Resin container, production device for resin container, blow molding mold, and temperature control pot

Abstract

A body part (20) and a gripping part (40) form a through space (S) that passes in a first direction that intersects a center axis (Ax) of a resin container (1). Thick parts (50) that are thicker than the average thickness (tm1, tm2) of the body part (20) and the gripping part (40) are formed at the body part (20) and the gripping part (40) at at least a portion in the circumferential direction of the through space (S). The thick parts (50) protrude toward the inside of the through space (S).

Description

Resin container, resin container manufacturing equipment, blow molding mold and temperature-controlled pot

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a resin container, a resin container manufacturing apparatus, a blow molding die, and a temperature-controlled pot.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a resin container having a hollow handle.

[0003] Japan Special Table No. 2014-519454

[0004] In resin containers with hollow handles, a joint (pinch-off portion) is formed in the handle and the container body facing the handle during the manufacturing process. Compared to resin containers without hollow handles, i.e., resin containers without pinch-off portions, the pinch-off portion of a resin container with a hollow handle can be a weak point in terms of strength. Furthermore, in this type of container, the surface of the body facing the hollow handle can also be a weak point in terms of strength when the container is dropped.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide a resin container having a hollow handle with increased strength, as well as a resin container manufacturing device, a blow molding mold, and a temperature-controlled pot for manufacturing the resin container.

[0006] A resin container according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises: a neck portion forming an inlet / outlet portion for a liquid; a body portion connected to the neck portion; a bottom portion connected to the body portion and configured to close the lower end of the body portion; and a handle portion connected to the body portion and formed to be hollow and in communication with the interior of the body portion, wherein the body portion and the handle portion form a through space that penetrates in a first direction that is a direction intersecting a central axis of the resin container, and a thick portion that is thicker than the average thickness of the body portion and the handle portion is formed in at least a portion of the circumferential direction of the through space in the body portion and the handle portion, and the thick portion protrudes toward the inside of the through space.

[0007] a blow molding unit configured to perform biaxial stretch blow molding of a preform to blow mold a resin container; and a blow molding unit configured to perform biaxial stretch blow molding of a preform, the blow molding unit being a pair of split molds each including a blow molding die that defines the outer shape of the resin container. The blow molding mold has a convex portion that forms a cutout portion that becomes the through space when a pair of split molds are brought closer in the first direction in the body portion and the gripping portion, and the convex portion has a thick portion forming portion that forms the thick portion at the connection portion with the cutout portion.

[0008] A blow molding mold according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a blow molding mold used in a blow molding device that blow molds a resin preform to manufacture a resin container, wherein the resin container comprises: a neck portion forming an inlet / outlet portion for a liquid; a body portion connected to the neck portion; a bottom portion connected to the body portion and configured to close the lower end of the body portion; and a grip portion connected to the body portion and formed to be hollow and in communication with the interior of the body portion, wherein the body portion and the grip portion form a through space that penetrates in a first direction that is a direction intersecting a central axis of the resin container, and a thick portion that is thicker than an average thickness of the body portion and the grip portion and protrudes toward the inside of the through space is formed in at least a part of the circumferential direction of the through space in the body portion and the grip portion, and the thick portion protrudes toward the inside of the through space, wherein the blow molding mold is a pair of split molds, When the pair of molds are brought closer in the first direction, the body portion and the gripping portion have a convex portion that forms a cut-out portion that becomes the through space when cut out, and the convex portion has a thick portion forming portion that forms the thick portion at the connection portion with the cut-out portion.

[0009] Furthermore, a temperature control pot according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a temperature pot that adjusts a resin preform to a temperature suitable for blow molding, and comprises a bottom temperature control unit that is arranged to face the bottom of the preform, and a body temperature control unit that is arranged above the bottom temperature control unit and faces the body of the preform, and the bottom temperature control unit is configured so that the distance from the body temperature control unit can be changed by inserting a spacer between the body temperature control unit and the bottom temperature control unit.

[0010] A method for manufacturing a resin container according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises: a neck portion forming an inlet / outlet portion for a liquid; a body portion connected to the neck portion; a bottom portion connected to the body portion and configured to close the lower end of the body portion; and a grip portion connected to the body portion and formed to be hollow and in communication with the interior of the body portion, wherein the body portion and the grip portion form a through space extending in a first direction that intersects with a central axis of the resin container, and a thick portion that is thicker than an average thickness of the body portion and the grip portion is formed in at least a part of the circumferential direction of the through space in the body portion and the grip portion, and the thick portion protrudes toward the inside of the through space, the method comprising: a blow molding step of biaxially stretch blow molding a preform to blow mold the resin container, wherein the blow molding step is carried out using a pair of split blow molding dies that define the outer shape of the resin container, The blow molding mold has a convex portion that forms a cutout portion that becomes the through space when a pair of split molds are brought closer in the first direction in the body portion and the gripping portion, and the convex portion has a thick portion forming portion that forms the thick portion at the connection portion with the cutout portion.

[0011] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a resin container having a hollow handle with increased strength, as well as a resin container manufacturing device, a blow molding mold, and a temperature-controlled pot for manufacturing the resin container.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a front view of a resin container according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a front view of a resin container according to a modified example. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a manufacturing apparatus for a resin container. FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a manufacturing method for a resin container. FIG. 7 illustrates a preliminary blow-molded section. FIG. 8 illustrates a final blow-molded section. FIG. 9 illustrates a flat portion formed by a convex portion. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the tip of the convex portion. FIG. 11 illustrates a final blow in the final blow-molded section. FIG. 12 illustrates a temperature control unit. FIG. 13 illustrates a preliminary blow-molded section relating to deformability.

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. For the sake of convenience, the dimensions of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual dimensions of each component.

[0014] In the accompanying drawings, arrow F indicates the forward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow B indicates the rearward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow U indicates the upward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow D indicates the downward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow R indicates the rightward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow L indicates the leftward direction of the illustrated structure. These directional expressions are used for convenience of explanation and do not limit the posture or direction of the illustrated structure in actual use.

[0015] Additionally, the term "front-rear direction" used in this specification refers to a direction along the aforementioned front and rear directions. The term "up-down direction" used in this specification refers to a direction along the aforementioned upward and downward directions. The term "left-right direction" used in this specification refers to a direction along the aforementioned left and right directions.

[0016] (Resin Container) Fig. 1 is a front view of a resin container 1 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the resin forming the resin container 1 is a thermoplastic resin, and is preferably a copolyester resin. An example of a copolyester resin is Tritan (Tritan (registered trademark): a copolyester manufactured by Eastman Chemical Company, a polyester copolymer using cyclobutanediol as a monomer). Other examples of resins that can be used to form the resin container 1 include PCTG (glycol-modified polycyclohexylene dimethylene terephthalate), PCTA (polycyclohexane dimethylene terephthalate-isophthalate copolymer resin), PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PEN (polyethylene naphthalate), PCT (polycyclohexane dimethylene terephthalate), PP (polypropylene), PE (polyethylene), LDPE (low-density polyethylene), LLDPE (linear low-density polyethylene), PC (polycarbonate), PES (polyethersulfone), PPSU (polyphenylsulfone), PS (polystyrene), COP / COC (cyclic olefin polymer), PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate: acrylic), and PLA (polylactic acid).

[0017] 1, the resin container 1 includes a neck 10, a body 20, a bottom 30, and a grip 40. The resin container 1 may also include a shoulder 70 that connects the neck 10 and the body 20 and expands in diameter toward the body 20. The resin container 1 is manufactured by biaxial stretch blow molding (stretch blow molding).

[0018] The neck portion 10 forms an inlet / outlet portion for liquid in the resin container 1. A thread portion 11 may be formed on the outer surface of the neck portion 10 so that a lid portion (not shown) can be attached.

[0019] The body 20 is a portion connected to the neck 10. The body 20 extends around the central axis Ax of the resin container 1, forming the side surface of the resin container 1.

[0020] The bottom 30 is a portion connected to the body 20. The bottom 30 is configured to close the lower end of the body 20. The body 20 and the bottom 30 define a liquid storage space in the resin container 1.

[0021] The grip portion 40 is a portion connected to the body portion 20. The grip portion 40 is formed to be hollow and communicate with the interior of the body portion 20.

[0022] As illustrated in Fig. 1, the body 20 and the grip 40 form a through space S that penetrates in a first direction, which is a direction intersecting the central axis Ax of the resin container 1. Note that in Fig. 1, the first direction is the direction from the rear, which is the depth of the paper, to the front, which is the front of the paper. In other words, Fig. 1 shows the resin container 1 as seen from the first direction.

[0023] The through space S allows the grip portion 40 to be grasped with the palm and fingers of the hand, making it easy to carry the resin container 1 by hand. Furthermore, when the resin container 1 contains approximately 1.5 to 3.0 liters of a beverage such as water, the resin container 1 is easy to handle when drinking.

[0024] A thick portion 50 is formed in at least a portion of the circumferential direction of the through space S in the body portion 20 and the grip portion 40. In this embodiment, the thick portion 50 is formed around the entire periphery of the through space S in the body portion 20 and the grip portion 40.

[0025] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Figure 1. As illustrated in Figure 2, the thick portions 50 of the body 20 and the gripping portion 40 are formed so as to protrude from the outer surfaces of the gripping portion 40 or the body 20 toward the inside of the through-space S. For convenience, the thick portion 50 formed on the body 20 will be referred to as body thick portion 50a. The thick portion 50 formed on the gripping portion 40 will be referred to as gripping portion thick portion 50b. The thick portion 50 formed on the horizontal portion 61, which will be described later and which is the connection portion between the body 20 and the gripping portion 40, will be referred to as horizontal thick portion 50c.

[0026] Here, enlarged view IIA shows a partial enlarged view of the body portion 20. As illustrated in enlarged view IIA, the portion of the body portion 20 where the thick portion 50 (body thick portion 50a) is formed is formed so that the dimension from the inner surface 21 of the body portion 20 to the outer surface 22 of the body portion 20 is larger than the portion where the thick portion 50 is not formed. In other words, the thickness t1 of the thick portion 50 of the body portion 20 is formed thicker than the average thickness tm1 of the body portion 20 (more specifically, the flat surface 20a) located on the through-space S side.

[0027] In enlarged view IIA, the positions at both ends where the thick portion 50 (50a) begins to protrude from the surface of the body 20 are designated as a first thick end 20A and a second thick end 20B. The first thick end 20A and the second thick end 20B are, for example, portions of the thick portion 50 that are equal to the average thickness tm1 of the body 20. The average thickness tm1 of the body 20 may be the average thickness of the body 20 on the side of the through-space S excluding the thick portion 50. The first thick end 20A and the second thick end 20B may be formed as marks formed by a nested protrusion 1322 (see FIG. 10 ).

[0028] The distance in the first direction between the first thick end portion 20A and the second thick end portion 20B is the dimension (length, width) L1 of the thick portion 50 (50a) in the first direction. In this case, the dimension t1 in the thickness direction of the thick portion 50 is smaller than the dimension L1 in the first direction. For example, the dimension (thickness) t1 in the thickness direction of the thick portion 50 may be, for example, 1.0 mm to 4.0 mm. If the thickness of the body portion 20 including the thick portion 50 is T1, then T1 = tm1 + t1. The dimension L1 in the first direction is the region extending from the center of the thick portion 50 to both sides of the body portion 20 (more specifically, the flat surfaces 20a) and may be, for example, 6.0 mm to 10.0 mm. Note that the center of the thick portion 50 refers to the center of the portion of the thick portion 50 that protrudes furthest toward the through-space S in a horizontal cross section of the body portion 20. Alternatively, the dimension L1 in the first direction may be the distance between the first thick end portion 20A and the second thick end portion 20B formed as a mark caused by the nested protrusion 1322 (see FIG. 10 ). In this case, the dimension L1 may be, for example, 12.0 mm to 40.0 mm. The dimension L1 may be 1.5 to 10 times the dimension t1. The tip of the thick portion 50 on the through-space S side may be formed flat. For example, the dimension (length, width) L2 in the first direction of the tip of the thick portion 50 may be 0.8 mm to 3.5 mm. The dimension L1 may be 8 to 20 times the dimension L2.

[0029] Here, enlarged view IIB shows a partial enlarged view of the grip portion 40. As illustrated in enlarged view IIB, the portion of the grip portion 40 where the thick portion 50 (thick grip portion 50b) is formed is formed so that the dimension from the inner surface 41 of the grip portion 40 to the outer surface 42 of the grip portion 40 is larger than the portion where the thick portion 50 is not formed. In other words, the thickness T2 of the grip portion 40 where the thick portion 50 is formed is formed thicker than the average thickness tm2 of the grip portion 40 located on the through-space S side.

[0030] In enlarged view IIB, the positions at both ends where the thick portion 50 (50b) begins to protrude from the surface of the grip portion 40 are designated as the third thick end 40A and the fourth thick end 40B. The third thick end 40A and the fourth thick end 40B are, for example, portions of the thick portion 50 that are equal to the average thickness tm2 of the grip portion 40. The average thickness tm2 of the grip portion 40 may be the average thickness of the grip portion 40 on the side of the through-space S excluding the thick portion 50. The third thick end 40A and the fourth thick end 40B may be formed as marks formed by the nested protrusion 1322 (see FIG. 10 ).

[0031] The distance in the first direction between the third thick end 40A and the fourth thick end 40B is the dimension (length, width) L3 of the thick portion 50 (50b) in the first direction. In this case, the dimension (thickness) t2 of the thick portion 50 in the thickness direction is smaller than the dimension L3 in the first direction. For example, the dimension t2 of the thick portion 50 in the thickness direction may be, for example, 1.0 mm to 4.0 mm. If the thickness of the grip portion 40 including the thick portion 50 is T2, then T2 = tm2 + t2. The dimension L3 in the first direction is the region extending from the center of the thick portion 50 to both sides of the body portion 20 (more specifically, the flat surfaces 20a) and may be, for example, 6.0 mm to 10.0 mm. Note that the center of the thick portion 50 refers to the center of the portion of the thick portion 50 that protrudes furthest toward the through-space S in a horizontal cross section of the body portion 20. Alternatively, the dimension L3 in the first direction may be the distance between the third thick end 40A and the fourth thick end 40B formed as a mark caused by the nested protrusion 1322 (see FIG. 10 ). In this case, the dimension L3 may be, for example, 12.0 mm to 40.0 mm. The dimension L3 may be 1.5 to 10 times the dimension t2. The tip of the thick portion 50 on the through-space S side may be formed flat. For example, the dimension (length, width) L4 in the first direction of the tip of the thick portion 50 may be 0.8 mm to 3.5 mm. The dimension L3 may be 8 to 20 times the dimension L4.

[0032] The dimension t1 of the thick portion 50 in the body 20 may be the same as the dimension t2 of the thick portion 50 in the gripping portion 40. The dimension L1 of the thick portion 50 in the body 20 may be the same as the dimension L3 of the thick portion 50 in the gripping portion 40. The dimension L2 of the tip of the thick portion 50 in the body 20 may be the same as the dimension L4 of the thick portion 50 at the tip of the gripping portion 40. For example, in the resin container 1 of the first embodiment, the thick portion 50 is formed around the entire periphery of the peripheral portion 60 around the periphery of the through space S in the body 20 and the gripping portion 40. In this case, the thick portion 50 formed around the entire periphery of the peripheral portion 60 may be formed so as to have the same cross-sectional shape and dimensions at any part of the peripheral portion 60. Note that the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the thick portion 50 may be defined as the width direction of the thick portion 50. In this case, the largest width dimension of the thick body portion 50a is the dimension L1 in the first direction, and the largest width dimension of the thick grip portion 50b is the dimension L3 in the first direction.

[0033] The peripheral portion 60 includes a horizontal portion 61 and a vertical portion 62. The horizontal portion 61 is a portion of the peripheral portion 60 that extends along the left-right direction, which is the radial direction of the resin container 1. The vertical portion 62 is a portion of the peripheral portion 60 that extends along the up-down direction, which is the central axial direction of the resin container 1. Note that "extending along the radial direction" means that the portion in question is parallel to the "radial direction" or that the portion intersects with the "radial direction" at an angle smaller than any direction perpendicular to the "radial direction." "Extending along the central axis" means that the portion in question is parallel to the "central axis direction" or that the portion intersects with the "central axis direction" at an angle smaller than any direction perpendicular to the "central axis direction."

[0034] Generally, the pinch-off portion (corresponding to the peripheral edge portion 60 in this embodiment) formed by joining the resin film in the process of forming the through-space S between the grip portion 40 and the body portion 20 facing the grip portion 40 can be a portion with weak strength in the resin container 1. In addition, the flat surface 20a of the body portion 20 facing the handle portion 40 can also be a weak point in terms of strength when the container is dropped. The flat surface 20a facing the handle portion 40 is shaped into a flat shape extending vertically and in the depth direction of the paper.

[0035] According to the resin container 1 of this embodiment, the thick-walled portion 50 that protrudes toward the inside of the through-space S is formed in at least a portion of the circumferential direction of the through-space S in the body 20 and the gripping portion 40, thereby increasing the rigidity of the portion where the thick-walled portion 50 is formed. This makes the body 20 and the gripping portion 40 less likely to deform, thereby further increasing the strength of the resin container 1.

[0036] According to the resin container 1 of this embodiment, at the pinch-off portion in the gripping portion 40 and the body portion 20 facing the gripping portion 40, the thick portion 50 can be provided wide so as to straddle the pinch-off portion, thereby improving the rigidity of the area where the thick portion 50 is formed.

[0037] The resin forming the resin container 1 of this embodiment may also be a copolyester resin. Unlike polycarbonate (PC), copolyester resins have the advantage of not leaching environmental hormones (Bisphenol A, BPA). On the other hand, containers made from copolyester resins have inferior drop impact resistance (drop strength) compared to containers made from PC. For example, when a drop impact resistance test is conducted on a container without a thick-walled portion 50, container breakage due to the water hammer phenomenon occurs in PC containers with a size of 20 L or more, while containers made from copolyester resins such as Tritan break even in containers with a size of 1.5 L or less. Because the thick-walled portion 50 is formed in the pinch-off portion of the resin container 1 of this embodiment, the impact resistance of the resin container 1 can be improved even when made from a material with poor impact resistance.

[0038] The impact resistance of the resin container 1 can be measured by an impact resistance test. The impact resistance test involves filling the container with the same amount of liquid as when it is used, sealing it with a lid, and then dropping the container from a predetermined height (e.g., 2 meters) multiple times to confirm whether the resin container 1 can be safely used without damage (cracking). When the resin container 1 is dropped, the impact (reaction force) from the impact with the ground is applied to the liquid inside the container, which then transmits the impact to the flat surface 20a (water hammer phenomenon). Because the flat surface 20a is relatively wide, it is susceptible to large impact forces. Therefore, the flat surface 20a is prone to bulging and deforming toward the through-space S, resulting in breakage (cracking). The wide, thick portion 50 formed on the flat surface 20a improves the rigidity of the flat surface 20a. This reduces the amount of bulging deformation of the flat surface 20a due to impact, making it less likely to break, thereby improving the impact resistance of the resin container 1.

[0039] (Modified Example of Resin Container) FIG. 3 is a front view of a resin container 1001 according to a modified example. Like the resin container 1 according to the present embodiment, the resin container 1001 according to the modified example also has a thick-walled portion 50A formed around the entire periphery of the peripheral edge 60A. However, the resin container 1001 according to the modified example differs from the resin container 1 according to the above-described embodiment in that the dimensions of the thick-walled portion 50A formed in a portion of the peripheral edge 60A are different from the dimensions of the thick-walled portion 50A in other portions. Like the resin container 1, the peripheral edge 60A includes a horizontal portion 61 and a vertical portion 62. Here, the thick-walled portion 50A formed in the body 20 is referred to as a body thick-walled portion 50Aa. The thick-walled portion 50A formed in the gripping portion 40 is referred to as a gripping portion thick-walled portion 50Ab. The thick-walled portion 50A formed in the horizontal portion 61, which is the connection portion between the body 20 and the gripping portion 40, is referred to as a horizontal thick-walled portion 50Ac.

[0040] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in Fig. 3. In Fig. 4, the thick portion 50A (horizontal thick portion 50Ac) in the horizontal portion 61 is indicated by a solid line, and the thick portion 50A in the vertical portion 62 is also indicated by a two-dot chain line, virtually overlapping the thick portion 50A. As illustrated in Fig. 4, the thick portion 50A formed in the horizontal portion 61 has a larger dimension in the thickness direction than the thick portion 50A formed in the vertical portion 62. For example, the horizontal thick portion 50Ac may be 1.5 to 5 times thicker than the thick portions 50A (50Aa, 50Ab) formed in the vertical portion 62.

[0041] Depending on the shape of the container, the strength of a portion of the pinch-off portion may be inferior to that of other portions of the pinch-off portion. For example, in the resin container 1001 according to the modified example, the horizontal portion 61 is assumed to be a portion inferior in strength to the vertical portion 62. Here, the thickness dimension of the thick portion 50A in the horizontal portion 61 is greater than the thickness dimension of the thick portion 50A in the vertical portion 62, thereby improving the rigidity particularly in the vertical portion 62. This makes it possible to partially improve the strength of the peripheral portion 60A.

[0042] According to the modified resin container 1001, the thick portion 50A formed in a portion of the peripheral edge 60A has dimensions different from the thick portion 50A formed in other portions of the peripheral edge 60A, thereby partially improving the strength of the peripheral edge 60A. When the strength of the pinch-off portion is partially insufficient, it is not necessary to change the dimensions of the entire thick portion 50A of the peripheral edge 60A, which makes it possible to reduce the amount of resin material required to manufacture the resin container 1001.

[0043] For example, by making the horizontal portion 61 thicker than the vertical portion 62, the rigidity of the resin container 1001 around the through-space S can be increased. This reduces the amount of bulging deformation that occurs in the upper part of the body 20 on the through-space S side when dropped, and can suppress cracks in the resin container 1001 due to the bulging deformation.

[0044] Furthermore, at least one of the thick body portion 50Aa, the thick grip portion 50Ab, and the two thick horizontal portion 50Ac may be thicker than the other thick portions 50A. In this case, the strength of the peripheral portion 60A is partially improved, and cracking of the resin container 1001 due to bulging deformation can be suppressed. Furthermore, the thicknesses of the thick body portion 50Aa, the thick grip portion 50Ab, and the two thick horizontal portion 50Ac thick portions 50A may be partially different. For example, the upper thick body portion 50Aa may be thicker than the lower thick body portion 50Aa. This is expected to improve the strength of the peripheral portion 60A.

[0045] It is also possible that the thick portion is provided on a part of the periphery of the resin container, and that the thick portion is not formed on the other part of the periphery.

[0046] (Apparatus and method for manufacturing resin containers) Next, a manufacturing apparatus 100 for manufacturing a resin container 1 will be described. FIG. 5 illustrates an example of the manufacturing apparatus 100 for a resin container 1. The manufacturing apparatus 100 is a blow molding apparatus capable of performing a biaxial stretch blow molding method. The manufacturing apparatus 100 may be, for example, a blow molding apparatus capable of performing a biaxial stretch blow molding method (one-step method, hot parison method) in a state where the heat (calorific value) derived from injection molding is retained in the preform without cooling the preform to room temperature. The manufacturing apparatus 100 capable of performing the one-step method includes, for example, an injection molding unit 110, a temperature adjustment unit 120, a blow molding unit 130, and a removal unit 140.

[0047] The injection molding unit 110 includes an injection cavity mold and an injection core mold (not shown). The injection cavity mold and the injection core mold constitute a part of the injection cavity (molding space). A preform 1A (see FIG. 13) for a resin container is manufactured by injecting molten resin from an injection device 111 into the injection cavity. In other words, the injection molding unit 110 is configured to injection mold the preform 1A.

[0048] The temperature adjustment unit 120 adjusts the temperature of the preform 1A manufactured by the injection molding unit 110 to a temperature suitable for blow molding.

[0049] The blow molding unit 130 is configured to manufacture a resin container by pre-blowing and final blowing the preform 1A.

[0050] The take-out unit 140 is configured to take out the resin containers manufactured by the blow molding unit 130 .

[0051] The injection molding unit 110, temperature control unit 120, blow molding unit 130, and take-out unit 140 are arranged at positions rotated by a predetermined angle around the conveying means 150. In this embodiment, the predetermined angle is 90 degrees. The conveying means 150 is composed of a rotating plate or the like, and a neck mold 151 (see FIG. 8) is attached to the rotating plate. The neck mold 151 is configured to grip the neck portion of the preform 1A and the neck portion 10 of the resin container 1.

[0052] FIG. 6 illustrates a method for manufacturing a resin container 1. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the method for manufacturing a resin container 1 includes an injection molding process S11, a temperature adjustment process S12, a blow molding process S13, and a removal process S14. The blow molding process S13 includes blow molding a preform 1A transported to a blow molding unit 130 to manufacture the resin container 1. The blow molding process S13 includes a preliminary blow molding process S131, a handle molding process S132, and a final blow molding process S133. The blow molding unit 130 includes a preliminary blow molding section 1310 and a final blow molding section 1320. In this embodiment, the blow molding unit 130 is configured so that the preliminary blow molding section 1310 and the final blow molding section 1320 are located in the same position. However, the blow molding unit 130 may be configured to transport the preform 1A and the resin container 1 from the preliminary blow molding section 1310 to the final blow molding section 1320 located at a different position from the preliminary blow molding section 1310.

[0053] The injection molding step S11 includes manufacturing a preform 1A by injection molding. In the injection molding step S11, an injection cavity (injection molding space) is formed by a neck mold 151 and an injection cavity mold and an injection core mold (not shown). An injection device 111 injects molten resin into the injection cavity. The injected molten resin is suitably cooled in the injection cavity to become the preform 1A. When the manufactured preform 1A is released from the injection cavity mold and the injection core mold, the preform 1A is transported by a transport means 150 while still held by the neck mold 151 to the temperature control unit 120.

[0054] The temperature adjustment step S12 includes adjusting the temperature of the preform 1A transported to the temperature adjustment unit 120 to a temperature suitable for blow molding. The preform 1A, adjusted to a temperature suitable for blow molding, is transported to the blow molding unit 130 by a conveying means 150 while held by a neck mold 151. Details of the temperature adjustment unit 120 will be described later. The gripper molding step S132 and the final blow molding step S133 are performed on the intermediate molded body 1B (described below) in a state in which air has been introduced and internal pressure is applied. The gripper molding step S132 is performed by pressing the resin film portion corresponding to the through-space S with a convex portion (convex member) 1322 of the final blow cavity mold 1321. The final blow molding step S133 is performed after molding the resin film portion (the portion to be cut, the flat portion P) corresponding to the through-space S, and then introducing blow air to form the final container shape.

[0055] If the temperature of the intermediate molded body 1B is low, the portion near the pressed part is likely to rupture when pressed or when blown air is introduced. Therefore, in the temperature control step S12, the preform 1A is heated (temperature controlled) to a temperature significantly higher than the softening point or glass transition temperature of the resin material (for example, in the case of a copolyester resin with a softening point of about 95°C to 110°C, to 170°C to 220°C (a temperature close to the melting point)).

[0056] The preliminary blow molding process S131 is a process in which the preform 1A transported to the blow molding unit 130 is pre-blowed to produce an intermediate molded body 1B. In this disclosure, the intermediate molded body 1B is treated as an example of a preform. FIG. 7 illustrates a preliminary blow molding section 1310 in the blow molding unit 130. In FIG. 7, the shape of the preform 1A is indicated by a dashed line. The preliminary blow molding section 1310 includes a preliminary blow core mold 1311. The preliminary blow core mold 1311 may also serve as a blow core mold 1324 (described below). The preliminary blow core mold 1311 (1324) is configured to introduce preliminary blow air into the preform 1A when inserted into the neck portion of the preform 1A. The preliminary blow molding process S is performed with a pair of final blow cavity molds 1321 (described below) in an open state. In the preliminary blow molding step S131, a stretching rod may be inserted inside the preform 1A to press the inner surface of the bottom of the preform 1A when preliminary blow air is introduced, thereby stretching the preform 1A in the longitudinal direction.

[0057] The preform 1A transported to the preliminary blow molding section 1310 is expanded by preliminary blow air being blown into the neck portion of the preform 1A by a preliminary blow core mold 1311 (the preform 1A is biaxially stretch blow molded using the preliminary blow air into a size smaller than the resin container 1), to become an intermediate molded body 1B. While held by the neck mold 151, the intermediate molded body 1B is subjected to molding steps (a gripper portion molding step S132 and a final blow molding step S133) described below in the final blow molding section 1320 of the blow molding section 30.

[0058] The grip portion molding process S132 is a process of forming a portion that will become the grip portion 40 of the resin container 1 in the intermediate molded body 1B in the final blow molding section 1320. FIG. 8 illustrates the final blow molding section 1320. The final blow molding section 1320 includes a final blow cavity mold 1321 and a bottom mold 1321a. The final blow cavity mold 1321 and the bottom mold 1321a are an example of a blow molding die. The final blow cavity mold 1321, together with the neck mold 151 and the bottom mold 1321a, is configured to form a final blow cavity (blow molding space). The final blow cavity defines the outer shape of the resin container 1. The final blow cavity mold 1321 is a pair of split molds configured to open in the forward direction (first direction) and backward directions of the paper. Each half of the final blow cavity mold 1321 is provided with a convex portion 1322 (a mold member (nested mold) detachably attached to the blow cavity mold 1321) extending in the forward and backward directions of the page. The convex portion 1322 is formed to protrude into the interior of the final blow cavity. The final blow cavity mold 1321 and the bottom mold 1321a are set to a temperature of 10°C to 90°C. For example, the temperature of each mold may be set to 60°C to 80°C to alleviate residual stress resulting from the injection molding of the resin container 1 (intermediate molded body 1B) and improve the strength of the resin container 1. Alternatively, each mold may be set to a temperature of 10°C to 20°C to shorten the cooling time of the resin container 1. Preferably, the convex portion 1322 is fixed so as not to be able to move forward or backward relative to the final blow cavity mold 1321, but it may also be configured to move forward or backward relative to the final blow cavity mold 1321 using an actuator. In the grip portion molding step S132, the stretch rod may remain inserted inside the intermediate molded body 1B, as in the preliminary blow molding step S131.

[0059] FIG. 9 illustrates a flat portion P formed by the convex portion 1322 when the final blow cavity mold 1321 is closed. The flat portion P is an example of a portion to be cut out. The flat portion P is formed when the convex portions 1322 approach each other and press against the resin film of the intermediate molded body 1B. The flat portion P is formed to be hollow. The flat portion P becomes a through space S by being cut out in a subsequent process in the manufacturing process of the resin container 1 (for example, a process after the resin container 1 is removed from the manufacturing apparatus 100). In this way, the convex portion 1322 is configured to form the flat portion P. The tip of the convex portion 1322 forms the flat portion P (portion to be cut out).

[0060] Fig. 10 illustrates an enlarged view of the tip of the convex portion 1322. As illustrated in Fig. 10, the convex portions 1322 have flat portions 1322a that face each other. The flat portions 1322a are configured to come close to each other and press the resin film of the intermediate molded body 1B to form the flat plate portion P.

[0061] A cut-off portion 1322a1 is formed on the flat portion 1322a. The cut-off portion 1322a1 is formed so as to protrude from the flat portion 1322a toward the other convex portion 1322. The cut-off portions 1322a1 formed on the two convex portions 1322 are configured to press the resin films of the intermediate molded body 1B to bring the resin films into contact with each other. A gap is provided between the opposing cut-off portions 1322a1. The range of the gap is set to, for example, 0.03 mm to 0.3 mm, preferably 0.05 mm to 0.20 mm. This gap forms a thin-walled portion, and the thick portion 50 and the flat portion P are connected via the thin-walled portion.

[0062] The convex portion 1322 further includes a thick-walled portion forming portion 1322b. The thick-walled portion forming portion 1322b is configured to define the outer shape of the thick-walled portion 50 of the resin container 1. The thick-walled portion forming portion 1322b is provided on the side surface of the convex portion 1322, and is configured to form the thick-walled portion 50 at the connection portion with the flat plate portion P (the portion adjacent to the cut-off portion 1322a1). The thick-walled portion forming portion 1322b has a shape recessed from the side surface of the convex portion 1322.

[0063] The thick-walled portion forming portion 1322b may be formed so that the dimension of the thick-walled portion 50 in the thickness direction is smaller than the dimension in the first direction. Because the protrusion 1322 is detachably fixed to the connecting portion L5 of the final blow cavity mold 1321, a predetermined gap (clearance) is formed in the connecting portion L5. The gap in the connecting portion L5 forms a mark of the connecting portion L5 (a mark indicating the boundary between the protrusion 1322 and the final blow cavity mold 1321) on the resin container 1. The two marks formed on the body 20 side are the first thick-walled end portion 20A and the second thick-walled end portion 20B, and the distance between them is the dimension L1 in the first direction (the width of the body thick-walled portion 50a). The two marks formed on the grip portion 40 side are the third thick-walled end portion 40A and the fourth thick-walled end portion 40B, and the distance between them is the dimension L3 in the first direction (the width of the grip portion thick-walled portion 50b).

[0064] Furthermore, when the manufacturing apparatus 100 is capable of manufacturing the resin container 1001 according to the modified example, the thick-walled portion forming portion 1322b may be configured to form the thick-walled portion 50A so that the dimensions of the thick-walled portion 50A formed in a part of the peripheral portion 60A as illustrated in FIG. 4 are different from the dimensions of the thick-walled portion 50A formed in other parts of the peripheral portion 60A. For example, the thick-walled portion forming portion 1322b may be formed so that the dimension in the thickness direction of the thick-walled portion 50 formed in the horizontal portion 61 is larger than the dimension in the thickness direction of the thick-walled portion 50 formed in the vertical portion 62. In this case, the thick-walled portion forming portion 1322b forming the horizontal portion 61 may be recessed more deeply from the side surface of the convex portion 1322 than the thick-walled portion forming portion 1322b forming the vertical portion 62. Similarly, when it is desired to thicken at least one of the thick body portion 50Aa, the thick grip portion 50Ab, and the two thick horizontal portion 50Ac, the corresponding thick portion forming portion 1322b may be recessed deeper into the side surface of the convex portion 1322 than the other thick portion forming portions 1322b. Furthermore, when the thicknesses of the thick body portion 50Aa, the thick grip portion 50Ab, and the two thick horizontal portion 50Ac thick portions 50A are partially different, the depth of the recess formed in the side surface of the convex portion 1322 in the corresponding thick portion forming portion 1322b may be partially different.

[0065] The protrusion 1322 further includes a heater (not shown). The heater adjusts the temperature of the resin in contact with the protrusion 1322 so that the temperature of the resin is higher than that of other parts. The heater may be provided inside or near the cut-off portion 1322a1.

[0066] As illustrated in FIG. 9, once the flat plate portion P is formed, the intermediate molded body 1B is housed in the final blow cavity mold 1321 and the process proceeds to the final blow molding step S133.

[0067] 11 illustrates a final blow molding section 1320 where the final blow molding step S133 is performed. In FIG. 11, the outline of the intermediate molded body 1B before the final blow molding is illustrated by a two-dot chain line.

[0068] When final blow air, which is more pressurized than the preliminary blow air, is introduced into the intermediate molded body 1B with the final blow cavity mold 1321 closed, the intermediate molded body 1B expands into the shape defined by the final blow cavity (the intermediate molded body 1B is biaxially stretched and blow-molded into the final container shape), becoming the resin container 1. The shape of the protrusion 1322 also defines the shapes of the body 20 and gripping portion 40 on the through-space S side of the portion that comes into contact with the protrusion 1322 when the final blow air is introduced into the intermediate molded body 1B. Furthermore, the shapes of the shoulder 70, bottom 30, and the body 20 located on the opposite side of the through-space S are also defined by the shapes of the final blow cavity mold 1321 and the bottom mold 1321a. A stretch rod may also be used to support the inner surface of the bottom of the intermediate molded body 1B to prevent longitudinal stretching and misalignment of the bottom center.

[0069] The outer shape of the thick portion 50 is also determined to match the shape of the thick portion forming portion 1322b. Because the thick portion forming portion 1322b has a shape recessed from the side surface of the convex portion 1322, the resin flows and accumulates in the thick portion forming portion 1322b, thereby forming the thick portion 50. The thickness of the body portion 20 and the gripping portion 40 on which the thick portion 50 is formed is thicker than the average thickness of the body portion 20 on the through-space S side and the average thickness tm of the gripping portion 40. When the resin in contact with the convex portion 1322 is heated by the heater of the convex portion 1322, the resin becomes more likely to flow by the final blow, allowing the thick portion 50 to be formed more smoothly.

[0070] The resin container 1 manufactured by the final blow is transported by the transport means 150 while held in the neck mold 151 and transported to the take-out unit 140. The resin container 1 transported to the take-out unit 140 is released from the neck mold 151 in the take-out process S14 and collected from the manufacturing apparatus 100. The neck mold 151 that has released the resin container 1 is transported again to the injection molding unit 110 by the transport means 150. Note that the flat portion P needs to be prevented from falling off the resin container 1 until the resin container 1 is removed from the manufacturing apparatus 100 by the take-out unit 140. This can be prevented in the blow molding unit 130 because the resin container 1 can be manufactured with the thick-walled portion 50 (peripheral portion 60) and the flat portion P connected by the thin-walled portion.

[0071] According to the manufacturing apparatus 100 for the resin container 1 of this embodiment and the final blow cavity mold 1321, which is a blow molding mold, the thick-walled portion 50 that protrudes toward the inside of the through-space S is formed by the thick-walled portion forming portion 1322b formed in the convex portion 1322. Since the rigidity of the portion of the resin container 1 where the thick-walled portion 50 is formed is increased, the body portion 20 and the grip portion 40 are less likely to deform. This allows the strength of the resin container 1 to be further increased.

[0072] The protrusion 1322 may be formed so that the dimension in the thickness direction of the thick portion formed in the horizontal portion 61 is larger than the dimension in the thickness direction of the thick portion 50 formed in the vertical portion 62. By making the horizontal portion 61 thicker than the vertical portion 62, the rigidity of the resin container 1001 around the through-space S can be further increased.

[0073] (Details of Final Blow Molding Section) Next, details of the final blow molding section 1320 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. As illustrated in Fig. 11, the final blow molding section 1320 further includes a stretch rod 1323 and a blow core mold 1324.

[0074] The stretching rod 1323 is a hollow member that is configured to be displaceable in the vertical direction. In the final blow molding step S133, the stretching rod 1323 is inserted into the intermediate molded body 1B, contacts the bottom of the intermediate molded body 1B, and displaces further downward to stretch the intermediate molded body 1B so that the intermediate molded body 1B has the same height as the resin container 1.

[0075] The blow core mold 1324 is configured to be inserted into the neck portion of the intermediate molded body 1B and to come into contact with the inner surface of the neck portion. The blow core mold 1324 is configured to introduce final blow air into the intermediate molded body 1B while inserted into the neck portion of the intermediate molded body 1B. Blow air is introduced into the interior of the intermediate molded body 1B from the blow core mold 1324, and the intermediate molded body 1B is shaped into the shape of the resin container 1, which is the final molded product. At this time, the shape of the portion of the body 20 on the through space S side and the grip portion 40 are completely shaped.

[0076] The stretch rod 1323 is configured to be able to introduce cooling air into the resin container 1. Air holes H for discharging gas from the inside to the outside are formed on the outer surface of the stretch rod 1323. A plurality of air holes H are formed and are arranged in two separate regions on the outer surface of the stretch rod 1323.

[0077] The outer surface of the stretch rod 1323 includes a first portion 1323a and a second portion 1323b. The first portion 1323a is half of the stretch rod 1323 formed on a cross section that is parallel to and passes through the central axis of the stretch rod 1323, and faces toward the gripping portion 40. The second portion 1323b is half of the stretch rod 1323 formed on a cross section that is parallel to and passes through the central axis of the stretch rod 1323, and faces away from the gripping portion 40.

[0078] The air holes H include a first air hole H1 and a second air hole H2. The first air hole H1 is formed in a lower part of the stretch rod 1323 at a portion that is inserted into the intermediate formed body 1B. The first air hole H1 may be formed below the lower end of the flat plate portion P. The second air hole H2 is formed in an upper part of the stretch rod 1323 at a portion that is inserted into the intermediate formed body 1B. The second air hole H2 may be formed above the upper end of the flat plate portion P.

[0079] It is desirable that the first air vent H1 be formed in only one of the first portion 1323a and the second portion 1323b, and the second air vent H2 be formed in only the other of the first portion 1323a and the second portion 1323b. In this embodiment, the first air vent H1 is formed in the first portion 1323a, while the second air vent H2 is formed in the second portion 1323b. In the example shown in Figure 11, the gripping portion 40 is located to the right of the extension rod 1323, so the first air vent H1 faces rightward, while the second air vent H2 faces leftward.

[0080] The stretching rod 1323 stretches the intermediate molded body 1B and also introduces cooling air into the intermediate molded body 1B and the molded resin container 1.

[0081] 11, the flow of air discharged from the stretching rod is shown by arrows. The air discharged from the first air hole H1 is discharged to the right, and some of it tends to pass through the inside of the gripping portion and head toward the top of the intermediate formed body 1B. The air that reaches the top of the intermediate formed body 1B tends to flow toward the left.

[0082] At this time, the air introduced from the second air hole H2 is introduced to the left. Therefore, even if air is introduced from the second air hole H2, it is unlikely to obstruct the flow of air introduced from the first air hole H1.

[0083] Similarly, the air introduced through the second air hole H2 tends to flow along the body wall surface of the intermediate formed body 1B toward the lower part of the intermediate formed body 1B. The air that has reached the lower part of the intermediate formed body 1B tends to flow in the direction of the air.

[0084] At this time, the air introduced through the first air hole H1 is introduced to the right. Therefore, even if air is introduced through the first air hole H1, it is unlikely to obstruct the flow of air introduced through the second air hole H2.

[0085] As described above, in this embodiment, the stretching rod 1323 introduces air into the resin container 1 so that the cooling air circulates smoothly inside the resin container 1. By circulating the cooling air inside the resin container 1, the temperature of the resin container 1 can be quickly lowered.

[0086] Depending on the properties of the material and the needs of the container molding, the preform 1A (or intermediate molded body 1B) may be heated (temperature-controlled) to a temperature much higher than the softening point before blow molding (specifically, biaxial stretch blow molding), and the resin container 1 may be cooled to a temperature below the softening point after blow molding. For example, when manufacturing a resin container 1 having a gripping portion 40, the preform 1A is transported to the blow molding unit 130 at a higher temperature than when manufacturing a resin container 1 without a gripping portion 40, in order to increase the adhesion of the resin at the joint (pinch-off portion) formed by joining the resin, such as the peripheral portion 60 around the periphery of the through-space S or the thick-walled portion 50, and to make the pinch-off portion less likely to peel. After the resin container 1 having the flat portion P is formed, the temperature of the resin container 1 must be lowered to a temperature suitable for release from the final blow cavity mold 1321 and the bottom mold 1321a and removal from the apparatus. In particular, the inner surface of the gripping portion 40 is not easy to cool, and in order to efficiently manufacture a good resin container 1, it is necessary to efficiently cool the inner surface of the gripping portion 40.

[0087] For example, when a resin container 1 without a gripping portion 40 is manufactured, the temperature of the preform 1A transported to the blow molding unit is 90°C to 100°C. When a resin container 1 with a gripping portion 40 is manufactured, the temperature of the preform 1A transported to the blow molding unit is about 200°C.

[0088] In the case of a resin such as polycarbonate, which has a relatively high softening point and only a small difference from the optimum blow temperature, even without the introduction of cooling air using a stretching rod, the temperature of the resin will drop sufficiently during the process until a resin container 1 having a flat portion P is formed, and the temperature of the resin container 1 may drop to a temperature range suitable for release from the final blow cavity mold 1321 or bottom mold 1321a and removal from the device.

[0089] However, in the case of copolyester resin, while the softening point is relatively low, the optimum blowing temperature is high (the optimum blowing temperature for the container of the present application is a high, narrow temperature range), so it takes more time for the temperature of the resin container 1 having the flat portion P to naturally drop to a temperature range suitable for release from the final blow cavity mold 1321 or bottom mold 1321a and removal from the apparatus.

[0090] According to the manufacturing apparatus 100 of this embodiment, only one of the first air hole H1 and the second air hole H2 faces toward the gripping portion 40, and the other faces away from the gripping portion 40. As a result, the air discharged from the first air hole H1 and the second air hole H2 flows in a circulating manner through the inside of the gripping portion 40, so that the entire resin container 1 can be cooled and deformation of the resin container 1 due to residual heat after removal from the manufacturing apparatus 100 is suppressed.

[0091] In particular, the flow of cooling air from the stretch rod 1323 can properly cool the resin in the thick-walled portion 50, peripheral portion 60, flat portion P (portion to be cut), and thin-walled portion, thereby preventing deformation of the area around the flat portion P (the body portion 20 and grip portion 40 on the through-space S side) of the resin container 1 due to residual heat. This allows the flat portion P (portion to be cut) to be properly removed after the removal step S14.

[0092] The shape of the stretch rod 1323 is not limited to that disclosed in this embodiment as long as it sufficiently cools the entire resin container 1. For example, the air hole H may be formed only in the lower part of the stretch rod 1323, or may be formed around the entire circumference of the lower part of the stretch rod 1323.

[0093] (Details of Temperature Adjustment Unit) Next, details of the temperature adjustment unit 120 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 illustrates an example of the temperature adjustment unit 120. Note that Fig. 12 shows the temperature adjustment unit 120 in different usage states between the left and right halves.

[0094] 12, the temperature control unit 120 includes a temperature control pot (heating pot) 121, which is a mold. The temperature control pot 121 is formed so that the preform 1A can be housed therein, and is provided so as to face the outer surface of the preform 1A housed therein. The temperature control pot 121 is configured to adjust (heat) the temperature of the preform 1A without contacting the preform 1A so that the temperature is suitable for the preliminary blow molding step S131, which includes molding of the flat plate portion P (pinch-off portion), the grip portion molding step S132, and the final blow molding step S133.

[0095] The temperature control pot 121 can be separated into multiple sections from the top. In this embodiment, the temperature control pot 121 can be separated into, for example, five sections. The five sections are referred to, from top to bottom, as a first body temperature control section 1211, a second body temperature control section 1212, a third body temperature control section 1213, a fourth body temperature control section 1214, and a bottom temperature control section 1215. The first body temperature control section 1211 to the fourth body temperature control section 1214 are provided above the bottom temperature control section 1215 and are arranged to face the body of the preform 1A. The bottom temperature control section 1215 is arranged to face the bottom of the preform 1A. The first body temperature control section 1211 to the fourth body temperature control section 1214 and the bottom temperature control section 1215 may be provided with a heater or the like (not shown) to heat the preform 1A without contact.

[0096] The bottom temperature adjustment unit 1215 is configured to be displaceable in the vertical direction by inserting a spacer 123 between the fourth body temperature adjustment unit 1214 and the bottom temperature adjustment unit 1215. The usage state in the right half of Fig. 12 illustrates a case where the spacer 123 is not inserted between the fourth body temperature adjustment unit 1214 and the bottom temperature adjustment unit 1215. The usage state in the left half of Fig. 12 illustrates a case where the spacer 123 is inserted between the fourth body temperature adjustment unit 1214 and the bottom temperature adjustment unit 1215.

[0097] When a spacer 123 is inserted between the fourth body temperature control section 1214 and the bottom temperature control section 1215, the bottom temperature control section 1215 is positioned lower than when a spacer 123 is not inserted between the fourth body temperature control section 1214 and the bottom temperature control section 1215.

[0098] The temperature of the preform 1A is preferably adjusted by the temperature control pot 121 while maintaining the temperature control pot 121 and the preform 1A out of contact with each other in order to heat the solidified preform 1A for release from the mold of the injection molding unit to a temperature suitable for blow molding. However, when the preform 1A is formed from a copolyester resin such as Tritan, the temperature of the preform 1A suitable for blow molding is close to the melting point of the resin material. Furthermore, the preform 1A must be sufficiently hot to form the flat portion P (to properly mold the pinch-off portion). Therefore, the temperature of the preform 1A is also adjusted so that it is sufficiently hot in the temperature control step S12, which is the preceding step. For this reason, the preform 1A may stretch downward (sag) due to its own weight while the temperature control step S12 is being performed. As a result, even if the bottom of the preform 1A is not in contact with the bottom temperature adjustment part 1215 at the start of the temperature adjustment step S12, it may come into contact with the bottom temperature adjustment part 1215 during the temperature adjustment step S12. The preform 1A that comes into contact with the bottom temperature adjustment part 1215 cannot be molded into a good resin container 1 in the blow molding unit 130.

[0099] According to the manufacturing apparatus 100 and temperature control pot 121 of the resin container 1 of this embodiment, the bottom temperature control section 1215 is configured so that the distance from the fourth body temperature control section 1214 can be changed by the spacer 123, making it easy to position the bottom temperature control section 1215 in a position that suppresses contact between the bottom of the preform 1A and the bottom temperature control section 1215.

[0100] In this embodiment, the spacer 123 can be divided into four blocks. Therefore, some of the four blocks of the spacer 123 may be inserted between the fourth body temperature adjustment unit 1214 and the bottom temperature adjustment unit 1215, and the remaining blocks may not be inserted between the fourth body temperature adjustment unit 1214 and the bottom temperature adjustment unit 1215. In this case, the distance between the fourth body temperature adjustment unit 1214 and the bottom temperature adjustment unit 1215 can be adjusted in stages.

[0101] The present disclosure has been described above based on the embodiments. The present embodiment is an example of the present disclosure, and is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be freely modified, improved, etc. as appropriate. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, numerical values, form, number, placement location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiment are arbitrary and not limited as long as the present disclosure can be achieved.

[0102] In this embodiment, the preliminary blow molding step S131 is performed in a so-called free blow state, in which the outer shape of the intermediate molded body 1B is not defined. However, the preliminary blow molding step S131 may be performed so that the outer shape of the intermediate molded body 1B is defined. FIG. 13 illustrates a preliminary blow molding section 1310A according to a modified example. The preliminary blow molding section 1310A includes a preliminary blow core mold 1311 and a preliminary blow cavity mold 1312. In this case, the preliminary blow molding step performed in the preliminary blow molding section 1310A is performed after the preform 1A is placed in the preliminary blow cavity mold 1312 so that the outer shape of the intermediate molded body 1B is defined.

[0103] 6, the preliminary blow molding step S131 may be performed as part of the temperature adjustment step S12. That is, the preliminary blow molding step S131 may be performed by the temperature adjustment unit 120. In this case, a preliminary blow cavity mold may be provided in the temperature adjustment unit, and instead of performing the preliminary blow step in the temperature adjustment step, a grip portion molding step and a final blow step may be performed in the blow molding step.

[0104] In this embodiment, the preliminary blow molding section 1310 performing the preliminary blow molding step S131 and the final blow molding section 1320 performing the gripper molding step S132 and the final blow molding step S133 are located in the same position. However, the preliminary blow molding section 1310 and the final blow molding section 1320 may be located in different positions. For example, the manufacturing apparatus 100 may be configured as described in Japanese Patent No. 6,952,022, and the blow molding unit 130 may be divided into a first blow molding section performing the preliminary blow molding step S131 and a second blow molding section performing the gripper molding step S132 and the final blow molding step S133, thereby manufacturing the resin container 1. Furthermore, the manufacturing apparatus 100 for the resin container 1 is not limited to a hot parison (one-step) blow molding apparatus. For example, the resin container 1 may be manufactured using a cold parison (two-step) blow molding apparatus as described in U.S. Patent No. 7,727,454.

[0105] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-178497 filed on October 16, 2023, and incorporates all of the contents of the above application by reference.

[0106] 1, 1001 Resin container 1A Preform 1B Intermediate molded body 10 Neck portion 11 Thread portion 20 Body portion 20A First thick-walled end portion 20B Second thick-walled end portion 21 Inner surface 22 Outer surface 30 Bottom portion 40 Grip portion 40A Third thick-walled end portion 40B Fourth thick-walled end portion 41 Inner surface 42 Outer surface 50, 50A Thick portion 60, 60A Peripheral portion 61 Horizontal portion 62 Vertical portion 100 Manufacturing apparatus 110 Injection molding unit 111 Injection device 120 Temperature control unit 121 Temperature control pot 123 Spacer 130 Blow molding unit 140 Removal unit 150 Conveying means 151 Neck mold 1211 First body portion temperature control portion 1212 Second body temperature control section 1213 Third body temperature control section 1214 Fourth body temperature control section 1215 Bottom temperature control section 1310, 1310A Preliminary blow molding section 1311 Preliminary blow core mold 1312 Preliminary blow cavity mold 1320 Final blow molding section 1321 Final blow cavity mold 1321a Bottom mold 1322 Convex section 1322a Flat section 1322a1 Cut-off section 1322b Thick section forming section 1323 Stretch rod 1323a First section 1323b Second section 1324 Blow core mold H Air hole H1 First air hole H2 Second air hole IIA Enlarged view P Flat section S Through space S11 Injection molding process S12 Temperature control process S13 Blow molding step S14 Removal step S131 Preliminary blow molding step S132 Handle portion molding step S133 Final blow molding step

Claims

1. A resin container comprising: a neck portion forming an inlet / outlet portion for a liquid; a body portion connected to the neck portion; a bottom portion connected to the body portion and configured to close the lower end of the body portion; and a handle portion connected to the body portion and formed to be hollow and in communication with the interior of the body portion, wherein the body portion and the handle portion form a through space that penetrates in a first direction that is a direction intersecting a central axis of the resin container, and a thick portion that is thicker than the average thickness of the body portion and the handle portion is formed in at least a part of the circumferential direction of the through space in the body portion and the handle portion, and the thick portion protrudes toward the inside of the through space.

2. The resin container according to claim 1, wherein the dimension of the thick portion in the thickness direction is smaller than the dimension in the first direction.

3. A resin container as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, when viewed from the first direction, the thick portion formed in a part of the peripheral edge of the body and the gripping portion, which is the periphery of the through space, has dimensions different from the thick portion formed in other parts of the peripheral edge.

4. The resin container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the resin forming the resin container is a copolyester resin.

5. A manufacturing device for manufacturing a resin container comprising: a neck portion forming an inlet / outlet portion for a liquid; a body portion connected to the neck portion; a bottom portion connected to the body portion and configured to close the lower end of the body portion; and a grip portion connected to the body portion and formed to be hollow and communicated with the inside of the body portion, wherein the body portion and the grip portion form a through space penetrating in a first direction which is a direction intersecting a central axis of a resin container, and a thick portion which is thicker than an average thickness of the body portion and the grip portion is formed in at least a part of the circumferential direction of the through space in the body portion and the grip portion, and the thick portion protrudes toward the inside of the through space, the device comprising: a blow molding section which performs biaxial stretch blow molding on a preform to blow mold a resin container, the blow molding section being a pair of split molds comprising a blow molding die which defines the outer shape of the resin container, The blow molding die has a convex portion that forms a planned cut-out portion in the body portion and the gripping portion when a pair of split dies are brought closer in the first direction, and the convex portion has a thick-walled portion forming portion that forms the thick portion at the connection portion with the planned cut-out portion.

6. The resin container manufacturing device according to claim 5, wherein the thick-wall portion forming portion is formed so that a dimension of the thick-wall portion in a thickness direction is smaller than a dimension of the thick-wall portion in the first direction.

7. A resin container manufacturing apparatus as described in claim 5 or 6, wherein the convex portion is formed such that the thick portion formed in a part of the peripheral portion that is the periphery of the through space in the body portion and the gripping portion when viewed from the first direction has different dimensions than the thick portion formed in other parts of the peripheral portion.

8. The apparatus for manufacturing a resin container according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the blow molding section further includes a hollow stretch rod configured to be inserted into the interior of the preform and stretch the preform in a central axial direction, and an outer surface of the stretch rod has air holes formed therein for discharging gas from the interior to the exterior, and the outer surface of the stretch rod includes a first portion facing the direction of the gripping section and a second portion facing away from the gripping section, and the air holes include a first air hole formed in a lower portion of the portion of the stretch rod inserted into the interior of the preform and a second air hole formed in an upper portion of the portion of the stretch rod inserted into the interior of the preform, and the first air hole is formed only in one of the first portion and the second portion, and the second air hole is formed only in the other of the first portion and the second portion.

9. A resin container manufacturing device as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 8, further comprising a temperature control unit which adjusts the temperature of the preform to a temperature suitable for blow molding, the temperature control unit comprising a temperature control pot arranged opposite the outer surface of the preform and which adjusts the temperature of the preform, the temperature control pot comprising a bottom temperature control unit arranged opposite the bottom of the preform, and a body temperature control unit arranged above the bottom temperature control unit and opposite the body of the preform, the bottom temperature control unit being configured to be displaceable in the vertical direction by inserting a spacer between the body temperature control unit and the bottom temperature control unit.

10. A blow molding die used in a blow molding device for blow molding a resin preform to manufacture a resin container, the resin container comprising: a neck portion forming an inlet / outlet portion for a liquid; a body portion connected to the neck portion; a bottom portion connected to the body portion and configured to close the lower end of the body portion; and a grip portion connected to the body portion and formed to be hollow and communicated with the inside of the body portion, the body portion and the grip portion form a through space penetrating in a first direction that is a direction intersecting a central axis of the resin container, and a thick portion that is thicker than an average thickness of the body portion and the grip portion is formed in at least a part of the circumferential direction of the through space in the body portion and the grip portion and protrudes toward the inside of the through space, the blow molding die being a pair of split dies, A blow molding die, in which the pair of dies are brought closer in the first direction, so that the body portion and the gripping portion have convex portions that form a planned cutting portion that will become the through space when cut out, and the convex portions have thick portion forming portions that form the thick portion at the connection portions with the planned cutting portions.

11. A temperature pot for adjusting a temperature of a resin preform to a temperature suitable for blow molding, comprising: a bottom temperature control unit arranged to face the bottom of the preform; and a body temperature control unit arranged above the bottom temperature control unit and facing the body of the preform, wherein the distance of the bottom temperature control unit to the body temperature control unit can be changed by inserting a spacer between the body temperature control unit and the bottom temperature control unit.

12. A method for producing a resin container comprising: a neck portion forming an inlet / outlet portion for a liquid; a body portion connected to the neck portion; a bottom portion connected to the body portion and configured to close the lower end of the body portion; and a grip portion connected to the body portion and formed to be hollow and communicated with the inside of the body portion, wherein the body portion and the grip portion form a through space penetrating in a first direction which is a direction intersecting a central axis of the resin container, and a thick portion which is thicker than an average thickness of the body portion and the grip portion is formed in at least a part of the circumferential direction of the through space in the body portion and the grip portion, and the thick portion protrudes toward the inside of the through space, the method comprising: a blow molding step of biaxially stretching a preform to blow mold a resin container, wherein the blow molding step is performed using a pair of split molds which define the outer shape of the resin container, A method for manufacturing a resin container, wherein the blow molding die has a convex portion in the body portion and the gripping portion that forms a planned cut-out portion that becomes the through space when a pair of split dies are brought closer in the first direction, and the convex portion has a thick portion forming portion that forms the thick portion at the connection portion with the planned cut-out portion.

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