With Heating Or Cooling Means Patents (Class 425/526)
  • Patent number: 5718853
    Abstract: A system for preconditioning preforms prior to reheating the preforms for blow molding, includes an area for receiving finished preforms, a conveyor for moving the preforms from the area and to a blow molding operation, a reheat section connected with the conveyor for receiving the preforms and for heating the preforms in preparation for blow molding, and a preconditioning section for preconditioning the temperature of the preforms prior to distributing the preforms to the reheat section such that the heat energy contained by each preform is substantially the same and uniformly distributed throughout each preform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1998
    Assignee: Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd.
    Inventor: Ronald William Ingram
  • Patent number: 5714109
    Abstract: A method and apparatus which allows blow-molded plastic containers to be manufactured at high rates of production independent of ambient environmental conditions. The method and apparatus eliminate the need to make adjustments to blow-molding oven operating parameters when environmental conditions change and reduce defects such as caused by water spots. The method includes the steps of flowing ambient air over cooling coils to remove moisture, heating the air to a constant pre-determined temperature and delivering the conditioned air to the blow-molding oven. The apparatus includes a variable speed blower which forces ambient air at a predetermined volumetric flow rate over cooling coils and an electric heater to provide the blow molding oven with a constant volumetric flow rate of constant temperature and low humidity air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1998
    Assignee: Graham Packaging Corporation
    Inventor: Robert L. Diller
  • Patent number: 5702734
    Abstract: A molded parison handling apparatus for removing hollow plastic parisons used in the manufacture of oriented plastic bottles from an injection molding machine includes a base having an arm coupled to the injection molding machine. A carriage mounted on the arm moves in a first dimension into and out of the space between the molding elements of the molding machine. A frame cooling unit coupled to the carriage engages the body portion of a set of parisons as they are released from the molding machine. A first motor moves the cooling apparatus to any of three preselected positions along the first dimension located outside the molding machine. A transfer assembly includes three sets of grabbers mounted on a gantry for movement with respect to the base. One set of grabbers grabs the finish portion of the parisons from the cooling apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1997
    Assignee: Electra Form, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel A. Hartman, Timothy L. Bright, Terry A. Shroder
  • Patent number: 5688466
    Abstract: An alignment assembly for aligning heating lamps in a heating lamp assembly intended for use in an oven of a blow molding machine, the heating lamp assembly having a chassis removably positionable in at least one preselected location in the machine and including a vertical array of generally horizontally disposed lamps held in position by a lamp holder coupled to each end of each lamp. The alignment assembly has a baseplate including a coupling for coupling the chassis to the baseplate. A pair of standards are coupled to another plate movable relative to the baseplate projecting upward therefrom for holding a vertical scale and a plurality of vertically positionable and horizontally reciprocable gages indicate the relative position of the lamp holders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 18, 1997
    Assignee: Constar Plastics, Inc.
    Inventors: Monroe S. Mitchell, Vinson A. Loos
  • Patent number: 5683729
    Abstract: A machine manufactures containers such as bottles, pots, or other hollow bodies by thermal conditioning and blow molding of plastic preforms. The machine has two portfolio molds on the periphery of a carousel, and each has at least two molding cavities. The machine also has a device for steering and for holding the preforms on a path between thermal conditioners. The preforms are separated at a pitch that is less than that of the molding cavities. The machine features a device for changing the pitch of the preforms between the steering device and the mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1997
    Assignee: Sidel S.A.
    Inventor: Thierry Valles
  • Patent number: 5681521
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 28, 1997
    Assignee: Sidel
    Inventors: Gerard Emmer, Paul La Barre
  • Patent number: 5679306
    Abstract: A method of molding a preform in an injection stretch blow molding, wherein a gas is entered into the boundary between the preform and an injection core so that the gas pressure causes the preform in an injection mold to be insulated from the injection core, thereby allowing a high-temperature releasing of the preform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: A.K. Technical Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Hisashi Nakajima, Hideaki Koda
  • Patent number: 5645870
    Abstract: A rotary plastic blow mold machine including a cylindrical hub rotatably mounted about an axis. A plurality of mold assemblies including an upper mold and a lower mold movable axially toward one another are removably mounted on the machine with each lower mold on the periphery of the hub. Mounting construction is interposed between the lower mold and the hub. Each mounting arrangement has an arcuate surface engaging a portion of the periphery of the cylindrical hub such that the lower mold can be removed and replaced on the hub by different size molds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1997
    Assignee: Owens-Brockway Plastic Products Inc.
    Inventor: W. Bruce Larsen
  • Patent number: 5641451
    Abstract: A heat-resistant container forming method includes a step of thermally shrinking a primary blow molded article in a heating furnace before secondary blow molding the primary blow molded article into a final product or container. Into the furnace, hot air which flows along the longitudinal direction of the first blow molded article and whose temperature enough to facilitate crystallization of the primary blow molded article. The primary blow molded article is thermally shrunk by exposing the entire circumferential surface of a barrel of the primary blow article to the hot air and by blowing the hot air longitudinally along the primary blow molded article to heat the barrel circumferentially uniformly. Since hot air touches the barrel as flowing longitudinally thereof, it is possible to increase the heat conductivity of boundary film of the primary blow molded article, without increasing the hot air temperature too high, so that temperature rise of the primary blow molded article is facilitated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 24, 1997
    Assignee: Nissei ASB Machine Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Orimoto, Katsumasa Yokota, Fumiya Amari, Saburo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5631030
    Abstract: An integrated plastic injection mold and blow mold machine includes an injection mold assembly having a cooled exterior mold assembly connected to a plastic injector for injecting plastic. A cooled core assembly is positionable within the cooled exterior mold assembly to define a mold cavity for accepting injected plastic from the plastic injector to form a parison. To allow transfer of the parison to a blow mold assembly, the cooled core assembly is movable with respect to the cooled exterior mold assembly. A thread split holds the parison and is used to first form the neck of a parison, and then move the parison from the injection mold assembly to the blow mold assembly. In addition, the parison is formed by use of a removable cooled core that is movable with respect to the thread split.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 20, 1997
    Assignee: Electra Form, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles J. Brun, Jr., Richard J. Schock
  • Patent number: 5618489
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for blow molding hot-fill containers by a double blow process while utilizing a single blow molding wheel. The apparatus has multiple stations including preheat station for conditioning the preforms, a blow molding station having a single blow molding wheel, a heat treating station where intermediate containers are heat treated. The blow molding wheel is provided with two sets of molds, one set for forming the intermediate containers and another set for forming the final containers. Two transfer mechanism are used to achieve four different transfers of the various stages of the final container. Preforms and heat treated intermediate containers are being respectively transferred into the first and second molds by one transfer mechanism while untreated intermediate containers and final containers are respectively removed form the first and second molds by the second transfer station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1997
    Assignee: Hoover Universal, Inc.
    Inventor: Dan Weissmann
  • Patent number: 5611987
    Abstract: A process for producing biaxially drawn plastic bottles having excellent heat resistance and an apparatus therefor. The process comprises a step of biaxially drawing and free blow-molding the preformed article to obtain a secondary molded article thereof, a step of heating the secondary molded article by inserting it for 0.3 to 5 seconds in the infrared rays emitted from an infrared-ray radiation member that has a substantially planar radiation surface having a height larger than that of the secondary molded article in the direction of height and having a surface temperature of from 350.degree. C. to 1000.degree. C., in order to obtain a tertiary product thereof that is shrunk, and a step for blow-molding the tertiary product that is in a heated state in a metal mold to obtain a final molded article. A single metal mold is used for blow-molding to shorten the time occupied by the metal mold and to produce the bottles having excellent heat resistance maintaining high productivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: Toyo Seikan Kaisha, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kato, Kenji Matsuno, Yoshitsugu Maruhashi, Hideo Kurashima, Hiroo Ikegami, Setsuko Iida, Kimio Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 5607706
    Abstract: A system for preconditioning preforms prior to reheating the preforms for blow molding, includes an area for receiving finished preforms, a conveyor for moving the preforms from the area and to a blow molding operation, a reheat section connected with the conveyor for receiving the preforms and for heating the preforms in preparation for blow molding, and a preconditioning section for preconditioning the temperature of the preforms prior to distributing the preforms to the reheat section such that the heat energy contained by each preform is substantially the same and uniformly distributed throughout each preform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1997
    Assignee: Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd.
    Inventor: Ronald W. Ingram
  • Patent number: 5599567
    Abstract: Thread split inserts used in injection molding bottle preforms of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Each insert has a curved inner surface. A pair of inserts are mounted in the mold facing each other so the inner surfaces combine to form an opening therethrough. The opening provides the portion of the cavity which forms the neck portion of the preform. Each of the thread split inserts has an enclosed conduit through which cooling fluid circulates to improve cooling and reduce molding cycle time. The cooling fluid conduit has three curved portions which extend around the curved inner surface. Two of the curved portions extend in one plane and the other curved portion of the cooling fluid conduit extends in a second parallel plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1997
    Inventor: Jobst U. Gellert
  • Patent number: 5589114
    Abstract: A temperature regulating system for a cyclic processor that consists of a mould having at least one internal passageway for receiving temperature regulating fluid, preferably coolant water. Continuous fluid flow will overcool the mould. Therefore, the system normally is set to provide flow only for a part of the cycle, the proportion depending on mould temperature or the fluid exhaust temperature from a previous cycle, preferably the immediately preceding cycle and with an averaged temperature over the cycle. The system also includes a processor fitted with the system, and a method of controlling the temperature of a fluid cooled processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1996
    Inventor: Rowland F. Evans
  • Patent number: 5589205
    Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing hollow resin products. The apparatus includes an extruder for extruding a tubular resin material and cutting the material into a parison with a specified length; a blow molding machine having an upper mold and a lower mold which form a cavity of a specified shape inside; and a parison delivering machine for receiving the parison from the extruder and feeding the parison into the cavity of the lower mold. The parison delivering machine includes a conveyer which has parison feeder for feeding a parison longitudinally from an inlet to an outlet, a driver for driving the feeder, and at least four shafts which serve as pivots of three-dimensional movement of the conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1996
    Assignee: Tigers Polymer Corporation
    Inventors: Hajime Ishikawa, Masaaki Ogawa, Ryosuke Hasegawa, Hideo Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 5585125
    Abstract: In order to improve the productivity of pressure-resisting bottles by reducing the blow time from 4-5 seconds in a conventional bottle molding method to not more than 3 seconds, and mold pressure resisting bottles free from the occurrence of crazing and bottom-breakage, a biaxially stretched blow molded bottle (1) of a synthetic resin having a big foot type petaloid bottom is produced in a blow time of not more than 3 seconds, and after the product has been released from the mold, the bottom portion (3) has become not higher than 70.degree. C., whereby the shortage of the capability of the metal mold of cooling the bottom portion (3) is supplemented. This allows both the prevention of the irregular deformation of the central part (6) of the bottom portion, and the molding of the bottom portion (3) of high pressure resisting strength and mechanical strength with a sufficient height H of the central part (6) of the bottom portion ensured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1996
    Assignee: Yoshino Kogyosho Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Iizuka, Mamoru Oshida, Makoto Takada
  • Patent number: 5585065
    Abstract: A biaxially-stretch-blow-molded container and a method of producing the same. Redraw ratio at the bottom portion is small in the secondary blow molding without employing a complex heating system but in which a secondary article obtained by subjecting a preform article to the primary blow molding is preferentially shrunk at its bottom portion, and a tertiary article or a quaternally article before being subjected to the secondary blow molding is obtained having a bottom of a flat shape or in which the central portion is recessed inwardly of the container and the periphery thereof is flattened. The bottle obtained by this method has a thickness and crystallinity in the bottom portion which are nearly the same as those of the center of the barrel and are highly oriented. The heat-resistant bottle exhibits excellent strength in the bottom portion and symmetrical panel-sinking stability in the vacuum pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1996
    Assignee: Toyo Seikan Kaisha, Ltd.
    Inventors: Setsuko Nakamaki, Yoshitsugu Maruhashi, Nobuyuki Kato, Kenji Matsuno, Hideo Kurashima, Hiroo Ikegami, Kimio Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 5582788
    Abstract: Method of making multilayer preforms which resist delamination and in a reduced cycle time. A first array of preforms are molded onto a first array of cores in an associated array of mold cavities, the cores and preforms are removed from the mold cavities as soon as possible without significant physical preform deformation, and the preforms are then cooled on the cores while a second array of cores is positioned in the mold cavities. Cooling on the cores prevents delamination of the preform layers and reduces the in-mold cooling time. Providing multiple sets of cores on a rotating turret further reduces the cycle time compared to the prior art use of robotic cooling tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1996
    Assignee: Continental PET Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne N. Collette, Thomas E. Nahill, Suppayan M. Krishnakumar
  • Patent number: 5578263
    Abstract: A parison injection molding apparatus and method injection molds parsons, transfers them to cooling stations and then ejection stations. While at the injection molding station, cooling stations and during transfer therebetween up to the time they are ejected, the parisons are continuously cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1996
    Inventor: Paul Marcus
  • Patent number: 5578262
    Abstract: A parison injection blow molding apparatus and method injection molds parisons, transfers them to cooling stations then to orient-stretch blow stations and thereafter ejection stations. While at the injection molding station, cooling stations and during transfer therebetween prior to being placed at the blow stations, the parisons are continuously cooled. The parisons are transferred to each station by an axially and laterally indexing platen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1996
    Inventor: Paul Marcus
  • Patent number: 5573791
    Abstract: An apparatus forms multiple resin layered parisons that are cooled or blown into bottles. The individual resin layers are injection molded in sequence and the formed parisons are transferred to each cooling and molding station by an axially and laterally indexing platen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1996
    Inventor: Paul Marcus
  • Patent number: 5560943
    Abstract: An apparatus for annealing biaxially oriented articles is disclosed, particularly blow molded articles prepared from unique tapered preforms which are immediately annealed using warm fluid in a segmented mold. Portions of the segment mold, used to form the articles, are temperature controlled at various temperatures by passing warm water through conduits in the neck-shoulder portion and body portion of the mold segment and cold water through the bottom and shoulder portion of the mold to bring the temperature of the article wall to about 65.degree. C. to 85.degree. C. for PET bottles. The body wall temperature is preferably lowered to about 80.degree. C. while the neck-shoulder and bottom and shoulder portions are lowered to at least 70.degree. C. The annealing increases the articles structural strength, removes temperature and biaxial stress, reduces gas permeability, retains transparency and allows for multiple reuse of the article including hot washing thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1996
    Assignee: PepsiCo., Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Mero, John Cahill
  • Patent number: 5549468
    Abstract: An alignment assembly for aligning heating lamps in a heating lamp assembly intended for use in an oven of a blow molding machine, the heating lamp assembly having a chassis removably positionable in at least one preselected location in the machine and including a vertical array of generally horizontally disposed lamps held in position by a lamp holder coupled to each end of each lamp. The alignment assembly has a baseplate including a coupling for coupling the chassis to the baseplate. A pair of standards are coupled to another plate movable relative to the baseplate projecting upward therefrom for holding a vertical scale and a plurality of vertically positionable and horizontally reciprocable gages indicate the relative position of the lamp holders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1996
    Assignee: Constar Plastics Inc.
    Inventors: Monroe S. Mitchell, Vinson A. Loos
  • Patent number: 5540879
    Abstract: A method of producing a blow-molded PET container suitable for hot-filling includes the steps of injection molding a preform, blow-molding the preform into a primary molded article larger than the desired final container, heating the primary article in a series of oven chambers while its mouth is sealed so that pressure builds within the article to thereby control shrinkage, and blow-molding the shrunken article into the desired container. The two molds are preferably heated, and the mold contact time is as long as allowed by the manufacturing process to help remove internal stresses in the article. An apparatus for carrying out the method includes a first machine having an injection station, a thermal conditioning station, a primary blow-molding station, and an exit station. A second machine includes the oven chambers and a final blow-molding station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1996
    Assignee: Nissei ASB Machine Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Orimoto, Saburo Suzuki, Fumiya Amari
  • Patent number: 5520877
    Abstract: A method of making a polyester container having an enhanced level of crystallinity in the sidewall while maintaining a low level of crystallinity in a thickened base portion. The container is particularly useful as a refillable container which can withstand higher caustic wash temperatures and exhibits reduced flavor carryover, or as a hot-fill container. According to the method, a sidewall-forming section of a preform is initially expanded, heated to contract and crystallize the same, and than reexpanded; a base-forming portion of the preform is shielded from the heat treatment and is expanded either before or after the heat treatment step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Assignee: Continental PET Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne N. Collette, Suppayan M. Krishnakumar, Chi C. Lin
  • Patent number: 5516274
    Abstract: A blow molding machine configured to receive plastic parisons and output blow mold formed containers has a support frame having a trackway. A parison conveyor is attached to the support frame, and a blow mold assembly is positionable in its operating position within the support frame to receive parisons from the parison conveyor. A track mounted frame is movably supported by the trackway, with the track mounted frame configured to support the blow mold assembly as the blow mold assembly is moved outward from its operating position within the support frame to its service position adjacent to the support frame, with outward movement of the blow mold assembly permitting improved access for servicing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1996
    Assignee: Electra Form, Inc.
    Inventor: Lynn R. Maggert
  • Patent number: 5509796
    Abstract: A machine for manufacturing hollow bodies by blow molding thermoplastic preforms includes at least one preform heating apparatus and an assembly of molding stations fixedly arranged in an arc of a circle. The molding stations each further include a finished product ejector. A rotary transfer device is provided between the heating apparatus and the molding stations to transfer the heated preforms. The transfer device preferably has the shape of a wheel coaxial with an arc of a circle on which the molding stations are arranged. The wheel includes a carrier distributed uniformly along a circle to take heated preforms and deposit them into receptors on the molding stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 23, 1996
    Assignee: ADS
    Inventor: Antoine Di Settembrini
  • Patent number: 5510079
    Abstract: A method of blow-molding a biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate resin bottle-shaped container having high heat resistance and substantially no residual stress is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 23, 1996
    Assignee: Yoshino Kogyosho Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Horoaki Sugiura, Fuminori Tanaka, Daisuke Uesugi
  • Patent number: 5505612
    Abstract: An apparatus for annealing and heat treating biaxially oriented articles is disclosed, particularly blow molded articles prepared from preforms which are simultaneously annealed using warm fluid in a first segmented mold. The blown article is transferred to a second, larger mold where the article is pressurized against the mold to form the final container design and to heat treat at least a portion of the bottle wall to improve crystallinity and strength. Portions of the mold, used to form and anneal the articles, are temperature controlled at various temperatures by passing warm water through conduits in the neck-shoulder portion and body portion of the mold and cold water through the bottom and shoulder portion of the mold to bring the temperature of the article wall to about 65.degree. C. to 95.degree. C. for PET bottles. The second mold is up to 10% larger in volume and preferably employs resistance heating to heat treat the side wall to 110.degree. C. to 220.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1996
    Assignee: PepsiCo Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Mero, John Cahill
  • Patent number: 5501593
    Abstract: A parison injection molding apparatus injection molds parisons, transfers them to cooling stations and then ejection stations. While at the injection molding station, cooling stations and during transfer therebetween up to the time they are ejected, the parisons are continuously cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1996
    Inventor: Paul Marcus
  • Patent number: 5501589
    Abstract: A parison injection blow molding apparatus injection molds parisons, transfers them to cooling stations then to orient-stretch blow stations and thereafter ejection stations. While at the injection molding station, cooling stations and during transfer therebetween prior to being placed at the blow stations, the parisons are continuously cooled. The parisons are transferred to each station by an axially and laterally indexing platen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1996
    Inventor: Paul Marcus
  • Patent number: 5501590
    Abstract: An apparatus for blow-molding PET containers suitable for hot-filling includes a first machine having an injection station, a thermal conditioning station, a primary blow-molding station, and an exit station. A second machine includes the oven chambers and a final blow-molding station. The primary article is sealed by a cap member that has a pressure relief valve connected to it to limit the internal pressure during heating, an air supply passage for final blow-molding, and a tensioning rod for insertion into the primary article and engaging a pocket in the center of the article's bottom. In some applications, it is necessary to stiffen the neck, particularly when hot-filling at about 200.degree. F. or higher, or when using a closure roll-on die or a lugged neck finish to apply a bottle cap to the final container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1996
    Assignee: Nissei ASB Machine Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Orimoto, Saburo Suzuki, Fumiya Amari
  • Patent number: 5498390
    Abstract: For the production of hollow articles from thermoplastics, such as wide-necked vessels, bottles and the like, an amorphous parison is injection-molded, warmed to a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the plastic, placed in a mold and stretch blow molded to give a hollow article. During the stretch blow molding, a liquid coolant, preferably water, is metered into the mold in such an amount that the temperature of the parison remains approximately constant or increases only insignificantly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1996
    Assignee: BASF Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Hans-Josef Sterzel
  • Patent number: 5498150
    Abstract: A mold assembly has a mold part with a plurality of elongated cavities therein forming the outer wall of a molded part and wherein a fluid cooled core is inserted within each of the elongated cavities having an outer surface forming the inner wall of the molded part and the fluid cooled core includes an inner surface having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, longitudinally directed ribs for reinforcing the fluid cooled core radially inwardly of the elongated cavities and along the length of said fluid cooled core to control core deflection. A fluid inlet pipe is located axially of the inner surface in spaced relationship thereto having one end thereof adapted to be connected to a source of coolant and including a second end thereon in communication with a plurality of circumferentially spaced passages formed between each of the longitudinally directed ribs and wherein each of the passages returns flow to an elongated annular passage between the fluid inlet pipe and the inner surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1996
    Inventor: John M. Check
  • Patent number: 5474734
    Abstract: A parison is hung down between a pair of molding metallic molds in the opened state, expanding members are contacted with the specified portions of the parison, and after setting the temperature difference between the specified portions and other portions in accordance with a pre-set thickness ratio between both portions after forming thereof, the expanding members are moved while cooling the specified portions of expanding members so as to extend and thin the portions other than the specified portions of the parison, and the metallic molds are closed together so as to blow compressed air into the parison to effect blow-molding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1995
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyo Seat (Toyo Seat Ltd.), Nishikawa Kasei Co., Ltd., Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Terumi Akazawa, Takafumi Yamane, Kazunobu Nakamori, Takeyuki Uchida, Masao Hara, Kazuhisa Toh
  • Patent number: 5468443
    Abstract: An injection stretch blow molding method sequentially circulates a plurality of neck mold moving units for supporting and conveying neck molds adapted to hold the neck portions of hollow containers and preforms used to mold the hollow containers at least through preform injection molding, blow molding and ejecting stations, the preform injection molding step, the blow molding step for blow molding the hollow containers from the preforms having their potential heat provided by the injection molding step and the product ejecting step being repeatedly carried out. The injection molding stations of M in number are provided for blow molding stations of N in number (M>N.gtoreq.1). Preforms are injection molded in each of the injection molding stations at an injection molding start time staggered from those of the other injection molding stations by time equal to N.times.T/M where T is an injection molding cycle time in each of the injection molding stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1995
    Assignee: Nissei ASB Machine Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Takada, Kouichi Satoh, Kazuyuki Yokobayashi, Shuichi Ogihara
  • Patent number: 5466413
    Abstract: A substantially cylindrical plastic parison is expanded within a blow mold against the internal walls thereof to form a plastic drinking vessel with a rim having substantially smooth inner and outer surfaces thereon. The inner surface is formed by a reciprocating cutter head assembly including an annular cutter blade with an outside diameter slightly less than the inside diameter of wall surfaces of the blow mold adjacent to a peripheral recess in the blow mold in which an external bead on the rim is formed. The cutter blade and cutter head assembly form a dome-shaped top in response to expansion of the parison. When the cutter blade is retracted axially from the blow mold the dome-shaped top is severed from the vessel. In an alternative embodiment the vessel and a partially severed dome-shaped top are removed as an integral unit from the blow mold and the dome-shaped top is then completely severed from the vessel utilizing a rotary cutter blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1995
    Assignee: The Coca-Cola Company
    Inventors: Simon J. Richter, Frank G. Hohmann, Ernst Vesely
  • Patent number: 5447426
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved take-off plate device for removing molded articles from a molding machine and delivering them to a transfer or receiving station. The device of the present invention includes a plate, one or more tubes mounted to the plate for receiving molded articles, and one or more ejector bars for engaging portions of the molded articles to remove or eject them from the tubes. Each of the tubes is provided with a cooling passageway for effecting cooling of the molded articles as they are moved between the molding machine and the receiving station. A bottom plug, which is in contact with the cooling passageway, is provided in each tube to more efficiently cool an end portion of the molded article in the tube. Preferably, the bottom plug has an end surface which matches the shape of the molded article end portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1995
    Assignee: Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd.
    Inventors: Dieter Gessner, Thomas M. McGinley
  • Patent number: 5445784
    Abstract: A biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate resin bottle-shaped container, and method of blow molding the same by heating the body portion of a preform at 90.degree. C. to 130.degree. C., biaxial-orientation blow-molding the preform in a primary blowing mold heated at 110.degree. C. to 230.degree. C. to form a primary intermediate molded bottle-shaped piece, heating the primary intermediate molded bottle-shaped piece at 130.degree. C. to 255.degree. C. or at a temperature which is 20.degree. C. or higher than the primary blowing mold temperature to form a secondary intermediate molded bottle-shaped piece, and blow-molding the secondary intermediate molded bottle-shaped piece in a secondary blowing mold heated at 100.degree. C. to 150.degree. C. to form a bottle-shaped container. The temperature of the secondary blowing mold is several degrees greater than the maximum temperature the molded bottle-shaped container will be subjected to during use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1995
    Assignee: Yoshino Kogyosho Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Horoaki Sugiura, Fuminori Tanaka, Daisuke Uesugi
  • Patent number: 5445515
    Abstract: A heat-resistant container forming method includes a step of thermally shrinking a primary blow molded article in a heating furnace before secondary blow molding the primary blow molded article into a final product or container. Into the furnace, hot air which flows along the longitudinal direction of the first blow molded article and whose temperature enough to facilitate crystallization of the primary blow molded article. The primary blow molded article is thermally shrunk by exposing the entire circumferential surface of a barrel of the primary blow article to the hot air and by blowing the hot air longitudinally along the primary blow molded article to heat the barrel circumferentially uniformly. Since hot air touches the barrel as flowing longitudinally thereof, it is possible to increase the heat conductivity of boundary film of the primary blow molded article, without increasing the hot air temperature too high, so that temperature rise of the primary blow molded article is facilitated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1995
    Assignee: Nissei ASB Machine Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Orimoto, Katsumasa Yokota, Fumiya Amari, Saburo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5419866
    Abstract: The process selectively crystallizes a molecularly oriented thermoplastic container composed of portions thereof with different degrees of orientation. Portions of the container are heat treated at temperatures suitable to crystallize said portions according to the degrees of orientation thereof wherein the heat treatment takes place in a heating environment on an unconfined container. The selectively crystallized container is then sized in a finishing means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1995
    Assignee: PepsiCo Inc.
    Inventor: Emery I. Valyi
  • Patent number: 5411477
    Abstract: An integral, single-piece, high-strength, thin-walled, inflatable catheter is disclosed. The catheter has one end partially or entirely closed, and is at least uniaxially oriented along its entire length. The method and apparatus for making the catheter is also disclosed. The catheters of this invention have a calculated radial tensile strength of about 10,000 psi or greater at every point along the catheter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1995
    Inventor: Mark A. Saab
  • Patent number: 5411698
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for annealing and heat treating biaxially oriented articles is disclosed, particularly blow molded articles prepared from preforms which are simultaneously annealed using warm fluid in a first segmented mold. The blown article is transferred to a second, larger mold where the article is pressurized against the mold to form the final container design and to heat treat at least a portion of the bottle wall to improve crystallinity and strength. Portions of the mold, used to form and anneal the articles, are temperature controlled at various temperatures by passing warm water through conduits in the neck-shoulder portion and body portion of the mold and cold water through the bottom and shoulder portion of the mold to bring the temperature of the article wall to about 65.degree. C. to 95.degree. C. for PET bottles. The second mold is up to 10% larger in volume and preferably employs resistance heating to heat treat the side wall to 110.degree. C. to 220.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1995
    Assignee: PepsiCo., Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Mero, John Cahill
  • Patent number: 5389332
    Abstract: In a method of molding a heat resistant container whose bottom has an inwardly raised part, firstly a preform is primary blow molded to form a primary blow molded article which is greater at least in length than the container to be obtained as a final product. Then the primary blow molded article is heat shrunk. This heat shrinking is restricted in such a manner that the length of the heat shrunk primary blow molded article from its top to its bottom center is greater than the length of the final product from its top to a peak of the raised part. Then at least the central region of the bottom of the heat shrunk primary blow molded article is inwardly pushed within a secondary blow cavity mold having a bottom mold by vertically moving the bottom mold. Finally in the secondary blow cavity mold, the resulting product is secondary blow molded so that the heel of a heat resistant container, as the final product, has a desired thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1995
    Assignee: Nissei ASB Machine Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumiya Amari, Tosimichi Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 5382157
    Abstract: Equipment for manufacturing a polyethylene terephthalate container which is capable of withstanding, without appreciable deformation, relatively severe thermal conditions. The equipment includes a first mold which is designed to shape the body of an intermediate container from the body of an amorphous polyethylene terephthalate preform to a size larger than the dimensions of the final container to be obtained. Second, the equipment includes a treatment station which itself includes a first heating device which, in one embodiment, first heats only the body section of the intermediate container to a temperature of about 160.degree. to about 240.degree. C. to rapidly shrink the body of the intermediate container and then heats the neck section while the contracted intermediate body continues to be heated to effect crystallization of the neck section and increase the crystallinity of the contracted intermediate container body. In a second embodiment, the neck and body sections are heated simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1995
    Inventors: Gerard Denis, Paul La Barre
  • Patent number: 5372495
    Abstract: The invention resides in a rotary blow molding machine in which under an extruder for extruding a parison, a turntable is arranged which has plural sets of molds mounted thereon for holding the parison therebetween and blow-molding the parison, the turntable is rotated by a motor, an annular driven gear is provided on the turntable, and one pair of idle gears are made to intervene between the driven gear and a driving gear for transmitting the rotation of the motor so as to intermesh with both the gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1994
    Assignees: Kao Corporation, Tahara Machinery Limited
    Inventors: Masashi Ogura, Mitsuo Yamanoi
  • Patent number: 5370834
    Abstract: A container is produced from a preform which is formed by expansion in the axial and/or radial direction of a hollow blank of originally substantially amorphous material. In the production, the circumference of the preform is reduced by heating of material in the preform body, at least one material portion of the container body being displaced, by means of a mechanical forming device (30), in a direction towards the centre of the preform for forming an outer bounding surface of the container comprising material portions whose distance to the centre axis of the container is less than the distance of corresponding material portions to the centre axis (26) of the preform. An apparatus for producing the container includes the mechanical forming device which, during reforming of the preform into the container, abuts against material in the preform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1994
    Assignee: A/S Plm Haustrup Holding
    Inventor: Erling Sorensen
  • Patent number: 5362226
    Abstract: It has been conventionally considered difficult to adhere a mold metal and a polyimide, etc. whose coefficients of thermal expansion differ from each other by one figure and to retain the adhesion in injection molding, etc. involving severe heating-cooling cycles over several tens of thousands of times. The greatest merit of injection molding resides in that a molded article of complicated shape can be obtained through one shot. It has been demanded to obtain a mirror-smooth injection molded article with good molding surface reproduction without extending the mold-cooling time while retaining this merit. The present invention provides a mold satisfying both of the durability and the demand. The present invention relates to a mold for synthetic resin molding comprising a mold body made of a metal having a heat conductivity of not less than 0.05 cal/cm.multidot.sec.multidot..degree.C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 8, 1994
    Assignee: Asahi Kasei Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kataoka, Yuo Umei
  • Patent number: 5352402
    Abstract: A method of producing a blow-molded PET container suitable for hot-filling includes the steps of injection molding a preform, blow-molding the preform into a primary molded article larger than the desired final container, heating the primary article in a series of oven chambers while its mouth is sealed so that pressure builds within the article to thereby control shrinkage, and blow-molding the shrunken article into the desired container. The two molds are preferably heated, and the mold contact time is as long as allowed by the manufacturing process to help remove internal stresses in the article. An apparatus for carrying out the method includes a first machine having an injection station, a thermal conditioning station, a primary blow-molding station, and an exit station. A second machine includes the oven chambers and a final blow-molding station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1994
    Assignee: Nissei ASB Machine Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Orimoto, Saburo Suzuki, Fumiya Amari