APPARATUS FOR FORMING PLASTIC MATERIAL PREFORMS INTO PLASTIC MATERIAL CONTAINERS WITH DECOUPLED DRIVES

Abstract

An apparatus for forming plastic material preforms into plastic material containers has a transport device which transports the plastic material preforms along a predetermined transport path, wherein this transport device has a plurality of transport devices preferably adjoining one another for transporting the plastic material preforms, with a heating device, which heats the plastic material preforms, and with a forming device which is arranged along the transport path of the plastic material preforms downstream of the heating device, wherein the apparatus has a first transport device which feeds the plastic material preforms individually to the heating device, wherein the heating device has a second transport device which transports the plastic material preforms during their heating. The first transport device has a first drive device and the second transport device has a second drive device and the first drive device and the second drive device can be controlled independently of one another.

Claims

1. An apparatus for forming plastic material preforms into plastic material containers, said apparatus having a transport device configured to transport the plastic material preforms along a predetermined transport path, wherein this transport device comprises a plurality of transport devices preferably adjoining one another for transporting the plastic material preforms, a heating device configured to heat the plastic material performs, and a forming device which is arranged along the transport path of the plastic material preforms after the heating device, wherein the apparatus comprises a first transport device configured to feed the plastic material preforms individually to the heating device, wherein the heating device comprises a second transport device configured to transport the plastic material preforms during their heating, wherein the first transport device comprises a first drive device and the second transport device comprises a second drive device and, wherein the first drive device and the second drive device are controllable independently of each other.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first transport device is designed as a separating device which is configured to separate successive plastic preforms.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first transport device is configured to be driven at a different and in particular a slower transport speed with respect to the second transport device.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first transport device configured to be stopped while the second transport device is in continued operation.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a feed device configured to feed the plastic material preforms, in particular as a product stream, to the first transport device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heating device comprises at least one and preferably a plurality of heating devices which are arranged along the transport path of the plastic material preforms.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport device has a third transport device which is configured to transport the plastic material preforms from the heating device to the forming device.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the third transport device has a drive device and this drive device is configured to be controllable independently of, in particular, the drive device of the first transport device and/or the drive device of the second transport device.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein all transport devices are configured to controlled independently of one another.

10. A method for forming plastic material preforms into plastic material containers, wherein the plastic material preforms are transported with a transport device along a predetermined transport path, wherein this transport device comprises a plurality of transport devices which preferably adjoin one another for transporting the plastic material preforms, wherein a heating device heats the plastic material preforms and a forming device which is arranged along the transport path of the plastic material preforms after the heating device forms the plastic material preforms into the plastic material containers by acting upon a flowable medium, wherein the apparatus has a first transport device which feeds the plastic material preforms individually to the heating device, wherein the heating device has a second transport device which transports the plastic material preforms during their heating, wherein the first transport device has a first drive device and the second transport device has a second drive device, said process comprising the step of controlling the first drive device and the second drive device independently of each other at least at times.

11. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first transport device is configured to be driven at a different and in particular a slower transport speed with respect to the second transport device.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the first transport device is configured to be stopped while the second transport device is in continued operation.

13. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the apparatus has a feed device is configured to feed the plastic material preforms, in particular as a product stream, to the first transport device.

14. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the heating device comprises at least one and preferably a plurality of heating devices which are arranged along the transport path of the plastic material preforms.

15. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the transport device has a third transport device which is configured to transport the plastic material preforms from the heating device to the forming device.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the third transport device has a drive device and this drive device is configured to be controllable independently of, in particular, the drive device of the first transport device and/or the drive device of the second transport device.

17. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein all transport devices are configured to controlled independently of one another.

Description

[0050] In the drawings:

[0051] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an apparatus according to the invention for forming plastic material preforms into plastic material containers.

[0052] FIG. 1 shows an apparatus 1 for forming plastic material preforms 10 into plastic material containers 20. This apparatus roughly has a heating device 4, which serves to heat the plastic material preforms. This heating device is followed by the actual forming device 6. This forming device has a rotatable carrier 36 on which a plurality of forming stations 30 (only one shown) are arranged.

[0053] The plastic material preforms 10 are first fed via feed rails 16 to a first transport device 22. This transport unit 22 has its own drive 32. This first transport device 22 is designed here as a transport star wheel or saw tooth star wheel, which also serves for separating the plastic material preforms.

[0054] Starting from this first transport device 22, the plastic material preforms 10 are transported to a second transport device 24, which guides the plastic material preforms through the heating device 4. This second conveyor 24 likewise has its own drive unit 34, which can be controlled independently of the drive unit 32.

[0055] The reference sign 18 indicates a heating device, which in this case is arranged laterally next to the transport path of the plastic material preforms.

[0056] The heating device 4 is followed by a third transport device 25 with a drive device 35. This can be, for example, a transport star wheel or a transport wheel, which transports the plastic material preforms to the forming unit 6.

[0057] The reference sign 26 thus indicates the fourth transport device which transports the forming stations 30 and thus also the plastic material preforms arranged in these forming stations. The reference mark 36 roughly indicates a drive for this transport device 26.

[0058] Therefore, all transport devices are preferably driven by servo motors.

[0059] The reference sign 40 indicates a control device for controlling the entire plant. However, individual control of the individual drives of the transport devices is preferably also provided.

[0060] The applicant reserves the right to claim all features disclosed in the application documents as being essentially inventive, provided that they are, individually or in combination, new compared to the prior art. It is further pointed out that the individual FIGURES also describe features which may be advantageous in themselves. The skilled person recognises immediately that a certain feature described in a FIGURE can be advantageous even without adopting further features from this FIGURE. Furthermore, the skilled person recognises that advantages may also result from a combination of several features shown in individual or different FIGURES.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0061] 1 apparatus [0062] 4 heating device or warming device [0063] 6 forming device [0064] 10 plastic material preforms [0065] 16 feed rails [0066] 18 heating device [0067] 20 plastic material containers [0068] 22 transport device [0069] 24 second transport device [0070] 25 third transport device [0071] 26 fourth transport device [0072] 30 forming stations [0073] 32 drive [0074] 34 drive unit of the second transport device [0075] 35 drive unit of the third transport device [0076] 36 rotating carrier [0077] 36 drive of the fourth transport device [0078] 40 control device