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US 10,328,629 B2Granted
Apparatus for heating plastics material pre-forms
AssigneeKrones AG
InventorsAndreas Kursawe, Konrad Senn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus is provided for heating plastics material pre-forms, with a movable carrier on which a plurality of heating devices is arranged; wherein the heating devices are controllable independently of one another and have in each case a heating element as well as at least one regulating element for regulating the heating output; and wherein the heating devices have in each case one heating area inside which the plastics material pre-forms are capable of being heated, as well as a movement device which introduces the plastics material pre-forms into this heating area. Each heating device has associated with it in each case one control device for controlling a heating procedure.
Claims16
An apparatus for heating plastics material pre-forms, comprising:
- a movable carrier;
- a plurality of heating devices, each of said plurality of heating devices being an independent, ready-wired module arranged on said carrier, said module being configured to be readily attached to a power supply and a communication interface, wherein said plurality of heating devices are controlled independently of each other and each of the plurality of heating devices have a heating element and at least one regulating unit configured for regulating a heating output, wherein said plurality of heating devices are microwave units;
- said plurality of heating devices each having a heating area inside which the plastics material pre-forms are heated, and a movement device which introduces the plastics material pre-forms into said heating area;
- each of said plurality of heating devices having a control device configured for controlling a heating procedure of the plastics material pre-forms, and a power measurement device configured for measuring power of a respective one of said plurality of heating devices, wherein said power measurement device is selected from a group of measurement devices including pyrometers, plasma sensors and power measuring means;
- and
- a central control unit configured to communicate with and control said control device of each of said plurality of heating devices.
3 more elements
A method of heating plastics material pre-forms, comprising:
- conveying plastics material pre-forms using a conveying device along a pre-set conveying path and heating the preforms during this conveying, wherein the conveying device has a movable carrier;
- connecting a plurality of heating devices configured as independent, ready-wired modules, to said movable carrier, wherein each of said modules is configured to be readily attached to a power supply and a communication interface, and wherein said plurality of heating devices are microwave units;
- introducing said plastics material pre-forms by a movement device into a heating area of one of said plurality of heating devices which heats one of said plastics material pre-forms;
- heating at least one of said plastics material pre-forms by a corresponding one of said plurality of heating devices;
- controlling a heating profile and a movement profile of each of the plastics material pre-forms by a plurality of control devices, a different one of said plurality of control devices being associated with each of said plurality of heating devices;
- regulating a heating output of said plurality of heating devices using at least one regulating unit;
- measuring power of each of said plurality of heating devices using a power measurement device associated with each of said plurality of heating devices;
- and
- controlling each of said plurality of control devices using a central control unit in communication with said plurality of control devices.
6 more elements
An apparatus for heating plastics material pre-forms, comprising:
- a movable carrier;
- a plurality of heating devices, each of said plurality of heating devices being an independent, ready-wired module arranged on said carrier, said module being configured to be readily attached to a power supply and a communication interface, wherein said plurality of heating devices are controlled independently of each other and each have a heating element and at least one regulating unit configured for regulating a heating output, wherein said plurality of heating devices are microwave units;
- said plurality of heating devices each having a heating area inside which the plastics material pre-forms are heated, a movement device which introduces the plastics material pre-forms into said heating area, and a power measurement device configured for measuring power of a respective one of said plurality of heating devices, wherein said power measurement device is selected from a group of measurement devices including pyrometers, plasma sensors and power measuring means,
- wherein each of said plurality of heating devices have a control device configured for controlling a heating procedure of the plastics material pre-forms, and said control device of each of said plurality of heating devices forms an integral component part of a respective one of said plurality of heating devices so that said control device of each of said plurality of heating devices is mounted onto a housing part of each of said plurality of heating devices;
- and
- a central control unit configured to communicate with and control said control device of each of said plurality of heating devices.
3 more elements
An apparatus for heating plastics material pre-forms, comprising:
- a movable carrier;
- a plurality of heating devices, each of said plurality of heating devices being an independent, ready-wired module arranged on said carrier, said module being configured to be readily attached to a power supply and a communication interface, wherein said plurality of heating devices are controlled independently of each other and each of the plurality of heating devices have a heating element and at least one regulating unit configured for regulating a heating output;
- said plurality of heating devices each having a heating area inside which the plastics material pre-forms are heated, and a movement device which introduces the plastics material pre-forms into said heating area;
- and
- at least two temperature measuring devices associated with each of said plurality of heating devices, a first one of said temperature measuring devices positioned on a longitudinal axis of said plastics material pre-forms and directed toward a first region of said plastics material pre-forms, and a second one of said temperature measuring devices positioned to be perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said plastics material pre-forms and directed toward a side of said plastics material pre-forms, wherein said at least two temperature measuring devices are configured to measure different regions of said plastics material pre-forms,
- wherein each of said plurality of heating devices have a control device configured for controlling a heating procedure of the plastics material pre-forms, and a power measurement device configured for measuring power of a respective one of said plurality of heating devices, wherein said power measurement device is selected from a group of measurement devices including pyrometers, plasma sensors and power measuring means.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.