Post mold cooling apparatus and method having transverse movement

Apparatus configured to cool a plurality of plastic articles disposed in/on a plurality of mold portions, comprising:

• a cooling device having (i) a first plurality of cooling structures configured to hold a first plurality of molded plastic articles, and (ii) a second plurality of cooling structures configured to hold a second plurality of molded plastic articles, said first plurality of cooling structures being disposed in rows interleaved with corresponding rows of said second plurality of cooling structures;
• a cooling station disposed adjacent said cooling device and configured to provide a cooling fluid to an interior of the first and second pluralities of molded articles inside the respective first and second pluralities of cooling structures;
• and
• movement structure configured to (i) provide a first movement to cause relative movement between said cooling device and the mold portions to cause the first and second pluralities of molded articles inside the respective first and second pluralities of cooling structures to be presented to said cooling station, and (ii) provide a second movement, different from the first movement, to alternately cause the first plurality of cooling structures and then the second plurality of cooling structures to be presented to the plurality of mold portions.

Apparatus for moving a cooling turret with respect to a plastic injection molding machine portion, comprising:

• linear movement structure configured to cause the cooling turret and the plastic injection molding machine portion to move relatively toward and away from each other;
• rotary movement structure configured to cause relative rotational movement between the cooling turret and the plastic injection molding machine portion;
• and
• axial movement structure configured to cause relative axial movement between the cooling turret and the plastic injection molding machine portion in a direction parallel to the axis of relative rotational movement between the cooling turret and the plastic injection molding machine portion.

Cooling apparatus for a plastic injection molding machine having a plurality of mold cores disposed in at least one row, comprising:

• a post mold cooling device moveable with respect to the plurality of mold cores;
• a rotatable cooling turret coupled to said post mold cooling device and having two faces, each face having at least first and second rows of cooling tubes;
• a cooling station coupled to said post mold cooling device and having a plurality of cooling probes configured to project a cooling fluid to an interior of molded articles inside both the first and second rows of cooling tubes of one of the faces of said cooling turret;
• first movement structure configured to cause said post mold cooling device to move toward and away from the plurality of mold cores;
• second movement structure configured to cause said cooling station to move toward and away from said cooling turret;
• third movement structure configured to cause said cooling turret to rotate to alternately present the first and second cooling turret faces to said cooling station;
• and
• fourth movement structure configured to cause said cooling turret to move parallel with respect to its axis of rotation to alternately present the first row of cooling tubes and then the second rows of cooling tubes of a cooling turret face to the row of mold cores.

A cooling apparatus for a plastic injection molding machine comprising:

• a plurality of mold cores configured to form one or more bottle preforms;
• a rotatable cooling turret having three faces, each face having at least first and second rows of cooling tubes;
• a cooling station having a plurality of cooling probes configured to project a cooling fluid to an interior of molded articles inside both the first and second rows of cooling tubes of one of the faces of said cooling turret;
• first movement structure configured to cause the rotatable cooling turret to move toward and away from the plurality of mold cores;
• second movement structure configured to cause said cooling station to move toward and away from said cooling turret;
• third movement structure configured to cause said cooling turret to rotate to alternately present the first, second, and third cooling turret faces to said cooling station;
• and
• fourth movement structure configured to cause said cooling turret to move parallel with respect to its axis of rotation to alternately present the first row of cooling tubes and then the second rows of cooling tubes of a cooling turret face to the row of mold cores.