Blow moulding machine for containers comprising means for orienting preforms in the mould

• US 20030077349A1
• Filed: 07/30/2002
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sidel (Crédit Mutuel Asset Management SA)
• Original Assignee: Sidel (Crédit Mutuel Asset Management SA)
• Inventors: Derouault, Philippe, Lopes, Jean-Emmanuel
• Granted Patent: US 6,769,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 425/145
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/5806 Means for fixing the blowing means with the mould
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/581 Mechanical, e.g. fingers or toothed wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/5827 Blowing means not touching the preform
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/0715 the preform having one end closed
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/22 at neck portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/24 at flange portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/26 at body portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/28 at bottom portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3024 characterised by the number of components or by the manufacturing technique
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3032 having components being injected
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/06 Injection blow-moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/12 Stretching rods
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/4205 Handling means, e.g. transfer, loading or discharging means handling of inserts or reinforcements B29C49/20; handling of linings or labels B29C49/2408
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/42085 holding inside the neck
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/42119 Rotation, e.g. rotating a predetermined angle for asymmetric preform or with asymmetric heat profile
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/56 Opening, closing or clamping means
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/58 Blowing means
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/78 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material

Abstract

The invention concerns a blow moulding machine comprising at least a blow mould (12), wherein is introduced a preform (14) previously produced by injection moulding, and a blow nozzle (22) for injecting pressurised air into the preform (14). The invention is characterised in that it is equipped with a device for orienting the preform in the mould, said device comprising a grip member (30) adapted to grip the preform (14) by its neck (18) when it is engaged in the mould (12); a device (66) for driving in rotation the grip member (30); a device for detecting (70) at least a reference angular position of the preform (14); and control means to cause the grip member to rotate until the detecting device detects the reference angular position of the preform.

Claims

1. Machine for blow-molding thermoplastic containers, of the type having at least one blow-molding station (10) having a blow mold (12) in which there is a cavity (16) in the final shape of the container to be produced, of the type in which a preform (14) previously produced by injection molding is engaged in the cavity (16) in such a way that only one open upper end of the preform, its neck (18), extends outside the mold (12), of the type in which the blow-molding station (10) has a blow pin (20) that is axially moved against the open end (18) of the preform (14) in order to inject pressurized air therein so as to mold the preform into the final shape of the container,

characterized in that the blow-molding station (10) has a device for orienting the preform (14) in the mold (12), said device being composed of:

a gripping device (30) that can grasp the preform (14) by its neck (18) when it is engaged in the cavity (16) of the mold (12);

a drive device (64) for driving the gripping device (30) in rotation to turn the preform (14) around its axis (A1);

a device for detecting (70) at least one angular position of reference of the preform (14); and

control means that are suitable for controlling the drive device in order to cause the rotation of the gripping device (30) until the detection device detects the angular position of reference of the preform (14).

2. Blow molding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means are suitable for causing a rotation of the gripping device (30) and of the preform (14) by a predetermined offset angle from the angular position of reference.

3. Blow molding machine according to either of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the gripping device (30) is carried by the blow pin (20).

4. Blow molding machine according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the device for detecting the angular position of reference of the preform (14) has an optical detector that can detect a reference mark (72) made on the neck (18) of the preform (14).

5. Blow molding machine according to either of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the blow pin (20) has a body (22) that is axially movable between an upper retracted position and a lower working position, and in that the body (22) can be moved into an intermediate axial position of orientation in which the gripping device (30) grasps the preform (14) in order to be able to orient it angularly.

6. Blow molding machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the blow pin body (22), when moving from its retracted position to an intermediate position, carries with it the gripping device (30) which moves from a retracted position to a position of gripping and orienting the preform, and in that, when the blow pin body (22) is moved from its intermediate position to its working position, the gripping device (30) remains stationary and is moved relative to the blow pin body (22) by elastic return means (58).

7. Blow molding machine according to either of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that at its lower end, the blow pin (20) has a bell (28) which, when the blow pin body (22) is in the working position, sealably presses against the upper surface of the mold (12), around the neck (18) of the preform (14), and in that the bell (28) is axially integral with the blow pin body (22), but movable in rotation around the axis (A1) of the blow pin (20).

8. Blow molding machine according to claim 7, characterized in that the bell (28) and the gripping device (30) are integral in rotation with each other while being axially movable with respect to each other.

9. Blow molding machine according to claim 8, characterized in that the bell (28) has an external toothed wheel (68) by which it is driven in rotation by the drive device (64).

10. Blow molding machine according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has several blow-molding stations (10) that are mounted on a rotary carrousel, and each blow-molding station (10) has a preform orientation device.