APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING MEDIA COUPLINGS ON THE BASE MOULD

Abstract

Apparatus (1) for reshaping plastic preforms (10) into plastic containers (20) has a blow moulding device (14) which has at least two side parts (14a, 14b) and a base mould (14c) which form a hollow space inside which the plastic preforms (10) are reshaped into the plastic containers (20), wherein the apparatus has a changing device (40) which is suitable and intended either to remove the complete blow moulding device (14) or only parts (14a, 14b, 14c) of the blow moulding device (14) from the blow mould supports (16) thereof and/or to arrange them on the blow mould supports (16), wherein the base mould (14c) is arranged on a base mounting (19), and in a changing mode, through a lifting movement (H) and in particular a lifting and/or lowering of the base mounting (19), the base mould (14c) can be connected to the base mounting (19) or can be disconnected from the base mounting (19), and between the base mounting (19) and the base mould (14c) at least one first disconnectable media connection (21) is provided, by means of which a flowable medium can be supplied to the base mould (14c) and/or by means of which the flowable medium can be discharged from the base mould (14c). According to the invention the media connection (21) between the base mounting (19) and the base mould (14c) can also be made and/or can be broken by the lifting and/or lowering of the base mounting (19).

Claims

1. Apparatus (1) for reshaping plastic preforms (10) into plastic containers (20) has a blow moulding device (14) which has at least two side parts (14a, 14b) and a base mould (14c) which form a hollow space inside which the plastic preforms (10) are reshaped into the plastic containers (20), wherein the apparatus (1) has a changing device (40) which is suitable and intended either to remove the complete blow moulding device (14) or only parts (14a, 14b, 14c) of the blow moulding device (14) from the blow mould supports (16) thereof and/or to arrange them on the blow mould supports (16), wherein the base mould (14c) is arranged on a base mounting (19), and in a changing mode, through a lifting movement (H) and in particular a lifting and/or lowering of the base mounting (19), the base mould (14c) can be connected to the base mounting (19) or can be disconnected from the base mounting (19), and between the base mounting (19) and the base mould (14c) at least one first disconnectable media connection (21) is provided, by means of which a flowable medium can be supplied to the base mould (14c) and/or by means of which the flowable medium can be discharged from the base mould (14c), characterised in that the media connection (21) between the base mounting (19) and the base mould (14c) can also be made and/or can be broken by the lifting and/or lowering of the base mounting (19).

2. Apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that a mechanical connection between the base mounting and the base mould can also be made and/or can be broken by the lifting and/or lowering of the base mounting.

3. Apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the changing device is preferably a changing device which carries out an automatic or semi-automatic changing operation, and this changing device is in particular a robot or a handling manipulator.

4. Apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the lifting movement (H) of the base mounting (19) is coupled to an opening and/or closing movement of the blow mould supports (16).

5. Apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the lifting movement (H) of the base mounting (19) is controlled by means of a base lifting cam.

6. Apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that at least one and preferably two plug nipples (23) are arranged on the underside (15) of the base mould (14c) and at least one and preferably two counterpart pieces (24) to this plug nipple (23) are arranged on the base mounting (19).

7. Apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that by means of an automatic clamping system the base mould (14c) can be latched to the base mounting (19) and/or can be released from the base mounting (19).

8. Apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that between the base mounting (19) and the base mould (14c) at least one first media connection (21) and a second media connection (22) is provided, and simultaneously both media connections (21, 22) between the base mounting (19) and the base mould (14c) can be made and/or can be broken by the lifting and/or lowering of the base mounting (19).

9. Apparatus (1) according to claim 6, characterised in that each media connection (21, 22) has a channel (25) by means of which the flowable medium can be supplied to the base mould (14c) and/or by means of which the flowable medium can be discharged from the base mould (14c) and the flowable medium can preferably be fed via the channel (25) of the first media connection (21) to the base mould (14c) and can be discharged from the base mould (14c) via the channel of the second media connection.

10. Apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the changing device (40) has at least one gripping device for gripping the blow moulding device (14), wherein this gripping device is suitable for selectively changing the complete blow moulding device (14) or only parts (14a, 14b, 14c) of the blow moulding device (14).

11. Method for reshaping plastic preforms (10) into plastic containers (20) has a blow moulding device (14) which has at least two side parts (14a, 14b) and a base mould (14c) which form a hollow space inside which the plastic preforms (10) are reshaped into the plastic containers (20), wherein a changing device (40) is provided which either removes the complete blow moulding device (14) or only parts (14a, 14b, 14c) of the blow moulding device (14) from the blow mould supports (16) thereof and/or arranges them on the blow mould supports (16), wherein the base mould (14c) is arranged on a base mounting (19), and in a changing mode, through a lifting movement (H) and in particular a lifting and/or lowering of the base mounting (19), the base mould (14c) is connected to the base mounting (19) or is disconnected from the base mounting (19), and between the base mounting (19) and the base mould (14c) at least one first disconnectable media connection (21) is provided, by means of which a flowable medium is supplied to the base mould (14c) and/or by means of which the flowable medium is discharged from the base mould (14c), characterised in that the media connection (21) between the base mounting (19) and the base mould (14c) is also made and/or is broken by the lifting and/or lowering of the base mounting (19).

12. Method according to claim 11, characterised in that upon opening of the blow mould support (16) the base mounting (19) is lowered and/or upon closing of the blow mould support (16) the base mounting (19) is raised.

13. Method according to claim 11, characterised in that between the base mounting (19) and the base mould (14c) at least one first media connection (21) and a second media connection (22) is provided, and simultaneously both media connections (21, 22) between the base mounting (19) and the base mould (14c) is made and/or is broken by the lifting and/or lowering of the base mounting (19).

Description

[0040] Further advantages and embodiments are apparent from the appended drawings.

[0041] In the drawings:

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an apparatus for reshaping plastic preforms into plastic containers; and

[0043] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of an apparatus for reshaping plastic preforms into plastic containers.

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an apparatus 1 for reshaping plastic preforms 10 into plastic containers 20. In this case the plastic preforms 10 are fed to the individual reshaping stations 8 and are expanded to form plastic containers 20, preferably while they are being transported by a transport device 2. After this expansion the plastic containers 20 are removed from the apparatus 1 again. For this purpose, a feed starwheel (not shown) can be provided which delivers the plastic parisons to the apparatus 1 and also a discharge device (also not shown), in particular likewise a transport starwheel, which discharges the finished containers 20 from the apparatus. The apparatus 1 has a station support 12 on which a plurality of reshaping stations 8 are arranged. In this case this station support may be for example, as shown in FIG. 1, a blow moulding wheel which is rotatable with respect to an axis of rotation D (which here extends perpendicular to the drawing plane and thus vertically). Each individual reshaping station has a respective blow moulding device 14. This blow moulding device 14 is composed of two side parts and a base part. These blow moulding devices can be replaced according to the invention. In this case the blow mould devices 14 are arranged on blow mould supports 16 and can be removed therefrom or arranged thereon.

[0045] The reference 40 identifies a changing device which serves to remove the blow mould devices from their blow mould supports or to dispose the blow mould devices on the blow mould supports. The reference 6 identifies a base support on which the station support 12 is rotatably mounted. The changing device 40 is also arranged on or adjacent to the base support 6. Thus the changing device 40 can be integrated in the apparatus. The reference sign 18 identifies a housing, which at least partially surrounds the station support 12, but which can preferably also enclose or house the changeover device 40. The housing preferably disconnects its interior, which is designed as a sterile room or a clean room, from a normal atmosphere. In this case the changing device 40 represented by a broken line (in the left corner of the apparatus) should make it clear that the changing device 40 can also be arranged at various positions of the apparatus 1 can or also more than one changing device 40 can be present on the apparatus 1.

[0046] The reference W designates a changing position of the apparatus 1. The blow moulding devices are preferably replaced at a specific changing position. This means that the transforming stations can be moved successively into this changing position W by a rotation of the support 12 and then in this changing position the old blow moulding devices can be removed and preferably also new blow moulding devices can be delivered. The reference R designates a radial direction. In this radial direction the changing device or a gripping device of the changing device is preferably delivered to the transforming stations or the blow mould devices in order to change them.

[0047] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a detail of an apparatus 1 for reshaping plastic preforms into plastic containers, wherein here in particular the base mould 14c and the base mounting 19 are illustrated in a lowered position of the base mounting 19. In this case the reference H designates the lifting movement of the base mounting 19. In this case on an underside 15 of the base mould 14c are arranged two plug nipples 23, which fit into counterpart pieces 24 arranged on the base mounting 19 and, in a state in which the base mould 14c and the base mounting 19 are connected to one another or latched to one another, these plug nipples make a firm connection produce and thus facilitate a supply and/or discharge of a flowable medium by means of a first and a second 21, 22 media connection.

[0048] The first and the second media connection 21, 22 preferably in each case have a channel 25, by means of which the flowable medium can be fed and/or discharged, wherein in particular a coupling device 30 can also be provided, by means of which the media connection 21, 22 can preferably be manually broken and/or made. The reference 26 preferably designates a further connector, by means of which likewise a flowable medium, such as for example compressed air, a temperature control medium, a sterilising medium, a cleaning medium or the like can be fed in and/or discharged. Furthermore, can a holder 28 for the media connections 21 and 22 can be provided on the base mounting 19.

[0049] The applicant reserves the right to claim all the features disclosed in the application documents as essential to the invention in so far as they are individually or in combination novel over the prior art. Furthermore it is pointed out that in the individual drawings features were also described which may be advantageous per se. The person skilled in the art recognises immediately that a specific feature described in a drawing may also be advantageous without the incorporation of further features from this drawing. Furthermore the person skilled in the art recognises that advantages may also result from a combination of several features shown in individual drawings or in different drawings.

LIST OF REFERENCES

[0050] 1 apparatus [0051] 2 transport device [0052] 6 base support [0053] 8 reshaping station [0054] 10 plastic preform [0055] 12 station support [0056] 14 blow moulding device [0057] 14a, 14b side parts [0058] 14c base mould [0059] 15 underside of the base mould 14c [0060] 16 blow mould support [0061] 18 housing [0062] 19 base mounting [0063] 20 plastic container [0064] 21 first media connection [0065] 22 second media connection [0066] 23 plug nipple [0067] 24 counterpart piece [0068] 25 channel [0069] 26 connection [0070] 28 holder [0071] 30 coupling device [0072] 40 changing device [0073] H lifting movement [0074] D axis of rotation [0075] R radial direction [0076] W change position