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

An installation for manufacturing containers made of thermoplastic material, the installation comprising a sterilizing mode and a production mode, the installation comprising:

• a molding machine equipped with at least one molding device having a mold, blow-molding means, and stretching means, the molding device being designed to manufacture by stretch blow molding said containers from production preforms when the installation is in production mode;
• a transfer wheel for conveying, when the installation is in production mode, said manufactured containers between the molding machine and a second machine located downstream;
• a decontamination device for use in sterilizing mode and designed for introducing a sterilizing agent into at least one sterilizing preform, the molding machine transforming the sterilizing preform into a hollow body that is at least partially stretched by said stretching means;
• and
• a removal actuator that operates in the sterilizing mode to remove the at least partially stretched hollow body from the transfer wheel upstream from the second machine, the transfer wheel being desynchronized from the second machine during use of the removal actuator,
• wherein in sterilizing mode, the at least partially stretched hollow body of the sterilizing preform remains within the mold of the at least one molding device for a first period of time and in production mode the container that is stretched by the production preform remains within the mold of the at least one molding device for a second period of time, and wherein the first period of time is greater than the second period of time.

An installation for manufacturing containers made of thermoplastic material, the installation comprising a sterilizing mode and a production mode, the installation comprising:

• a molding machine equipped with at least one molding device having stretching means, the molding device being designed to manufacture by stretch blow molding said containers from preforms when the installation is in production mode;
• a transfer wheel for conveying, when the installation is in production mode, said manufactured containers between the molding machine and a second machine located downstream;
• a decontamination device for use in sterilizing mode and designed for introducing a sterilizing agent into at least one preform, the molding machine transforming the preform into a hollow body that is at least partially stretched by said stretching means;
• at least one computerized control to prolong the time of holding the at least partially stretched hollow body within a mold of the molding machine;
• and
• a removal actuator that operates in the sterilizing mode to remove the at least partially stretched hollow body the transfer wheel upstream form the second machine, the transfer wheel being desynchronized from the second machine during use of the removal actuator.