JP2005028806A - Preform heating device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the structure of a device for heating preforms used in the production process of PET bottles by blow molding uniformly and stably in a short period of time. <P>SOLUTION: The device has: a pitch transfer conveyance means in which mandrels for holding the inverted preforms are arranged in approximately equal pitches; a heat source for heating the preforms held by the mandrels from their sides; and a cooling air spraying means arranged to face the heat source to hold the preforms between them. Air spouting slits arranged approximately to match the pitch of the preforms are set in the cooling air spraying means. Straightening fins are arranged to make air ejected from the slits flow in the preform conveyance direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a preform heating apparatus used for molding a bottle-like container made of polyethylene terephthalate resin (hereinafter referred to as PET) called a PET bottle by a blow molding method.

The preform is injection-molded into a bottomed cylindrical shape.
In the process of producing a PET bottle by stretching and deforming this preform by blow molding, it is necessary to heat it to a predetermined temperature.
Since PET is a resin, its thermal conductivity is not so good, so it takes time to heat it in an atmosphere furnace or the like, which hinders the productivity of blow molding.

Therefore, a transmissive radiant heating method using an infrared heater or the like is employed.
However, even if a heat source such as an infrared heater is used, the thermal conductivity of PET resin is not good, so the outer surface temperature of the outer side of the preform rises faster than the inner surface temperature, and the inner surface temperature is heated to an appropriate range. Then, there was a technical problem that the outer outer surface was crystallized and turned white.

Thus, for the purpose of preventing the outer surface of the preform from being overheated, a method of heating while cooling by blowing air to the outer surface of the preform has been adopted.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-11215 discloses a technique for adjusting a temperature difference between an outer surface and an inner surface by rapidly heating a preform while blowing cooling air and then leaving it for a certain period.
However, the temperature control process by leaving is easily influenced by the surrounding environment such as the ambient temperature, and especially when the PET bottle production is started and when the production is continuously produced to some extent, the ambient temperature itself may change greatly. high.
JP 2003-11215 A

  An object of the present invention is to provide a preform heating apparatus used in a process for producing PET bottles by blow molding, and an apparatus structure capable of heating uniformly and stably in a short time.

  A plurality of mandrels for holding the preform in an inverted posture, a pitch feed conveying means arranged at substantially equal pitches, a heat source for heating the plurality of preforms respectively held on the plurality of mandrels from the side, and the plurality of the plurality of mandrels The cooling air spraying means is disposed opposite to the heat source so as to sandwich the preform therebetween. The cooling air spraying means is provided with a plurality of air blowing slits substantially matching the pitch of the preform, and the air blown from the slits is provided. The preform heating apparatus is characterized in that the rectifying fins are arranged so that the wind is directed against the direction in which the preform is transported.

  The distance between the conventional air blowing slits is different from the preform conveying pitch, so that air was not uniformly applied to a plurality of preforms, whereas in the present invention, the pitch of the conveying preform and the slit interval are almost the same. Since they are combined, it acts so that the cooling air is uniformly applied.

The fins of the conventional air outlets only have openings for blowing out as appropriate, and do not have a function of reliably rectifying the preform.
On the other hand, in the present invention, the preform is transported to pitch feed, and the flow of air is uniformly and stably applied to the preform by attaching the rectifying fins so that the wind is directed against the traveling direction of the preform. Rectified to hit.
Here, rectifying fins are defined by setting the shape, angle and length of the fins so that they uniformly and stably touch the preform. A flat plate-shaped fin is attached with its inclination angle and length adjusted. Alternatively, the curved shape may be set so that the cross section becomes a curve.

The height of the slit through which the air blows out is better matched to the height of the preform in order to cool the preform efficiently.
In addition, when an air blowing port from a blower normally used as an air supply source is attached to a casing having a predetermined space and a plurality of air blowing slits are arranged in the casing, air from each slit blows out uniformly. In this way, the slit width is adjusted by changing the width of the slit and the length of the fin.

In the conventional air volume adjustment of the blower, the suction inlet is adjusted by the sliding of a shielding plate attached to the blower inlet.
On the other hand, if a method is adopted in which a damper is attached to the blower outlet side of the blower and the air volume is adjusted according to the opening / closing angle, it is easy to adjust the amount of air blown from the slit.

  In the present invention, the preforms are arranged on the conveying means at substantially equal pitches, the air blowing slits are arranged in accordance with the preform pitch, and the rectifying fins are attached to the air blowing ports of the slits. Since the cooling air is uniformly applied to the outer surface of the preform, heating can be performed while preventing an excessive temperature rise on the outer surface of the preform.

In this way, when the preform is transported and heated at equal pitch intervals, a plurality of blow molding dies are also provided after the preform is heated, and even if simultaneous molding is performed by multiple pitch feeding, the preform between the dies. Heating variation is reduced.
Even if the conveyance proceeds at a constant speed, the air blowing slits are set at substantially the same pitch, so that there is an effect of uniform cooling, but the effect of the present invention is particularly noticeable in a plurality of molds. On the other hand, it is a case where it conveys by pitch feed.

1 and 2 show an embodiment of a heating device according to the present invention.
FIG. 1 shows a top view of the preform heating apparatus with the top cover removed, and FIG. 2 shows a side view of the preform as seen from the slit side.
The heating device for the preform (Parison) 1 is incorporated as part of a blow molding process for PET bottles.
The preform conveying device 8 is provided with mandrels 8a capable of rotating at regular pitch P0 intervals.
As shown in FIG. 2, the preform 1 is held in an inverted posture on the mandrel 8a. As shown in FIG. 1, the pitch of the plurality of preforms is determined by the pitch of the mandrels and is P0.
Cooling air blowing slits 3a, 3a, 3b, 3b,... 3d, 3d are provided at a pitch P1 substantially the same as the pitch P0 of the preform.
As an example, a rectifying fin 4 having a curved cross section and a length P2 is attached to the air outlet of the slit.
The rectifying fin has a curved surface shape so that the air is directed toward the preform conveyance direction V, and the air flow is schematically represented as A.

A plurality of slits are provided in the casing 5, and an air blower 9 is connected to an air supply port 6 of the casing via a bellows tube 9c.
In the example shown in FIG. 1, only one air supply port 6 is provided, but it may be divided into a plurality if necessary.
In this way, when air is supplied to each slit by one air blow, the slit widths of the slits 3a and 3a close to the air supply port 6 are narrowed, and the slits 3b and 3b located at positions farther than this. ... 3d and 3d are set to be wide in order so that the amount of air blown from each slit is adjusted to be uniform.
The slit width may be experimentally determined and fixed in advance, but it may be adjustable by a shield plate slide type or the like.
Further, as shown in FIG. 2, it is preferable from the viewpoint of air rectification that the height of each slit is substantially matched to the height of the preform.

  The air blow 9 is provided with a suction port 9a and an air outlet 9b, but a damper 9d is provided on the air outlet side so that the air volume can be adjusted.

As shown in FIG. 1, while a plurality of preforms 1 are arranged at an equal pitch P0, the carrier device 8 advances in the direction V and air blown from the slits 3a, 3b,. The air is rectified so as to be a head wind against the traveling direction of the preform and hits the outer surface of each preform.
Moreover, you may provide the air suction inlet 7 in the slit other side of a heating apparatus as needed.
Infrared heaters 2 are set in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction on the opposite surface of the slit to radiately heat the preform.
Thereby, it heated while cooling the outer surface of a preform with air, and it could be heated uniformly so that inner surface temperature might be 100-120 degreeC, suppressing crystallization (whitening) of the outer surface of a preform.

When the preform is heated to a predetermined temperature, it is automatically supplied to the blow molding dies 10a, 10b, etc., and blow molded.
The pitch width may be changed after the preform is heated depending on the arrangement of the molds. When a plurality of molds are arranged in parallel and the preform is supplied by pitch feed, each mold can be obtained by using the heating device of the present invention. The temperature of the preform supplied to is stabilized, and the blow molding variation between the molds can be suppressed.

The figure which looked at the heating device concerning the present invention from the upper part is shown. The side view which looked at the slit side from the preform of a heating apparatus is shown.

Explanation of symbols

1 Preform (Parison)
2 Heater 3a, 3b, 3d Slit 4 Rectification fin 5 Casing 6 Air supply port 7 Suction port 8 Transport device 8a Mandrel 9 Blower 9a Blower suction port 9b Blower outlet 9c Bellows tube 9d Damper 10a, 10b Blow mold

Claims (1)

Pitch feed conveying means in which a plurality of mandrels holding the preform in an inverted posture are arranged at substantially equal pitches;
A heat source for heating a plurality of preforms respectively held by the plurality of mandrels from a side surface;
A cooling air spraying means disposed opposite to the heat source so as to sandwich the plurality of preforms, the cooling air spraying means being provided with a plurality of air blowing slits substantially matched to the pitch of the preform, from the slits An apparatus for heating a preform, wherein rectifying fins are arranged so that the blown-out air is directed against the direction in which the preform is conveyed.

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