Post-Molding Molded Article Conditioning Apparatus with a Selectively Controlled Transfer Flow Structure and a Related Method

A method for molding an article in a molding system that includes a molding machine and a post-molding molded article conditioning apparatus, the method including the steps of:

• molding a molded article;
• configuring a pressure structure connected to said conditioning apparatus to function as a vacuum source;
• moving a valve member of said conditioning apparatus into an open configuration to connect a conditioning cavity of said conditioning apparatus to said vacuum source through a transfer flow structure of said conditioning apparatus;
• transferring said molded article, in a malleable state, into said conditioning cavity with the assistance of suction provided through said transfer flow structure;
• moving said valve member into a closed configuration once a portion of said molded article has been sealingly received within said conditioning cavity;
• expanding an outer surface of said portion of said molded article into contact with a cooled inner conditioning surface of said conditioning cavity by evacuating any air contained between said outer surface of said molded article and said cooled inner conditioning surface through a plurality of openings configured along at least a portion of said cooled inner conditioning surface and through to said pressure structure via a pressure coupling structure of said conditioning apparatus;
• maintaining a vacuum to hold said outer surface of said preform in contact with said cooled inner conditioning surface of said conditioning cavity until said molded article has solidified to an extent required to maintain its shape once ejected from said conditioning apparatus;
• ejecting said molded article from said conditioning cavity.