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US5066528A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Refillable polyester container and preform for forming the same

Assignee: Graham Packaging Pet Technologies Inc
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Filing: 1990-03-05
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Granted: 1991-11-19
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Expires: 2010-03-05
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Abstract

Abstract This relates to a returnable/refillable container in the form of a blow molded polyester biaxially oriented bottle wherein the container includes a domed base construction wherein the wall thickness gradually and smoothly increases to a maximum at the center of the dome. This also relates to a specially configurated preform which is blow molded to form the container and a specially configurated blow mold cavity for receiving a preform having a lower axial projection in the form of an elongated gate without crushing.

Inventors

  • 👤 Suppayan M. Krishnakumar
  • 👤 Wayne N. Collette
  • 👤 Thomas E. Nahill

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-27 07:05
CPC Classifications
B; B29; B29C; B29C49/00; B29C49/071; B65; B65D; B65D1/00; B65D1/02; B29C49/42; B29C49/78; B29C2049/7879; B29C2949/00; B29C2949/07; B29C2949/0715; B29C2949/072; B29C2949/0724; B29C2949/0725; B29C2949/073; B29C2949/0733; B29C2949/076; B29C2949/0768; B29C2949/0769; B29C2949/077; B29C2949/0772; B29C2949/0773; B29C2949/0777; B29C2949/078; B29C2949/0781; B29C2949/0861; B29C2949/0862; B29C2949/20; B29C2949/22; B29C2949/24; B29C2949/26; B29C2949/28; B29C2949/30; B29C2949/3008; B29C2949/3012; B29C2949/3016; B29C2949/302; B29C2949/3024; B29C2949/3026; B29C2949/3028; B29C2949/303; B29C2949/3032; B29C2949/3034; B29C49/02; B29C49/06; B29C49/08; B29C49/087; B29K; B29K2995/00; B29K2995/0037; B29K2995/004; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/13; Y10T428/1352; Y10T428/1397

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim 179 words
In a preform for use in blow molding a container having a concaved bottom and being suitable for refilling, said preform being an injection molded member formed of a polyester, said preform having an elongated body for forming a container body and being closed at one end and open at the opposite end, said preform open end having a neck finish with said preform between said neck finish and said elongated body having a portion tapering in wall thickness for forming a container shoulder portion, said closed one end being defined by a bottom having a generally hemispherical outer surface, and between said closed one end and said preform body there being a cylindrical container base forming thickened portion of an increased wall thickness as compared to the wall thickness of said preform body, said preform being improved by said bottom also having a generally hemispherical inner surface with the wall thickness of said bottom gradually increasing in thickness towards said preform body and forming means for forming said container concaved bottom with a wall thickness decreasing radially outwardly.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 179 words
In a preform for use in blow molding a container having a concaved bottom and being suitable for refilling, said preform being an injection molded member formed of a polyester, said preform having an elongated body for forming a container body and being closed at one end and open at the opposite end, said preform open end having a neck finish with said preform between said neck finish and said elongated body having a portion tapering in wall thickness for forming a container shoulder portion, said closed one end being defined by a bottom having a generally hemispherical outer surface, and between said closed one end and said preform body there being a cylindrical container base forming thickened portion of an increased wall thickness as compared to the wall thickness of said preform body, said preform being improved by said bottom also having a generally hemispherical inner surface with the wall thickness of said bottom gradually increasing in thickness towards said preform body and forming means for forming said container concaved bottom with a wall thickness decreasing radially outwardly.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 23 words
A preform according to claim 1 wherein said bottom outer surface terminates in an axial projection with the form of an elongated gate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 25 words
A preform according to claim 2 wherein said elongated gate is joined to said outer surface by a smoothly curving connection free of sharp curves.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 32 words
A preform according to claim 1 wherein said bottom includes an inner centrally located axially projecting projection defining centering means for engagement by a centering rod during blow molding of said preform.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 21 words
A preform according to claim 3 wherein said inner axially projecting projection and said inner surface are free of sharp corners.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 30 words
A preform according to claim 1 wherein said cylindrical container base forming thickened portion is joined to said container body forming portion by a tapered portion of gradually increasing thickness.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 32 words
A preform according to claim 1 wherein the thickness of said thickened portions is increased in the general range of 10 percent to 40 percent over the thickness of said preform body.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 30 words
A preform according to claim 1 wherein a lower part of said body above said container base forming thickened portion forms an upper part of said container base forming portion.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4330579A Cited
US4334627A Cited
US4725464A Cited
US4915992A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1994-11-18 1995-05-20 1995-11-19 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1998-11-18 1999-05-20 1999-11-19 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2002-11-18 2003-05-20 2003-11-19 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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