Molding systems and related methods
AssigneeFriendship Products LLC
InventorsCraig Severn, Paul McCutcheon, B. Everett Hendrickson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one embodiment, a system for conditioning a preform for molding includes a heating cavity for receiving the preform, a heater configured to heat a gas, and a blower configured to force the gas heated by the heater into the heating cavity. In another embodiment, a method of conditioning a preform for molding includes positioning the preform in a heating cavity and forcing a heated gas into the heating cavity onto an exterior surface of the preform.
Claims20
A system for forming an article from a preform, comprising a conditioning station configured to condition the preform and a blow molding station configured to blow mold the conditioned preform, the conditioning station comprising:
- a heating cavity for receiving the preform;
- a heater configured to heat a gas to a temperature sufficient to heat the preform to achieve a desired flow of the preform in a subsequent blow molding operation;
- and
- a blower configured to force the gas heated by the heater into the heating cavity onto an exterior surface of the preform to heat the preform.
A method of forming an article from a preform comprising conditioning the preform and blow molding the conditioned preform, wherein conditioning the preform comprises:
- positioning the preform in a heating cavity;
- and
- heating the preform by forcing a heated gas at a temperature sufficient to achieve a desired flow of the preform in the subsequent blow molding operation into the heating cavity onto an exterior surface of the preform.
A system for forming an article from a preform comprising a conditioning station configured to condition the preform and a blow molding station configured to blow mold the conditioned preform, the conditioning station comprising:
- a heating cavity for receiving the preform;
- a heater configured to heat a gas;
- a blower configured to force the gas heated by the heater into the heating cavity;
- and
- a nozzle including at least one sidewall and positioned within the heating cavity and at least partially surrounding the preform, the at least one sidewall including at least one aperture for directing the gas therethrough from within the heating cavity onto an exterior surface of the preform to heat the preform.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.