Method for cooling heated molds from a machine for molding containers
AssigneeSidel Participations
InventorsNicolas CHOMEL, Damien FOURNIER
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a method for cooling heated molds from a machine for molding containers from thermoplastic material by stretch-blow molding hot preforms using at least one pressurized fluid. The cooling method includes, in order to cool the molds, at least one cooling step that involves selectively feeding at least one cooling fluid into the molding cavity of at least some of the molding units that, after the carousel has been stopped in order to immobilize the molding units at least during the cooling step, are located in a predetermined cooling region in which the molding units are in a closed position.
Claims12
Method for cooling heated molds from a machine (10) for molding containers from thermoplastic material by stretch blow molding hot preforms by means of at least one pressurized fluid, with said rotary-type machine (10) comprising at least molding units (12), each comprising at least one mold and that are arranged on the periphery of a carousel (14) that can be driven in rotation around an axis (O) of rotation of the machine, with each molding unit (12) comprising at least blow-molding means (20) integrating a stretching rod (22), heating means (34) associated with the mold (18) of the unit for heating it, with said mold (18) comprising at least two half-molds (24) that each comprise an inner molding face (30) and that are respectively mounted on movable supports (26) around an axis (A) between at least one open position and one closed position of the unit, in which said inner faces (30) of said at least two attached half-molds (24) delimit together at least a portion of a cavity (16) for molding the container,
- characterized in that said cooling method comprises, for cooling said molds (18), at least one cooling step that consists in selectively introducing at least one cooling fluid inside the molding cavity (16) of at least some of the molding units (12) that, after the carousel (14) is stopped to immobilize them at least during said cooling step, are in a predetermined cooling zone in which said molding units (12) are in the closed position.
Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cooling zone corresponds to an angular sector that is centered on the axis (O) of rotation of the machine (10) and that has an angle (β2) whose value is less than or equal to 180°.
Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the introduction of the cooling fluid during the cooling step is carried out in molding units (12) that are locked in the closed position by locking means (40) that comprise each of said molding units (12) of the machine (10).
Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cooling fluid is introduced inside the molding cavity (16) by at least one stretching rod (22).
Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least a portion of cooling fluid is introduced inside the molding cavity (16) by means (44) for demolding the bottom equipping the molding units (12) of said machine.
Method any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cooling fluid is introduced intermittently during the cooling step according to at least one sequence that comprises at least one introduction of said fluid during a predetermined duration (d) followed by an interval (t) during which said introduction is interrupted.
Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one step for measuring temperature for determining the temperature of the cooled molds (18) and in that said cooling step is repeated in said molding units (12) until said temperature of the molds (18) is less than or equal to a predetermined target temperature (Tc).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.