Post-molding molded article conditioning apparatus with a selectively controlled transfer flow structure

A post-molding molded article conditioning apparatus that is configured for conditioning at least a portion of a malleable molded article received therein, said conditioning apparatus comprising:

• a conditioning body with an inner conditioning surface configured therein for providing a conditioning cavity;
• said conditioning body including:
• a sealing structure for sealing an outer surface of said portion of said molded article within said conditioning cavity;
• a cooling structure that is configured for connection with a heat dissipation path for cooling of said molded article received therein;
• a porous member that is configured to include a porous inner conditioning surface therein that provides at least a portion of said inner conditioning surface of said conditioning cavity, and being configured for connecting said porous inner conditioning surface with an air pressure structure;
• a suction channel provided in said conditioning body that is configured to connect said conditioning cavity with said air pressure structure for assisting in a transfer of said molded article into said conditioning cavity;
• said suction channel being configured to cooperate with a valve member that is alternately arranged therein to open said suction channel during said transfer, and to block said suction channel once said molded article has been received in said conditioning cavity.

A post-molding molded article conditioning apparatus that is configured for connection with an air pressure structure, and being configured for connection with a heat dissipation path, for performing a conditioning of at least a portion of a malleable molded article received therein, said conditioning apparatus comprising:

• a conditioning body including:
• an inner conditioning surface that is configured to provide a conditioning cavity for receiving and conditioning said portion of said molded article therein;
• a pressure coupling structure configured on said conditioning body for connection with said pressure structure;
• a conditioning flow structure comprising a plurality of flow channels, connecting said inner conditioning surface with said pressure coupling structure, with a plurality of openings configured along at least a portion of said inner conditioning surface;
• a transfer flow structure configured on said conditioning body between an suction orifice, configured on said inner conditioning surface, and one of said pressure coupling structure and said pressure structure;
• said transfer flow structure being configured to cooperate with a valve member that alternately isolates and connects said suction orifice and said one of said pressure coupling structure and said pressure structure when arranged in a closed and an open configuration, respectively;
• a cooling structure configured on said conditioning body for connection with said heat dissipation path for cooling said inner conditioning surface;
• and
• said conditioning body configured to cooperate with a cavity sealing structure for sealing said portion of said molded article in said conditioning cavity.

A cooling tube assembly that is configured for use with an end-of-arm-tool in an injection molding system for a post-molding conditioning of at least a portion of a malleable injection molded preform, said cooling tube assembly comprising:

• a porous insert comprising a tubular body formed from a thermally conductive first porous material;
• a base insert comprising a substantially cylindrical body;
• a cooling tube comprising a substantially tubular body;
• a sleeve comprising a substantially tubular body;
• and
• a valve member comprising a substantially cylindrical body;
• said base insert further including:
• an inner conditioning surface configured on said cylindrical body that substantially reflects a shape of an outer surface of an end portion of said preform, said inner conditioning surface including a gate vestige portion that is configured to receive a gate vestige that is centrally located at a distal end of said preform;
• an outer cylindrical surface of said cylindrical body being configured to arrange said base insert in a complementary bore provided in said cooling tube such that a top surface of said base insert is arranged adjacent a bottom surface of said porous insert;
• an inlet and an outlet cooling channel arranged in said cylindrical body that extend between a bottom face, for connection with coolant inlet and outlet ports provided on a carrier plate of said end-of-arm-tool, and said outer cylindrical surface for connection with an inlet and an outlet coolant connecting channel configured in said cooling tube;
• a connecting pressure channel that extends through said cylindrical body between said bottom surface, for connection with a pressure port provided on said carrier plate, and said outer cylindrical surface adjacent an annular pressure channel that is configured between said base and porous inserts;
• and
• a suction channel that is centrally located in said cylindrical body and that extends longitudinally therethrough from a bottom surface and through said inner conditioning surface;
• said suction channel including, arranged from top to bottom thereon:
• an orifice that is configured on said inner conditioning surface directly beneath said gate vestige portion;
• a cylindrical spigot portion that is configured to receive a complementary cylindrical spigot portion of said valve member;
• a tapered sealing portion that is configured to cooperate with a complementary sealing portion provided on said valve member when said valve member is in a closed configuration;
• and
• a cylindrical portion with an inner surface that is configured to provide a valve cylinder for a reciprocation of said valve member therein, between said closed and an open configuration;
• a distal end of said suction channel being configured for connection with a suction pressure port of said carrier plate;
• said valve member further comprising, arranged from top to bottom thereon:
• a gate vestige support face arranged on a top surface of said cylindrical spigot portion, said support surface being configured to support a bottom face of said gate vestige on said preform when said valve member is arranged in said closed configuration;
• said cylindrical spigot portion;
• said tapered sealing portion;
• an outer surface of said cylindrical body being configured to cooperate with said inner surface of said cylindrical portion to provide for said reciprocation;
• a bypass pressure channel that is longitudinally configured along said outer surface of said cylindrical body, said bypass pressure channel including a first opening on said tapered sealing portion, and a second opening on a bottom face of said cylindrical body, said first opening being exposed when said valve member is arranged in said open configuration and obstructed by said tapered sealing portion of said suction channel when said valve member is arranged in said closed configuration;
• and
• a cylindrical spring seat portion being configured around an end portion of said cylindrical body that is configured to retain an end portion of a spring that biases said valve member into said closed configuration;
• said porous insert further including:
• an inner conditioning surface configured on said porous tubular body that substantially reflects a shape of an outer surface of a body portion of said preform;
• an outer cylindrical surface of said tubular body being configured to arrange said porous insert in a complementary bore provided in said cooling tube such that said bottom surface of said base insert is arranged adjacent said top surface of said porous insert;
• and
• a network of pressure distribution channels that extend along an outer surface of said porous insert from said bottom surface thereof for connection with said annular pressure channel;
• a plurality of flow channels configured through said porous tubular body, provided by a network of interconnected interstitial spaces in said first porous material, that fluidly connect said inner conditioning surface with said network of distribution channels;
• said cooling tube further including:
• said bores for receiving said base and porous inserts;
• said inlet and an outlet coolant connecting channels arranged between an inner surface of said base insert bore and ends of a cooling channel configured in an outer surface of said cooling tube;
• said outer surface of said cooling tube being configured to cooperate with an inner surface of said sleeve to sealingly enclose said cooling channel;
• a groove configured in a top surface of said cooling tube adjacent said porous insert that is configured to receive an end seal that cooperates with a bottom surface of a support ledge portion of said preform for sealingly enclosing said portion of said outer surface of said preform within said cooling tube assembly;
• and
• a bottom portion of said cooling tube being configured for retaining said cooling tube assembly on said carrier plate.

A cooling tube assembly that is configured for use with an end-of-arm-tool in an injection molding system for a post-molding conditioning of at least a portion of a malleable injection molded preform, said cooling tube assembly comprising:

• a porous insert comprising a cylindrical body formed from a thermally conductive first porous material;
• a cooling tube comprising a substantially tubular body;
• a sleeve comprising a substantially tubular body;
• and
• a valve member comprising a substantially cylindrical body;
• said porous insert further including:
• an inner conditioning surface configured on said porous cylindrical body that substantially reflects a shape of an outer surface of said portion of said preform, said inner conditioning surface including a gate vestige portion that is configured to receive a gate vestige that is centrally located at a distal end of said preform;
• a network of pressure distribution channels that extend along an outer portion of said cylindrical body;
• a connecting pressure channel that extends through said cylindrical body between a bottom surface thereof, for connection with a pressure port provided on said carrier plate, and said network of pressure distribution channels;
• a plurality of flow channels configured through said porous cylindrical body, provided by a network of interconnected interstitial spaces in said first porous material, that fluidly connect said inner conditioning surface with said network of distribution channels;
• an outer cylindrical surface of said cylindrical body being configured to arrange said porous insert in a complementary bore provided in said cooling tube;
• and
• a suction channel that is centrally located in said cylindrical body and that extends longitudinally therethrough from said bottom surface and through said inner surface;
• said suction channel including, arranged from top to bottom thereon:
• an orifice that is configured on said inner conditioning surface directly beneath said gate vestige portion;
• a sealing portion that is configured to cooperate with a complementary sealing portion provided on said valve member when said valve member is in a closed configuration;
• and
• a cylindrical portion with an inner surface that is configured to provide for a reciprocation of said valve member therein, between said closed
• and an open configuration;
• a distal end of said suction channel being configured for connection with a suction pressure port of said carrier plate;
• said valve member further comprising, arranged from top to bottom thereon:
• a gate vestige support face arranged on a top surface of said cylindrical spigot portion, said support surface being configured to support a bottom face of said gate vestige on said preform when said valve member is arranged in said closed configuration;
• said complementary sealing portion;
• an outer surface of said cylindrical body being configured to provide for said reciprocation;
• a bypass pressure channel that is longitudinally configured along said outer surface of said cylindrical body in cooperation with said inner surface of said cylindrical portion of said gate pressure channel;
• and
• a cylindrical spring seat portion being configured around an end portion of said cylindrical body that is configured to receive an end portion of a spring that biases said valve member into said closed configuration;
• said cooling tube further including:
• an inlet and an outlet cooling channel arranged in said tubular body that extend between a bottom face, for connection with coolant inlet and outlet ports provided on a carrier plate of said end-of-arm-tool, and ends of a cooling channel configured in an outer surface of said cooling tube;
• said bore for receiving said porous insert;
• said outer surface of said cooling tube being configured to cooperate with an inner surface of said sleeve to sealingly enclose said cooling channel;
• a groove configured in a top surface of said cooling tube adjacent said porous insert that is configured to receive an end seal that cooperates with a bottom surface of a support ledge portion of said preform for sealingly enclosing said portion of said outer surface of said preform within said cooling tube assembly;
• and
• a bottom portion of said cooling tube being configured for retaining said cooling tube assembly on said carrier plate.

A cooling tube assembly that is configured for use with an end-of-arm-tool in an injection molding system for a post-molding conditioning of at least a portion of a malleable injection molded preform, said cooling tube assembly comprising:

• a porous insert comprising a cylindrical body formed from a thermally conductive first porous material;
• a sleeve comprising a substantially tubular body;
• and
• a valve member comprising a substantially cylindrical body;
• said porous insert further including:
• an inner conditioning surface configured on said porous cylindrical body that substantially reflects a shape of an outer surface of said portion of said preform, said inner conditioning surface including a gate vestige portion that is configured to receive a gate vestige that is centrally located at a distal end of said preform;
• a cooling channel configured on an outer surface of said cooling tube;
• said outer surface and said cooling channel including a surface treatment therealong for a substantial sealing thereof;
• said outer surface of said cooling tube being configured to cooperate with an inner surface of said sleeve to sealingly enclose said cooling channel;
• a suction channel that is centrally located in said cylindrical body and that extends longitudinally therethrough from a bottom surface and through said inner surface;
• a network of pressure distribution channels that extend along said cylindrical body between said inner surface and said cooling channel and that are connected to said gate pressure channel;
• a plurality of flow channels configured through said porous cylindrical body, provided by a network of interconnected interstitial spaces in said first porous material, that fluidly connect said inner conditioning surface with said network of distribution channels;
• a connecting pressure channel that extends between said outer surface and said gate pressure channel;
• said suction channel including, arranged from top to bottom thereon:
• an orifice that is configured on said inner conditioning surface directly beneath said gate vestige portion;
• a sealing portion that is configured to cooperate with a complementary sealing portion provided on said valve member when said valve member is in a closed configuration;
• and
• a cylindrical portion with an inner surface that is configured to provide for a reciprocation of said valve member therein, between said closed and an open configuration;
• a plug being arranged in an end of said cylindrical portion, a top surface of said plug being configured to receive an end portion of said spring;
• said valve member further comprising, arranged from top to bottom thereon:
• a gate vestige support face arranged on a top surface of said cylindrical spigot portion, said support surface being configured to support a bottom face of said gate vestige on said preform when said valve member is arranged in said closed configuration;
• said complementary sealing portion;
• an outer surface of said cylindrical body being configured to provide for said reciprocation;
• a bypass pressure channel that is longitudinally configured along said outer surface of said cylindrical body in cooperation with said inner surface of said cylindrical portion of said gate pressure channel;
• and
• a cylindrical spring seat portion being configured around an end portion of said cylindrical body that is configured to receive an end portion of a spring that biases said valve member into said closed configuration;
• said sleeve further including:
• a groove configured in a top surface of said sleeve, adjacent said porous insert, that is configured to receive an end seal that cooperates with a bottom surface of a support ledge portion of said preform for sealingly enclosing said portion of said outer surface of said preform within said cooling tube assembly;
• a bottom spigot portion of said sleeve being configured for retaining said cooling tube assembly on said carrier plate;
• an inlet and an outlet coolant connecting channel configured in said spigot portion of said tubular body between an outer surface thereof, for connection with coolant inlet and outlet ports provided on a carrier plate of said end-of-arm-tool, and an inner surface for connection with ends of said cooling channel on said porous insert;
• and
• a connecting pressure channel configured in said spigot portion of said tubular body between an outer surface thereof, for connection with a pressure port provided on said carrier plate, and an inner surface for connection with said connecting pressure channel in said porous insert.