Method of manufacturing containers

• US 6,168,749 B1
• Filed: 06/01/1998
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: KHS Corpoplast Gmbh (Salzgitter AG)
• Original Assignee: Krupp Corpoplast Maschinenbau GmbH
• Inventors: Koch, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Silbaugh, Jan H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): McDowell, Suzanne E.
• Application Number:
  US09/077,779
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 264/529, 264/532
• US Class Current: 264/529
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0822 using IR radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/7831 characterised by pressure values or ranges
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/7832 Blowing with two or more pressure levels
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/7833 Blowing with three or more pressure levels
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/7879 Stretching, e.g. stretch rod
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/0715 the preform having one end closed
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/072 having variable wall thickness
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/0724 at body portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/073 having variable diameter
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/0733 at body portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/0773 Threads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/0777 Tamper-evident band retaining ring
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/0817 of the body
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/0862 Crystallinity
• 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 2949/3008 at neck portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3012 at flange portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3016 : at body portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/302 : 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 49/071 : Preforms or parisons characterised by their configuration, e.g. geometry, dimensions or physical properties
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/087 : Means for providing controlled or limited stretch ratio
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/12 : Stretching rods
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/1222 : Pneumatic
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/16 : using pressure difference for pre-stretching, e.g. pre-blowing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/18 : using several blowing steps B29C49/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/42394 : Providing specific wall thickness
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/66 : Cooling by refrigerant introduced into the blown article
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/6605 : Heating the article, e.g. for hot fill
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/78 : Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 : PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 : Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/004 : Semi-crystalline

Abstract

The process serves the purpose of producing containers. A heated pre-form made of a thermoplastic material is stretched and inflated with the aid of a gas under pressure for purposes of molding the container. The inflating process is divided into a preliminary blowing period with a gas under a lower level of pressure and into a subsequent primary blowing period with a gas under a higher pressure level. The ratio of the container diameter to the inner diameter is selected to be greater than 4.0. The pre-form has a median wall thickness of greater than 3 millimeters and at least at the beginning of the preliminary blowing phase is provided with a material temperature greater than 70 degrees Celsius. The pre-form at least at the beginning of the preliminary blowing phase in the area to be oriented is provided in the area of its upper surface with a temperature which is at a maximum equal to a medium temperature of the inner surface of the pre-form in the area to be oriented. The temporal duration of the preliminary blowing phase is selected to be less than 1.0 second. During the preliminary blowing phase the pre-form is expanded to at least 50 percent of the volume intended for the finished blown container.

Claims

1. A process for producing containers, in which a heated pre-form made of a thermoplastic material is stretched and is inflated by means of a gas under pressure and an inflation sequence is divided into a preliminary blowing phase with a gas under a lower level of pressure and a subsequent primary blowing phase with a gas under a higher level of pressure, characterized by the fact that the ratio of the container diameter (23) to the inner diameter (20) of the pre-form (1) is selected to be more than 5.0, that the pre-form (1) has a median wall thickness (18) of more than 4 millimeters, that at least at the beginning of the preliminary blowing phase a material temperature of the area to be stretched is between 85 and 100 degrees Celsius, that the pre-form, at least at the beginning of the preliminary blowing phase in the area to be stretched has an outer surface temperature which at the maximum is equal to an inner surface temperature, that the temporal duration of the preliminary blowing phase is selected to be less than 0.5 seconds, that during the preliminary blowing phase the pre-form (1) is expanded to at least 60 percent of the volume intended for the finished container (13), that the pre-form is stretched at a stretching speed greater than 0.8 meter per second and that the finished blown container has a crystallinity greater than 30% and wherein a form stop working against the release of power of the compressed gases is provided to avoid contour deviations in the container (13) in the area of a blowing station (33) provided for shaping the container.

2. A process according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the ratio has a value in the interval of 5.2 to 5.8.

3. A process according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that a value of 4.0 millimeters to 5.0 millimeters for the median wall thickness (18) is selected.

4. A process according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that for the time period a value in the interval of 0.1 second to 0.3 second is selected.

5. A process according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that an expansion to a volume share in the region of 70 percent to 90 percent is provided for within the preliminary blowing phase.

6. A process according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that a value in the interval of 35 percent to 40 percent is selected for the crystallinity.

7. A process according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that an equalizing period will be provided for equalizing the outer surface temperature with the inner surface temperature.

8. A process according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that a value in the interval of 1.0 to 1.2 meters per second is selected for the stretching speed.

9. A process according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that both a mechanical stretching and a thermal crystallization will take place.

10. A process according to claim 9, characterized by the fact that a crystallization temperature greater than 140 degrees Celsius will be selected.

11. A process according to claim 9, characterized by the fact that for the crystallization a molding temperature of a blow mold (34) of 150 degrees Celsius to 170 degrees Celsius will be selected for the contouring of the container.

12. A process according to claim 11, characterized by the fact that for the molding a temperature of approximately 160 degrees Celsius will be selected.

13. A process according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that a ratio of traverse stretching to longitudinal stretching of greater than 1.2 will be selected.

14. A process according to claim 13, characterized by the fact that the ratio of transverse stretching to longitudinal stretching has a value greater than 1.5.

15. A process according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the pressure during the preliminary blowing phase has a value in the interval of 10 bar to 25 bar.

16. A process according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the pressure during the primary blowing phase has a value in the interval of 25 bar to 40 bar.