METHOD FOR PRODUCING AND TREATING CONTAINERS

• US 20130140745A1
• Filed: 07/20/2011
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KHS GmbH (Salzgitter AG)
• Original Assignee: KHS GmbH (Salzgitter AG)
• Inventors: Preckel, Katrin, Schach, Martin, Reiniger, Markus
• Granted Patent: US 9,517,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/454
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/5896 Centering means therefore
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2795/007 after shaping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/12 Stretching rods
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/42 Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
• 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 49/42057 Aligning disorderly arranged preforms, e.g. delivered disorderly
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/42063 in relation to the mould, e.g. preform centring means in the mould
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/42069 Means explicitly adapted for transporting blown article
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/42085 holding inside the neck
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/42095 Rotating wheels or stars
• 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 49/42413 with a pattern for analysing deformation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/4252 Auxiliary operations prior to the blow-moulding operation not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/4273 Auxiliary operations after the blow-moulding operation not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/42817 Drying the article
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/42822 Sterilizing the article
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/78 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 22/003 Containers for packaging, storing or transporting, e.g. bottles, jars, cans, barrels, tanks
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/003 PET, i.e. poylethylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4073 Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects B41J3/283, B41J3/286 take precedence; building up a 3D object using individual droplets from jetting heads B29C64/112
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/40733 : Printing on cylindrical or rotationally symmetrical objects, e. g. on bottles

Abstract

A method for producing plastic containers by a production process, which is either drape forming and blow molding, using a preform in a drape forming or blow molding machine, and for subsequent treatment of the plastic containers in a treatment station of a container treatment line includes, prior to completion of the production process, determining first positional data associated with the container at a location, wherein the first positional data is selected from the group consisting of angular position of a container and angular position of a design feature on the container, and wherein the location is selected from the group consisting of the production machine, a conveying line that precedes the production machine, and a treatment line that precedes the production machine, and passing the first positional data to the treatment station for control thereof.

Claims

1-12. -12. (canceled)

13. A method for producing plastic containers by a production process selected from the group consisting of drape forming and blow molding, using a preform in a production machine selected from the group consisting of a drape forming machine and a blow molding machine, and for subsequent treatment of said plastic containers in a treatment station of a container treatment line, said method comprising, prior to completion of said production process, determining first positional data associated with said container at a location, wherein said first positional data is selected from the group consisting of angular position of a container and angular position of a design feature on said container, and wherein said location is selected from the group consisting of said production machine, a conveying line that precedes said production machine, and a treatment line that precedes said production machine, and passing said first positional data to said treatment station for control thereof.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising holding a preform with a centering and holding element, introducing said preform into said production machine, after completion of said production process, continuing to hold said preform with said centering and holding element, moving said preform through said treatment line, and using said centering and holding element, positioning said container at said treatment station, wherein positioning is selected from the group consisting of rotating said container and aligning said container.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing said centering and holding element with an encoding ring, and using at least one sensor, scanning said encoding ring for determining said first positional data of said container.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein determining said first positional data occurs prior to handover of a preform to a blow mold of a blow molding machine.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein determining said first positional data occurs after to handover of a preform to a blow mold of a blow molding machine.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising pre-heating said preform.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein determining first positional data associated with said container at a location comprises determining said position data prior to preheating a preform.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising capturing information concerning said blow mold for forming second positional data, said information concerning said blow mold comprising information selected from the group consisting of location of the blow mold, position of the blow mold, location of a part of the blow mold that forms said design feature, and position of a part of said blow mold that forms said design feature.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said second positional data is for correcting said first positional data.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said second positional data is for controlling said treatment station.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising, at said treatment station, at least one of aligning and coarse aligning said container based at least in part on said second positional data.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising, at said treatment station, at least one of aligning and coarse aligning said container based at least in part on said second positional data and said first positional data.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising, at said treatment station, initiating a printing process controlled by at least one of said first positional data and said second positional data, and rotating said containers about container axes thereof while printing.

26. The method of claim 13, further comprising, at said treatment station, at least one of aligning and coarse aligning said container based at least in part on said first positional data.

27. The method of claim 13, further comprising, at said treatment station, initiating treatment of said container taking into account at least one of said first positional data and said second positional data.

28. The method of claim 13, further comprising, at said treatment station, printing on said containers while aligning said containers.

29. The method of claim 13, further comprising causing treatment of said container to occur at a number of successive treatment stations in a transport direction of containers through said treatment line, wherein said successive treatment stations each comprise a rotating drivable transport element.

30. The method of claim 13, further comprising at least one of drying and curing at least one of a printing color and printing ink used for printing on said container and simultaneously disinfecting said containers in a partial area thereof.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein simultaneously disinfecting said containers in a partial area thereof comprises illuminating said partial area with UV radiation.

32. The method of claim 13, further comprising treating a container immediately after said production process.