Patent Publication Number: US-10329043-B2

Title: Preform extended finish for processing light weight ecologically beneficial bottles

Description:
PRIORITY 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/013,141, filed on Feb. 2, 2016 and continuation-in-part of, and claims the benefit of, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/590,705, entitled “Preform Extended Finish For Processing Light Weight Ecologically Beneficial Bottles,” filed Jan. 6, 2015, which is a continuation of, and claims the benefit of, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/295,699, filed on Nov. 14, 2011, which claims benefit to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/413,167, filed Nov. 12, 2010. Each of the aforementioned applications is incorporated by reference in its entirety into this application. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The field of the present disclosure generally relates to plastic bottles and preforms. More particularly, the field of the present disclosure relates to plastic performs and bottles blown from such preforms that are suitable for containing beverages and utilize less resin such that they are lighter in weight than conventional bottles. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Plastic containers have been used as a replacement for glass or metal containers in the packaging of beverages for several decades. The most common plastic used in making beverage containers today is PET. Containers made of PET are transparent, thin walled, and have the ability to maintain their shape by withstanding the force exerted on the walls of the container by their contents. PET resins are also reasonably priced and easy to process. PET bottles are generally made by a process that includes the blow-molding of plastic preforms which have been made by injection molding of the PET resin. 
     Advantages of plastic packaging include lighter weight and decreased breakage as compared to glass, and lower costs overall when taking both production and transportation into account. Although plastic packaging is lighter in weight than glass, there is still great interest in creating the lightest possible plastic packaging so as to maximize the cost savings in both transportation and manufacturing by making and using containers that contain less plastic. 
     SUMMARY 
     A new approach which relies on a general change in preform design has been invented, which significantly improves the ability to blow efficient, lightweight bottles. The design elegantly incorporates features for protecting critical dimensions of the bottle and stabilizing the production blowing process. These features may also utilize less resin while achieving suitable mechanical performance resulting in a reduction in the use of petroleum products by the industry. 
     In accordance with embodiments disclosed herein, there is provided a plastic preform suitable for forming a bottle, and a bottle or container made from such a preform. The preform comprises a neck portion adapted to engage a closure and including a support ring at its lowermost point, the neck portion having a first wall thickness, and an elongated body portion including a generally cylindrical wall portion and an end cap. In some embodiments, the upper segment of the body portion adjacent to the support ring has a second wall thickness substantially similar to the first wall thickness and less than a third wall thickness in a lower segment of the body portion. Further embodiments may include one or more of the following features: the second wall thickness is about 25% to about 40% of the third wall thickness; the second wall thickness is about 25% to about 30% of the third wall thickness; the second wall thickness is about 0.7 mm to about 0.8 mm; an axial length of the upper segment is, about 25% or more of an axial length of the neck portion; and/or an axial length of the upper segment is about 25% to about 35% of an axial length of the neck portion. In other embodiments, the second wall thickness is thicker or thinner than the first wall thickness by 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm, or 0.4 mm. Containers or bottles made from such preforms are also disclosed herein. 
     In accordance with embodiments disclosed herein, there is provided a plastic preform, comprising a neck portion often including a support ring, wherein the neck portion has a first wall thickness, and a body portion including an elongated cylindrical wall having upper, middle and lower segments, wherein the middle segment has a second wall thickness and the lower segment of the body portion includes an end cap. In some embodiments, the upper segment of the body portion has a wall thickness substantially similar to the first wall thickness and less than the second wall thickness and/or the axial length of the upper segment is about 25% or more of the axial length of the neck portion. Further embodiments may include one or more of the following features: the upper segment wall thickness is about 25% to about 40% of the second wall thickness; the upper segment wall thickness is about 25% to about 30% of the second wall thickness; the upper segment wall thickness is about 0.7 mm to about 0.8 mm; and/or an axial length of the upper segment is about 25% to about 35% of an axial length of the neck portion. In other embodiments, the upper segment wall thickness is thicker or thinner than the first wall thickness by 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm, or 0.4 mm. Containers or bottles made from such preforms are also disclosed herein. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, a preform suitable for being blow-molded to form a container comprises a neck portion comprising an opening to an interior of the preform; a tapered portion comprising a smooth transition from a diameter of the neck portion to a smaller diameter of a cylindrical portion comprising an elongate member that extends to an end cap; and a finish disposed on the neck portion and configured to threadably receive a cap. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the tapered portion comprises a wall thickness that smoothly transitions from a wall thickness of the neck portion to a relatively greater wall thickness of the cylindrical portion, the wall thickness of the tapered portion and the wall thickness of the cylindrical portion being suitable for being blow-molded into a predetermined shape and size of the container. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the finish comprises one or more threads configured to rotatably engage with threads disposed within the cap. In another exemplary embodiment, the one or more threads each extends along a section of the circumference of the neck portion. In another exemplary embodiment, the one or more threads are spaced uniformly around the circumference of the neck portion. In another exemplary embodiment, adjacent of the one or more threads share an intervening valley configured to allow passage of a thread disposed in the cap. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the neck portion comprises a plurality of internal columns disposed within the opening and configured to impart a degree of structural integrity to the neck portion and reduce an amount of material comprising the preform. In another exemplary embodiment, the plurality of internal columns comprises three internal columns that are positioned at substantially 120-degree intervals around the circumference of the neck portion. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the neck portion comprises one or more exterior columns configured to maintain a necessary degree of structural integrity of the preform and reduce the amount of material comprising the preform. In another exemplary embodiment, the one or more exterior columns are disposed uniformly around the perimeter of the neck portion, each of the exterior columns comprising a vertically aligned thicker region of the neck portion. In another exemplary embodiment, the one or more exterior columns are positioned in locations around the perimeter of the neck portion that coincide with the locations of internal columns within the opening of the neck portion. In another exemplary embodiment, the one or more exterior columns are positioned at specific intervals between the locations of internal columns within the opening of the neck portion. In another exemplary embodiment, adjacent exterior and interior columns are separated by 60-degree intervals around the circumference of the neck portion. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the neck portion comprises a bevel disposed at a beginning of the opening and configured to enter into sliding contact with a sealing flange of the cap, the bevel being configured to compress the sealing flange to a predetermined degree, thereby forming a tight seal suitable to retain pressurized contents within the container. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, a preform suitable for being blow-molded to form a container comprises a neck portion comprising an opening to an interior of the preform; a body portion comprising a tapered portion that smoothly transitions from the neck portion to a cylindrical portion and an end cap, the body portion comprising a wall thickness suitable for being blow-molded into a desired shape and size of the container; a finish disposed on the neck portion and configured to threadably receive a cap; a plurality of internal columns disposed within the opening; one or more exterior columns disposed around the perimeter of the neck portion; and a bevel disposed at a beginning of the opening and configured to receive a sealing flange of the cap. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the plurality of internal columns and the one or more exterior columns are configured to maintain a degree of structural integrity of the neck portion and reduce the amount of material required to form the preform. In another exemplary embodiment, the tapered portion comprises a smooth transition from a diameter and a wall thickness of the neck portion to a relatively smaller diameter and a greater wall thickness of the cylindrical portion. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the finish comprises at least three threads configured to rotatably engage with threads disposed within the cap, and wherein an intervening valley is disposed between adjacent of the at least three threads and configured to allow passage of a thread disposed in the cap. In another exemplary embodiment, each of the at least three threads extends along a section of the circumference of the neck portion. In another exemplary embodiment, the section comprises substantially 144-degrees of the circumference. In another exemplary embodiment, the at least three threads are spaced uniformly around the circumference of the neck portion. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The drawings refer to embodiments of the present disclosure in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a preform suitable for being blow-molded to form a bottle, according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2A  illustrates a cross-sectional view of an exemplary preform without an extended lightweight finish; 
         FIG. 2B  illustrates a cross-sectional view of another exemplary preform without an extended lightweight finish; 
         FIG. 2C  illustrates a cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a preform in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a cross-sectional view of a preform in the cavity of a blow-molding apparatus of the type that may be used to make a bottle or container, according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a bottle or container that has been blow-molded by way of the apparatus illustrated in  FIG. 3 , according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 5A  illustrates a micro-CT slice of a neck and upper body of an exemplary preform as illustrated in  FIG. 2A ; 
         FIG. 5B  illustrates a micro-CT slice of the neck and upper body of an exemplary embodiment of a preform as is illustrated in  FIG. 2C , in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a superimposition of micro-CT slices of an exemplary preform as illustrated in  FIG. 5B  and a bottle blown therefrom; 
         FIG. 7A  illustrates a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a preform suitable for being blow-molded to form a bottle in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 7B  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the preform illustrated in  FIG. 7A , taken along a line  7 B- 7 B, according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 7C  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the preform illustrated in  FIG. 7A , taken along a line  7 C- 7 C in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 8A  illustrates a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a neck portion suitable for being incorporated into a preform, such as illustrated in  FIG. 7A , in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 8B  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the exemplary neck portion illustrated in  FIG. 8A , taken along a line  8 B- 8 B, according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 8C  illustrates a close up, detail view of a portion of the cross-sectional view illustrated in  FIG. 8B , in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 9A  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the exemplary neck portion illustrated in  FIG. 8A , taken along a line  9 A- 9 A, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 9B  illustrates a close up, detail view of a cross-sectional profile of threads illustrated in  FIG. 9A , in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 9C  illustrates a close up, detail view of a cross-sectional profile of a neck ring illustrated in  FIG. 9A , according to the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 9D  illustrates a close up, detail view of a cross-sectional profile of a support ring illustrated in  FIG. 9A , in accordance with the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     While the present disclosure is subject to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. The invention should be understood to not be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, to one of ordinary skill in the art that the invention disclosed herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, specific numeric references such as “first preform,” may be made. However, the specific numeric reference should not be interpreted as a literal sequential order but rather interpreted that the “first preform” is different than a “second preform.” Thus, the specific details set forth are merely exemplary. The specific details may be varied from and still be contemplated to be within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The term “coupled” is defined as meaning connected either directly to the component or indirectly to the component through another component. Further, as used herein, the terms “about,” “approximately,” or “substantially” for any numerical values or ranges indicate a suitable dimensional tolerance that allows the part or collection of components to function for its intended purpose as described herein. 
     Disclosed herein are articles, including preforms and containers, which utilize less plastic in their construction while maintaining the ease of processing and excellent structural properties associated with current commercial designs. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a preform  30  suitable for being blow-molded to form a bottle, according to the present disclosure. The preform is preferably made of material approved for contact with food and beverages such as virgin PET and can be of any of a wide variety of shapes and sizes. The preform shown in  FIG. 1  is of the type which will form a 12-16 oz. beverage bottle, but as will be understood by those skilled in the art, other preform configurations may be used depending upon the desired configuration, characteristics and use of the final article. The preform  30  may be made by injection molding methods including those that are well known in the art. 
       FIG. 2A  illustrates a cross-sectional view of an exemplary preform  30 . The preform  30  has a neck portion  32  and a body portion  34 , formed monolithically (i.e., as a single, or unitary, structure). Advantageously, the monolithic arrangement of the preform, when blow-molded into a bottle, provides greater dimensional stability and improved physical properties in comparison to a preform constructed of separate neck and body portions, which are bonded together. 
     The neck portion  32  begins at an opening  36  to an interior of the preform  30  and extends to and includes a support ring  38 . The neck portion  32  is further characterized by the presence of a structure for engaging a closure. In the illustrated embodiment, the structure includes threads  40 , which provide a means to fasten a cap to the bottle produced from the preform  30 . The illustrated preform has a shorter overall neck area than most conventional preforms, which shorter neck area may also be thinner than in conventional preforms. The thickness of the neck area  52 A is measured at the very top or between the threads or any other protruding structures. 
     The body portion  34  comprises an elongated structure extending down from the neck portion  32  and culminating in an end cap  42 . In some embodiments the body portion  34  may be generally cylindrical, and the end cap  42  may be conical or frustoconical and may also be hemispherical, and the very terminus of the end cap may be flattened or rounded. The preform wall thickness  44  through most of the body portion  34  will depend upon the overall size of the preform  30  and the wall thickness and overall size of the resulting container. The preform wall thickness between  48 A and  50 A is slightly thinner than the wall thickness throughout the straight portion of the body portion, both of which are thicker than at  46 A immediately below the support ring  38 . A slight taper often below 0.01 mm may also be found from  50 A to  44  to help with release of the injected preform from the core during processing. 
       FIG. 2B  illustrates a cross-section of another embodiment of a prior art preform  30 . The preform  30  has a neck portion  32  and a body portion  34 . The neck portion  32  of the preform is of an axial length as may be found in conventional preforms. Although the thickness of the upper segment or portion of the body portion  46 B is of a similar thickness as the neck portion  52 B, it is also substantially similar thickness or the same thickness as the remainder of the body portion of the preform (e.g.  44 B,  50 B). In contrast to the preform  30  illustrated in  FIG. 2B , the preform illustrated in  FIG. 2C  is substantially thicker in the middle segment (e.g.  44 C) of the body and in the end cap  42  than in the upper segment (e.g.  46 C) of the body portion, which is of a similar thickness or same thickness as the neck portion  52 C. In other embodiments, the upper segment of the body portion (e.g.  46 C) may be thinner than the neck portion  52 C. 
     In contrast to the preform illustrated in  FIG. 2A , the preform  30  illustrated in  FIG. 2C  has a reduced thickness in the upper portion of the body portion  34  of the preform below the support ring  38 , in that point  46 C is substantially thinner than the corresponding location  46 A in the prior art preform,  48 C is of similar thickness to  46 C which is much thinner than  48 A of the prior art preform, and the thickness increases from point  48 C to  50 C, at which point the body portion  34  transitions into the straight portion of the preform having the thickness  44 C. Preforms and containers blown from such preforms having such a thinned area at the uppermost portion of the body portion are sometimes referred to herein as having an “extended finish.” A further illustration of this difference, in accordance with one embodiment, can be seen in  FIG. 5B  and  FIG. 6 . Further, the preform  30  illustrated in  FIG. 2C  also has a shorter overall neck area than most conventional preforms. As will be appreciated, the shorter neck area may also be thinner than in conventional preforms. 
     As compared to the prior art preform in  FIG. 2A , the thickness at  46 C is about 20-50% of the thickness at  46 A, the thickness at  48 C is about 20-60% of the thickness at  48 A, and the thickness at  50 C is about 80-100% of the thickness at  50 A. In one embodiment, the thicknesses of  46 C and  48 C differ by less than about 20%, including less than about 10%, or they are substantially the same thickness. As an example, for a preform used to form an 8 oz. bottle, the thickness at  46 C is about 0.7 mm, the thickness at  48 C is about 0.8, and the thickness at  50 C is about 2 mm. By means of comparison, for the prior art preform used to form an 8 oz. bottle, the thickness at  46 A is about 1.5 mm the thickness at  48 A is about 2 mm, and the thickness at  50 A is about 2.5 mm. As another example, for a preform used to form a 16.9 oz. bottle, the thickness at  46 C is about 0.7 mm, the thickness at  48 C is about 1 mm, and the thickness at  50 C is about 2.4 mm, compared to about 1.2 mm at  46 A, about 1.8 mm at  48 A, and about 2.4 mm at  50 A in a prior art preform. As another example, for a preform used to form a 33.8 oz. bottle, the thickness at  46 C is about 0.75 mm, the thickness at  48 C is about 1 mm, and the thickness at  50 C is about 2.6 mm, compared to about 1.5 mm at  46 A, about 1.9 mm at  48 A, and about 2.7 mm at  50 A in a prior art preform. The total weight of a preform used to form an 8 oz. bottle according to  FIG. 2C  is about 7 grams as compared to about 12.5 grams for a preform according to  FIG. 2A . The total weight of a preform used to form a 16.9 oz. bottle according to  FIG. 2C  is about 8.5 grams as compared to about 9.2 grams for a preform according to  FIG. 2A . The total weight of a preform used to form a 33.8 oz. bottle according to  FIG. 2C  is about 18.3 grams as compared to about 26 grams for a preform according to  FIG. 2A . Using the information provided herein, one skilled in the art can prepare other sizes of preforms that have similar characteristics to those described herein. Also, the dimensions in other useful embodiments of preforms may vary from the above-stated dimensions by between substantially 0.1 mm and substantially 1 mm, inclusive. 
     In accordance with certain embodiments, the upper segment of the body portion of the preform, which is adjacent to the support ring, has a thickness that is substantially similar to the thickness  52 C of the neck portion  32 . In some such embodiments, the thicknesses of the upper segment and the neck portion  32  may differ by +/−0 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm, or 0.4 mm. In some such embodiments, the thicknesses of the upper segment and the neck may differ by up to 10%, up to 20%, or up to 30%. Accordingly, the thickness of the upper segment of the body portion of the preform may be substantially the same thickness, or it may be either thicker or thinner than the neck portion  52 C. In accordance with other embodiments, the thickness of the upper segment of the body portion  34  of the preform is less than that of a middle or lower segment of the body portion. In some such embodiments, the wall thickness of the upper section is about 10% to about 40% of the thickness of the lower and/or middle section of the body, including about 15% to about 40%, about 15% to about 30%, about 25% to about 35%, about 20% to about 35%, about 20% to about 30%, including about 12%, about 13%, about 17%, about 19%, about 22%, about 24%, about 27%, about 29%, about 31%, and about 33%, including ranges bordered and including the foregoing values. In some such embodiments, the wall thickness of the upper segment of the body is about 0.3 mm to about 0.9 mm, including about 0.3 mm to about 0.5 mm, about 0.4 mm to about 0.7 mm, about 0.5 mm to about 0.9 mm, about 0.7 mm to about 0.8 mm, including about 0.35 mm, about 0.45 mm, about 0.55 mm, about 0.65 mm, about 0.75 mm, and about 0.85 mm, including ranges bordered and including the foregoing values. In accordance with other embodiments, the axial length of the upper segment measures about 20% or more, including about 25% or more of the axial length of the neck portion, including about 20% to about 30%, about 20% to about 35%, about 25% to about 30%, and about 25% to about 35% of the axial length of the neck portion. Preforms may include one or more or all of the features described above. 
     After a preform, such as that depicted in  FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C , is prepared by injection molding, the preform is subjected to a stretch blow-molding process. Referring to  FIG. 3 , in this process a preform  50  is placed in a mold  80  having a cavity corresponding to a desired container shape. The preform  50  is then heated and expanded by stretching such as by a stretch rod inserted into the center of the preform to push it to the end of the mold and by air forced into the interior of the preform  50  to fill the cavity within the mold  80 , creating a container  82 . The blow-molding operation normally is restricted to the body portion  34  of the preform with the neck portion  32 , including the support ring  38 , retaining the original configuration as in the preform. 
     When performing the stretch blow-molding process to create the container, preforms are conventionally loaded onto a spindle which engages the inner wall of the neck portion of the preform and facilitates transporting the preform into and through the stretch blow-molding machinery. Because of the extended neck finish in accordance with embodiments described herein, it may be beneficial to have the spindle extend into the inner wall of the preform into the region of the upper segment of the body portion, beyond the neck portion. In some embodiments, the spindle loads into the preform the full extent of the extended neck finish. This may be accomplished by adjusting the depth to which the spindle loads and/or by changing the spindle to have sufficient length to extend the greater distance. The extended spindle loading depth helps to maintain the dimensions of the extended neck finish, especially in those embodiments where the extended neck finish is relatively thin such that the dimensional stability of the lower part of the extended neck finish and/or the lower part of the upper segment of the body portion would otherwise be at risk due to exposure to heating elements and/or elevated temperatures in other portions of the body during the stretch blow-molding process. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a container  82  that may be made by way of blow-molding the preform  50  of  FIG. 3 , or the preforms  30  illustrated in  FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C . The container  82  has a neck portion  32  and a body portion  34  corresponding to the neck and body portions of the preforms  30  illustrated in  FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C . The neck portion  32  is further characterized by the presence of threads  40  or other closure engagement means that provides a way to fasten a cap onto the container  82 . 
     In preforms having neck finishes that are lighter in weight and portions immediately below the finish (uppermost portion of the body), such as those described herein, the lighter weight portions are more susceptible to damage or softening from the heat supplied to the remainder of the preform during blow-molding. Aggressive cooling of the finish was seen as a way to enable light weighting. Since not all machines cool identically or as effectively, it was observed that to properly blow the bottle, the finish would go through distortion. A short term solution to prevent distorting the finish was to limit heating of the preform below the support ring  38 . This left plastic from the preform in the neck of the bottle. This is referred to as a “ring” in the neck. While unattractive and inefficient from a resin use perspective, such a decision allowed the light weight preform to continue to produce acceptable bottles. 
     Thus, a concept was conceived where the material normally placed in the preform to be stretched from directly below the support ring was removed and replaced with a wall thickness at the desired dimensions of the finished product. The distance of this bottle “neck” was set by the bottle design, but the new extended finish concept allows for some heating and stretching. By definition the design change also provides for a transition from fully blown bottle to rigidly retained threads across this zone. An extended finish is especially useful in smaller finishes that are substantially shorter from the support ring to the top of the finish as compared to prior finishes that have considerable distance (up to 10 mm) from the threads to the base of the support ring. Such shorter finishes may also be thinner. This new design was also discouraged because having a thin area upstream of a thicker threaded area in an injection mold would be difficult, if not impossible, to mold properly since it would likely prevent resin from completely filling the neck finish under usual injection pressures. Thus injection limitations have historically limited this approach rather than mechanical performance. Accordingly, in some embodiments, during the injection molding process, the closing of the neck ring can be slightly delayed to allow filling of the small spaces before clamping it down to mold at least the neck and finish. Minimal experimentation is needed to determine the correct timing and amount of polymer melt to ensure complete filling of the neck and finish while minimizing flashing. 
     In addition to providing lighter weight preforms and bottles, the extended finish preforms disclosed herein, which may incorporate other lightweighting features described herein such as a shorter and/or thinner neck and/or thinner walls in the body portion, can also have the advantage of being produced using a lower cycle time in molding. Lower cycle time increases the number of preforms that can be made by a single piece of equipment in a day and can lower the total energy needed to produce a single preform, resulting in additional cost savings to the manufacturer. 
     It was also generally thought that a thicker support ring and larger amounts of plastic near that region (above in the finish and below at the uppermost portion of the body) was needed to absorb heat and prevent it from transferring into the finish. This has also been shown by the present applicant to be incorrect. It has been found that the thick ring of plastic provides heat storage and serves as a heat source during later bottle handling and processing steps. Thinning the region below the support ring, under this new perspective, provides resistance to heat travelling up to the finish in that this area can rapidly cool so that it is not a latent heat source during later operations. Since, in certain embodiments, this region does not need to be stretched during blow-molding, it does not need to be heated and the blow-molding procedure and apparatus may be adjusted such that the uppermost portion or upper segment of the preform/container body (in the area of the extended finish) is not heated, or heated very little as compared to the bulk of the body of the preform, as part the blow-molding process. This change is easy to accommodate in modem equipment and makes the production process easier and more stable. For example, the position of the cooling rail or shims may be adjusted to provide greater protection from heat for the extended finish, the intensity of the heating element(s) may be adjusted, and/or the position of the heating element(s) may be adjusted. It should be noted that preforms having an extended finish may be blow-molded in conventional processes that actively heat the lower portion of the extended finish (i.e. the uppermost portion of the body), but such processes are generally less effective in creating consistently stable bottles during production. 
     The applicant has discovered that when the preform of  FIG. 2A  is blown to form a bottle in a process that protects the extended finish from heating during blow-molding as described above, the thickness at  46 A and  48 A changes very little, with essentially all of the wall portion of the bottle being formed from the stretching of the wall around  50 A and below. This is shown in  FIG. 6  which presents a superimposition of cross-sections of a preform having an extended finish and a bottle blown therefrom. Accordingly, the wall thickness at the lower segment of the neck portion of the preform, including at  46 C and  48 C, is lessened as described hereinabove to reduce the amount of material needed to form the preform while still maintaining the necessary degree of structural integrity to allow for ease in blow-molding to form a container that has sufficient mechanical strength to withstand the forces exerted on it during formation, filling, transportation and use. 
     In accordance with some embodiments herein, the width of the support ring may be increased as compared to that in a standard shorter finish. Given that a 0.6 mm width to the support ring (as in a standard shorter finish) provides forces upon a finger that are considered to be within the pain threshold for a finger, increasing the width may provide greater comfort for the consumer. Accordingly, a width of at least about 1 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.6 mm, 1.8 mm, 2 mm, 2.2 mm, 2.4 mm, 2.6 mm or greater would provide greater comfort to the consumer when opening the closure. Alternatively or concomitantly, changes may be made to the cap including by increasing the apparent cap diameter such as by providing ribs on the tamper ring that are of greater height than the remaining cap. Other reasons to widen the ring include conveyor handling, heat sink properties of the ring, better feel when opening the container, greater resistance to damage during processing and transport. It should be noted that increasing the width of the support ring is counter to lightweighting, such that it should be balanced with other considerations when designing a preform and container. 
     In some embodiments, in which it is desired for the container to be heat-set, it is preferred that the containers be blow-molded in accordance with processes generally known for heat set blow-molding, including, but not limited to, those which involve orienting and heating in the mold, and those which involve steps of blowing, relaxing and reblowing. The mold  80  can quickly cool the container during this process, especially with high heat transfer material absorbing heat from the container at a high rate. 
     In some embodiments, the blow-mold may be used to produce crystalline neck finishes. For example, the neck portion of the blow-mold and the body portion of the blow-mold can selectively control the temperature of the preform/container to achieve a desired amount of crystallization. Thus, the neck portion of the preform/container can be heated and gradually reduced in temperature to produce a desired amount of crystalline material. 
     In some embodiments for preforms in which the neck finish is formed primarily of PET, the preform may be heated to a temperature of preferably 80° C. to 120° C., with higher temperatures being preferred for the heat-set embodiments, and given a brief period of time to equilibrate. After equilibration, the preform may be stretched to a length approximating the length of the final container. Following the stretching, pressurized air, such as chilled food grade air, may be forced into the preform which acts to expand the walls of the preform to fit the mold in which it rests, thus creating the container. Fluid may be circulated through the mold so as to rapidly cool the container contacting the interior surface. The temperature of the chilled air for stretching the preform and the temperature of the fluid cooling the mold may be selected based on the desired container finish, production time, and the like. 
       FIGS. 7A through 7C  illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a preform  90  suitable for being blow-molded to form a bottle, such as the container  82 , in accordance with the present disclosure. Similar to the preforms  30 ,  50 , the preform  90  comprises a neck portion  32  and a body portion  34  that are monolithically formed. The neck portion  32  begins at an opening  36  to an interior of the preform  90  and extends to a tapered portion  92  of the body portion  34 . The tapered portion  92  comprises a smooth transition from a diameter of the neck portion  32  to a relatively smaller diameter of a cylindrical  94  portion of the preform  90 . The cylindrical portion  94  is a generally elongate member that extends to an end cap  42 . 
     As best shown in  FIG. 7B , a wall thickness of the cylindrical portion  94  is substantially uniform throughout the cylindrical portion and the end cap  42 . A wall thickness of the tapered portion  92 , however, generally decreases from the wall thickness of the cylindrical portion  94  to a relatively thinner wall thickness of the neck portion  32 . As discussed herein, the wall thickness of the cylindrical portion  94  is relatively greater than the wall thickness of the neck portion  32  so as to provide a wall thickness at the desired dimensions of a finished product after being blow-molded into the shape and size of a bottle, such as the container  82 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 7B and 7C , the neck portion  32  may be characterized by a plurality of longitudinally oriented internal columns  96  within the opening  36 . In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of internal columns  96  comprises three internal columns that are equally spaced around the circumference of the neck portion  32 . Thus, as shown in  FIG. 7C , adjacent internal columns  96  are positioned at substantially 120-degree intervals around the circumference of the neck portion  32 . As will be appreciated, incorporating the plurality of internal columns  96  into the neck portion  32  facilitates incorporating a wall thickness within the neck portion that is relatively thinner than conventional neck portions. Thus, the internal columns  96  facilitate a wall thickness within the neck portion  32  of the preform  90  that reduces the amount of material needed to form the preform  90  while still maintaining the necessary degree of structural integrity to allow for ease in blow-molding to form a container that has suitable mechanical strength to withstand forces encountered during formation, filling, transportation, and use. It should be understood, however, that the number of internal columns  96  may be other than three, and that the spacing between adjacent internal columns  96  need not necessarily be uniform, nor limited to 120-degree intervals. 
     The neck portion  32  is further characterized by a presence of threads  40  configured to rotatably engage with similar threads disposed within a cap or other suitable closure so as to provide a way to seal contents within the container  82 . In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 7A , and as shown in greater detail in  FIGS. 8A-9D , each of the threads  40  generally extends along a section of the circumference of the neck portion  32  and approaches a neck ring  98 . Thus, when the threads of a cap are engaged with the threads  40 , and the cap is rotated in a clockwise direction, the cap advances toward the support ring  38 . As best shown in  FIG. 8A , the threads  40  comprise three threads that each begins at a thread start  102  and extends along a substantially 144-degree section of the neck portion  32 . The thread start  102  is configured to guide the thread  40  into a space, or valley, between adjacent threads of the cap so as to threadably engage the cap with the neck portion  32 , as described herein. Further, the threads  40  generally are disposed adjacently to one another and are spaced uniformly around the circumference of the neck portion  32 . In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 8A , the thread starts  102  of adjacent threads  40  are spaced at substantially 120-degree intervals around the perimeter of the neck portion  32 . As will be appreciated, however, more or less than three threads  40  may be incorporated into the neck portion  32  without deviating beyond the scope of the present disclosure. 
     In some embodiments, one or more exterior columns  104  may be incorporated into the neck portion  32 . Similar to the internal columns  96 , described above, the exterior columns  104  facilitate a wall thickness within the neck portion  32  of the preform  90  that reduces the amount of material needed to form the preform while still maintaining a necessary degree of structural integrity, as described herein. Thus, the exterior columns  104  may be incorporated into the neck portion so as to promote ease in blow-molding to form a container that has suitable mechanical strength to withstand forces encountered during formation, filling, transportation, and use 
     In the present embodiment, three exterior columns  104 , each comprising a vertically aligned thicker portion of the neck portion  32 , are disposed uniformly around the perimeter of the neck portion, as best shown in  FIGS. 8B and 8C . In some embodiments, however, other than three exterior columns  104  may be disposed around the neck portion  32 , such as, by way of non-limiting example, two exterior columns disposed on opposite sides of the neck portion  32 , or four exterior columns disposed at 90-degree intervals around the neck portion  32 . Further, the spacing between adjacent exterior columns  104  need not be uniform around the perimeter of the neck portion, but rather the exterior columns may be disposed at various intervals around the neck portion. 
     Moreover, in some embodiments, the external columns  104  may be positioned around the perimeter of the neck portion  32  so as to coincide with the locations of the internal columns  96 . In such embodiments, therefore, the internal columns  96  may be positioned directly beneath the external columns  104 . Alternatively, in some embodiments, the external columns  104  may be positioned at specific intervals between adjacent internal columns  96 . For example, adjacent internal and external  96 ,  104  may be separated by 60-degree intervals. Further, the internal and external columns  96 ,  104  need not necessarily be positioned at the same distance relative to the opening  36 . In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 7A-9D , for example, the external columns  104  are positioned above the neck ring  98 , whereas the internal columns  96  generally extend from the neck ring  98  into the tapered portion  92  of the preform  90 , as best shown in  FIG. 7B . It should be understood, therefore, that the internal and external columns  96 ,  104  may be incorporated onto the neck portion  32  in any configuration deemed suitable without deviating beyond the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. 
       FIG. 9A  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the neck portion  32 , taken along a line  9 A- 9 A of  FIG. 8A . As described above, the neck portion  32  comprises a generally cylindrical member having an opening  36  suitable to provide access to an interior of the container  82 . A bevel  106  is disposed at the beginning of the opening  36 . The bevel  106  is configured to enter into sliding contact with a sealing flange of a suitable cap so as to prevent contents within the container  82  from leaking out of the container. In some embodiments, the bevel  106  may compress the sealing flange to a predetermined degree, thereby forming a tight seal suitable to retain pressurized contents within the container  82 . 
       FIGS. 9B through 9D  illustrate detailed close up views of portions of the cross-sectional view of  FIG. 9A . A cross-sectional profile of the threads  40  is illustrated in  FIG. 9B . The threads  40  generally extend outward from the neck portion  32  such that a valley  108  is disposed between adjacent threads. The cross-sectional profile of the threads  40  is configured such that the threads advantageously engage with similar threads disposed within a suitable cap for sealing contents within the container  82 . As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the valley  108  is configured to allow passage of a thread disposed in the cap to pass between adjacent threads  40  during tightening of the cap onto the neck portion  32 , as described herein. 
       FIG. 9C  illustrates a close up view of the cross-sectional profile of the neck ring  98 . As shown in  FIG. 9C , the neck ring  98  comprises a rounded upper portion  112  and a substantially flat lower portion  116 . As will be appreciated, the rounded upper portion  112  facilitates passing a tamper-evident ring portion of the cap over the neck ring  98  during assembly of the cap onto the container  82 . The flat lower portion  116  is configured to retain the tamper-evident ring positioned below the neck ring  98  during loosening of the cap. For example, when the cap is initially installed onto the container  82  by a manufacturer, the tamper-evident ring easily passes over the neck ring  98  due to the rounded upper portion  112 . When an end-user later loosens the cap, the flat lower portion  116  retains the tamper-evident ring below the neck ring  98 , causing the tamper-evident ring to break loose from the cap. Thus, the flat lower portion  116  of the neck ring  98  and the tamper-evident ring of the cap cooperate to indicate to the end-user that the cap has not been previously loosened after being installed by the manufacturer. 
       FIG. 9D  illustrates a close up view of the cross-sectional profile of the support ring  38 . In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 9D , the support ring  38  comprises a substantially flat lower surface  120 . As will be recognized, the flat lower surface  120  of the support ring  38  facilitates supporting the preform  90  in the mold  80  during the blow-molding process described above and illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
     The articles described herein may be made from any suitable thermoplastic material, such as polyesters including polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyolefins, including polypropylene and polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamides, including nylons (e.g. Nylon 6, Nylon 66, MXD6), polystyrenes, epoxies, acrylics, copolymers, blends, grafted polymers, and/or modified polymers (monomers or portion thereof having another group as a side group, e.g. olefin-modified polyesters). These materials may be used alone or in conjunction with each other. More specific material examples include, but are not limited to, ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (“EVOH”), ethylene vinyl acetate (“EVA”), ethylene acrylic acid (“EAA”), linear low density polyethylene (“LLDPE”), polyethylene 2,6- and 1,5-naphthalate (PEN), polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), poly(cyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate), polystryrene, cycloolefin, copolymer, poly-4-methylpentene-1, poly(methyl methacrylate), acrylonitrile, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidine chloride, styrene acrylonitrile, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polyacetal, polybutylene terephthalate, ionomer, polysulfone, polytetra-fluoroethylene, polytetramethylene 1,2-dioxybenzoate and copolymers of ethylene terephthalate and ethylene isophthalate. In certain embodiments preferred materials may be virgin, pre-consumer, post-consumer, regrind, recycled, and/or combinations thereof. 
     In some embodiments polypropylene also refers to clarified polypropylene. As used herein, the term “clarified polypropylene” is a broad term and is used in accordance with its ordinary meaning and may include, without limitation, a polypropylene that includes nucleation inhibitors and/or clarifying additives. Clarified polypropylene is a generally transparent material as compared to the homopolymer or block copolymer of polypropylene. The inclusion of nucleation inhibitors helps prevent and/or reduce crystallinity, which contributes to the haziness of polypropylene, within the polypropylene. Clarified polypropylene may be purchased from various sources such as Dow Chemical Co. Alternatively, nucleation inhibitors may be added to polypropylene. 
     As used herein, “PET” includes, but is not limited to, modified PET as well as PET blended with other materials. One example of a modified PET is IP A-modified PET, which refers to PET in which the IPA content is preferably more than about 2% by weight, including about 2-10% IP A by weight, also including about 5-10% IP A by weight. In another modified PET, an additional comonomer, cyclohexane dimethanol (CHDM) is added in significant amounts (e.g. approximately 40% by weight or more) to the PET mixture during manufacture of the resin. 
     Additives may be included in articles herein to provide functional properties to the resulting containers. Such additives include those providing enhanced gas barrier, UV protection, scuff resistance, impact resistance and/or chemical resistance. Preferred additives may be prepared by methods known to those of skill in the art. For example, the additives may be mixed directly with a particular material, or they may be dissolved/dispersed separately and then added to a particular material. Additives are preferably present in an amount up to about 40% of the material, also including up to about 30%, 20%, 10%, 5%, 2% and 1% by weight of the material. In other embodiments, additives are preferably present in an amount less than or equal to 1% by weight, preferred ranges of materials include, but are not limited to, about 0.01% to about 1%, about 0.01% to about 0.1%, and about 0.1% to about 1% by weight. 
     Another possible additive is microparticulate clay or graphene based materials. These materials comprise tiny, micron or sub-micron size (diameter), particles of materials which enhance the barrier and/or mechanical properties of a material by creating a more tortuous path for migrating gas molecules, e.g. oxygen or carbon dioxide, to take as they permeate a material and/or providing added stiffness. In preferred embodiments nanoparticulate material is present in amounts ranging from 0.05 to 1% by weight, including 0.1%, 0.5% by weight and ranges encompassing these amounts. One preferred microparticulate clay based product is Cloisite® available from Southern Clay Products. In certain embodiments preferred nanoparticles comprise monmorillonite that may be modified with a ternary or quaternary ammonium salt. In further embodiments, such particles comprise organoclays as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,780,376, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference and forms part of the disclosure of this application. Other suitable organic and inorganic microparticulate clay based or nano-sized products may also be used. Both man-made and natural products are also suitable. 
     In some embodiments, the UV protection properties of the material may be enhanced by the addition of one or more additives. In a preferred embodiment, the UV protection material used provides UV protection up to about 350 nm or less, preferably about 3 70 nm or less, more preferably about 400 nm or less. The UV protection material may be used as an additive with layers providing additional functionality or applied separately as a single layer. Preferably additives providing enhanced UV protection are present in the material from about 0.05 to 20% by weight, but also including about 0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 5%, 10%, and 15% by weight, and ranges encompassing these amounts. Preferably the UV protection material is added in a form that is compatible with the other materials. In some embodiments, a preferred UV protection material comprises a polymer grafted or modified with a UV absorber that is added as a concentrate. Other preferred UV protection materials include, but are not limited to, benzotriazoles, phenothiazines, and azaphenothiazines. UV protection materials may be added during the melt phase process prior to use, e.g. prior to injection molding or extrusion. Suitable UV protection materials are available from Milliken, Ciba and Clariant. 
     While the invention has been described in terms of particular variations and illustrative figures, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the variations or figures described. In addition, where methods and steps described above indicate certain events occurring in certain order, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the ordering of certain steps may be modified and that such modifications are in accordance with the variations of the invention. Additionally, certain of the steps may be performed concurrently in a parallel process when possible, as well as performed sequentially as described above. To the extent there are variations of the invention, which are within the spirit of the disclosure or equivalent to the inventions found in the claims, it is the intent that this patent will cover those variations as well. Therefore, the present disclosure is to be understood as not limited by the specific embodiments described herein, but only by scope of the appended claims.