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US 2014/0319732 A1Published application
Apparatus and method for injection molding and cooling pet preforms
AssigneeOtto Männer Innovation GmbH
InventorGheorghe George Olaru
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In an aspect, an injection molding machine is provided and incorporates a mold block with a plurality of sides including an injection side at which hollow parts are formed in mold cavities, a first post-mold cooling side whereat the hollow parts are cooled, and a part transfer side where parts are transferred out of the mold block. Optionally additional post-mold cooling sides are provided. A takeout structure is provided to remove the hollow parts from molding cores on the injection side, to transfer the hollow parts to the first post-mold cooling side, and to subsequently transfer the hollow parts to the part transfer side. The takeout structure holds the hollow parts by their neck portions and cools their neck portions.
Claims8
An injection molding and cooling apparatus for molding and cooling plastic bottle preforms, comprising:
- an injection unit;
- a first machine platen;
- a second machine platen;
- a first mold plate mounted in association with the first machine platen and including a hot runner system having a plurality of hot runner nozzles and a plurality of female mold cavity halves;
- a mold block located between the first machine platen and the second machine platen, wherein the mold block has first, second and third sides, each of the first and second sides having projections extending therefrom, wherein on the first side there is a second mold plate and the projections are male mold cavity halves, wherein on the second side there is a cooling system configured to cool preforms and wherein the projections on the second side are a plurality of cores sized to fit within molded preforms to assist with cooling the preforms, and wherein adjacent the third side of the mold block is a preform transport system for receiving and transporting molded, cooled preforms away from the injection molding and cooling apparatus;
- a takeout structure rotatably mounted relative to the mold block, wherein first, second and third neck ring plates are movably mounted to the takeout structure for movement towards and away from the sides of the mold block, wherein each neck ring plate has thereon a plurality of sets of neck ring mold portions thereon, wherein the neck ring mold portions contain cooling channels for the transport of cooling fluid for cooling necks of preforms captured by the neck ring mold portions,
- wherein the neck ring plates adjacent the first and second sides of the mold block are movable between a first position in which the neck ring plates hold first and second pluralities of preforms on the projections that extend from the first and second sides of the mold block, and a second position wherein the neck ring plates hold the first and second pluralities of the preforms away from the projections on the first and second sides of the mold block, wherein the neck ring plate adjacent the third side of the mold block is movable between a first position wherein the neck ring mold portions capture necks of the preforms, and a second position wherein the neck ring mold portions separate to release the necks of the preforms so as to release the preforms to the preform transport system;
- a takeout structure drive mechanism that is coupled to the takeout structure and is operable to rotate the takeout structure relative to the mold block between a plurality of positions including a first position wherein the first, second and third neck ring plates face the first second and third sides of the mold block respectively, a second position wherein the first, second and third neck ring plates face the second, third and first sides of the mold block respectively and a third position wherein the first, second and third neck ring plates face the third, first and second sides of the mold block respectively;
- a neck ring plate drive mechanism that is coupled to the neck ring plates to drive the neck ring plates between the first and second positions,
- wherein the mold block and the takeout structure are together movable linearly relative to the first mold plate between a first position wherein the second mold plate, the neck ring mold portions and the first mold plate together form a plurality of mold cavities, and a second position wherein the mold block is spaced from the first mold plate, thereby permitting the linear drive mechanism to move from the neck ring plates from the first position to the second position;
- and
- a ram configured to drive the mold block between the first and second positions.
9 more elements
A method of molding and cooling a plurality of preforms, comprising:
- a) injecting molten plastic into a plurality of mold cavities on a first side of a mold block;
- b) cooling the plastic to form molded preforms in the mold cavities that are captured by neck ring mold portions;
- c) opening the mold cavities while retaining the molded preforms in the neck ring mold portions;
- d) driving the neck ring mold portions to remove the molded preforms from male portions of the mold cavities;
- e) driving the neck ring mold portions to move the molded preforms to a second side of the mold block;
- f) cooling the molded preforms on the second side of the mold block;
- g) driving the neck ring mold portions to move the molded preforms to a third side of the mold block;
- and
- h) opening the neck ring mold portions to eject the molded preforms.
6 more elements
A method of injection molding and cooling hollow molded parts comprising:
- a) providing a horizontally clamped injection molding machine including an injection molding station and at least one adjacent cooling station to mold and cool simultaneously at least two separate batches of hollow molded parts ;
- b) providing a multi-sided mold block including a first side defining part of the injection molding station and second side including internal cooling elements that form part of the cooling station, the mold block being movable horizontally during operation between a stationary machine platen and a clamping movable machine platen;
- c) providing a rotary take-out device for the batches of the hollow molded parts, the take-out device being coupled to the mold block and being movable horizontally with the mold block;
- d) injection molding a first batch of the hollow parts into a plurality of mold cavities at the injection molding station, each of the hollow parts including an inner cavity having an axis, a neck portion, a body portion and a end portion;
- e) cooling the hollow parts while the hollow parts are at the first injection molding station in the mold cavities;
- f) retaining the molded hallow parts at the neck portions on the rotary take-out device and removing the hollow parts from the mold cavities, while contact cooling the neck portions of the molded hallow parts;
- g) further retaining the molded hallow parts at the neck portions on the rotary take-out device and transferring the hollow parts from the injection molding station to the cooling station, while contact cooling the neck portions of the molded hollow parts;
- h) cooling the body portion and the end portion of the hollow parts using the internal cooling elements at the second side of the mold block, while contact cooling the neck portions of the first batch of the molded hollow parts;
- and
- i) injection molding a second batch of the hollow parts while the first batch is at the cooling station.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.