Title of Invention

A METHOD OF PRODUCING CONTAINERS

Abstract

A method of producing containers (19) in which a tube (3) from plasticised plastic material and at least one separating wall (21) formed from the plastic material that extends within the tube (3) are extruded into an open blow mould (5), the blow mould being then closed and the tube expanded by pressure acting upon it and applied to the shaping wail of the blow mould (5), whereby the tube (3) is expanded by the introduction of blow air from the end of the closed blow mould which is opposite to the base of the container and associated with the container neck (57) in such a manner that the blow air has an expanding effect on both sides of each separating wall (21) to form the chambers (23, 25) separated from each other in the container, characterized in that the front end of the tube (3) and the front end of each separating wall (21) are welded together by closing the open blow mould (5), and that the plastic material is extruded into the open blow mould (5) as well as the blow air introduced from the end of the blow mould (5) at the container neck (57).

Full Text

PROCESS FOR PRODUCING EXTRUSION BLOW-MOLDED CONTAINERS WITH AT LEAST TWO CHAMBERS The invention relates to a process for producing containers, in which a tube of plasticized synthetic material and at least one partition which is formed from the synthetic material and which extends continuously in the interior of the tube are extruded into an opened blow mold, the blow mold is closed and, by producing a pressure gradient which acts on the tube, the tube is expanded and is placed against the molding wall of the blow mold to form the container. A process of this type is already known from DE 1 179 356 Al. In this process, when the blow mold is closed the end of the tube which is the back end during extrusion is welded by means of weld edges which are located on the top of the blow mold in a hot-wire welding process, such that the synthetic material which forms the container bottom is separated frorn the synthetic material which is leaving the overlying extruder means. The tube is expanded by supplying blowing air from the opposite lower end of the blow mold, specifically through the container neck which has been molded on the lower end of the blow mold. In the execution of the known process the continued processing which is necessary for producing finished containers is rather elaborate, Thus, the container before filling must be removed from the blow mold which was opened beforehand and turned so that the container neck is at the top. Other working steps are then necessary for filling and producing a container closure. The object of the invention is to devise a process of this type which enables comparatively more efficient production of ready-to-use containers with an internal partition. In a process of the initially mentioned type, this object is achieved as claimed in the invention by welding the end of the tube which is the front end during extrusion and the front end of each partition to one another by closing the opened blow mold in order to close the container bottom which is connected to each partition, and by expanding the tube by supplying blowing air from the end of the closed blow mold which is assigned to the container neck and which is opposite the container bottom such that the blowing air on either side of each partition acts to expand in order to form chambers which are separate from one another in the container. The top end of the mold cavity of the blow mold is assigned to the container neck by the ends of the tube and of the pertinent partition which are the front ends during extrusion, therefore the parts of synthetic material which reach the lower end of the blow mold, being welded to form the container bottom as claimed in the invention. Accordingly the expanded container can be further processed within the closed blow mold by carrying out the filling process for each inner container chamber through the container neck after 3 expanding the container by means of blowing air which is introduced through the container neck on both sides next to each partition, without opening the blow mold or removing the container. The filling process can be carried out by means of a combined blowing and filling mandrel or-by a separate filling mandrel which is inserted into the container after withdrawing the blowing mandrel from it. One special advantage of the process as claimed in the invention is that after filling the container the container neck is finish-molded by means of an additional welding process which takes place With the blow mold still closed and in doing so at the same time it can he hermetically sealed with a closure formed by the welding process. This can take place by movable top welding jaws or head jaws which are located on the top of the blow mold. Here any desired molding processes arid/or closure processes can be carried out, for example a. closure which can be torn off at a scored site or disconnect can be formed, preferably in the form pi a rotary lock closure. It goes without saying that an outside thread could also be molded on the container neck in order to form a screw closure with a separate closure element. In the welding process carried out on the container neck separate closures for each chamber of the container or a closure which closes all chambers of the container jointly can be formed. 4 The invention is explained below with reference to the drawings, in which: Figures 1 and 2 show simplified schematics of a blow mold for forming a conventional container from an extruded plastic tube using conventional production methods, the blow mold being shown opened (Figure 2) or closed (Figure 2); Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a two-chamber container produced using the process as claimed in the invention without added contents; Figure 4 shows a schematically simplified lengthwise section of the nozzle arrangement of an extruder means for executing the process as claimed in the invention; Figure 5 shows an open and schematically simplified view of the nozzle core of a modified example of an extruder means for carrying out the process as claimed in the invention; 5 Figure 6 shows a side view of a two-chamber container in which a closure for both chambers is molded onto the container neck and can be opened by means of a twist-off lock; Figure 7 shows a partially open plan view of the container from Figure 6; Figure 8 shows a schematically simplified representation similar to Figure 1 of a means for carrying out the process as claimed in the invention for forming a two-chamber container, the blow mold being shown open; Figures 9 to 11 show representations of the means corresponding to Figure 8, the blow mold being closed and different process steps in the formation, filling and closing of the container bsing shown; Figure 12 shows an open side view of the neck part of a container produced using the process as claimed in the invention, a rotary lock closure being shown as the hermetic seal of the two container chambers, and 6 Figures 13 and 14 show an oblique side view or plan view of the container part from Figure 12. Figures 1 and 2 show a conventional means as is used within the framework of the known bottelpack system for producing a plastic container of the known type in a blow molding process, an extrusion means 1 extruding a tube 3 of molten plastic material between the two mold halves 5 of a blow mold which is shown in Figure 1 in the open state. Figure 2 shows the blow mold In the closed state, the parts which mold for the main part of the container 12 to be formed from the tube 3 being moved together such that the bottom-side weld edges 1 on the bottom end of the tube 3 execute a hot-wire welding process in order to close the tube hole 3 on a weld seam 9 (Figure 2). By means of ait supplied via a blowing mandrel 11 the tube 3 is expanded into a container 12, see Figure 2. Then the filling process is carried out, for examaple via the mandrel 11 shown in Figure-2 or a separate filling mandrel.The top welding jaws 13 which are movable on the blow mold are now moved together causing the container neck to be shaped and in dping so optionally closing the container 12 by welding. In the examples shown in Figures 1 and 1 the weld jaws 13 form an outside thread 17 (Figure 3) for a screw closure. Figure 3 shows in schematic form a container 19 which has been produced using the process as claimed in the invention arid which, in contrast to the container 12 from Figure 2 which was produced in the conventional manner, has a continuous inner partition 21 1 which divides the interior of the container 19 into two chambers 23 and 25 which are separated fluid-tight from one another. Figures 4 and 5 show the important parts of an extruder means which in interaction with a blow mold which is not shown in these figures is intended for carrying out the process as claimed in the invention in order to produce a container which has an inner partition 21, as shown in Figure 3. Figure 4 shows the end of the extruder means 1 facing the blow mold which is not shown, with a nozzle ring 27 in which there is a nozzle core 31 located coaxially to the lengthwise axis 29 of the nozzle; the tip 33 of the nozzle core with the end area of thenozzle ring 27 defines an annular outlet 35 from which extruded synthetic material emerges in the form of a tube. The molten synthetic material reaches the outlet 35 via an annular gap 37 which is formed between the nozzle ting 27 and the nozzle core 31. As can be seen from Figure 4, this annular gap 37 narrows at the transition between the core tip 33 and the part of the nozzle cote 31 which follows upstream so that a retaining area 39 for the supplied synthetic material results. The core tip 33 is screwed to the following, upstream part of the nozzle core 31 via a pin which an outside thread 40 such that the surfaces of the core tip 33 facing one another and the following part of the nozzle core 31 are located at 3. distance from one another. The cortesppnding surface of the core tip 33 forms a funnel surface 41, while the fecing surface of the remaining nozzle core 31 forms a conical surface 43. These surfaces S 41 and 43 which in the example shown include an angle of incline of 65° or 60° to the lengthwise axis 29 of the nozzle form between themselves a guide means for the synthetic material which is branched off from the annular gap 37 and which enters the retaining area 39 between the surfaces 41 and 43. Through holes in the pin of the core tip 33 which has the outside thread 40 this branched~off synthetic material travels into an outlet slot 45 formed on the front side of the core tip 33. From there the branched off synthetic material emerges as a web which runs crosswise within the extruded tube and which after expansion of the tube forms the partition 21 in the container 19 which has been molded in doing so (Figure 3). On either side next to the outlet slot 45, i.e. on both sides of the plastic web emerging from the outlet slot 45, in the end surface of the core tip 33 there is one outlet opening 47 each for support air, which openings are connected to a central air channel 51 via branch lilies 49 which are made in the pin which has the outside thread 40. The ait supplied from the air channel 51 via the outlet openings 47 is intended as support air which simply prevents the collapse of the extruded tube and its being cemented to the web which forms the partition 21. The container is expanded in the blow mold in an additional working step by means of a blowing and filling mandrel which in an analogous arrangement to the outlet openings 47 of the core tip 33 has blow openings for supply of expanding, preferably sterilized blowing air. These blow openings can then also be used as fill openings for supply of the contents to the container chambers. 9 Figure 5 shows the front end section of a modified nozzle core 31 without the nozzle ring 27 which surrounds it. In contrast to the above described example, the nozzle core 31 does not have a front core tip which has been screwed on in order to form a guide means for the synthetic material to be branched off in cooperation with the following part of the nozzle core. Rather, in the embodiment from Figure 5 there is a direct connection between the end-side outlet slot 45 and the annular gap which surrounds the nozzle core 31 via transverse holes 53 which extend in the nozzle core 31 transversely to the lengthwise axis and are connected to the inner end of the outlet slot 45, The number and cross section of the transverse holes 53 are chosen such that the desired amount of synthetic material which is branched off from the outer annular gap emerges from the outlet slot 45 as the web which runs crosswise within the tube and which forms the partition 21. As in the above described embodiment, on either side next to the outlet slot 45 there are outlet openings 47 for the support air which is supplied from the central air channel 51. In both embodiments as shown in Figures 4 and 5 the thickness of the web emerging from the outlet slot 45 can be adjusted by choosing the ratio between the nozzle gap, i.e. the width of the annular gap 37 formed within the nozzle ring, and the width of the outlet slot 45. In the example from Figure 4 moreover the distance between the funnel surface 41 and the conical surface 43 can be varied for this adjustment, likewise the amount of narrowing of the gap on the retaining area 39. 10 The container 19 which has been produced using the process as claimed in the invention can, if so desired, be filled like conventional single-chamber containers still within the blow mold before the head-side, top welding jaws 13 axe moved together on the blow mold in order to mold the container neck on the end side and optionally close it by welding. As indicated above, the two-chamber container 19 can be filled by a combined blowing and filling mandrel or by a filling mandrel which performs only the filling function and which for each of the container chambers 23 and 25 has an outlet opening for the contents, the output openings being arranged offset in the same way to the lengthwise axis of the filling mandrel, as is the case for the outlet openings 47 for support air on the nozzle cores 31 of the extruder means 1 which are described here, where the outlet openings 47 discharge on either side next to the outlet slot 45 which forms the partition 21. As mentioned above, the shaping of the container neck of the container produced using the process as claimed in the invention is done by means of top movable welding jaws 13 on the pertinent blow mold, see Figures 1 and 2, In the example of the container 19 shown in Figure 3, the outside thread 17 for a closure by a screw cap which is not shown and which closes both container chambers' 23 and 25 is produced. instead of making one such screw closure, a different type of closure can be made by the upper welding jaws 13 in the shaping of the container neck as is known in the pertinent technology for single-chamber containers for example according to the bottelpack 11 system. Thus, as is shown in Figures 6 and 7, a rotary lock closure can be molded on the container neck 57, for example. Here the welding process is carried out such that the two chambers 23 and 25 are closed by twist-off lock 59 which can be separated at a disconnect 63 made as a scored site by its being turned using its molded-on handle piece 61. Figures 8 to 11 show in a highly simplified schematic the progression of the process steps from the initial extrusion process of the synthetic material to complete production of a two-chamber plastic container* with two chambers 23 and 25 filled and hermetically closed by means of a rotary lock closure 73 (Figure 11). By analogy with Figures 1 and 2, Figures 8 and 9 show the extrusion of the tube 3 with the inner partition 21 into the opened blow mold 5 or expansion into a container 19 by means of blowing air which is blown in by the blowing mandrel 11 on either side of the partition 21 after (see Figure 9) the blow mold 5 has been closed and thus the bottom-side weld edges 7 have carried out a hot-wire welding process by Which the tube 3 is closed on the lower end and is joined to the end of the partition 21 on a weld seam 9, After withdrawing the blowing mandrel 11 and inserting the filling mandrel 71 which has one fill opening for each container chamber 23 and 25 which are separated by the partition 21, the two chambers 23 and 25 are now filled while the container 19 is still located within the blow mold 5 (Figure 10). 12 After completed filling, the filling mandrel 71 is withdrawn and the top welding jaws 13 are moved together in order to carry out another welding process on the container neck 57, in which the container neck 57 is finally molded and in the example shown here is provided at the same time with a closure means which hermetically seals both chambers 23 and 25. In the example shown in Figure 11, a rotary lock closure 73 is formed so that the container neck is made in the manner as shown in Figures 6 and 7, where a twist-off lock 59 with a handle piece 61 is shown and makes it possible to twist off the lock 59 at a disconnect 63, by which the two chambers 23 and 25 of the container 19 are opened. After filling the comaker and withdrawing the filling mandrel 71, if so desired, insert parts can be placed in the container neck 57 before hermetically sealing the container. They can be functional parts such as a drop insert, a rubber plug, a hollow needle or other foreign part which can be inserted by means of a vacuum gripper before the welding jaws are moved together in order to weld around the insert part and at the same part form a hermetic closure, Figures 12 to 14 show a form of the rotary lock closure 75 which has been modified compared to Figures 6, 7, and 11 for a two-chamber container in which each chamber is closed by a separate spherical closure element 76 and 77. By means of a handle piece 79 which is common to the two closure elements 76 and 77, the two closure elements 13 76 and 77 can be twisted off at a disconnect 78 so that the two chambers of the container are opened. While the invention is described above based on the production of a two-chamber container, it goes without saying that on the nozzle core 31 of the extruder means 1 there could be more than one outlet slot 45 in order to extrude more than one plastic web. Within the plastic tube thus several partitions can be formed, to either side of which blowing air is supplied in order to mold a multichamber container in the pertinent blow mold. 14 We claim : 1. A method of producing containers (19) in which a tube (3) from plasticised plastic material and at least one separating wall (21) formed from the plastic material that extends within the tube (3) are extruded into an open blow mould (5), the blow mould being then closed and the tube expanded by pressure acting upon it and applied to the shaping wall of the blow mould (5), whereby the tube (3) is expanded by the introduction of blow air from the end of the closed blow mould which is opposite to the base of the container and associated with the container neck (57) in such a manner that the blow air has an expanding effect on both sides of each separating wall (21) to form the chambers (23, 25) separated from each other in the container, characterized in mat the front end of the tube (3) and the front end of each separating wall (21) are welded together by closing the open blow mould (5), and that the plastic material is extruded into the open blow mould (5) as well as the blow air introduced from the end of the blow mould (5) at the container neck (57). 2. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chambers (23, 25) of the container (19) located in the closed blow mould are filled at the end of the blow air sequence. 3. A process as claimed in claim 2, wherein the container neck (57) is shaped in a welding operation by closing the movable welding jaws (13) at the top end of the blow mould, after filling the chambers (23, 25). 4. A process as claimed in claim 3, wherein a welding operation hermetically closing all chambers (23, 25) of the container (19) at the iff container neck (57) is carried out on closing the top welding jaws., (13) which shape the container neck (37). 16 5. A process as claimed in claim 4, wherein a common closure (59, 61) closing all chambers (23, 25) of the container (19) together, is formed during the welding operation forming and closing the container neck (57), 6. A process as claimed in claim 4, wherein separate closures (76, 77) for each chamber (23, 25) of the container (19) are formed during the welding operation forming and closing the container neck. 7. A process as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein a removable closure component, preferably a twist bar closure (59; 73; 75) is formed at each break-off point (63, 78). 8. A process as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 7, wherein supporting air is introduced into the tube (3) after the extrusion of the tube (3) and before expanding it to both sides of the separating wall or walls 921), to prevent the tube collapsing and bonding with the respective separating wall (21). 9. A process as claimed in one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the blow air expanding the container (19) is introduced and the moulded container filled through a combination blow/filling tube. A method of producing containers (19) in which a tube (3) from plasticised plastic material and at least one separating wall (21) formed from the plastic material that extends within the tube (3) are extruded into an open blow mould (5), the blow mould being then closed and the tube expanded by pressure acting upon it and applied to the shaping wail of the blow mould (5), whereby the tube (3) is expanded by the introduction of blow air from the end of the closed blow mould which is opposite to the base of the container and associated with the container neck (57) in such a manner that the blow air has an expanding effect on both sides of each separating wall (21) to form the chambers (23, 25) separated from each other in the container, characterized in that the front end of the tube (3) and the front end of each separating wall (21) are welded together by closing the open blow mould (5), and that the plastic material is extruded into the open blow mould (5) as well as the blow air introduced from the end of the blow mould (5) at the container neck (57).

Documents:

in-pct-2001-01252-kol-abstract.pdf

in-pct-2001-01252-kol-claims.pdf

in-pct-2001-01252-kol-correspondence.pdf

in-pct-2001-01252-kol-description(complete).pdf

in-pct-2001-01252-kol-drawings.pdf

in-pct-2001-01252-kol-form-1.pdf

in-pct-2001-01252-kol-form-18.pdf

in-pct-2001-01252-kol-form-2.pdf

in-pct-2001-01252-kol-form-26.pdf

in-pct-2001-01252-kol-form-3.pdf

in-pct-2001-01252-kol-form-5.pdf

in-pct-2001-01252-kol-letters patent.pdf

in-pct-2001-01252-kol-priority document others.pdf

in-pct-2001-01252-kol-priority document.pdf

IN-PCT-2001-1252-KOL-(05-12-2011)-FORM-27.pdf

IN-PCT-2001-1252-KOL-(13-08-2012)-FORM-27.pdf

IN-PCT-2001-1252-KOL-FORM 27.pdf

in-pct-2001-1252-kol-granted-abstract.pdf

in-pct-2001-1252-kol-granted-claims.pdf

in-pct-2001-1252-kol-granted-description (complete).pdf

in-pct-2001-1252-kol-granted-drawings.pdf

in-pct-2001-1252-kol-granted-form 2.pdf

in-pct-2001-1252-kol-granted-specification.pdf

in-pct-2001-1252-kol-priority document.pdf

in-pct-2001-1252-kol-translated copy of priority document.pdf