Molded preform and container having integrated pour spout

A one-piece plastic container comprising:

• an upper portion comprising:
• a spout defining an opening into the container, said spout including a first end wall and a second end wall spaced apart from the first end wall to define a longitudinal slot therebetween, said spout terminating at a terminal lip;
• and
• a finish offset radially outwardly from said spout;
• wherein a trough is formed at a transition between said finish and said spout, said trough defining a passage into said body;
• a shoulder region integrally formed with and extending from said upper portion;
• a sidewall portion defining a longitudinal axis and extending from said shoulder region to a base portion, said base portion closing off an end of the container and defining a first plane;
• and
• a protruding terminal pour location defined on the terminal lip, wherein said protruding terminal pour location protrudes from an outer cylindrical surface of said spout,
• wherein said protruding terminal pour location and at least a portion of the terminal lip adjacent to, and extending from opposite sides of, the protruding terminal pour location lie within a second plane that is generally parallel to said first plane;
• wherein said trough slopes toward said passage and defines a non-orthogonal angle relative to said longitudinal axis;
• wherein said trough defines a first angle relative to a transverse line perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and drawn through the container from said longitudinal axis to said passage, and a second angle relative to the transverse line from said longitudinal axis to a diametrically opposed point relative to the passage, wherein said first angle is greater than said second angle;
• and
• wherein the one-piece plastic container is an injection-stretch blow molded, biaxially oriented container with a unitary construction, the one-piece plastic container blow molded from a preform including the upper portion, the sidewall portion, and the base portion closing off an end of the preform.

A preform adapted to be molded into a one-piece plastic container, the preform comprising:

• a body defining a longitudinal axis and having an upper portion, a sidewall portion and a base portion closing off an end of the preform, said upper portion having a spout defining an opening into said preform and a finish offset radially outwardly from said spout, said spout including a first end wall and a second end wall spaced apart from the first end wall to define a longitudinal slot therebetween, said spout terminating at a terminal lip, wherein a trough is formed at a transition between said finish and said spout, said trough defining a passage into said body;
• and
• a protruding terminal pour location defined on the terminal lip, wherein said protruding terminal pour location protrudes from an outer cylindrical surface of said spout,
• wherein said protruding terminal pour location and at least a portion of the terminal lip adjacent to, and extending from opposite sides of, the protruding terminal pour location lie within a first plane that is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;
• wherein said finish includes a cylindrical sidewall with a top portion, a second plane extends across the top portion, the second plane is generally parallel to the first plane;
• wherein said trough slopes toward said passage and defines a non-orthogonal angle relative to said longitudinal axis;
• wherein said trough defines a first angle relative to a transverse line perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and drawn through the preform from said longitudinal axis to said passage, and a second angle relative to the transverse line from said longitudinal axis to a diametrically opposed point relative to the passage, wherein said first angle is greater than said second angle;
• wherein the preform is adapted to be injection-stretch blow molded into the one-piece plastic container having a unitary construction and biaxially oriented;
• wherein the spout has a base portion cross-sectional thickness at a base portion, the spout tapers to a terminal lip portion cross-sectional thickness that is less than said base portion cross-sectional thickness;
• wherein an inner cylindrical surface of the spout is tapered outward and away from the longitudinal axis at a draft angle in a range from 1-5 degrees;
• and
• wherein the outer cylindrical surface of the spout tapers inward towards the inner surface.