GB2185707A

GB2185707A - Moulding a container recess around a handle

Info

Publication number: GB2185707A
Application number: GB08601276A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Lloyd
Original assignee: Glasdon Ltd
Current assignee: Glasdon Ltd
Priority date: 1986-01-20
Filing date: 1986-01-20
Publication date: 1987-07-29
Also published as: SG20190G; GB2185707B; GB8601276D0

Abstract

The mould is openable at a parting line (20) to enable release of a moulded plastics container therefrom e.g. moulded by rotational casting. A mould wall projection (24) is provided down at least one side of the mould cavity (17) to form a corresponding recess (14) in the moulded container and a projection throughway (26) supports a handle (15) with its ends projecting to be incorporated in the moulded container on either side of the recess (14). To enable release of the handle from the mould, part (24a) of the projection between the throughway (26) and the parting face (20) comprises a component separable from the remainder of the mould to permit extraction of the moulded container with its (end) handle. The part (24a) may be separable at a plane extending through the centre of the through way, and may be freely detachable with the container from the remainder of the mould, or may be hinged to the remainder of the mould to be swung outwardly to permit release of the container. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Moulds for plastic containers This invention relates to moulds for plastics containers and particularly although not exclusively to open topped containers to serve as litter bins.

The invention provides a mould for creating a plastics container with an external recessed handle, the mould having a cavity and a parting line encircling the mould to permitthe mould to be opened for release of a moulded container therefrom, at least one projection extending into the mould from the side thereof to form a corresponding recess in the outer side of the moulded container, a throughway extending transversely through the projection to receive and support a handle or like component with the ends of the handle extending from the projection to be incorporated in the moulded container on either side of the recess, that part of the projection on the parting line side ofthe throughway being separable from the remainder of the projection to facilitate extraction of the moulded containerfrom the mould.

Thus the separable part of the projection can be detached from the mould prior to entraction of the moulded container or can be extracted with the container and then separated from the container.

More specifically the projection may be divided in a plane extending through the centre of the throughway and transversely to the adjacent side of the mould cavity.

Furtherthe projection may reduce towards the parting line ofthe container.

In one particular construction the projection may terminate adjacent to the parting line ofthe container.

In any of the preceding claims wherein the projection may be formed integrally with a part of the wall of the mould which is detachable from the mould with the projection.

The partofthe mould formed integrallywiththe projection may also include a portion of the parting line ofthe mould.

Also in any of the above arrangements the mould cavity may be stepped outwardly around the cavity adjacenttothe parting line to form an enlarged rim encircling the top part ofthe container and the projection and throughway in the projection are formed in said outwardly stepped part of the mould cavity.

The mould may be closed at the opposite end to said parting line and the projection may extend at least partwaytowards said closed end and may extend thefull wayto the closed end.

Said separable part of the projection may be hinged to the mould to swing outwardly thereof to release the moulded container incorporating the handle from the mould.

The mould is formed with projections on both sidesthereofto enable recessed handles to be incorporated in both sides ofthe moulded container.

The following is a description of some specific embodiments ofthe invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a top perspective view of part of a mould forforming an open-topped container and lid forthe mould; Figure2 is a similarviewto that of Figure 1 showing the separation of an insert part of the mould from the main body ofthe mould; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the container formed in the mould; and Figure4is a diagrammatioview showing an alternative mould construction.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, there is shown a mould indicated generally at 10for the manufacture of an open-topped container 11 as illustrated in Figure 3. The container has a main body part 12 and towards the upper end of the container is outwardly stepped to form an enlarged rim 13. The container is of generally rectangularform as viewed in plan and has deep channels 14 extending down either side of the container which run into the rim area 13 where they form recesses 14 in which handle 15 are provided the ends of which are moulded into the sides of the recesses. The recesses 1 4terminate just below the top edge 16 of the rim.

The mould for forming the container by rotational moulding is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 to which reference will now be made. The mould has a main cavity 17 in which the main body part ofthe container is formed having a rectangular shape corresponding to the required outer profile ofthe container. The cavity 17 has an outwardly extending step 18 towards its upper end to form an enlarged section 19 in which the rim portion 13 ofthe container is moulded. The section 19 terminates in an outwardly extending flange 20 to receive a lid 21 for closing the mould. The perimeter of the lid and flange areformed with apertures 22,23 respectively for bolting the flange and lid together.The joint between the flange and lid provides the effective parting lineforthe mould where the mould is opened for removal of the moulded container therefrom.

To form the channels 14 extending down each side of the container a rectangular section projections 24 are formed on each side of the container running up from the bottom of the container past the shoulder 18 into the enlarged rim section 19wherethe projections terminates in a smoothly curved end faces 25 just belowtheflange 20 to form the recesses l4forthehandles 15.Acylindricalthroughway26 extends through each projection 24abovethe shoulder 18to receive and hold the handle 15to be fixed at the recess with ends ofthe handle projecting on either side thereof to be incorporated inthewall ofthe mouldec container.The part24a ofthe projection above the centreline ofthethroughway 26 isformedseparatelyfromtheremaining partofthe projection and an area of the mould wall to either side and above the projection part 24a up to and including part of the flange 20 is formed integral with the projection to form a separate mould insert 28.

This is to facilitate removal ofthe moulded container from the mould, the insert being lifted out of the mould with the container as indicated diagramatically in Figure 2. The projection parts 24a at either end of the mould are then extracted from the recesses 14which they have served to form. Thus the provision of separate projection parts or inserts in the mould wall facilitates the incorporation ofthe recessed handle in the outer side of the mould and enables the moulded article to be readily extracted from the mould.

Figure 4 ofthe drawings shows a modified arrangement in which the separate part 24 of the projection is hinged at 30 about a horizontal axis positioned outwardly ofthe side of the mould to swing outwardly from the mould and therefore to disengage from the recess 14formed bythe projection part in the rim section ofthe mould. Once swung to one side, the moulded containerwith its incorporated handle 15 can then be readily extracted from the bodyofthe mould.

It will be appreciated that many modifications may be madetothe above described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example the deep channels in the moulded container may stop short of the bottom ofthe container by stopping the wall as a whole inwardly.

Also the projection on both sides ofthe throughway may be detachablefrom the mouldtofacilitate differentforms of recess to be created.

Claims

1. A mould for creating a plastics container with an external recessed handle, the mould having a cavity and a parting line encircling the mould to permit the mould to be opened for release of a moulded container therefrom, at least one projection extending into the mould from the side thereof to form a corresponding recess in the outer side ofthe moulded container, a throughway extending transversely through the projection to receive and support a handle or light component with the ends of the handle extending from the projection to be incorporated in the moulded container on either side ofthe recess, that part of the projection on the parting line side ofthethroughway being separable from the remainderofthe projection to facilitate extraction ofthe moulded container from the mould.

2. A mould as claimed in claim 1 wherein the projection is divided in a plane extending through the centre of the throughway and transversely to the adjacent side ofthe mould cavity.

3. A mould as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the projection reduces towardsthe parting line ofthe container.

4. A mould as claimed inclaim3whereinthe projection terminates adjacent to the parting line of the container.

5. A mould as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the projection is formed integrally with a part of the wall of the mould which is detachable from the mould with the projection.

6. A mould as claimed in claim 5 wherein the part of the mould formed integ rally with the projection includes a portion of the parting line of the mould.

7. A mould as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the mould cavity is stepped outwardly around the cavity adjacent to the parting line to form an enlarged rim encircling the top part of the container and the projection and throughway in the projection are formed in said outwardly stepped part ofthe mould cavity.

8. Amouldcavityasclaimedinanyofthe preceding claims wherein the mould is closed atthe opposite end to said parting line and the projection extends at least partway towards said closed end.

9. A mould as claimed in claim 8wherein the projection extends the full waytotheclosed end.

10. A mould as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein said separable partofthe projection is freely detachable from the mould to permitthe moulded container to be extracted from the mould with the separable projection therewith to be detached from the container subsequently.

11. A mould as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein said separable part of the projection is hinged to the mould to swing outwardlythereofto release the moulded container incorporating the handle from the mould.

12. A mould as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the mould is formed with projections on both sidesthereofto enable recessed handles to be incorporated in both sides of the mould.

13. Amouldforforming acontainerwith recessed handles substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 or Figures 4 ofthe accompanying drawings.

14. A moulded containerformed in the mould according to any of the preceding claims.