APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FORMING PLASTIC PREFORMS INTO PLASTIC CONTAINERS, HAVING A MOLD CARRIER HOLDER WITH CARRYING FUNCTION

Abstract

An apparatus for forming plastic preforms into plastic containers includes a rotatable transport carrier on which a plurality of forming stations is arranged, and forming stations each having blow molding devices within which the plastic preforms can be formed into the plastic containers by applying a flowable medium. The forming stations each have stretching devices having at least one stretching rod which can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the plastic preforms and introduced into the plastic preforms. The apparatus also has a clean room within which the plastic preforms are expanded to form the plastic containers. The stretching devices and the forming stations are each arranged on a mold carrier holder and are held thereby, so that the mold carrier holder is designed as a carrying device of the apparatus and walls of the clean room to delimit the apparatus from a non-sterile environment.

Claims

1. An apparatus for forming plastic preforms into plastic containers, having a transport device which transports the plastic preforms to be formed along a predetermined transport path, wherein the transport device has a rotatable transport carrier on which a plurality of forming stations is arranged, wherein said forming stations each have blow molding devices within which the plastic preforms can be formed into the plastic containers by applying a flowable medium, and the forming stations each have application devices in order to apply the flowable medium to the plastic preforms, wherein the forming stations each have stretching devices for stretching the plastic preforms in their longitudinal direction, and these stretching devices each having at least one stretching rod which can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the plastic preforms and introduced into the plastic preforms, and wherein the apparatus has a clean room which is delimited by several walls and within which the plastic preforms are expanded to form the plastic containers, wherein the stretching devices and/or the forming stations are arranged on a mold carrier holder and are held thereby, so that the mold carrier holder is designed as a carrying apparatus of the apparatus and the walls of the clean room are only suitable and intended to delimit the device from an non-sterile environment.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the walls of the clean room are designed as a non-carrying device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the clean room is delimited by at least one standing wall and a wall moving relative to this standing wall.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a sealing device in order to seal the clean room from an non-sterile environment, and this sealing device has at least one circumferential channel that can be filled with a liquid.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the sealing device has a circumferential wall which projects into the circumferential channel, wherein this wall is the moving wall.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the walls are made of a metal sheet selected from a group of metal sheets consisting of aluminum sheet, steel sheet, stainless steel sheet, and/or the walls have a material thickness that is less than 50 mm.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mold carrier holder is arranged within the clean room.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mold carrier holder is made of a material selected from a group of materials consisting of cast aluminum and cast steel.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stretching device is arranged at least partially outside the clean room.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a locking device for locking the blow molding device is arranged within the clean room.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a bottom lifting device and bottom lifting control for moving a bottom part of the blow molding device in the longitudinal direction is arranged within the clean room.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the forming stations and/or the locking device and/or the bottom lifting device are made of an H.sub.2O.sub.2-resistant material.

13. A method for operating an apparatus for forming plastic preforms into plastic containers, having a transport device which transports the plastic preforms to be formed along a predetermined transport path, wherein the transport device has a rotatable transport carrier on which a plurality of forming stations is arranged, wherein said forming stations each have blow molding devices within which the plastic preforms are formed into the plastic containers by applying a flowable medium and the forming stations each have application devices which apply the flowable medium to the plastic preforms, wherein the forming stations each have stretching devices which stretch the plastic preforms in their longitudinal direction, and these stretching devices each having at least one stretching rod which can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the plastic preforms and are introduced into the plastic preforms, and wherein a clean room is provided which is delimited by several walls and within which the plastic preforms are expanded to form the plastic containers, wherein the stretching devices and/or the forming stations are each arranged on a mold carrier holder and are held thereby, so that the mold carrier holder is designed as a carrying device of the apparatus and the walls of the clean room are only suitable and intended to delimit the apparatus from an non-sterile environment.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0042] Further advantages and embodiments emerge from the accompanying drawing.

[0043] In the drawing:

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a detailed view of the forming station according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an apparatus 1 according to the invention for forming plastic preforms (not shown) into plastic containers (not shown). This apparatus is preferably a forming station 4. Forming is carried out within a blow molding device 6, which is arranged on a mold carrier holder 5. This mold carrier holder 5 is preferably designed as a carrying device and carries also the stretching devices 30 in addition to the blow molding devices 6.

[0046] The mold carrier holders 5 are arranged on the transport carrier 22, which transports the blow molding devices 6 within a clean room 8. The clean room 8 has at least one standing wall 8a and a moving wall 8b, which are sealed relative to each other by means of a sealing device 50. These walls 8a, 8b of the clean room 8 are preferably designed as non-carrying devices.

[0047] The clean room 8 is also delimited by a cover 9. The cover 9 is fastened to the transport carrier 22 by means of several (shown is only one) fastening devices 12 andlike the walls of the clean roomis preferably designed as a non-carrying device.

[0048] The reference number 40 designates the application device which applies a flowable medium to the plastic preforms (not visible) in the blow molding device 6 for expansion thereof.

[0049] The applicant reserves the right to claim all features disclosed in the application documents as essential to the invention, provided that they are novel over the prior art individually or in combination. It is also pointed out that features which can be advantageous in themselves are also described in the individual figures. The person skilled in the art will immediately recognize that a particular feature described in a FIGURE can be advantageous even without the adoption of further features from this FIGURE. Furthermore, the person skilled in the art will recognize that advantages can also result from a combination of several features shown in individual or in different figures.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0050] 1 apparatus [0051] 2 transport device [0052] 4 forming station [0053] 5 mold carrier holder [0054] 6 blow molding device [0055] 8 clean room [0056] 8a standing wall [0057] 8b moving wall [0058] 9 cover [0059] 12 fastening device [0060] 22 transport carrier [0061] 30 stretching device [0062] 40 application device [0063] 50 sealing device