Abstract:
Disclosed are a molded article picker for a post-mold device and a related method for the use of the molded article picker for handling a molded article. The molded article picker includes a structure having a surface defining an interior that is configured to surround an end portion of the molded article. A sealing surface disposed on the structure is configured to sealingly cooperate with a surface of an outwardly projecting portion of the molded article in response to an evacuation of the interior, wherein the seal allows for the molded article to be retained with the structure.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention generally relates to molded article pickers, and more specifically the present invention relates to, but is not limited to, a post-mold device including the molded article picker. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Some injection molded articles, for example plastic preforms of the variety that are for blow molding into beverage bottles, require extended cooling periods to solidify into substantially defect-free molded articles. To the extent that the cooling of the molded article can be effected outside of the injection mold by one or more post-mold device then the productivity of the injection mold may be increased (i.e. lower cycle time). A variety of such post-mold mold devices, and related methods, are known and have proven effective at the optimization of the injection molding machine cycle time. 
     In a typical injection molding system a just-molded, and hence only partially cooled, molded article is ejected from the injection mold and into a post-mold device, commonly known as a take-out device or end-of-arm-tool (EOAT), having a cooled carrier (otherwise known as a cooling tube, take-out tube, cooling sleeve, amongst others) for post-mold cooling of the molded article outside of the mold. 
     U.S. Pat. No. Re. 33,237 describes a post-mold device for removing partially cooled injection molded preforms from the core side of an injection mold. The preforms are ejected from the mold directly into cooled carriers (such as that described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,732), and transported by the post-mold device to an outboard position adjacent the mold. The post-mold device includes multiple sets of carriers to accommodate multiple sets of preforms (i.e. multiple shots of preforms). 
     Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,541 describes another post-mold device that includes a set of cooling pins for insertion into the interior of a partially cooled preform, the preform arranged in a cooled carrier of the first post-mold device, to discharge a cooling fluid therein. An example of the foregoing is sold under the trade name of COOLJET, a trade-mark of Husky Injection Molding Systems Limited. Also disclosed is a procedure to apply a vacuum through the same cooling pin to cause the preform to remain with the pin when it is moved away from the carrier holding the preform, thereby removing the preform from the carrier. The pins, mounted to a frame, may be rotated 90 degrees to a discharge position and the vacuum terminated to allow the preforms to fall off the pins. 
     While the preforms are held by the pin, under vacuum, there may be contact between the end of the pin and the inside surface of the preform, or, between the open end of the preform and a face of a plate upon which the pins are arranged. As the preform is typically blown into an aseptic bottle, it is not accepted by all to touch the inside or end surfaces of the preform with the tooling (i.e. pin or plate) for fear of contamination. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,327 describes an post-mold device for cooling a molded article. The post-mold device includes a receiver and cooling head that cooperate for circulating, and subsequently recovering, a coolant, such as liquid carbonic, around the molded article. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,802,705 describes a post-mold device for cooling an end portion of the molded article. The post-mold device includes a deflecting plate insert for directing a coolant flow over an exposed end portion of a molded article, such as a preform, that is arranged in a carrier of a post-mold device. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a molded article picker for a post-mold device. The molded article picker includes a structure having a surface defining an interior that is configured to surround an end portion of the molded article. A sealing surface disposed on the structure is configured to sealingly cooperate with a surface of an outwardly projecting portion of the molded article in response to an evacuation of the interior, wherein the seal allows for the molded article to be retained with the structure. 
     According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a post-mold device including the molded article picker. The molded article picker includes a structure having a surface defining an interior that is configured to surround an end portion of the molded article. A sealing surface disposed on the structure is configured to sealingly cooperate with a surface of an outwardly projecting portion of the molded article in response to an evacuation of the interior, wherein the seal allows for the molded article to be retained with the structure. 
     According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for transferring a molded article comprising the steps of surrounding an end portion of the molded article within an interior of a structure, evacuating the interior to configure a seal between a sealing surface disposed on the structure and a surface of an outwardly projecting portion of the molded article, wherein the seal allows for the molded article to be retained with the structure. 
     A technical effect of the aspects of the present invention is to be able to handle a molded article, and in particular a preform having a bottle finish, without touching certain portions of the molded article that must remain in an aseptic state. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A better understanding of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention (including alternatives and/or variations thereof) may be obtained with reference to the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments along with the following drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of an injection molding machine including a presently preferred embodiment of the molded article picker that is arranged on a post-mold device; 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of a partially assembled post-mold device that includes the presently preferred molded article picker. 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the preform being transferred from the carrier to the presently preferred molded article picker; 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the preform being transferred from the carrier to another embodiment of the molded article picker; 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the preform being transferred from the carrier to another embodiment of the molded article picker. 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the preform being transferred from the carrier to yet a further embodiment of the molded article picker. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The exemplary embodiments of a molded article picker are described below. 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , a top plan view of an exemplary injection molding machine  10  is shown comprising, an injection unit  11 , a clamp unit  12 , a first post-mold device  13 , and a second post-mold device  14 . An injection mold comprising a cavity and core half  35 ,  17 , is shown arranged between the stationary and moving platens  16 ,  41  of the clamp unit  12 . 
     The first post-mold device  13  is mounted on the stationary platen  16  and includes a beam  20  that projects to the non-operator side of the machine and upon which rides a carriage  21 , moved along the beam by (typically) a servo-electric driven belt drive (not shown). A tooling plate  107  is attached to the carriage  21 . Multiple sets of carriers  108 , three in the exemplary embodiment, are mounted on plate  107  and may be cooled for transporting multiple molded shots of molded articles  109  (the ‘molded article’ will be henceforth referred to as a ‘preform’ in keeping with the context of the exemplary embodiment) ejected from the mold from an inboard (loading) position (not shown). 
     The second post-mold device  14  includes a tooling plate  100  upon which are mounted multiple sets of cooling pins  112 , two sets in the exemplary embodiment, and a set of molded article pickers  111  in accordance with the preferred embodiment. The molded article pickers  111  are provided in every third row. 
     A rotatable mount  40 ,  45  attaches the tooling plate  100  to moving platen  41  for rotation through an arc. The rotation of the tooling plate  100  can be effected, for example, by an electric drive (not shown) mounted to the rotatable mount  40 ,  45 . 
     In operation, a shot of preforms  109  are transferred into a set of empty carriers  108  when the mold is open and the tooling plate  107  is positioned such that the empty carriers  108  are aligned with molded articles on the core half  17 . The tooling plate  107  is then moved to its outboard position by the carriage  21 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . The mold is then closed and clamped for the next molding cycle. 
     Meanwhile, as the mold closes, the tooling plate  100  of the second post-mold device  14  moves towards the molded article carriers  108 , whereby the sets of cooling pins  112  are arranged within the interior of the corresponding preforms  109  that have been most recently molded, and the molded article pickers  111  are arranged to surround an end portion of the preforms  109  that have been in the carriers  108  the longest. In this embodiment, the set of preforms  109  will have been held by the carriers  108  through three molding cycles before they are engaged by the molded article pickers  111  and withdrawn from the carriers  108 . The tooling plate  100  is then rotated 90 degrees and the articles held by the molded article pickers  111  are dropped onto a conveyor (not shown) beneath the machine. The remaining articles continue to be held in their carriers  108  by vacuum. 
     The molded article pickers  111 , as shown in this embodiment, do not include cooling pins. By not providing cooling pins with the molded article picker  111 , the need to switch from air to vacuum within the cooling pins is avoided. Of course, the lack of cooling pins reduces, by one third, the length of time that the preforms are cooled by the cooling pins. Where this is a concern, cooling pins could be introduced or a fourth set of carriers added to the multi-position take off plate so the articles can stay on the carriers  108  for four molding cycles. These solutions do increase the complexity of the machine. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the tooling plate  100  includes apertures for accommodating a plurality of columns and rows of molded article cooling devices  112  (the cooling device may be, for example, a cooling pin in keeping with the context of the exemplary embodiment, and henceforth will be referred to as such), and pickers  111  (a representative cooling pin  112  and molded article picker  111  is shown for the three sets of this exemplary embodiment). In particular, in this configuration the apertures of every third column are configured to accommodate a molded article picker  111  and the apertures of the remaining columns are configured to accommodate cooling pins  112 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the preform  109  is undergoing transfer from the carrier  108  to the presently preferred embodiment of the molded article picker  111 . The carrier  108  includes cooling channels  114  for cooling the preform  109  through its exterior surface in a manner well known in the art. The presently preferred embodiment of the molded article picker  111  includes a cup-like structure  116  having a sealing surface  96 , preferably continuous, that is configured along a lip at the top of the structure  116 . The sealing surface  96  is configured to sealingly cooperate with a surface, preferably continuous, of an outwardly projecting portion of the molded article, such as a peripheral portion of a top and/or side surface of typical support ledge  91  of a preform bottle finish. Accordingly, the molded article picker  111  is preferably configured to surround the bottle finish on the open end portion of the preform and that the sealing surface  96  is to sealingly cooperate with a surface on a side of the support ledge  91  that is closest to the open end of the preform. Of course, other outwardly projecting surface portions of the preform may be useful as a complementary sealing surface. For example, the top or side surfaces of the pilfer band on some bottle finishes (not shown) may provide a suitable sealing surface. 
     In operation, when the tooling plate  100  approaches the tooling plate  107 , during mold closing, the opening to the cup-like structure  116  is substantially closed by the support ledge  91  on the preform  109 . The interior  93  of the structure  116  is connected to a vacuum structure such as by means of conduit  94  that is connected to a vacuum source (not shown). In the preferred embodiment, the conduit  94  is arranged through a retainer  118  that otherwise connects the cup-like structure  116  to the tooling plate  100 . Once the top surface of the support ledge  91  is seated against the sealing surface  96  provided by the lip of the cup-like structure  116 , a vacuum is created inside the preform  109  and the ledge  91  of the preform  109  is held tightly against the sealing surface  96  of the cup-like structure  116 . When the mold opens after the next molding cycle, the preform  91  is held against the sealing surface  96  and thereby removed from the carrier  108  and subsequently dropped onto a conveyor (not shown) or the like when the cooling plate is rotated through ninety degrees. Of course, the structure  116  may have an alternative configuration that is something other than cup-like as long as the structure includes a continuous sealing surface  96  that is configured to cooperate with a surface of an outwardly projecting portion of the molded article. Likewise, the seal need not be perfect as leakage across the seal is acceptable so long as the sealing efficiency is sufficient to achieve and maintain a vacuum level that allows for the retention of the preform  109  therewith, once removed from the carrier  108 . 
     In so doing the technical effect of the present invention may be achieved wherein the preform may be handled with contact along a portion thereof that is not sensitive to potential contamination by the molded article picker, and in particular that the molded article picker does not touch the aseptic portions of the interior of the preform or sensitive portions of the thread finish. 
     Various other exemplary embodiments of the molded article picker  211 ,  311 ,  411  will now be described. In the embodiments that follow, identical components have been given identical reference numbers. Where an otherwise similar component between the embodiments contains at least one distinct technical feature the component, and the similar technical features, are given distinct, but similar, reference numbers, wherein the prefix number to the feature is incremented (e.g. the cup-like structure  216  of the first alternative embodiment, with its distinct inclined surface  220 , has a 200-series prefix in contrast to the 100-series prefix of the cup-like structure  116  of the preferred embodiment). 
     Another embodiment of the second post-mold device is shown in  FIG. 4 . In this embodiment, the cup-like structure  116  has been replaced with a modified cup-like structure  216 . The remaining elements of the tooling plate  100  and tooling plate  107  are unchanged and need not be further described. The structure  216  includes an inclined surface  220  on the inside of the structure  216 . The inclined surface  220  engages the ledge  91  of the preform  109 . The inclination of the surface  220  helps to align the preform  109  with the cup-like structure  216  such that the sealing surface  296 , of the cup-like structure  216 , and the support ledge  91 , of the preform  109 , may align before being substantially sealed together by the application of the vacuum in the structure  216 . In this exemplary embodiment, the sealing surface  296  is provided along a conical upper portion of the inclined surface  220  that engages a periphery of the support ledge  91 . 
     Another exemplary embodiment of the second post-mold device is shown in  FIG. 5 . In this embodiment, a cooling pin  312  has been mounted on the tooling plate  300 . With the exception of the way in which the cooling pin  312  and the molded article picker  311  are configured to mount to the tooling plate  300 , the structure of the molded article picker  311  is the same as that shown in  FIG. 3 . In particular, the cooling pin  312  is mounted on the base of the structure  316  and threaded into the tooling plate  300 . In this embodiment, the vacuum is drawn through conduit  394  in the direction of arrows  303  and  304 . During the cooling portion of the cycle cooling air flows into the cooling pin  312  in a direction reverse to that shown by the arrows  303  and  304 . This requires the provision of a valve (not shown) in the supply line (not shown) to the conduit  394  to switch from air flow to vacuum in the cooling pin  312 . 
     Yet a further embodiment of the second post-mold device is shown in  FIG. 6 . This embodiment is similar to the preceding embodiment shown in  FIG. 5  except that the cup-like structure  416  now further includes a flexible pad  484  arranged around the lip thereof. The sealing surface  496  is provided along an exposed surface of the flexible pad  484 . A cooling pin  412  is mounted on the tooling plate  400 . The remaining elements of the tooling plate  400  are as previously described and need not be fully described here. 
     In operation of this embodiment, the surface of the support ledge  91 , of the preform  109 , engages the sealing surface  496 , of the flexible pad  484 , and creates a tight seal therebetween. This seal enables evacuation of the interior  493  of the structure  416  to create a vacuum and thereby hold the preform  109  on the tooling plate  400  when the tooling plate  107  is withdrawn. 
     The description of the exemplary embodiments provides examples of the present invention, and these examples do not limit the scope of the present invention. It is understood that the scope of the present invention is limited by the claims. The concepts described above may be adapted for specific conditions and/or functions, and may be further extended to a variety of other applications that are within the scope of the present invention. Having thus described the exemplary embodiments, it will be apparent that modifications and enhancements are possible without departing from the concepts as described. Therefore, what is to be protected by way of letters patent are limited only by the scope of the following claims.