|Publication number||US7008215 B2|
|Application number||US 10/694,743|
|Publication date||7 Mar 2006|
|Filing date||29 Oct 2003|
|Priority date||29 Oct 2003|
|Also published as||CA2544199A1, EP1677955A2, EP1677955A4, US20050092892, WO2005044528A2, WO2005044528A3|
|Publication number||10694743, 694743, US 7008215 B2, US 7008215B2, US-B2-7008215, US7008215 B2, US7008215B2|
|Original Assignee||Graham Packaging Company, L.P.|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (14), Referenced by (8), Classifications (11), Legal Events (8)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for supporting a preforms and more particularly to an apparatus and method that can accommodate preforms having different dimensions.
2. Related Art
A preform support device is used to secure a preform in place so that the preform can be moved. Preform support devices can be coupled together in an endless chain for transferring preforms. A preform transfer chain consisting of such devices is found especially in plants for manufacturing containers, such as bottles, flasks or the like, made of a plastic, especially a thermoplastic such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). More particularly, a transfer chain formed in this way is used to move the preforms from a charging station up to and through a heating oven (tunnel oven) in which the perform material is heated for subsequent molding, by a blow molding or stretch-blow molding process, into a large container (either the final container or an intermediate container). Such a transfer chain is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,127 which is incorporated herein by reference.
A preform support device that can be coupled together one after another to form the transfer chain is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,562 which is incorporated herein by reference. Such a preform support device is shown in
The gripping head 7 is typically sized to be substantially the same size as or slightly larger than the interior diameter of the opening of the preform. The gripping head 7 is then compressed and secured within the open end of the preform. It is important that the size of the gripping head and the size of the opening in the preform match each other. Otherwise, the gripping head may be to large and will not fit into the opening of the preform or the gripping head may be to small and will not frictionally engage the preform. Thus, each gripping head can only be used with a particular size preform or preforms having openings within a very limited range, typically no variation of 0.006 inches and beyond.
Consequently, in order to use the prior art preform support device or preform transfer chain for preforms of different sizes, the production line must be shut down so that the appropriately sized preform support device for the different sized preforms can be installed. Obviously, this causes a significant delay in production time and a corresponding increase in production cost. Moreover, many different types of preform support devices are required to fit the many different types and sizes of bottles that may be manufactured. Therefore, there is a need for a preform support device than can accommodate multiple size preforms and that eliminates the need for changing over the production line.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, an apparatus for supporting a preform is provided. The apparatus comprises a shaft defining a groove. A deformable element is arranged in the groove. A split ring including at least two sections is provided. Each of the sections has an inner surface facing the deformable member and an outer surface. At least one of the sections has a protrusion extending from its inner surface. The protrusion is arranged adjacent to the deformable element. The split ring is moveable in a radial direction whereby the protrusion can cause the deformable element to be compressed in the groove.
In another embodiment of the invention, a multiple finish spindle is provided. The spindle includes a spindle body defining a groove therein. A shell includes at least two pieces disposed around the spindle body. The shell has an outer surface, an inner surface facing the spindle body, and a protruding element arranged on the inner surface. An elastically deformable element is disposed in the groove. The shell is moveable between an uncompressed position and a compressed position in which the shell moves in a radial direction towards the spindle body and the protruding element acts on the deformable element, compressing it in the groove.
In a further embodiment, a method for supporting different size preforms is provided. A support device comprising a shaft defining a groove, a deformable element arranged in the groove, and a split ring having at least two pieces, at least one of the pieces having a protrusion extending from an inner surface is provided. The support device is inserted into a first preform having a first diameter thereby causing the split ring to be compressed a first distance. The support device is removed from the first perform and is inserted into a second preform having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter thereby causing the split ring to be compressed a second distance which is greater than the first distance.
Further objectives and advantages, as well as the structure and function of preferred embodiments will become apparent from a consideration of the description, drawings, and examples below.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Embodiments of the invention are discussed in detail below. In describing embodiments, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected. While specific exemplary embodiments are discussed, it should be understood that this is done for illustration purposes only. A person skilled in the relevant art will recognize that other components and configurations can be used without parting from the spirit and scope of the invention.
A split ring 20 is arranged adjacent to the shaft 10. The split ring 20 is preferably comprised of at least two sections (shown in
The split ring 20 arranged on shaft 10 has an outer diameter C when the perform support apparatus is not inserted into a preform. Diameter C should be substantially the same as or slightly larger than diameter B of the perform 8 with which the apparatus is intended to be used. As can be seen in
The sections 20A–20C of the split ring 20 are held in place around groove 14 by the shaft 10 and a spacer body 30. Referring to
The split ring 20 then bears on the interior surface 23 of opening 12. Interior surface 23 of opening 12 engages the outer surface 22 of the split ring 20 and causes the split ring 20 to be compressed and the sections 20A–20C to move radially inward. The sections 20A–20C of the split ring move closer together, making the gaps 27 therebetween smaller. The force of the inward movement of the split ring 20 causes the protrusion 26 to act against the deformable member 16, causing deformation of the deformable member 16. The split ring 20 is compressed radially inward a distance which is equal to the distance between the outer diameter C of the uncompressed split ring and the inner diameter B of the opening 12. The outer diameter C of the split ring 20 is thus reduced and the perform support apparatus is received in the preform.
In turn, the action of the split ring 20 on the deformable member 16 causes a reaction of the deformable member 16. The elastic properties of the deformable member 16 provide a force that reacts against the force of the protrusion 26. This reaction causes the outer surface 22 of the split ring 20 to frictionally engage the interior surface 23 of opening 12. In this manner, the split ring 20 is frictionally pressed into the opening 12 of the preform 8.
In the example shown in
Accordingly, a preform support apparatus that can accommodate preforms having openings of varying diameters is provided. The preform apparatus automatically adapts to the size of the opening of the preform. There is no need to stop the production line and retool in order to be able to change production from one product to another. This provides a great savings in time and eliminates the need for a customized preform support device for each different type of preform used. The apparatus is able to withstand the high heat, high speed, and other environmental factors associated with blow-molding.
The embodiments illustrated and discussed in this specification are intended only to teach those skilled in the art the best way known to the inventors to make and use the invention. Nothing in this specification should be considered as limiting the scope of the present invention. All examples presented are representative and non-limiting. The above-described embodiments of the invention may be modified or varied, without departing from the invention, as appreciated by those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
|Cited Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
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|FR2720681A1 *||Title not available|
|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US7674424 *||23 Dec 2005||9 Mar 2010||Khs Corpoplast Gmbh & Co. Kg||Method and device for the blow-molding of containers|
|US8567589 *||30 Jul 2008||29 Oct 2013||Krones Ag||Blow molding machine for containers and mandrel holder|
|US8640860 *||22 Mar 2011||4 Feb 2014||Sidel Participations||Device for gripping a blow-moulding container preform|
|US9067742 *||30 Jan 2013||30 Jun 2015||Sidel Participations||Vessel gripping member comprising a removable nose equipped with a mandrel and an ejection plate|
|US20080166445 *||23 Dec 2005||10 Jul 2008||Rolf Baumgarte||Method and Device for the Blow-Molding of Containers|
|US20110120840 *||30 Jul 2008||26 May 2011||Krones Ag||Blow molding machine for containers and mandrel holder|
|US20130015040 *||22 Mar 2011||17 Jan 2013||Sidel Participations||Device for gripping a blow-moulding container preform|
|US20130200642 *||30 Jan 2013||8 Aug 2013||Sidel Participations||Vessel gripping member comprising a removable nose equipped with a mandrel and an ejection plate|
|U.S. Classification||425/534, 198/803.12, 198/617|
|International Classification||B27F, F16M13/00, B29C31/08, B29C49/42, B65G47/90|
|Cooperative Classification||B65G2201/0247, B29C49/4205|
|29 Oct 2003||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P., PENNSYLVANIA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:GOSS, KENT;REEL/FRAME:014655/0586
Effective date: 20031016
|8 Sep 2009||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4
|26 Sep 2011||AS||Assignment|
Free format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P.;REEL/FRAME:026970/0699
Owner name: REYNOLDS GROUP HOLDINGS INC., NEW ZEALAND
Effective date: 20110908
|20 Mar 2012||AS||Assignment|
Free format text: TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS;ASSIGNOR:REYNOLDS GROUP HOLDINGS INC.;REEL/FRAME:027895/0738
Effective date: 20120320
Owner name: GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P., PENNSYLVANIA
|22 Mar 2012||AS||Assignment|
Effective date: 20120320
Free format text: PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P.;REEL/FRAME:027910/0609
Owner name: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, NEW YORK
|18 Oct 2013||REMI||Maintenance fee reminder mailed|
|7 Mar 2014||LAPS||Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees|
|29 Apr 2014||FP||Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee|
Effective date: 20140307