portion
- B29C 2949/3028: having three or more components
- B29C 2949/3032: having components being injected
- B29C 2949/3036: having three or more components being injected
- B29C 2949/3086: Interaction between two or more components, e.g. type of or lack of bonding
- B29K 2995/0018: having particular optical properties, e.g. fluorescent or phosphorescent
- B29K 2995/0026: Transparent
- B29L 2031/7158: {Bottles}
- B29L 2031/722: {Decorative or ornamental articles}
- B32B 2307/538: Roughness
- B32B 2307/732: Dimensional properties
- B65D 1/40: Details of walls (other container details B65D23/00, B65D25/00)
- 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)
- B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B29B: PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS
- B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- 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

Blow molded articles having a predetermined feature incorporated into the wall provided by variations in the thickness of the wall of the article corresponding to a predetermined pattern etched into the perform from which the article was formed. Also, etched performs for making blow molded articles and methods for making such performs and articles.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A multi-layer blow molded article formed from a perform etched in a predetermined pattern, the article comprising:
a neck forming an opening;
a body portion extending from the neck to a base, the body portion including one or more walls surrounding an interior space in fluid communication with the opening, the one or more walls having an article inner surface, an article outer surface, and a thickness;
a predetermined feature incorporated into at least a portion of the one or more walls, wherein the predetermined feature is provided by variations in the thickness of the one or more walls corresponding to the predetermined pattern.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The multi-layer blow molded article of claim 1 wherein the one or more walls include a first layer having a first thickness and a second layer having a second thickness, wherein the first thickness changes throughout predetermined feature more than the second thickness in the same area.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The multi-layer blow molded article of claim 2 wherein the second layer is disposed inwardly of the first layer, and further comprising a third layer disposed inwardly of the second layer and forming an article inner surface.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The multi-layer blow molded article of claim 1 wherein the predetermined feature creates a topography on the outer surface, the topography having a Maximum Peak/Pit Height, Sz, less than 750 microns.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The multi-layer blow molded article of claim 1 wherein the article includes a label disposed at least partially over the portion of the article outer surface corresponding to the predetermined feature.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The multi-layer blow molded article of claim 1 wherein the outer surface has at least a portion which corresponds to the predetermined feature, at least the portion of the predetermined feature includes one or more etched regions, and wherein at least one of the etched regions has a Root Mean Square Roughness of less than or equal to 10 microns.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The multi-layer blow molded article of claim 1 wherein the one or more walls include a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer is a different from the second layer in at least one of the following characteristics: color, material, thickness, additive, pigment, opacity, gloss, optical property, amount of recycled material, type of recycled material, or strength.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The multi-layer blow molded article of claim 1 wherein the article has at least one layer that does not extend from the neck to the base.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The multi-layer blow molded article of claim 1 wherein the wall has a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer is disposed outwardly of the second layer and includes a portion that is translucent or transparent.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The multi-layer blow molded article of claim 1 wherein the wall has a first layer and a second layer, the second layer disposed inwardly of the first layer, wherein the second layer forms at least a portion of the article outer surface of the article and forms at least a portion of the predetermined feature.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The multi-layer blow molded article of claim 1 wherein the article has a first layer having a first thickness and a second layer having a second thickness, the first layer being disposed outwardly of the second layer, and wherein the predetermined feature includes a thinned region of the first layer that is less thick than at least a portion of the first layer outside of the thinned region.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The multi-layer blow molded article of claim 1 wherein the article has a first layer has a first thickness and a second layer has a second thickness, the first layer disposed outwardly of the second layer, and wherein the aesthetic feature includes a thinned region of the first thickness that is less thick than at least a portion of the second thickness underlying the thinned region of the first thickness.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The multi-layer blow molded blow molded article of claim 1 wherein the predetermined pattern includes ablated regions.

### Claim 14

A multi-layer perform for blow molding formed from a thermoplastic material, the perform comprising:
a body having one or more walls and an opening, wherein at least a portion of the body includes an etched portion having at least some of the thermoplastic material removed in a predetermined pattern.

### Claim 15 (depends on 15)

The perform of claim 15 wherein the etching is thermal-etching.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The perform of claim 15 wherein the etching is performed by a laser.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The perform of claim 15 wherein the one or more walls of the perform have an outer layer and an inner layer, each having a thickness, and wherein the etching has a depth that is less than or equal to the thickness of the outer layer.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The perform of claim 15 wherein the one or more walls of the perform have an outer layer and an inner layer, and wherein the outer layer is translucent or transparent.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The perform of claim 15 wherein the one or more walls of the perform have an outer layer and an inner layer, each having a thickness, and wherein the etching has a depth that is greater than or equal to the thickness of the outer layer.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The perform of claim 15 wherein the one or more walls of the perform have an outer layer and an inner layer, the inner layer being different from the outer layer in at least one of the following: thickness, materials, colors, levels of translucency.