Molded article picker

A floating element of a molded article picker, the floating element comprising:

• a tubular body configured to be movably connectable to a tooling plate for movements, in use, between an extended position and a retracted position;
• the tubular body being configured to cooperate with a biasing assembly wherein the floating element is biased into the extended position;
• the tubular body configured to cooperate, in use, with a pressure structure;
• a sealing face being arranged on the tubular body, the sealing face being configured to seal, in use, with a molded article to define a substantially enclosed volume including the pressure structure, at least in part;
• and
• the tubular body being configured to cooperate, in use, in a normally-closed valve for controlling a pneumatic connection between the pressure structure and the substantially enclosed volume, wherein the normally-closed valve is opened responsive to a pressure applied to the tubular body by the molded article.

A method for transferring a molded article from a carrier of a first post-mold device to a molded article picker of a second post-mold device, the method comprising:

• bringing a sealing face that is arranged on a floating element of the molded article picker, with the floating element being in an extended position, at least in part, into abutment with a front face of the molded article that is held within the carrier to define an enclosed volume between the molded article and the floating element;
• and
• evacuating the enclosed volume through a pressure structure of the molded article picker such that the molded article is sealed to the floating element by a vacuum force;
• and
• retracting the floating element into a retracted position with the vacuum force, thereby transferring the molded article;
• and
• opening a normally-closed valve on the molded article picker responsive to a pressure applied to the floating element by the molded article for controlling a pneumatic connection between the pressure structure of the molded article picker and the enclosed volume.