Method and tempering device for heating preforms prior to molding the same to form containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9370874-B2
Application number	US-80061410-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2010
Priority date	May 19, 2009
Publication date	Jun 21, 2016
Grant date	Jun 21, 2016

Abstract

The invention discloses a method of heating a preform ( 50 ) of thermoplastic material prior to blow molding the same to form a container, with the preform ( 50 ) being held at a threaded region ( 58 ) during heating thereof. A neck portion ( 48 ) of the preform ( 50 ) close to the threaded region ( 58 ) is temporarily heated more strongly as compared to other regions. The invention further relates to a tempering device for heating such a preform ( 50 ), including at least one radiation and/or heat source acting on the preform ( 50 ) and defining several impact regions on the preform ( 50 ) with different heating intensities each. The preform ( 50 ) has associated therewith at least one reflector ( 52 ) disposed in the threaded ( 58 ) and/or neck region ( 48 ) for deflecting radiation proportions piercing the neck region ( 48 ) and for heating the neck region ( 48 ) on an inside of the preform ( 50 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of heating a preform of thermoplastic material prior to blow molding the same to form a container, with the preform being held at a threaded region during heating thereof, comprising:
heating a neck portion of the preform close to the threaded region; the heating of the neck portion close to the threaded region including a first phase and a second phase, during the second phase the heating of the neck portion close to the threaded region being at an increased intensity as compared to all of the other regions, the heating of the neck portion during the second phase occurring after a heating of the other regions during the first phase; and
directly following the second phase, blow molding the preform to form the container;
the heating of the neck portion close to the threaded region being at a lower intensity as compared to the other regions during the first phase of the heating;
wherein the heating includes utilizing a reflector formed by a paraboloidal mirror, and a glow filament disposed within the paraboloidal mirror.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the heating includes at least one of: temporarily delaying the heating, varying the heating and altering a location of a radiation wavelength maximum as compared to the other regions.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the second phase is shortened as compared to the first phase.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the heating includes utilizing at least one of infrared irradiation, a laser beam, microwave irradiation and at least one open combustion flame.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein the heating includes utilizing the infrared radiation or the laser beam, and the infrared irradiation or the irradiation generated by the laser beam is variable temporarily by variation of a wavelength of the radiation maximum thereof.

6. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein the heating takes place by the infrared radiation and the infrared irradiation comprises a wavelength having a radiation maximum greater than 1250 nm in a second phase of the irradiation.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein at least the neck portion of the preform is heated and/or irradiated on the outside thereof and on the inside thereof.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the heating includes a heating or irradiation from an inside of the preform, the heating or irradiation from the inside utilizing a further reflector disposed in the neck region.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein the reflector distributes or deflects infrared or microwave irradiation employed for heating after piercing the neck region of the preform, a pierced neck region being at least partially transparent, the radiation impinging on the reflector and then being reflected to above and/or below the pierced neck region.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the threaded region and a support ring of the preform are not heated during the heating of the neck portion of the preform close to the threaded region.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the threaded region is cooled during the heating of the neck portion of the preform close to the threaded region.

12. A method of heating a preform of thermoplastic material prior to blow molding the same to form a container, with the preform being held at a threaded region during heating thereof, comprising:
heating a neck portion of the preform close to the threaded region; the heating of the neck portion close to the threaded region including a first phase and a second phase, during the second phase the heating of the neck portion close to the threaded region being at an increased intensity as compared to all of the other regions, the heating of the neck portion during the second phase occurring after a heating of the other regions during the first phase; and
directly following the second phase, blow molding the preform to form the container;
the heating of the neck portion close to the threaded region being at a lower intensity as compared to the other regions during the first phase of the heating;
wherein the heating includes utilizing a reflector formed by a paraboloidal mirror, and a glow filament disposed within the paraboloidal mirror,
wherein the reflector is fixedly disposed on a holder, and passes a heating path together with the preform to be heated,
wherein the holder is attached at a gripper for the preform.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein the second phase is shortened as compared to the first phase.

14. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein the heating includes utilizing at least one of infrared irradiation, a laser beam, microwave irradiation and at least one open combustion flame.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein the heating takes place by the infrared radiation and the infrared irradiation comprises a wavelength having a radiation maximum greater than 1250 nm in a second phase of the irradiation.

16. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein at least the neck portion of the preform is heated and/or irradiated on the outside thereof and on the inside thereof.

17. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein the heating includes a heating or irradiation from an inside of the preform, the heating or irradiation from the inside utilizing a further reflector disposed in the neck region.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 wherein the reflector distributes or deflects infrared or microwave irradiation employed for heating after piercing the neck region of the preform, a pierced neck region being at least partially transparent, the radiation impinging on the reflector and then being reflected to above and/or below the pierced neck region.

19. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein reflector areas can be formed in an adjustable manner with respect to their positions and/or surfaces.

20. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the reflector is a reflective coating disposed on a glass tube, the glow filament disposed coaxially to the glass tube.

21. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein the glass tube includes an exit face, light from the glow filament exiting the exit face in a parallel manner.

22. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein the glass tube has an ellipse-shaped cross-section.

23. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the paraboloidal mirror has an ellipse-shaped cross section.

Assignees

• Forsthoevel Jochen
• Lappe Ulrich
• Hirdina Jochen
• Knapp Peter
• Senn Konrad
• Huettner Gerald
• Krones Ag

Inventors

• Forsthoevel Jochen
• Lappe Ulrich
• Hirdina Jochen
• Knapp Peter
• Senn Konrad
• Huettner Gerald

Classifications

• B29C49/42085

  holding inside the neck · CPC title

• B29C49/6445

  through the preform length · CPC title

• B29B13/025 Primary

  Tube ends · CPC title

• B29C35/045

  using gas or flames · CPC title

• B29C2035/0861

  using radio frequency · CPC title