Composite container and method

Claim 1

An improved composite container comprising a cylindrical body defining a side wall of the container formed of plural laminated layers, the outer layer being aluminum foil covered by high gloss paper to form a label surface, the central layer comprising fibrous material, and the inner layer being comprised of a thermoplastic material, an integral end wall compression molded of the same thermoplastic material as said inner layer of the side wall and thermally bondable therewith, a peripheral flange on said end wall bonded under high pressure of compression molding to an axial end portion of said body side wall inner thermoplastic layer, said end portion of said body side wall being of reduced thickness and enhanced rigidity by the compression of the fibrous laminations during compression molding the end wall, the bonding pressure thereof impregnating the fibrous layer of the lamination by the inner layer of thermoplastic material, a second flange on said end wall parallel to said peripheral flange and compressively engaging the outer layer of said side wall providing a further reduction in thickness of the laminated side wall end portion, the axial height of said peripheral flange being on the order of four times the major thickness of the side wall of the laminated body, said second flange being of lesser axial height than the axial height of said peripheral flange, said second flange and said peripheral flange compressively engaging the reduced thickness end portion of said side wall, and the combined thickness of said peripheral and second flanges exceeding the major thickness of said laminated side wall of the container body.