US 11,691,319 B2
Method of forming an article
Chris Bocking, Reading (GB); and Peter Clarke, Graffham (GB)
Assigned to Bockatech Ltd., Huntingdon (GB)
Filed by Bockatech, Ltd., Huntingdon (GB)
Filed on Nov. 20, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/953,645.
Application 16/953,645 is a division of application No. 16/072,545, previously published as PCT/EP2017/052291, filed on Feb. 2, 2017.
Claims priority of application No. 1601946 (GB), filed on Feb. 3, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2021/0069943 A1, Mar. 11, 2021
Int. Cl. B29C 44/02 (2006.01); B65D 1/44 (2006.01); B65D 81/38 (2006.01); B60J 10/18 (2016.01); B60J 10/21 (2016.01); B60J 10/34 (2016.01); B60J 10/70 (2016.01); B60J 1/00 (2006.01); B65D 1/26 (2006.01); B29C 44/06 (2006.01); B29C 44/14 (2006.01); B29C 44/42 (2006.01); B29L 31/00 (2006.01); B29C 45/17 (2006.01); B29K 105/04 (2006.01); B29C 44/04 (2006.01); B29K 23/00 (2006.01); B29K 623/00 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 44/027 (2013.01) [B29C 44/06 (2013.01); B29C 44/141 (2013.01); B29C 44/42 (2013.01); B60J 1/00 (2013.01); B60J 10/18 (2016.02); B60J 10/21 (2016.02); B60J 10/34 (2016.02); B60J 10/70 (2016.02); B65D 1/265 (2013.01); B65D 1/44 (2013.01); B65D 81/3867 (2013.01); B65D 81/3874 (2013.01); B29C 44/0407 (2013.01); B29C 2045/1722 (2013.01); B29K 2023/12 (2013.01); B29K 2105/043 (2013.01); B29K 2623/12 (2013.01); B29K 2995/0094 (2013.01); B29L 2031/7132 (2013.01); Y02W 30/80 (2015.05)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A hollow article for use as a beverage cup, or as a container, the hollow article having an annular sidewall and a base wall defining a central hollow cavity, a top rim of the sidewall and a bottom end of the sidewall, wherein the annular sidewall, base wall, top rim and bottom end are an integral moulding and the hollow article is composed of a single thermoplastic material, wherein the annular sidewall extends upwardly away from the base wall and terminates in the top rim and the annular sidewall has a substantially smooth inner circumferential surface, wherein the annular sidewall comprises a plastics material composed of a sandwich structure of inner and outer skins and an expanded cellular foam layer therebetween, wherein the expanded cellular foam layer in the sidewall extends upwardly away from the base wall and comprises an annular array of reinforcing areas extending longitudinally along the sidewall in a direction between the top rim and the bottom end, the reinforcing areas being mutually separated by an annular array of spacer regions extending longitudinally along the sidewall in a direction between the top rim and the bottom end to provide alternating reinforcing areas and spacer regions around the annular sidewall, wherein the reinforcing areas and the spacer regions are between the top rim of the sidewall and the bottom end of the sidewall, wherein the reinforcing areas comprise expanded cellular foam of a first density and the spacer regions comprise expanded cellular foam of a second density, wherein the first density is higher than the second density, wherein the expanded cellular foam in the reinforcing areas of the first density has a more uniform size distribution, and a smaller average size, of cellular voids than the expanded cellular foam of the second density in the spacer regions.