A device for the cooling and extraction of preforms for the manufacture of plastic containers, including at least one grip assembly which forms a number of receptacles for respective preforms and a component for transferring the preforms that are still warm from an injection molding device to the grip assembly, and a cooling and extraction assembly which includes a cooling plate supporting a number of cooling channels. The cooling and extraction assembly includes an unloading plate which is arranged on the opposite side of the grip assembly with respect to the cooling plate, and supporting grip bodies which can be moved on command in order to pass through the cooling plate so as to engage selectively, with the cooling plate in the closer position, with a respective preform in order to allow its extraction from the respective receptacle.

A method for receiving and ejecting molded articles includes: (a) drawing air from a cooling tube cavity into an air channel through a plate bore to draw at least a portion of a molded article into the cavity; (b) moving a valve within the plate bore from a first position for conducting air from the cavity to the air channel to a second position for reducing air flow through the plate bore relative to the first position; and (c) when the valve is in the second position, urging pressurized air from the air channel to the cavity through the plate bore to assist ejection of the molded article from the cavity.

A method for receiving and ejecting molded articles includes: (a) drawing air from a cooling tube cavity into an air channel through a plate bore to draw at least a portion of a molded article into the cavity; (b) moving a valve within the plate bore from a first position for conducting air from the cavity to the air channel to a second position for reducing air flow through the plate bore relative to the first position; and (c) when the valve is in the second position, urging pressurized air from the air channel to the cavity through the plate bore to assist ejection of the molded article from the cavity.

A cooling plate assembly includes (a) a cooling plate having a plate front surface; (b) an air channel extending within a thickness of the cooling plate; (c) a plate bore extending into the cooling plate from the plate front surface for providing fluid communication between the air channel and a cavity of a cooling tube mountable to the cooling plate; and (d) a valve within the plate bore. The valve is movable between a first position in which a first air flow passage extending within the plate bore is open for conducting air from the cavity to the air channel, and a second position in which the first air flow passage is obstructed to reduce air flow between the cavity and the air channel, and in which a second air flow passage extending within the plate bore is open for conducting air from the air channel to the cavity.

The present invention relates to an injection mold plate for use in an injection mold for producing molded articles, comprising a plurality of handling elements arranged in columns and rows, wherein the distance r between adjacent handling elements within the rows is greater than the distance s between adjacent handling elements within the columns. According to the invention, in order to provide an injection mold plate of the type mentioned above for which the distance between adjacent handling elements can be reduced without impairing the generally required heating channel, it is proposed that a row of handling elements is formed by two groups of handling elements, wherein the following applies to the distance z between the group: z=r(1+a/n), wherein r is the distance of the handling elements within a group and n, a IN with n>1.

A cooling plate assembly includes (a) a cooling plate having a plate front surface; (b) an air channel extending within a thickness of the cooling plate; (c) a plate bore extending into the cooling plate from the plate front surface for providing fluid communication between the air channel and a cavity of a cooling tube mountable to the cooling plate; and (d) a valve within the plate bore. The valve is movable between a first position in which a first air flow passage extending within the plate bore is open for conducting air from the cavity to the air channel, and a second position in which the first air flow passage is obstructed to reduce air flow between the cavity and the air channel, and in which a second air flow passage extending within the plate bore is open for conducting air from the air channel to the cavity.