Patent ID: 7674424

Claim:
A method for blow molding containers, in which preforms made of a thermoplastic material are heated in a heating line and then transferred to a blowing system, in which the preforms are shaped into containers by the action of blowing pressure inside blow molds, wherein the preforms ( 1 ) are held along at least a portion of their transport path by a support element ( 46 ), which has a spreadable expanding element that is at least partly loosely inserted into a mouth section ( 21 ) of the preform ( 1 ) and, after it has been inserted, is tightened inside the mouth section ( 21 ), wherein the expanding element ( 57 ) is formed with at least two hollow regions located sequentially in a longitudinal direction of the support element ( 46 ), both hollow regions being deformed during the tightening so as to be tensioned between a head of a positioning element ( 49 ) and the preform ( 1 ).