Molded plastic container having insert-molded insert and method of manufacture

• US 7,922,961 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2006
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BPRex Healthcare Packaging, Inc. (Berry Global Group Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rexam Healthcare Packaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Rudolph, Kirk W., Osika, Louis, Chisholm, Brian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson; Christina
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAUTH, GALEN H
• Application Number:
  US11/595,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20080110774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,614 Days
• Field of Search: 264/516, 264/274
• US Class Current: 264/516
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 11/08 Injection moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 11/12 Compression moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 11/14 characterised by structure or composition
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/023 using inherent heat of the preform, i.e. 1 step blow moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/2017 outside the article
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/206 being constructed in such a way that the joining between the insert and the preform or parison is avoided
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/2412 outside the article
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/24308 comprising electronic elements or detection means, e.g. chips, RFIDs or barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/0715 the preform having one end closed
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/22 at neck portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/24 at flange portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/26 at body portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/28 at bottom portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3008 at neck portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3012 at flange portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3016 at body portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/302 at bottom portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3024 characterised by the number of components or by the manufacturing technique
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3026 having two or more components
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3032 having components being injected
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3034 : having two or more components being injected
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3056 : having components being compression moulded
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3058 : having two or more components being compression moulded
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3064 : having at least one components being applied using techniques not covered by B29C2949/3032 - B29C2949/3062
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3066 : having two or more components being applied using said techniques
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/06 : Injection blow-moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/071 : Preforms or parisons characterised by their configuration, e.g. geometry, dimensions or physical properties
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/20 : of articles having inserts or reinforcements ; Handling of inserts or reinforcements
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/2408 : In-mould lining or labelling
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7158 : Bottles
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 1/0276 : having a continuous contact surface, e.g. Champagne-type bottom
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 : Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 23/14 : of tags , labels, cards, coupons, decorations or the like B65D23/008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/04 : characterised by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 : the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card

Abstract

A plastic container has an open end and an imperforate container wall with a base, an outwardly open pocket in the container wall, and an insert disposed in the pocket. The insert preferably is captured in the pocket by blow molding the container wall around the insert. The pocket and insert preferably are disposed in the base of the container opposite the open end of the container, most preferably centrally of the base, and the insert preferably is visible in the container base through an external opening into the pocket.

Claims

1. A method of making a plastic container, which includes the steps of:

(a) providing a plastic container preform,

(b) placing said plastic container preform in a blow mold,

(c) blowing said plastic container preform within said blow mold to form a hollow plastic container,

(d) placing an RFID tag disposed in a housing having a wall on an actuator external to said blow mold, and

(e) prior to said step (c) actuating said actuator and mounting said RFID tag to an external surface of said preform so that said RFID tag is blow molded into an outwardly open pocket of said container during said step (c), when container material is blown against said housing wall which forms a dam against flow of container material around said housing and forms an opening into said pocket through which said housing is visible,

wherein said step (e) includes mounting said RFID tag to a closed end of said preform such that said RFID tag is molded into a base of said container following said step (c), and

wherein said housing has external features that are embedded into said end of said preform during said step (e).

2. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein said step (e) is carried out by extending said actuator into said mold following said step (b).

3. A method of making a container preform for blow molding into a plastic container, which includes the steps of:

(a) molding a preform of plastic material at elevated temperature, and

(b) securing an RFID tag onto said preform following said step (a) and while said preform is at elevated temperature,

wherein said RFID tag is disposed within a plastic housing including a base with a peripheral wall, and a disk mounted within the peripheral wall to capture said RFID tag and having external features, and wherein said step (b) includes securing said plastic housing to an outside surface of said preform by embedding said external features in said outside surface of said preform wherein said external features do not extend to the interior of said preform.

4. The method set forth in claim 3 wherein said preform molded in said step (a) has a closed end, and wherein said step (b) includes securing said RFID tag to an outside surface of said closed end.

5. The method set forth in claim 4 including the step of:

(c) blow molding said preform into a plastic container having said housing on a base of said container.

6. A method of making a plastic container, which includes the steps of:

(a) providing a plastic container preform at elevated temperature,

(b) placing said plastic container preform in a blow mold,

(c) blowing said plastic container preform within said blow mold to form a hollow plastic container having a container base,

(d) providing an RFID tag disposed in a housing having a wall, and

(e) between said steps (a) and (c), securing said RFID tag to an external surface of said closed end such that said RFID tag is disposed on said container base following said step (c),

wherein said RFID tag is blow molded into an outwardly open pocket of said container when container material is blown against said housing wall which forms a dam against flow of container material around said housing and forms an opening into said pocket through which said housing is visible, and

wherein said step (d) includes providing said housing with at least one external feature, and said step (e) includes embedding said at least one external feature in said closed end of said preform wherein said at least one external feature does not extend to the interior of said plastic container preform.

7. The method set forth in claim 6 wherein said housing includes a base having a peripheral wall and a disk having a periphery internally engaged by said peripheral wall, said RFID tag being disposed on an inlay captured between said base and said disk within said peripheral wall, said at least one external feature being disposed on one of said base and said disk.

8. The method set forth in claim 7 wherein the other of said base and said disk includes an annular wall that cooperates with said blow mold during said step (e) to prevent container material from covering a center portion of said housing.

9. A method of making a plastic container, which includes the steps of:

(a) providing a plastic container preform,

(b) placing said plastic container preform in a blow mold,

(c) blowing said plastic container preform within said blow mold to form a hollow plastic container,

(d) placing an insert having a wall on an actuator external to said blow mold, and

(e) prior to said step (c) actuating said actuator and mounting said insert to an external surface at a closed end of said preform so that said insert is blow molded into an outwardly open pocket of said container during said step (c) when container material is blown against said insert wall which forms a dam against flow of container material around said insert and forms an opening into said pocket through which said insert is visible,

wherein said insert has external features that are embedded into said end of said preform during said step (e) and said external features do not extend to the interior of said preform.

10. The method set forth in claim 9 wherein said insert is a plastic insert.