BLOW MOLDING TOOL FOR A BLOW MOLDING MACHINE

Abstract

The invention relates to a blow molding tool for a blow molding machine for producing plastic containers in an extrusion or stretch blow-molding process. The blow molding tool comprises two blow mold halves, each of which comprises at least one molding body in which at least one mold cavity is disposed, and a baseplate that receives said molding body. An insulation block consisting of a thermally insulating material is arranged between the molding body and the baseplate and, optionally, further components of the blow mold halves.

Claims

1-28. (canceled)

29. A blow molding tool for a blow molding machine, comprising: two blow mold halves, each having at least one molding body in which at least one mold cavity is arranged, and a baseplate receiving the molding body, wherein an insulation block made of a thermally insulating material is arranged between the molding body and the baseplate.

30. The blow molding tool according to claim 29, wherein the molding body is embedded in the insulation block.

31. The blow molding tool according to claim 30, wherein the insulation block is embedded in a molding block consisting of the baseplate, a bottom, two laterally arranged frame parts, and a neck insert, and the frame parts are equipped with guides.

32. The blow molding tool according to claim 31, wherein the molding block and the insulation block are formed as one piece.

33. The blow molding tool according to claim 30, wherein the molding body is embedded in the insulation block in such a way that an end face of the molding body, which defines a mold parting plane and from which a shaping wall surface delimiting the at least one mold cavity extends in the direction of a rear side of the molding body, is recessed from an upper side of the insulation block in a cold state of the molding body, while the end face of the molding body ends flush with the upper side of the insulation block or protrudes slightly beyond the upper side of the insulation block when the molding body is heated to the operating temperature.

34. The blow molding tool according to claim 33, wherein in the cold state of the molding body, the end face of the molding body is recessed from the upper side of the insulation block by 0.002 inches to 0.020 inches (0.05 mm to 0.5 mm).

35. The blow molding tool according to claim 29, wherein the insulation block consists of a thermosetting, high-temperature-resistant plastic with low thermal conductivity.

36. The blow molding tool according to claim 35, wherein the insulation block comprises a plastic from the group consisting of polyaryl ether ketones, such as polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyamides, glass-fiber-reinforced plastics, and reinforced thermosets with a temperature resistance of up to at least 392° F. (200° C.).

37. The blow molding tool according to claim 29, wherein the baseplate is made of stainless steel.

38. The blow molding tool according to claim 29, wherein the molding body is made of aluminum.

39. The blow molding tool according to claim 29, wherein the molding body has a rear side embedded in the insulation block and provided with channels for a flow of a heating/cooling medium.

40. The blow molding tool according to claim 39, wherein the channels are produced on the rear side of the molding body by casting, by machining, or by alternative manufacturing methods, such as fiber melting or metal printing.

41. The blow molding tool according to claim 39, wherein the molding body has a minimum wall thickness of 0.059 inches to 0.472 inches (1.5 mm to 12 mm) measured in a region of the at least one mold cavity.

42. The blow molding tool according to claim 39, wherein the insulation block is equipped with connections, channels and/or holes for supply and discharge of a heating/cooling medium to the channels formed on the rear side of the molding body.

43. The blow molding tool according to claim 42, wherein two or more separate heating/cooling circuits are provided in the insulation block and on the rear side of the molding body.

44. The blow molding tool according to claim 39, wherein the heating/cooling circuits are formed by the same channels in the insulation block and on the rear side of the molding body, wherein the supply and discharge of the correspondingly temperature-controlled heating/cooling medium can be controlled by means of valves in such a way that the heating medium or the cooling medium can be introduced alternately into the channels.

45. The blow molding tool according to claim 29, wherein two or more molding bodies are mounted on the baseplate, and each molding body is thermally insulated from the baseplate by an insulation block.

46. The blow molding tool according to claim 29, wherein two or more molding bodies are mounted on the baseplate, and the molding bodies are thermally insulated from the baseplate by a common insulation block.

47. The blow molding tool according to claim 29, wherein the blow molding tool is designed for use in an extrusion blow-molding machine.

48. The blow molding tool according to claim 29, wherein the blow molding tool is designed for use in a stretch blow-molding machine.

49. An extrusion blow-molding machine comprising a blow molding tool according to claim 29.

50. A stretch blow-molding machine comprising a blow molding tool according to claim 29.

51. A method for producing a plastic container having a blow molding tool according to claim 29, characterized by the following method steps: a) heating the molding body by supplying a heating medium, b) introducing a preform or an extruded parison into the molding body, c) closing the blow molding tool, d) shaping the plastic container by inflating the preform or the extruded parison and by abutting the preform or the extruded parison against wall surfaces of the molding body, e) cooling the molding body by supplying a cooling medium, f) opening the blow molding tool, and g) ejecting the plastic container.

52. The method for producing a plastic container according to claim 51, wherein during steps d) and e), the surface regions that are in contact with polished wall surfaces of the molding body form a glossy surface on the plastic container.

53. The method for producing a plastic container according to claim 51, wherein during steps d) and e), the surface regions that are in contact with structured wall surfaces of the molding body form a structured surface on the plastic container.

54. The method for producing a plastic container according to claim 51, wherein correspondingly temperature-controlled water is used as the heating medium and as the cooling medium.

55. The method for producing a plastic container according to claim 51, wherein a preform or an extruded parison substantially comprising a polyolefin is inserted into the blow molding tool, the heating medium is supplied at a temperature of 248° F. to 392° F. (120° C. to 200° C.) and the cooling medium is supplied at a temperature of 41° F. to 104° F. (5 to 40° C.).

56. The method for producing a plastic container according to claim 51, wherein the cycle time for the production of a plastic container with a filling volume of 6.762 ounces (200 ml) is 10 to 15 seconds.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0066] Further advantages and embodiment variants of the invention will be apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the schematic drawings. The drawings show, in a representation not true to scale:

[0067] FIG. 1 a prior-art blow molding tool having two blow mold halves;

[0068] FIG. 2 a perspective view of a blow mold half of a blow molding tool according to the invention;

[0069] FIG. 3 a perspective view of a molding body embedded in an insulation block; and

[0070] FIG. 4 a perspective view of the rear side of the molding body of FIG. 3.

[0071] For the sake of better understanding, identical parts and components of the blow molding tool bear the same reference signs in the individual figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0072] With reference to a blow molding tool of the prior art, FIG. 1 shows the basic structure of such a tool. The blow molding tool, which is as a whole provided with reference sign 1, consists of two blow mold halves 2, 3, which are laterally displaceable relative to one another in order to open and close the blow molding tool 1 periodically. Each blow mold half comprises a baseplate 4, which forms a part of a closing unit of a blow molding machine. Mounted on the baseplate 4 is a molding body 5 in which one or more mold cavities 6 are formed. According to the exemplary embodiment shown, the molding body 5 has two mold cavities, each defining one half of the shape of a body of a plastic container. A head plate 7 is equipped with a cavity 8 for defining a neck section of the plastic container. In the case of a blow molding tool for an extrusion blow-molding machine, a neck blade 9 for separating an extruded plastic parison inserted into the blow molding tool 1 can also be provided on the head plate 7. A bottom part 10 closes the mold cavities 6 at the other end of the blow molding tool 1. Venting slots 13 can be formed on the mutually facing surfaces 11, 12 of the blow mold halves 2, 3, which define a parting plane of the blow molding tool 1. On one of the blow mold halves 3, guide pins 14 are formed, which slide into guide bushes 15 of the other blow mold half 2 when the blow mold halves 2, 3 are closed.

[0073] A blow mold half of a blow molding tool designed according to the invention is as a whole provided with reference sign 2 in FIG. 2. It goes without saying that the second blow mold half, not shown in FIG. 2, is formed correspondingly to the first blow mold half 2. The blow mold half 2 in turn comprises a baseplate 4 and a molding body 5, in which a mold cavity 6 is formed. The mold cavity 6 defining half the shape of a container body is delimited by a shaping wall surface 51. In contrast to the blow mold half shown in FIG. 1, the molding body 5 is embedded in an insulation block 16. The insulation block 16 consists of a thermally insulating plastic or plastic composite material and thermally insulates the molding body 5 from the baseplate 4, a frame 17 fastened thereto, a neck insert 18 which corresponds to the head plate 7 in FIG. 1, and the bottom part 10. The insulation block 16 prevents thermal bridges between the molding body 5 and the surrounding parts of the blow molding tool. According to the exemplary embodiment shown, the neck insert 18 is formed as a separate part which is brought into position when the blow mold halves are closed and lifted off again when they are opened. However, the neck insert 18 may also be fixedly connected to the frame 17. It should also be noted that, for reasons of clarity, FIG. 2 dispenses with the illustration of screw connections, guide pins, or guide bushes, and the like.

[0074] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of a molding body 5 embedded in an insulation block 16. The mold cavity in turn bears reference sign 6. The wall surface delimiting the mold cavity 6 is provided with reference sign 51. The mold cavity 6 defines, for example, half of the shape of a container body. The wall surface 51 may be polished, for example. The molding body 5 is completely embedded in the insulation block 16 in order to ensure that no undesired thermal bridges to the baseplate 4 can occur. The molding body 5 is dimensioned, for example, in such a way that space remains in the insulation block 16 for a head plate or for a foot part for the production of the container neck or of the container bottom. In this way, the head plate or the foot part (not shown in each case) is also thermally insulated from the baseplate and the frame of the blow mold half, and any thermal bridges can be prevented.

[0075] An end face 52 of the molding body 5 which defines a mold parting plane and from which the shaping wall surface 51 delimiting the mold cavity 6 extends in the direction of the baseplate, is recessed from an upper side 161 of the insulation block 16 in a cold state of the molding body 5. If the molding body 5 is heated to an operating temperature higher than 100° C., the end face 52 of the molding body 5 will end flush with the upper side 161 of the insulation block 16 or can even protrude slightly beyond it. In the cold state, the end face 52 of the molding body 5 is recessed from the upper side 161 of the insulation block 16 by a distance of about 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm. Due to the very short distance, this recess cannot be seen in the representation in FIG. 3. The shaping wall surface 51 has a shortest possible distance from a rear side 53 of the molding body 5. In other words, the molding body 5 has a minimum wall thickness of about 1.5 mm to 12 mm in the region of the mold cavity 6.

[0076] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the rear side 53 of the molding body 5 of FIG. 3. In the side of the molding body 5 facing away from the viewer, the mold cavity 6 is formed. The rear side 53 of the molding body 5 is provided with channels 54 for the flow of a heating/cooling medium, for example water. The channels 54 can be produced by machining, for example milling and drilling, of the molding body 5. They are delimited from one another by ribs. In an alternative embodiment variant, the channels can be produced during casting of the molding body or by alternative manufacturing methods, for example laser melting or metal printing. The rear side 53 of the molding body 5 with the channels 54 is embedded in the insulation block in the assembled state of the blow molding tool (FIG. 3). The insulation block serves not only to thermally insulate the molding body 5 from the remaining components of the blow mold half. Rather, the insulation block is also equipped with channels and/or holes for the supply and discharge of the heating/cooling medium to the channels formed on the rear side of the molding body. It may be provided that all connections for the supply and discharge of hot and cold media are provided on the insulation block. The connections will then have no thermal contact with the baseplate or other components of the blow molding tool, for example.

[0077] Depending on the size of the mold cavity 6 in the molding body 5, two or more separate heating/cooling circuits can also be provided on the rear side 52 of the molding body 5. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, a partition 55 divides the channels 54 into two heating/cooling circuits 56, 57. The individual heating/cooling circuits are formed as a meandering arrangement of channels. The provision of a plurality of heating/cooling circuits 56, 57 permits a faster introduction or displacement of the heating/cooling medium in order to heat or re-cool the molding part. The pressure of the heating/cooling medium is advantageously up to 15 bar. In connection with a plurality of heating/cooling circuits 56, 57, a very rapid heating or cooling of the molding body 5 is thereby made possible, which has an advantageous effect on the cycle times. Water is usually used as heating/cooling medium for the molding body 5. The heating/cooling medium flows in the closest possible proximity to the shaping wall surface 51 delimiting the mold cavity 6. As a result, in particular when the molding body 5 is being cooled, the heat of the container wall abutting against the shaping wall surface 51 can be dissipated very well. The dissipation of the heat is additionally improved by the ribs forming the channels. In contrast to, for example, injection molding, the heat can only be dissipated on one side via the cooled shaping wall surface of the molding body during blow molding.

[0078] The foregoing description of the figures is limited to the details required to understand the invention. However, it goes without saying that the blow molding tool has all the components required for its function. For example, locking elements are provided for the blow mold halves and for the optionally present head and foot parts so that the blow molding tool remains closed at the internal pressures occurring during the blow molding process. The blow molding tool is also provided with a wide variety of connections, for example in order to connect it to a supply with a cooling/heating medium.

[0079] The invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments. However, the foregoing description only serves to illustrate the invention and is not to be taken in a limiting sense. Rather, the invention is defined by the claims and the equivalents encompassed by the general inventive concept and revealed to those skilled in the art.