Distributor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11318645-B2
Application number	US-201716332683-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2017
Priority date	Sep 13, 2016
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

A distributor device is arranged for controlling a plurality of actuators, each of which is intended to open or close a corresponding mould.The distributor device comprises a rotary part rotatable about an axis and connectable to the actuators, and a stator part in fluid communication with the rotary part.The stator part is provided with:a low pressure distributor element, configured to selectively send an actuating fluid at a first pressure to the rotary part, so that one actuator of the plurality of actuators moves a first component and a second component of the corresponding mould closer to each other from a distanced position to an intermediate position;a high pressure distributor element, configured to selectively send an actuating fluid at a second pressure higher than the first pressure to the rotary part, so that the actuator moves the first component and the second component of the corresponding mould closer to each other from the intermediate position to a forming position;a maintaining distributor element, configured to selectively send an actuating fluid to the rotary part, so that the actuator maintains the first component and the second component in the forming position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A distributor device for controlling a plurality of actuators, each of which is intended to open or close a corresponding mould, the distributor device comprising:
a rotary part that is rotatable about an axis and connectable to the plurality of actuators,
a stator part in fluid communication with the rotary part, the stator part being delimited by an interface surface which faces a further interface surface delimiting the rotary part, wherein the stator part is provided with:
a low pressure distributor element, configured to selectively send a first actuating fluid at a first pressure to the rotary part, so that one actuator of said plurality of actuators mutually moves a first component and a second component of the corresponding mould closer to each other from a distanced position to an intermediate position;
a high pressure distributor element, configured to selectively send a second actuating fluid at a second pressure higher than the first pressure to the rotary part, so that said one actuator mutually moves the first component and the second component of the corresponding mould closer to each other from the intermediate position to a forming position;
a maintaining distributor element, configured to selectively send a third actuating fluid to the rotary part, so that said one actuator maintains the first component and the second component in the forming position,
and wherein the rotary part is provided with a plurality of communication conduits each of which is intended to be in fluid communication with a corresponding actuator, the communication conduits opening on the further interface surface so that, during rotation of the rotary part about said axis, each communication conduit faces in sequence the low pressure distributor element, the high pressure distributor element and the maintaining distributor element.

2. The distributor device according to claim 1 , wherein the maintaining distributor element is configured to send to the rotary part the third actuating fluid at a pressure different from said second pressure.

3. The distributor device according to claim 1 , wherein the maintaining distributor element is configured to send to the rotary part the third actuating fluid at a pressure lower than said second pressure and higher than said first pressure.

4. The distributor device according to claim 1 , wherein the interface surface and the further interface surface extend around said axis.

5. The distributor device according to claim 1 , wherein the stator part is configured to interact with the rotary part on the interface surface facing the further interface surface of the rotary part, and wherein:
the low pressure distributor element comprises a low pressure distributor recess made on the interface surface and connectable to a source of the first actuating fluid at the first pressure;
the high pressure distributor element comprises a high pressure distributor recess made on the interface surface and connectable to a source of the second actuating fluid at the second pressure;
the maintaining distributor element comprises a maintaining distributor recess made on the interface surface and connectable to a source of the third actuating fluid.

6. The distributor device according to claim 5 , wherein the low pressure distributor recess, the high pressure distributor recess and the maintaining distributor recess extend in sequence around said axis along respective angular extensions.

7. The distributor device according to claim 5 , wherein the low pressure distributor recess, the high pressure distributor recess and the maintaining distributor recess extend at a common level with respect to said axis.

8. The distributor device according to claim 7 , wherein each communication conduit opens on the further interface surface at said common level, so that when the rotary part rotates with respect to the stator part, each communication conduit faces in sequence the low pressure distributor recess, the high pressure distributor recess and the maintaining distributor recess.

9. The distributor device according to claim 5 , wherein the stator part further comprises a discharge element for selectively placing each actuator of the plurality of actuators in fluid communication with a discharge tank, so as to discharge a fluid present in a first chamber of each actuator of the plurality of actuators to open the corresponding mould, and wherein the discharge element comprises a discharge recess made on the interface surface of the stator part, the discharge recess extending at the same level as the low pressure distributor recess, the high pressure distributor recess and the maintaining distributor recess.

10. The distributor device according to claim 9 , wherein the stator part further comprises an opening element configured to interact with each actuator of the plurality of actuators before each actuator of the plurality of actuators interacts with the discharge element, so as to discharge the fluid present in the first chamber of each actuator of the plurality of actuators with a discharge speed lower than the speed with which the discharge element discharges the fluid from the first chamber, and wherein the opening element comprises an opening recess made on the interface surface of the stator part, the opening recess being interposed between the maintaining distributor recess and the discharge recess and being located at the same level as the maintaining distributor recess.

11. The distributor device according to claim 5 , and further comprising a balancing device for sending a balancing fluid between the stator part and the rotary part in order to balance a resulting force acting upon the stator part as a consequence of exchanges of the first actuating fluid, the second actuating fluid and the third actuating fluid between the stator part and the rotary part, and wherein the balancing device comprises a pair of balancing recesses made on the stator part at two different levels, said balancing recesses being connectable with a source of said balancing fluid, so as to generate respective balancing forces capable of balancing said resulting force, the low pressure distributor recess, the high pressure distributor recess and the maintaining recess extending at a common level interposed between said two different levels.

12. The distributor device according to claim 11 , wherein the stator part comprises a draining device for sending into a recovery tank any leakage of actuating fluid that could occur between the rotary part and the stator part, and wherein the draining device comprises a pair of collection recesses, each of which is made on the stator part in a position that is diametrically opposite a balancing recess, each collection recess being connectable with the recovery tank.

13. The distributor device according to claim 1 , wherein the stator part further comprises a discharge element for selectively placing each actuator of the plurality of actuators in fluid communication with a discharge tank, so as to discharge a fluid present in a first chamber of each actuator of the plurality of actuators to open the corresponding mould.

14. The distributor device according to claim 13 , wherein the stator part further comprises an opening element configured to interact with each actuator of the plurality of actuators before each actuator of the plurality of actuators interacts with the discharge element, so as to discharge the fluid present in the first chamber of each actuator of the plurality of actuators with a discharge speed lower than the speed with which the discharge element discharges the fluid from the first ch

Assignees

• Sacmi

Inventors

• Boffelli Alessandro
• Borgatti Maurizio
• Baldisserri Davide
• Fazziani Matteo
• Aldigeri Gianluca

Classifications

• B29L2031/565

  for containers · CPC title

• B29C2043/3283

  for moving moulds or mould parts · CPC title

• B30B11/08

  co-operating with moulds carried by a turntable · CPC title

• B29C43/08 Primary

  with circular movement {, e.g. mounted on rolls, turntables} · CPC title

• F16K11/076

  with sealing faces shaped as surfaces of solids of revolution · CPC title