Injection blow molding equipment

Claim 2

Injection blow molding equipment in the form of an adapter or tool for use with an injection molding machine having a stationary platen with an injection device for softened plastic associated therewith and a platen movable toward and away from the stationary platen, the tool comprising a pair of mounting plates respectively arranged for attachment to the platens of such an injection machine and thereby provide for stationary positioning of one plate and for movement of the other plate with respect to the stationary plate, a turntable mounted on the movable plate for angular oscillation about an axis normal to the plates, said oscillation being between two molding stations angularly offset from each other by an angle of 90* or less, mold cores mounted on and projecting from the movable plate toward the stationary plate, molds mounted on the stationary plate in positions to receive the cores when the movable plate advances toward the stationary plate, said molds including for each core a preform injection mold positioned to register with the core when the turntable is in one of said molding stations and also including a blow mold positioned to register with the core when the turntable is in the other of said molding stations, and means for delivering softened plastic frOm the injection device into the injection molds through the bottom thereof.

Claim 3

Equipment as defined in claim 1 and further including blowing means providing for expansion of molded preforms in the blow molds and including for each core an associated blowing passage arranged to deliver blowing air into the preform molded on the core in a region remote from the bottom of the preform.

Claim 4

Injection blow molding equipment in the form of an adapter or tool for use with an injection molding machine having a stationary platen with an injection device for softened plastic associated therewith and a platen movable toward and away from the stationary platen, the tool comprising a pair of mounting plates respectively arranged for attachment to the platens of such an injection machine and thereby provide for stationary positioning of one plate and for movement of the other plate toward and away from the stationary plate, a turntable mounted on the movable plate for angular oscillation about an axis normal to the plates, an annular series of mold cores mounted on and projecting from the movable plate toward the stationary plate, an annular series of molds mounted on the stationary plate in positions to receive the cores when the movable plate advances toward the stationary plate, alternate molds in said series comprising preform injection molds and blow molds, and means for angularly oscillating the turntable when the movable plate is moved away from the stationary plate to provide for insertion of a given core alternately into said alternate injection and blow molds.

Claim 5

Injection blow molding equipment in the form of an adapter or tool for use with an injection molding machine having a stationary platen with an injection device for softened plastic associated therewith and a platen movable toward and away from the stationary platen, the tool comprising a pair of mounting plates respectively arranged for attachment to the platens of such an injection machine and thereby provide for stationary positioning of one plate and for movement of the other plate toward and away from the stationary plate, a turntable mounted on the movable plate for angular oscillation about an axis normal to the plates, an annular series of mold cores mounted on and projecting from the movable plate toward the stationary plate, an annular series of molds mounted on the stationary plate in positions to receive the cores when the movable plate advances toward the stationary plate, alternate molds in said series comprising preform injection molds and blow molds, and means for angularly oscillating the turntable when the movable plate is moved away from the stationary plate to provide for insertion of a given core alternately into said alternate injection and blow molds.

Claim 6

Injection blow molding equipment in the form of an adapter or tool for use with an injection molding machine having a stationary platen with an injection device for softened plastic associated therewith, and a platen movable toward and away from the stationary platen, the tool comprising a pair of mounting plates respectively arranged for attachment to the platens of such an injection machine and thereby provide for stationary positioning of one plate and for movement of the other plate with respect to the stationary plate, a turntable mounted on the movable plate for angular oscillation about an axis normal to the plates, an annular series of mold cores mounted on and projecting from the movable plate toward the stationary plate, an annular series of molds mounted on the stationary plate in positions to receive the cores when the movable plate advances toward the stationary plate, some of said molds in said series comprising injection molds for molding open-top closed-bottom preforms and annularly adjacent molds in said series comprising blow molds, means for angularly oscillating the turntable to provide for insertion of a given core alternately into said annularly adjacent injection and blow molds, means for delivering softened plastic from the injection device into the injection molds through the bottom thereof, and means for introducing blowing air at a neck region of each preform when it is inserted into a blow mold.

Claim 7

Injection blow molding equipment in the form of an adapter or tool for use with an injection molding machine having a stationary platen with an injection device for softened plastic associated therewith, and a platen movable toward and away from the stationary platen, the tool comprising a pair of mounting plates respectively arranged for attachment to the platens of such an injection machine and thereby provide for stationary positioning of one plate and for movement of the other plate with respect to the stationary plate, a turntable mounted on the movable plate for angular oscillation about an axis normal to the plates, an annular series of mold cores mounted on and projecting from the movable plate toward the stationary plate, an annular series of molds mounted on the stationary plate in positions to receive the cores when the movable plate advances toward the stationary plate, some of said molds in said series comprising injection molds for molding open-top closed-bottom preforms and annularly adjacent molds in said series comprising blow molds, means for angularly oscillating the turntable to provide for insertion of a given core alternately into said annularly adjacent injection and blow molds, means for delivering softened plastic from the injection device into the injection molds through the bottom thereof, and means for introducing blowing air at a neck region of each preform when it is inserted into a blow mold.

Claim 8

Injection blow molding equipment in the form of an adapter or tool for use with an injection molding machine having a stationary platen with a centrally located injection device for softened plastic associated therewith and a platen movable toward and away from the stationary platen, the tool comprising a pair of mounting plates respectively arranged for attachment to the platens of such an injection machine and thereby provide for stationary positioning of one plate and for movement of the other plate with respect to the stationary plate, a turntable mounted on the movable plate for angular oscillation about an axis normal to the plates, an annular series of eight mold cores mounted on and projecting from the movable plate toward the stationary plate, an annular series of four preform molds mounted on the stationary plate in positions to receive four of the cores when the movable plate advances toward the stationary plate, hot runners in the form of a cross for delivering softened plastic from a centrally located injection device to the bottom of the four preform molds, an annular series of four blow molds mounted on the stationary plate in positions between the preform molds, and means for angularly oscillating the turntable to provide for insertion of a given core alternately into adjacent injection and blow molds.

Claim 9

Injection blow molding equipment in the form of an adapter or tool for use with an injection molding machine having a stationary platen with a centrally located injection device for softened plastic associated therewith and a platen movable toward and away from the stationary platen, the tool comprising a pair of mounting plates respectively arranged for attachment to the platens of such an injection machine and thereby provide for stationary positioning of one plate and for movement of the other plate with respect to the stationary plate, a turntable mounted on the movable plate for angular oscillation about an axis normal to the plates, an annular series of eight mold cores mounted on and projecting from the movable plate toward the stationary plate, an annular series of four preform molds mounted on the stationary plate in positions to receive four of the cores when the movable plate advances toward the stationary plate, hot runners in the form of a cross for delivering softened plastic from a centrally located injection device to the bottom of the four preform molds, an annular series of four blow molds mounted on the stationary plate in positions between the preform molds, and means for angularly oscillating the turntable to provide for insertion of a given core alternately into adjacent injection and blow molds.

Claim 10

Equipment according to claim 5 and further including means providing for thermal insulation of the molds from the hot runners.

Claim 11

Injection blow molding equipment in the form of an adapter or tool for use with an injection molding machine having a stationary platen with an injection device for softened plastic associated therewith and a platen movable toward and away from the stationary platen, the tool comprising a pair of mounting plates respectively arranged for attachment to the platens of such an injection machine and thereby provide for stationary positioning of one plate and for movement of the other plate with respect to the stationary plate, a turntable mounted on the movable plate for angular oscillation about an axis normal to the plates, an annular series of mold cores mounted on and projecting from the movable plate toward the stationary plate, an annular series of molds mounted on the stationary plate in positions to receive the cores when the movable plate advances toward the stationary plate, some of said molds in said series comprising preform injection molds and annularly adjacent molds in said series comprising blow molds, means for angularly oscillating the turntable to provide for insertion of a given core alternately into said annularly adjacent injection and blow molds, means for cooling the blow molds, hot runners for delivering softened plastic from the injection device to the injection molds, and mounting means for the hot runners providing for thermal insulation of the runners from the stationary plate.

Claim 12

Injection blow molding equipment in the form of an adapter or tool for use with an injection molding machine having a stationary platen with an injection device for softened plastic associated therewith and a platen movable toward and away from the stationary platen, the tool comprising a pair of mounting plates respectively arranged for attachment to the platens of such an injection machine and thereby provide for stationary positioning of one plate and for movement of the other plate with respect to the stationary plate, a turntable mounted on the movable plate for angular oscillation about an axis normal to the plates, an annular series of mold cores mounted on and projecting from the movable plate toward the stationary plate, an annular series of molds mounted on the stationary plate in positions to receive the cores when the movable plate advances toward the stationary plate, some of said molds in said series comprising preform injection molds and annularly adjacent molds in said series comprising blow molds, means for angularly oscillating the turntable to provide for insertion of a given core alternately into said annularly adjacent injection and blow molds, means for cooling the blow molds, hot runners for delivering softened plastic from the injection device to the injection molds, and mounting means for the hot runners providing for thermal insulation of the runners from the stationary plate.

Claim 13

Injection blow molding equipment for making open neck hollow articles, comprising an annular series of cores, an annular series of molds some of which are preform injection molds and some of which are blow molds, mechanism mounting the cores and molds and providing for relative movement of the cores and molds toward and away from each other to effect axial insertion of the cores into the molds and withdrawal of the cores from the molds, mechanism for effecting relative oscillation of the series of molds and cores when they are separated to provide for alternate insertion of each core into annularly adjacent injection and blow molds, heat transfer means for controlling the temperature of the cores, means for cooling at least the blow molds, neck rings mounted for movement with the cores, each neck ring surrounding a core and cooperating therewith to form a cavity for injection molding of an open neck of an article, and means for injecting heat softened plastic material into the injection molds including the neck cavity, the neck ring being dimensioned and mounted to abut a cooled mold when the core is inserted therein and thereby provide for heat transfer from the neck ring to the cooled mold.

Claim 14

Injection blow molding equipment for making open neck hollow articles, comprising an annular series of cores, an annular series of molds some of which are preform injection molds and some of which are blow molds, mechanism mounting the cores and molds and providing for relative movement of the cores and molds toward and away from each other to effect axial insertion of the cores into the molds and withdrawal of the cores from the molds, mechanism for effecting relative oscillation of the series of molds and cores when they are separated to provide for alternate insertion of each core into annularly adjacent injection and blow molds, heat transfer means for controlling the temperature of the cores, means for cooling at least the blow molds, neck rings mounted for movement with the cores, each neck ring surrounding a core and cooperating therewith to form a cavity for injection molding of an open neck of an article, and means for injecting heat softened plastic material into the injection molds including the neck cavity, the neck ring being dimensioned and mounted to abut a cooled mold when the core is inserted therein and thereby provide for heat transfer from the neck ring to the cooled mold.

Claim 15

Equipment as defined in claim 8 in which the neck ring is split to provide for opening and closing movement of the ring, means associated with each neck ring for opening the ring after blowing of an article in a blow mold, and means for closing the neck ring of a core being inserted into the injection mold.

Claim 16

Injection blow molding equipment for making open neck hollow articles, comprising an annular series of cores, an annular array of molds some of which are preform injection molds and some of which are blow molds, mechanism mounting the cores and molds and providing for relative movement of the cores and molds toward and away from each other to effect insertion of the cores axially into the molds and withdrawal of the cores from the molds, mechanism for effecting relative oscillation of the series of molds and cores when they are separated to provide for insertion of each core alternately into two annularly adjacent molds in said array one of which is an injection mold and the other of which is a blow mold, neck rings mounted for movement with the cores, each neck ring surrounding a core and cooperating therewith to form a cavity for injection molding of an open neck of an article, and means for injecting heat softened plastic material into the injection molds including the neck cavity, the neck ring being dimensioned and mounted to abut a blow mold when the core is inserted therein and thereby cooperate with the blow mold to provide a neck forming continuation of the mold cavity.

Claim 17

Injection blow molding equipment for making open neck hollow articles, comprising an annular series of cores, an annular array of molds some of which are preform injection molds and some of which are blow molds, mechanism mounting the cores and molds and providing for relative movement of the cores and molds toward and away from each other to effect insertion of the cores axially into the molds and withdrawal of the cores from the molds, mechanism for effecting relative oscillation of the series of molds and cores when they are separated to provide for insertion of each core alternately into two annularly adjacent molds in said array one of which is an injection mold and the other of which is a blow mold, neck rings mounted for movement with the cores, each neck ring surrounding a core and cooperating therewith to form a cavity for injection molding of an open neck of an article, and means for injecting heat softened plastic material into the injection molds including the neck cavity, the neck ring being dimensioned and mounted to abut a blow mold when the core is inserted therein and thereby cooperate with the blow mold to provide a neck forming continuation of the mold cavity.

Claim 18

Equipment as defined in claim 10 in which the blow mold and the neck ring are split and have abutting parts, and means for maintaining said abutting parts in abutting relation during the initial portion of the withdrawal motion of the core, and means for opening the neck ring during the withdrawal motion of the core.

Claim 19

Equipment as defined in claim 11 and further including guide means defining a path of opening motion of the neck ring splits inclined away from the path of the withdrawal motion of the core to provide for release of the neck of the container from the portion of the core on which it was molded.

Claim 20

Injection blow molding equipment in the form of an adapter or tool for use with an injection molding machine having a stationary platen with an injection device for softened plastic associated therewith and a platen movable toward and away from the stationary platen, the tool comprising a pair of mounting plates respectively arranged for attachment to the platens of such an injection machine and thereby provide for stationary positioning of one plate and for movement of the other plate with respect to the stationary plate, a turntable mounted on the movable plate for angular oscillation about an axis normal to the plates, an annular series of mold cores mounted on the movable plate and directed towards the stationary plate, an annular series of molds mounted on the stationary plate in positions to receive the cores when the movable plate advances toward the stationary plate, at least two of said molds in said series comprising preform injection molds and at least two of said molds in said series comprising blow molds, said preform injection molds and said blow molds being alternately arranged at a substantially uniform mutual angular spacing from one another, means for angularly oscillating the turntable through a distance corresponding to the mutual spacing between two adjacent molds to provide for insertion of a given core alternately into injection and blow molds, and means for delivering softened plastic from the injection device into the injection molds.

Claim 21

Injection blow molding equipment in the form of an adapter or tool for use with an injection molding machine having a stationary platen with an injection device for softened plastic associated therewith and a platen movable toward and away from the stationary platen, the tool comprising a pair of mounting plates respectively arranged for attachment to the platens of such an injection machine and thereby provide for stationary positioning of one plate and for movement of the other plate with respect to the stationary plate, a turntable mounted on the movable plate for angular oscillation about an axis normal to the plates, an annular series of mold cores mounted on the movable plate and directed towards the stationary plate, an annular series of molds mounted on the stationary plate in positions to receive the cores when the movable plate advances toward the stationary plate, at least two of said molds in said series comprising preform injection molds and at least two of said molds in said series comprising blow molds, said preform injection molds and said blow molds being alternately arranged at a substantially uniform mutual angular spacing from one another, means for angularly oscillating the turntable through a distance corresponding to the mutual spacing between two adjacent molds to provide for insertion of a given core alternately into injection and blow molds, and means for delivering softened plastic from the injection device into the injection molds.

Claim 22

Equipment as defined in claim 13, wherein said means for delivering softened plastic into the injection molds opens into the bottom of each such injection mold.

Claim 23

Injection blow molding equipment in the form of an adapter or tool for use with an injection molding machine having a stationary platen with an injection device for softened plastic associated therewith and a platen movable toward and away from the stationary platen, the tool comprising a pair of mounting plates respectively arranged for attachment to the platens of such an injection machine and thereby provide for stationary positioning of one plate and for movement of the other plate with respect to the stationary plate, a turntable mounted on the movable plate for angular oscillation about an axis normal to the plates, an annular series of mold cores mounted on the movable plate and directed towards the stationary plate, an annular series of molds mounted on the stationary plate in positions to receive the cores when the movable plate advances towards the stationary plate, at least two of said molds in said series comprising preform injection molds and at least two of said molds in said series comprising blow molds, said preform injection molds and said blow molds being alternately arranged at a substantially uniform mutual angular spacing fRom one another, means for angularly oscillating the turntable through a distance corresponding to the mutual spacing between two adjacent molds to provide for insertion of a given core alternately into injection and blow molds, and means for delivering softened plastic from the injection device into the injecting molds, each mold core being equipped with an extendible punch which when engaging with one of said blow molds is adapted to be pressed against the bottom of such blow molds, each mold core further including channel means, said punch then simultaneously freeing said channel means through which blowing air can be blown in, cam means provided at said movable plate mounting said turntable, said cam means being disposed at locations of said movable plate situated opposite said blow molds, said cam means serving to press said extendible punch of each core against the bottom of the associate blow mold, and said annular series of molds being arranged in a circle, said movable plate being provided with at least substantially arcuate-shaped groove means, the central line of said groove means substantially coinciding with the pitch circle of said circular core arrangement and within which said cam means are arranged, said extendible punch of each core including shoulder means engaging with the associate groove means.

Claim 24

Injection blow molding equipment in the form of an adapter or tool for use with an injection molding machine having a stationary platen with an injection device for softened plastic associated therewith and a platen movable toward and away from the stationary platen, the tool comprising a pair of mounting plates respectively arranged for attachment to the platens of such an injection machine and thereby provide for stationary positioning of one plate and for movement of the other plate with respect to the stationary plate, a turntable mounted on the movable plate for angular oscillation about an axis normal to the plates, an annular series of mold cores mounted on the movable plate and directed towards the stationary plate, an annular series of molds mounted on the stationary plate in positions to receive the cores when the movable plate advances towards the stationary plate, at least two of said molds in said series comprising preform injection molds and at least two of said molds in said series comprising blow molds, said preform injection molds and said blow molds being alternately arranged at a substantially uniform mutual angular spacing fRom one another, means for angularly oscillating the turntable through a distance corresponding to the mutual spacing between two adjacent molds to provide for insertion of a given core alternately into injection and blow molds, and means for delivering softened plastic from the injection device into the injecting molds, each mold core being equipped with an extendible punch which when engaging with one of said blow molds is adapted to be pressed against the bottom of such blow molds, each mold core further including channel means, said punch then simultaneously freeing said channel means through which blowing air can be blown in, cam means provided at said movable plate mounting said turntable, said cam means being disposed at locations of said movable plate situated opposite said blow molds, said cam means serving to press said extendible punch of each core against the bottom of the associate blow mold, and said annular series of molds being arranged in a circle, said movable plate being provided with at least substantially arcuate-shaped groove means, the central line of said groove means substantially coinciding with the pitch circle of said circular core arrangement and within which said cam means are arranged, said extendible punch of each core including shoulder means engaging with the associate groove means.

Claim 25

Injection blow molding equipment in the form of an adapter or tool for use with and injection molding machine having a stationary platen with an injection device for softened plastic associated therewith and a platen movable toward and away from the stationary platen, the tool comprising a pair of mounting plates respectively arranged for attachment to the platens of such an injection machine and thereby provide for stationary positioning of one plate and for movement of the other plate with respect to the stationary plate, a turntable mounted on the movable plate for angular oscillation about an axis normal to the plates, an annular series of mold cores mounted on the movable plate and directed towards the stationary plate, an annular series of molds mounted on the stationary plate in positions to receive the cores when the movable plate advances toward the stationary plate, at least two of said molds in said series comprising preform injection molds and at least two of said molds in said series comprising blow molds, said preform injection molds and said blow molds being alternately arranged at a substantially uniform mutual angular spacing from one another, means for angularly oscillating the turntable through a distance corresponding to the mutual spacing between two adjacent molds to provide for insertion of a given core alternately into injection and blow molds, and means for delivering softened plastic from the injection device into the injection molds, each mold core being equipped with an extendible punch when engaging with one of said blow molds is adapted to be pressed against the bottom of such blow molds, each mold core further including channel means, said punch then simultaneously freeing said channel means through which blowing air can be blown in, a hydraulic piston-cylinder arrangement provided for each extendible punch of each core, said hydraulic piston-cylinder arrangement being adapted to be actuated by a control mechanism when said extendible punch of the associated mold core is located in a blow mold, and said piston-cylinder arrangement is located at said movable plate mounting said turntable and at locations of said movable plate situated opposite said blow molds.

Claim 26

Injection blow molding equipment in the form of an adapter or tool for use with and injection molding machine having a stationary platen with an injection device for softened plastic associated therewith and a platen movable toward and away from the stationary platen, the tool comprising a pair of mounting plates respectively arranged for attachment to the platens of such an injection machine and thereby provide for stationary positioning of one plate and for movement of the other plate with respect to the stationary plate, a turntable mounted on the movable plate for angular oscillation about an axis normal to the plates, an annular series of mold cores mounted on the movable plate and directed towards the stationary plate, an annular series of molds mounted on the stationary plate in positions to receive the cores when the movable plate advances toward the stationary plate, at least two of said molds in said series comprising preform injection molds and at least two of said molds in said series comprising blow molds, said preform injection molds and said blow molds being alternately arranged at a substantially uniform mutual angular spacing from one another, means for angularly oscillating the turntable through a distance corresponding to the mutual spacing between two adjacent molds to provide for insertion of a given core alternately into injection and blow molds, and means for delivering softened plastic from the injection device into the injection molds, each mold core being equipped with an extendible punch when engaging with one of said blow molds is adapted to be pressed against the bottom of such blow molds, each mold core further including channel means, said punch then simultaneously freeing said channel means through which blowing air can be blown in, a hydraulic piston-cylinder arrangement provided for each extendible punch of each core, said hydraulic piston-cylinder arrangement being adapted to be actuated by a control mechanism when said extendible punch of the associated mold core is located in a blow mold, and said piston-cylinder arrangement is located at said movable plate mounting said turntable and at locations of said movable plate situated opposite said blow molds.

Claim 27

Equipment as defined in claim 13 wherein each of said blow molds incorporates at least bipartite laterally arranged split mold parts capable of being displaced, and piston-cylinder devices for displacing each said laterally arranged split mold part.

Claim 28

Equipment as defined in claim 17, further including a mold mounting structure provided on said stationary mounting plate, said split mold parts of each blow mold in their closed position bearing against Said mold mounting structure, said mold mounting structure being equipped with channel means for conveying a cooling agent.

Claim 29

Equipment as defined in claim 13, wherein each of said injection molds is provided with channel means for conveying a cooling agent.

Claim 30

Equipment as defined in claim 13, wherein each mold core is provided with channel means for conveying fluid heat transfer medium.

Claim 31

Equipment as defined in claim 13, wherein each mold core is provided with a core base fixedly mounted on said turntable, a split neck ring bearing against such core base, the neck ring parts bearing against a guide surface on the turntable which surface diverges in a direction towards said molds, and hydraulic piston-cylinder means for outwardly displacing said neck ring parts along said guide surface.

Claim 32

Equipment as defined in claim 13, wherein the components forming said molds and said mold cores are constructed in the form of exchangeable mold inserts for the purpose of changing-over to the manufacture of different molded articles.