Blow mold shell and shell assembly

A blow-mold assembly for use in the manufacture of a blow-mold container, the container having a neck, a spaced base, and an elongate body portion extending between the neck and the base thereof, said assembly comprising;

• a first blow-mold shell and a substantially identical second blow-mold shell, each said shell being constructed and arranged to be releasably mated to the other, and including:
• i) a first end, a spaced second end, and an elongate sidewall extending therebetween, the sidewall having an interior surface and an outwardly facing exterior surface;
• ii) a partial container molding cavity defined in said interior surface, said molding cavity defining a container neck forming portion at the first end of the shell and a container body forming portion extending in a lengthwise direction between the respective ends of the shell;
• iii) a first cooling fluid circuit defined within the shell with respect to said neck forming portion, and an independent second cooling fluid circuit defined within the shell with respect to said body forming portion;
• iv) a first fluid inlet opening and a first fluid discharge opening, respectively, defined within the shell and in communication with said first cooling circuit;
• and
• v) a second fluid inlet opening and a second fluid discharge opening, respectively, defined within the shell in communication with said second cooling circuit.

A blow-mold shell adapted for use as part of a blow-mold assembly, said shell comprising:

• a unitary shell body having a first end, a spaced second end, and an elongate continuous sidewall extending between the first and second ends thereof;
• said sidewall having an interior surface and an outwardly facing exterior surface;
• a partial molding cavity defined in said interior surface, said molding cavity defining a container neck forming portion at the first end of said body, and an elongate container body forming portion extending between the first and second ends of said body in a lengthwise direction;
• a first cooling fluid circuit defined within said body with respect to the neck forming portion of the mold cavity;
• at least one first fluid inlet opening and at least one first fluid discharge opening, respectively, defined within said body and in communication with said first cooling circuit;
• a second cooling fluid circuit defined within said body with respect to and along the body forming portion of said mold cavity;
• and
• at least one second fluid inlet opening and at least one second fluid discharge opening, respectively, defined within said body and in communication with said second cooling circuit;
• said first and said second cooling circuits being defined within the shell body independently of one another.