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US 6,171,541 B2Granted
Preform post-mold cooling method and apparatus
AssigneeHusky Injection Molding Systems Ltd.
InventorsWitold Neter, Faisal Oueslati, Tiemo Dietmar Brand, Gordon R. Elliott, Richard Matthias Unterlander, Gheorghe Olaru
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for injection molding and cooling molded articles such as preforms so as to avoid crystallinity. The apparatus and method make use of a take-off plate for removing articles from a mold, which plate may include heat transfer devices for cooling exterior surfaces of the molded articles or preforms, and a system for cooling in a controlled manner interior surfaces of the molded articles or preforms.
Claims66
A method for producing a molded article comprising the steps of:
- removing a molded article from a mold while said molded article retains an amount of heat;
- said removing step comprises placing said :molded article in a take-off device and withdrawing said take-off device with said molded article therein from between mold halves of said mold;
- moving a cooling pin towards said take-off device and inserting said cooling pin into said molded article immediately after said take-off device and said molded article have been withdrawn from between said mold halves, said inserting step comprising placing a tip portion of said cooling pin in close proximity to and spaced from a dome portion of said molded article;
- and
- applying a flow of cooling fluid directly to said dome portion via the tip portion of said cooling pin to substantially prevent crystallinity in said dome portion.
2 more elements
A method for producing a molded article comprising the steps of:
- removing a molded article from a mold while said molded article retains an amount of heat;
- said removing step comprises placing said molded article in a take-off device and withdrawing said take-off device with said molded article therein from between said mold halves of said mold;
- inserting a cooling pin into said molded article immediately after said take-off device and said molded article have been withdrawn from between said mold halves, said inserting step comprising placing a tip portion of said cooling pin in close proximity to but spaced from a dome portion of said molded article;
- and
- applying a cooling fluid directly to said dome portion via the tip portion of said cooling pin and maintaining said tip portion spaced from said dome portion throughout the application of said cooling fluid.
2 more elements
A method for producing a molded article comprising the steps of;
- removing a molded article from a mold while said article retains an amount of heat;
- said removing step comprises placing said molded article in a take-off device and withdrawing said take-off device with said molded article therein from between said mold halves of said mold;
- inserting a cooling pin into said molded article immediately after said take-off device and said molded article have been withdrawn from between said sold halves, said inserting step comprising placing a tip portion of said cooling pin in close proximity to a dome portion of said molded article;
- and
- applying a flow of cooling fluid directly to said dome portion via the tip portion of said cooling pin, only after said cooling pin has been inserted into said molded article.
2 more elements
An apparatus for producing a molded article comprising:
- a take-off device for removing a molded article from a mold while said molded article retains an amount of heat, said take-off device being movable between a first position between mold halves of said mold and a second position outside of said mold;
- a cooling pin for applying a cooling fluid to a dome portion of said molded article to prevent crystallinity in said dome portion;
- said cooling pin being movable towards said take-off device and being inserted into said molded article immediately after said take-off device and said molded article have been withdrawn from between said mold halves;
- said cooling pin having a tip portion which is in close proximity to and always spaced from said dome portion during application of said cooling fluid to said dome portion and a fluid outlet in said tip portion through which said cooling fluid is applied to said done portion.
1 more element
An apparatus for producing a molded article which comprises:
- a take-off device for removing a molded article from a mold, said take-off device being movable between a first position between mold halves of said mold and a second position externally of said mold;
- a cooling pin for applying a cooling fluid to a dome portion of said molded article to substantially prevent crystallinity in said dome portion;
- said cooling pin being inserted into said molded article immediately after said take-off device with said molded article therein has been withdrawn from between said mold halves, said cooling pin having a tip portion in close proximity to said dome portion of said molded article;
- and
- said cooling pin only applying said cooling fluid to said dome portion after said cooling pin has been inserted into said molded article.
2 more elements
An apparatus for producing molded articles which comprises:
- means for removing said molded articles from a mold while said molded articles retain an amount of heat;
- means for direction cooling fluid onto interior regions of said molded articles where crystallinity occurs after said molded articles have been removed from said mold so as to form molded articles substantially free of any crystallized portion;
- said removing means comprising a carrier having a plurality of receptacles for receiving and holding said molded articles;
- said mold comprises a mold formed by two mold halves;
- said carrier being indexed between a first position intermediate said mold halves and a second position outboard of said mold halves;
- said directing means comprising a plurality of cooling pins to be inserted into interior portions of said molded articles;
- said plurality of cooling pins being mounted to a frame which is movable relative to the carrier;
- and
- each of said cooling pins having helical grooves in its exterior surface.
6 more elements
An apparatus for producing molded articles which comprises:
- means for removing said molded articles from a mold while said molded articles retain an amount of heat;
- means for directing cooling fluid onto interior regions of said molded articles where crystallinity occurs after said molded articles have been removed from said mold so as to form molded articles substantially free of any crystallized portion;
- said removing means comprising a carrier having a plurality of receptacle for receiving and holding said molded articles;
- said mold comprises a told formed by two mold halves;
- said carrier being indexed between a first position intermediate said mold halves and a second position outboard of said mold halves;
- said directing means comprising a plurality of cooling pins to be inserted into interior portions of said molded articles;
- said cooling pins being mounted to a frame which is movable relative to said carrier;
- and
- each of said cooling pins having a plurality of ribs spaced about its periphery.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.