Patent ID: 6913455

Claim:
A hot fill mold assembly for forming a container, the hot fill mold assembly comprising: two mold half shells each comprising an outer wall and an inner wall that defines the shape of at least a portion of the container to be formed, each of the mold half shells having a plurality of channels extending therethrough adapted for receiving a liquid to heat the mold half shells; two mold half carriers each having a carrier inner wall overlaying in contacting thermal conducting relation a corresponding outer wall of the mold half shells for supporting the mold half shells in the hot fill mold assembly; and, at least one of the outer wall of each of the mold half shells and the inner wall of each of the mold half carriers having a pattern of grooves formed therein to reduce contact surface area between the outer wall and inner wall whereby the pattern of grooves buffer thermal conduction between the inner wall and the outer wall.