Blow molding process and apparatus

Abstract: An improved process and apparatus for blow molding of engineering plastic materials, using a mold and an injection machine with a die for producing a hollow plastic parison to be partially received in the mold, is characterized in that an injecting operation and a preblowing operation with air from the die into the parison are concurrently commenced at a high injection speed and a low air pressure, with a material remaining in the die (10) being integrated with an upstream portion of a preceding parison prepared in a preceding blow molding run, to complete an instant parison. The upstream portion has a closed and free lower end prepared in the preceding run. The apparatus is provided with a pinching and cutting (30) device for self-adhering and separating the completed parison (1) above and in the vicinity of the mold (50) to prepare the above mentioned closed free end. In an embodiment, a heater is provided to heat the upstream parison portion immediately after the parison is separated into the upstream portion closed at the free lower end and a downstream portion to be received in the mold for blow molding and until immediately before a next injection.

Description: The present invention relates to an improved process and apparatus for blow molding hollow plastic articles according to the preambles of claims 1 and 3, respectively. In particular, it relates to a process and apparatus for producing molded hollow articles formed of an engineering plastic material. Generally, the blow molding process is a well known method of producing hollow plastic articles, and according to a prior art document, an injection machine having a die defining a downwardly extending annular melt passage is used in combination with air blowing means, a mold provided below the die including two mold halves defining a cavity, an article removing device as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 for pinching a parison forming a molded article at a portion thereof above the mold, and removing the parison when the mold is opened, and a pinching device for pinching the parison at a free end thereof. The known process comprises the steps of: plasticizing and metering a plastic material within the machine, injecting the plasticized and metered material in a hollow form through the die annular passage toward the mold, when the mold is opened, preblowing air at a lower pressure from the die into the interior of the injected hollow material during the injecting step, to produce a parison having a longitudinal hollow form, to be partially received in the mold and molded to form the article within the cavity. The mold is cooled while the mold halves are clamped to each other with the parison therebetween, and air is blown into the parison at a higher pressure from the mold, following the preblowing. When the mold is opened the parison is pinched or grasped by the removing device, and after the mold is opened, the parison is removed by the device, with the result that the parison is drawn from or torn off the die at a free end thereof. A next injection is commenced at a lower injection rate or speed, after the instant parison is separated from the die, to produce a next or succeeding parison. A leading portion of the next parison formed due to the initial stage of the next injecting step at the lower speed is self-adhered by the pinching device at its free end, whereby the free end is closed for a next preblowing step with air into the next parison to be completed. After the pinching operation, the injection is switched from the lower speed to a higher speed to produce a following portion of the next parison, and the next preblowing step is commenced concurrently with the later stage of the next injecting step at the higher speed, to complete the next parison. The above conventional blow molding process is illustrated in Figs. 5(a) and (c) and Fig. 7, wherein (X+Y) corresponds to a complete parison consisting of both leading and following portions, ΔT is the period of time of the initial injection stage at the lower speed β, and α denotes the higher injection speed. The leading and following portions of the parison in combination form a downstream portion (X) and an upstream portion Y. The upstream portion (Y) extends from the free end of the die to a pinching position above and in the vicinity of the mold. The downstream portion X is partially received in the mold with at least the closed and free lower end of the parison, i.e., a lower end portion (ΔX 2 ) of the downstream portion (X) being excluded from the cavity at a lower end thereof, and an upper end portion (ΔX 1 ) of the downstream portion (X) being excluded from the cavity at an upper end thereof and extending upwardly from the top of the mold. The upper end portion (ΔX 1 ) and a lower end portion (ΔX 2 ) of the downstream parison portion (X), and the upstream parison portion (Y) integrated with said upper end portion (ΔX 1 ) are all wasted, after the molded article is separated therefrom by the removing device, provided that said lower end portion (ΔX 2 ) is excluded from the cavity. The initial injection stage at the lower speed β until termination of the pinching operation is carried out over a time of Δt' + ΔT [= β α-β ΔT], and the later injection stage at the higher speed α and the preblowing step are concurrently carried out over a time of T+Δt-Δt' [= 1 α (x+y) - β α-β ΔT]. The downstream portion X of the parison is prepared in both the initial and later injection stages over a time of ΔT+T [= ΔT+ X α ], and the upstream portion Y of the parison is prepared in the later injection stage at the higher speed α over a time of Δt[= Y α ], wherein: 0 < ΔT ≤ ( 1 β - 1 α ); T = X α ; and β < α. Further, FR-A-2 125 133 discloses a blow molding process and apparatus wherein gas blowing from an extruder is applied to produce a hollow parison per se to be partially supplied into the mold and also to produce an inner pressure imposed on a downstream part of the parison received in the mold cavity to thereby deform the wall of the parison part in cooperation with suction means evacuating the mold cavity so as to comply with the contour of the mold cavity. This concept requires the mold to be closed with the downstream part of the parison received in the mold cavity being kept in communication with an upstream part of the parison in the interior thereof, and thus it does not allow the upstream parison part to be heated from the time point immediately after closing of the mold. Additionally, according to the teachings of FR-A-2 125 133 the upstream parison part is cut off from the downstream parison part so as to have a closed lower end which is to form a free closed end of a subsequently produced parison. This second concept requires, in connection with the above first concept, the cutting operation to be activated at the time point immediately before opening of the mold, and thus this second concept like the first concept does not allow the upstream parison part to be heated from the time point immediately after closing of the mold. Recently, engineering plastic materials have been used as advantageous materials for plastic blow molded articles, as they have a high thermal resistance. But a physical melt property thereof causes a hot parison to be drawn down or elongated excessively relative to that of normal plastic materials. In this regard, a high injection, i.e., an injection at a high rate or speed, is desired to prepare a better parison to be received in a shorter time in the mold, for producing an article with a higher quality, but as stated above, the injection must be carried out at the lower speed β rather than the higher speed α to allow the pinching device to self-adhere by a free end of a new parison. In this regard, the initial injection stage at the lower speed β is not preferable for producing a desired parison, and it is desired that such a parison be prepared at a higher average injection speed from the beginning to thereby improve the quality of articles and shorten a shot cycle or time of a blow molding run, to thus increase the productivity of the blow molding, if possible. The above mentioned upstream portion (Y) of the parison (X+Y) must ensure that the downstream portion (X) is partially received in the mold such that at least the free lower end or the lower end portion (ΔX 2 ) is excluded from the cavity at the lower end thereof, and at least the upper end portion (ΔX 1 ) is excluded from the cavity with the upper end thereof extended from the top of the mold, and with the main part properly received in the cavity. A length of the upstream portion (Y) relies on a diameter of a parison of a circle form or shorter and lower diameters of a parison of an elliptic form. In general, the longer the diameter of the circular parison, the longer the upstream portion must be for a desired blow molding. The upstream portion (Y) is also required to provide a space gap between the die and the mold sufficient to allow the drawing and removal operation to be carried out, as stated above. For example, with a circular parison having a diameter of 350mm or an elliptical parison having a shorter diameter of 350mm, the upstream portion Y has at least a length equivalent to the parison diameter (350mm), and a length equivalent to a parison part (ΔZ) between the mold and the upper parison portion Y, as shown in Fig. 5 (b) is 100 to 150mm. An object of the present invention is to provide an improved blow molding process and apparatus enabling an average injection speed to be increased while substantially deleting or omitting an initial injection stage at a low speed as used in the prior art. Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved blow molding process and apparatus achieving the first object while reducing an amount of a plastic material wasted per one molded article. Proceeding on the basis of the above prior art, especially according to FR-A-2 125 133 representative of the preamble portions of claims 1 and 3, the above objects regarding the inventive process are accomplished by means of the process comprising the features of claim 1 and regarding the apparatus by means of the apparatus comprising the features of claim 3. According to the present invention, preferably the injection is effected from the beginning at a constant high speed over the entire step time thereof in such a manner that the speed is rapidly increased to the constant high speed at the beginning. The process of the present invention is advantageous in comparison with the prior art in that one run period thereof is shorter by a time of the injection at the high speed required to prepare an upstream portion of the parison corresponding to that of the prior art. Further, the inventive process is advantageous in that the upstream portion of the instant parison is not wasted but is used to form a lower end portion of a molded article to be produced in a next blow molding run, whereas the corresponding upstream parison portion of the first or third alternative process is wasted as well as that of the prior art. Preferably, in the inventive apparatus the heating means for the upper parison part is incorporated with said adhering and cutting means. Embodiments of the present invention directed to a blow molding process and apparatus for producing hollow plastic articles will be now described with reference to the enclosed drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a front view partially showing a blow molding apparatus of the present invention having an article removing device and a pinching and cutting device with a heater, below a die of an injection molding machine; Fig. 2 is a bottom view showing the pinching and cutting device with the heater of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a bottom view showing the article removing device of Fig. 1; Fig. 4(a) and 4(b) show two alternative embodiments of the pinching and cutting device; Fig. 5(a), 5(b) and 5(c) are schematic views of the blow molding process according to the present invention, identified as Case A, and according to the prior art, identified as "Prior Art", wherein: the combination of Figs. 5(a) and 5(b) shows Case A of the present invention and a combination of Figs. 5(a) and 5(c) shows the Prior Art case; Fig. 6 is a process time chart illustrating the steps of the process according to the present invention, i.e., Case A, incorporated with diagrams illustrating the dynamic injection mode of Case A; and Fig. 7 is a process time chart corresponding to Fig. 6 and illustrating the steps of the prior art process incorporated with diagrams illustrating a dynamic injection mode of the prior art. Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, the apparatus comprises: a conventional injection machine (not shown) with a conventional die 10 having an annular melt passage extending downwardly; an article removing device 20; a pinching and cutting device 30 incorporated with a heater 40; a mold 50, with a cooling device, positioned below the die 10, and; a mold clamping device. The article removing device 20 has a toggle mechanism 21 in combination with a piston type actuator 22 and a pair of horizontally extending movable arms 23 and 24 for grasping a parison 1 to be extruded downwardly from the die 10 through the annular melt passage toward the mold, at a position between the die 10 and the mold 50. The paired arms 23 and 24 are actuated by the toggle mechanism driven by the piston type actuator 22. The pinching and cutting device 30 has a pair of movable bars 31 and 32 horizontally extending in parallel; a toggle mechanism 33 and a piston type actuator 34. As shown in Fig. 4(a), the paired bars 31 and 32 have press surfaces for the parison 1, and the bar 31 is provided with a projecting blade 31a extending horizontally for cutting off the parison 1 located between the paired bars over the entire width thereof at an intermediate area or a lower end area of the press bar face. Alternatively, as a cutting means, a pair of heaters 31b and 32b may be provided as shown in Fig. 4(b) in the paired bars 31 and 32 at the press faces via thermal insulators 34 and 35 to partially melt the parison 1 over the entire width thereof, to thereby cut off the parison. The paired bars 31 and 32 are forced to pinch the parison 1 by the actuator 34 via the toggle mechanism 30, to thereby partially self-adhere the parison at a portion pressed by the paired bars, and then the blade 31a or the paired heaters 31b and 32b effects a separation of the parison into two parts at the self-adhered portion, immediately after the mold 50 is closed, or immediately before the mold 50 is opened. The heater 40 incorporated with the pinching and cutting device 30 is designed to surround the parison 1 and heat the separated upper part of the parison or an upstream portion of the parison, immediately after the mold 50 is closed and until a next injection is commenced. The article removing device 20 has a conventional carrier 25 for forcing a unit comprising the toggle mechanism 21, the actuator 22 and the paired arms 23 and 24 to move forwardly and rearwardly in the horizontal direction to thereby remove the separated parison lower part or downstream portion of the parison forming a molded article from the mold 50, after the mold is opened, with the downstream parison portion being grasped by the paired arms 23 and 24. The grasping action by the article removing device 20 is taken immediately before the self-adhering and separating action by the pinching and cutting device 30, and the article removing action by the carrier 25 is taken with the downstream parison portion being grasped immediately after the mold 50 is opened. A blow molding process of the present invention may use the apparatus equipped with all of the devices as explained with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 and Figs. 4(a) or 4(b) or those excluding the heater 40. One embodiment of the inventive process, identified as Case A, will now explained with reference to Figs. 5(a) and 5(b), and Fig. 6, in comparison with the prior art shown in Figs. 5(a) and 5(c) and Fig. 7. Area (X+Y) corresponds to a plastic material forming a complete parison prepared in a single run in Case A or the prior art. Area (Y) corresponds to an upstream portion of the parison prepared in one run and area (X) corresponds to a parison portion partially received in the mold to form a molded article in Case A, or the prior art. Injection by the injection machine in Case A is commenced to prepare a parison at a high speed after the mold opening, with a separated upstream part or portion (Y) of a parison (X+Y) completed in a preceding run having a closed and free lower end being integrated at an upper end with a plastic melt in the die 10 and extending from the die. In Case A, the injection is commenced upon termination of the below-mentioned heating step. A mold operation by the mold clamping device is carried out in Case A to close the mold and clamp the mold halves to each other with a downstream portion of the parison being located between the paired mold halves. The downstream parison portion, identified as (X) in Case A, is separated from the upstream portion (Y) in Case A and is partially received in the mold with at least the closed and free lower end thereof being excluded from a mold cavity at a lower end thereof in Case A. A plasticizing and metering by the injection machine are effected in Case A for a next run, following the injection, during the mold clamping and cooling. The pinching and cutting operations by the device 30 are carried out to partially self-adhere and separate the parison 1 into the upstream portion (Y) and the downstream portion, each having a closed and free lower end. These operations are commenced in Case A immediately after closing the mold. Parison heating by the heater 40 is carried out in Case A only to heat the separated upstream portion (Y), having the closed and free lower end. Preblowing by a preblowing means incorporated in the die 10 is commenced in Case A with air at a lower pressure, concurrently with the injection, to complete the parison 1. Blowing by a blowing means incorporated with the mold 50 is commenced in Case A with air at a higher pressure upon termination of the preblowing into the separated downstream portion of the parison partially received in the mold to thereby produce an article molded in the cavity. The removal of the molded article by the article removing device 20 is carried out in Case A to grasp the downstream parison portion at the upper end thereof excluded from the mold immediately before the mold opening, and remove the downstream portion from the mold. The self-adhering and separating action is taken in Case A immediately after the mold closing. The upstream portion (Y) of the preceding parison forms a lower portion of the article molded in the instant run in Case A. A time of the blow molding run is shorter in Case A and as shown in Fig. 7, is longer than that in Case A by Δt+ΔT, wherein Δt = Y α ; 0<ΔT≤( 1 β - 1 α )Y; Y α <Δt+ΔT≤ Y β ; and β < α. The plastic material (W 2 ) to be wasted in Case A consists of an upper end part (ΔX 1 ) and a lower end part (ΔX 2 ) of the downstream portion (X), both excluded from the mold cavity, that is W 2 = ΔX 1 +ΔX 2 . This is because the upstream portion (Y) prepared in the preceding run is not wasted, but in turn is heated sufficiently to be allowed to form a leading active part (Y) of the downstream portion (X) completed in the instant run, and thus is received in the mold cavity with the lower end part (ΔX 2 ) being excluded, to thereby form a part of the molded article. A corresponding material (W 3 ) to be wasted in the prior art consists of: the old and degraded upstream portion (Y); and an upper end part (ΔX 1 ) and a lower end part (ΔX 2 ) of the downstream portion (X) prepared in the instant run, both excluded for the mold cavity, i.e., W 3 = Y+ΔX 1 +ΔX 2 . As a result, Case A of the present invention is more economical and has a higher productivity in both the light of a saving of the plastic material and the shortening of the run time, than the prior art. Case A of the present invention produces, a molded article having a little lower quality than that of the prior art, since the mold upstream portion (Y) prepared, but heated in the previous run is provided, with a fresh following part (X-ΔX 1 -Y) prepared in the instant run, in the mold cavity. That is, the molded article of Case A includes not only a fresh material but also an old material, although the old material is kept hot in the parison completed in the instant run. The quality of the molded article in Case A depends on how the old upstream portion (Y) is heated to keep it at a desired heated level corresponding to that of the fresh following part (X-ΔX 1 -Y).

Claims: A blow molding process of producing hollow plastic articles, using an injection machine having a die (10) defining a downwardly extending annular melt passage in combination with gas blowing means and a mold (50) having a cooling means below the die including two mold halves defining a cavity, comprising the steps, in every blow molding run or cycle, of: plasticizing and metering a plastic material within the machine; injecting the plasticized and metered material having a hollow form through the die annular passage toward the mold (50), immediately before or after the mold (50) is opened; preblowing gas under pressure from the die (10) into the interior of the injected hollow material during the injecting step, to thereby produce a parison (1) having a longitudinal hollow form including an upstream portion (Y) of a preceding parison prepared in a preceding blow molding run as a leading part of a downstream portion (X) of the instant parison, provided that a free lower end of said downstream portion (X) was closed by the below-mentioned self-adhering and separating step carried in the preceding blow molding run; closing the mold (50) and clamping the mold halves to each other, while the downstream portion (X) of the instant parison (1) is partially received in the mold (50) with at least the closed free end of the instant parison (1) being excluded from the mold cavity at a lower end thereof and with an upstream portion (Y) of the instant parison being excluded from the mold cavity at an upper end thereof; blowing gas under pressure into the interior of at least the downstream portion (X) of the instant parison, while the mold (50) is cooled, to thereby form a molded article within the cavity; after closing but before opening of the mold, partially self-adhering the upstream portion (Y) of the instant parison over the entire width thereof at a lower end thereof positioned in the vicinity of the top end of the mold (50), and separating the upstream portion (Y) from the downstream portion (X), so that said lower end of the upstream portion forms a closed and free lower end of a next or following parison (1) to be completed in a following blow molding run, characterized by an additional step of heating the upstream portion (Y) of the instant parison (1) immediately after closing of the mold (50) until immediately before a next injection, while the downstream portion (X) of the instant parison (1) is cooled in the mold (50), wherein: (a) the mold closing step is carried out to the effect that the downstream portion (X) of the instant parison (1) is interrupted in the interior thereof from communicating with the upstream portion; (b) during the heating step and following the preblowing step, the blowing step is carried out so that gas under increased pressure is provided into the interior of the downstream portion (X) of the instant parison (1) in the mold (50) therefrom, while the mold is cooled and the preblowing from the die (10) is stopped; (c) both the injecting and preblowing steps for preparing the instant parison (1) are commenced concurrently with a relatively high injection rate or speed and with the hot or heated upstream portion (Y) of the preceding parison (1) as a leading part of the instant parison; and (d) the self-adhering and separating step is carried out immediately after closing of the mold (50) with the lower end of the upstream portion (Y) of the instant parison being positioned above the mold (50). The blow molding process according to claim 1, wherein the injection is effected from the beginning at a constant high speed over the entire step time thereof in such a manner that the speed is rapidly increased to the constant high speed at the beginning. A blow molding apparatus for producing hollow plastic articles, comprising: an injection machine having a die (10) defining a downwardly extending annular melt passage through which a plasticized and metered material is injected from the machine; blowing means incorporated into the die (10) for blowing air into the interior of the injected material, so that the injected material forms a parison (1) to be molded to form an article; a mold (50), having a cooling means, provided below the die (10) and including two mold halves defining a cavity; means for closing the mold and clamping the mold halves on each other with the parison (1) being partially received; means (20) for gripping a portion of the parison (1) excluded from the mold (50) at the top end thereof and removing the molded article integrated therewith from the mold (50) when the mold is opened; and means (30) for self-adhering the parison (1) at an area thereof in the vicinity of the top end of the mold (50) over the entire width of the parison, and cutting off the parison into upper and lower parts, the lower parison part (X) being partially received in the mold (50) with at least a lower free end thereof being excluded from the cavity at a lower end thereof and with at least an upper end thereof being excluded from the mold at an upper end thereof for the gripping, the resultant upper parison part (Y) having a closed and free end, characterized in that the apparatus further comprises: second blowing means incorporated in the mold (50) for blowing air at an increased pressure into the interior of the lower parison part (X) received in the mold cavity while the operation of the first mentioned blowing means is stopped, when the mold (50) is closed; and means (40) for heating the upper parison part (Y) upon the adhesion and separation of the parison and until immediately before a next injection, wherein the mold closing means is provided to operate so that the lower part (X) of the parison (1) is interrupted in the interior thereof from communicating with the upper part (Y); and the self-adhering and separating means (30) is provided to operate immediately after closing of the mold (50) at a position above the mold (50) but in the vicinity of the top end thereof. The blow molding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said adhering and cutting means (40) comprises: a pair of horizontally longitudinal members (31, 32), each having a press surface for the parison (1); and means (33, 34) for driving the paired members (31, 32), between which the parison (1) is located, to pinch the parison at the press surfaces over the entire width of the parison, a blade (31) for cutting off the parison (1) into the two parts (X, Y), provided at an intermediate or lower area of the press surface of one of the members (31, 32) to extend horizontally with the other member providing an abutting face for the blade or a counterpart blade at the press surface thereof. The blow molding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said adhering and cutting means (30) comprises: a pair of horizontally longitudinal members (31, 32), each having a horizontally extending press surface for the parison (1), means for driving the paired members (33, 34), between which the parison (1) is located, to pinch the parison over the width thereof; and second heating means (31b, 32b) mounted on at least one of the paired members (31, 32) at an intermediate or lower area of the press surface via a thermal insulator (35) for partially melting the parison (1) over the entire width thereof to thereby cut the parison into the two parts (X, Y). The blow molding apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the first mentioned heating means (40) for the upper parison part (Y) is incorporated with said adhering and cutting means (30).

Inventors: FURUYA HIROAKI, KANOH YOSHIAKI, TAKATORI HIROYUKI, FURUYA, HIROAKI, KANOH, YOSHIAKI, TAKATORI, HIROYUKI, Furuya, Hiroaki, c/o Ube Ind., Ltd., Ube Plast., Kanoh, Yoshiaki, c/o Ube Ind., Ltd., Ube Plast., Takatori, Hiroyuki, c/o Ube Ind., Ltd., Ube Plast.
Applicants: UBE INDUSTRIES, UBE INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Application year: 1992
Main classification: B29C49
IPC codes: B29C49