METHOD OF FORMING WIDE-MOUTH, HEAT-SET, PINCH-GRIP CONTAINERS

摘要

A wide-mouth, hot-fill plastic container (10) having pinch-grips (14) and a high push-up base (24) and method for forming the same. According to the method, a preform (40) is positioned in a mold cavity (34) defined in part by surfaces which deviate substantially inward to form pinch-grips (14) in the resulting container (10). Initially, a mold base (50) is located so that it defines an initial mold cavity (34) whose length is greater than the final length of the container (10). The preform (40) is axially stretched in the cavity to a length greater than the container's final length. After stretching the preform (10), the preform is generally expanded radially outward under low pressure. The mold bottom (50) is then moved to a position where the length of the cavity (34) is about the same as the final length of the container (10). The preform (40) is further expanded under high pressure such that it contacts the molding halves (36) thereby forming the finished container (10). As a result of the above method, the base and contact ring of the container (10) is fully circumferentially formed below the pinch-grips (14). The container (10) is also heat treated to allow for filling with a hot product.