Apparatus for forming plastic material preforms into plastic material containers with decoupled drives

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11958232-B2
Application number	US-201917054122-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2019
Priority date	May 9, 2018
Publication date	Apr 16, 2024
Grant date	Apr 16, 2024

Abstract

An apparatus for forming plastic material preforms into plastic material containers has a transport device which transports the plastic material preforms along a predetermined transport path, wherein this transport device has a plurality of transport devices preferably adjoining one another for transporting the plastic material preforms, with a heating device, which heats the plastic material preforms, and with a forming device which is arranged along the transport path of the plastic material preforms downstream of the heating device, wherein the apparatus has a first transport device which feeds the plastic material preforms individually to the heating device, wherein the heating device has a second transport device which transports the plastic material preforms during their heating. The first transport device has a first drive device and the second transport device has a second drive device and the first drive device and the second drive device can be controlled independently of one another.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for forming plastic material preforms into plastic material containers, said apparatus having a transport device configured to transport the plastic material preforms along a predetermined transport path, wherein this transport device comprises a plurality of transport devices for transporting the plastic material preforms, a heating device configured to heat the plastic material performs, and a forming device which is arranged along the transport path of the plastic material preforms after the heating device, wherein the apparatus comprises a first transport device configured to feed the plastic material preforms individually to the heating device, wherein the heating device comprises a second transport device configured to transport the plastic material preforms during their heating,
wherein
the first transport device comprises a first drive device and the second transport device comprises a second drive device and, wherein the first drive device and the second drive device are controllable independently of each other,
wherein the first transport device is configured to be driven at a different transport speed with respect to the second transport device, and the first transport device is configured to be stopped while the second transport device is in continued operation,
wherein the first drive device of the first transport device is only moved when a transfer of the plastic material preforms has to take place, so that the first transport device acts as a transport lock, wherein
the transport device has a third transport device which is configured to transport the plastic material preforms from the heating device to the forming device, and the third transport device has a drive device and which is configured to be controllable independently of the drive device of the first transport device and/or the drive device of the second transport device,
wherein the forming device is a blow moulding machine which is configured to transform the plastic material preforms into plastic material containers by acting upon a gaseous medium,
wherein a fourth transport device, which is assigned to the forming device, is a blowing wheel and a plurality of forming stations is arranged on the blowing wheel,
wherein the forming stations have stretching bars, and
wherein the apparatus has a sorting device which is configured to sort and align the plastic material preforms from a preform chute, and at least one sensor device which is configured to detect faults in the transport of the plastic material preforms, wherein in response to such an error of the transport device, a transport drive can be slowed down or switched off.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the first transport device is designed as a separating device which is configured to separate successive plastic performs.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the apparatus has a feed device is configured to feed the plastic material preforms to the first transport device.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the heating device comprises at least one heating device arranged along the transport path of the plastic material preforms.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the transport device has a third transport device which is configured to transport the plastic material preforms from the heating device to the forming device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the third transport device has a drive device and this drive device is configured to he controllable independently of the drive device of the first transport device and/or the drive device of the second transport device.

7. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein all transport devices are configured to controlled independently of one another.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus has a feed device configured to feed the plastic material preforms to the first transport device.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heating device comprises at least one heating device arranged along the transport path of the plastic material preforms.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein all transport devices are configured to controlled independently of one another.

11. A method for forming plastic material preforms into plastic material containers, wherein the plastic material preforms are transported with a transport device along a predetermined transport path, wherein this transport device comprises a plurality of transport devices for transporting the plastic material preforms, wherein a heating device heats the plastic material preforms and a forming device which is arranged along the transport path of the plastic material preforms after the heating device forms the plastic material preforms into the plastic material containers by acting upon a flowable medium, wherein the apparatus has a first transport device which feeds the plastic material preforms individually to the heating device, Wherein the heating device has a second transport device which transports the plastic material preforms during their heating,
wherein
the first transport device has a first drive device and the second transport device has a second drive device, said process comprising the step of controlling; the first drive device and the second drive device independently of each other at least at times,
wherein the first transport device is driven at a different transport speed with respect to the second transport device, and the first transport device is stopped while the second transport device is in continued operation,
wherein the first drive device of the first transport device is only moved when a transfer of the plastic material preforms has to take place, so that the first transport device acts as a transport lock, wherein
the transport device has a third transport device which is configured to transport the plastic material preforms from the heating device to the forming device, and the third transport device has a drive device which is configured to be controllable independently of the drive device of the first transport device and/or the drive device of the second transport device,
wherein the forming device is a blow moulding machine which is configured to transform the plastic material preforms into plastic material containers by acting upon a gaseous medium,
wherein the transport device has a fourth transport device which is a blowing which is assigned to the forming device, and a plurality of forming stations is arranged on the blowing wheel,
wherein the forming stations have stretching bars,
wherein the apparatus has a sorting device which is configured to sort and align the plastic material preforms from a preform chute, and at least one sensor device which is configured to detect faults in the transport of the plastic material preforms wherein in response to such an error of the transport device, a transport drive can be slowed down or switched off.

Assignees

• Krones Ag

Inventors

• Christiansen Peter
• Haller Markus

Classifications

• B29C49/42362

  Electric drive means, e.g. servomotors · CPC title

• B29C49/42095

  Rotating wheels or stars · CPC title

• B29C49/78

  Measuring, controlling or regulating · CPC title

• B29C49/42093 Primary

  Transporting apparatus, e.g. slides, wheels or conveyors · CPC title

• B29C49/4205 Primary

  Handling means, e.g. transfer, loading or discharging means (handling of inserts or reinforcements B29C49/20; handling of linings or labels B29C49/2408) · CPC title