Molded plastic container and preform having insert-molded insert

• US 8,097,199 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2006
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BPRex Healthcare Packaging, Inc. (Berry Global Group Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rexam Healthcare Packaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Abbott, Douglas W., Mohrmann, Bruce A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Christina
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAUTH, GALEN H
• Application Number:
  US11/348,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20070182562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,170 Days
• Field of Search: 264/272.15, 264/275, 264/259, 264/500, 264/523
• US Class Current: 264/272.15
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/14852 incorporating articles with a data carrier, e.g. chips
• 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 2949/072 having variable wall thickness
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/0725 at bottom portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/073 having variable diameter
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/0733 at body portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/0773 Threads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/078 characterised by the bottom
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/079 Auxiliary parts or inserts
• 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 2949/3022 partially
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3026 having two or more components
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3028 : having three 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 45/14 : incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. injection moulding around inserts or for coating articles B29C45/1671 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14639 : for obtaining an insulating effect, e.g. for electrical components
• 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: B29K 2067/00 : Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/253 : Preform
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 1/02 : Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures, designed for pouring contents thermally-insulated containers B65D81/38, A47J41/00; feeding-bottles A61J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 : Transponders

Abstract

A method of making a plastic container having an RFID tag in a wall of the container includes providing a mold having a mold core and mounting an insert on the core. The insert includes an RFID tag surrounded by a plastic housing, which preferably is retained on the core for example by heat of the core partially melting the housing. A plastic preform is formed in the mold around the core and the insert, preferably by injection molding, such that the insert is embedded in a wall of the preform. The preform is then blow molded into a plastic container having the insert embedded in a wall of the container. The insert preferably is mounted on an end of the core such that the insert is in the base wall of the container following blow molding. The RFID tag preferably is externally covered by plastic material in the preform as molded, and in the container as blow molded, so that the RFID tag is not externally exposed in the preform or the container. The disclosure also contemplates a container preform and a blow molded plastic container manufactured in accordance with a method of the disclosure.

Claims

1. A method of making a plastic container having an insert in a wall of the container, which includes the steps of:

(a) providing a mold that includes a mold core and a female mold section,

(b) mounting an insert on said core wherein said insert includes a plastic housing and is retained on said core, and closing said mold to form a mold cavity around said core,

(c) forming a plastic preform in said mold cavity around said mold core and said insert such that said insert is embedded in a wall of said preform, wherein said insert is externally covered by plastic material of said preform so that said insert is not externally exposed, and

(d) blow molding said preform into a plastic container having said insert embedded in a wall of the container,

wherein said step (b) includes mounting said insert on an end of said core such that said insert is in a closed end of said preform following step (c) and in a base wall of the container following said step (d),

wherein temperature of said core is such that said core partially melts said plastic housing wherein said insert is retained on said core following said step (b).

2. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein said step (c) includes injection molding said plastic preform in said mold around said core and said insert.

4. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein said insert includes an RFID tag coupled to an rf antenna within said plastic housing.

16. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein said step (c) includes injection molding said plastic preform in said mold into a gap between said core and said insert to help retain said insert within said closed end of said preform.

3. A method of making a plastic container having an insert in a wall of the container, which includes the steps of:

(a) providing a mold that includes a mold core and a female mold section,

(b) mounting an insert on said core wherein said insert is retained on said core, and closing said mold to form a mold cavity around said core,

(c) forming a plastic preform in said mold cavity around said mold core and said insert such that said insert is embedded in a wall of said preform, wherein said insert is externally covered by plastic material of said preform so that said insert is not externally exposed, and

(d) blow molding said preform into a plastic container having said insert embedded in a wall of the container,

wherein said step (b) includes mounting said insert on an end of said core such that said insert is in a base wall of the container following said step (d),

wherein said step (a) includes providing an ejection rod on said core, and wherein said step (d) includes activating said ejection rod to facilitate separation of said insert from said core during blow molding.

5. The method set forth in claim 3 wherein said core has a conical opening at an end of said core, and wherein said insert has a conical plug that is inserted into said opening during said step (b).

11. The method set forth in claim 3 wherein said insert is retained on said mold core by press fit.

17. The method set forth in claim 3 wherein said step (c) includes injection molding said plastic preform in said mold into a gap between said core and said insert to help retain said insert within said wall of said preform.

6. A method of making a plastic container preform having an insert in a wall of the preform, which includes the steps of:

(a) providing a mold that includes a mold core and a female mold section,

(b) mounting an insert on said core wherein said insert includes a plastic housing and is retained on said core, and closing said mold to form a mold cavity around said core, and

(c) forming a plastic preform in said mold cavity around said core and said insert such that said insert is embedded in a wall of said preform wherein said insert is externally covered by plastic material of said preform so that said insert is not externally exposed,

wherein said step (b) includes mounting said insert on an end of said core such that said insert is in a closed end of said preform following said step (c) and in a base wall of the container following blow molding of said preform,

wherein temperature of said core is such that said core partially melts said plastic housing wherein said insert is retained on said core following said step (b).

10. The method set forth in claim 6 wherein said insert includes an RFID tag within a plastic housing.

18. The method set forth in claim 6 wherein said step (c) includes injection molding said plastic preform in said mold into a gap between said core and said insert to help retain said insert within said closed end of said preform.

7. A method of making a plastic container having an insert in a wall of the container, which includes the steps of:

(a) providing a mold that includes a mold core having an ejection rod, and a female mold section,

(b) mounting an insert on said core wherein said insert is retained on said core, and closing said mold to form a mold cavity around said core, and

(c) forming a plastic preform in said mold cavity around said mold core and said insert such that said insert is embedded in a wall of said preform, wherein said insert is externally covered by plastic material of said preform so that said insert is not externally exposed,

wherein said step (b) includes mounting said insert on an end of said core such that said insert is in a closed end of said preform following said step (c) and in a base wall of the container following blow molding of said preform, and said ejection rod is activatable to facilitate separation of said insert from said core.

8. The method set forth in claim 7 wherein said step (c) includes injection molding said plastic preform in said mold around said core and said insert.

9. The method set forth in claim 7 including (d) blow molding said preform into a container having said insert embedded in said base wall of said container, and activating said ejection rod to facilitate separation of said insert from said core during said blow molding.

12. The method set forth in claim 7 wherein said insert is retained on said mold core by press fit.

19. The method set forth in claim 7 wherein said step (c) includes injection molding said plastic preform in said mold into a gap between said core and said insert to help retain said insert within said wall of said preform.

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

(a) providing a mold that includes a mold core having an ejection rod, and a female mold section,

(b) mounting an insert on an end of said core wherein said insert is retained on said core, and closing said mold to form a mold cavity around said core,

(c) forming a plastic preform in said mold cavity around said mold core and said insert such that said insert is embedded in a closed end of said preform, wherein said insert is externally covered by plastic material of said preform so that said insert is not externally exposed, and

(d) blow molding said preform into a plastic container having said insert embedded in a base wall of the container, and activating said ejection rod during the blow molding step to facilitate separation of said insert from said core.

14. The method set forth in claim 13 wherein said insert is retained on said mold core by press fit.

15. The method set forth in claim 13 wherein said step (c) includes injection molding said plastic preform in said mold into a gap between said mold core and said insert to help retain said insert within said closed end of said preform.