Device for processing preforms—fast changer

Abstract

A device for processing performs may include at least a holder device for holding at least one preform and for at least temporary contacting arrangement of at least one wall part of the preform on at least one contact device. By the at least one contact device, a temperature of the first wall part can be prespecified, which at least temporarily differs from the temperature of a second wall part that is always spaced from the contact device. The contact device may be releasably held by a carrier device forming at least in parts a holding zone for the contact device.

Claims

1. A tempering device, comprising: a holder device configured to hold at least one preform, the at least one preform having an inner wall part and an outer wall part; and a mould carrier device adapted to releasably hold a contact device, the mould carrier device having a holding zone adapted to hold the contact device, connections to the carrier adapted to supply a tempering medium to the carrier, a thermosensor adapted to determine a temperature of the tempering medium, the carrier device and/or the preform, the contact device being at least partially radially surrounded by the carrier device and positioned radially outward from the preform, said contact device including a contact contour extending in one of a straight line along a longitudinal direction of the at least one preform, or extending in a curve and is curved in sections along the longitudinal direction of the at least one preform and touching a first wall part of the at least one preform, the holder device being separate from the contact device at least in a closed state and being adapted to hold the first wall part of said at least one preform in at least partial contacting arrangement with the contact contour of said contact device while a second wall part of said preform is longitudinally spaced from the first wall part, wherein the first wall part and the second wall part correspond to a portion of the outer wall facing the contact contour, the contact contour being adapted to prespecify a temperature of the first wall part, wherein the temperature of the first wall part at least temporarily differs from a temperature of the second wall part that is always spaced from the contact contour, wherein the carrier device comprises a plurality of outer holding zones, each outer holding zone being adapted for holding at least temporarily and at least partially radially surrounding a contact device for tempering the wall part, and further comprising coupling connections adapted for coupling the outer holding zones and the contact devices wherein the coupling connections comprise a sliding section within the outer holding zone, wherein the sliding section is an indented portion within the outer holding zone, a plurality of spring loaded bolts spanning into the sliding section, a clamping element located at an end of each bolt within the sliding section adapted to pretension a positioning device, and wherein the sliding section and the clamping elements are adapted to guide the positioning device of the contact device vertically from a lower opening of the sliding section located on a lower end of the carrier device to an upper end of the sliding section located on an upper end of the carrier device.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the outer holding zones at least in sections are formed negative to the contact device, wherein the contact device is in contact with the holding zones with part of its outer surface facing the holding zones and an inner surface of the contact device forms being adapted to form a cooling contact contour.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein either the outer holding zones or the contact devices each comprise at least one tongue and groove fastener adapted for fixing the positioning device into a position.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein either the outer holding zones or the contact devices each comprise at least two tongue and groove fasteners adapted for fixing the position of the positioning device, wherein the at least two tongue and groove fasteners are spaced apart in the slide direction.

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein the tongue and groove fasteners are movable substantially at right angles to the slide direction.

6. The device according to claim 3, wherein the tongue and groove fasteners are each formed differently in an area of a surface for contacting the positioning device.

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein either the outer holding zones or the contact devices each comprise a structure adapted to create a form fit connection with the positioning device.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of an area of the contact device and an area of the outer holding zones includes at least one channel adapted to guide a fluid.

9. A device for tempering device, comprising: a holding device adapted to hold at least one preform, the at least one preform having an inner wall part and an outer wall part; a mould carrier device adapted for releasably holding a contact device, the carrier device comprising: a holding device separate from the contact device at least in a closed state, the carrier device having a holding zone adapted to hold the contact device, the contact device being at least partially radially surrounded by the carrier device, and positioned radially outwardly from the preform; connections to the carrier adapted for supplying a tempering medium to the carrier, a thermosensor adapted for determining a temperature of the tempering medium, the carrier device and/or the preform, a contact contour that extending in one of a straight line along a longitudinal direction of the at least one preform, or extending in a curve and is curved in sections along the longitudinal direction of the at least one preform and touching a first wall part of the at least one preform; and a plurality of outer holding zones, each outer holding zone adapted for holding at least temporarily a contact device at least partially radially surrounding a contact device for tempering the first wall part; and coupling connections adapted for coupling the outer holding zones and the contact device, wherein the coupling connections comprise a sliding section within the outer holding zone, wherein the sliding section is an indented portion within the outer holding zone, a plurality of spring loaded bolts spanning into the sliding section, a clamping element located at an end of each bolt within the sliding section adapted to pretension a positioning device of the contact device vertically from a lower opening of the sliding section located on a lower end of the carrier device to an upper end of the sliding section located on an upper end of the carrier device, wherein: the holder device is adapted to hold the first wall of said at least one preform in at least partial contact with the contact contour of said contact device while a second wall part of said preform is longitudinally spaced from the first wall part, wherein the first wall part and the second wall part correspond to a portion of the outer wall facing the contact contour; and the contact contour is adapted to prespecify a temperature of the first wall, wherein the temperature of the first wall is distinct from a temperature of the second wall, the second wall being spaced from the contact contour.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the first wall and the second wall directly face the contact contour.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the contact device is a tempering form.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the first wall and the second wall directly face the contact contour.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional front and rear view of an exemplary positioning device according to various aspects of the disclosure;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a two-dimensional cross section through an exemplary positioning device according to various aspects of the disclosure;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a two-dimensional section view of an exemplary positioning device in which a contact device is inserted, and two detailed depictions of the fixing means;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a three-dimensional front view and a three-dimensional rear view of the contact device according to various aspects of the disclosure;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a further cross section view of the positioning device with partially inserted contact device;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a three-dimensional depiction of part of the container processor device according to various aspects of the disclosure; and

(8) FIG. 7 shows a three-dimensional detailed depiction of a section of the container processing device shown in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional depiction of a front and a rear view of the carrier device 10 according to the disclosure which can also be called a mould carrier. It is evident from this depiction that the carrier device 10 has holding zones 8. These holding zones 8 are each connected via a slot 17 with a fast coupling connection 14a, 14b. These fast coupling connections 14a, 14b each form a sliding section 16 in each of which a corresponding element of the contact device (not shown) can be guided in direction L. Reference numerals 46a, 46b designate clamping elements, in particular clamping claws which serve for fixing or positioning the contact device in relation to the carrier device 10. The carrier device 10 or mould carrier can also be tempered and fitted with a temperature sensor to control the nominal temperature.

(10) FIG. 2 shows a two-dimensional cross section view of the carrier device 10 shown in FIG. 1 in the area of section A. This depiction again shows the holding zone 8 and the fast coupling connection 14a. Furthermore clamping bolts 48 are shown for clamping or fixing the clamping claws 46a. The clamping bolts 48 are each formed by means of spring elements 54, which are in some aspects designed as coil springs (in particular compression springs), washers 50 and/or nuts 52 to accept spring force. The clamping claws 46 therefore in some aspects are or can be pretensioned with the spring element 54 and particularly in some aspects may lie with their underside in the mould carrier or carrier device 10. Thus on holding the contact device 6, clamping or fixing the contact device 6 in the carrier device 10 is easily possible.

(11) FIG. 3 again shows a two-dimensional view of the carrier device 10. This depiction shows firstly a part of a contact device 6 partly coupled via the fast coupling connection 14b. The contact device 6 in some aspects has a positioning device 18, for example, a sliding block.

(12) The areas marked C and D are each shown enlarged in the section drawings. These section drawings show fixing means 22a, 22b respectively. The fixing means 22a, 22b each have surfaces for contact 24a, 24b with which they are in or can be brought into contact with the sliding block 18 of the fast coupling connection 14b of the contact device 6.

(13) It is furthermore clear from the section views C and D that the surfaces for contact 24a, 24b are formed differently. Surface 24a for example has only a smooth structure, while structure 26 of surface 24b is formed rough or corrugated and in particular suitable for creating a form fit. Reference numeral 40 designates in some aspects an outer radius or outer surface of the contact device 6.

(14) The clamping claws 46a, 46b and fixing means 22a, 22b are in some aspects designed such that they only come into contact with the sliding block 18 immediately before locking. When the contact device 6 is pressed down for coupling with the positioning device 10, clamping claws 22b are pressed by the chamfers and the radius of the sliding block and move back; when pressed further down the clamping claw 22b snaps into engagement in the radius of the sliding block 18. The contour of the clamping claw 22b is designed such that autonomous detachment is prevented. A contact is produced with the face 41 on the support surface 8a in the mould carrier, whereby the end position is defined.

(15) The clamping claw 22a and fixing means 22a also press on the sliding block 18, whereby the die is also clamped in the upper area. In the clamped state thus the contact device 6 lies defined via its face 42 on the holding zone 8 of the preferably tempered mould carrier 10, whereby a heat transfer from the mould carrier 10 to the contact device 6 is guaranteed.

(16) FIG. 4 shows two three-dimensional views of the contact device 6. The three-dimensional view of contact device 6 shown on the left in FIG. 4 shows the inner surface of the contact device 6 and hence the cooling contact contour 12. It is here conceivable that the cooling contact contour 12 extends in a straight line as shown in FIG. 4, wherein it is also conceivable that the cooling contact contour 12 extends in a curve or is curved in sections and touches a wall region of the preform. In some aspects the cooling contact contour 12 optionally consists of a heat-conductive or heat-insulating material to dissipate heat from at least one wall part of the preform 2 or to supply heat in a targeted manner to a wall part. In some aspects for better heat conduction, aluminium can be provided as a material for the cooling contact contour 12, or teflon for better heat insulation. In an exemplary embodiment the cooling contact contour 12 is provided in the form of a composite part.

(17) Thus it would be conceivable for a cooling contact contour to comprise a heat-conductive material and for a further cooling contact contour to comprise a heat-insulating material. It would also be possible for a cooling contact contour to have regions which consist of a heat-conductive material in order to dissipate heat from a wall part of the preform 2 and also regions consisting of a heat-insulating material to supply heat to a wall part of the preform 2.

(18) The fast coupling connection 14b arranged on the face 42 of contact device 6 is for example designed as a positioning device 18, in particular as a sliding block. The reference numerals 21 designate screw connections with which the fast coupling connection 14b can be connected with the face 42 or wall element of the contact device 6. Reference numeral 23 designates a pin, such as for example a positioning pin.

(19) The handle 44 constitutes a means for applying force to the contact device 6. By means of this handle 44 a release or fixing force can be applied to the contact device 6. The contact device 6 or die 6 is designed in each case for one bottle contour and preform geometry, whereby to change types and reduce the fitting time the contact device 6 is designed for easy and fast exchange.

(20) FIG. 5 corresponds substantially to FIG. 3, wherein the fast coupling connections 14b of the contact device 6 do not yet fully cooperate with the fast coupling connection 14a of the carrier device 10.

(21) FIG. 6 shows part of a device 1 for processing containers in a three-dimensional view. The depiction shows a multiplicity of devices connected together and the supply of a preform 2 by means of a holding device 4, for example a preform gripper, to the contact device 6 which in turn is surrounded by the carrier devices 10. The preform gripper 4 is connected with a stepper motor 28 which is connected with an arm 56, a coupling 58, for example a slip coupling, and a means for forced guidance 60, for example a splined shaft, and can be moved in the preform longitudinal direction by a control curve component 62, in particular a roller running on a control curve.

(22) FIG. 7 shows an enlarged three-dimensional view of part of the processing device 1 already shown in FIG. 6. This figure shows one or more additional connections 30 for supply of a tempering medium to the carrier 10 and deflector elements 32 for deflecting the tempering medium. The deflector elements can connect respectively the individual carrier devices 10 and/or contact device 6 together fluidically.

(23) Reference numeral 34 designates a thermosensor and hence a detector unit. The thermosensor 34 can for example serve to determine the fluid temperature, the temperature of the carrier device 10 of the contact device 6 and/or the temperature of the preform 2. It is also conceivable that further detection devices are provided for example to detect the position of the preform 2 and/or to determine ambient conditions such as for example relative humidity, pressure or similar.

(24) The preform gripper 4 can for example be held via a bayonet lock. On a change, the preform gripper 4 is unscrewed from the holder 38 for example by twisting counter-clockwise. On a change, stepper motor 28 can be powered up to hold the spindle in position.

(25) Reference numeral 36 designates a cylinder or further stepper motor by which for example the movement of the carrier devices 10 in relation to each other can be achieved.

(26) It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the device for processing preforms of the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the invention. Throughout the disclosure, use of the terms a, an, and the may include one or more of the elements to which they refer. Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only.