Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a container (2), by drawing and blowing in a mould (8), from a blank (3) made of plastic material, which includes the following operations: inserting the blank (3) in the mould (8); controlling the opening of a pre-blowing solenoid valve (17) at a predetermined pre-blowing rate (DP); measuring the current pressure (P) inside the blank (3); detecting an actual time (tA) for starting the pre-blowing step; calculating a time (tF) for ending the pre-blowing step such that: tF=tA+?t??, wherein: ?t is a predetermined time for opening the pre-blowing solenoid valve and ? is a predetermined constant; deducing therefrom an actual pressure (PF) at the end of the pre-blowing step; comparing said pressure to a theoretical pressure (Pth); and if said pressures are found to be non-identical, ordering a modification of the pre-blowing rate (DP).

Abstract: The invention relates to an assembly (1) composed of at least one preform (12) and of a device (10) for decontaminating the interior of a preform (12) by irradiation with at least one type of ultraviolet radiation emitted by components (22) of the semiconductor type, relates to an installation (100) for producing a sterile recipient (120) including at least one decontamination device (10) and relates to a method for fabricating a sterile recipient (120) starting from a decontaminated preform (12).

Abstract: Container made of a plastic material, provided with a base including a standing ring forming a support flange and a diaphragm extending from the standing ring to a central portion, the diaphragm being capable of standing in an outwardly-inclined position, the diaphragm connecting to the standing ring at an outer junction forming an outer articulation of the diaphragm with respect to the standing ring; the diaphragm connecting to the central portion at an inner junction forming an inner articulation of the diaphragm with respect to the central portion; the diaphragm being invertible with respect to the standing ring to an inwardly-inclined position; the central portion having a thickness greater than the diaphragm, the central portion having an annular section of greater thickness adjacent to the inner junction, the central portion having a central recess thinner than the annular section and protruding upwardly from an inner edge of the annular section.

Abstract: Thermoplastic container (1) which after filling and sealing is able to withstand without any substantial deformation to an internal pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, comprising a body (2) with substantially cylindrical upper (3) and lower (4) parts and an intermediate part (5) having a curvilinear triangular cross section and comprising three main faces (6a, 6b, 6c) joined by three edges (7a, 7b, 7c); these edges are rounded, having continuous curvature, joined tangentially to the main faces and have radii of curvature (ra, rb, rc) comprised between approximately 5% and 35% of the largest dimension (D) of the cross section of the lower part (3); the main faces have radii of curvature (Ra, Rb, Rc) greater than the largest dimension (D) of the cross section of the lower part (3).

Abstract: Clamp (9) for gripping a hollow body (2), which includes a clamp body (12), a pair of jaws (13) mounted articulated relative to the clamp body (12) around respective axes (A1, A2) of rotation that are parallel, and a magnetic return device (17) of the jaws (13), including a pair of magnets (18, 19) in magnetic opposition, with magnetic axes that are parallel to the axes of rotation of the jaws (13), able to draw, by opening or by closing, the clamp (9), thus having two stable positions, open and closed, in which the magnets (18, 19) are off-axis.

Abstract: A container manufacturing plant (10) includes an air circuit (78) employing a recycling method that includes at least the successive steps of: extracting filtered air from an oven (26), after the air has been used in the latter, for the purpose of cooling at least one part of the preforms; treating the sterilizing agent present in the extracted air resulting from the sterilization of the preforms; and recycling the extracted and treated air to the industrial area (16) where the plant (10) is installed. An air recycling method is also described.

Abstract: A mold (11) for manufacturing a container (2) having a body (4) and a bottom (6), including: an annular peripheral base (8) defining a positioning plane (9); an arch (10) which extends concavely toward the inside of the container (2) from the base (8), the mold (11) including: a wall (12) having an inner surface (13) forming the cavity of the body (4) of the container (2) and having an opening therethrough, the wall (12) having an edge (23) forming the cavity of the positioning plane (9); a mold bottom (14) which is moveably mounted relative to the wall (12), the mold bottom (14) having an upper surface (15) forming the cavity of the arch (10), and a skirt (19) having an outer radial extension that is strictly lower than an inner radial extension of the positioning plane (9).

Abstract: A transfer device for conveying a plurality of packaging units along a transfer path comprising: a first carrier having at least one first operative branch parallel to the transfer path; at least one first conveying element advanced along the first carrier; a second carrier adjacent to the first carrier and having at least one second operative branch parallel to the transfer path and to the first operative branch; and at least one second conveying element controlled independently from the first conveying element and advanced along the second carrier; wherein the first conveying element and the second conveying element are configured to retain therebetween a packaging unit of the plurality of packaging units and to advance the packaging unit along the transfer path.

Abstract: A gluing system for applying glue on products is disclosed. The gluing system includes a glue applicator configured to deposit melted glue on products, a glue container configured to contain excess melted glue discharged from the applicator and fresh melted glue, a glue delivering unit configured to deliver glue from the container to the applicator and a glue discharging unit configured to convey excess glue not used by the applicator to the container. The container is divided by a partition into a first chamber, containing the fresh melted glue, and into a second chamber containing the excess melted glue and separated from the first chamber. The partition includes a filter allowing flow of the fresh melted glue and the excess melted glue from both the first and second chambers to the delivering unit.

Abstract: Method of heating a blank (2) of plastic material for the manufacture of a hollow body by forming from the blank (2), which comprises the operations consisting of: inserting the blank (2) into an oven (7) provided with sources (9) of monochromatic or pseudo-monochromatic electromagnetic radiation emitting in the infrared range; exposing the blank (2) to the radiation from the sources (9), adjusted to a predetermined emission power for a predetermined exposure time; measuring a temperature on an outer wall (16) of the blank (2); Characterized in that it comprises an operation consisting of: adjusting the exposure time and/or the emission power so that said temperature at an exit from the oven (2) [sic: (7)], does not fall between Tg and 1.8·Tg, where Tg is the glass transition temperature of the material.

Abstract: A mold for blow molding a container from a preform, the container including a wall portion and a base including a high standing ring and a central outwardly-inclined invertible diaphragm, the mold including sidewalls forming a counter print of the wall portion of the container (1) and a mold base (36) having an upper surface (37) defining a counter print of the container base, wherein the upper surface (37) includes: an annular peripheral face (43) corresponding to an annular support flange of the container base; a frusto-conical outer face (44) corresponding to an inner portion (11) of the high standing ring, the outer face (44) protruding upwardly with a draft angle (A2) from an inner edge of the peripheral annular face (43) up to a sharp apex (45), and a frusto-conical downwardly inclined inner face (46) corresponding to the invertible diaphragm.

Abstract: Disclosed is a container made of plastics material, which is provided with a body and a bottom (6) that extends from a lower end of the body, the bottom (6) including: a peripheral base (7) that defines a setting-down plane (8); a concave vault (10) which extends from a central area (11), forming a peg that projects towards the inside of the container, to the base (7); a set of main reinforcing grooves (13) which extend radially from the central area (11) as far at least as the base (7), wherein, in the container, the vault (10) has a central region (15), a median region (16) and a peripheral region (17) that are each separated by an internal axial indentation (18) and an external axial indentation (19) which extend annularly in a continuous manner around the central area (11).

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a container (2) from a blank (3) made of plastic material, in a stretch-blow molding unit (7) including: a mold (11) provided with a wall (13) and a mold base (14) which is axially movable relative to the wall (13) between a low position and a raised position; a stretch rod (22) which is axially movable relative to the mold (11) between a high position and a low position; the method including: a phase of inserting the blank (3) in the mold (11); a phase of stretch-blow molding; a phase of boxing; a phase of determining the start and end of the boxing phase, respectively, by detecting the movement of the rod (22) from the low position thereof and the stopping of the rod (22) at the raised position thereof.

Abstract: Container made of plastic material includes a body and a petal-shaped bottom (3) extending the body, the bottom (3) having a bottom wall (4) of general convex shape toward the outside of the container, from which feet (7) formed by protrusions project, separated two by two by portions of the bottom wall (4) forming recessed valleys (12) that extend radially to a periphery (8) of the bottom (3), the bottom (3) also including, in each valley (12), in the vicinity of the periphery (8) of the bottom (3), at least one groove (17, 18) that extends transversely relative to the radial direction of extension of the valley (12).

Abstract: Machine (1) for the plasma treatment of containers (3), which comprises: a chamber (5) suitable for receiving a container (3) to be treated, a cover (8) defining a nozzle (9) in the extension of the chamber (5); a duct (14) for depressurization the container (3), which duct opens into the nozzle (9) and connects the latter to a vacuum source (15); a first valve (19) having a closed position, in which it closes off the depressurization duct (14), and an open position, in which it brings the nozzle (9) and the vacuum source (15) into communication; a duct (27) for pressurizing the container (3), separate from the depressurization duct (14), this pressurization duct (27) emerging in the nozzle (9) beyond the depressurization duct (14) and connecting the nozzle (9) to a pressure source (28); and a second valve (29) having a closed position, in which it closes off the pressurization duct (27), and an open position, in which it brings the nozzle (9) and the pressure source (28) into communication.

Abstract: Container (1), obtained by blow molding or stretch blow molding of a blank made of plastic material, which comprises a body (2), a shoulder (3) in the extension of the body (2) at an upper end thereof, and a neck (4) in the extension of the shoulder (3), the shoulder (3) being articulated between two stable positions, namely a deployed position in which the shoulder (3) projects from the body (2), and a retracted position in which the shoulder (3) is at least partially retracted into the body (2), the shoulder (3) being articulated in order to be able to adopt, in addition to the deployed position and the retracted position, a third stable position, intermediate between the deployed position and the retracted position.

Abstract: A plastics container (1) includes a body (2) with a polygonal section which extends along a main axis (X), a shoulder (4) which extends in continuation of the body (2) on an upper side, a neck (5) which extends in continuation of the shoulder (4), and a bottom (3) which extends in continuation of the body (2) on a lower side, the bottom (3) including: an annular seat (9) defining a standing perimeter (10), having a polygonal contour formed from a plurality of sides and vertices, and approximately perpendicular to the main axis (X); a central peg (16) having a side wall (17) that has a generally axisymmetric frustoconical shape about the main axis (X) and which is connected to the rest of the bottom (3) by a connecting fillet (19) which has a radius that is variable in revolution about the main axis (X) of the container.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a container from a blank in a stretch blowing assembly equipped with a mold provided with a wall and a mold bottom axially movable between an extended position and a retracted position and a stretch unit having a rod axially movable with respect to the wall and a device for controlling the movement of the rod. The method involves a stretch blowing phase; a boxing phase during which the mold bottom, initially in the extended position, is moved towards its retracted position, the boxing phase having a retraction operation including controlling a movement of the rod in synchronization with the movement of the mold bottom, or releasing the rod to allow the free axial movement thereof.

Abstract: There is described a labeling apparatus (1) for applying labels (2) onto a succession of articles (3) and a method of setting-up of said labeling apparatus (1) prior to the application of the labels (2). The labeling apparatus (1) comprises a transfer drum (21) for retaining on its outer surface (22) labels (2), a glue application roller (19) having an outer lateral surface (20) and being configured to apply a pattern of glue onto the labels (2). The transfer drum (21) comprises a plurality of pad assemblies (24) arranged along its outer surface (22) and pad assembly alignment means (42) configured to modify orientation and/or position of each one of the plurality of pad assemblies (24) to a respective working configuration for aligning each one of the plurality of pad assemblies (24) with respect to the outer lateral surface (20) of the glue application roller (19).

Abstract: A control system (34) for a unit (9) for forming containers (2) from blanks (3) provided with a series of forming stations (10) each provided with a mold (11), the system (34) including a master control unit (36) and a series of slave controllers (37) each associated with at least one forming station (10), each controller (37) being programmed to: control the or each associated forming station (10) according to a forming command (CF) loaded in the controller (37); take into account a pressure measurement in the mold (11), from this measurement, establish a blowing curve describing the change in the fluid pressure in the mold (11), analyze the blowing curve and extract therefrom the coordinates of at least one singular point (S); communicate the singular point (S) to the control unit (36).