Container with a unitary closure and method for making same

A method for forming a container having a unitary hollow receptacle and closure comprising the sequential steps of:

• (A) molding a preform of thermoplastic material, said molding of the preform including the injection molding of (1) a hollow body, (2) a closure base at one end of said hollow body to define an opening into said hollow body, and (3) a closure cover complementary to and spaced from said closure base opening but connected to said closure base to permit said closure cover to be swung about an axis between (1) a closed position engaged with said closure base for occluding said opening and (2) an open position disengaged from said closure base in the region over said opening when a substance is to be loaded into, or dispensed out of, said opening, said injection molding including providing an initially open assembly of first mold parts including a core and an open split mold having spaced-apart injection mold halves adapted to be positioned about said core relative to an injection mold parting plane, each said injection mold half being movable along a common line of action away from the other mold half to an open position and being movable along said common line of action toward the other mold half to a closed position in which said closed injection mold halves define a flow channel gate and a communicating forming cavity for said preform hollow body, closure base, and closure cover, said core including a first projecting core portion for defining the inside surfaces of said preform hollow body and closure base and having a second projecting core portion for defining the inside surfaces of said closure cover, said injection molding further including subsequently closing said injection mold halves about said first and second projecting core portions and injecting said thermoplastic material through said flow channel gate to mold said preform hollow body, closure base, and closure cover together from a single injection of said material, each said complementary closure base and closure cover being of completed finish, shape, and size upon the completion of step (A);
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• (B) after the completion of step (A), blow molding said preform hollow body to form said hollow receptacle extending from said closure base and having a configuration different than said preform hollow body, said blow molding step including (1) providing second mold parts in the form of a blow molding assembly of split blow mold halves initially positioned in an open position about said preform hollow body relative to a blow mold parting plane which has the same planar orientation with respect to said preform as does the injection mold parting plane and, (2) closing said blow mold halves by moving them in opposing directions perpendicular to the blow mold parting plane and parallel to the directions of movement of said injection mold halves.