BLOW MOULDING MACHINE WITH ARRANGEMENT FOR CLEANING THE BLOW MOULD

• US 20110037188A1
• Filed: 08/09/2010
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Krones AG (Krones)
• Original Assignee: Krones AG (Krones)
• Inventors: Hirdina, Jochen
• Granted Patent: US 8,580,166 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/39
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/00 Cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto B08B6/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/0715 the preform having one end closed
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/72 Cleaning extruder parts B29C48/27; in general B08B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/06 Injection blow-moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/12 Stretching rods
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/36 rotatable about one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/42 Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/42403 Purging or cleaning the blow-moulding apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/4273 Auxiliary operations after the blow-moulding operation not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7158 Bottles

Abstract

An apparatus (1) for transforming plastic preforms into containers, comprising at least one blow mould (2) which forms a cavity (4), inside which the plastic preforms can be transformed into containers, comprising a pressure application device (14) for applying a medium to the plastic preforms in order to expand the latter against an inner wall (8) of the blow mould delimiting the cavity (4), comprising a stretching rod (12) for stretching the plastic preforms in the longitudinal direction (L) thereof, and comprising an opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the blow mould (2), wherein the apparatus comprises a cleaning device (10) for cleaning regions of the blow mould (2). According to the invention, the cleaning device (10) comprises at least a first cleaning element (16, 18) for cleaning the inner wall (8) of the blow mould, and this cleaning element (2) is arranged at least at times outside the blow mould (2).

Claims

1. Apparatus (1) for transforming plastic preforms into containers, comprising at least one blow mould (2) which forms a cavity (4), inside which the plastic preforms can be transformed into containers, comprising a pressure application device (14) for applying a medium to the plastic preforms in order to expand the latter against an inner wall (8) of the blow mould (2) delimiting the cavity (4), comprising a stretching rod (12) for stretching the plastic preforms in the longitudinal direction (L) thereof, and comprising an opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the blow mould (2), wherein the apparatus comprises a cleaning device (10) for cleaning regions of the blow mould (2), wherein the cleaning device (10) comprises at least a first cleaning element (16, 18) for cleaning the inner wall (8) of the blow mould (2), and this cleaning element (2) is arranged at least at times outside the blow mould (2).

2. Apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a transport device which transports the blow moulds (2) along a predefined transport path.

3. Apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein the blow mould (2) is arranged such as to be movable relative to the cleaning device (10).

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one cleaning element (16) is a cleaning nozzle (16) which applies a liquid cleaning medium to the inner wall (8).

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning device (10) comprises a mechanical cleaning element (18) which can be brought into contact with the inner wall (8).

6. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the mechanical cleaning element (12) is arranged after the cleaning nozzle (16) in the transport direction of the blow moulds (2).

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second cleaning element (18) is spaced apart from the cleaning nozzle (16) in the transport direction of the blow moulds (2).

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a rotatable carrier (15), on which a plurality of blow moulds are arranged.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a rinsing device for rinsing the blow moulds (2).

10. Method for transforming plastic preforms into plastic containers, wherein the plastic preforms are expanded inside a cavity (4) through the application of a medium to form plastic preforms, and wherein this cavity (4) is formed by at least one inner wall of a blow mould (2), and the blow mould (2) can be transferred from an open state to a closed state, wherein a cleaning mode is provided, in which no plastic container is accommodated inside the blow mould (2) and at least one region of the blow mould (2) is cleaned, wherein the cleaning takes place in an open state of the blow mould (2) and a first cleaning element (16, 18) for cleaning the inner wall (8) of the blow mould (2) is arranged at least at times outside the blow mould (2).

11. Method according to claim 10, wherein the blow mould (2) is opened and a liquid cleaning agent is applied to the inner wall (8) in the open state.

12. Method according to claim 10, wherein the inner wall (8) is cleaned by a mechanical cleaning element (18) in an open state of the blow mould (2).

13. Method according to claim 11, wherein the cleaning fluid is left on the inner wall (8) for a predefined period of time in order to act thereon.

14. Method according to claim 10, wherein a rinsing mode is provided, in which the inner wall (8) is rinsed.