Blow molded plastic container with integrated spout

Abstract

A plastic container having a main body defining an interior space and a finish defining a mouth in fluid communication with the interior space. The finish has a substantially cylindrical circumferential wall of generally uniform thickness surrounding the mouth. The circumferential wall has an upper edge with a perimeter flange and a pair of tabs projecting radially inward from the circumferential wall, the tabs defining a spout therebetween. The container is made by disposing a plastic material suitable for a blow molding process within a mold cavity, the mold cavity being configured to form a hollow blow-molded article comprising the main body and the finish as described with a moil portion extending from the perimeter flange in a direction opposite the main body. The container is made by further inflating the plastic material within the mold cavity, and removing the moil portion. The blow-molded article is also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A blow-molded plastic container comprising:
 a main body portion defining an interior space; and   a finish portion defining a mouth in fluid communication with the interior space, the finish portion having a substantially cylindrical circumferential wall of generally uniform thickness surrounding the mouth and a spout formed therein,   wherein the blow-molded plastic container is made by:   disposing a plastic material suitable for a blow molding process within a mold cavity configured to form a hollow article comprising:
 the main body portion to define the interior space, 
 the finish portion with the substantially cylindrical circumferential wall, wherein the circumferential wall has an upper edge with a perimeter flange and a pair of tabs projecting radially inward from the circumferential wall, the perimeter flange and the pair of tabs together defining a continuous planar surface along the upper edge, the pair of tabs defining the spout therebetween, and 
 a moil portion extending from the perimeter flange in a direction opposite the main body portion; 
   inflating the plastic material within the mold cavity to form the hollow article; and   removing the moil portion from the perimeter flange by cutting between the perimeter flange and the moil portion to form a perimeter edge having a bevel angled between about 0 and about 10 degrees from the planar surface defined by the perimeter flange and the pair of tabs.   
     
     
         2 . The blow-molded plastic container of  claim 1 , wherein the tabs are arcuate in plan view. 
     
     
         3 . The blow-molded plastic container of  claim 1 , wherein the tabs are spaced apart at least 10 degrees about the perimeter edge. 
     
     
         4 . The blow-molded plastic container of  claim 1 , wherein removing the moil portion further comprises cutting a distance spaced from the perimeter flange in the direction opposite the main body portion to create a lip extending upwardly from the perimeter flange and the pair of tabs. 
     
     
         5 . The blow-molded plastic container of  claim 1 , wherein the main body portion includes at least one rib, radiused portion, groove, or vacuum panel. 
     
     
         6 . The blow-molded plastic container of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the circumferential wall is between from about 0.005 to about 0.05 inches and varies by no more than about 5%. 
     
     
         7 . The blow-molded plastic container of  claim 1 , wherein the circumferential wall has a diameter and the tabs extend radially inward between about 1% and about 50% of the diameter of the circumferential wall. 
     
     
         8 . The blow-molded plastic container of  claim 1 , further comprising a seal supported by the continuous planar surface defined by the perimeter flange and the pair of tabs. 
     
     
         9 . The blow-molded plastic container of  claim 1 , wherein the tabs have a height and are configured to funnel a flowable product toward the spout even if the level of flowable product exceeds the height of the tabs. 
     
     
         10 . The blow-molded plastic container of  claim 1 , wherein the circumferential wall comprises a fastener configured to fasten a cap to the finish portion. 
     
     
         11 . A blow-molded plastic container comprising:
 a main body portion defining an interior space;   a finish portion defining a mouth in fluid communication with the interior space, the finish portion having a substantially cylindrical circumferential wall of generally uniform thickness surrounding the mouth, the circumferential wall having an upper edge with a perimeter flange and a pair of tabs projecting radially inward from the circumferential wall, the perimeter flange and the pair of tabs together defining a continuous planar surface along the upper edge, the pair of tabs defining a spout therebetween; and   a lip extending upwardly from the perimeter flange and the pair of tabs in a direction away from the main body portion,   wherein the blow-molded plastic container is made by:   disposing a plastic material suitable for a blow molding process within a mold cavity configured to form a hollow article comprising:
 the main body portion to define the interior space, 
 the finish portion with the substantially cylindrical circumferential wall, wherein the circumferential wall has the upper edge with the perimeter flange and the pair of tabs projecting radially inward from the circumferential wall, the perimeter flange and the pair of tabs together defining the continuous planar surface along the upper edge, the pair of tabs defining the spout therebetween, and 
 a moil portion extending from the perimeter flange in a direction opposite the main body portion; 
   inflating the plastic material within the mold cavity to form the hollow article; and   removing the moil portion from the perimeter flange by cutting a distance spaced from the perimeter flange in the direction opposite the main body portion to create the lip extending upwardly from the perimeter flange and the pair of tabs.   
     
     
         12 . The blow-molded plastic container of  claim 11 , wherein removing the moil portion comprises cutting between the lip and the moil portion along a plane to define a planar perimeter edge of the lip. 
     
     
         13 . The blow-molded plastic container of  claim 12 , wherein removing the moil portion comprises cutting between the lip and the moil portion to form the planar perimeter edge with a bevel angled between about 0 and about 10 degrees from the plane defined by the planar perimeter edge of the lip. 
     
     
         14 . The blow-molded plastic container of  claim 11 , wherein the circumferential wall comprises a fastener configured to fasten a cap to the finish portion. 
     
     
         15 . The blow-molded plastic container of  claim 11 , wherein the lip is angled or arcuate relative to the perimeter flange. 
     
     
         16 . The blow-molded plastic container of  claim 11 , wherein the main body portion includes at least one rib, radiused portion, groove, or vacuum panel. 
     
     
         17 . The blow-molded plastic container of  claim 11 , wherein the thickness of the circumferential wall is between from about 0.005 to about 0.05 inches and varies by no more than about 5%. 
     
     
         18 . The blow-molded plastic container of  claim 11 , wherein the circumferential wall has a diameter and the tabs extend radially inward between about 1% and about 50% of the diameter of the circumferential wall. 
     
     
         19 . The blow-molded plastic container of  claim 11 , further comprising a seal supported by one or both of (a) the continuous planar surface defined by the perimeter flange and the pair of tabs and (b) the lip. 
     
     
         20 . The blow-molded plastic container of  claim 11 , wherein the tabs have a height and are configured to funnel a flowable product toward the spout even if the level of flowable product exceeds the height of the tabs. 
     
     
         21 . A hollow blow-molded article for making a blow-molded plastic container, comprising:
 a main body portion defining an interior space;   a finish portion defining a mouth in fluid communication with the interior space, the finish portion having a substantially cylindrical circumferential wall of generally uniform thickness surrounding the mouth, the circumferential wall having an upper edge with a perimeter flange and a pair of tabs projecting radially inward from the circumferential wall, the perimeter flange and the pair of tabs together defining a continuous planar surface along the upper edge, the pair of tabs defining a spout therebetween; and   a moil portion extending from the perimeter flange in a direction opposite the main body portion, the moil portion being configured upon removal from the perimeter flange either to (a) form a perimeter edge having a bevel angled between about 0 and about 10 degrees from the planar surface defined by the perimeter flange and the pair of tabs or (b) create a lip extending upwardly from the perimeter flange and the pair of tabs in a direction away from the main body portion.