Patent ID: 7094377

Claim:
An apparatus for handling and cooling preforms produced in an injection mold, comprising: a collection element having a surface in which there are receptacles adapted to respectively accommodate preforms ejected from an injection mold consisting of two half-molds; and a cooling element having cups adapted to accommodate and cool preforms, said cups being arranged in a first distribution pattern and a second distribution pattern such that said cups arranged in said first distribution pattern do not interfere with said cups arranged in said second distribution pattern, wherein said collection element is constructed and arranged to move between a first position situated between the two half-molds when in an opened condition, so as to have said receptacles accommodate preforms ejected from one of the two half-molds, and a second position lying substantially adjacent said cooling element, and wherein said cooling element is constructed and arranged to (i) have the preforms, once accommodated in said receptacles, be received within said cups arranged in said first distribution pattern, and then (ii) move by an extent in a first direction such that other preforms, subsequently accommodated in said receptacles, become aligned with said cups arranged in said second distribution pattern so as to be receivable therein, (iii) move in a second direction, transverse to the first direction, so as to sequentially bring corresponding ones of said cups arranged in said first distribution pattern into alignment with corresponding pick-up structure, and so as to subsequently sequentially bring corresponding ones of said cups arranged in said second distribution pattern into alignment with corresponding pick-up structure, and (iv) move in a third direction, orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, to enable the preforms in said corresponding ones of said cups arranged in said first distribution pattern to be seized by said corresponding pick-up structure associated with said corresponding ones of said cups arranged in said first distribution pattern, and to subsequently enable the preforms in said corresponding ones of said cups arranged in said second distribution pattern to be seized by said corresponding pick-up structure associated with said corresponding ones of said cups arranged in said second distribution pattern.