The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 03, 1994
Filed:
May. 17, 1993
Gerard Denis, Turretot, FR;
Alain Evrard, Le Havre, FR;
Sidel, Le Havre Cedex, FR;
Abstract
A continuous-feed thermal treatment unit for the manufacture of PET containers includes, in succession, a recovery oven (25) and a crystallization oven (42) having respective heater plates (27, 44) for emitting medium-wavelength infrared radiation to heat the bodies of incoming, rotating, bidirectionally stretched, oversize containers to a temperature of 160.degree.-2400.degree.-C. The crystallization oven also includes short-wavelength infrared tubes (47) disposed along the path of the container necks, whose radiation penetrates the necks and heats support mandrels (18) inserted therein to transport the containers. The heated bodies shrink and become at least partially crystallized during their conveyance through the ovens, while the necks undergo spherulitic crystallization. The mandrels are carried at the outer ends of radial arms (15) mounted on links (12) joined by pivots (13) to form an endless conveyor chain (9) led over a portion of a drive wheel (10), during which the spacing between adjacent containers is increased to accommodate their relatively large incoming dimensions. As the conveyor chain and the containers transported thereby enter a straight run into the crystallization oven upon leaving the recovery oven, wherein they have contracted, the arms (15) return to a parallel orientation which attendantly decreases the spacing between the containers. The transported containers thus form a continuous curtain during their conveyance, which increases the thermal/energy efficiency of the treatment unit.