Means of sterilizing the stretching means of a container molding device, and container manufacturing installation

A method for sterilizing the stretching means (12) of a container molding device (10) equipping an installation for manufacturing containers made of thermoplastic material obtained by stretch blow molding from production preforms;

• said method of sterilizing the stretching means (12) comprising:
• introducing a determined amount of a sterilizing agent inside a sterilizing preform (30),
• transforming, during a transformation step, said sterilizing preform (30) into a hollow body (50) by stretch blow molding in said molding device (10),
• wherein said introduction of the sterilizing agent occurs in the vapor state in a sterilizing preform (30) having a temperature allowing a depositing by condensation of a uniform film of mist on an inner surface (32) of said sterilizing preform (30), and in that the successive transformation into hollow bodies (50) of at least two sterilizing preforms (30) in the same molding device (10) is initiated, and
• wherein the transformation step consists in obtaining a partially formed container, the method further comprises a step for removing from the installation the partially formed container obtained from the sterilizing preforms (30).