Patent ID: 8617681

Claim:
A labeled, plastic foam container manufactured by the following steps: applying an outer sleeve to an exterior surface of an unlabeled, preformed plastic foam portion; heating a work piece that defines a cavity that corresponds in shape to the exterior surface of the plastic foam portion; positioning the work piece so that the cavity surrounds the exterior surface of the plastic foam portion to which the outer sleeve is applied; heating the exterior surface of the plastic foam portion to which the outer sleeve is applied with the cavity by conductive heat transfer from the work piece to the exterior surface of the plastic foam portion as the plastic foam portion is disposed within the cavity, at a temperature and a time sufficient to bond the outer sleeve to the exterior surface of the plastic foam portion; and removing the outer sleeve and plastic foam portion, wherein the plastic foam portion has a density of less than 0.08 g/cm 3 , and wherein the resulting labeled, plastic foam container has an overall density in a range of 0.05720-0.1888 g/cm 3 .