Method of designing and manufacturing a plastic blow-molded container
AssigneeGraham Packaging Company, L.P.
InventorSheldon E. Yourist
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An efficient and cost-effective method of designing and manufacturing a plastic blow molded container having highly artistic sculptural relief. Computer software is utilized to graphically design a container skin shape, create 2-D artwork designs, add 3-D relief to the artwork designs, and apply the artwork to the container skin to develop a desired container. The graphics data of the desired container is utilized to make blow molds which, in turn, are utilized to blow containers. A preferred container is disclosed which has a dome with an intricate fruit basket design.
Claims20
A method of designing and manufacturing a container having portions thereof with artistic sculptural relief, comprising the steps of:
- creating a three dimensional graphic image corresponding to an undecorated shape of the skin of at least a section of the container;
- creating an artistic two-dimensional graphic image on a plane corresponding to decoration for at least a portion of the container;
- adding sculptural relief to said planar two dimensional graphic image to generate a contour map such that areas of the planar image are raised or lowered in a transverse direction relative to said plane;
- and
- generating a three dimensional graphic image of a decorated container by graphically applying said contour map to said three dimensional graphic image of said section of said container skin.
A method of designing and manufacturing a container having at least a portion formed with highly artistic sculptural relief, comprising the steps of:
- using a computer-assisted design system to create at least two separate three dimensional graphic images of different undecorated skin sections of the container;
- using said computer-assisted design system to create at least two artistic two-dimensional graphic images, each of said artistic two-dimensional images being formed on a plane and corresponding to a decoration for one of said container skin sections;
- using said computer-assisted design system to add sculptural relief to said two dimensional graphic images to generate contour maps such that each contour map is substantially planar having areas which extend in at least one transverse direction out of said plane;
- using said computer-assisted design system to graphically apply said contour maps to said undecorated skin sections to create at least two three-dimensional graphic images of different decorated container sections;
- triangulating each of said three dimensional graphic images of said decorated container sections;
- graphically bringing together, after said triangulating step, said different decorated container sections and graphically forming a unitary container structure image;
- utilizing said unitary container structure image in an automated process to machine a blow mold;
- and
- blow molding a thermoplastic material in said blow mold to form a container.
A method of designing and manufacturing a plastic container having a dome formed with highly artistic sculptural relief, comprising the steps of:
- using a computer-assisted design system to create at least two separate three dimensional graphic images of different undecorated skin sections of the container dome;
- using said computer-assisted design system to create at least two artistic two-dimensional graphic images, each of said artistic two-dimensional images being formed on a plane and corresponding to a decoration for one of said container dome skin sections;
- using said computer-assisted design system to add sculptural relief to said two dimensional graphic images to generate contour maps such that each contour map is substantially planar having areas which extend in at least one transverse direction out of said plane;
- using said computer-assisted design system to graphically apply said contour maps to said undecorated some skin sections to create at least two three-dimensional graphic images of different decorated container dome sections;
- triangulating each of said three dimensional graphic images of said decorated container dome sections;
- graphically bringing together, after said triangulating step, said different decorated container dome sections and graphically forming a unitary container dome structure image;
- utilizing said unitary container dome structure image in an automated process to machine a blow mold;
- and
- blow molding a thermoplastic material in said blow mold to form a container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.