Patent ID: 7649158

Claim:
A furnace ( 10 ) for heating preforms ( 20 ) by blow molding or by stretch-blow molding, of the type comprising at least one tunnel ( 12 ) for heating at least a part ( 22 , 24 ) of the preforms ( 20 ), the tunnel extending in a longitudinal direction and comprising at least one heating module ( 18 ) with vertical walls ( 14 , 16 ) between which the preforms ( 20 ) travel, at least one vertical wall of the heating module ( 18 ) being provided with at least one radiation heating means ( 32 ) that is mounted so as to be movable on supports in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction, ( 34 ) and means ( 40 ) for adjusting the transverse position of the heating means ( 32 ) to adjust the transverse distance between the heating means ( 32 ) and said part ( 22 , 24 ) of the preforms ( 20 ), the means ( 40 ) for adjusting the position of the heating means ( 32 ) comprising at least one control member ( 42 ) for controlling the movement of the heating means ( 32 ) between at least two, respectively proximal and distal, transverse positions that are indexed by indexation means ( 54 , 56 , 58 ) intervening between the control member ( 42 ) and the supports ( 34 ) so as to position the heating means ( 32 ) at a determined transverse distance from said part ( 22 , 24 ) of the preforms ( 20 ), characterized in that the control member ( 42 ) comprises an indexation boss ( 54 ) that is able to deform elastically so as to fit into complementary indexation notches ( 56 , 58 ) of the support ( 34 ) corresponding respectively to the proximal and distal positions.