Mandrel Wheel for Producing Packages

Abstract

A mandrel wheel for producing packages is illustrated and described, including: a mandrel wheel shaft having a central axis, a plurality of mandrels attached to the mandrel wheel shaft, an inflow for a coolant and an outflow for the coolant. The mandrels form at least one mandrel group, the mandrels of which are arranged in a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the mandrel wheel shaft. Each mandrel has a hollow space for the coolant, which is connected to an inlet and to an outlet separate from it. At least one distribution element is provided, which connects all inlets of a mandrel group to the inflow and which connects all outlets of the same mandrel group to the outflow, so that the mandrels can be cooled more effectively.

Claims

1. A mandrel wheel for producing packages comprising: a mandrel wheel shaft having a central axis, attached of mandrels attached to the mandrel wheel shaft, an inflow for a coolant and an outflow for the coolant, wherein the mandrels form at least one mandrel group, the mandrels of which are arranged in a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the mandrel wheel shaft, and wherein each mandrel has a hollow space for the coolant, which is connected to an inlet and to an outlet separate from it, further comprising at least one distribution element, which connects all inlets of a mandrel group to the inflow and which connects all outlets of the same mandrel group to the outflow.

2. The mandrel wheel according to claim 1, wherein the mandrels form at least two mandrel groups, the mandrels of which are respectively arranged in a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the mandrel wheel shaft.

3. The mandrel wheel according to claim 1, wherein the mandrel wheel shaft is a hollow shaft.

4. The mandrel wheel according to claim 3, wherein the distribution element is arranged in the mandrel wheel shaft.

5. The mandrel wheel according to claim 1, the distribution element has at least one support section, an outer diameter of which approximately corresponds to an inner diameter of the mandrel wheel shaft.

6. The mandrel wheel according to claim 1, wherein the distribution element has an axially running inner channel.

7. The mandrel wheel according to claim 6, wherein the distribution element has at least one distribution channel branching off from the inner channel and running radially.

8. The mandrel wheel according to claim 1, wherein the distribution element has at least one axially running outer channel.

9. The mandrel wheel according to claim 8, wherein the outer channel is at least in sections formed as a circumferential ledge, an outer diameter of which is less than an inner diameter of the mandrel wheel shaft.

10. The mandrel wheel according to claim 8, wherein the outer channel is at least in sections formed as an axial bore.

11. The mandrel wheel according to claim 1, wherein a length of the distribution element corresponds to a distance between the planes of two adjacent mandrel groups.

12. The mandrel wheel according to claim 1, wherein the hollow space for the coolant is formed by two cooling channels connected to one another.

13. The mandrel wheel according to claim 1, wherein the inflow for the coolant and the outflow for the coolant are arranged at opposite ends of the mandrel wheel shaft.

14. The mandrel wheel according to claim 1, wherein the mandrel wheel comprises at least two mandrel groups.

15. The mandrel wheel according to claim 1, wherein each mandrel group comprises at least four mandrels.

16. The mandrel wheel according to claim 1, wherein the mandrel wheel comprises at least four mandrel groups.

17. The mandrel wheel according to claim 1, wherein the mandrel wheel comprises at least six mandrel groups.

18. The mandrel wheel according to claim 1, wherein each mandrel group comprises at least six mandrels.

19. The mandrel wheel according to claim 2, wherein the mandrel wheel is a hollow shaft.

20. The mandrel wheel according to claim 9, wherein the outer channel is at least in sections formed as an axial bore.

Description

[0027] The invention is explained in more detail below with the aid of the figures illustrating only one preferred exemplary embodiment.

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a mandrel wheel according to the invention for producing packages, in a side view, and

[0029] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of the mandrel wheel from FIG. 1.

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a mandrel wheel 1 according to the invention for producing packages, in a side view. The mandrel wheel 1 comprises a mandrel wheel shaft 2 which runs along a centrally located central axis 3. The mandrel wheel shaft 2 can be formed as hollow shaft. A plurality of mandrels 4 are attached to the mandrel wheel shaft 2. The mandrels 4 form mandrel groups 5A to 5F, the mandrels 4 of which are respectively arranged in a plane 6A to 6F perpendicular to the central axis 3 of the mandrel wheel shaft 2. In the case of the mandrel wheel 1 shown and in this respect preferred in FIG. 1, each mandrel group 5A to 5F comprises four mandrels 4, so that there are twenty four mandrels 4 in total. The mandrels 4 of a mandrel group 5A to 5F are preferably distributed evenly over the circumference of the mandrel wheel shaft, so that in the case of a configuration with four mandrels 4 per mandrel group 5A to 5F a mandrel gap of 90 occurs.

[0031] The mandrel wheel 1 shown in FIG. 1 also comprises an inflow 7 for a coolant and an outflow 8 for a coolant. The inflow 7 and the outflow 8 are arranged at opposite ends of the mandrel wheel 1. Each mandrel 4 has a hollow space 9 for the coolant, wherein the hollow space can be formed by two cooling channels 9A, 9B connected to one another. Each hollow space 9 is connected to an inlet 10 and an outlet 11 separate from it. In addition, the mandrel wheel 1 comprises a plurality of distribution elements 12A to 12E. The distribution elements 12A to 12E connect the inlets 10 of a mandrel group 5A to 5F to the inflow 7 and the outlets 11 of the same mandrel group 5A to 5F to the outflow 8. In the case of the mandrel wheel 1 shown and in this respect preferred in FIG. 1, the length of the distribution elements 12A to 12E corresponds to the distance between the planes 6A to 6F of two adjacent mandrel groups 5A to 5F. In this way, a different number of distribution elements 12A to 12E can be put together, whereby an adjustment to the number of mandrel groups 5A to 5F is possible.

[0032] An enlarged view of the mandrel wheel 1 from FIG. 1 is illustrated in FIG. 2. In the enlarged view, in particular the structure of the distribution element 12A and its arrangement in the mandrel wheel shaft 2 can be identified. The rest of the distribution elements 12B to 12Enot illustrated in FIG. 2have an identical structure. The distribution element 12A has a support section 13, the outer diameter D.sub.A of which approximately corresponds to the inner diameter D.sub.I of the mandrel wheel shaft. The distribution element 12A can be precisely positioned in the mandrel wheel shaft 2 using such a design of the support section 13, so that the distribution element 12A can only be moved in the axial direction (i.e. along the central axis 3) or turned, while a movement in the radial direction (i.e. transverse to the central axis 3) is impossible.

[0033] The distribution element 12A has an axially running inner channel 14 which extends right through the entire distribution element 12A. A plurality of radially running distribution channels 15 branch off from this inner channel 14. Preferably, the number and the position of the distribution channels 15 correspond to the number and the position of the mandrels 4 assigned to the distribution element 12A. As a result, the distribution element 12A illustrated in FIG. 2 has four distribution channels 15 which are distributed at even intervals of 90 over the circumference of the distribution element 12A. The distribution channels 15 are preferably arranged in the area of the support section 13, so that the outer ends of the distribution channels 15 lead to the inner surface of the hollow mandrel wheel shaft 2 and there the coolant can enter the inlets 10 of the mandrels 4.

[0034] In addition to the inner channel 14, the distribution element 12A also has at least one axially running outer channel 16. A single outer channel 16 can be provided, in which in this case it is preferred if the outer channel 16 is at least in sections formed as a circumferential ledge, the outer diameter D.sub.a of which is less than the inner diameter D.sub.I of the mandrel wheel shaft 2. Alternatively to this, a separate outer channel 16 can also be provided for each mandrel 4 in the distribution element 12A. In each case, the at least one outer channel 16 must be designed and arranged in such a way that it can accept coolant exiting from the outlets 11 of the mandrels 4 and can convey it to the outflow 8. In order to ensure that the coolant is reliably discharged, even when a plurality of distribution elements 12A to 12E strung together in a line are used, provision is made for the outer channels 16 to be formed as axial bores 17 in the area of the support section 13. The axial bores 17 are preferably arranged between the distribution channels 15 also arranged in the support section 13, in order to prevent fresh coolant and already heated coolant from mixing. In addition, the first distribution element 12Adifferent from the other distribution elements 12B to 12Eshould not have any axial bores 17, in order to prevent a backflow of already heated coolant.

[0035] In FIG. 2, it can also be identified that the length L.sub.A of the distribution element 12A corresponds to the distance L.sub.B between the planes 6A, 6B of two adjacent mandrel groups 5A, 5B. In this way, the distribution element 12A can be adapted individually to the respective mandrel group 5A and in particular to the position of the inlets 10 and outlets 11 of this mandrel group 5A. In the case of mandrel wheels 1 with more than two mandrel groups 5A to 5F, a plurality of distribution elements 12A to 12E can be inserted one after the other into the hollow mandrel wheel shaft 2 and together form a continuous supply line (through the inner channels 14) or a continuous discharge line (through the outer channels 16/axial bores 17) for the coolant. Finally, the mandrel wheel 1 has an end piece 18 (only illustrated in FIG. 1) which seals off the inner channel 11 of the last distribution element 12E and collects the coolant flowing through the outer channel 16 of the last distribution element 12E in a centrally located outflow channel 19 and conveys it from there to the outflow 8 of the mandrel wheel 1.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0036] 1: Mandrel wheel [0037] 2: Mandrel wheel shaft [0038] 3: Central axis [0039] 4: Mandrel [0040] 5A-5F: Mandrel group [0041] 6A-6F: Plane [0042] 7: Inflow (for coolant) [0043] 8: Outflow (for coolant) [0044] 9: Hollow space [0045] 9A, 9B: Cooling channel [0046] 10: Inlet [0047] 11: Outlet [0048] 12A-12E: Distribution element [0049] 13: Support section [0050] 14: Inner channel [0051] 15: Distribution channel [0052] 16: Outer channel [0053] 17: Axial bore [0054] 18: End piece [0055] 19: Outflow channel [0056] D.sub.A: Outer diameter (in the area of the support section 13) [0057] D.sub.a: Outer diameter (in the area of the outer channel 16) [0058] D.sub.I: Inner diameter (of the mandrel wheel shaft 2) [0059] L.sub.A: Length (of the distribution element 12) [0060] L.sub.B: Distance (between the planes 6)