EP2414146A1

EP2414146A1 - Apparatus for reshaping plastic preforms, having a heating device

Info

Publication number: EP2414146A1
Application number: EP10708760A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Klaus Voth; Frank Winzinger; Konrad Senn
Original assignee: Krones AG
Current assignee: Krones AG
Priority date: 2009-04-02
Filing date: 2010-03-10
Publication date: 2012-02-08
Also published as: WO2010112307A1; CN102387905A; US20120091636A1; CN102387905B; DE102009015519A1; US9211671B2

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for reshaping plastic preforms into plastic containers (10). Said apparatus comprises a plurality of blow-molding stations (4) that each have at least one receptacle space, within which the plastic preforms can be expanded into the plastic containers. The apparatus also comprises a conveying device (2) that conveys the containers along at least one specified travel path, wherein the apparatus has a plurality of heating devices (6) that are arranged along the travel path of each container, upstream of the blow-molding stations (4), wherein at least one heating device (6) is allocated to at least one blow-molding station (4).

Description

Device for forming plastic preforms with heating device

description

The present invention relates to an apparatus for forming plastic preforms into plastic containers. Such devices have been known for a long time from the prior art. In such devices, plastic preforms, for example of PET, are shaped by means of pressurization into plastic containers. Usually, a plurality of blowing stations is arranged on a carrier wheel, and each of these blowing stations has a blow mold for expanding the plastic preforms.

Usually, it is necessary that such plastic containers are still heated before the actual expansion process. It is customary that the actual conversion stations, such as blowing stations, an oven is connected upstream, which undergo the individual plastic preforms. This means that a certain amount of plastic preforms is heated during transport and then the heated preforms are distributed to the individual blow molding stations.

From DE 694 02 543 T2 a device for the production of bodies at fixed workplaces is known. In this case, a continuous and regularly moving conveyor is provided which carries a plurality of body members. Further, means are provided for unloading the bodies from each feeder to the body supports and independent means for controlling each of these means. The present invention has for its object to provide a particularly stationary forming device available, which allows a defined heating process for the respective plastic containers.

This object is achieved by the subject matter of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments are the subject of the dependent claims.

A device according to the invention for forming plastic preforms into plastic containers has a multiplicity of blowing stations, each of which has at least one receiving space within which the plastic preforms belong to the

Plastic containers are expandable. Furthermore, a transport device is provided, which transports the containers along at least one predetermined transport path. According to the invention, the device has a multiplicity of heating devices, which are arranged along the transport path of each container upstream of the blowing stations, at least one heating device being associated with at least one blowing station.

While from the prior art, as mentioned above, the preforms first pass through a heating station and are then fed to the blowing stations, it is proposed according to the invention that there is a certain correlation between the heating devices and the blowing stations. It is possible that exactly each heating device is assigned to exactly one blowing station, but it would also be possible for a heating device to be assigned a plurality of blowing stations or a blowing station for a plurality of heating devices. In particular, therefore, a preform that has been heated in a particular heater is also reshaped from a particular blow station or blow station from a particular group of blow stations. This assignment of the blowing stations to the heating devices also enables individual treatment of different preforms. Furthermore, it can be ensured in this way that a container is expanded very shortly after the heating process.

The transport device transports in particular the preforms from the heating device to the blowing station. In addition, however, other components of the Transport device transport the preforms to the heating device or even transported away from the blowing station the containers made there again.

The paths to which the preforms are transported through the device are advantageous, and in particular the paths on which the preforms are transported through the heating devices are also already different.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the blowing stations are arranged stationary. This stationary arrangement of the blowing stations results in simplifications in the overall structure of the device according to the invention.

Advantageously, the heating means are arranged stationary. It is possible that the heating devices are independently controllable. It is also possible that the heating devices are designed such that certain areas of a preform are more heated in the circumferential direction and others less. In this way, a so-called preferential heating can be performed, which is particularly advantageous for the production of containers which have a different cross-section from a circular cross-section.

Advantageously, the heating devices and the blow molding stations are also arranged stationary relative to one another or also of modular design. In this way, it would be possible, for example, to first divide preforms into a plurality of heating devices by means of a feed device, and then to transfer each of these preforms by means of a transport device from the heating device to the blowing station associated with this heating device, and then again the manufactured containers be transported away.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the blowing stations are arranged along a circular path. Particularly advantageously, the individual blowing stations are arranged on a circular support. On this carrier, the individual heating devices are advantageously provided.

However, it would also be possible for the individual blowing stations, preferably together with their associated heating devices, to be arranged along a linear path. In particular, when the blow molding stations and the heating devices are in each case jointly constructed as modular units, there is the advantage that more or less these blow molding stations or heating devices can be provided individually depending on the customer's request. Advantageously, the device has the same number of blowing stations and heating devices.

In a further advantageous embodiment, at least one heating device is a microwave heating device, i. H. this heating device uses microwaves to heat the containers. All of the mentioned heating devices are advantageous for microwave heating devices. In addition, however, the device may also have infrared heating devices.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the heating devices are arranged radially within the blowing stations. For example, it is possible for a transport device to first transport the containers into the heating devices and then into the individual blowing stations.

In addition, it is advantageously possible that the heating means are arranged above or below the blowing stations. For this embodiment, microwave heating devices are particularly suitable since it is possible here to transport the containers along their longitudinal direction through said microwave heating devices.

In a further advantageous embodiment, a distributor device for distributing the preforms onto the heating devices is provided radially inside the blowing stations. This means that incoming preforms can be arranged, for example, in a row and then divided among the individual heating devices.

In a further advantageous embodiment, in each case one heating device, each with a blowing station, forms a modular unit. In this case, each heating direction is assigned to exactly one blowing station. If the heating device is in each case designed with a blowing station as a modular unit, however, there is the advantage that, as mentioned above, at the customer's request, existing modules can be supplemented with modules or individually a system can be constructed with the essential arbitrary numbers of heating and blowing stations.

Advantageously, this modular unit also has a transport device in order to convey the preforms from the heating device to the blowing station. This transport device is part of the respective module in this embodiment. In addition, each of these modules can also have a control device which controls the interaction of the heating device and the blowing station. Thus, this module can be connected, for example, to a central machine control, but in particular forms a self-contained technical unit. In such an embodiment, such a device preferably has a plurality of transport devices which can be controlled independently of one another, which convey the containers in each case from the heating device in the blowing station.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the device has a preheating unit for heating the preforms, and this preheating unit is preferably arranged upstream in relation to the heating device in the transport direction of the preforms. Experiments conducted by the Applicant have shown that the heating of, in particular, PET preforms for a stretch blow molding process by means of a microwave heating device is more favorable from an energetic point of view than the commonly used infrared technology. The above-mentioned modular units result in a process engineering view that each preform is heated individually. However, this results in a not inconsiderable control effort, but on the other hand, new or even as obsolete existing machine concepts can apply.

It has also been shown that a preheating of the preforms can be favorable before the actual heating with microwaves, since the heating of a PET preform by means of microwave also strongly depends on the already existing temperature of the preform in terms of their efficiency. Therefore, by preheating the preform, later heating by the microwave heating device can be made more efficient. It would be possible that each modular unit of heating device and blowing station is also assigned in each case a preheating. However, it would also be possible for a central preheating unit to be provided, through which all the PET preforms run and then the preforms thus preheated are fed to the respective modules from the heating unit and blowing station. In the latter variant, the respective Heizblasmodule be equipped with pre-heated preforms.

As mentioned, the heating device and the blowing station are advantageously designed as a modular unit. The preform is transported between these two components of the modular unit. Advantageously, this transport device transports the preforms between the heating station and the blowing station at least temporarily in the longitudinal direction thereof. It would also be possible to combine a given number of heating units together with the same number of blowing stations, each in a module, so that a corresponding modular unit is formed, for example, of N blowing stations and N heating devices. Also, these modules could be grouped together so that customers can be offered a machine with the desired number of blow molds.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the device has a further transport device, which discharges the blown containers from the blowing stations. This further transport device may preferably lead the individual containers isolated.

Advantageously transported at least one transport device clocked the containers, d. H. Here no continuous transport is carried out, but a transport with movement and resting phases.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the heating devices are arranged in a circumferential direction between the blowing stations. In this way, a space saving can be achieved.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the heating devices are in a circumferential direction at least partially between the blowing stations and radially inner arranged half of the blowing stations. In this way, a space saving can be achieved.

In a further advantageous embodiment, each blowing station is assigned a further heating device. This further heating device may in particular be an infrared heating device. Preferably, these individual further heating devices are independently controllable.

In a further advantageous embodiment, sterilization devices are provided which sterilize the preform on a partial area of the transport path. Likewise, means for maintaining a degree of sterilization may be provided.

In a further advantageous embodiment, labeling devices are provided which label the preform on a partial region of the transport path. Likewise, means for filling the containers may be provided on this transport path.

The present invention is further directed to a method for forming plastic preforms into plastic containers, wherein the plastic preforms are transported along at least one transport path by means of a transport device and heated by means of a heating device and after the heating process are transformed into plastic containers by means of blowing stations.

According to the invention, plastic containers which are heated with a certain heating means are expanded to plastic containers with a predetermined blowing station or blowing station selected from a predetermined group of blowing stations. This means that it is also proposed on the method side to create an association between the heating devices and the blow molding stations.

Preferably, at least two plastic preforms or containers are transported on different paths. Since, as mentioned, the blowing stations are advantageously arranged stationarily, different preforms, which arrive at different blowing stations, assume different transport paths. Preferably, the transport of the containers is clocked. In a further advantageous embodiment, at least the Blowing stations or the heating units and preferably arranged both the blow molding stations and the heating units stationary.

Preferably, the containers are labeled after their production with a stationary labeling animal aggregate and the labeling is particularly preferably added only in rotational movement. A translatory movement of the bottles is not needed for the period of labeling. A corresponding labeling device could be arranged, for example, above or below the heating device.

Further advantages and embodiments will become apparent from the accompanying drawings.

Show:

Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a device according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail view of the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a further overall view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detailed view of a transport device for the inventive

Contraption;

FIG. 5 is a detailed view of the transport device shown in FIG. 4; FIG.

6 shows a further detail view of the device according to the invention;

Fig. 7 is a detail view of a blowing station;

8 shows a view of a region of the device according to the invention lying below a blowing station; and

9 shows a further overall view of a device according to the invention; 10 shows a further embodiment of a device according to the invention;

Fig. 1 1 is a schematic plan view of a device according to the invention in a further embodiment;

Fig. 12 is an illustration of a single modular unit; and

13 shows a representation of a further embodiment of a modular unit comprising a heating unit and a blowing station.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a device 1 according to the invention for forming plastic containers. In this case, a designated in its entirety by 2 transport device is provided, which transports containers 10. In this case, this device 2 has a first transport unit 30, which is designed here as a rotatable disk 30 or a rotatable star with a multiplicity of gripper elements 32. Furthermore, the device has a plurality of heating devices, which serve to heat the plastic preforms, but only one heating device 6 is shown. Below the heating device 6, a blowing station 4 is provided, which serves for expanding the preforms. Here, the preforms are lowered here in the direction Y down into the blowing station 4 after they have been heated in the heating device 6. For this purpose, the device here has a second transport device 40, which is movable in the direction Y.

Below the blowing station 4, a labeling device 22 is provided, which provides the containers thus produced with labels. The reference numerals 24, 26 and 28 refer to three carriers, wherein on the uppermost carrier 24, the transport device 2 is arranged on the middle carrier 26, the blowing station 4 and on the lower carrier 28, the labeling device 22. The reference numeral 34 refers to a Housing for receiving preforms. At the individual carriers, a plurality of blowing stations 4 - advantageously evenly distributed in the circumferential direction - arranged. Also, a plurality of labeling devices 22 may be provided. In another embodiment, it may also be one or more labeling devices 22 associated with a plurality of blowing stations. In this case, an additional distributing means, not shown, would be conceivable for the labels. In an advantageous embodiment, a filling device, not shown, is arranged in the region of the transport path oriented in the Y direction. In the filling device, the containers are filled or filled and sealed before or after labeling.

FIG. 2 shows a detailed representation of the device shown in FIG. 1. One recognizes further here a carrier 18 on which the transport unit 40 is arranged. The containers or preforms (not shown here) are gripped by the gripping devices 32 and conveyed along a circular path to above the area of the heating device 6. In this area, they are gripped by a further holding element, for example a mandrel, which engages in its mouth. In a further step, the containers are lowered in the direction y and conveyed by the heating device 6. Below the heating device 6, a further heating device 42 may be arranged, this being an infrared heating device. After the containers have been so heated, they are introduced into the blowing station 4, wherein this blowing station 4 here has two blow mold halves 16a, 16b which can be folded apart. In addition to opening or swiveling the blow stations about an axis, it would also be conceivable to have a linear feed movement of at least one blow mold half 16a. The movement of the blow mold halves 16a, 16b could be effected by an electric drive, preferably via a servomotor. In another embodiment, toggle levers are preferably used to close the blow mold halves. In the case of an additional embodiment, the further heating device 42 may also be radiation devices which emit light in the region of the near infrared or preferably between 1700 nm and 2100 nm. In addition to the heating device 6 and 42, a second further heater, not shown, may be arranged in the region in front of the heating device 6. In the second further heating device, the preforms are pre-heated to a predetermined temperature. Preferably, the preforms are pre-tempered in the second further heating device to a temperature in the range of 35 ° C to 80 ⁰ C. Thus, a microwave heater could work more efficiently. Only after the pre-tempering a temperature profile in the longitudinal axis is generated on the preform 10 in the heater 6.

Fig. 3 shows a further detailed representation of a device according to the invention. It can be seen that a plurality of gripping devices is arranged on the transport wheel 30. Furthermore, it can be seen that within the housing 34 for receiving the preforms further collecting container 43 is arranged for preforms, which has an outlet opening 44 and an exit slot, through which the preforms on a transport rail 46, which is also part of the overall transport means designated 2, is guided. The transport rail 46 actively conveys the preforms 10 by means of fans, not shown, or the preforms 10 slide down by their weight on the transport rail 46. They are held below their support ring. It can further be seen that the preforms are guided on the carrier wheel 30 along a circular segment-shaped transport path and are also guided in a plane which is parallel to the plane of the individual carriers 24, 26 and 28. By contrast, the transport unit 40 conveys the preforms in a direction perpendicular thereto. Therefore, a transport direction of the preforms is changed by an angle of 90 ° here in the process. Within the transport unit 40, a stretching rod is preferably provided for expanding the plastic preforms during the expansion process. The stretch rod could additionally pressurize the preform within the blowing station 4.

The reference numeral 60 refers to another device for removing the preforms, which will be explained in more detail below. The reference numeral 50 also indicates a transport device, which transports the finished blown containers, in which case the containers are again transported in a plane which is parallel to the individual carriers 24, 26.

4 shows a further detailed representation. Again, one recognizes the transport rail 46, by means of which preforms 10 are conveyed. At the lower end of the transport rail, the preforms enter the individual gripping devices 32 and are conveyed here by the carrier wheel 30 in a clockwise direction until they are below the transport unit 40. In this area, for example, the gripping device holding the preform 10 can open and in this way release the preform 10 so that it can now be transported downwards in the Y direction by the heating device 6.

Also in the illustration shown in Fig. 3, only a blowing station and a heating device is shown. In addition to the transport rail shown here, a roller system could be provided which performs a pre-sorting of the preforms. Further would be it is possible to use a disc sorter (not shown) which has multiple outlets for dispensing the preforms to different carrier wheels 30 or rails 46. Furthermore, it would also be possible for the blowing station 4 to be followed by a further star wheel with a multiplicity of gripping devices, which pass on the finished and possibly also already labeled containers to a filling station. In addition, a belt transport would be conceivable. It would also be possible to use a sawtooth star for transporting the preforms 10 to the transport unit 40.

Also, in a further embodiment, the carrier wheel could be dispensed with and the rail 46 or a plurality of rails 46, which are optionally distributed in the circumferential direction over points, be guided directly in the area below the transport unit 40. Thus, it would be possible, for example, that an end piece of such a transport rail has a rail element which is displaceable perpendicular to the direction of movement of the preforms, so that in this way the individual preforms could be released. In this way, the transport unit 40 could take over the respectively arranged at the end of such a rail preform and also would be a one-tact - but only by the transport unit 40 - possible. It would be possible to use drives such as servomotors, magnetic or pneumatic drives for driving the transport unit 40 in the Y-direction, but also for the rotary drive.

5 shows a further illustration of the device according to the invention. In this illustration, a mandrel 41 can be seen, which engages in an opening of the preforms. At the same time this mandrel is designed here as a blowing nozzle to pressurize the preform to its expansion with compressed air. To this end, there is further provided a valve block 45 having a plurality of valves (not shown in detail) for controlling the supply of air to the preform. However, it would also be conceivable that in addition a blowing nozzle is provided, which, for example, pivots laterally to pressurize the preform with the compressed air.

After the mandrel 41 has entered the mouth of the preforms, the transport of the containers in the direction Y by the heating device 6 is possible. The reference numeral 17 refers to a waveguide which conveys the microwaves into the resonator 7 of the heater 6 from a magnetron (not shown). In a further advantageous embodiment, it would also be possible for the transport unit 40 to be rotatable about its own axis so that the preform 10 can be transported at a specific rotational position about its own axis through the heating device 6. In this way too, it would be possible to heat individual regions of the preform differently than other regions in order in this way to achieve the preferential heating of the preform already described above.

In a further embodiment, a control and preferably a control is provided, which performs a thermal profiling of the preform 10 in its longitudinal axis. A sensor device, not shown, measures the temperatures of different regions of the preform 10 in the resonator and compares the measured values with predetermined desired values. If a desired value is reached, a signal is transmitted to a control device, not shown, of the transport device 2, so that an advance of the transport unit in the Y direction is to be initiated.

It would be possible for an inspection device to be arranged in the region of the transport path after the blowing station 4. It inspects the container for given geometrical, thermal or chemical values, such as sterility, wall thicknesses or temperatures, and compares them to given setpoints and passes the results to a closed loop control loop. By assigning individual blow molding stations 4 to individual heating devices 6, an individual control of the individual heating devices for different profiling, but also such parameters as a stretching speed of the stretch rod, Vorblasdruck, Fertigblasdruck and the time that is exposed to the preform of individual stations, go from equip ,

It would be conceivable that the stretch rod is driven separately from the drive of the transport device 2, 40 with its own drive. It would additionally be possible for drives, such as servomotors, magnetic or pneumatic drives for driving on the stretch rod, to be arranged on the transport device 2, 40. Since in stationary blowing stations the stretching speed can be controlled separately, and not over curved tracks which are difficult to replace, as usual in the state of the art, the use of a regulation of the stretching speed is particularly recommended here. In another embodiment, ejection devices, not shown, are arranged in the region of the transport path, which reject faulty or incorrectly positioned preforms or containers 10 due to signals from different control circuits or inspectors.

Fig. 6 shows a further illustration of the device according to the invention. Here, in particular, the further heating device 42 can be seen, which additionally heats the preforms. As mentioned above, this is an infrared heating device. Reference numeral 48 denotes a shielding member which grips the preform and which also serves to partially shield the preform. Thus, for example, the mouth region of the preform can be protected against heating, since in particular the thread of the preforms should not be heated. It would also be possible with the shielding device 48 to shield individual areas of the preform in a peripheral device in order to achieve only partial heating of the preform in this way. The shielding element is here, as indicated by the arrow P1, pivotally.

In one embodiment, the shielding element 48 may be a clamp which additionally temperes individual regions of the preform 10 by means of contact in order to cause different stretch ratios in the individual regions of the container to be blown. In this way, a preferential heating would be conceivable.

FIG. 7 shows a further illustration of the device according to the invention, wherein in particular the blowing station 16 is shown, within which the preforms are expanded into plastic containers. In this case, the preform is again introduced along the direction Y in the (then open) blowing station and then closed the blowing station. Subsequently, the preform, as known from the prior art, be supplied with compressed air. However, corresponding supply lines for the compressed air are not shown in Fig. 7.

The reference numeral 52 denotes a bottom part of the blowing station, which closes off a cavity in addition to the two parts 16a and 16b, within which the preform is formed into the container or the plastic bottle. This bottom part 52 is pivotably arranged here by means of an arm 53 and can more precisely from the transport path of the Be pivoted container in the direction Y, so that the container can be pushed down here after the expansion down

Fig. 8 shows a further detail of the device according to the invention. Below the blowing station here is still the transport unit 50 is provided, which serves to take over the finished containers. This transport unit 50 in turn has a gripping device 54 for gripping the now finished containers. This gripping device is here arranged on a (preferably provided with a linear bearing) support arm 55 and preferably also in a plane pivotally, which is parallel to the carrier 26. Reference numeral 56 denotes a mounting plate for fixing the gripping device 54 to the support arm 58. In addition, the device has a curve (not shown) to control an opening and closing movement of the gripping device 54. However, it would also be possible that other drives, such as servomotors, magnetic or pneumatic drives for driving the gripping device 54 are provided. It would also be possible that stationary curves for extending the linear bearing are arranged on the carriers 24, 26, 28 or fixed in the region of the transport unit. These interact with control rollers which are arranged on the linear bearing.

FIG. 9 shows a further overall illustration of the device according to the invention. Here, a bottom plate 66 is also recognized, on which the device 50 is arranged, as well as a further transport unit 60, which serves to remove the preforms. Here, the further transport unit 60 is an air conveyor having a rail 64 on which rests the support ring of the preforms or the containers and an underlying cavity, which can be acted upon, for example, with compressed air, in this way the containers in the direction of the arrow P2.

The transport unit 50 is arranged to be movable along a circular path in order to transfer the containers to the transport unit 60. For this purpose, a circumferential groove 65 is provided in the bottom plate 66 for guiding the transport unit. However, it would also be possible that the entire bottom plate 66 is rotatably arranged and the transport units 50 are in turn fixedly arranged on the bottom plate 66. However, a mobility of the individual transport units 50 relative to the bottom plate allows the creation of individual spaces between the individual containers. In a partial region of the transport path sterilization devices, not shown, may furthermore be provided, which sterilize the preforms 10 or containers. The sterilizers may include nozzles or dip baths that wet the inside or outside of the preform with hydrogen peroxide or peracetic acid. Also conceivable would be sterilization by means of E-beam, wherein electrons can be introduced via a nozzle to the wall of the preform in order to sterilize them. This could be done on an additional carrier, not shown, which is arranged between the heating device 6 and the blowing station 4.

Likewise, an arrangement of the sterilization devices in the area of the transport devices 30, 46, 34 in front of the heating device would be conceivable. In order to ensure the sterility of the preform and the container, it is proposed to arrange the areas after sterilization by the sterilization facilities in a clean room, not shown. This clean room advantageously extends to the closing device.

10 shows a schematic view of a device according to the invention in a further embodiment. In this case, the preforms 10 are first separated and then pass into a preheating unit 12, in which they are first preheated. In this case, this preheating unit may have, for example, an inclined inlet rail. Subsequently, the preforms of a transport element 14, which is part of the transport device 2 is taken and here from bottom to top in the heating device 6, which is designed here as a microwave oven, introduced. In this heating device, the preforms are brought to the blast temperature, while advantageously preheating the subsequent preform 10 at the same time.

Advantageously, in this embodiment, a clocked transport of the preforms.

As soon as the preform has reached the required temperature profile, the transport element 14 and the linear drive 14 a can continue to move upwards and be guided in their entirety by means of a transfer unit to the blowing station 4. This transfer unit (not shown in detail) transfers the preform into the opened blowing station (in Fig. 10 the blowing station is shown in a closed state with the two blow mold halves 4a and 4b) and the linear drive 14a takes over the next preform from the preheating unit 12. In the blowing station 4, the preform is blown to a plastic bottle 20 and this plastic bottle 20 can ultimately from the transfer unit, which here the EIe- Elements 72 and 74 has been removed from the blowing station and then transferred to (not shown) bottle transport system. The blowing station advantageously has a stretch blow unit and in particular also has a stretching rod.

1 1 shows an illustration of a device according to the invention with a multiplicity of modular units 70, which in each case consist of a heating device 6 and a blowing station 4. The reference numeral 2 denotes in its entirety the transport device which conveys the preforms from the heating device 6 to the blowing station 4. The reference numeral 92 refers to a central treatment in which all preforms are treated, for example continuously, such as. As an inspection, a preheat, a floor cooling or sterilization. Starting from this central treatment, the preforms can be displaced in a longitudinal direction L, for example, with respect to a rail 82. The reference numeral 94 also refers to such a central processing unit such as an inspection, sterilization or the like.

The preforms could also be moved here along a guide or with a transport system in the direction L. These central treatment units 92, 94 can also be moved along the rails 82, 84 in the direction L.

Reference numeral 78 denotes a central controller which controls both the individual modular units 70 and the respective treatment stations 92 and 94.

12 shows a more detailed view of a modular unit 70. In this case, the transport device 2 has a transport arm 36 which, for example, can be arranged pivotably at a docking point 38 or can also be displaced in the direction R. At this transport arm 36, the linear guide 14 shown in Fig. 10 may be arranged. The reference numeral 37 denotes a further transport arm, which here leads the plastic preform to the blowing station 4. During operation, it is possible that, for example, while a finished container is removed from the transport arm 37 of the blowing station and at the same time a heated preform is transferred from the heating device 6 to the blowing station 4 with the transport arm 36. Fig. 13 shows a further embodiment of a device according to the invention. Again, the transport arms 36, 37 are provided, but here the device is designed such that on each transport arm two preforms can be arranged on a corresponding equipment 35. In this case, therefore, the modular unit 70 has a twin blow unit 4 and also a twin heater 6. Accordingly, it would also be possible to combine several heating devices, for example triples or Vierlingseinrichtungen together. Reference numeral 49 refers to a controller for controlling the modular unit 70. As shown in Fig. 11, each modular unit 70 may have its own control, but the entire machine is controlled by the above-mentioned central controller 78.

It would also be possible to combine elements of the devices shown in FIGS. 10-13 with elements of the devices shown in FIGS. 1-9, for example to use the control devices 49 also in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-9.

The applicant reserves the right to claim all of the features disclosed in the application documents as essential to the invention, provided that they are novel individually or in combination with respect to the prior art.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 device

2 transport device

4 blowing station

4a, 4b blow mold halves

6 heating device

7 resonator

10 container

12 preheating unit

14 transport element

14a linear drive

16a, 16b blow mold halves

17 waveguide

18,24,26,28 carrier

20 container, plastic bottle

22 labeling device

30 transport unit

32 rotatable gripping elements

34 housing

35 outriggers

36 transport arm

37 further transport arm

38 docking point

40 transport unit

41 mandrel, tuyere

42 heating device

43 collection container

44 outlet opening

45 valve block

46 Transport rail

48 shielding element

49 control device

50 transport unit

52 bottom part

53 arm

54 gripping device

55 support arm

56 mounting plate 58 holding arm

60 more transport unit

64 rail

65 groove

66 base plate

70 modular unit

72, 74 elements

78 central control

82, 84 guide device

92, 94 central treatment unit

P1, P2 arrow

L longitudinal direction

R direction

Y direction

Claims

claims

1. An apparatus for forming plastic preforms to plastic containers (10) having a plurality of blowing stations (4), each having at least one receiving space within which the plastic preforms are expandable to the plastic containers, and with a transport device (2) along the containers transported at least one predetermined transport path, characterized in that the device comprises a plurality of heating devices (6) along the transport path of each container upstream of the blowing stations (4) are arranged, wherein at least one heating device (6) at least one blowing station (4 ) assigned.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the blowing stations (4) and / or the heating means (6) are arranged stationary.

3. Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the blowing stations (4) are arranged along a circular path.

4. Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one heating device (6) has a microwave heating device

(6).

5. Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heating means (6) arranged radially within the blowing stations (4) are.

6. Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a distribution device for distributing the preforms is provided on the heating means (6) radially within the blowing stations.

7. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in each case a heating device (6), each with a blowing station (4) forms a modular unit (70).

8. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that the modular unit (70) has a transport device (2) to the preforms

(10) from the heating means (6) to the blowing station (4) to promote.

9. Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (1) has a preheating unit (12) for heating the preforms (10) and this preheating unit (12) preferably in the transport direction of the preforms (10) upstream of the Heating device (6) is arranged.

10. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device has a further transport device which discharges the containers (20) from the blowing stations (4).

1 1. A device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one transport device transports the containers clocked.

12. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heating means (6) lie in a circumferential direction in each case between the blowing stations (4).

13. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each blowing station (4) is associated with a further heating device.

14. A method for forming plastic preforms to plastic containers, wherein the plastic preforms are transported with a transport device along at least one transport path, are heated by a heating device and formed after the heating process by blowing stations to plastic containers, characterized in that

Plastic containers, which are heated with a certain Erwämrungseinrichtung (6) are expanded with a predetermined blowing station (4) to plastic containers.

15. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that at least two containers are transported on different paths.