Apparatus and method for reshaping plastic preforms into plastic containers with an automatic changing device for handling parts

A method for the production of plastic containers, wherein plastic preforms are heated with a heating device and transported with a transport device during the heating thereof, wherein the transport device comprises a multitude of holding elements for holding the plastic preforms and wherein the plastic preforms are expanded and reshaped into the plastic containers with a device for reshaping after having been heated, wherein the reshaping device comprises a transport device which transports the plastic preforms along a predefined transport path and wherein the transport device comprises a station carrier, which can be moved and is arranged at least indirectly on a stationary base carrier and on which a multitude of reshaping stations is arranged, wherein the reshaping stations each comprise blow mold devices, which each form cavities, in which the plastic preforms are reshaped into the plastic containers, wherein the blow mold devices are each arranged on blow mold carriers, providing

• a changing device, arranged on a movable cart having a parts storage area, said changing device having at least one swivally mounted change arm carrying a swivally mounted treatment device as well as a second arm having at least one gripping device attached to the change arm in a changeable manner, and wherein the gripping device is directly arranged on the second arm that can be swiveled around a predefined first swivel axis, due to its arrangement in the changing device, and wherein the gripping device is arranged on the second arm in such a way, that it can be swiveled or rotated, and the first and the second arm being swivally connected to each other, wherein said swivally mounted treatment device is attached to the change arm in a removable manner, whereby to allow for the gripping device, which is used for gripping a blow mold device, to be exchanged with a gripping device, which is used for gripping a changing element of the heating device, and wherein the changing device is adapted to exchange respective gripping devices carried on the parts storage area independently by itself, so that in this way, a largely automatic changing operation regarding the apparatus for reshaping plastic preforms as well as regarding the heating device is may be achieved, at least temporarily removes the blow mold devices from their blow mold carriers and/or attaches blow mold devices to the blow mold carriers, wherein this changing device at least temporarily removes at least one exchangeable element of the heating device from the heating device or attaches an exchangeable element to the heating device, wherein the heating device has a locking device or locking elements respectively, which lock the exchangeable changing elements with respect to the heating device or a carrier respectively, wherein at least two parts of the blow mold device can be locked together, so that the blow mold can be removed from the blow mold devices or the blow mold carrier respectively in its entirety.

An apparatus for reshaping plastic preforms into plastic containers with a heating device for heating the plastic preforms, wherein the heating device has a transport device for transporting the plastic preforms with a multitude of holding elements for holding the plastic preforms, said apparatus including a device for reshaping the plastic preforms into the plastic containers, which is arranged downstream of the heating device in the transport direction of the plastic preforms, wherein the reshaping device includes a transport device which transports the plastic preforms along a preset transport path and wherein the transport device has a station carrier, which is movable and is arranged at least indirectly on a stationary base carrier and on which a multitude of reshaping stations is arranged, wherein the reshaping stations each have blow mold devices, which each form cavities, in which the plastic preforms can be reshaped into the plastic containers, and wherein the blow mold devices are each arranged on blow mold carriers,

• wherein
• the apparatus has a changing device, which is adapted for also removing the blow mold devices from their blow mold carriers and/or attaching the blow mold devices to the blow mold carriers, wherein the changing device has at least one swivally mounted first change arm carrying a swivally mounted treatment device as well as a second arm having at least two gripping devices attached to the change arm in a changeable manner, wherein said swivally mounted treatment device is attached to the change arm in a removable manner, and wherein the gripping device is directly arranged on the second arm that can be swiveled around a predefined first swivel axis, due to its arrangement in the changing device, and wherein the gripping device is arranged on the second arm in such a way, that it can be swiveled or rotated, and the first and the second arm being swivally connected to each other, whereby to allow for the gripping device, which is used for gripping a blow mold device, to be exchanged with a gripping device, which is used for gripping a changing element of the heating device, and wherein the changing device is adapted to exchange respective gripping devices independently by itself, so that in this way, a largely automatic changing operation regarding the apparatus for reshaping plastic preforms as well as regarding the heating device may be achieved, wherein the changing device is arranged on a moveable cart having a parts storage area, and wherein the changing device is further adapted for removing one changeable element of the heating device from the heating device and storing the removed element on the parts storage area, and/or attaching a changeable element from the parts storage area to the heating device, wherein the heating device has a locking device or locking elements respectively, which lock an exchangeable changing element with respect to the heating device or a carrier respectively, wherein at least two parts of the blow mold device can be locked together, so that the blow mold can be removed from the blow mold devices or the blow mold carrier respectively in its entirety.