Station for forming a container operable in an injection configuration and in a displacement configuration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016243747-A1
Application number	US-201414904253-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 11, 2014
Priority date	Jul 12, 2013
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A station for forming a container from a preform. The station having a main body including a preform seat adapted to receive a preform and an injection assembly. The injection assembly including an injection nozzle, comprising an inlet and an outlet, that is movable between a retracted position and an injection position. An injection device arranged to inject liquid to the inlet of the injection nozzle. The injection device includes a housing, defining a main chamber having an actuation aperture, and a closing element movable relative to the housing and closing the actuation aperture. The injection nozzle and the housing of the injection device are rigidly fixed to each other so as to form a single unit.

First claim

1 . A station for forming a container from a preform, the station having a main body including a preform seat adapted to receive said preform and an injection assembly, said injection assembly comprising:
an injection nozzle comprising an inlet and an outlet, said injection nozzle being movable between a retracted position and an injection position relative to said preform seat, the outlet being designed to be placed in fluidic communication with the preform when the injection nozzle is in the injection position, and an injection device arranged to inject liquid from a liquid source to the inlet of the injection nozzle, said injection device comprising a housing, defining a main chamber having an actuation aperture, and a closing element movable relative to the housing and closing the actuation aperture in a fluid tight manner, a valve system, operable by a controller, in a closed state, wherein the fluidic communication between the outlet and the main chamber is interrupted such that the main chamber, the closing element and the valve system in the closed state delimit a closed volume, wherein the injection nozzle and the housing of the injection device are rigidly fixed to each other such as to form a single unit movable between the retracted position and the injection position, the station further comprising an actuator arranged to move the closing element with respect to the main body, the controller being able to put the station in a displacement configuration, wherein the valve system is in the closed state, the closed volume is filled with liquid and the actuator moves the closing element, causing the housing and the injection nozzle to move accordingly.

2 . The station according to claim 1 , wherein the valve system is further operable by the controller between at least:
a filling state arranged to place the main chamber in fluidic communication with the liquid source such as to fill the main chamber with said liquid, an injection state, arranged to place the main chamber in fluidic communication with the outlet of the injection nozzle, and the closed state.

3 . The station according to claim 1 , further comprising a retraction stop defining the retracted position of the injection nozzle, the controller being able to put the station in a filling configuration, wherein the valve system is in the filling state, the injection nozzle is urged against the retraction stop and the actuator moves the closing element in a filling direction causing the main chamber to be filled with liquid from the liquid source.

4 . The station according to claim 1 , further comprising maintaining jack configured to maintain the injection nozzle and the housing of the injection device in the injection position, the controller being able to put the station in an injection configuration wherein the valve system is in the injection state, the maintaining jack is actuated and the actuator moves the closing element in an injection direction.

5 . The station according to claim 1 , wherein the valve system comprises a downstream valve element, located between the inlet of the injection nozzle and an outlet of the main chamber or located inside the injection nozzle, said downstream valve element being an actuable valve operable by the control means.

6 . The station according to claim 1 , wherein the valve system comprises an upstream valve element, located between the liquid source and an inlet of the main chamber of the injection device, said upstream valve element being an actuable valve operable by the controller.

7 . The station according to claim 1 , wherein the closing element is formed by a rigid piston that is arranged to slide in the actuation aperture.

8 . The station according to claim 1 , wherein the closing element is formed by an elastic membrane.

9 . The station according to claim 1 , further comprising guiding means for guiding the movement of the injection nozzle and of the housing relative to the main body.

10 . A method for forming a container from a preform using a station according to claim 1 , the method comprising a step of introducing a preform in the preform seat while the injection nozzle is in its retracted position, the method further comprising a displacement phase including moving the injection nozzle into the injection position, characterized in that the displacement phase comprises placing the valve system in the closed state and actuating the actuator to move the closing element causing the injection nozzle and the injection device to be moved simultaneously.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , including a filling phase prior to the displacement phase, said filling phase comprising placing the valve system in the filling state and moving the closing element in a filling direction such that the closed volume is filled with liquid.

12 . The method according to claim 10 , including, after the displacement phase, an injection phase comprising a maintaining phase during which the injection assembly is maintained in the injection position such that the outlet of the injection nozzle is maintained in fluidic communication with the preform, the method further comprising successively, during the maintaining phase:
placing the valve system in the injection state, and then, moving the closing element in an injection direction such that the liquid is injected from the main chamber to the preform through the outlet.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the preform introduced in the preform seat has been previously heated at a temperature above the preform material glass transition temperature, and wherein moving the closing element during the injection phase, includes exerting a force on the closing element strong enough to generate a liquid pressure suitable for deforming the heated preform.

Assignees

• Discma Ag

Inventors

• Gillet Denis

Classifications

• B29C2049/4664

  staying in the final article · CPC title

• B29C2049/5862

  Drive means therefore · CPC title

• B29C2049/4655

  water · CPC title

• B29C2049/465

  being incompressible · CPC title

• B29C49/4289

  Valve constructions or configurations, e.g. arranged to reduce blowing fluid consumption · CPC title