# US 10,118,330 B2 · Molding unit comprising mold bottom actuation means supported by a fixed holder > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,118,330 B2 - Document ID: US10118330B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/304,606 - Filed: 2015-04-02 - Published: 2017-02-09 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-04-16 - Assignees: Sidel Participations - Applicants: Sidel Participations - Inventors: Damien Cirette; Yves Roche - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118330B2 ## CPC - B29C 49/48: Moulds - B29C 49/1222: {Pneumatic} - B29C 49/30: having movable moulds or mould parts - B29C 49/36: rotatable about one axis - B29C 49/4823: {with incorporated heating or cooling means} - B29C 49/70: Removing or ejecting blown articles from the mould - B29C 49/06: Injection blow-moulding - B29C 49/5612: {characterised by bottom part movement} - B29C 2049/4858: {Exchanging mould parts, e.g. for changing the mould size or geometry for making different products in the same mould} - B29C 2049/4892: {Mould halves consisting of an independent main and bottom part} - B29C 2949/0715: the preform having one end closed - B29K 2067/003: {PET, i.e. poylethylene terephthalate} - B29K 2101/12: Thermoplastic materials - B29K 2105/253: {Preform} - B29L 2031/7158: {Bottles} - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES ## Abstract A molding unit (10) for forming a container made of thermoplastic material, includes: —a mold bottom (16) that is movable between a low position, an intermediate boxing position and a high position; —a carriage (24) that supports the mold bottom (16) and is mounted in a movable manner in a fixed holder (26); —actuation elements for moving the carriage (24) into its intermediate boxing position; —the actuation elements including a cylinder (32) that houses a piston (98) liable to push the mold bottom (16) through a boxing travel; characterized in that the mold bottom (16) is supported in a fixed manner by the carriage (24), the cylinder (32) being fixed with respect to the fixed holder (26). A method for employing the molding unit is also described. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Molding unit (10) for the forming of a container made of thermoplastic material by blow molding, particularly by stretch blow molding, of a preform, the molding unit (10) having: two half-molds (14) that are transversely mobile in relation to a fixed holder (26) between a molding joined position and a separated position for extraction of the finished container; a mold bottom (16) that is vertically mobile between a lower position for extraction of the finished container and an upper position for molding of a base of the container, the mold bottom (16) being able to be moved between the two half-molds (14) in the molding joined position over a directed path, termed boxing, that extends from an initial intermediate boxing position to its upper molding position; a carriage (24) that carries the mold bottom (16) and that is mounted to move in the fixed holder (26); first actuation means to move the carriage (24) relative to its fixed holder (26) between a lower position of the mold bottom (16) and its initial intermediate boxing position; second actuation means having at least one cylinder (32) housing a piston (98) sliding vertically that is able to push the mold bottom (16) over its boxing path by pressurizing a lower work chamber (100) of the cylinder (32); wherein the mold bottom (16) is supported in a fixed manner by the carriage (24), the cylinder (32) being fixed relative to the fixed holder (26). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Molding unit (10) according to claim 1, wherein the fixed holder (26) has an upper stop face (52) that limits the movement of the carriage (24) upward into the upper position of the mold bottom (16). ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) Molding unit (10) according to claim 2, wherein the upper stop face (52) is supported by a removable first element (48) that is attached in a detachable way on the fixed holder (26). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) Molding unit (10) according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the half-molds (14) has a lower stop face (70) that limits the movement of the carriage (24) downward into its initial intermediate boxing position when the half-molds (14) occupy their molding joined position. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) Molding unit (10) according to claim 4, wherein the lower stop face (70) is supported by a removable second element (60) that is attached in a detachable way under the associated half-mold (14). ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) Molding unit (10) according to claim 4, wherein the mold bottom (16) has a stop face (72) that is intended to come into contact with the lower stop face (70). ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) Molding unit (10) according to claim 1, wherein the first actuation means have elastic return means (78) that exert an elastic return force on the carriage (24) toward its upper molding position. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) Molding unit (10) according to claim 7, wherein the first actuation means have a cam follower (90) that is supported by the carriage (24) and a cam path (92) that works with the cam follower (90) to make the carriage (24) slide to its lower position against the elastic return force. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) Molding unit (10) according to claim 7, wherein the first actuation means have an arming device that can exert an arming force on the carriage (24) to move it from its upper position to its initial intermediate boxing position against the elastic return force over a directed reverse arming path relative to the boxing path. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) Molding unit (10) according to claim 9, wherein the first actuation means have a cylinder (94) that is supported by the fixed holder (26). ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) Molding unit (10) according to claim 10, wherein the arming force that can be exerted by the cylinder (94) is much less than the boxing force that can be exerted by the piston (98) on the carriage (24). ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) Molding unit (10) according to claim 1, wherein the piston (98) slides freely in relation to the carriage (24), the carriage (24) being able to slide between its lower position and its upper position while the piston (98) remains fixed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) Process of forming a container by blow molding of a preform using the molding unit (10) made according to claim 1, wherein it comprises chronologically: a first, positioning step (E1), the mold bottom (16) initially occupying its lower position and the half-molds (14) initially occupying their separated position, during which the mold bottom (16) is moved to its upper position, then during which the two half-molds (14) are moved to their molding joined position; then, a second, arming step (E2) during which the carriage (24) is moved along its arming path to its initial intermediate boxing position; then, a third, boxing step (E3) that takes place during the forming of a preform inserted into the mold after the first step (E1), and during which the carriage (24) is moved along its boxing path by means of the piston (98) so as to stretch the material of the preform in the process of forming to form the base of the container; then, a fourth step (E4) for extraction of the finished container during which the carriage (24) is moved from its upper position to its lower position after opening the two half-molds (14) in their separated position. ### Claim 14 (depends on 5) Molding unit (10) according to claim 5, wherein the mold bottom (16) has a stop face (72) that is intended to come into contact with the lower stop face (70). ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) Molding unit (10) according to claim 8, wherein the first actuation means have an arming device that can exert an arming force on the carriage (24) to move it from its upper position to its initial intermediate boxing position against the elastic return force over a directed reverse arming path relative to the boxing path.