To sterilize a container during blow molding thereof.

After a preform (1) is put in a molding die (6), the molding die (6) is clamped, and a mist or gas of a sterilizer or a mixture thereof is blasted into the preform (1), a blow molding air is blasted into the preform (1) to expand the preform (1) into a container (2) as a finished product, and the used blow molding air is discharged from the container (2) to remove the sterilizer in the container (2).

Mold filling machine for producing and filling containers made from preforms, comprising a mold filling station with a mold for receiving a preform, wherein the mold has an opening, such that an opening region of the preform in the mold is accessible, the mold filling station having a treatment unit with at least two treatment subunits, which are arranged movably in the treatment unit in such a way that the treatment subunits can be positioned alternately over the opening and the treatment unit has a sealing element, which can be positioned over the opening of the mold in such a way as to form a gastight space, which includes the interior space of the preform and/or container and the treatment subunits.

The invention relates to a method for producing a filled and closed container, in particular by way of the blow-moulding, filling and closing method, in which an initially open container part (52) that is held in a mould (46) and has been vacuum-moulded and/or blow-moulded by means of a blow pin is filled successively with media (74, 76) of different types, in particular viscosity, by means of metering units (12, 14) via its free, upwardly directed container-part opening (54), such that the filled-in media (74, 76) are separated from one another in the container part (52), and subsequently, by closing of the top mould halves (56, 58) of the mould (46), a container top part (60) is moulded and the container part (52) is closed, forming the container.

An apparatus for molding plastic preforms into plastic containers, includes an application unit for applying a gaseous medium onto the plastic performs. The application unit includes at least one valve unit for controlling the gaseous medium to be supplied to the plastic preform. The valve unit has a working piston that is movable between at least two positions, and a control piston that is movable between at least two positions. Movement of the control piston is coupled, at least at times, to movement of the working piston. The valve unit includes a sealing unit that substantially prevents a gas flow between the working chamber and the control chamber at least in one position of the working piston and a membrane body that seals at least one area of the control piston against at least one area of the control chamber.

A method for the production of blow-molded containers that are sterile at least in certain regions, and a blow-molding machine configured to carry out the method. In accordance with the method, blowing stations are arranged on a rotating blowing wheel. A preform of a thermoplastic material is first heated and then stretched in a blowing station by a stretching rod and subjected to a pressurized blowing fluid via a blowing nozzle. A sterilizing fluid is supplied to the preform in the blowing station to perform a sterilization. The sterilizing fluid is fed into the preform from an outlet and is carried away again via an inlet and in between follows a flow path. The sterilizing fluid is made to pass through or pass by the stretching rod on its flow path, and the sterilizing fluid is supplied while the blow-molding machine continues to operate.

A method of forming and sterilizing a container includes steps of locating a container precursor within a mold cavity having an internal surface, dispensing a sterilizing liquid into the container precursor to expand the container precursor toward the internal surface of the mold cavity to form a resultant container having an interior defined by an interior surface of the resultant container with the sterilizing liquid sterilizing the interior surface of the resultant container during the dispensing of the sterilizing liquid, draining the sterilizing liquid from the interior of the resultant container, rinsing the interior of the resultant container with a rinsing liquid following the draining of the sterilizing liquid, dispensing an end product into the interior of the resultant container following the rinsing of the interior of the resultant container, and sealing the interior of the resultant container following the dispensing of the end product therein.