Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C35/00—Heating, cooling or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanising; Apparatus therefor
  • B29C35/16—Cooling
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C49/00—Blow-moulding, i.e. blowing a preform or parison to a desired shape within a mould; Apparatus therefor
  • B29C49/42—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
  • B29C49/64—Heating or cooling preforms, parisons or blown articles
  • B29C49/6409—Thermal conditioning of preforms
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C35/00—Heating, cooling or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanising; Apparatus therefor
  • B29C35/16—Cooling
  • B29C2035/1616—Cooling using liquids
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C43/00—Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor
  • B29C43/32—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
  • B29C43/52—Heating or cooling
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C49/00—Blow-moulding, i.e. blowing a preform or parison to a desired shape within a mould; Apparatus therefor
  • B29C49/02—Combined blow-moulding and manufacture of the preform or the parison

Definitions

• the invention relates to an apparatus for cooling objects, in particular an apparatus for cooling container preforms, for example obtained by compression-moulding doses of plastics in pasty state.
• Apparatuses are known for producing container preforms comprising a carousel for compression-moulding provided with a plurality of moulds that compression-mould doses of plastics to obtain the preforms and - downstream of the compression-moulding carousel - a cooling carousel.
• the cooling carousel comprises a plurality of cooling nozzles, each of which is arranged for penetrating inside a respective preform for dispensing, in a first moment, i.e. whilst the preform travels on the cooling carousel an arc of preset size, a jet of liquid for cooling the preform, and, in a second moment, i.e. whilst the preform travels on the cooling carousel a further arc of preset size, a jet of gas to eliminate possible residues of the aforesaid liquid and dry the preform.
• the cooling carousel further comprises liquid-dispensing nozzles arranged for directing a cooling liquid to an external zone of the preform and gas-dispensing nozzles positioned downstream of the liquid-dispensing nozzles with respect to a rotation direction of the cooling carousel, arranged for directing a drying gas to the aforesaid external zone of the preform.
• a drawback of the cooling carousel disclosed above is that in order to obtain appropriate cooling and appropriate drying the cooling carousel has to have a very large diameter, so that the preforms are maintained on the cooling carousel for a very long time .
• the cooling carousel disclosed above has great overall dimensions.
• the cooling carousel disclosed above has reduced efficiency, inasmuch as only an angular sector of the carousel is dedicated to cooling the preforms, further angular sectors of the carousel, on the other hand, being dedicated to drying and loading/unloading preforms .
• An object of the invention is to improve apparatuses for cooling objects, in particular for cooling container preforms .
• an apparatus for cooling objects comprising a cooling zone in which a cooling fluid interacts with said objects, a drying zone in which a drying fluid interacts with said objects and conveying means arranged for advancing said objects through said cooling zone and said drying zone, characterised in that said cooling zone is defined in a cooling channel and said drying zone is defined in a drying channel, said cooling channel and said drying channel extending alongside one another.
• the objects pass through the cooling channel at least once and subsequently pass through at least a part of the drying channel. In other words, whilst . the objects are in the cooling channel, they travel along a path along which they are appropriately cooled. Subsequently, the objects are transferred to the drying channel and whilst they are in the drying channel, they travel along a further path along which they are appropriately dried.
• the aforesaid path and the aforesaid further path are arranged alongside one another and not one after another as occurs in known cooling carousels .
• the apparatus comprises a cooling carousel in which the cooling channel and the drying channel are coaxial .
• the cooling channel occupies a peripheral portion of a rotating body of the cooling carousel - thus being movable together with the rotating body - and the drying channel is arranged around the cooling channel in a fixed position with respect to the rotating body.
• the cooling channel is nearer a rotation axis of the cooling carousel with respect to the drying channel.
• the drying channel is positioned so as to surround the cooling channel at least partially.
• the cooling carousel comprises movement elements , each of which supports a plurality of objects.
• the movement elements insert the objects into the cooling channel and move the objects from the cooling channel to the drying channel.
• Each movement element simultaneously supports at least an object received in the cooling channel and at least an object received in the drying channel .
• each object is maintained inside the cooling channel whilst the cooling carousel performs a preset number of revolutions around the rotation axis. Subsequently, the aforesaid object is maintained inside the drying channel whilst the carousel performs at least part of a revolution around the rotation axis .
• Figure 1 is a schematic layout of a plant for producing container preforms
• Figure 2 is a schematic layout of a plant for producing container preforms that is made according to a version
• Figure 3 is a partial perspective view of an apparatus for cooling preforms
• Figure 4 is another partial perspective view of the apparatus for cooling preforms;
• Figure 5 is an enlarged detail of Figure 4 ;
• Figure 6 is a further partial perspective view of the apparatus for cooling preforms
• Figure 7 is a perspective top view of movement means of the apparatus for cooling preforms arranged for moving the preforms;
• Figure 8 is a plan view of the movement means in Figure 7 ;
• Figure 9 is a section taken along a longitudinal plane of the movement means in Figure 7 ;
• Figure 10 is an enlarged detail of Figure 9 ;
• Figure 11 is another enlarged detail of Figure 9;
• Figure 12 is a partially sectioned side view of the movement means in Figure 7 ;
• Figure 13 is an enlarged detail of Figure 12;
• Figure 14 is a partial perspective view of the movement means in Figure 7.
• a plant 1 for producing container preforms 2 comprising a forming . carousel 3 provided with a plurality of compression-moulding moulds 4 and with a supplying and removing carousel 5 arranged for supplying the compression-moulding moulds 4 with doses of plastics in pasty state coming from a plasticising device 33 and for removing from the compression-moulding moulds 4 preforms 2 formed therein.
• a plant 1 for producing container preforms 2 comprising a forming . carousel 3 provided with a plurality of compression-moulding moulds 4 and with a supplying and removing carousel 5 arranged for supplying the compression-moulding moulds 4 with doses of plastics in pasty state coming from a plasticising device 33 and for removing from the compression-moulding moulds 4 preforms 2 formed therein.
• two distinct carousels can be provided, i.e.
• a supplying carousel arranged for supplying the compression- moulding moulds 4 with doses of plastics in pasty state coming from the plasticising device 33 and a removal carousel for removing the compression-moulding moulds 4 preforms 2 formed therein.
• the plant 1 further comprises a movement carousel 6 that removes the preforms 2 from the supplying and removing carousel 5 and delivers the preforms 2 to a cooling carousel 7.
• the plant 1 further comprises an extracting carousel 8 that removes the preforms 2 from the cooling carousel 7 and delivers the preforms 2 to a conveying device 9.
• a first rejecting device 68 is associated that removes, from manipulating elements of the doses with which the supplying and removing carousel 5 is provided, doses that are deemed to be unsuitable, or anyhow doses or residues of doses, which for some reason must not be delivered to the compression- moulding moulds 4.
• the doses dispensed by the plasticising device 33 in the course of a first period of the operating cycle may not be suitable for
• preforms 2 of satisfactory quality.
• the first rejecting device 68 enables the doses to be rejected during the aforesaid first period of the operating cycle.
• a second rejecting device 69 is associated that rejects preforms 2 that are deemed not to be suitable or preforms 2 that have to be removed - for example in order to perform quality checks thereupon - before such preforms 2 interact with the devices of the plant 1 arranged downstream of the movement carousel 6.
• the second rejecting device 69 rejects defective preforms 2, for example preforms 2 with burrs, or with defects of various type that could cause manipulating difficulties in the subsequent carousels.
• the defective preforms 2 could cause jams. In all cases, it is appropriate for the defective preforms 2 to be. removed from the plant 1 as soon as possible.
• FIG. 2 With reference to Figure 2 there is shown a plant 1 in which the second rejecting device 69 is associated with the supplying and removing carousel 5 rather than with the movement carousel 6.
• the second rejecting device 69 is interposed between a transferring zone 83, at which the supplying and removing carousel 5 delivers the preforms 2 to the movement carousel 6, and a loading zone 84, at which the supplying and removing carousel 5 receives the doses from the plasticising device 33.
• a third rejecting device 70 which enables preforms 2 to be removed that have to be the subject of an investigation, for example for detecting parameters that are indicative of the operating cycle of the plant 1, in particular of the forming carousel 3, and a fourth rejecting device 71 that enables the preforms 2. to be rej ected that are not deemed to be suitable by the aforesaid control device.
• the cooling carousel 7 comprises a cooling zone 10 in which a cooling fluid, in particular a cooling liquid, for example nebulised water, interacts with the preforms 2 to cool the preforms, and a drying zone 11 in which a drying fluid, in particular a drying gas, for example air, interacts with the preforms 2 to dry the preforms 2.
• a cooling fluid in particular a cooling liquid, for example nebulised water
• a drying zone 11 in which a drying fluid, in particular a drying gas, for example air, interacts with the preforms 2 to dry the preforms 2.
• the cooling zone 10 and the drying zone 11 are separated from one another and are positioned so that one at least partially surrounds the other.
• the cooling carousel 7 comprises a rotating body 12 that advances the preforms 2 along a loop .path P .
• the cooling zone ' 10 and the drying zone 11 have substantially the same length, i.e. the length of the loop path P.
• the cooling carousel 7 further comprises a casing 13 arranged in a fixed position with respect to the rotating body 12. Inside the casing 13 the drying zone 11 is defined that is shaped as a drying channel 14.
• the casing 13 comprises a first side wall 15 that is further from a rotation axis R of the cooling carousel 7, a second side wall 16 nearer the rotation axis R, an upper wall 17 and a lower wall 18, the upper wall 17 and the lower wall 18 being interposed between the first side wall 15 and the second side wall 16.
• the rotating body 12 comprises a first side wall 19 element, a second side wall element 20 and a top wall element 21 that cooperate with the casing 13, and in particular with the second side wall 16, to define the cooling zone 10, which is shaped as a cooling channel 22.
• the cooling channel 22 and the drying channel 14 are thus arranged substantially coaxially, the cooling channel 22 being nearer the rotation axis R than the drying channel 14.
• the first side wall element 19 comprises a portion 32 converging on the second side wall element 20 so as to convey the cooling liquid that has interacted with the preforms 2 to an outlet opening 23 defined between the first side wall element 19 and the second side wall element 20.
• the cooling liquid that has interacted with the preforms- 2 is then collected in a container and - after being treated, for example purified - can again be used to cool further preforms 2.
• the rotating body 12 supports movement means 24 arranged for supporting the preforms 2 and for moving the preforms 2.
• the movement means 24 is rotatably supported by the top wall element 21.
• the movement means 24 comprises a plurality of movement devices 25 positioned in a peripheral zone 26 of the rotating body 12.
• the movement devices 25 are positioned at substantially constant angular intervals along the peripheral zone 26.
• the number of movement devices 25 can be suitably established on the basis of the productivity of the plant 1, i.e. the number of preforms 2 that the cooling carousel 7 has to process per unit of time.
• Each movement device 25 - which is configured substantially as a rotatable carousel with respect to the rotating body 12 - comprises a plurality of grasping elements 27, each grasping element 27 being arranged for receiving and supporting a preform 2.
• the number of the grasping elements 27, with which each movement device 25 is provided can be suitably established on the basis of the productivity of the plant 1, i.e. on the number of preforms 2 that the cooling carousel 7 has to process per unit of time.
• the dimensions of the cooling channel 22 and of the drying channel 14 are established on the basis of the number of movement elements 25 and of the number of grasping elements 27 with which each movement element 25 is provided.
• the movement devices 25 are shaped so that at least a preform 2 supported by one of the grasping elements 27 is received inside the drying channel 14 and the further preforms 2 supported by the further grasping elements 27 are received inside the cooling channel 22.
• the second side wall 16 is provided with a slit 67 that enables the grasping elements to enter inside the drying channel 14.
• the second side wall 16 can be formed by two distinct elements - each of which defines a wall portion - that are mutually aligned and separated by a preset distance so that the slit 61 is defined between the aforesaid distinct elements .
• a frame element 72 that supports a plurality of nozzles 73 arranged for dispensing the cooling liquid to the preforms 2.
• a number of nozzles 73 is provided that is the same as the number of grasping elements 27 received inside the cooling channel 22, each nozzle 73 being aligned on and positioned below a preform 2 supported by a respective, grasping element 27.
• each nozzle 73 does not move with respect to the corresponding preform 2. This preform 2 is thus hit by the jet of cooling liquid dispensed by the nozzle 73 for all the time during which it remains inside the cooling channel 22, which enables effective and uniform cooling to be obtained.
• the frame element 72 can be arranged in a fixed position with respect to the rotating body 12.
• the preforms 2 are made to interact with the jets of
• the frame element 72 is provided with openings 74 that enable the cooling liquid to reach the outlet opening 23.
• the top wall element 21 supports a plurality of further nozzles 75 arranged for dispensing the cooling liquid to the preforms 2.
• a number of further nozzles 75 is provided that is the same as the number of grasping elements 27 received inside the cooling channel 22, each further nozzle 75 being aligned on and positioned above a preform 2 supported by a respective grasping element 27.
• each further nozzle 75 does not move with respect to the corresponding preform 2.
• This preform 2 is thus hit by the jet of cooling liquid dispensed by the further nozzle 75 for all the time during which it remains inside the cooling channel 22, which enables effective and uniform cooling to be obtained.
• Inside the drying channel 14 nozzle elements can be provided, which are not shown, that dispense the drying fluid to the preforms 2. Alternatively, inlet openings of the drying fluid can be provided that are obtained in the drying channel 14.
• the drying fluid can be cooled. Further, the drying fluid can be pressurised and supplied to the drying channel 14 by blower means .
• the drying fluid can be introduced inside the drying channel 14 through the inlet openings so as to form a flow directed tangentially with respect to the drying channel 14.
• the aforesaid flow may have an advancing direction opposite the direction along which the preforms 2 are moved along the drying channel 14. Further, the aforesaid flow may substantially occupy the entire cross section of the drying channel 14 enabling the drying efficacy to be improved.
• each movement device 25 comprises four grasping elements 27, i.e. a first grasping element 27a, a second grasping element 27b, a third grasping element 27c and a fourth grasping element 27d arranged at angular intervals of 90°.
• the first grasping element 27a and the third grasping element 27c are aligned along a diameter of the rotating body 12, the first grasping element 27a being further from the rotation axis R of the third grasping element 27c.
• the second grasping element 27b and the fourth grasping element 27d are aligned along a direction that is arranged transversely, and in particular perpendicularly, with respect to the aforesaid diameter.
• the casing 13 has a first interruption 28 at a zone 29 in which the extracting carousel 8 interacts with the cooling carousel 7.
• the extracting carousel 8 can remove a preform 2 associated with the first grasping element 27a.
• the casing 13 also has a second interruption 30 at a zone 31 in which the movement carousel 6 interacts with the cooling carousel 7.
• the movement carousel 6 can deliver a preform 2 to the first grasping element 27a.
• the casing 13 comprises a single interruption at a zone in which the extracting carousel 8 - which in this embodiment is positioned near the movement carousel 6 - removes a preform 2 associated with the first grasping element 27a and the movement carousel 6 delivers a preform 2 to the first grasping - element 27a,
• the movement device 25 is rotated by 90° so that, during subsequent rotation of the rotating body 12 around the rotation axis R, the preform 2 associated with the first grasping element 27a is arranged inside the cooling channel 22 - together with the preform 2 associated with the second grasping element 27b and with the preform 2 associated with the third grasping element 27c that were already inside the cooling channel 22 - and the preform 2 associated with the fourth grasping element 27d is received inside the drying channel 14.
• the preform supported by the first grasping element 27a - which has just be delivered to the cooling carousel 7 - is positioned inside the cooling channel 22 and the preform 2 supported by the fourth grasping element 27d is moved from the cooling channel 22 to the drying channel 14.
• the preform supported by the second grasping element 27b and the preform supported by the third grasping element 27c perform a rotation of 90°, remaining inside the cooling channel 22.
• each movement element 25 performs a rotation of 90° .
• the grasping element 27 that is in the furthest position from the rotation axis R delivers a preform 2 - which was advanced along the drying channel 14 - to the extracting carousel 8 , receives a further preform 2 from the movement carousel 6 and - following the rotation by 90° - inserts the further preform into the cooling channel 22.
• each preform 2 thus remains inside the cooling channel 22 for a number of revolutions of the rotating body 12 around the rotation axis R equal to the number of grasping elements 27 provided in each movement element 25 decreased by one unit.
• each preform 2 remains inside the cooling channel 22 whilst the rotating body 12 performs three revolutions around the rotation axis R.
• the: preform 2 • remains inside the ⁇ drying channel 14, travelling along a portion 34 of the drying channel that extends along a rotation direction S between the second interruption 30 and the first interruption 28, i.e. between the movement carousel 6 and the extracting carousel 8.
• the second interruption 30 enables the movement devices 25 to rotate with respect to the rotating body 12 without the grasping elements 27 interfering with the drying channel 14 and with the cooling channel 22.
• the extracting carousel 8 is moved downstream of the movement carousel 6 - along the rotation direction S - with respect to what occurs in the plant 1 shown in Figure 1.
• the portion 34 is longer than in the case of the plant 1 shown in Figure 1.
• a longer time is available for drying the preforms 2.
• each preform 2 remains inside the channel almost for a complete revolution of the rotating body 12 - i.e. of the
• the cooling carousel 7 comprises driving means 36 arranged for rotating the movement means 24 with respect to the
• the driving means 36 comprises a. plurality
• each actuating device 37 being arranged for driving a corresponding movement element 25.
• each movement element 25 comprises a flange 38 intended to be fixed to the rotating
• Each movement element 25 further comprises a shaft 39 that supports the grasping elements 27.
• a stem 41 of the respective actuating device- 37 is connected to the shaft 39
• a stabilising device 65 is fixed that enables the angular size of the rotation to be checked with precision that the actuating device 37 makes the movement device 25 perform.
• the stabilising device 65 comprises a plurality of pressing elements 42.
• the number of pressing elements 42 is the same as the number of grasping elements 27 supported by the shaft 39, i.e. the number of pressing elements 42 is the same as the number of angular steps that the shaft 39 has to perform to make a complete revolution around the axis T thereof .
• the stabilising device 65 comprises four pressing elements 42, as the shaft 39, in order to complete a revolution around the axis T, has to perform four angular steps, each having a 90° size.
• the number of pressing elements 42 - and the number of grasping elements 27 - may be more or less than four.
• Each pressing element 42 comprises a body 43 that is slidable with respect to a frame 44 of the stabilising device 65.
• the body 43 comprises a first • end 45 on which a spring (which is not shown) acts, which is received in a cavity 50 interposed between the body 43 and the frame 44, which induces the body 43 to approach the axis T.
• the body 43 comprises a second end 46 on which a roller 47 is rotatably supported' that is arranged for engaging ⁇ with a disc 48 - fixed to the shaft 39 - on the periphery of which seats 49 are provided that are arranged for receiving the rollers 47.
• the number of seats 49 is the same as the number of angular steps that the shaft 39 has to perform to make a complete revolution around the axis T.
• the disc 48 comprises four seats 49.
• the actuating device 37 by rotating the movement element 25, overcomes the action exerted by the springs received in the cavities 50 and induces each roller 47 to leave the respective seat 49. Subsequently, after the movement element 25 - i.e. the disc 48 - has performed a rotation of an amount that is substantially the same as a preset value - in the embodiment shown substantially equal to 90° - each roller 47 enters a seat 49 adjacent to the seat 49 in which it was previously received. The seat 49 is positioned immediately downstream of the seat 49 in which the roller 47 was previously received along a rotation direction of the movement element 25 with respect to the axis T.
• the stabilising device 65 thus ensures the movement device 25 to perform an angular movement of a preset size, this size depending on the position of the seats 49 and not on the precision of the actuating device 37.
• the stabilising device 65 further ensures that the movement device 25 is maintained in a desired operating configuration until it is rotated by the actuating device 37.
• a freewheel device 77 that enables the stem 41 to rotate integrally with the block 40 and the shaft 39 to make the movement device 25 perform an angular step, when the stem 41 moves from a first operating position to a second operating position, for example from an operating position in which the stem 41 extends from a cylinder 76 of the actuating device 37 to a further operating position in which the stem 41 is received in the cylinder 76.
• the freewheel device 77 further enables the block 40 ' to rotate with respect to the shaft 39 to enable the stem 41 to ' return to the initial configuration, passing from the second operating position to the first operating position, for example passing • from the aforesaid further operating position, in which the stem 41 is received in the cylinder 76, to the aforesaid operating position in which the. stem 41 extends from the cylinder 76.
• the stem 41 after rotating the movement device 25 by an angular step, can return to an initial configuration so as to be able to rotate subsequently the movement device 25 by a further angular step.
• the cooling carousel 7 further comprises rotation promoting means 51 arranged for rotating the grasping elements 27 around rotation axes arranged substantially perpendicularly to the axis T, so that the preforms 2 assume alternatively a first configuration K, shown in Figure 4, in which an opening 66 of the preforms 2 faces upwards, or a second configuration H, shown in Figure 4, in which the opening 66 faces downwards .
• Figure 4 shows a preform 2a in the first configuration K and a further preform 2b in the second configuration H merely by way of example.
• the preform 2a and the further preform 2b, being supported by the same movement element 25, should, in fact, assume the same configuration, as will be clear from the following description.
• the rotation promoting means 51- comprises a plurality of rotation promoting devices 52, each rotation promoting device 52 being operationally associated with a corresponding movement element 25.
• Each rotation promoting device 52 comprises an actuator 53, for example a pneumatic actuator, that controls a rack 54
• a bevel toothed wheel 60 arranged for engaging with further bevel toothed wheels 61 fixed to supporting elements 62 that support the grasping elements 27.
• Each supporting element 62 is rotatably received in a hole 63 obtained in a block 64 fixed to the shaft 39.
• the actuator 53 by means of the rack 54, drives the toothed wheel 55, the elongated element 57 is rotated.
• the bevel toothed wheel 60 commands the further bevel toothed wheels 61 so as to rotate the preforms 2 supported by the grasping elements ' 27, so that the preforms 2 move from the first configuration K to the second configuration H.
• the actuator 53 again to an initial position it is possible to rotate the preforms 2 supported by the grasping elements 27, so that the preforms 2 move from the second configuration H to the first configuration K.
• the preforms 2 can be rotated a desired number of times whilst the rotating body 12 performs a revolution around the rotation axis R.
• the rotation promoting means 51 may not be provided. In this case, the preforms 2 are maintained during the entire operating cycle in the same operating configuration.
• Each grasping element 27 is shaped as a gripper and comprises a first arm 78 and a second arm 79 hinged on an appendage 80 of the block 64.
• the first arm 78 and the second arm 79 comprise a shaped portion arranged for wrapping a portion of the preform 2, in particular a portion positioned near a collar 81 of the preform 2.
• the first arm 78 and the second arm 79 are connected together by a lever, which is not shown, so as to make equal movements.
• elastic means is interposed that is not shown that maintains the grasping element 27 in a closed configuration Z, shown in Figure 7, in which the grasping element 27 retains a preform 2.
• protrusions are provided, which are not shown, that act as arresting elements for the preforms 2 and lock the preforms 2 at a mouth region, for example near the collar 81.
• the protrusions are shaped so as not to hinder the delivery of the preforms 2 to the grasping elements 27 and remove the preforms 2 from the grasping elements 27.
• a revolving element 82 is rotatably supported that is arranged for engaging with a cam, which is not shown, to move the grasping element 27 from the closed position Z to an open position, which is not shown, in which a preform 2 can be delivered to, or removed from, the grasping element 27.
• the elastic means can maintain the grasping element 27 in the open configuration, and the revolving element 82, by cooperating with the cam, can move the grasping element from the open position to the closed position Z.
• the revolving element 82 drives the first arm 78 directly and drives the second arm 79 via the aforesaid lever.
• the grasping element 27 assumes the open position whilst the preform 2 is inserted between the. first arm 78 and the second arm 79 and subsequently assumes the closed position Z to retain the preform 2 between the first arm 78 and the second arm 79, the risks of damage to the preform 2 are significantly reduced - the preform 2 being formed of plastics not yet fully solidifie ' d is very delicate - with respect to the case of grasping elements provided with fixed arms .
• the plant 1 comprises, instead of the cooling carousel 7, a cooling device provided with conveying means comprising a flexible conveyor, for example a belt or chain conveyor, which supports the movement elements 25 and advances the preforms along a loop path.
• the flexible conveyor supports movement means that moves the preforms 2 with respect to the flexible conveyor, for example movement means comprising movement elements 25 of the type disclosed above.
• a cooling channel and a drying channel are provided that extend alongside one another. If the cooling liquid remained inside the preforms 2 undesired films could form that might be crystallised at the internal surface - which is the hottest surface - of the preforms 2, such films negatively influencing a subsequent expansion step of the preforms 2.
• the preforms 2 that are in the cooling channel 22 may be maintained for a time as long as possible in the second configuration H.
• This is facilitated by the conformation of the rotation promoting means 51 that simultaneously rotates all the preforms 2 supported by the same movement device 25, i.e. both the preforms 2 that are in the cooling channel 22 and the preform 2 that is in the drying channel 14.
• the preforms 2 delivered to the grasping elements 27 in the first configuration K are almost immediately rotated to assume the second position H and are finally rotated again to assume the first position K near a loading/unloading zone.
• This operating mode is particularly suitable for being used in the embodiment that is not shown to which reference was made above, in which the casing 13 has a sole interruption.
• the afore'said valves prevent jets of cooling liquid interacting with preforms 2 whilst the preforms move from the first position H to the second position K.
• the preforms 2 are cooled only by jets of cooling liquid directed substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the preforms, which enables the risks of damage to be limited as much as possible.
• suction chambers or chambers supplied with pressurised fluids can be provided in the loading zone of the preforms 2 and in the unloading zone of the preforms 2, in order to prevent exits of the cooling liquid from the cooling carousel 7, suction chambers or chambers supplied with pressurised fluids can be provided .

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (AREA)
• Devices That Are Associated With Refrigeration Equipment (AREA)
• Apparatus Associated With Microorganisms And Enzymes (AREA)
• Processing And Handling Of Plastics And Other Materials For Molding In General (AREA)

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Cited By (3)

Citations (3)

• 2008
  • 2008-03-04 IT ITMO20080059 patent/ITMO20080059A1/it unknown
• 2009
  • 2009-02-27 TW TW98106314A patent/TW200950944A/zh unknown
  • 2009-03-02 WO PCT/IB2009/000390 patent/WO2009109829A1/en active Application Filing

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