Method for forming containers from preforms carried by successive moulds

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12226945-B2
Application number	US-202117493511-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2021
Priority date	Feb 18, 2013
Publication date	Feb 18, 2025
Grant date	Feb 18, 2025

Abstract

A method for forming containers from preforms. The method includes loading successive preforms into successive molds at a mold loading station, each mold having a mold cavity in the shape of the containers to be produced. The containers being formed in a forming station by injecting a gaseous or liquid fluid into the preform in order to expand the preform and acquires the shape of the container defined by the mold cavity. The steps performed at the mold loading station and the forming station are distinct from each other, and a transferring step occurs at a transferring station arranged between the mold loading station and the forming station where successive molds containing the preforms are transferred from the mold loading station to the forming station.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing containers from preforms, the method comprises the following steps:
loading the preforms successively into molds on a first wheel at a mold loading station, the molds having a mold cavity defining an external shape of the container to be produced, the molds each including at least two mold pieces moveable between an open position and a closed position;
removing the molds in the closed position from the first wheel while containing the preforms from the mold loading station;
transferring the molds in the closed position while containing the preforms from the first wheel of the mold loading station to a second wheel of a container forming station, the container forming station being distinct and separate from the mold loading station; and
at the forming station, injecting one of a gaseous or liquid fluid into the preforms causing the preforms to expand and acquire the shape of a container defined by a mold cavity of each the molds.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the steps of removing and transferring the molds are performed at a transferring station, the method further comprising reducing a first pitch of the molds at the loading station to a second pitch of the molds at the transferring station.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising closing the molds in the mold loading station after the loading of preforms into the molds.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising heating the molds prior to the step of loading the preforms into the molds.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising transferring the molds in the closed position from the second wheel while containing the containers from the container forming station.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the molds in the closed position are transferred from the container forming station to the first wheel.

7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising transferring the molds in the closed position while containing the containers from the second wheel of the container forming station to a mold unloading station of the first wheel, and subsequently opening the molds and unloading the containers from the molds in the unloading station portion.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the mold unloading station and the mold loading station are associated with the first wheel.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the unloading of the containers and the loading of the preforms occurs while an individual mold is held in a single mold holder.

10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the mold loading station includes a plurality of mold holders and further comprises successively moving the mold holders between a first mold holder open position, a first mold holder closed position, a second mold holder open position and a second mold holder closed position.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the step of loading preforms into the molds is performed when the mold holders are in the first mold holder open position.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the step of unloading containers from the molds is performed while the mold holders are in the first mold holder open position.

13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the step of transferring the molds in the closed position while containing the preforms from the mold loading station to a container forming station is performed while the mold holders are in the second mold holder open position.

14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the step of transferring the molds in the closed position while containing the containers from the container forming station to the mold unloading station is performed while the mold holders are in the second mold holder open position.

15. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising, before the step of transferring the molds to the mold unloading station, applying a fluid tight closure to the container.

16. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the molds are transferred from the forming station to a closing station, in the closing station the method further comprising applying a fluid tight closure to the container thereby closing the container.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the molds are transferred from the closing station to the mold loading station.

18. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, after the injecting step, applying a fluid tight closure to the container.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the applying step occurs while the container is in the mold.

20. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising applying a fluid tight closure to the container while the container is in the mold.

Assignees

• Discma Ag

Inventors

• Desoutter Luc
• Picot Benoit
• Diesnis Danie

Classifications

• B29C49/5605

  Hydraulically operated, i.e. closing or opening of the mould parts is done by hydraulic means · CPC title

• B29C49/68

  Ovens specially adapted for heating preforms or parisons · CPC title

• B29C49/12

  Stretching rods · CPC title

• B29C49/42095 Primary

  Rotating wheels or stars · CPC title

• B29L2031/7158

  Bottles · CPC title