Means of sterilizing the stretching means of a container molding device, and container manufacturing installation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12285899-B2
Application number	US-202217684349-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2022
Priority date	Dec 22, 2015
Publication date	Apr 29, 2025
Grant date	Apr 29, 2025

Abstract

The present invention relates to an installation for manufacturing containers made of thermoplastic material, having a sterilizing mode and a production mode. The installation comprising a molding machine, a transfer means, and a decontamination device. The molding machine is equipped with at least one molding device having stretching means, and the molding device is designed to manufacture by stretch blow molding said containers from preforms when the installation is in production mode. The transfer means conveys the manufactured containers between the molding machine and a second downstream machine when the installation is in production mode. The decontamination device introduces the sterilizing agent into at least one sterilizing preform during the sterilizing mode. The installation further comprises removal means that can be actuated in sterilizing mode to remove the hollow bodies from the transfer means upstream from the second machine.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An installation for manufacturing containers made of thermoplastic material, the installation comprising a sterilizing mode and a production mode, the installation comprising:
a molding machine equipped with at least one molding device having stretching means, the molding device being designed to manufacture by stretch blow molding said containers from preforms when the installation is in production mode;
a transfer wheel for conveying, when the installation is in production mode, said manufactured containers between the molding machine and a second machine located downstream;
a decontamination device for use in sterilizing mode and designed for introducing a sterilizing agent into at least one preform, the molding machine transforming the preform into a hollow body that is at least partially stretched by said stretching means;
at least one computerized control to prolong the time of holding the at least partially stretched hollow body within a mold of the molding machine; and
a removal actuator that operates in the sterilizing mode to remove the at least partially stretched hollow body from the transfer wheel upstream from the second machine, thereby eliminating any risks of the of the at least partially stretched hollow body contaminates the second machine, wherein the transfer wheel is desynchronized from the second machine during use of the removal actuator.

2. The installation of claim 1 , further comprising a containment bin for collecting the at least partially stretched hollow body removed from the transfer wheel in sterilizing mode.

3. The installation of claim 1 , wherein the stretching means comprises at least a stretching rod, and wherein the stretching rod is sterilized when being used to stretch the sterilizing preform into the hollow body.

4. The installation of claim 3 , wherein the stretching rod remains at least partially extended and within the hollow body of the sterilizing preform for a predetermined amount of time so as to expose the stretching means to the sterilizing agent.

5. The installation according to claim 1 , further comprising an oven for thermal conditioning of the preforms, the decontamination device being placed upstream, inside of or downstream from the thermal conditioning oven.

6. The installation according to claim 1 , wherein the decontamination device is designed for introducing the sterilizing agent in the vapor state into the preform having a temperature that makes it possible to obtain a deposit by condensation of a uniform film of mist on an inner surface of said sterilizing preform.

7. The installation according to claim 1 , wherein the sterilizing mode initiates the successive transformation into partially formed hollow bodies of at least two sterilizing preforms in the same molding device.

8. The installation according to claim 1 , further comprising at least three container treatment machines connected to each other by conveying devices conveying each container individually so that, when the installation is in production mode, the treatment machines treat each container of a series of containers one after the other; said molding machine being a first container treatment machine, said other machine being a second container treatment machine directly connected downstream from the first treatment machine by said transfer wheel, and a sealing device designed for aseptically sealing off the inside of a container in relation to the outside environment constituting a third treatment machine.

9. An installation for manufacturing containers made of thermoplastic material, the installation comprising a sterilizing mode and a production mode, the installation comprising:
a molding machine equipped with at least one molding device having a mold, blow-molding means, and stretching means, the molding device being designed to manufacture by stretch blow molding said containers from production preforms when the installation is in production mode;
a transfer wheel for conveying, when the installation is in production mode, said manufactured containers between the molding machine and a second machine located downstream;
a decontamination device for use in sterilizing mode and designed for introducing a sterilizing agent into at least one sterilizing preform, the molding machine transforming the sterilizing preform into a hollow body that is at least partially stretched by said stretching means; and
a removal actuator that operates in the sterilizing mode to remove the at least partially stretched hollow body from the transfer wheel upstream from the second machine, the transfer wheel being desynchronized from the second machine during use of the removal actuator,
wherein in sterilizing mode, the at least partially stretched hollow body of the sterilizing preform remains within the mold of the at least one molding device for a first period of time and in production mode the container that is stretched by the production preform remains within the mold of the at least one molding device for a second period of time, and wherein the first period of time is greater than the second period of time.

10. The installation of claim 9 , further comprising a containment bin for collecting the at least partially stretched hollow body removed from the transfer wheel in sterilizing mode.

11. The installation of claim 9 , wherein the stretching means comprises at least a stretching rod, and wherein the stretching rod is sterilized when being used to stretch the sterilizing preform into the hollow body.

12. The installation of claim 10 , wherein the stretching rod remains at least partially extended and within the hollow body of the sterilizing preform for a predetermined amount of time so as to expose the stretching means to the sterilizing agent.

13. The installation according to claim 9 , further comprising an oven for thermal conditioning of the preforms, the decontamination device being placed upstream, inside of or downstream from the thermal conditioning oven.

14. The installation according to claim 9 , wherein the decontamination device is designed for introducing the sterilizing agent in the vapor state into the preform having a temperature that makes it possible to obtain a deposit by condensation of a uniform film of mist on an inner surface of said sterilizing preform.

15. The installation according to claim 9 , wherein the sterilizing mode initiates the successive transformation into partially formed hollow bodies of at least two sterilizing preforms in the same molding device.

16. The installation according to claim 9 , further comprising at least three container treatment machines connected to each other by conveying devices conveying each container individually so that, when the installation is in production mode, the treatment machines treat each container of a series of containers one after the other; said molding machine being a first container treatment machine, said other machine being a second container treatment machine directly connected downstream from the first treatment machine by said transfer wheel, and a sealing device designed for aseptically sealing off the inside of a container in relation to the outside environment constituting a third treatment machine.

17. An installation for manufacturing containers made of thermoplastic material, the installation comprising a sterilizing mode and a production mode, the installation comprising:
a molding machine equipped with at least one molding device having stretching means, the molding device being designed to manufacture by stretch blow molding said containers from pref

Assignees

• Sidel Participations

Inventors

• Quetel François
• Yger Benjamin
• Letellier Sandy

Classifications

• A61L2103/23

  Containers other than laboratory or medical, e.g. bottles or mail · CPC title

• B29C49/12

  Stretching rods · CPC title

• B29C49/123

  Electric drives, e.g. linear motors · CPC title

• B29C49/1229

  being a cam mechanism · CPC title

• B29L2031/712

  Containers; Packaging elements or accessories, Packages (closures therefor B29L2031/56; ink or toner cartridges B29L2031/7678; squeeze tubes B29L2023/20; suitcases B29L2031/7418) · CPC title