Container with integral handle, preform and method of manufacture

Abstract

A method of forming a container from bi-axially orientable plastics material and having an integral handle formed from a stem; said method comprising: (a) forming a preform having a neck portion and an expandable portion below the neck portion, said neck portion including a locating ring above the expandable portion and a solid stem of orientable thermoplastics material projecting from or near the neck portion or immediately below it and moulded integrally therewith, and (b) performing a blow moulding operation on said preform to expand the expandable portion to form the body of the container. Also disclosed is a container manufactured from a two stage injection stretch blow moulding process, said container including a graspable handle affixed at at least a first point to said container so as to form an enclosed area between the handle and the container and through which the fingers of a human hand may be passed.

1 - 79 . (canceled)  
   
   
       80 . A preform for a container comprised of orientable plastics material and arranged so that the resultant blown container will include a handle or like support structure; said preform comprising a moulded structure having a neck portion and an expandable portion below the neck, at least one loop or portion of orientable plastics material integrally connected at both a first end and a second end to a respective first location and a separate second location on said preform which when the container is formed constitutes said handle.  
   
   
       81 . A method of forming a container having an integral handle; said method comprising: 
 (a) forming a preform having a neck portion and an expandable portion below the neck portion, said preform having at least one loop of orientable plastics material integrally connected at both a first end and a second end to a respective first location and a separate second location on said preform, and    (b) performing a blow moulding operation on said preform to expand the expandable portion to form the body of the container.    
   
   
       82 . The method of  claim 81  wherein the neck portion includes a locating ring above the expandable portion.  
   
   
       83 . The method of  claim 81  wherein said container is formed from said preform in a two stage operation.  
   
   
       84 . The method of  claim 83  wherein the handle allows at least two fingers of the adult human hand to pass therethrough.  
   
   
       85 . The method of  claim 81  wherein the loop is formed so as to have an I-shaped cross-section at least throughout that portion of the stem where it projects from the external side of said tube.  
   
   
       86 . A parison or preform as claimed in  claim 80  for an injection stretch blow moulding process, said parison formed by an injection process including two separate points of injection.  
   
   
       87 . The parison of  claim 86  wherein a first point of injection permits injection of non-recycled PET or like plastics material.  
   
   
       88 . The parison of  claim 86  wherein a second point of injection permits injection of PET or like plastics material incorporating at least a portion of recycled material.  
   
   
       89 . The parison of  claim 86  wherein said first point of injection is for the formation of that part of the parison which will be stretched during a stretch blow moulding operation on the parison.  
   
   
       90 . The parison of  claim 88  wherein said second point of injection is for the formation of those parts of said parison which will remain unexpanded or substantially unexpanded in a stretch blow moulding operation on said parison.  
   
   
       91 . A container manufactured from a two stage injection stretch blow moulding process, said container including a graspable handle integrally affixed at at least a first point and a second point to said container so as to form an enclosed area between the handle and the container and through which the fingers of a human hand may be passed.  
   
   
       92 . The container of  claim 91  wherein said first point of connection comprises an integral connection between the handle and the neck portion of the container and is formed in a first stage of said two stage process.  
   
   
       93 . The container of  claim 92  wherein said second point of connection is located on an expandable portion of said container.  
   
   
       94 . The container of  claim 92  wherein said second point of interconnection is located on a lower neck portion of said container at a substantially non-expanding part.  
   
   
       95 . The container of  claim 94  wherein said first and second points of connection are located on a substantially non-expanding part of said container.  
   
   
       96 . The container of claims  91  including an elongated substantially non-expanding neck portion to which said loop is affixed.  
   
   
       97 . The preform of  claim 80  further including a locating ring immediately below which is a first non-expanding region and below which is a second non-expanding region.  
   
   
       98 . The preform of  claim 80  wherein the first non-expanding region is formed so as to be slightly raised or otherwise differentiated from the expandable portion of said preform.  
   
   
       99 . The preform of  claim 97  wherein the second non-expanding region is not differentiated from the expandable portion of said preform.