Stretch blow-molded stackable tumbler

Abstract

The inventive drinking vessels are prepared by stretch blow-molding a preform and exhibit increased Rigidity as well as elevated, preferably relatively uniform crystallinity. A preferred method of making blow-molded stackable drinking vessels includes expanding a preform both axially and radially to make an intermediate article with a neck, a transition portion and a tumbler portion. The transition portion and neck are severed from the tumbler which is then fortified around its upper aperture which is larger than its base.

Description

CLAIM FOR PRIORITY [0001] This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 402,314, filed Aug. 9, 2002. This application also claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 635,722, filed Aug. 6, 2003. The disclosures of each of these applications are incorporated herein in their entireties by this reference.TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] The present invention relates generally to drinking vessels and in preferred embodiments to a stretch blow-molded tumbler formed from an injection molded preform which is expanded radially and axially to form the tumbler. The tumblers exhibit high Rigidity, orientation and relatively high crystallinity. BACKGROUND [0003] In quick service restaurants, one of the highest margin items offered is the fountain beverage. In many cases, it is possible for the quick service restaurant owners to boost their sales of beverages by providing promotional cups either with printing tied to some media phenom...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0027] In some embodiments, the tumblers of the invention can be made relatively thick-walled, e.g., a wall thickness of greater than 25 thousandths of an inch such that it is not necessary to fortify the rim; rather the tumbler portion may simply be severed from the upper porti

Problems solved by technology

However, the ability to offer cups in unusual configurations or shapes is greatly limited by the technology currently used to produce such cups.

In particular, injection-molding is relatively inefficient in use of materials when cups are formed from polymeric resins, while injection blow-molding is best applied to only a limited range of polymers and vacuum thermoforming produces a relatively weak cup.

The cups produced by these methods are usually limited to traditional straight taper designs and are usually not transparent, particularly in large sizes as are typically employed in connection with promotional cups.

Stretch blow-molding is perhaps one of the most widely employed methods for makin

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