Abstract: The invention relates to a method and installation for the production of a plastic container (1). The inventive method comprises: (i) a step involving the thermal conditioning of at least some areas (2) of a preform (3) of the container, such that the temperature of said areas exceeds the glass transition temperature of the constituent material thereof; and (ii) a step involving the injection of a fluid into the preform (3) so as to cause the preform to expand in order to shape same into a container. According to the invention, unrestrained expansion of the above-mentioned areas of the preform is performed, i.e. without a mould, by controlling at least one injection parameter of the fluid in order to obtain the definitive container (1).

Abstract: To blow plastic hollow bodies, each mold (7) has its respective compression chamber (21) connected to it, constituted by a cylinder (20)-piston (19) assembly; pressure is initialized in the chamber; the fluid is compressed in the chamber; the chamber is connected (22, 24, 25) with the blank (9) when the piston position attains a predetermined position and chamber volume continues to be reduced to complete the blowing. The invention can be applied in particular to the blowing of small-volume hollow bodies.

Abstract: A method for filling a plastic container (8) while it is still hot and deformable without damaging it, when the filling comprises a phase (17; 13) during which a noticeable difference in pressure between the container inside and the environment external to the filling installation occurs, at least during part of said phase, consisting in placing the container in a sealed chamber (9) isolating it from the external environment and modifying (18; 12) the pressure inside the chamber to reduce, even cancel, the difference in pressure between the container inside and outside. The invention is applicable to the filling of plastic containers, with aerated beverages and/or their filling after a vacuumizing phase of their internal volume, immediately after they have been made by blowing.

Abstract: The invention relates to the thermal treatment of the body (2) of a preform (1) or of an intermediate container made of a thermoplastic material during a process for manufacture of the container, such as a flask or bottle, in particular by blowing or stretching-blowing, the entirety of the body (2) of the preform being heated to a temperature greater than the softening temperature of the material, at least one longitudinal portion (13) of the body (2) of the preform in rotation on itself being heated to a temperature greater than that of the rest (14) of the body, thereby making it possible to produce a finished container incorporating a body having a complex shape.

Abstract: A preform (3) for use in making a container such as a bottle from a thermoplastic material is selectively heated prior to at least one step of blow molding or stretch-blow molding the heated preform. For this purpose, at least most (7A) of the radiation (4) transmitted generally towards the preform by a source (1A) is focused (8) onto a preferred area (A) thereof, the source is located substantially opposite the preferred area of the preform, whereby said the preferred area (A) receives most (7A) of the radiation (4) while the areas adjacent to the preferred area (A) do not receive the radiation fraction initially transmitted towards them by the source.

Abstract: The invention relates to the thermal treatment of the body of a preform (1) or of an intermediate container made of a thermoplastic material during a process for manufacture of the container, such as a flask or bottle, in particular by blowing or stretching-blowing, the entirety of the body of the preform being heated to a temperature greater than the softening temperature of the material, at least one longitudinal portion (13) of the body (2) of the preform in rotation on itself being heated to a temperature greater than that of the rest (14) of the body, thereby making it possible to produce a finished container incorporating a body having a complex shape.

Abstract: Preforms are thermally treated in a continuous-run oven equipped with infrared lamps. The portions of the oven exposed to infrared radiation are cooled by an air flow, whose temperature is kept constant by mixing air at ambient temperature with hot air. The latter is obtained by recycling at least part of the cooling air flow, which becomes heated as it carries away excess heat. A recycling mechanism in the form of a plenum box 13 equipped with a pivotable shutter 16 for adjusting the proportions of recycled hot air and ambient temperature air makes it possible to keep the temperature of the cooling air constant.