US 6,939,591 B2 · Polyester laminate materials

Abstract

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for making articles made of polyester, preferably polyethylene terephthalate (PET), having coated directly to at least one of the surfaces thereof one or more layers of thermoplastic material with good gas-barrier characteristics. In one preferred method and apparatus, preforms are injection molded, barrier-coated immediately thereafter, and remain on a mold portion for a time to speed cooling of the completed preform. Preferably the barrier-coated articles take the form of preforms coated by at least one layer of barrier material and the containers are blow-molded therefrom. Such barrier-coated containers are preferably of the type to hold beverages such as soft drinks, beer or juice. The preferred barrier materials have a lower permeability to oxygen and carbon dioxide than PET as well as key physical properties similar to PET. The materials and methods provide that the barrier layers have good adherence to PET, even during and after the blow molding process to form containers from preforms. Preferred barrier coating materials include poly(hydroxyamino ethers).

Claims29

Dependent claims

A laminate consisting of a first layer and a second layer, the first layer comprising polyethylene terephthalate, and the second layer comprising a thermoplastic material selected from the group consisting of copolyester barrier materials, phenoxy-type thermoplastics, polyethylene naphthalate, polyethylene naphthalate copolymers, polyethylene naphthalate/polyethylene terephthalate blends, polyethylene terephthalate and combinations thereof;

and said polyethylene terephthalate in the first layer has an isophthalic acid content of at least about 2% by weight, wherein the first layer is directly adhered to the second layer.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

10/090,471Filed 4 Mar 2002 · division

Priority

17 Oct 1997

Published

US 2003/0012904 A116 Jan 2003

Granted

6 Sep 2005

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification86 codes

B29C 45/1625
The materials being injected at different moulding stations: injecting parison-like articles
B29C 45/045
Involving a rotational movement: mounted on the circumference of a rotating support having a rotating axis perpendicular to the mould opening,…
B29C 45/1628
The materials being injected at different moulding stations: using a mould carrier rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the opening and…
B29C 45/1684
Making multilayered or multicoloured articles: injecting parison-like articles

Family

Application08/953,595Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 17 Oct 1997

Application60/078,641Us provisional application · filed 19 Mar 1998

Application09/174,971Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 19 Oct 1998

Application09/296,695Parent of this division · filed 21 Apr 1999

US 2003/0012904 A1Pre-grant publication · published 16 Jan 2003

US 6,352,426 B1Parent of this division

US 6,391,408 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part

Application09/296,695Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 6,312,641 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 6,939,591 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Polyester laminate materials

Life of this patent

Polyester laminate materials

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29