阅读说明：本技术 节距变化装置，设有节距变化装置的成型装置及成型方法 (Pitch changing device, forming device provided with pitch changing device and forming method ) 是由 坂部祐二 于 2019-06-26 设计创作，主要内容包括：适用于执行预制件(P)的注射成型和预制件(P)的吹塑成型中的至少一种的成型装置(I)设置有节距变换装置(70),该节距变换装置(70)包括：N(至少等于2的整数)个保持部(71),所述保持部(71)能够保持预制件(P)并在规定方向上以规定节距布置；联接部(75),所述联接部(75)能够将相邻的保持部(71)联接以变换其节距；用于生成规定驱动力的驱动部(76)；以及驱动力传递部(77),所述驱动力传递部(77)使驱动力在所述规定方向上传递到N个联接的保持部(71)的一个端侧(71a)和另一个端侧(71b)的每一个,其中,通过所述驱动力使所述一个端侧(71a)和所述另一个端侧(71b)在所述规定方向上被驱动以转换节距。(A molding device (I) adapted to perform at least one of injection molding of preforms (P) and blow molding of preforms (P) is provided with a pitch transforming device (70), the pitch transforming device (70) comprising: n (an integer at least equal to 2) holding portions (71), the holding portions (71) being capable of holding preforms (P) and being arranged at a prescribed pitch in a prescribed direction; a coupling portion (75), the coupling portion (75) being capable of coupling adjacent holding portions (71) to change a pitch thereof; a drive unit (76) for generating a predetermined drive force; and a driving force transmitting portion (77) that transmits a driving force in the prescribed direction to each of one end side (71a) and the other end side (71b) of the N coupled holding portions (71), wherein the one end side (71a) and the other end side (71b) are driven in the prescribed direction by the driving force to switch pitches.)

1. A molding apparatus adapted to perform at least one of injection molding of a preform and blow molding of a preform, the molding apparatus comprising:

a pitch variation device, the pitch variation device comprising:

n holding units capable of holding the preform and arranged at a predetermined pitch in a predetermined direction, and N is an integer equal to or greater than 2;

a coupling unit that couples the holding units adjacent to each other such that the pitch is variable;

a driving unit configured to generate a predetermined driving force; and

a driving force transmission unit configured to transmit the driving force to each of one end side and the other end side of the N coupled holding units in the predetermined direction,

wherein the one end side and the other end side are configured to move in the predetermined direction by the driving force to change the pitch.

2. The molding apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein N preforms arranged in the predetermined direction are capable of being injection-molded at a time, N being an integer equal to or greater than 2 and equal to or less than N.

3. The molding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,

wherein N preforms are capable of being blow molded at a time, N being an integer equal to or greater than 2 and equal to or less than N.

4. The molding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

wherein the coupling unit includes:

a rotating portion connected to the holding unit so as to be rotatable about the holding unit as an axis; and

a shaft member configured to pivotally support the rotation parts adjacent to each other such that the adjacent rotation parts are rotatable.

5. The molding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

wherein the driving force transmission unit includes an annular member that is provided around the coupled N holding units and that is connected to each of the one end side and the other end side; and is

Wherein the endless member is configured to be rotated by the driving force to change the pitch.

6. The molding apparatus as set forth in claim 5,

wherein when the annular member and the drive unit are set as a first annular member and a first drive unit, respectively, the molding device further comprises:

a second annular member connected to holding units adjacent to each other, the holding units constituting a boundary for dividing the N holding units into a group of N1 holding units and a group of N2 holding units, N1 and N2 each independently being equal to or greater than 1 and N1+ N2 ═ N; and

a second drive unit configured to generate a predetermined drive force, and

wherein the second annular member is rotated by a driving force generated from the second driving unit to change a pitch of adjacent holding units constituting the boundary.

7. The molding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,

wherein the molding device is an injection blow molding device configured to perform the injection molding and the blow molding.

8. A pitch variation apparatus for a molding apparatus adapted to perform at least one of injection molding of a preform and blow molding of a preform, the pitch variation apparatus comprising:

n holding units capable of holding the preform and arranged at a predetermined pitch in a predetermined direction, and N is an integer equal to or greater than 2;

a coupling unit that couples the holding units adjacent to each other such that the pitch is variable;

a driving unit configured to generate a predetermined driving force; and

a driving force transmission unit configured to transmit the driving force to each of one end side and the other end side of the N coupled holding units in a predetermined direction,

wherein the one end side and the other end side are configured to move in the predetermined direction by the driving force to change the pitch.

9. A molding method adapted for at least one of injection molding of a preform and blow molding of a preform, the molding method comprising:

transmitting a driving force to each of one end side and the other end side of one group of holding units in a predetermined direction, wherein the holding units configured to hold the preforms are coupled to be able to change a pitch; and moving the one end side and the other end side in the predetermined direction by the driving force to change a pitch between the preforms.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a pitch changing device, a molding device having the pitch changing device, and a molding method.

Background

The molding apparatus is roughly classified into a hot parison method (also referred to as a one-stage method) in which an injection molding apparatus and a blow molding apparatus are in an in-line state and blow molding is performed using residual heat of an injection molded preform, and a cold parison method (also referred to as a two-stage method); in the cold parison method, the injection molding apparatus and the blow molding apparatus are taken off-line, and the preforms naturally cooled to about room temperature are reheated and blow molded.

In recent years, there has also been proposed a molding apparatus of a cold-parison method (also referred to as a 1.5-stage method), in which an injection molding apparatus and a blow molding apparatus are in an in-line state, and X (X: an integer equal to or greater than 2) injection-molded preforms are divided into Y operations, and Z (Z ═ X/Y) preforms are blow-molded at once in each operation (for example, refer to PTL 1).

CITATION LIST

Patent document

Japanese patent No.5,563,095

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

If one molding apparatus of this type can flexibly change the number of each of X, Y and Z, the manufacture of containers more suitable for the customer's needs can be achieved, which can improve market competitiveness. To achieve this, it is necessary to make the pitch (distance) between preforms different depending on the appearance of the final molded product, the throughput thereof, the arrangement of the molds for injection molding, and the like in each of the process of transferring the preforms from the molds for injection molding, the process of conveying the preforms to the units, the process of transferring the preforms to the molds for blow molding, and the like. For this reason, for this type of molding apparatus, it is desired to improve compatibility with various pitches, i.e., versatility.

Note that the above-described problems are present in any of the injection blow molding apparatuses of the 1-stage method, the 1.5-stage method, and the 2-stage method. In addition, the above-described problems are present in any of the injection molding apparatus and the blow molding apparatus except for the injection blow molding apparatus.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a pitch changing device, a molding device having the same, and a molding method, which can solve different pitches between preforms to improve versatility.

Problems to be solved

In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of a molding apparatus according to the present invention is a molding apparatus adapted to perform at least one of injection molding of a preform and blow molding of a preform, the molding apparatus including:

a pitch varying device, the pitch varying device comprising:

n holding units capable of holding the preforms and arranged at a predetermined pitch in a predetermined direction, and N is an integer equal to or greater than 2;

a coupling unit that couples the holding units adjacent to each other such that a pitch is variable;

a driving unit configured to generate a predetermined driving force; and

a driving force transmission unit configured to transmit a driving force to each of one end side and the other end side of the N coupled holding units in a predetermined direction,

wherein the one end side and the other end side are configured to move in a predetermined direction by a driving force to change the pitch.

Here, N preforms arranged in a predetermined direction are preferably capable of injection molding at a time, N being an integer equal to or greater than 2 and less than or equal to N.

Further, N preforms are preferably capable of being blow molded at a time, N being an integer equal to or greater than 2 and equal to or less than N.

Preferably, the coupling unit includes: a rotating portion connected to the holding unit so as to be rotatable about the holding unit as an axis; and a shaft member configured to pivotally support the rotation portions adjacent to each other such that the adjacent rotation portions are rotatable.

Preferably, the driving force transmission unit includes an annular member that is provided around the N coupled holding units and that is connected to each of the one end side and the other end side, and that is configured to be rotated by the driving force to change the pitch.

Preferably, when the annular member and the drive unit are set as the first annular member and the first drive unit, respectively, the molding device further includes: a second annular member connected to the holding units adjacent to each other, the holding units constituting a boundary for dividing the N holding units into a group of N1 holding units and a group of N2 holding units, N1 and N2 each independently being equal to or greater than 1 and N1+ N2 ═ N; and a second driving unit configured to generate a predetermined driving force, and the second annular member is rotated by the driving force generated from the second driving unit to change a pitch of adjacent holding units constituting the boundary.

Preferably, the molding device is an injection blow molding device configured to perform injection molding and blow molding.

In order to achieve the above object, an aspect of a pitch changing apparatus according to the present invention is a pitch changing apparatus for a molding apparatus adapted to perform at least one of injection molding of a preform and blow molding of a preform, the pitch changing apparatus comprising:

n holding units capable of holding the preforms and arranged at a predetermined pitch in a predetermined direction, N being an integer equal to or greater than 2;

a coupling unit that couples the holding units adjacent to each other such that the pitch is variable;

a driving unit configured to generate a predetermined driving force; and

a driving force transmission unit configured to transmit a driving force to each of one end side and the other end side of the N coupled holding units in a predetermined direction,

wherein the one end side and the other end side are configured to move in a predetermined direction by a driving force to change the pitch.

In order to achieve the above object, an aspect of a molding method according to the present invention is a molding method suitable for at least one of injection molding of a preform and blow molding of a preform, the molding method including: transmitting a driving force to each of one end side and the other end side of one group of holding units in a predetermined direction, wherein the holding units configured to hold the preforms are coupled to be able to change the pitch; and moving the one end side and the other end side in a predetermined direction by a driving force to change a pitch between the preforms.

The invention has the advantages of

According to the invention, different pitches between the preforms can be solved, thereby improving the versatility.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an overall view showing a configuration example of an injection blow molding apparatus according to a first embodiment.

Fig. 2A shows a configuration example of a first pitch changing device of an injection molding unit according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 2B shows a configuration example of the first pitch changing device of the injection molding unit according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 2C shows a configuration example of the first pitch changing device of the injection molding unit according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 3 shows a configuration example of the second pitch changing device of the blow molding unit according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing a configuration example of the pitch changing device according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a side view showing a configuration example of the pitch changing device according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a pitch changing device (N ═ 8) according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a pitch changing device (N ═ 8) according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a pitch changing device (N ═ 8) according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a conceptual view showing an example of the pitch varying method according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 10 is a conceptual view showing an example of the pitch varying method according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 11A shows an example of pitch variation between preforms obtained in 8 rows x 3 columns.

Fig. 11B shows an example of pitch variation between preforms obtained in 8 rows x 3 columns.

Fig. 11C shows an example of pitch variation between preforms obtained in 8 rows x 3 columns.

Fig. 11D shows an example of pitch variation between preforms obtained in 8 rows x 3 columns.

Fig. 12A shows an example of pitch variation between preforms obtained in 4 rows x 3 columns.

Fig. 12B shows an example of pitch variation between preforms obtained in 4 rows x 3 columns.

Fig. 12C shows an example of pitch variation between preforms obtained in 4 rows x 3 columns.

Fig. 12D shows an example of pitch variation between preforms obtained in 4 rows x 3 columns.

Fig. 13A shows an example of pitch variation between preforms obtained in 12 rows x 3 columns.

Fig. 13B shows an example of pitch variation between preforms obtained in 12 rows x 3 columns.

Fig. 13C shows an example of pitch variation between preforms obtained in 12 rows x 3 columns.

Fig. 13D shows an example of pitch variation between preforms obtained in 12 rows x 3 columns.

Fig. 14A shows an example of pitch variation between preforms obtained in 6 rows x 3 columns.

Fig. 14B shows an example of pitch variation between preforms obtained in 6 rows x 3 columns.

Fig. 14C shows an example of pitch variation between preforms obtained in 6 rows x 3 columns.

Fig. 14D shows an example of pitch variation between preforms obtained in 6 rows x 3 columns.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same members are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is appropriately omitted. In the drawings, the proportions and shapes of the respective parts may in some cases be conveniently set.

(first embodiment)

Fig. 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of an injection blow molding apparatus (molding apparatus I) of a 1.5-stage process. The molding apparatus I includes an injection molding unit 10 (injection molding apparatus), a cooling unit 20, a heating unit 30, a transfer unit 40, a blow molding unit 50 (blow molding apparatus), and a conveying unit 60. Here, according to this embodiment, the injection-molding unit 10 and the blow-molding unit 50 each have a pitch changing device 70 (a first pitch changing device 70A of the injection-molding unit 10 or a second pitch changing device 70B of the blow-molding unit 50). That is, the injection molding unit 10 includes a first pitch change device 70A, while the blow molding unit 50 includes a second pitch change device 70B.

Fig. 2A to 2C show a specific configuration example and an operation example of the first pitch changing device 70A of the molding device I. Fig. 3 shows a specific configuration example and an operation example of the second pitch changing device 70B. Fig. 4 and 5 show basic configuration examples relating to both the first pitch changing device 70A and the second pitch changing device 70B, in particular, the first pitch changing device 70A. The embodiment is described with reference to these drawings.

As shown in fig. 1, the injection molding unit 10 includes a mold 11 for injection molding (for example, the mold includes a core disposed above and a cavity disposed below, which can be clamped to each other). A resin material is filled into an injection space 12 defined by a mold 11 for injection molding, so that bottomed cylindrical preforms P (made into neck portions) each having one end side opening are injection molded. The injection space 12 is formed by N (an integer equal to or greater than 2) rows at a predetermined pitch in a predetermined direction (N-row direction; Y-axis direction shown in fig. 1) X M (an integer equal to or greater than 2) columns at a predetermined pitch in a predetermined direction (M-column direction; X-axis direction shown in fig. 1).

The number of preforms P injection-molded at one time may be different according to the appearance of the final molded product, the production amount thereof, the arrangement of the mold 11 for injection molding, and the like. By changing the mold 11 for injection molding, more specifically, by changing the number of injection spaces 12 of the mold 11 for injection molding, preforms P of N (N: an integer equal to or greater than 2 and equal to or less than N) rows × M (M: an integer equal to or greater than 1 and equal to or less than M) less than N rows × M columns can be injection molded at a time in the injection molding unit 10. That is, the injection blow molding apparatus (molding apparatus I) can injection mold preforms P of at most N rows × M columns at a time, and can injection mold preforms P of a smaller number of N rows × M columns in some cases.

The N rows × M columns are, for example, 8 rows × 3 columns. In this case, up to 24 preforms P (N-8, M-3, N-8, M-3) can be injection molded at a time. By halving the number of N rows (i.e., 4 rows × 3 columns) to less than N rows × M columns, it is also possible to injection mold 12 preforms P at a time (N-8, M-3, N-4, M-3). By enlarging the injection space 12 in one row in the N-row direction, the size of the preform or bottle and the number of simultaneous moldings can be varied according to the application.

N rows × M columns are, for example, 12 rows × 3 columns. In this case, up to 36 preforms P (N-12, M-3, N-12, M-3) can be injection molded at a time. As described above, 18 preforms P (N-12, M-3, N-6, M-3) can also be injection molded at a time by halving the number of N rows (i.e., 6 rows × 3 columns) to be smaller than N rows × M columns. However, the numbers of N, M, N and M are not limited to the above. Note that, it is described below that the maximum number of preforms P molded in the molding device I is N rows × M columns, and the actual number of preforms P molded in the molding device I is N rows × M columns.

As shown in fig. 2A to 2C, the injection-molded preform P is transferred from the mold 11 for injection molding to the can 13 in an upright state with the neck portion facing upward. The can 13 is formed with a recess 14 corresponding to a mold for injection molding. The injection-molded preforms P of n rows × m columns are accommodated in the concave portions 14 of the can while maintaining the arrangement of the injection spaces 12 of the mold 11 for injection molding. At this point, the canister 13 is in the first position. The pot 13 is slidable between a first position and a second position to transfer the preforms P to the pitch changing device 70 (first pitch changing device 70A).

The first pitch change device 70A includes a boss 72A. The number of the convex portions 72A corresponds to n rows × m columns. The boss 72A may hold the neck of the preform P. Note that the projections 72A are provided in the holding units 71A of N rows (refer to fig. 4), which will be described later. That is, in an apparatus in which the maximum number of preforms P is N rows × M columns (═ 12 rows × 3) can be injection molded at a time, when the number of preforms actually injection molded at a time is N rows × M columns (═ 6 rows × 3), the number of the protrusions 72A is 6 and the number of the holding units 71A is 12. The bosses 72A are provided in the holding units 71A, respectively. The first pitch changing device 70A is moved downward relative to the pot 13 so that the boss 72A of the holding unit 71A grips (holds) the neck portion of the preform P. Then, the projections 72A of the holding unit 71A appropriately suck and hold the preforms P, and the first pitch changing device 70A is moved upward relative to the tank 13 so that the preforms P are pulled upward from the tank 13. That is, while maintaining this arrangement, the preforms P of n rows × m columns accommodated in the pot 13 are once taken out from the pot 13 to the second position by the first pitch changing device 70A sliding.

The first pitch changing device 70A is horizontally moved along the rails 74 in the X-axis direction to approach the cooling unit 20 while keeping the preforms P away from the injection molding unit 10. That is, the preforms P of n rows × m columns taken out of the pot 13 are simultaneously transferred to the cooling unit 20 by the first pitch changing device 70A. At this time (i.e., while transferring the preforms P), the holding unit 71A is horizontally moved in the Y-axis direction along the rails 74a by the first pitch changing device 70A, so that the pitch of the preforms P in the n (n) -row direction is changed to a predetermined pitch.

Returning to fig. 1, a cooling unit 20 is depicted. The cooling unit 20 receives the preforms P transferred from the first pitch changing device 70A in an upright state, holds the received preforms P, and cools the preforms P to such an extent that the preforms do not reach room temperature, thereby releasing unevenness in the temperature of the preforms. Then, while holding the preforms P, the cooling unit 20 is inverted and lowered (i.e., the preforms P are in an inverted state with the neck portions facing downward), and the n rows × m columns of preforms P are simultaneously transferred to the conveying jig (jigs) 61. Note that one conveying jig 61 is moved in the conveying unit 60 while keeping a maximum of N preforms P in line. Therefore, when receiving the preforms P from the cooling unit 20, at least M rows, preferably M rows, of the conveying jigs 61 stand in alignment directly below the cooling unit 20.

The conveying jig 61 is provided with a boss (not shown) for holding the neck of the preform P. The cooling unit 20 is lowered such that the neck portion of the preform P is held by the convex portion. The holding state of the preforms P held by the cooling unit 20 is released, and the cooling unit 20 is moved upward relative to the conveying jig 61 so that the preforms P are transferred to the conveying jig 61.

While conveying the preforms P along the conveying line 62, the heating unit 30 heats the preforms P cooled in the cooling unit 20 to a temperature suitable for blow molding. By heating the preforms P in the heating unit 30, the entire preforms P can be uniformly heated while rotating the preforms P. In addition, the transfer unit 40 removes and inverts a predetermined number (for example, n) of preforms P, which are heated and held in an inverted state by the heating unit 30, from the conveying jig 61 at the last time. Note that this state refers to an upright state. The preforms P in the erected state are transferred from the transfer unit 40 to the pitch changing device 70 (second pitch changing device 70B) included in the blow molding unit.

The second pitch changing device 70B has n rows × 1 column of boss portions (chuck portions) 72B (see fig. 3). The projections 72B can grip the neck portion of the preform P. Note that the projections 72B are provided in the N holding units 71B (refer to fig. 6). That is, in the apparatus for blow molding N rows (═ 12 rows) of preforms P at a time, when N rows (═ 6 rows) of preforms are taken out at a time from the conveying jig 61, the number of the convex portions 72B is 6 (six), and the number of the holding units 71B is 12 (twelve). The bosses 72B are provided in the holding units 71B, respectively. When the transfer unit 40 moves upward with respect to the second pitch changing device 70B, the neck portion of the preform P is gripped (held) by the convex portion 72B of the holding unit 71B. Then, the transfer unit 40 is moved downward with respect to the second pitch changing device 70B so that the preforms P are separated from the transfer unit 40, thereby transferring the preforms P.

As shown in fig. 3, the second pitch changing device 70B is configured to slide the preforms P (neck portions of the preforms) transferred from the transfer unit 40 along the rails 52 in the X-axis direction toward the molds 51 for blow molding of the blow molding unit 50 while holding the preforms P by the bosses 72B. At this time (i.e., while sliding the preforms P), the pitch of the preforms P in the n (n) -row direction becomes a predetermined pitch (the pitch between the centers of the blowing cavities) by the second pitch changing means 70B (in fig. 3, the second pitch changing means 70B before and after the pitch change are shown together for convenience).

Returning to fig. 1, the blow-molding unit 50 is configured to blow-mold preforms P whose pitch in the n (n) -row direction has been changed by the mold 51 for blow-molding. Thereby, a final molded product is obtained. The final molded product is held on a chuck member for taking out (not shown), and the final molded product is conveyed to a take-out unit (not shown) along a predetermined trajectory (i.e., the final molded product is taken out to the outside of the molding apparatus I).

In the blow molding unit 50, for example, X preforms P to be injection molded are divided into Y (Y: an integer equal to or greater than 2) operations, and Z (Z: a natural number, Z ═ X/Y) preforms can be blow molded at one time in each operation. As described above, in the cooling unit 20, the injection-molded preform P is cooled to the extent that the preform P does not reach the room temperature. Therefore, when the preforms are divided into Y operations and Z preforms are blow molded at a time, it is easy to make the molding temperature difference in each operation small. However, the present invention does not necessarily need to include the cooling unit 20, and is not limited to the molding apparatus I of the 1.5-stage method. Note that, in the embodiment of the present invention, X corresponds to M × N (M × N), Y corresponds to M (M), and Z corresponds to N (N).

In the injection blow molding apparatus I as described above, the preforms P are conveyed to each unit by the conveying unit 60. The conveying unit 60 includes a plurality of conveying jigs 61 coupled to each other, and drives the sprockets 63 to engage with the conveying jigs 61, thereby sequentially conveying the conveying jigs 61 along the conveying line 62. The transfer line 62 includes a pair of transfer rails (an outer transfer rail and an inner transfer rail), and circulates via the cooling unit 20, the heating unit 30, and the transfer unit 40.

That is, the conveying jig 61 is conveyed from the cooling unit 20 to the heating unit 30 along the conveying line 62 while holding the preforms P, and is conveyed from the heating unit 30 to the transfer unit 40. Then, the empty conveying jig 61 is conveyed from the transfer unit 40 to the initial position (cooling unit 20) after transferring the preforms P to the transfer unit 40. Then, the transport jig 61 holds the preforms P again and is transported along the transport line 62 in the same manner as described above.

Here, in the molding apparatus I, at the time of injection molding, when pitches of the injection spaces 12 adjacent to each other in a predetermined direction (for example, N-row direction) are different, pitches in the N-row direction of the preforms P transferred from the mold 11 for injection molding are correspondingly different. The pitch of the preform P may not be constant during injection molding. For example, when N preforms P in the N-row direction are sequentially denoted as l1, l2 …, the pitch between the (l + k) -th preform and the (l + k +1) -th preform may become wider than the other pitch (pitch pattern a) during injection molding in some cases.

As an example, there is a case where the center pitch in the N-row direction is wider than the other pitches. In fig. 1, in the case of N-8, the pitch between the fourth preform and the fifth preform in the N-row direction is wider than the pitch between the other preforms adjacent to each other. When 12 preforms P are injection molded in the N-row direction, the pitch between the sixth preform and the seventh preform in the N-row direction may be wider than the pitch between other preforms adjacent to each other.

During blow molding, the pitch in the N-row direction needs to be set to a pitch (pitch pattern B) that also ensures the blow molding amount (blow-out amount) of the preform P. When the bulge due to the air blowing is large (i.e., the size of the container to be molded is large), the pitch in the N-row direction is preferably specified to be wider.

Further, in order to easily achieve simplification of various devices, improvement in productivity per equipment area, and the like, in some cases, the pitch of the preforms P in the conveying unit 60 (pitch pattern C, i.e., the pitch of the conveying jigs 61 of the conveying unit 60) may be narrower than the pitch during injection molding (pitch pattern a) and the pitch during blow molding (pitch pattern B).

That is, the pitch of the preforms P in the N-row direction may be different according to the appearance of the final molded product, the production amount thereof, the mold 11 for injection molding and the mold 51 for blow molding, and the like. For this type of molding apparatus, it is desired to improve compatibility with various pitches, i.e., versatility. In this regard, the injection molding unit 10 and the blow molding unit 50 each have the pitch changing function (pitch changing means 70) of the present embodiment.

As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the pitch changing device 70 includes at least N holding units 71 in a predetermined direction (N-row direction). The holding unit 71 can hold the preform P. The holding unit 71 includes: a boss 72 for holding the neck portion of the preform P; and a base 73, the base 73 being a basis for sliding the holding unit 71 along a rail 74a extending in the N-row direction. The rail 74a is fixed to the base plate 90. That is, N holding units 71 are provided, and the protrusions 72 are provided on at least N bases 73 provided on the rails 74a extending in the N-row direction (i.e., m protrusions 72 are provided in N bases 73). In the first pitch changing device 70A, the three protrusions 72 may be disposed at equal intervals with respect to the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the base 73 such that their axial centers rise from the base 73. In addition, in the second pitch changing device 70B (refer to fig. 3), one convex portion 72 may be provided at one end portion such that the axial center thereof is along the longitudinal direction. In particular, fig. 4 and 5 show an example in which three protrusions 72 provided at equal intervals with respect to the longitudinal direction of the base 73 are erected from the base 73.

In the injection molding unit 10, the maximum number of preforms P in the N-row direction that can be injection molded at one time is N. Furthermore, in the blow molding unit 50, the maximum number of preforms P in the N-row direction that can be blow molded at a time is N. The above numbers between the injection molding unit 10 and the blow molding unit 50 are not necessarily required to be the same. Further, the maximum moldable number of each row in the injection molding unit 10 and the maximum moldable number in the blow molding unit 50 are not necessarily required to be N. However, the pitch changing device 70 comprises at least N holding units 71 in the N-row direction, so that all preforms P transferred from the mold 11 for injection molding or preforms P fed to the mold 51 for blow molding can be advantageously held, and the pitch of the preforms can be changed.

The pitch changing device 70 includes a coupling unit 75, a driving unit 76, and a driving force transmission unit 77. The coupling unit 75 couples the holding units 71 adjacent to each other so that the pitch is variable. The driving unit 76 is configured to generate a predetermined driving force. The driving force transmission unit 77 transmits the driving force to each of the one end side 71a and the other end side 71b of the coupled N holding units 71 in a predetermined direction (i.e., in the N-row direction, one group of the coupled holding units 71 is the holding unit 71 at the one end side 71a and the holding unit 71 at the other end side 71 b). In the pitch changing device 70, one end side 71a and the other end side 71b are moved in the N-row direction by a driving force to change the pitch. Note that fig. 4 and 5 show an example in which the coupling unit 75 and the drive unit 76 are provided on the surface of the base 73 (the holding unit 71), with the surface of the base 73 being opposite to the surface (face) over which the boss 72 is provided.

The pitch changing device 70 includes the coupling unit 75, the drive unit 76, and the driving force transmission unit 77 as described above. Accordingly, by moving the one end side 71a and the other end side 71b of one group of the coupled holding units 71 in the N-row direction, accordingly, the holding units 71 between the one end side 71a and the other end side 71b can be moved without transmitting the driving force to each of the holding units 71. Therefore, the pitch of one group of the coupled holding units 71 can be easily changed.

The coupling unit 75 is a member such as a link mechanism, and includes a rotation portion 78 connected to the holding unit 71 (for example, the rotation portion 78 is connected to the projection portion 72 of the holding unit 71) to be rotatable about one point of the holding unit 71 as an axis center, and a shaft member 79 pivotally supports the rotation portions 78 adjacent to each other so that the adjacent rotation portions are rotatable. Thus, it is easy to stably rotate the rotation portion 78 around one point of each holding unit 71 (for example, one point is a bearing provided in each holding unit 71) and stably change the pitch of one group of the coupled holding units 71.

The rotation portion 78 is, for example, a link, and has a predetermined through hole. The outer peripheral portion of the bearing is inserted into the through hole so that the rotating portion 78 is connected to the holding unit 71. However, the manner of connecting the rotation portion 78 and the holding unit 71 is not limited to the configuration in which the outer peripheral portion of the bearing is inserted.

The rotating portions 78 also have through-holes formed on one end side and the other end side thereof, and a shaft member 79 fixed to the holding unit 71 is inserted into the through-holes via bearings in a state in which the upper surfaces and the lower surfaces of the adjacent rotating portions 78 are in surface contact with each other. The rotation portions 78 are arranged such that rotation portions that are to be in contact with the upper surface of the rotation portions 78 and rotation portions that are to be in contact with the lower surface of the rotation portions 78 are alternately arranged when viewed in the N-row direction. Thereby, structural balance is ensured, so that it is easy to stably change the pitch of one group of the coupled holding units 71.

Specifically, the upper surface of one end side (the (l + k +1) -th side) of the (l + k) -th rotating portion 78 is pivotally supported in the N-row direction, and is in contact with the lower surface on the other end side (the (l + k) -th side) of the (l + k +1) -th rotating portion 78; also, the lower surface on one end side (the (l + k +2) -th side) of the (l + k +1) -th rotation portion 78 is pivotally supported in the N-row direction, and is in contact with the upper surface on the other end side (the (l + k +1) -th side) of the (l + k +2) -th rotation portion 78. However, the pivot support aspect of the rotating portion is not limited to the scope of the present invention.

In the present embodiment, when the pitch between the holding units 71 is narrowed (when the distance between the adjacent holding units 71 is made smaller), the angle between the adjacent rotating portions 78 becomes smaller. Note that when the pitch between the holding units 71 is widened (when the distance between the adjacent holding units 71 is enlarged), the angle between the adjacent rotating portions 78 is enlarged. All of the N holding units 71 adjacent to each other are coupled by the coupling unit 75. In this way, in the present embodiment, a so-called one-sided pantograph mechanism is constituted by the rotating portion 78 and the shaft member 79, and the pitch in the N-row direction can be changed based on the mechanism. Note that the link unit 75 may be configured by a link mechanism (e.g., a general pantograph mechanism, a parallel link mechanism, an X-link mechanism, or the like) in addition to the single-sided pantograph mechanism.

For the drive unit 76, a well-known servo motor capable of generating a predetermined drive force may be used. Although the same type of motor is used in the first pitch changing device 70A of the injection molding unit 10 and the second pitch changing device 70B of the blow molding unit 50, different motors are preferably used according to the driving force and the driving amount required by the driving unit 76.

The driving force transmission unit 77 includes an annular member 80. The ring member 80 is disposed around the coupled N holding units 71 (i.e., one group around the coupled holding units 71), and is connected to each of the one end side 71a and the other end side 71 b. In this configuration, the roller 81 engaged with the endless member 80 guides and rotates the endless member 80 by the driving force generated by the driving unit 76 to change the pitch of the holding unit 71 in the N-row direction. In the present embodiment, predetermined connection units 82 are provided in each of the base portion 73 on the one end side 71a of the holding unit 71 and the base portion 73 on the other end side 71b of the holding unit 71, respectively, and the annular member 80 is connected to the holding unit 71 at the connection units 82.

Fig. 6 shows an example of applying the above configuration to the pitch changing device 70 in which N is 8. The structure shown in fig. 6 can be easily applied to the second pitch changing device 70B for conveying the preforms P to the molds 51 for blow molding. In fig. 6, when the annular member 80 is rotated so that the annular member 80 circulates in a predetermined direction, the connection unit 82 connected to the annular member 80 and the one end side 71a and the connection unit 82 connected to the annular member 80 and the other end side 71b are distant from each other. Therefore, the distance between the one end side 71a and the other end side 71b becomes large, so that the pitches of the six holding units 71 sandwiched between the one end side 71a and the other end side 71b and coupled by the coupling unit 75 become correspondingly wide.

Note that, when the ring member 80 rotates in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction to circulate, the connection unit 82 connected to the ring member 80 and the one end side 71a and the connection unit 82 connected to the ring member 80 and the other end side 71b are close to each other. Therefore, the distance between the one end side 71a and the other end side 71b becomes small, so that the pitches of the six holding units 71 sandwiched between the one end side 71a and the other end side 71b and coupled by the coupling unit 75 become narrow accordingly. With this type of mechanism, the distance between the one end side 71a and the other end side 71b can be changed in accordance with the driving force and the driving amount of the driving unit 76. Thereby, the pitch of the N holding units 71 coupled by the coupling unit 75 is easily changed arbitrarily.

Here, as shown in fig. 7, when the driving force transmission unit 77 (annular member 80) and the driving unit 76 are set as the first driving force transmission unit 77a (first annular member 80a) and the first driving unit 76a, respectively, the driving force transmission unit 77 (annular member 80) and the driving unit 76 may further include the second driving force transmission unit 77b (second annular member 80b) and the second driving unit 76b, respectively. In fig. 7, when the first annular member 80a is connected to one of the holding units 71 on the one end side 71a and the holding units 71 on the other end side 71b (for example, the first annular member 80a is connected to the holding unit on the one end side 71a), then the second annular member 80b is connected to the other of the holding units 71 on the one end side 71a and the holding units 71 on the other end side 71b (for example, the second annular member 80b is connected to the holding unit 71 on the other end side 71 b). Note that, as for the basic configuration shown in fig. 7, the configuration shown in fig. 6 can be used as appropriate.

In the case of the configuration shown in fig. 7, the first drive unit 76a is stopped and only the second drive unit 76b is driven, so that only the other end side 71b is moved in the N-row direction with one end side 71a fixed, thereby changing the pitch of the holding unit 71. Also, the second driving unit 76b is stopped and only the first driving unit 76a is driven so that only one end side 71a moves in the N-row direction with the other end side 71b fixed, thereby changing the pitch of the holding unit 71. The first and second driving units 76a and 76b may also be driven. In this way, variations to achieve pitch variation may be added. When the number of blow-molding simultaneous moldings is different, a phenomenon occurs in which the length and the stop position of the conveying jig 61 are slightly different. However, two types of driving units of the first driving unit 76a and the second driving unit 76b are provided, so that it is possible to flexibly solve the phenomenon because the top end position can be changed while receiving the preforms P.

As an aspect related to the above (in particular, an aspect that can be easily applied to the first pitch changing device 70A to which the preforms P are conveyed from the mold 11 for injection molding, as shown in fig. 8), the second annular member 80b may be connected to holding units 71 adjacent to each other, the holding units 71 constituting a boundary for dividing the coupled N holding units 71 into groups of N1 holding units and groups of N2 holding units (N1 and N2 are each independently an integer equal to or greater than 1; N1+ N2 ═ N). In this regard, the holding units 71 adjacent to each other as a boundary are not coupled. That is, the rotating portions 78 of the adjacent holding units 71 that constitute the boundary (i.e., the outermost holding units 71 of the N1 group and the N2 group) are not pivotally supported by the shaft member 79. At the connection units 82b provided in the base portion 73 of the holding unit 71 as a boundary, the second annular member 80b may be connected to the holding units 71 adjacent to each other and constituting the boundary. Note that the first ring member 80a is coupled to each base 73 of the outermost of the N1 groups and the N2 group via the connection unit 82a, and thus can be connected to the holding unit 71.

In this aspect, when the second annular member 80b is rotated by the driving force generated from the second driving unit 76b, the pitches of the holding units 71 adjacent to each other and constituting the boundary are changed. According to this configuration, a variation of realizing the pitch variation can be further increased, and the pitch (the center pitch in the N-row direction) of the holding units 71 adjacent to each other and being the boundary, and the other pitch (the pitch defining the entire width of the N holding units 71 coupled) can be individually changed.

The example of fig. 8 shows a state before the pitch change, to receive the preforms P from the forming device I and to convey them to the cooling unit 20. The first pitch changing device 70A includes eight holding units 71 linked (N8, N1 4, N2 4). The pitch between the fourth preform and the fifth holding unit 71 in the N-row direction is wider than the pitch between the holding units 71 adjacent to each other. The numbers of N1 and N2 are not limited to the above numbers, and are also not necessarily required to be N1 — N2. When the preforms P are conveyed from the mold 11 for injection molding in a state where the center pitch in the N-row direction is wider than the other pitches, the numbers of N1 and N2 may be appropriately changed to correspond to the pitches.

An example of a pitch change method based on the above-described pitch change function is described. Fig. 9 and 10 are conceptual views illustrating an example of the pitch change method. Fig. 9 shows a pitch varying method (a pitch varying method by the second pitch varying device 70B) that can be easily applied to the blow molding unit 50, and fig. 10 shows a pitch varying method (a pitch varying method by the first pitch varying device 70A) that can be easily applied to the injection molding unit 10.

For example, fig. 9 shows an operation example using the pitch changing device 70 (second pitch changing device 70B) shown in fig. 7. The first drive unit 76a and the second drive unit 76b are respectively driven to circulate the annular members 80(80a and 80b) so that the one end side 71a and the other end side 71b of the holding unit 71 are moved in the same direction (here, the one end side 71a and the other end side 71b of the holding unit 71 are to be moved toward the other end side 71 b). Note that when the driving amounts of the first driving unit 76a and the second driving unit 76B are made different (for example, when the driving amount of the second driving unit 76B is made larger than the driving amount of the first driving unit 76 a), for a predetermined time, the one end side 71a of the holding unit 71 is moved by the first driving unit 76a only by the distance a toward the other end side 71B in the N-row direction, but the other end side 71B of the holding unit 71 is moved by the distance B equal to or larger than the distance a toward the other end side 71B in the N-row direction (i.e., the distance B > the distance a).

By so doing, the other end side 71B of the holding unit 71 further moves the difference between the relative driving amounts of the first driving unit 76a and the second driving unit 76B, i.e., the difference between the distance B and the distance a. The other end side 71b is further moved so that the holding units 71 coupled in the N-row direction are moved accordingly, and thus the pitch is widened.

In this way, during blow molding, the blow molding amount (blow-out amount) of the preforms P can also be ensured, and the pitch of the preforms P in the N-row direction can be changed according to the appearance of the final molded product, the production amount thereof, the configuration of the mold 51 for blow molding, and the like. The pitch of the preforms P can be changed from a pitch pattern C (two upper drawings in fig. 9) suitable for the pitch (pitch upon heating) of the conveying jig 61 of the conveying unit 60 to a pitch pattern B (two lower drawings in fig. 9) suitable for blow molding.

The driving amount of the first driving unit 76a may also be set larger than that of the second driving unit 76b, and the first driving unit 76a and the second driving unit 76b may also be driven so that the one end side 71a and the other end side 71b of the holding unit 71 move in opposite directions, respectively. Even in this configuration, the pitch of the preforms P in the N-row direction can be advantageously changed during blow molding.

An operation example using the pitch changing device 70 (first pitch changing device 70A) shown in fig. 8 is shown in fig. 10. By driving the first driving unit 76a to move the outermost holding units 71 of the N1 group toward the one end side 71a, the endless member 80 is circulated so that the outermost holding units 71 of the N2 group are moved toward the other end side 71b by the distance a (i.e., so that the outermost holding units 71 of the N1 group and the N2 group are away from each other). Meanwhile, by driving the second driving unit 76B to move the innermost holding unit 71 of the N1 group toward the other end side 71B, the endless member 80 is circulated so that the innermost holding unit 71 of the N2 group is moved toward the one end side 71a by the distance B (i.e., so that the innermost holding units 71 of the N1 group and the N2 group are close to each other). By adjusting the driving amounts of the first and second driving units 76a and 76b and moving the holding units 71 correspondingly in the N-row direction, the pitch of the holding units 71 of the N1 group and the pitch of the holding units 71 of the N2 group become equal (i.e., the pitches of all preforms P in the N-row direction can be made equal).

In this way, during injection molding, it is possible to solve the case where the center pitch in the N-row direction is wider than the other pitches, and the pitch of the preforms P in the N-row direction can be favorably changed according to the appearance of the final molded product, the throughput thereof, the configuration of the mold 11 for injection molding, and the like. The pitch of the preforms P may be changed from a pitch pattern a (two upper drawings in fig. 10) suitable for injection molding to a pitch pattern C (two lower drawings in fig. 10) suitable for the pitch (pitch upon heating) of the conveying jigs 61 of the conveying unit 60. Note that the n (n) -row direction of the injection molding unit 10 and the blow molding unit 50 may be different. For example, as can be seen from fig. 1, the n (n) -row direction of the injection molding unit 10 may be set as the Y-axis direction, the n (n) -row direction of the blow molding unit 50 may be set as the X-axis direction, and the n (n) -row directions thereof may be set to be orthogonal to each other.

(examples)

Hereinafter, specific examples of the present invention are described in further detail with reference to fig. 11A to 14D in conjunction with the embodiments. Note that, in the molding apparatus I, when changing the maximum moldable number N of one row in the injection molding unit 10 (specifically, when changing the row pattern of N-8 and N-12), the maximum holdable number N of preforms P on the conveying jig 61 is also changed (changing to a parameter of N-8 or N-12). However, since the basic configuration and length of the conveying jig 61 remain unchanged, the workload for setting change is small. Note that in fig. 11A to 14B, circles shown in pitch patterns a and C indicate the visual arrangement of the cross section of the preform, and circles shown in pitch pattern B indicate the visual arrangement of the cross section of the container. Fig. 11A to 11D show an example of injection molding 24 preforms P of 8 rows × 3 columns at a time, and fig. 12A to 12D show an example of injection molding 12 preforms P of 4 rows × 3 columns at a time in the same manner. In fig. 11A to 11D and fig. 12A to 12D, the conveying jigs 61 having the same configuration and length (for example, 480mm) are used.

During injection molding, with respect to the pitch of the preform P, the center pitch is wider than the other pitches (fig. 11A and 12A). While the preforms P of N rows × M columns are held at a time by the first pitch changing device 70A and conveyed to the cooling unit, the pitches in the N-row direction are equalized (fig. 11B and 12B). In the example of fig. 11C, all the conveying jigs 61 of the conveying unit 60 are used, and in the example of fig. 12C, every other conveying jig 61 of the conveying unit 60 is used.

Thereafter, when the preforms P are conveyed to the mold 51 for blow molding by the second pitch changing device 70B that has received the preforms P, the pitch is changed to an equal pitch suitable for blow molding. Since such a pitch also ensures the blow molding amount (blow amount) of the preforms P, the pitch is wider than a pitch suitable for the pitch (pitch at the time of heating) of the conveying jigs 61 of the conveying unit 60 (fig. 11D and 12D). In the example of fig. 12A to 12D, the number of preforms P in the N-row direction is smaller than that of the example of fig. 11A to 12D, so that a larger (larger diameter) molded product is more easily obtained.

Similarly, fig. 13A to 13D show an example of injection molding 36 preforms P of 12 rows × 3 columns at a time, and fig. 14A to 14D show an example of injection molding 18 preforms P of 6 rows × 3 columns at a time in the same manner. In fig. 13A to 13D and fig. 14A to 14D, the conveying jigs 61 having the same configuration and length (for example, 480mm) are used.

During injection molding, with respect to the pitch of the preform P, the center pitch is wider than the other pitches (fig. 13A and 14A). While the preforms P of N rows × M columns are held at a time by the first pitch changing device 70A and conveyed to the cooling unit, the pitches in the N-row direction are made equal (fig. 13B and 14B). In the example of fig. 13C, the conveying jigs 61 of the conveying unit 60 are all used. In the example of fig. 14C, every other conveying jig 61 of the conveying unit 60 is used.

Thereafter, while the preforms P are being conveyed to the mold 51 for blow molding by the second pitch changing device 70B that has received the preforms P, the pitch is changed to an equal pitch suitable for blow molding. Since such a pitch also ensures the blow molding amount (blow amount) of the preforms P, the pitch is wider than a pitch suitable for the pitch (pitch at the time of heating) of the conveying jigs 61 of the conveying unit 60 (fig. 13D and 14D). In the example of fig. 14A to 14D, the number of preforms P in the N-row direction is smaller than that of the example of fig. 13A to 13D, so that a larger (larger diameter) molded product is more easily obtained.

(other embodiments)

Although the embodiments of the pitch changing device, the molding device having the pitch changing device, and the molding method according to the present invention have been described, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. The present invention can be applied to any of an injection molding apparatus configured to perform injection molding, a blow molding apparatus configured to perform blow molding, and an injection blow molding apparatus configured to perform both injection molding and blow molding. In addition, when applied to an injection blow molding apparatus, the present invention may be applied to any of a 1-stage process, a 1.5-stage process, and a 2-stage process.

The present application is based on japanese patent application No.2018-125212 filed on 29.6.2018, the contents of which are incorporated herein as appropriate.