Abstract:
Manufacturing process for the blowing technique of a plastic container and, more specifically, of a small bottle ( 6 ) designed for use in cosmetics.  
     The process comprises placement of at least one insert ( 10 ) in a mold and to keep the said insert ( 10 ) against the internal wall of the mold in such a way as to integrate the said insert ( 10 ) in the wall of the bottle ( 6 ) during the formation of the said bottle ( 6 ) in the said mold.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention involves a manufacturing process of a container and, more specifically, a plastic bottle specifically designed for use in the packaging of perfume and the manufacturing machine of the said bottle.  
           [0002]    The goal of the machine according to this invention is to produce plastic bottles presenting a new aspect via the presence of an insert occupying a part of the surface of the said bottle.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    The production process of plastic bottles according to the invention consists of placing an insert in a mold, in order to keep the said insert against the internal wall of the mold in such a way as to integrate the said insert in the wall of the bottle during the operation forming the bottle in the said mold.  
           [0004]    The bottle obtained presents the advantage of possessing one wall, the external surface of which is interrupted by the presence of the insert created in a plastic material different than that of the bottle and able to adhere to this other plastic material and giving the bottle an original look and/or feel.  
           [0005]    Conforming to the process according to the invention the bottle will be formed in the mold via the blowing technique.  
           [0006]    In a preferred method of production, it will present, preferably, a section that is notably ovoid shaped while the insert will form more specifically one of the lateral sides of the bottle.  
           [0007]    The insert will initially be preformed and, in this case, in a curved shape.  
           [0008]    The body of the bottle according to the invention will be produced out of a synthetic plastic material and preferably a polypropylene elastomer and the insert will be produced in the same plastic material but of a different grade in order to allow its solidification to the said body.  
           [0009]    In a preferred method of production the body of the bottle will comprise an external layer created in a plastic material of a different grade than that of the plastic material making up the insert in such a way as to allow the adhering of this insert material to the external layer. The external layer will be created from a polypropylene elastomer.  
           [0010]    The machine allows the implementation of the process of the invention characterized essentially by comprising means for stocking the inserts, means for gripping an insert, means allowing the introduction and positioning of the said insert in the corresponding pattern cavity of the mold, means for keeping the said insert in the said mold, means for the removal of the bottle once formed and integrating in its wall of the insert, and a control and command automation of operations.  
           [0011]    The means allowing the positioning of the insert in the corresponding pattern cavity of the mold will be made up of, in a preferred method of production, a robot arm mounted in rotation around a horizontal axis and equipped with at least one hand mobile in rotation around a vertical axis, parallel to the axis of the said pattern cavity, coming in the course of rotation, after positioning of the hand opposite from the pattern cavity, pressing the insert against the wall of the pattern cavity that comprises means allowing keeping the insert in position against the pattern cavity in order to perform its transfer from the stocking unit in the mold.  
           [0012]    The means of keeping the insert against the wall of the pattern cavity can consist of suction nozzles, integrated in the internal wall of the mold, that allow the creation in the internal wall, recessed zones, regularly distributed pressing the insert against he wall of the mold.  
           [0013]    The mold will comprise at least one pattern cavity formed from two half shells between which the hand of the robot arm is returned mobile in rotation in such a way as to allow the placement of the insert against the wall of one of the half shells, the other part emerging from the insert being designed to come against the wall of the other shell during the closing of the mold which advantageously comprises two pattern cavities while the arm of the robot comprises two synchronized gripping hands in such a way as to position two inserts at the same time in the two pattern cavities of the mold.  
           [0014]    The advantages and characteristics of the present invention will become clearer in the description that follows and which relates to the attached drawing, which represents a non-limiting method of production. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 represents a profile view of the manufacturing machine according to the invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 represents a view of the rear face of the preceding machine.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 represents a top view of the same machine.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 a  represents a transversally cut view of the mold of the machine according to the invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 4 b  represents a longitudinally cut view of the preceding mold.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 5 a  represents a partial longitudinally cut view in perspective of the preceding mold.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5 b  represents a detailed view of a free end of the suction nozzles.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 6 represents a cut view according to A-A of he machine represented in FIG. 1.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 7 represents the placement phase of the insert in the pattern cavity of the mold.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 8 represents a perspective of a bottle created with the machine according the invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0025]    If one refers to FIGS. 1, 2, and  3  and to FIG. 8, one can see that a machine  1  allowing the manufacture of bottles containing an insert  10  is notably made up of means of stocking  2  the inserts  10 , means of gripping  3  the inserts  10  in the stocking unit  2 , of a mold  4  for the formation of bottles  6  via the blowing technique, of a control and command unit  5  of the machine  1 .  
         [0026]    The stocking unit  2  comprises a turntable  20  that turns around a vertical axis  21  supporting two stocking units  23 ,  23 ′ of the inserts  10 , which are horizontally and manually stacked in the closest stocking unit  23 ′ by an operator  24 .  
         [0027]    The stocking unit  23 ′ the furthest from the operator  24  and which is diametrically opposite to the other stocking unit  23  is positioned via the gripping means  3  that are made up of a prehensile  30  guided in translation on a horizontal rail  31  parallel to the front face of the machine  1 .  
         [0028]    The prehensile  30  is equipped with guiding means  32  in the rail  31  and a hydraulic jack  33  oriented vertically and equipped at the free end of its rod  34  with a gripping arm  35 , articulated around a horizontal axis  36  parallel to the rail  31 , supporting two gripping hands  37  (FIG. 6).  
         [0029]    The mold  4  is made up of two pattern cavities each formed via the assembly of two cavities  41  and  41 ′ respectively pierced in two half shells  40 ,  40 ′, as one can see in FIG. 4 a , allowing the formation at each molding operation two bottles  6  each equipped with an insert  10  on their lateral side.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 4 b  shows two bottles  6  in the course of formation in the mold  4  with two inserts  10  attached respectively to bottles  6 .  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 5 a  shows an insert  10  positioned in the cavity  41  of one  40  of the half shells  40 ,  40 ′ and positioned straddling the edge of the said cavity  41  forming the junction with the cavity  41  ′ of the half shell  40 ′, the part of the insert  10  that emerges from the cavity  41  being designed to be pressed against the internal wall of the cavity  41 ′ corresponding to the other half shell  40 ′, not represented in this figure.  
         [0032]    The inserts  10  have an oblong and curved shape and are attached to one of the lateral sides of the corresponding bottle  6 .  
         [0033]    One can also see on FIG. 5 a  that each insert  10  is kept in the cavity  41  of the mold  4  via suction nozzles  7  connected to a source, not represented, allowing the creation of a recess whose effect is the pressing of the insert against the internal wall of the cavity  41 . One will note that the other half shell  40 ′ can also contain suction nozzles in order to hold the insert  10 .  
         [0034]    In addition, in such a way that the suction created at the exit of each nozzle  7  doesn&#39;t damage the zone of the insert  10  that is in contact with, each suction nozzle  7  is equipped at its free end  70 , as one can see in FIG. 5 b , a grate  71  formed from horizontal grooves  72  spaced at a certain distance in order to not mark the inserts  10 . In addition the dimensions of the grooves and their spacing will be adapted in order to conserve an efficient recess at the end of the nozzles  7 . Also, the grate  71  will preferably be created from a piece of aluminum.  
         [0035]    One can see on FIG. 6 that an insert  10  is placed in the corresponding pattern cavity of the mold  4  via a gripping hand  37  that comprises a plate  38  of a shape complementary to that of the insert  10  integrating means keeping the insert against the plate  38  such as the suction nozzles, not represented.  
         [0036]    In order to place the insert  10  in the mold  4 , the hand  37  is animated with a rotation movement around a vertical axis, parallel to the axis of the pattern cavity of the mold or of the parison designed to form the bottle. This rotation is performed on an angle of about 90° in order to press the insert  10  against a part of the cavity wall  41  of the corresponding half shell  40 .  
         [0037]    In this production mode, the robot arm  35  comprises two hands  37  synchronized in order to allow the placement of the two inserts  10  at the same time in the mold  4 .  
         [0038]    In addition, the hands  37  will be equipped with anti-electrostatic means in order to not disturb the parison in the mold designed to form the bottle.  
         [0039]    The bottles  6  will preferably be produced in a plastic material such as a polypropylene elastomer known under the mark “ADFLEX” and the inserts will be created in a semi-rigid plastic material able to adhere to the plastic material of the bottles during the blowing operation and more specifically to an external layer covering the bottles and created in a plastic material identical to that of the insert but of a different grade in order to allow its attachment.  
         [0040]    One will note that, without leaving the framework of the present invention, the containers and the inserts could be produced in other materials, such as metal for example.