Blow molding device and a method for manufacturing a container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9610744-B2
Application number	US-201214369598-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2012
Priority date	Dec 27, 2011
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

To regulate, in blow molding device using liquid, such as beverage, cosmetic product, and pharmaceutical product, filled in final product as pressurized liquid, head space in container which is filled with content liquid during molding to be predetermined volume, provided is blow molding device including blow nozzle configured to tightly communicate with mouth tubular portion of preform. In state where rod is disposed to be inserted into blow nozzle and where tip portion of rod is inserted into preform, pressurized liquid is supplied into preform via tubular introduction path formed by blow nozzle and rod, thereby expandingly shaping container in accordance with cavity of metal mold. When container is shaped and supply of pressurized liquid is stopped, rod is disinserted from container, and according to shape and insert position of tip portion of rod, head space of shaped container that is filled with liquid is regulated to be predetermined volume.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A blow molding device for blow molding a bottomed tubular preform including a mouth tubular portion projecting at an upper end of the preform, the blow molding device comprising:
a metal mold used for blow molding, the metal mold having a cavity defining a container shape; and
a blow nozzle, the blow nozzle configured to tightly communicate with the mouth tubular portion with the preform is fitted to the metal mold, the blow nozzle including a circumferential wall having a vent hole defined there through, a valve coupled to the vent hole and configured to communicate an outside of the blow nozzle with an inside of the blow nozzle,
a rod disposed in the blow nozzle the rod including a tip portion configured to be inserted into the preform, a tubular introduction path formed between the blow nozzle and the rod, whereby a pressurized liquid is supplied into the preform via the tubular introduction path thereby expandingly shaping a container in accordance with the cavity of the metal mold, and
when the container is shaped with the supply of the pressurized liquid is stopped, the rod is disinserted from the container, and according to a shape and an insert position of the tip portion of the rod, head space of the shaped container that is filled with the liquid is regulated to be a predetermined volume.

2. The blow molding device of claim 1 , wherein
the rod comprises a stretching rod for vertically stretching the preform.

3. A manufacturing method of a synthetic resin container with use of the blow molding device of claim 1 , the manufacturing method comprising steps of:
fitting the bottomed tubular preform to the metal mold used for the blow molding with the mouth tubular portion of the preform being projected to outside;
inserting the tip portion of the rod into the preform;
supplying a pressurized liquid from the mouth tubular portion into the preform via the introduction path, and expandingly shaping the container by means of the pressurized liquid in accordance with a shape of the cavity of the metal mold; and
after the container is shaped, stopping the supply of the pressurized liquid, disinserting the tip portion of the rod from the container, and regulating head space of the shaped container that is filled with the liquid to be the predetermined volume.

4. The manufacturing method for a synthetic resin container of claim 3 , wherein
the rod comprises a stretching rod used for vertical stretching, and
the preform is vertically stretched by the stretching rod, and the pressurized liquid is supplied from the mouth tubular portion into the preform via the introduction path, and by means of the pressurized liquid, the container is expandingly shaped in accordance with the shape of the cavity of the metal mold.

5. The manufacturing method of a synthetic resin container of claim 3 , wherein
when the rod is disinserted from the container after the container is shaped and the supply of the pressurized liquid is stopped, a vent hole is switched to an open state for bringing an outside of the blow nozzle into communication with an inside of the blow nozzle.

6. The blow molding device of claim 1 , wherein
the rod comprises a stretching rod for vertically stretching the preform, the stretching rod including a tubular portion in a region extending from an upper end portion to a predetermined height position of the stretching rod, the tubular portion being provided, inside thereof, with a discharge path extending vertically, and the stretching rod also including a horizontal hole provided below the tubular portion to extend through a tubular wall and communicate with the discharge path,
the pressurized liquid is supplied into the preform via the tubular introduction path formed by means of the blow nozzle and the stretching rod, thereby shaping the container in accordance with the cavity of the metal mold, and
after the container is shaped and the supply of the pressurized liquid is stopped, pressurized air is supplied to the introduction path, thereby pressurizing the liquid remaining in a portion extending from the inside of the container to the introduction path, and thereby discharging a part of the remaining liquid via the horizontal hole of the stretching rod and the discharge path, and according to a height position at which the horizontal hole is located, the head space of the shaped container that is filled with the liquid is regulated to be the predetermined volume.

7. The blow molding device of claim 6 , wherein the discharged liquid is returned to the pressurized liquid supply unit configured to supply the pressurized liquid.

8. The blow molding device of claim 6 , wherein
the blow nozzle at a tip thereof an engaging tubular piece configured to be engaged into the mouth tubular portion of the preform,
the engaging tubular piece provided on an outer circumferential wall of the blow nozzle and including a circumferential stepped portion whose diameter is decreased toward and end thereof, and
the blow nozzle is brought into the tight communication with the mouth tubular portion as a result of abutment between the circumferential stepped portion and an upper end surface of the mouth tubular portion via a seal member.

9. The blow molding device of claim 1 , wherein
the rod comprises a stretching rod for vertically stretching the preform, and the container is shaped in accordance with the cavity of the metal mold by the vertical stretching by way of the stretching rod and by expansion and stretching by way of the pressurized liquid,
an actuator coupled to the stretching rod and configured to pull up the tip portion of the stretching rod until the tip portion reaches a predetermined height position inside the container at predetermined timing after the vertical stretching by way of the stretching rod in a state where the supply of the pressurized liquid for the expansion and stretching is continued,
the actuator further configured to disinsert the stretching rod from the container in a state where the supply of the pressurized liquid is stopped, at predetermined timing after the stretching rod is pulled up, and
according to a shape of the stretching rod and the height position to which the tip portion of the stretching rod is pulled up, the head space of the shaped container that is filled with the liquid is regulated to be the predetermined volume.

10. The blow molding device of claim 9 , wherein
the blow nozzle having at a tip thereof an engaging tubular piece configured to be engaged into the mouth tubular portion of the preform,
the engaging tubular piece including on an outer circumferential wall thereof a circumferential stepped portion whose diameter is decreased toward and end thereof, and
the blow nozzle is brought into the tight communication with the mouth tubular portion as a result of abutment between the circumferential stepped portion and an upper end surface of the mouth tubular portion via a seal member.

11. The blow molding device of claim 9 , wherein
a valve mechanism is provided in an end portion on a downstream side of the introduction path formed in the blow nozzle for allowing the introduction path to be opened and closed.

12. A manufacturing method of a synthetic resin container with use for the blow molding device of claim 9 , the manufacturing method comprising the following steps 1 to 3, so as to regulate the head space in the shaped container that is filled with liquid to be the predetermined volume:
the step 1 of supplying the pressurized liquid from the mouth tubular portion into the preform via the introduction path formed in the blow nozzle while the preform is vertically stretched by means o

Assignees

• Discma Ag

Inventors

• Sato Sumito
• Tamura Nobuyuki
• Nagashima Takeshi

Classifications

• B29C49/46

  characterised by using particular environment or blow fluids other than air · CPC title

• B29C49/12 Primary

  Stretching rods · CPC title

• B29C49/4273

  Auxiliary operations after the blow-moulding operation not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B29C2049/5858

  Distributing blowing fluid to the moulds, e.g. rotative distributor or special connection · CPC title

• B29C2049/4294

  Sealing means · CPC title