Injection blow-molded disposable tumbler and method of making same

Abstract

An injection blow-molded disposable tumbler is formed from a polymeric material and includes a fortified upper rim having a thickness greater than the adjacent sidewall. The tumbler may be formed of a variety of resinous materials and exhibits improved toughness and crush resistance as well as aesthetic qualities particularly desired by consumers.

1 - 50 . (canceled)  
     
     
         51 . A method of forming a durable polycarbonate permaware container comprising: 
 (a) injecting molten polycarbonate into a mold cavity formed by a mold wall and a core to form a polycarbonate parison on the core;    (b) separating the parison from the mold wall by moving the parison on the core axially in a straight path away from the mold wall;    (c) moving the parison on the core in a substantially arcuate path into axial alignment with a blow mold which is in a side-by-side relationship with the mold cavity;    (d) moving the parison on the core axially in a straight path into the blow mold; and    (f) expanding the parison on the core in the blow mold at a uniform temperature to form a hollow container having a sidewall integrally formed to a base and a fortified rim, the sidewall having a uniform thickness of from about greater than 50 mils to about 500 mils.    
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the sidewall has a uniform thickness of from about 75 mils to about 375 mils.  
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the polycarbonate is injected into the mold cavity at a temperature of from about 450° F. to about 700° F.  
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the polycarbonate is injected into the mold cavity at a temperature of from about 500° F. to about 650° F.  
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the molten polycarbonate is injected into the mold cavity at a pressure of about 1,000 to 3,000 psi.  
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the molten polycarbonate is injected into the mold cavity at an injection pressure of about 2,100 psi.  
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the parison is expanded at a uniform temperature of from about 250° F. to about 500° F.  
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein the parison is expanded at a pressure of from about 100 to about 500 psi.  
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the polycarbonate comprises aromatic homopolycarbonate or aromatic copolycarbonate resins.  
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the polycarbonate has a melt flow rate of from about 10 to 22 g/10 min.  
     
     
         61 . An injection blow-molded polycarbonate permaware hollow container comprising: 
 (a) a base forming the bottom of said container defining an outer edge thereof;    (b) a sidewall integrally formed with said base extending upwardly from the outer edge thereof and having a thickness of from about over 50 to about 500 mils to a fortified rim about its upper extremity.    
     
     
         62 . The permaware polycarbonate container of  claim 61 , wherein the fortified rim has a thickness of at least 2 mils greater than an adjacent portion of the sidewall over a height of at least 2 mils.  
     
     
         63 . The permaware polycarbonate container of  claim 61 , wherein both width and height of the fortified rim are from about 1.1 to about 4 times a thickness of an adjacent sidewall.  
     
     
         64 . The permaware polycarbonate container of  claim 63 , wherein both the width and the height of the fortified rim are about 100 mils and the adjacent sidewall is about 80 mils.  
     
     
         65 . The permaware polycarbonate container of  claim 61 , wherein the base is from about 1.1 to about 8 times the thickness of the sidewall.  
     
     
         66 . The permaware polycarbonate container of  claim 61 , wherein the polycarbonate comprises aromatic homopolycarbonate or aromatic copolycarbonate resins.  
     
     
         67 . The permaware polycarbonate container of  claim 66 , wherein the polycarbonate has a melt flow rate of 10 to 22 g/10 min.  
     
     
         68 . The permaware polycarbonate container of  claim 61 , wherein the bottom of said base has integrally molded thereto indicia or a configuration different from the remaining base.  
     
     
         69 . A method of forming a container having a wall thickness greater than 50 mils, said container containing sidewalls and an integrally formed base, comprising: 
 (a) blowing a parison in a blow mold shaped in the form of said container,    (b) inserting within said blown container a core which presses the base of said container against a mold face having thereon indicia or other structural configurations so as to mold said indicia or other mold configurations onto the outside surface of said base.    
     
     
         70 . The process of  claim 69 , wherein said parison is formed from a polycarbonate plastic and said parison is blown by directing fluid pressure initially at the top of the parison and directing the fluid pressure from said top toward said base of said parison.  
     
     
         71 . A method of forming a container comprising: 
 (a) injecting molten resin into a mold cavity formed by a mold wall and a core to form a resinous parison on the core;    (b) separating the parison from the mold wall by moving the parison on the core axially in a straight path away from the mold wall;    (c) moving the parison on the core in a substantially arcuate path into axial alignment with a blow mold which is in a side-by-side relationship with the mold cavity;    (d) moving the parison on the core axially in a straight path into the blow mold; and    (e) expanding the parison on the core in the blow mold at a uniform temperature to form a hollow container said resin selected from the group consisting of filled polystyrene, filled and non-filled polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate and ABS mixtures, acrylic resins, clarified polypropylene and polyvinylchloride.    
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the filled resins contain up to 5 wt. % of nanometer-sized particles.  
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 72 , wherein said nanometer-sized particles comprise a clay.  
     
     
         74 . (canceled)  
     
     
         75 . A method of forming a container having a wall thickness greater than 50 mils, said container containing sidewalls and an integrally-formed base, comprising: 
 blowing a parison in a blow mold shaped in the form of said container to form a hollow container,    inserting within said hollow container which remains in said blow mold a core which presses the base of said container against a mold face having thereon indicia or other structural configurations so as to mold said indicia or other mold configurations onto the outside surface of said base.    
     
     
         76 . A method of forming a container comprising: 
 (a) injecting molten resin into a mold cavity formed by a mold wall and a core to form a resinous parison on the core;    (b) separating the parison from the mold wall by moving the parison on the core axially in a straight path away from the mold wall;    (c) moving the parison on the core in a substantially arcuate path into axial alignment with a blow mold which is in a side-by-side relationship with the mold cavity;    (d) moving the parison on the core axially in a straight path into the blow mold; and    (e) expanding the parison on the core in the blow mold by directing fluid initially at the top of the parison and directing the fluid pressure from said top toward the base of said parison at a uniform temperature to form a hollow container;    said resin selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate and ABS mixtures, acrylic resins, clarified polypropylene and polyvinylchoride.    
     
     
         77 - 85 . (canceled)