Molding systems and related methods
AssigneeFriendship Products LLC
InventorsCraig Severn, Paul McCutcheon, B. Everett Hendrickson
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims12
The method of claim 1, further comprising forcing the heated gas into the heating cavity through a nozzle having at least one sidewall within the heating cavity to at least partially surround the preform.
The method of claim 1, wherein heating the preform comprises forcing the heated gas into the heating cavity and onto the exterior surface of the preform at a temperature above approximately 200° C.
A method of forming an article from a preform, the method comprising:
- positioning the preform in a heating cavity;
- heating the preform by forcing a heated gas into the heating cavity and onto an exterior surface of the preform, wherein the heated gas is at a temperature sufficient to achieve a desired flow of the preform in a subsequent blow molding operation;
- and
- blow molding the article from the heated preform.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.