JPH07285181A - Method and apparatus for crystallizing resin piece - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To sufficiently whitening and crystallizing a resin piece over the range from the outer wall to the inner wall thereof while keeping the shape stability thereof. CONSTITUTION:A neck piece 10 is supplied to a track like feed passage 20 having a large number of feed blocks 30 arranged thereto from a supply part 50 and fed in a primary heating oven 60a to be subjected to a primary heating process. Thereafter, the neck piece 10 is passed through a second semicircular feed passage 28 to enter a primary gradual cooling process to be naturally cooled to room temp. In the initial state of this primary gradual cooling process, a primary shaping process pressing the top surface of the neck piece 10 is executed. The neck piece 10 is again heated in a secondary heating oven 60b and subsequently cooled in a secondary gradual cooling process to be taken out of the apparatus from a taking-out part 70. On the way of the secondary gradual cooling process, a secondary shaping process again molding the top surface of the neck piece 10 is executed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for whitening and crystallizing the neck of a heat-resistant bottle, in particular.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In molding a heat-resistant resin bottle, a method of whitening and crystallizing the preform or the neck portion of the bottle has been proposed. However, in the preform or bottle, only a part of the neck part is heated and gradually cooled to be whitened and crystallized, but the preform or bottle transport system, the heating part, etc. become large, which is an obstacle to automation. .

In order to crystallize the neck portion of the bottle, it is desirable to perform it in the state of a preform or in the state of a neck piece that is inserted and integrated as a neck portion during injection molding of the preform.

However, a device for crystallizing a neck piece of a preform has not been put into practical use yet. In order to put this into practical use, there were some problems to be solved. Further, although a preform crystallization apparatus has already been put into practical use, it has problems in terms of upsizing of the apparatus and stability of dimensional accuracy.

One of the problems is that, particularly when the neck piece is crystallized, the relatively thin neck piece is thermally deformed, and the initial dimensional accuracy after injection molding cannot be maintained.

As another problem, the neck portion and the neck portion of the preform generally have a flange portion which functions as a support ring when the bottle is in the state of being in a bottle state, and the flange portion has a thickness larger than that of other portions. Since it is thick, it is difficult to raise the temperature and crystallization becomes difficult.

Still another problem is that it is practically difficult to evenly heat the inner and outer wall surfaces of the neck piece and the neck portion of the preform. Therefore, a temperature difference easily occurs between the inner and outer wall surfaces, and uneven crystallization occurs. It will happen.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a neck piece,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a resin piece crystallization method and apparatus capable of crystallizing a resin piece such as a preform and maintaining high shape stability.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for crystallizing a resin piece which can sufficiently crystallize a thick flange portion.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for crystallizing a resin piece which can alleviate the temperature difference between the inner and outer walls of the piece to reduce uneven crystallization.

[0011]

According to the method of the present invention, a step of heating a resin piece to a temperature necessary for crystallization, a step of gradually cooling the heated resin piece, and a step of gradually cooling the resin piece are described. Or a step of shaping the shape of at least a part of the resin piece at least in the final stage of the heating step.

Further, in the apparatus of the present invention, a heating section for heating the resin pieces and a gradual cooling section for gradually cooling the heated resin pieces are provided in a conveying path for conveying a plurality of resin pieces. It is characterized by sequentially arranging, and the slow cooling part and / or the heating part is provided with a shaping part for shaping the shape of at least a part of the resin piece.

According to this method and apparatus, the resin piece is softened by heating to the temperature required for crystallization,
The shape stability is maintained by shaping the softened resin piece that retains the heat during this heating.

Further, the method of the present invention comprises a primary heating step of heating the resin piece, a primary slow cooling step of gradually cooling the resin piece heated in the primary heating step, and a slow cooling of the resin piece. Piece, a secondary heating step of heating to a temperature necessary for crystallization, a secondary slow cooling step of gradually cooling the resin piece heated in the secondary heating step, during the secondary slow cooling step,
Or at least in the final stage of the secondary heating step,
A shaping step of shaping the shape of at least a part of the resin piece.

Alternatively, in the apparatus of the present invention, a primary heating unit that heats the resin pieces and a primary annealing unit that gradually cools the primarily heated resin pieces are provided in a conveyance path that conveys a plurality of resin pieces. And a secondary heating unit that reheats the gradually cooled resin piece, and a secondary gradual cooling unit that gradually cools the secondarily heated resin piece again. The slow cooling part and / or the secondary heating part is provided with a shaping part for shaping the shape of at least a part of the resin piece.

According to this method and apparatus, the shape stability of the resin piece is maintained by performing the shaping step, and the temperature of the inner and outer wall surfaces of the piece is increased by the primary slow cooling step between the two heating steps. Since the difference is relaxed, uneven crystallization can be reduced.

Here, in the above method or apparatus, a preliminary shaping step for shaping the shape of at least a part of the resin piece is further performed during the first slow cooling step or at least at the final stage of the primary heating step. You can By performing the shaping process after each of the two heating processes and dividing the heating process into two stages, it is possible to reduce the amount of shaping at one time and perform reasonable shaping.

The resin piece to be crystallized by the above method may be a tubular neck piece which is integrated as a neck portion of the preform during injection molding of the bottle preform. As shaping of this piece, if the end surface of the tubular neck piece is pressed, for example, the end surface can be flattened and the sealing performance of the bottle can be improved.

The object of crystallization in the above method may be a bottle molding preform having a neck portion and a cylindrical body portion having a bottom, which follows the neck portion. Even in this shaping step, pressing the end face of the neck portion of the preform improves the sealing property of the bottle.

When the resin piece has a flange portion in the region to be crystallized, it is possible to heat the flange portion by heat transfer from the supporting member while supporting the resin piece by the supporting member that contacts the flange portion. preferable. It is possible to sufficiently heat and crystallize the thick flange portion by solid heat conduction.

In constructing the device of the present invention, a plurality of transport blocks for transporting the resin pieces are provided along the transport path, and the transport blocks have a mounting member for mounting the resin pieces. However, it is preferable that the shaping section has a pressing section that presses the resin piece placed on the placing member.

The resin piece can be easily shaped by being sandwiched between the mounting member and the pressing portion and pressed.

In the apparatus of the present invention, one or more heating portions for heating the resin pieces and one for gradually cooling the resin pieces are provided in a conveying path for conveying a plurality of resin pieces having flange portions. The above slow cooling parts are alternately arranged, and a plurality of transport blocks for transporting the resin pieces are provided along the transport path, and the transport blocks are mounted on which the flange portions of the resin pieces are placed. The heating unit has a member,
It may be configured to have a heating unit that heats the resin piece and at least a part of the placement unit.

The gradual cooling portion between the heating portions alleviates the temperature difference between the inner and outer wall surfaces of the resin piece, and the flange portion can be heated by solid heat conduction, so that the thick portion such as the flange portion is crystallized. Be promoted.

The above device can be easily realized by arranging a plurality of radiant heat sources arranged at different positions in the height direction on the side of the conveyance path of the resin piece. The device of the present invention also includes first and second semi-circular conveying paths,
A transport path which is formed in a track shape composed of first and second straight transport paths that connect them, and in which a plurality of transport blocks that carry and transport resin pieces circulate, and the first semi-circular transport path A supply unit that supplies the resin piece to the transfer block, a primary heating unit that heats the resin piece that is transferred along the first straight transfer path, and a second heating unit.
A pre-shaping unit for pre-shaping at least a part of the resin piece conveyed while being gradually cooled along the semi-circle conveying path, and reheating the resin piece conveyed along the second straight conveying path. A secondary heating unit, a main shaping unit that shapes at least a part of the resin piece that is transported while being gradually cooled along the first semicircular transport path, the main shaping unit, and the supply unit. And a take-out section for taking out the resin piece from the first semi-circular conveying path between them.

With this arrangement, two heating units can be arranged in a relatively long straight conveying path in a limited space to secure a sufficient heating time, and the heaters can be arranged linearly. Will be simpler. In addition, the slow cooling period can be sufficiently secured along the first and second semi-circular conveying paths, and the preliminary and main shaping operations can be realized during the slow cooling.

The main shaping unit in the above apparatus includes a plurality of first pressing blocks that move in synchronization with the transport block along a rotational movement path above the first semi-circular transport path,
The first pressing block may be driven downward during shaping and may be driven upward during non-shaping.

Similarly, the preparatory shaping unit in the above-mentioned apparatus is arranged along the rotational movement path above the second semi-circular conveyance path,
It is possible to have a plurality of second pressing blocks that move in synchronization with the transport block, and second pressing block driving means that drives the second pressing blocks downward during shaping and moves upward during non-shaping.

In any case, of the track-shaped conveying paths, the pressing blocks are moved along the rotational movement paths facing only the first and second semi-circular conveying paths, and the resin blocks are conveyed one after another. The shaping process can be performed on the pieces.

When the tubular neck piece is to be crystallized, the carrying block can be configured to have a mounting member on which the neck piece is mounted and a shaft which is inserted into the neck piece. Further, shaft heating means for heating the shaft can be provided in the middle of the first semi-circular conveying path in the preceding stage of the supply section.

By heating the shaft inserted in the tubular neck piece, the neck piece can be heated from the inner wall side, and the temperature difference between the inner and outer wall surfaces can be further reduced.

When the tubular neck piece is to be crystallized, the first pressing block driving means drives the first pressing block downward after the neck piece is supplied with a lower stroke than that during shaping. be able to. Thereby, the first pressing block can also be used as a positioning member after the neck piece is supplied.

[0033]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A resin piece crystallization method and apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<Crystallization Target> As shown in FIG. 3, the neckpiece 10 to be crystallized in this embodiment is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape having a hole 18. This neck piece 1
0 has, for example, a screw portion 12 on the upper end side of its outer peripheral surface,
A support ring 16 projecting like a flange is provided on the lower end side, and a locking ring 14 is provided in the middle thereof. The neck piece 10 is injection-molded with a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin in advance. And
The neck piece 10 whitened and crystallized by the apparatus of this embodiment.
When injection molding a preform for bottle molding,
It is inserted into the injection mold and integrated as a neck portion of the preform.

<Schematic Configuration of Entire Apparatus> As shown in FIG. 1, a neck piece 10 is conveyed onto a base 1, and is conveyed for crystallization by heating and then gradually cooling during the conveyance. A path 20 is provided. The transport path 20 has a track shape, and includes two parallel first and second straight transport paths 22 and 24, and first and second semi-circular transport paths 2 on both ends thereof.
It has 6, 28.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the neck pieces 10 are placed and conveyed one by one on a number of conveyance blocks 30 circulating along a track-shaped conveyance path 20. Transport block 3 transported along the transport path 20
A supply unit 50 for supplying the neck pieces 10 one by one
Is provided in the middle of the first semi-circular transport path 26.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a chain 32 is fixed to the inner surface of each of the plurality of transport blocks 30. The chain 32 is stretched endlessly along the track-shaped transport path 20. On the other hand, the first
Two sprockets 34a, 34b that rotate about the centers of the second semi-circular conveying paths 26, 28 are arranged. The endless chain 32 is rotationally driven by meshing with the two sprockets 34a and 34b.

The transport block 30 rotatably supports the shaft 36, as shown in detail in FIG. And
An ejector 38, which constitutes a support member or a mounting member that can be raised and lowered, is provided along the shaft 36.
The neck piece 10 is placed on the ejector 38, and the shaft 36 is inserted into the hole 18 of the neck piece 10 to be transported together with the transport block 30. A grooved pulley 39 is fixed to the lower end of the shaft 36. By rotationally driving the grooved pulley 39, the neck piece 10 is rotationally driven via the shaft 36 and the ejector 38. The rotational driving of the neck piece 10 is performed only in the primary and secondary heating furnaces 60a and 60b described later.

Primary and secondary heating furnaces 60a and 60b are respectively arranged in the first and second linear transport paths 22 and 24 of the track-shaped transport path 20. Neck piece 10
Passes through the primary and secondary heating furnaces 60a and 60b, respectively, and is heated to a temperature required for crystallization.

In the area between the primary and secondary heating furnaces 60a and 60b, which includes the second semi-circular conveying path 28, the neck piece 10 is exposed to room temperature to be gradually annealed. Therefore, the transport area during this period is the primary slow cooling step.

Further, during this primary slow cooling step, the primary shaping (preliminary shaping) step of the neck piece 10 is carried out, for example, in the front half region of the second semicircular conveying path 28. The primary shaping step will be described later, but as shown in FIG. 4, the pressing block 40 is driven to descend with respect to the neck piece 10 placed on the ejector 38, and the top surface 10b of the neck piece 10 is flattened. To do. After the above-described primary slow cooling step, the neck piece 10 carried into the secondary heating furnace 60b is reheated. The neck piece 10 carried out from the secondary heating furnace 60b is again exposed to room temperature and secondarily cooled. In the apparatus of the present embodiment, the unloading section 70 provided in the middle of the first semicircular transport path 26 from the unloading end of the secondary heating furnace 60b.
It is called a secondary slow cooling process period.

In the middle of this secondary slow cooling step, the neck piece 10 is subjected to secondary shaping (main shaping), for example, in the front half region of the first semicircular conveying path 26. This secondary shaping process is shown in FIG.
It is performed in the same manner as the primary shaping step except that the descending stroke of the pressing block 40 shown in FIG. Further, after the secondary shaping step, a shaft heating step, the details of which will be described later, is performed, and then the neck piece 10 is removed from the transport path 20 and taken out of the apparatus at the take-out section 70.

Next, details of each main part of the apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Supply Unit 50> The supply unit 50 is configured to supply the neck piece 10 in the middle of the first semicircular conveying path 26. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the supply unit 50 has a rotary loader 52 that rotates and agitates the neck pieces 10 stored in a large number of hoppers 52a. The rotary loader 52 is provided with a supply chute 54 extending substantially along the tangential direction. An inserter 56 shown in FIG. 2 is provided at the outlet end of the supply shooter 54. Then, the inserter 56 holds the neck pieces 10 one by one, and the neck pieces 1 are placed on the ejectors 38 provided in the transport blocks 30.
0 is placed.

<Structure of the first and second semi-circular conveying paths 26 and 28> Since the first and second semi-circular conveying paths 26 and 28 have substantially the same structure, the first semi-circular conveying path 26 will be described below. explain.

A support shaft 80 is fixed to the base 1 at the center of the first semicircular transport path 26, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The sprocket 34a and the first gear 84 fixed to the lower surface thereof are rotatably supported by the support shaft 80 via bearings 82. On the other hand, a motor 86 is fixed on the base 1, and a second gear 88 fixed to the output shaft of the motor 86 meshes with the first gear 84. By driving this motor 86, the sprocket 3
4a is rotationally driven, and the transport block 30 to which the chain 32 that meshes with this is fixed is transported along the transport path 20. Although the sprocket 34b is also rotatably supported by the support shaft 80 in the second semicircular transport path 28, neither gear nor motor for rotatably driving the sprocket 34b is arranged. Second semi-circle transport path 2
The driving force of the sprocket 34a on the side of the first semicircular transport path 26 is transmitted to the sprocket 34b provided on the drive shaft 8 via the chain 32, and is rotationally driven by the chain 32.

The sprocket 3 is provided in the first semi-circle conveying path 26.
A rotating plate 90 is provided in the upper region of 4a in parallel therewith. The rotating plate 90 is fixed to the sprocket 34a by a connecting shaft 92 and integrally rotates. This rotating plate 9
Two first guide shafts 94 extending along the lower part of the vertical axis and two second guide shafts 96 extending along the upper part of the vertical axis are fixed to 0. The lower ends of the two first guide shafts 94 are fixed by a lower end plate 98a.
The upper end of the second guide shaft 96 of the book is fixed by the state plate 98b.

An ejector drive plate 100 that can be moved up and down along the two first guide shafts 94 is provided. As shown in FIG. 3, the ejector drive plate 100 comes into contact with the lower surface of the ejector 38 to drive the ejector 38 up and down. On the other hand, a pressing block drive plate 110 that can move up and down along the two second guide shafts 96 is provided. The pressing block drive plate 110 supports a shaft 112 extending downward so that the shaft 112 can be moved up and down, and the pressing block 40 is fixed to the lower end of the shaft 112. Further, a compression coil spring 114 is arranged between the pressing block drive plate 110 and the pressing block 40 to constantly urge the block 40 to move downward. The pressing block 40 that moves on the first semicircular transport path 26 corresponds to the first pressing block. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the pressing block 40 moving on the second semi-circular conveying path 28 corresponds to the second pressing block. Each pressing block moves at the same pitch as the transfer block 30 moving along the first and second semi-circular transfer paths 26, 28 in synchronization with this.

Next, the drive mechanism for the ejector drive plate 100 and the pressing block drive plate 110 will be described.

A cam plate 120 is fixed to the upper end of the support shaft 80. The cam plate 120 has a shape in which a peripheral portion of a disk is suspended, and its upper end surface 122 and lower end surface 124 each function as a cam surface. The ejector drive plate 100 has a drive rod 102 extending along the upper side of the vertical axis. A first roller 104, which contacts the upper end surface 122 of the cam plate 120 and rotates, is provided above the drive rod 102. This first
The roller 104 is the upper end surface 122 of the cam plate 120.
This functions as a cam follower that sets the height position of the ejector drive plate 100.

On the other hand, on the inner side surface of the pressing block drive plate 110, a second roller 118 which comes into contact with the lower end surface 124 of the cam plate 120 and rotates is provided. This second
Roller 118 functions as a cam follower that sets the height position of the pressing block drive plate 110. The outer edge portion of the upper end plate 98b extends vertically upward and the upper end thereof extends outward in the radial direction to form a spring mounting plate 98c. Then, the pressing block drive plate 1
A tension coil spring 116 is arranged between the spring 10 and the spring mounting plate 98c. Therefore, the pressing block driving plate 110 is constantly urged to move vertically upward by the tension coil spring 116 and is guided by the lower end surface 124 of the cam plate 120.
The roller 118 changes its height position.

Here, a mechanism for lowering the pressing block 40 to perform the shaping operation on the piece 10 moving along the first semi-circular conveying path 26 constitutes a secondary shaping section (main shaping section). ing. On the other hand, the mechanism for lowering the pressing block 40 to perform the shaping operation on the piece 10 moving along the second semicircular transport path 28 constitutes a primary shaping section (preliminary shaping section).

When the structure of the second semi-circular conveying path 28 is compared with that of the first semi-circular conveying path 26, the sprocket 34b described above is used.
In addition to the fact that the drive mechanism is not provided, it has the following differences. First, in the second semi-circular conveying path 28, it is not necessary to drive the ejector 38 up and down. Therefore, in the area on the left side of FIG. 2, the ejector drive plate 100, the first guide shaft 94, the lower end plate 98a, the drive rod 102, and the first roller 104, which are members required to drive the ejector 38 up and down. Is not provided. Further, in the area on the left side of FIG. 2, a tension applying device 130 for applying tension to the chain 32 is provided instead of the drive mechanism of the sprocket 34b. This tension applying device 1
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the reference numeral 30 is configured to be fixed on the base 1 and capable of elastically pressing the support shaft 80, which rotatably supports the sprocket 34b, outward in the radial direction thereof. .

<Primary / Secondary Heating Furnace 60a, 60b> Next, the primary / secondary heating furnace 60a, 60b for performing the primary / secondary heating will be described. Since the primary and secondary heating furnaces 60a and 60b have substantially the same configuration, the primary heating furnace 60a will be described below with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, this primary heating furnace 60a
Has a cover 62 so as to cover the conveyance path of the neck piece 10 over the region where the primary heating process is performed in FIG. The following components are arranged inside the cover 62.

First, first and second heaters 64a and 64b, which are, for example, far-infrared heaters, are arranged on both sides of the neck piece 10 across the conveyance path. The first and second heaters 64a and 64b are set at different positions in the height direction of the neck piece 10. The first heater 64a is arranged in an upper region of the neck piece 10, for example, in a lateral position substantially facing the screw portion 12 and the locking ring 14. On the other hand, the second heater 64b is arranged at a lateral position facing the lower portion of the neck piece 10, that is, the mounting portion of the ejector 38 on which the neck piece 10 is mounted in this embodiment. The first and second heaters 64a and 64b heat the piece 10 to a temperature of 125 ° C. or lower, and more preferably around 150 ° C. This heating temperature preferably does not exceed 200 ° C. The two heaters 64a and 64b may be set to the same heating temperature or different heating temperatures.

On the back side of the first heater 64a,
The first reflector 66a is arranged. The first reflector 66a is arranged so as to reflect the reflected light of the first heater 64a to the region from the upper end of the neck piece 10 to the lower end of the neck piece or the mounting portion of the ejector 38. Similarly, the second reflector 66b is also arranged on the back side of the second heater 64b. The second reflector 66b is formed so as to extend to a position surrounding the upper region of the neck piece 10. Further, the reflected light of the second heater 64b is reflected on the second reflector 66b by the support ring 16 of the neck piece 10 or the ejector 38.
The third reflection plate 66c is provided so as to be reflected by the mounting portion.

Further, the primary heating furnace 60a is provided with a mechanism for rotating the neck piece 10.
That is, the grooved belt 68 is fixed inside the cover 62 at a position facing the grooved pulley 39 that moves together with the transport block 30. This grooved belt 68 is
It is fixed to the cover 62 by a mounting bracket 69 and is arranged along substantially the entire length of the primary heating furnace 60a. Therefore, the neck piece 10 carried into the primary heating furnace 60
Is driven to rotate by the engagement of the grooved belt 68 and the grooved pulley 39 with the linear movement of the transport block 30.

The secondary heating furnace 64b has the same structure as that described above, but the first and second heaters 64a and 64b heat the piece 10 to a temperature of 125 ° C. or higher, more preferably around 150 ° C. If so, the heating temperature may not be the same as that of the primary heating furnace 60a, but may be set to a different temperature.

<Structure of Shaft Heating Section> As shown in FIG. 1, the shaft heating step is provided at a position facing the conveying path 20 after the secondary heating step and the secondary shaping step for the neck piece 10 are performed. A device for performing is arranged. This step is a step of heating the shaft 36 inserted into the hole 18 of the neck piece 10 as shown in FIG. For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 1, a thermo sensor 140 for measuring the temperature of the shaft 36 is provided after the secondary shaping process. Then, the third heater 142 shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 is arranged at the subsequent stage of the thermosensor 140.

The third heater 142 is composed of, for example, a far-infrared heater, and radiantly heats the shaft 36 that moves together with the transport block 30. After the secondary shaping process is performed, the ejector 38 is moved upward as described later. Therefore, the outer surface of the shaft 36 inserted into the hole 18 of the neck piece 10 is exposed as shown in FIG. 6 during the primary and secondary heating steps. Therefore, in this shaft heating step, the exposed shaft 36 is heated by the third heater 142. On the back surface of the third heater 142, a reflection plate 144 that reflects the reflected light from the third heater 142 toward the shaft 36 is arranged.

<Ejecting Portion 70> As shown in FIG. 1, the extracting portion 70 has a stopper 72 at a position where it intersects with the conveying path of the neck piece 10. The neck piece 10 which is brought into contact with the stopper 72 and guided out is then discharged to the outside of the apparatus through the take-out shooter 74.

Next, a method of crystallizing the neck piece 10 in the apparatus of the above embodiment will be described.

<Step of Supplying Neck Piece 10> Conveying block 1 which is driven along a track-shaped conveying path 20.
0, the neck piece 10 is supplied at the position of the supply unit 50 shown in FIG. This neck piece 10 is shown in FIG.
By stirring and rotating by the rotary loader 52 in the arrow direction of
They are aligned in a line along a linearly extending supply chute 54. An inserter 56 is provided at the outlet end of the supply shooter 54, and the neck pieces 10 are held by the inserter 56 one by one, and the neck pieces 10 are placed on the ejectors 38 provided in the transport blocks 30.

This supply state is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG.
The ejector drive plate 100 having the first roller 104 in contact with the upper end surface 122 of 0 is stopped at the upper end position near the tip of the shaft 36. At the time of supply, the ejector 38 is further raised from the position shown in FIG.
The mounting surface of the ejector 38 may be set to a position above the tip of the shaft 36. After the neck piece 10 is placed on the ejector 38 by the inserter 56, the ejector 38 is driven to descend. This lowering drive also causes the first roller 104 to move to the upper end surface 122 of the cam plate 120.
It is performed by moving the ejector drive plate 100 downward while making contact with.

FIG. 4 shows the state in which the ejector 38 is driven downward. Neck piece 1 immediately after this supply
Since 0 is room temperature, a clearance is set between the inner diameter of the hole 18 of the neck piece 10 and the outer diameter of the shaft 36 at the time of supply in consideration of the subsequent heat shrinkage.

The hole 18 of the neck piece 10 and the shaft 36
Since the clearance between and is very small, the supplied neck piece 10 may not drop along the shaft 36.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the neck piece 10
After the supply of, the pressing block 40 is driven to descend.
The pressing block drive plate 110 that drives the pressing block 40 to descend is lowered by the second roller 118 that rotates in contact with the lower end surface 124 of the cam plate 120, against the biasing force of the tension coil spring 116. The pressing block 40 that is driven downwardly comes into contact with the top surface 10b of the neck piece 10, and as shown in FIG. 4, the bottom surface 10a of the pressing block 40 is in contact with the ejector 38 set to the lower limit position. 10 is positioned. In addition,
The pressing block 40 is stopped at a position where no compression load is applied to the neck piece 10 having a height H from the ejector 38 at room temperature. Therefore, the height position of the pressing block 40 driven immediately after the piece is supplied is as shown in FIG.
It is not set below the height level L1 shown in FIG. The pressing block 40 has a tapered surface 42 corresponding to the tapered surface 36a formed on the upper end of the shaft 36. The tapered surfaces 36a and 42 come into contact with each other during a secondary shaping process, which will be described later, and set the lower limit stopper position of the pressing block 40 which is driven further downward than immediately after the piece is supplied.

The transport block 30 to which the neck piece 10 has been supplied is then passed through the remaining first semi-circular transport path 26 to the first
It is transported to the straight transport path 22. At this time, neck piece 1
The pressing block 40 used for positioning 0 is moved upward as the neck piece 10 is conveyed along the remaining first semicircular conveying path 26, and is elevated to a retracted position where it does not interfere with the shaft 36. The upward movement of the pressing block 40 is also caused by the lower end surface 12 of the cam plate 120 as described above.
The second roller 118 is moved in contact with the pressure block drive plate 110 and the second pressure roller drive plate 110 is moved upward.

<Primary Heating Step> When the carrying block 30 is carried into the primary heating furnace 60a, the carrying block 30
The primary heating process of the neck piece 10 that moves together is performed. This heating step, as shown in FIG. 5, includes a first heater 64a for heating the upper region of the neck piece 10.
And radiant heat from the second heater 64b that heats the lower region. This second heater 64b
The reason for installing in the position shown in FIG. 5 is as follows.

The present inventors initially set the position of the heater at an intermediate position that bisects the neck piece 10 in the height direction. At this time, the support ring 16 in the lower portion of the neck piece 10 could not be sufficiently crystallized as compared with the upper portion thereof due to insufficient heating. The reason for this is
There are two possible points: the support ring 16 is thicker than other portions, and the support ring 16 is in contact with the ejector 38 to easily dissipate heat. In this embodiment, the second heater 64b is provided at the above-mentioned position so that the support ring 16 can be sufficiently heated. According to this embodiment, the ejector 38 is actively heated by the second heater 64b. Therefore, the support ring 16 in the lower part of the neck piece 10 is
In addition to the radiant heat from the heaters 64a and 64b, the solid heat conduction from the ejector 38 causes heating. Thereby, the support ring 1 of the neck piece 10
It was possible to heat even 6 parts sufficiently.

In order to improve the heating efficiency of the ejector 38, for example, black paint or plating having a high heat absorption coefficient is applied to the outer surface of the ejector, and a material that easily absorbs light having an emission wavelength from the heater is coated. be able to.

A grooved belt 68 is fixed in the primary heating furnace 60a, and the grooved pulley 3 meshes with the grooved belt 68.
The neck piece 10 is rotationally driven by 9. Therefore, the first and second heaters 64a and 64b can radiate over the entire outer surface of the neck piece 10, and whitening and crystallization of the entire neck piece 10 can be performed.

<Primary Slow Cooling Step> During the primary slow cooling step period shown in FIG. 1 until the transfer block 30 is unloaded from the primary heating furnace 60a and loaded into the secondary heating furnace 60b.
The neck piece 10 is gradually cooled by natural cooling. By this primary slow cooling step, for example, the primary heating furnace 6 shown in FIG.
The piece temperature at the outlet position A of 0a was 150 to 170 ° C, whereas at the inlet position B to the secondary heating furnace 60b, the piece temperature was cooled to 130 to 150 ° C.

Although this primary annealing step is not always necessary, the following effects can be expected by carrying out this step. That is, the neck piece 10 includes the first and second heaters 64.
It is heated by the radiant heat from a and 64b, and in particular, its outer surface is heated. In this embodiment, the shaft 36 is also heated to heat the inside of the neck piece 10. However, the piece 10 immediately after the primary heating step is heated.
Has a temperature of its outer surface higher than that of its inner surface. Therefore, after the primary heating step and before the secondary heating step, the neck piece 10 is gradually annealed to obtain the piece 1
The temperature difference between the inner and outer surfaces of 0 is reduced. This allows
By performing secondary heating later, the inner and outer surfaces of the neck piece 10 could be both whitened and crystallized.

<Primary Shaping Step> In this embodiment, the primary shaping step of the neck piece 10 is carried out, for example, in the front half of the second semicircular conveying path 28 during the primary annealing step.
This primary shaping process will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in the figure, in the primary shaping process, the top surface 10 of the neck piece 10 placed on the ejector 38 is
The pressing block 40 is driven downward toward b, and the pressing block 40 flattens the top surface 10b. Here, assuming that the height of the neck piece 10 at room temperature is H, in this primary shaping step, the pressure block 40 is compressed so that the height of the neck piece 10 is compressed to (H−ΔH1). The height position of is set. That is, in the position of the horizontal level position L2 in FIG.
It is set so that the lower surface of is located. Neck piece 1
No. 0 has been heat-shrinked and deformed because it is heated in the primary heating furnace 60a. Therefore, the neck piece 10 at room temperature
By setting the position of the pressing block 40 to a height slightly shorter than the height H of the neck block 10, the position of the pressing block 40 is set according to the heat shrinkage deformation, and the top surface 10 of the neck piece 10 is
The flattening of b is realized.

Although this primary shaping step is not always necessary, it is possible to perform shape shaping with higher accuracy than in the case where the top surface of the neck piece 10 is flattened at once in the secondary shaping step.

In order to perform this primary shaping, the pressing block 40 is moved down at the timing when the carrying block 30 is carried into the second semi-circular carrying path 28 of FIG. 1 to press the top surface 10b of the neck piece 10. To do. The descent drive of the pressing block 40 on the second semi-circular transport path 28 is performed in the same manner as the drive on the first semi-circular transport path 26. The pressing block 40 provided on the second semi-circular conveying path 28 is used only for the primary shaping, and therefore the taper surface 42 and the shaft 36 thereof.
The lower limit stop position of the pressing block 40 in the primary shaping step can be set at the position where the taper surface 36a of the contact block comes into contact. Since the compression coil spring 114 is inserted between the pressing block 40 and the pressing block drive plate 110, an excessive pressing force can be applied to the top surface 10b of the neck piece 10.

<Secondary Heating Step> The transfer block 30 having undergone the primary annealing step is then carried into the secondary heating furnace 60b. In the secondary heating furnace 60b, the neck piece 10 is subjected to the secondary heating step in the same manner as the primary heating.

As a result, the piece temperature was 130 to 150 ° C. at the inlet position B point to the secondary heating furnace 60b, whereas the piece 140 was at the outlet position C point from the secondary heating furnace 60b. It was possible to heat to ~ 180 ° C.

<Secondary Slow Cooling Step> The neck piece 10 on the transfer block 30 is carried out of the secondary heating furnace 60b to immediately start the secondary slow cooling step by natural cooling. In the apparatus of this embodiment, the neck piece 10
This is called a secondary gradual cooling step period until it is taken out by the extraction part 70, and then the secondary gradual cooling step is continued until the piece 10 returns to room temperature. In this way, by heating the neck piece 10 and then gradually cooling it by natural cooling, the piece 1
It was possible to whiten and crystallize the whole.

<Secondary Shaping Step> During the above-described secondary annealing step, in the present embodiment, the secondary shaping step is performed on the neck piece 10 in the first half portion of the first semicircular conveying path 26. The secondary shaping process for the piece 10 will be described with reference to FIG. In this secondary shaping step as well as the primary shaping step, the pressing block 40 is attached to the top surface 10 of the piece 10.
It is performed by pressing on b. As shown in FIG. 4, the lower limit position of the pressing block 40 during the secondary shaping process is the horizontal level position L3 shown in FIG. As a result, the height of the neck piece 10 at room temperature was H, while the height of the neck piece 10 after the secondary shaping was (H−ΔH
2). As is apparent from FIG. 4, the compression amount ΔH2 in the secondary shaping process is set to be larger than the compression amount ΔH1 by the pressing block 40 in the primary shaping process.

As described above, by performing the shaping process on the neck piece 10 immediately after the secondary heating, the top surface 10b of the softened piece 10 in a state where the retained heat is high can be shaped flat. . As a result, the crystallized neck piece 10 having high dimensional stability can be provided. This shaping step is particularly effective when the top surface 10b of the neck piece 10 forms the top surface of the preform after being integrated with the preform. This is because the top surface of the preform has a great influence on the sealing property after the cap is mounted and flatness is required. By shaping the top surface 10b of the crystallized neck piece 10 to be flat,
In addition to being able to form a neck portion having high heat resistance, it is possible to ensure sealing performance for capping.

<Shaft Heating Step> When the secondary shaping step is completed, the pressing block 40 is moved upward, and
The ascending movement of the ejector 38 carrying the neck piece 10 is started. As a result, as shown in FIG. 1, when the transport block 30 is transported to a position facing the third heater 142, the lower portion of the shaft 36 is set to be exposed as shown in FIG. It This exposed shaft 3
By disposing the third heater 142 at a position opposed to 6, the exposed portion of the shaft 36 can be heated. The third heater 142 can be controlled according to the measured temperature of the shaft 36 detected by the thermosensor 140 immediately before the third heater 142. The third heater 142 is
The shaft 36 is heated so as to be maintained at a temperature of preferably 130 to 170 ° C, more preferably around 150 ° C.

The reason for carrying out this shaft heating step is as follows. Since the shaft 36 is inserted into the neck piece 10 during the primary and secondary heating steps,
This shaft 36 will be heated via the piece 10. Therefore, as long as the heat retaining state of the shaft 36 continues, the piece 10 can be heated from the inner surface side via the shaft 36. However, after the secondary shaping process, the ejector 38 is moved upward and the piece 10 is separated from the periphery of the shaft 36. As a result, heat is radiated from the shaft 36, and the efficiency of heating the next neck piece 10 from the inside decreases. Therefore, it is possible to heat the exposed shaft 36 again after the secondary shaping process to keep it warm and to heat the next mounted neck piece 10 from its inner surface. By adding this heating step of the shaft 36, the temperature difference between the inner and outer surfaces of the piece 10 after the primary and secondary heating steps could be alleviated.

<Step of Taking Out Neck Piece 10> In FIG. 1, the carrying block 3 is placed at the position where the taking-out portion 70 is arranged.
When the neck piece 10 is conveyed by 0, the neck piece 10 is taken out from the ejector 38 and driven. That is, when the ejector 38 is moved to the vicinity of the ejecting portion 70,
Is moved up further than the state shown in FIG. 6, and is set to a position higher than the upper end surface of the shaft 36. On the other hand, the stopper 72 in the take-out portion 70 is set at a position where it interferes with the movement path of the neck piece 10 mounted on the ejector 38 moved upward. Therefore,
When the neck piece 10 transported by the transport block 30 comes into contact with the stopper 72, the neck piece 10 is taken out from the ejector 38 and is carried out to the outside of the apparatus along the carry-out shooter 74.

In the apparatus of this embodiment, after the neck piece 10 is supplied to the transport path 20, the cycle time required for the transport block 30 circulated along the transport path 20 to return to the position of the supply section 50 is 2 times. It was 30 minutes. Of these, the time spent in the primary and secondary heating steps is 4
It was 0 seconds. The conveyance path 20 is formed in a track shape, and the heating furnace 6 is installed in the first and second straight conveyance paths 22 and 24 having a relatively long distance.
By arranging 0a and 60b, it was possible to secure a sufficient heating time in a limited space.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

Although the above-mentioned embodiment describes the crystallization method of the neck piece 10 integrated as the neck portion of the preform for bottle molding, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, after injection molding a preform,
The present invention can be similarly applied to an apparatus for whitening and crystallizing the neck portion of this preform. 7 and 8 show the heating process and the shaping process of the neck portion of the preform, respectively.

Preform 150 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.
Has a neck portion 152 and a bottomed body portion 154. Similarly, the neck portion 152 of the preform 150 is formed with the screw portion 160, the locking ring 162 and the support ring 164.

The carrying block 170 for carrying the preform 150 has a heat insulating tubular member 174 on a base 172 and a heat transfer member 176 on the upper end surface thereof. Then, the preform 150 is moved together with the transport block 170 such that the support ring 164 at the lower end of the neck portion 152 is placed on the upper surface of the heat transfer member 176.

Neck 1 for this preform 150
The heating step of 52 is similar to that shown in FIG.
It is carried out as follows. That is, the preform 15
The first and second heaters 180 and 182 are arranged at different positions in the height direction of the neck portion 152 of 0. First and second reflectors 190 and 192 are provided on the back surfaces of the heaters 180 and 182, respectively. A third reflecting member 194 shown in FIG. 7 may be further provided so that the support ring 164 and the heat transfer member 176 can be intensively heated by the second heater 182.

According to such a heating process, as in the heating process for the neck piece 10 shown in FIG. 5, the thick support ring 164 causes the radiant heat from its side and the solid conduction from the heat transfer member 176. It can be heated by heat, and the support ring 164 can be sufficiently whitened and crystallized.
Further, since the heat insulating member 176 is formed below the heat insulating tubular member 174, the bottomed body 154 of the preform 150 is formed.
The region can be insulated so as not to crystallize.

Preform 150 performed after this heating
The shaping process of the top surface 160a is performed as shown in FIG. 8, members having the same functions as those in FIG. 4 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. Pressing block drive plate 15 for driving the pressing block 40 up and down
No. 0 can be moved up and down along the guide shaft 200, and the stroke is set by the cam plate as in the previous embodiment of the neck piece. In this way, the top surface 160a of the neck portion 160 of the preform 150 can be pressed and shaped.

[0096]

As described above, according to the method and apparatus of the present invention, at least a part of the resin piece is shaped in a softened state when the resin piece is heated or thereafter gradually cooled. The shape of the resin piece can be adjusted to improve shape stability.

Further, according to the method and apparatus of the present invention, the resin piece is heated in a plurality of times, and the resin piece is gradually cooled during the heating. The difference can be relaxed and uneven crystallization can be prevented.

Furthermore, according to the method and apparatus of the present invention, when the resin piece has the flange portion in the region to be crystallized, the resin piece is heated by heat transfer from the supporting member or the placing member in contact with the flange portion. Therefore, the relatively thick flange portion can be sufficiently heated and crystallized by solid-state heat conduction.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing each step and a transport system of a piece crystallization apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the piece crystallization apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing each configuration provided in the first semi-circular transport path shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory diagram illustrating a positioning process, a primary shaping process, and a secondary shaping process after piece supply.

5 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a heating process in the primary and secondary heating furnaces shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

6 is a schematic explanatory view showing a shaft heating step shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a heating process of the neck portion of the preform.

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a shaping step of shaping the top surface of the neck portion of the preform.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Neck piece 12,160 Screw part 14,162 Locking ring 16,164 Support ring 20 Conveying path 22 First straight conveying path 24 Second straight conveying path 26 First semi-circle conveying path 28 Second semi-circle conveying path 30 Conveying block 36 Shaft 38 Movable Mounting Table (Ejector) 40 Pressing Block 50 Supply Units 60a, 60b Heating Furnace 60a First Heater 60b Second Heater 70 Extraction Part 100 Ejector Drive Plate 110 Pressing Block Drive Plate 142 Third Heater (Shaft Heating) Part)

Claims (17)

[Claims] 1. A step of heating a resin piece to a temperature necessary for crystallization, a step of gradually cooling the heated resin piece, during the slow cooling step, or at least the final stage of the heating step. And a step of shaping at least a part of the shape of the resin piece, the crystallization method of the resin piece. 2. A primary heating step of heating a resin piece, a primary gradual cooling step of gradually cooling the resin piece heated in the primary heating step, and a crystallization of the gradually cooled resin piece. Secondary heating step of heating to a temperature required for the secondary heating step of gradually cooling the resin piece heated in the secondary heating step, during the secondary annealing step, or the secondary heating And a shaping step of shaping the shape of at least a part of the resin piece at least at the final stage of the step, the crystallization method of the resin piece. 3. The preliminary shaping step according to claim 2, further comprising a preliminary shaping step of shaping the shape of at least a part of the resin piece during the first slow cooling step or at least at the final stage of the primary heating step. A method for crystallizing a resin piece, comprising: 4. The resin piece according to claim 1, wherein the resin piece is a tubular neck piece that is integrated as a neck portion of the preform during injection molding of a preform for bottle molding. In the shaping step, an end surface of the tubular neck piece is pressed, and a method for crystallizing a resin piece is characterized. 5. The bottle-shaped preform according to claim 1, wherein the resin piece is a bottle-forming preform having a neck portion and a bottomed tubular body portion that follows the neck portion. A method for crystallizing a resin piece, which comprises pressing the end surface of the neck portion of the reform. 6. The resin piece according to claim 1, wherein the resin piece has a flange portion in a region to be crystallized, and in the heating step, the resin piece is made by a supporting member in contact with the flange portion. A method for crystallizing a resin piece, comprising the step of heating the flange portion by heat transfer from the supporting member while supporting the piece. 7. A transport path for transporting a plurality of resin pieces, a heating section for heating the resin pieces, and a gradual cooling section for gradually cooling the heated resin pieces are sequentially arranged, A crystallization device for a resin piece, wherein the slow cooling section and / or the heating section is provided with a shaping section for shaping at least a part of the shape of the resin piece. 8. A transport path for transporting a plurality of resin pieces, a primary heating section for heating the resin pieces, a primary slow cooling section for gradually cooling the primary heated resin pieces, and a slow cooling section. A secondary heating unit that reheats the resin piece and a secondary gradual cooling unit that gradually cools the secondarily heated resin piece are sequentially arranged, and the secondary gradual cooling unit and / or Alternatively, the secondary heating unit is provided with a shaping unit that shapes the shape of at least a portion of the resin piece, and a resin piece crystallizing device. 9. The resin according to claim 8, further comprising a preliminary shaping section for shaping the shape of at least a part of the resin piece in the primary annealing section and / or the primary heating section. Crystallization device for piece. 10. The mounting block according to claim 7, wherein a plurality of transport blocks for transporting the resin piece are provided along the transport path, and the transport block mounts the resin piece. A crystallization apparatus for a resin piece, comprising: a member, wherein the shaping section has a pressing section that presses the resin piece placed on the placing member. 11. A transport path for transporting a plurality of resin pieces having a flange portion, at least one heating unit for heating the resin pieces, and at least one slow cooling for gradually cooling the resin pieces. And a plurality of transport blocks for alternately transporting the resin piece along the transport path are provided, and the transport block has a mounting member for mounting the flange portion of the resin piece. The apparatus for crystallizing a resin piece, wherein the heating section has a heating means for heating the resin piece and at least a part of the placing member. 12. The resin according to claim 11, wherein the heating means is a plurality of radiant heat sources arranged at different positions in a height direction on a side of a conveyance path of the resin piece. Crystallization device for piece. 13. A plurality of transport blocks, each of which is formed in a track shape and includes first and second semi-circular transport paths and first and second straight transport paths that connect the semi-circular transport paths and which carries a resin piece for transport. And a supply unit that supplies the resin piece to the transfer block in the middle of the first semi-circular transfer path, and heats the resin piece that is transferred along the first straight transfer path. A primary heating unit, a pre-shaping unit that pre-shapes at least a part of the resin piece that is being gradually cooled along the second semi-circular transport path, and is transported along the second linear transport path. A secondary heating unit that reheats the resin piece, a main shaping unit that shapes at least a portion of the resin piece that is transported while being gradually cooled along the first semicircular transport path, and The first section between the main shaping section and the supply section And a take-out section for taking out the resin piece from the semi-circular conveying path. 14. The main shaping unit according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of first pressing blocks move in synchronization with the transport block along a rotational movement path above the first semicircular transport path, And a first pressing block driving means for driving the first pressing block downward during shaping and ascending driving during non-shaping. 15. The plurality of second pressing blocks according to claim 13, wherein the preparatory shaping unit moves in synchronization with the transport block along a rotational movement path above the second semicircular transport path. And a second pressing block driving means for driving the second pressing block downward during shaping and moving upward during non-shaping, a crystallization device for a resin piece. 16. The tubular piece according to claim 13, wherein the resin piece is a tubular neck piece that is inserted during injection molding of a bottle-forming preform to form a neck portion of the preform. The transport block includes a mounting member on which the neck piece is mounted, and a shaft that is inserted into the neck piece, and the shaft is provided in the middle of the first semi-circular transport path in the preceding stage of the supply unit. A crystallizing device for a resin piece, characterized by comprising a shaft heating means for heating. 17. The resin piece according to claim 14, wherein the resin piece is a tubular neck piece that is inserted during injection molding of a bottle-forming preform to form a neck portion of the preform, and the transport block is A mounting member on which the neck piece is mounted; and a shaft that is inserted into the neck piece, the first pressing block drive means is configured to supply the resin piece from the supply unit, and (1) A crystallization device for a resin piece, characterized in that a pressing block is driven to descend, and its descending stroke is shorter than that during shaping.