Abstract:
A device for producing container products of plastic materials, particularly by carrying out a molding, filling and sealing method, includes a molding device ( 13 ) that can be supplied with a molding tube ( 15 ) of plasticized plastic materials and that has a movable molding surface ( 17 ), adapted to the predefinable geometry of the container. The molding tube ( 15 ) can be laid on the molding surface for a shaping, filling and/or sealing process. A guide and retainer device ( 25 ) includes movable guide and retainer parts ( 77, 81; 79, 83 ) able to be controlled to engage, outside the molding region of the molding device ( 13 ), on the molding tube ( 15 ) itself and/or on the plastic material that surrounds each manufactured container product and/or its container.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a device for manufacturing container products made of plastic materials, in particular by carrying out a molding, filling and sealing process. The device has a molding device, which can be supplied with a molding tube of plasticized plastic material, and which has a movable molding surface that adapts to the predefined container geometry. The molding tube can be placed on the molding surface for a molding, filling and/or sealing procedure. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Devices for manufacturing container products made of plastic are prior art. To manufacture the respective product, a tube of plasticized plastic material is extruded into the appropriate molding device. The leading end of the tube is sealed by welding. The tube is expanded by generating a pneumatic pressure gradient on the tube and is placed on the mold surfaces of the molding device to mold the container. When carrying out such production methods, for example according to the Bottelpack® method known in this technical field, the respective container is then filled in a sterile manner via a corresponding filling mandrel and hermetically sealed after removing the filling mandrel. 
     To achieve the economic and efficient production of container products at a predetermined output rate, U.S. Pat. No. 8,486,324 B2, discloses mold surfaces for the uniform molding of a plurality of containers located one above the other being formed in the molding device. In this case, however, the increase in production speed through the simultaneous formation of a plurality of contiguous containers is achieved at the cost of processing difficulties. Thus, a reliable demolding process of a container group having correspondingly extensive dimensions is dependent on the use of plastics that can be easily processed such as polyethylene, for example. Manufacturing problems arise in applications that are subject to stringent sterility standards and when, instead of polyethylene, polypropylene is to be used, which material allows for a higher autoclaving temperature. The production speed of the device of U.S. Pat. No. 8,486,324 B2 is likewise limited because, despite the simultaneous molding of the containers, manufacturing of the containers is done in a piece-work process. Two or at most, three superimposed rows of containers are formed in each production cycle, which accrue separately for additional handling. A continuous manufacturing process is thus not possible. 
     DE 10 2008 006 073 A1 discloses a device of the above mentioned generic class that, in terms of the increase in production speed, rather than a kind of piece-work process, allows for the production of a chain of connected containers. The chain of containers is moved away, out of the molding device along the production line. In addition to the more efficient manufacturing achieved, this device permits use of any type of plastic material because a demolding device, which engages with the chain of emerging containers outside the molding device, is provided to support the demolding process. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to provide an improved device that, while retaining the advantages of the above mentioned prior art, is characterized by a simplified design. 
     This object is basically achieved according to the invention by a device having a guide and retaining device including movable guide and retaining parts, which parts can be controlled such that, in at least one of the possible functional positions outside of the molding region of the molding device, the parts engage with the molding tube itself and/or with the respective plastic material that surrounds at least one manufactured container product and/or the contents thereof. The guiding and holding effect exerted on the molding tube itself and/or on the container products allows for an easy demolding process. Trouble-free processing of the desired plastic materials then results without the use of a demolding device disposed outside of the production area that engages with the emerging chain of containers. In addition to the desired simplification, this design also gives rise to the advantage of a reduced installation size of the entire device. In addition, the container products can be produced continuously. The solution according to the invention can be easily sterilized and is also designed for small fill quantities of expensive materials. 
     In especially advantageous embodiments, at the end of a respective molding, filling and sealing process for the container product, the movable guide and retaining parts can be brought into a functional position, in which those parts supportively abut the molding tube in the section adjacent to the inlet to the molding device on an opposite sides of the tube. The support, which is formed in the immediate vicinity of the head portion of the container, ensures an especially reliable demolding with a uniform separation of the containers from the mold surfaces. The mold surfaces move apart from one another during the demolding process. 
     The molding device may have jaws that form the mold surfaces, which jaws can be moved by a clamping unit in a direction of movement that is perpendicular to the vertical direction of movement of the molding tube between a position in which the mold is closed, and a position that opens the mold. A sliding device is provided, by which the clamping unit can be moved vertically downward from a starting position during the molding, filling and sealing process, together with the movement of the molding tube, and can be moved upward into the starting position at the end of the molding, filling and sealing process. A continuous production process can be implemented by this vertical movement with minimum equipment cost because only one pair of jaws is needed for each molding process. A plurality of carousel-like pairs of jaws that close together is then not needed. 
     Advantageously, the molding device may include the main molds that mold the main part of the container, as well as the head molds. The head molds can be moved independently of the main molds by the clamping unit for a filling and subsequent sealing process to seal the head of the container. 
     The configuration for the transformation of the guide and retaining parts into respective functional positions may be advantageously such that the guide and retaining device can be displaced by a second sliding device. The second sliding device can be actuated independently of the sliding device of the clamping unit between an upper position corresponding to the operative position of the guide and retaining parts, and lowered positions. 
     In terms of the structural design of the guide and retaining device, an actuation unit can be provided for each guide and retaining part, which part can be displaced in a direction that extends perpendicular to the vertical direction, between a position in which these parts are in proximity to one another corresponding to the operative position of the guide and retaining parts, and a position in which these parts are moved apart from one another. In so doing, the actuation units for the associated guide and retaining parts may have a swivel drive. By the swivel drive, the guide and retaining parts can be pivoted back and forth between a pivoting position taken while in the operative position, in which these parts are located in a pivoting position that is aligned with the molding tube, and positions, in which these parts are located outside of the region of the molding device. 
     The guide and retaining parts may be provided in the form of support rails, which extend over the entire length of the die parting plane of the molding device in the case of the pivoting position that corresponds to the operative position, and which are mounted on pivot shafts of the associated actuation unit for pivoting movements that extend in a horizontal plane. The shafts extend vertically and parallel to one another beside the die parting plane. The support for a correspondingly lengthened series of containers can be implemented in a simple manner by elongated guide rails. 
     In especially advantageous embodiments, the actuation units of the guide and retaining devices may have additional guide and retaining parts that can be moved towards one another in the direction of a closed position, and moved away from one another in the direction of at least one opened position. In at least one of the closed positions, the parts engage, at least in part, with the respective plastic material that surrounds at least one manufactured container product and/or the contents thereof. In this way, the demolding process can be designed in an especially reliable manner. 
     In so doing, especially advantageously, when viewed in a vertical plane, the dimensions of the axial spacing between the respective actuation unit and the associated support rail are such that a container product that is still warm from the molding device is received prior to transfer to the additional guide and retaining parts of the actuation units in order that a kind of cooling segment is formed. 
     The support rails, which rest against the molding tube, can have conically converging bearing surfaces to form an especially secure retaining engagement. 
     In terms of the structural design of the clamping unit of the molding device, the clamping unit can have a primary support, on which the main molds and head molds are movably guided independently of one another in a horizontal direction. The primary support is adjustably mounted on vertical guides of the device frame such that it can be slid by the first sliding device. 
     To produce the opening and closing movements of the main molds and the head molds, these molds can each be connected to an allocated, individual drive mechanism. Of these, at least one may have a lever mechanism that can be actuated by an actuator. 
     The actuator may be provided, for example, in the form of an electric motor-operated spindle drive. 
     The actuation units may also be advantageously guided on the vertical guides of the device frame such that they can be vertically displaced by a second sliding device. 
     Advantageously, each of the two sliding devices may have a separate motor-driven ball screw to generate the respective vertical movements. 
     The sliding device of the actuation units may advantageously have a transverse guide that extends vertically between the associated vertical guides of the device frame, along which transverse guide the actuation units with the additional guide and retaining parts are guided for the horizontal movement thereof, and can be moved by at least one actuator. A coupling device between the actuation units can synchronize the horizontal movements of the units. 
     Other objects, advantages and salient features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Referring to the drawings that form a part of this disclosure: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematically simplified, perspective view of a device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of only a portion of the device of  FIG. 1 , wherein the mold clamping unit and the guide and retaining device are each shown with associated functional elements; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the portion of the device shown in  FIG. 2  having components in functional positions that differ from those in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of the upper main part of the device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a front view in a larger scale than that of  FIG. 4  showing the device of  FIG. 1  in the operating state upon the conclusion of a molding, filling and sealing process; 
         FIG. 6  is a partial front view further enlarged as compared to  FIG. 5 , showing the device of  FIG. 1  in the operating state of a filling process with a partially closed molding device; and 
         FIGS. 7 to 11  are partial front views of the device of  FIG. 1  in additional operating states over the course of the production cycle are shown. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a simplified depiction of an overall view of an exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention. A device frame  1  has a rectangular box form having a front wall  3  that extends in a vertical plane. An extruder device  5  is disposed on the upper side of the box form of the frame  1 , is designed in accordance with the relevant prior art, and has a feed hopper  7  for plastic granules and a motor-driven extruder worm unit  9  to supply plasticized plastic material to an extrusion head  11 . This extrusion head is likewise designed in accordance with the prior art and extrudes the heated, plasticized plastic material in the form of a flat tube. The flat tube extends along the entire width of a molding device  13  measured along the die parting plane. Depending on the design of the molding device  13 , a plurality of container products corresponding to the number of adjacent mold surfaces  17  in the row can thereby be formed in one molding step out of a single extruded molding tube  15  ( FIG. 5 ). 
     Of these, the mold surfaces  17  of the left side of the molding device  13  are visible in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , which show the molding device  13  in an opened state. A filling device  19  for a metered supply of fill quantities for a filling process of the container formed in the molding device  13  is provided on the upper side of the device frame  1 . The filling device  19  has a number of filling mandrels, which corresponds to the number of containers that are to be molded. Of those mandrels, only a single filling mandrel  21 , is indicated in  FIGS. 4, 6 and 7 . The plastic material is extruded through the extrusion head  11  such that the molding tube that is formed surrounds the row of filling mandrels  21 . Filling mandrels  21  can thereby be lowered within the molding tube  15  into a filling position, in which position those mandrels fill the containers formed between the mold surfaces  17 . Additional expansion is provided for the molding of those container parts, which thereby receive the filling quantity. For the additional expansion, a negative pressure is applied within the container mold to lay the corresponding tube wall parts against the mold (negative pressure gradient). Additionally or alternatively, this expansion process may also be performed by injecting support or molding air (positive pressure gradient). 
       FIGS. 2 and 3  each show a separate depiction of the clamping unit  23  of the molding device  13 , as well as the guide and retaining device  25  of the embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 2 , both the clamping unit  23  and the guide and retaining device  25  each have support plate  27 ,  29 , respectively, extending in a vertical plane. As shown in  FIGS. 4 to 11 , a vertical guide  31  is on the outside on each side on the front side  3  of the device frame  1 . The vertical guides are formed as guide rails  33  ( FIG. 6 ), which, together with guide rails  35  on the support plate  27  and corresponding guide rails  37  on the support plate  29 , form a ball track. The clamping unit  23  and guide and retaining device  25  can then be displaced in a vertical direction on the vertical guide  31 . Spindle drives, which can be actuated by the machine control, are provided for the corresponding vertical movement. The spindle drives have a ball screw  39  for the clamping unit  23 , and have a ball screw  41  for the guide and retaining device  25 , see  FIG. 3 . 
     The clamping unit  23  of the molding device  13  has a sliding carriage as a support for each mold half of the complete mold. The sliding carriage  43  is on the left side of the Figures. The sliding carriage  45  is on the right side. The sliding carriages  43 ,  45  can be horizontally displaced on the guide rails  48  of the support plate  27 . On the sliding carriage  43 , a left-hand main mold  47  is mounted on a holding body  44 , attached to the carriage  43 . On the right-hand sliding carriage  45 , a right-hand main mold  49  is mounted on a holding body  46 , attached to the carriage  45 . As shown, inter alia, in  FIG. 3 , when brought together into a closed position, the main molds  47 ,  49  mold the main part of the container, which receives the respective container contents. A holding body  50  that forms a kind of slide plate is adjustably mounted on the upper side of the holding body  44  of the left-hand main mold  47 , which forms a flat plate, on which holding body a left-hand head mold  51  is mounted. In a corresponding manner, a holding body  52  is disposed on the upper side of the holding body  46  of the right-hand main mold  49  such that it can be displaced horizontally, which forms the support for a right-hand head mold  53 . As a result, the head molds  51 ,  53  can be moved independently of the main molds  47 ,  49  into the closed position, to mold the head portion of the container and to seal the filled container in a sterile manner. 
     For the horizontal movements between the position in which the mold is closed, and the position in which the mold is open, as shown in  FIG. 2 , in each case the main molds  47 ,  49  and the head molds  51 ,  53  are provided with an actuator. The actuator provided for the main molds  47 ,  49  is coupled with the support plates  43  and  45  to move this plate along the rails  48  on the support plate  27  that are visible in  FIG. 3 . The actuator allocated to the head molds  51 ,  53  is coupled with the holding bodies  50  and  52  the head molds  51 ,  53 . Both actuators each have a lever mechanism  57 , which are disposed one above the other, so that essential parts of the underlying lever mechanism are not visible in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
     In terms of functional range however, this lever mechanism has the same design as the visible lever mechanism  57  disposed thereabove, as a drive for the head molds  51 ,  53 . As its drive, each of the lever mechanisms  57  has a spindle drive  62  or  63 , respectively, with an electric drive motor  65  allocated thereto. In  FIG. 3 , only the spindle drive  63  and the associated motor  65  of the upper lever mechanism  57  are visible. The spindle drives  62 ,  63  are connected to a transverse support  70  on the reverse side of the support plate  27  by struts  68 , so that the unit formed by the lever mechanisms  57  and the spindle drives  62 ,  63  can move together with the support plate  27  on the vertical guide  31  according to the activity of the ball screw  39 . 
       FIG. 3  shows the main molds  47 ,  49  in a closed position, while the head molds  51 ,  53  are opened. In this position, the associated spindle drive  63  with its associated actuation spindle for the head molds  51 ,  53  is retracted, and the underlying, comparably designed spindle drive  62  is extended. The spindle of the drive is then in one of the front operating positions thereof. In  FIG. 3 , the connecting rods  58  and  60 , which are coupled with the spindle drive  63 , are drawn upward. As a result, the pivot levers  59  and  61  are each pivoted around a pivot point  67  into the position shown in  FIG. 3 . The hinged ends of the pivot levers  59 ,  61  on the holding bodies  50  and  52  are pivoted outward. The head molds  51 ,  53  are moved apart from one another. The position of the pivot points  67  of the pivot levers  59 ,  6  can be modified through the movement thereof in a guide slot  69  in the transverse support  70 . For the closing movement of the head molds  51 ,  53 , the spindle drive  63  is extended so that the connecting rods  58 ,  60  spread pivot levers  59  and  61  at the upper ends thereof, so that the ends coupled with the holding bodies  50 ,  52  pivot against one another and the head molds  51 ,  53  close. In the closed position of the main molds  47 ,  49  shown in  FIG. 3 , the lower spindle drive  62  is extended so that the pivot levers  64  of the lower lever mechanism  57  at the upper end in  FIG. 3  are spread apart and the lower ends of the pivot levers  62 ,  64 , which are not shown, are brought together in order to close the main molds  47 ,  49 . 
     In a manner similar to the support plate  27 , the guide and retaining device  25 , the support plate  29  of which, like the support plate  27  of the clamping unit  23 , can be displaced on the vertical guide  31  of the frame  1 , has horizontal guide rails  71 , on which a left-hand actuation unit  73  and a right-hand actuation unit  75  can be horizontally, adjustably guided. The actuation units  73 ,  75  form the actuators for associated guide and retaining parts. The actuation unit  73  actuates a first left-hand guide and retaining part and a second left-hand guide and retaining part. The actuation unit  75  actuates a first right-hand guide and retaining part, and a second right-hand guide and retaining part, see  FIG. 2 . The left-hand first guide and retaining part and right-hand first guide and retaining part are each formed by pivotable support rails  77 ,  81 , respectively. The pivotable support rails are of identical design and extend in a direction that is parallel to the die parting plane  85  ( FIG. 3 ) when in the pivoting position thereof that corresponds to the operative position. To adjust the pivoting position, each support rail  77 ,  81  is mounted on an associated swivel shaft  87 ,  89 , respectively, extending out of the housing of the respectively associated actuation unit  73 ,  75 , respectively, parallel to one another in a vertical direction beside the die parting plane  85 . A swivel drive for each of the swivel shafts  87 ,  89  are located in the housing of the actuation units  73 ,  75 , which swivel drives can each be actuated by the machine control. 
     As previously mentioned, the actuation units  73 ,  75  can be horizontally displaced on the support plate  29 . A hydraulic cylinder  91  is provided as an actuator, as is shown only in  FIGS. 9 to 11 . To synchronize the horizontal movements of the actuation units  73 ,  75 , a coupling device  93  is provided, which is visible in the case that the actuation units  73 ,  75  are in an opened state, as shown in  FIGS. 6 to 8 , and which is formed on each actuation unit  73 ,  75  by a gear rack meshing with a common pinion gear. As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 6 to 11 , a gear rack  95  extends downward from the support plate  29 .  FIG. 2  shows that a corresponding gear rack  96  is mounted on the support plate  27  of the clamping unit  23 . The gear racks  95 ,  96  form a fail-safe against the clamping unit  23  and guide and retaining device  75  lowering in the event of a loss of power. To this end, a safety catch (which is not shown in the drawings) is provided for each gear rack  95 ,  96 . The safety catch is pretensioned against the locked position, whereas during normal operation, the device can be retracted against the pretensioning. 
     The actuation units  73  and  75  each have a housing part that contains the rotary drive for the allocated swivel shaft  87 ,  89 , which, when the housing parts are in a state in which they have been brought together, as shown in  FIG. 2 , form a housing having a shape that corresponds to a truncated triangle. A second guide and retaining part  79  on the left-hand side, and a second guide and retaining part  83  on the right-hand side, which parts are each formed by a guide rail body, are each mounted on the flat upper side such that they extend parallel to the die parting plane  85  and which rest against the row of formed containers when the actuation units  73 ,  75  are in a position in which they are brought together, as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIGS. 5 to 11  illustrate the operating cycle during the production process. In so doing,  FIG. 5  shows a schematically simplified illustration of the operating state at the end of a production process, wherein the clamping unit  23  with the support plate  27  thereof, and the guide and retaining device  25  with the support plate  29  thereof, have moved downward together with the molding tube  15 , which moves at the speed of extrusion. The main molds  47 ,  49  and head molds  51 ,  53  are each closed, and the guide and retaining parts of the guide and retaining device  25  are each located in the operative position thereof. This arrangement means that the support rails  77  and  81 , which form the first guide and retaining parts, are pivoted towards one another above the head molds  51 ,  53  so that these engage with the molding tube  15  with the conically converging bearing surfaces  97  thereof above the head portion of the formed container. 
     At the same time, the second guide and retaining parts  79  and  83 , which are disposed on the upper side of the housing of the actuation units  73  and  75 , engage with the respectively molded containers when the actuation units  73 ,  75  are in the closed position. With the mold opening that now arises, the completed containers are received between the first guide and retaining parts  77 ,  81  and the second guide and retaining parts  79 ,  83  and are carried by further vertical movement. The dimensions of the axial length of the pivot shafts  87 ,  89  that support the support rails  77 ,  81  is such that there is a cooling segment located between the first and the second guide and retaining parts for the containers coming from the molding device. The vertical movement of the guide and retaining parts  77 ,  81 ,  79 ,  83  may be such that the molding tube  15  is slightly stretched, resulting in especially precise guidance of the tube. In the case of the opening movements of the jaws  47 ,  49 ,  51 ,  53  that follow from the operating state in  FIG. 5 , the reliable sequence of the demolding process is ensured by the supportive function of the guide and retaining device  25 . 
       FIGS. 6 to 11  show several details of the functional positions of the support plate  27  of the clamping unit  23  and of the actuation units  73 ,  75  of the guide and retaining device  25 . In the state shown in  FIG. 6 , subsequent to a starting position of the cycle with the support plate  27  in the upper position, the molding device is partially closed in that the main molds  47 ,  49  are brought together, while the head molds  55  and  53  are still opened. The main part of the container is molded by bringing the main molds  47 ,  49  together. The filling process is started by retracting the filling mandrels  21 . The guide and retaining device  25  is located in a lower position, in which the support rails  77 ,  81  are located below the molding device, and the actuation units  73  and  75  have been moved apart from one another. The support rails  77 ,  81  are pivoted outward and away so that the actuation units  73 ,  75  are able to move freely upward, as is shown in  FIG. 7 . The support rails  77 ,  81  are further pivoted outward and away above the molding device. In addition, the actuation units  73 ,  75  are moved apart from one another. 
       FIG. 8  shows the additional step, in which the actuation units  73 ,  75  have been moved apart from one another, and the support rails  77 ,  81  are pivoted inward to a parallel course. The conical supporting surfaces  97  are spaced apart from one another when the actuation units  73 ,  75  are still open. The clamping unit  23  and guide and retaining device  25  move downward together at a constant speed that corresponds to the extrusion speed of the molding tube  15 , while the filling mandrels  21  move upward and away. 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , the head molds  5   1 ,  53  are now brought together. The head portion is formed and the containers are sealed. Upon the conclusion of this process, the actuation units  73 ,  75  are also brought together so that the bearing surfaces  97  of the first guide and retaining parts  77 ,  81  and likewise the second guide and retaining parts  79  and  83  assume their operative position.  FIG. 10  shows main molds  47 ,  49  and head molds  51  and  53  in an open position, while the actuation units  73 ,  75  continue to move downward at a constant speed depending on the speed of the tube. 
       FIG. 11  shows that, for the start of a new cycle, the actuation units  73 ,  75  are moved downward, while the support plate  27  of the clamping unit  2 ,  3  has moved upward into the starting position and the main molds  47 ,  49  are brought together again in order to close the main part of the mold for a molding process. 
     While one embodiment has been chosen to illustrate the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.