A method for molding a hollow molded article, which can suppress deformation of a preform and shorten a molding cycle of the hollow molded article, and a stretching rod and an injection stretch blow molding machine used in the method are provided. The method for molding a hollow molded article, includes: an injection molding process of injection molding a preform; and a blow molding process of obtaining a hollow molded article by stretch blow molding the preform in a blow molding section. The blow molding process includes a preform supporting step of inserting a distal end portion of a stretching rod into the preform and bringing the distal end portion into contact with the preform to support the preform, and a preform separation step of supplying blow air into the preform to release the contact between the preform and the distal end portion.

An injection blow molding apparatus includes: a male mold portion; a female mold portion; a gripping mold portion; an injection unit that injects a resin for molding a preform into inner surfaces of the female mold portion, the male mold portion, and the gripping mold portion; a blow unit that is released from the female mold portion and the male mold portion and blows air into the preform in a state in which the gripping mold portion has gripped the preform; and a control unit that releases the preform from the male mold portion before the preform is released from the female mold portion in a mold release process of releasing the preform from the female mold portion and the male mold portion.

An apparatus for forming plastic preforms into plastic containers has a rotatable transport carrier on which a plurality of forming stations is arranged. The forming stations each have blow molding devices within which the plastic preforms are formed by application of a flowable medium into the plastic containers. The apparatus has a clean room, within which the plastic preforms are expanded into the plastic containers, a feed device to feed plastic preforms to be formed, and a discharge device for discharging formed containers from the transport device. The apparatus also has an ejection device for ejecting plastic preforms or plastic containers from the transport path, being arranged between the discharge device and the feed device.