Apparatus and method for shaping plastic preforms into plastic containers, having a clean room with a removable cover apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus for shaping plastic preforms into containers, having a transport device, which transports the plastic preforms to be shaped along a transport path, wherein the transport device has a rotatable transport carrier wherein a plurality of shaping stations are arranged. The shaping stations each have blow-molding devices which the preforms are shaped by applying a flowable medium. The shaping stations have application devices which apply the flowable medium to the preforms, wherein the shaping stations have stretching devices for stretching the preforms in a longitudinal direction. The stretching devices have at least one stretching rod which can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the preforms and can be inserted into the plastic preforms. The device has a clean room, which the plastic preforms are expanded into the plastic containers, and a sealing device to seal the clean room from a non-sterile environment, and closed with a cover device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for shaping plastic preforms into plastic containers, having a first transport device, which transports the plastic preforms to be shaped along a predetermined transport path, wherein the transport device has a rotatable transport carrier on which a plurality of shaping stations are arranged, wherein these shaping stations each have blow-molding devices within which the plastic preforms can be shaped into the plastic containers by applying a flowable medium thereto, and the shaping stations each have application devices in order to apply the flowable medium to the plastic preforms, wherein the shaping stations each have stretching devices for stretching the plastic preforms in the longitudinal direction thereof, and these stretching devices each have at least one stretching rod which can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the plastic preforms and which can be inserted into the plastic preforms, and wherein the apparatus has a clean room, within which the plastic preforms are expanded into the plastic containers, and a sealing device in order to seal the entire clean room from a non-sterile environment, wherein the entire clean room is closed with a removable cover device, and this removable cover device is designed such that it can be removed for assembly purposes, and wherein a second and/or third transport device is designed as transport starwheels and the transport starwheels are insertable or removable as preassembled transport starwheels via the recess of the clean room.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the removable cover device is detachably connected to the clean room.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the removable cover device delimits the clean room at the top and is formed in the roof of the clean room.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the removable cover device is designed as a non-supporting device.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the removable cover device is mounted in a floating manner.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the removable cover device has a substantially circular or annular shape.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the clean room has a substantially circular or annular recess.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substantially circular or annular shape of the removable cover device is larger than the substantially circular or annular recess of the clean room.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a projection is formed in the region of the recess of the clean room, which projection is configured for the removable cover device to rest upon.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plastic preforms can be supplied via the second transport device of the apparatus, and the plastic containers can be transported away via the third transport device of the apparatus.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second and/or third transport devices can be inserted or removed via the recess of the clean room.

12. A method for shaping plastic preforms into plastic containers, wherein a first transport device transports the plastic preforms to be shaped along a predetermined transport path, wherein the transport device has a rotatable transport carrier on which a plurality of shaping stations are arranged, wherein these shaping stations each have blow-molding devices within which the plastic preforms can be shaped into the plastic containers by applying a flowable medium thereto, and the shaping stations each have application devices which apply the flowable medium to the plastic preforms, wherein the shaping stations each have stretching devices for stretching the plastic preforms in the longitudinal direction thereof, and these stretching devices each have at least one stretching rod which can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the plastic preforms and which can be inserted into the plastic preforms, and wherein an apparatus has a clean room, within which the plastic preforms are expanded into the plastic containers, and a sealing device which seals the entire clean room from a non-sterile environment, wherein the entire clean room is closed with a removable cover device, and this removable cover device is designed such that it can be removed for assembly purposes.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an apparatus according to the invention; and

(3) FIG. 2 shows a partial view of the clean room 8 of the apparatus according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(4) FIG. 1 shows an apparatus 1 for shaping plastic preforms 10 into plastic containers 15. This apparatus has a shaping device 3 having a first transport device 2 having a rotatable transport carrier 22 on which a plurality of shaping stations 4 are arranged. These individual shaping stations 4 each have blow-molding devices 82, which, in their interiors, form a cavity for expanding the plastic preforms 10.

(5) Reference sign 84 denotes an application device, which is used to expand the plastic preforms 10. This can be a blow nozzle, for example, which can be applied to a mouth of the plastic preforms 10 in order to expand them. In addition, it would also be conceivable for the blow-molding nozzle to provide a seal on the blow mold and/or a supporting ring of the plastic preform 10 and/or in the interior of the mouth of the plastic preform 10 and/or at the mouth edge of the plastic preform 10.

(6) Reference sign 90 denotes a valve arrangement, such as a valve block, which preferably has a plurality of valves that control the application of different pressure levels to the plastic preforms 10.

(7) Reference sign 88 denotes a stretching rod used to stretch the plastic preforms in their longitudinal direction. Preferably, all shaping stations 4 have such blow molds 82, application devices 84, and stretching rods 88. This stretching rod is preferably a component of a stretching device denoted by 30.

(8) Preferably, the number of said shaping stations 4 is between 2 and 100, preferably between 4 and 60, and preferably between 6 and 40.

(9) The plastic preforms 10 are supplied via a second transport devices 62 of the apparatus 1. The plastic containers 15 are transported away via a third transport device 64. Thus, the second transport device 62 is preferably a supply device, and the third transport device 64 is a discharge device. In this case, the first and/or second transport devices 62, 64 are preferably designed as transport starwheels.

(10) The reference sign 8 designates a clean room, which is preferably designed such that it surrounds at least the transport path of the plastic preforms 10. In this schematic view, the clean room 8 is shown merely schematically as a rectangle. Preferably, the clean room 8 is sealed from the non-sterile environment by a sealing device, which preferably has at least one water lock.

(11) Preferably, elements of the second transport device 62 and the third transport device 64 are also arranged within the clean room 8. In particular, the clean room 8 preferably also surrounds the transport path of the plastic 30 preforms 10 or plastic containers 15 in the region of the second and third transport devices 62, 64.

(12) Furthermore, the apparatus 1 has a cover device 25 (not shown in FIG. 1), which delimits the clean room 8 at the top.

(13) FIG. 2 is a view of the clean room 8 of the device 1 according to the invention (see FIG. 1 in this regard), which can be closed with a cover apparatus 25 formed to correspond to the recess 26.

(14) As shown here, the cover device 25 is preferably formed in a roof 9 of the clean room 8 and delimits the clean room 8 at the top. The clean room 8 and the cover device 25 have a substantially circular or annular shape or recess 26. In this case, the substantially circular or annular shape of the cover device 25 is larger than the substantially circular or annular recess 26 of the clean room 8.

(15) In this case, the cover device 25 (as is not shown in FIG. 2) can be completely removed, i.e., the cover device 25 is taken off from the clean room 8.

(16) According to the invention, the cover device 25 is designed such that it is removable for assembly purposes, i.e., the cover device 25 is preferably detachably connected to the clean room 8, or the cover device 25 is detachable from the clean room 8. In this way, the clean room 8 can be opened.

(17) As shown here, a projection is formed in the region of the recess 26 of the clean room 8, which projection is suitable and intended for the cover device to rest upon. Here, the projection is designed as a circumferential projection in the region of the recess 26 of the clean room 8. Other embodiments can also have other projections or receiving or support elements in the region of the recess 26 of the clean room 8, as long as they allow the cover device 25 to rest thereon.

(18) Thus, the first and/or second transport devices 62, 64 shown in FIG. 1, which are preferably designed as pre-assembled transport starwheels, can be inserted or removed very easily and in an uncomplicated manner via the recess 26 of the clean room 8. In general, any pre-assembled modules can be inserted into the clean room 8 or removed via this recess 26 of the clean room 8. This achieves an enormous savings in time compared to the previous assembly of the modules in the clean room 8.

(19) 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. A 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, a 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

(20) 1 apparatus 2 first transport device 3 shaping device 4 shaping station 8 clean room 9 roof 10 plastic preform 15 plastic container 22 transport carrier 25 cover device 26 recess 30 stretching device 50 sealing device 62 second transport device, transport starwheel 64 third transport device, transport starwheel 80 blow mold 82 blow-molding device 84 application device 88 stretching rod 90 valve assembly L longitudinal direction