Apparatus

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for producing container products, preferably by means of a forming, filling and sealing method, comprising an extrusion device (10), which outputs a formable tube (16), which is externally obtained from a forming device (18) in a forming zone (20) that at least partially imitates the contour (22) of the container, and at least one mandrel unit (24), the mandrel unit is accommodated in the hose in such a way as to cooperate with the shaping device, and wherein the shaping of the hose is at least partially carried out from the inside, characterized in that the mandrel unit is positioned by means of a positioning device (52), a respective mandrel unit is guided in such a way that it can be moved from an initial position outside a forming region of the forming device into a predeterminable forming position as a defined end position within the forming region and vice versa from the forming position into the initial position. The invention also relates to a container produced using the device according to the invention.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a device for producing container products, preferably by means of a forming, filling and sealing method, the device comprising an extrusion device which outputs a formable hose, the hose receiving a molding shape from the forming device in a molding zone from the outside which at least partially imitates the container contour, and the device comprising at least one mandrel unit which is received in the hose in a manner cooperating with the forming device and which performs the molding of the hose at least partially from the inside. Background Art

[0002] EP 2 909 000 B1 discloses a device for producing container products from plastic material, in particular by means of carrying out a forming, filling and sealing method, the device comprising a forming device to which a forming tube of plasticized plastic material can be fed, and the forming device having a movable forming surface that imitates a predeterminable container geometry, onto which the forming tube for the forming, filling and / or sealing process can be applied, a guiding and holding device is provided, the guiding and holding device having a movable guiding and holding part, the guiding and holding part being controllable in such a way that in at least one possible functional position outside the forming area of ​​the forming device, the guiding and holding part acts on the forming tube itself and / or on the corresponding plastic material, the plastic material surrounding at least one finished container product and / or its contents, the movable guiding and holding part being able to be moved into a functional position at the end of the corresponding forming, filling and sealing process for the container product, in which functional position the guiding and holding part rests on the forming tube in a manner supported on opposite sides of the tube in a section adjacent to the input end of the forming device.

[0003] The support thus formed in the position in the immediate vicinity of the head region of the container ensures particularly reliable demoulding by means of uniform detachment of the container from the molding surfaces which move apart from one another during the demoulding process.

[0004] DE102020004564A1 discloses a device for manufacturing plastic containers by means of a forming, filling and sealing method, the device comprising at least a forming device and an extrusion unit, the forming device comprising a single mold, which can be repeatedly moved relative to each other from an open receiving position to a molded closed position, by means of the extrusion unit, at least one extruded plastic hose can be placed in the open receiving position of the mold, and the extrusion unit can be moved in the opposite direction to each extruded plastic hose by means of a moving device relative to a forming device fixedly arranged in each part of the mold.

[0005] During the continuous extrusion of the plastic tube, the shaping can be carried out statically by means of the extrusion unit by means of the die, which has the advantage that the die does not need to be moved back and forth kinematically in the extrusion direction of the plastic tube, as shown in the above-mentioned prior art. This makes it easier to precisely orient the die halves of the die, which are arranged stationary in this respect, relative to each other for the production of the container product. Summary of the invention

[0006] Starting from this prior art, the object of the present invention is to further improve the known apparatus in such a way that container part geometries can be produced with the stated high precision, in particular also on the inside of the container.

[0007] The associated object is achieved by a device having the features of claim 1 .

[0008] Of particular significance to the invention is that the mandrel unit is guided by means of a positioning device in such a way that it can be moved from an initial position outside the molding zone of the molding device into a predeterminable molding position as a defined end position in the molding zone and vice versa from the molding position into the initial position.

[0009] As a result, the mandrel unit is positioned most accurately within the scope of the forming process by means of the positioning device, in particular placed in a defined end position, so that even extremely complex inner wall geometries can be produced with low tolerances on the corresponding container products without restriction; such as the geometry shown by way of example in WO 2019 / 063346 A1. In this way, complex conical connection geometries (hereinafter also referred to as Luer cones) can also be produced using the device according to the invention, for example. Such geometries are mainly used for medical purposes and can be implemented in a lockable manner (ISO 80369-7: 2016, for example, Luer lock connection) or in a non-lockable manner (ISO 80369-7: 2016, for example, Luer slip connection). Similar geometries with very high precision requirements are used, for example, for enteral (ENFit, ISO 80369-3: 2016) applications or neuraxal (NRFit, ISO 80369-6: 2016) applications and are described in detail in the listed standards. This provides a functionally reliable removal possibility for a removal device for docking on the inner cone of the container, for example in the form of a syringe body which has a comparable outer cone, in the form of a Luer connector known per se.

[0010] Since, in the solution according to the invention, the filling mandrel is not moved in the vertical direction relative to the plastic hose fixed in the closed main mold for forming the container connection geometry, such as a Luer cone, as shown in the prior art, it is also not possible that the filling mandrel, while on the one hand pressing the plastic mass into the mold of the forming device, on the other hand unintentionally pushes the hot soft plastic mass in the direction of the container interior, which can then usually lead to the formation of bulges and inaccurate bulges in the area of ​​the container opening. This can then lead to the known container solutions that the removal unit, for example in the form of a Luer cone of a syringe, can no longer be introduced into the container inlet in a sufficiently tight manner, and this can lead to unacceptable leaks when using the container, especially in the medical field.

[0011] In order to reduce this type of erroneous forming, also referred to in the industry as "jamming", a device for the forming, filling and sealing method (BFS method) with a reduced travel distance of the filling mandrel was developed in the prior art (DE 10 20 20 00 4 564 A1), whereby process-related wear of the mandrel tube surface and the accompanying internal particle formation are to be reduced; however, they cannot be completely avoided. The relative movement of the mandrel relative to the plastic hose in the direction of the container interior also carries the risk that any particles that may be produced can be easily pushed into the container interior, which is undesirable, in particular for medical purposes.

[0012] On the other hand, the solution according to the invention makes it possible to achieve very precisely formed container part geometries without the above-mentioned "blocking" and without particle formation, in particular due to wear on the mandrel surface. By means of a positioning device that can be adjusted very precisely, the position of the forming body / filling mandrel can be very precisely predetermined and limited in the extrusion direction, in particular the position of the forming body / filling mandrel is determined with respect to the main mold of the forming device. The shaping then takes place in such a way that the hot-soft hose is applied to the corresponding shaping surface of the fixed forming body / filling mandrel only in the radial direction, that is, perpendicular to the extrusion direction, by closing the main mold, and thus no movement of the plastic material through the forming body / filling mandrel in the axial direction, that is, in the direction of the container body, occurs. In order to be able to achieve not only active shaping for the container interior with the device according to the invention, but also to calibrate the container wall path for high-precision shaping, the more general term mandrel unit is used in the context of the description of the invention instead of the forming body. The relevant calibration process using the mandrel unit is described in US Pat. No. 4,176,153 and US Pat. No. 3,597,793.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, the positioning device has at least one adjustable mechanical stop and / or at least one position measuring device in order to precisely predetermine and maintain the forming position as the defined end position for each spindle unit.

[0014] In this way, the corresponding mandrel unit can be brought exactly into the required forming end position, and the mechanical stop limitation can be realized in a technically simple and cost-effective manner.

[0015] For the position measuring device, a rotary encoder (hereinafter also referred to as a “rotary encoder”) is particularly preferably used, which is preferably equipped with an inductive rotation angle sensor, as is described in detail in DE 103 20 990 A1 and in DE 103 20 990 A1. Figure 5 Shown in.

[0016] Of course, other positioning devices can also be used here, for example optical position measuring devices as described in DE 10 2021 005 682 A1 or EP 3 443 303 B1 and measuring devices operating inductively as shown in DE 10 2021 210 910 A1; but also implementations in the form of optical distance sensors as described in DE 10 2016 204 313 A1 can be used. In addition to inductive travel measuring systems, travel measuring systems based on capacitive measured value evaluation can also be used.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, it is provided that the respective mandrel unit can be moved back and forth between the initial position and the forming position in the axial feed direction and in the opposite direction in the return direction by means of the extrusion head of the extrusion device, and the respective direction extends parallel to the discharge direction of the hose from the extrusion head. In this case, the extrusion head is guided by means of a guide device and can be moved by a drive device in two opposite directions. In this way, the mold does not have to be moved in the vertical direction, which, on the one hand, helps to reduce the required energy input and, on the other hand, helps to facilitate high-precision approach to the forming position.

[0018] Preferably, the drive device has at least one linear drive, the actuator of which cooperates with the rotary encoder. It is particularly advantageous to use an electric adjusting cylinder as the corresponding linear drive, the actuator of which is formed by a roller screw drive, which is preferably integrated into the rotor of a brushless servomotor, and the associated roller screw drive cooperates with the extruder head for the corresponding movement of the extruder head.

[0019] In a particularly advantageous manner, the inductive rotational angle sensor can then be placed on the drive shaft of the roller screw drive as part of a so-called absolute rotational value encoder in order to obtain inferences about the position of the extrusion head directly via the movement state of the actuator and thus about the final position, i.e. the end position, of the forming body or mandrel unit.

[0020] In another preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, it is provided that the forming device has at least two mold jaws which can move in opposite directions toward and away from each other, and the at least two mold jaws respectively have forming gaps on their end sides facing each other, which imitate the corresponding container contour and form a forming area in mutual contact, and the forming area preferably forms the corresponding container body, and for this purpose the corresponding mandrel unit is embedded in the forming area in its forming position.

[0021] In a further advantageous embodiment, it is provided that the shaping device has two further die jaws which can be moved in opposite directions towards and away from each other, and which have respective further shaping recesses on their end sides facing each other, which further shaping recesses imitate the respective container contour and form further shaping zones when in contact with each other, which further shaping zones preferably form head parts for the respective container bodies, and for the respective shaping process the respective mandrel unit in its initial position is outside the shaping zones. This generally allows precise shaping of the container exterior, the shaping dies only having to be moved in the radial direction towards and away from each other, which on the one hand can be precisely controlled and on the other hand requires only a low control and energy expenditure.

[0022] In this context, the respective mandrel unit preferably has an outer contour as a shaped body, which serves to form a contact cone in the container body, which contact cone is preferably part of the above-described conical connection for medical purposes.

[0023] For the molding process mentioned in the context of container manufacturing, it is preferably provided that the corresponding mandrel unit is placed into the molding position relative to the molding zone along the feed direction by means of the positioning device and is held stationary in the terminal position in the molding position, while the mold clamps of the forming device can be moved transversely to the feed direction to form the molding zone during a feed movement toward each other.

[0024] The subject of the present invention is also a method for operating an apparatus as proposed above, wherein within the scope of the production of container products, a formable hose output by means of an extruder is at least partially formed on its inner side by means of at least one mandrel unit, which is inserted into the forming position in the axial direction by means of a positioning device and is held stationary in the terminal position in such a way that a subsequent feed movement of the mold jaws of the forming device transversely thereto in the radial direction at least partially forms the corresponding container while forming the forming zone.

[0025] With the device and the method used, containers can be produced from plastics, such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE, HPDE, LDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and / or polycycloolefins (COP, COC) or copolymers or mixtures thereof, also in the form of ampoules, wherein the cone for the aforementioned conical connection is also precisely shaped. Likewise, the use of multilayer plastic hoses (as described, for example, in EP 1 616 549 B1 or EP 3 446 682 B1) is possible.

[0026] Due to the significantly increased radial forces acting on the mandrel unit according to the invention compared to the prior art mentioned (DE 10 20 20 004 564 A1) during the removal process, an enhanced adhesion of the plastic to the surface of the mandrel unit can be expected. This can have a problematic effect on the shaping due to plastic residues adhering to the mandrel unit.

[0027] This problem can be solved as is known by separating media (such as silicone, for example), special mandrel materials made of nickel-based alloys (such as Hastelloy) or anti-stick coatings or chromium coatings of fluoropolymers. Separating media are of course undesirable in the medical field because they can easily enter the product, and anti-stick coatings are expensive to manufacture and can peel off during the production process and thus also enter the product. Unexpectedly, it has been shown that the problem can be avoided as much as possible in that at least the molded part of the mandrel unit is made of high-quality steel, preferably AISI material name 316L, and its surface temperature is kept significantly below the temperature of the extruded plastic hose. The temperature control is achieved by known measures such as the use of cooling fluids in the cooling channel or the double-walled embodiment of the mandrel unit. The preferred surface temperature range is 10°C to 30°C for polypropylene (PP), 10°C to 25°C for polyethylene (LDPE) and 5°C to 30°C for polycycloolefins (COP, COC). Furthermore, in the method according to the invention, the molding time (calibration time) has been selected material-specifically, namely 0.5 to 1.8 seconds for polyethylene (LDPE) and 1.0 to 3.5 seconds for polypropylene (PP) and for polycycloolefins (COP, COC). After the molding time for the cone formation, the container can optionally be filled, for which purpose the mandrel unit is slightly lifted from the cone. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The device according to the invention and the method to be operated with the device and the container products to be produced in this regard are further explained below with the aid of exemplary embodiments according to the drawings. In the drawings which are schematic and not to scale:

[0029] Figure 1 A perspective side view showing the main components of the device according to the invention;

[0030] Figures 2 to 4 Shown respectively according to Figure 1 end-on views of the device in different working positions;

[0031] Figure 5 Shown in Figure 4 An enlarged view of the part indicated by X in FIG.

[0032] Figure 6 Show the use of Figures 1 to 4 A container chain having partially manufactured container products manufactured by a device having a head part; and

[0033] Figure 7 The filled and closed container product is shown as a whole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] Figure 1An apparatus for manufacturing a container product 8 is shown, as exemplarily shown in Figure 7 As shown as a whole in FIG. For this purpose, an extrusion device, generally designated 10, having an extrusion head 12 and a filling device 14, functions. The relevant construction of the extrusion device is prior art and is largely conventional, so that it will not be described in detail here. In a conventional manner, the extrusion device 10 outputs a formable hose 16 made of plastic material on its underside.

[0035] This tube 16 is fed downward in a vertical discharge direction to a forming device, which is generally designated by 18 and has a forming area 20. In this forming area 20, a container contour 22 is produced from the outside using the tube material by means of the forming device 18, such as the container contour 22 formed in the tube material. Figure 5 Further shown in .

[0036] In addition, the hose 16 is passed through a single forming or mandrel unit 24 during the forming process, and each container product 8 is provided with a Figure 5 and Figure 6 . The respective mandrel unit 24 is connected at the end side to a tubular or rod-shaped extension 26. In the case of a tubular design, the extension 26 can be used as a filling tube, which can cooperate with the filling device 14 to fill the container body 28 with a fluid. With the help of the respective shaping or mandrel unit 24, the provided container body 28 can then be provided with an inner contour 30, which will be explained in more detail below. The respective mandrel unit 24 is fixedly connected to the extrusion head 12 on its underside via the extension 26 belonging to it and can be connected to the extrusion head along the opposite side. Figures 1 to 4 In the viewing direction of the extruder 12, the extruder 12 moves up and down, that is, moves vertically in opposite directions. For this purpose, the extrusion head 12 is fixedly connected in the area behind it to a table unit 32, which is designed as a rectangular plate and is penetrated by four stationary columns 36 as part of a guide device marked as a whole with 34. In this way, a stable linear guidance is achieved for the table unit 32 together with the extrusion head 12, which is also movably accommodated on its upper side in a stationary machine frame 38 of the device, which includes longitudinal beams 40 and cross beams 42, which can also be designed in plate shape. In the relevant cross beam plate 42, a rectangular recess 43 is inserted, which serves to penetrate the extrusion device 10 in this area. Figure 1 In the figure, the relevant extrusion device 10 or extrusion head 12 is shown in a shifted position relative to the above, such as it corresponds to the following Figure 2 , that is to say that the respective mandrel unit 24 is located outside the forming region 20 for the respective container body 28, in particular above.

[0037] Four guide columns 36 of a predeterminable length are supported on the bottom side on a plate-shaped frame receptacle 44 and are fixed in this respect in a fixed manner. Figure 1 As part of the drive, two cylindrical linear drives 46 are also present, as viewed in the viewing direction, whose corresponding rod-shaped actuators 48 pass through the frame receptacle 44 via a recess in the frame receptacle and the free sides of the actuators 48 rest loosely on guide cams 50 located thereon at the end, which are again fixedly arranged as part of the table unit 32 on the underside. Due to the corresponding guide cams 50, there is a precise, point-by-point adjustment and calibration possibility in order to level the table unit 32 as a whole relative to the corresponding extended position of the linear drives 46, preferably in order to bring the table unit 32 into an exact horizontal position and / or into an exact adjustment position relative to the forming device 18, which adjustment position remains in a predeterminable horizontal position relative to the table unit 32 that can be moved up and down.

[0038] The corresponding linear drive 46 is formed by an electric adjusting cylinder of a conventional design with a preferably rigidly designed roller screw drive which is integrated into the rotor of a brushless servomotor. With the corresponding adjusting cylinder, the corresponding rod-shaped actuator 48 can be extended and extended in order to raise or lower the table unit 32 together, while correspondingly moving the extrusion head 12 together with the associated spindle unit 24. This provides a positioning device, which is generally designated by 52, which can move the corresponding spindle unit 24 from a position outside the molding zone 20 according to the Figure 2 The above initial position starts the movement according to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The forming device 18 is moved downwards into the forming region 20 shown in the figure into the forming position, wherein the corresponding mandrel unit 24 reaches the forming region 20 of the forming device 18 .

[0039] As especially Figure 1 As further shown, the two linear drives 46 are shown in the same actuated or extended position and, when the table unit 32 is raised or lowered, are guided securely along the four columns 36. The longitudinal axes or center axes of the two linear drives 46 are arranged in a vertical plane which passes through the center axis of the outlet direction of the hose 16 and thus also through the corresponding longitudinal axis of the spindle unit 24 mounted on the extension 26. The cylindrical columns 36 of the guide device 34 are arranged in pairs opposite one another on the frame receptacle 44 and receive, equidistantly therebetween, rod-shaped actuators 48 of the respective linear drives 46 which are likewise fixedly connected to the frame receptacle 44 on the housing side.

[0040] In addition to the drive for the extrusion head 12 with its corresponding mandrel units 24 equidistant from the extrusion head 12, the positioning device 52 has at least one adjustable mechanical stop 54 as part of the positioning device 52 for precisely presetting and maintaining the molding position as a defined end position for each mandrel unit 24. Figures 1 to 4 In the embodiment shown, a total of four stops 54 are provided, again two stops 54 being grouped in pairs around the actuator 48 of the linear drive 56 with a possible adjustment direction in the vertical plane. In this respect, the respective stop 54 is arranged with its longitudinal axis in the shortest extension between the longitudinal axis of the column 36 and the adjacent opposite longitudinal axis of the actuator 48.

[0041] In the embodiment shown, the corresponding stop 54 is realized by means of an adjustment screw, the screw head shown with its free end side forming a stop possibility for the underside of the table unit 32, which is limited at its mutually opposite longitudinal edges by further longitudinal beams 56, which extend parallel to and below the adjacent longitudinal beams 40 of the machine frame 38. The table unit 32 with the extrusion head 12 can be adjusted by means of the linear drive 46. Figure 1 The table unit is moved downwards until its lower side abuts against the upper side of the stop 54, so that the downward movement is limited in this respect and in particular the corresponding spindle unit 24 cannot occupy the position according to Figure 3 In this regard, the lower end position of each mandrel unit 24 in the forming zone 20 of the forming device 18 is limited and the relevant position is maintained by gravity, in particular due to the weight of the extrusion device 10 together with the table unit 32 cannot be accidentally changed.

[0042] Especially from Figures 2 to 4 As can be seen, the bottom side of the table unit 32 has a single stop block 58, which is counted as the bottom side of the table unit 32 and constitutes a further adjustment possibility with respect to the free displacement movement of the table unit 32 downward in the direction of the frame receptacle 44. In addition, via the stop block 58, the bottom side of the table unit 32 can also be protected during the stop operation by means of the respectively assigned stop 54 and in the event of possible wear, only the stop block 58 needs to be replaced without having to change the table unit 32 itself. Of course, other mechanical stop structures can also be used here, and the adjustable mechanical stop provided here can be realized particularly cost-effectively and space-savingly.

[0043] In addition or as an alternative to the provided adjustable mechanical stop 54, the position measuring device can also be present as part of the positioning device 52. In the present case, the position measuring device has two rotary encoders 60, each in the form of an inductive rotary angle sensor, as described, for example, in DE 103 20 990 A1. Figure 5 and the relevant rotary encoder 60 is connected downward in the extension of the housing of the corresponding linear drive 46 and is in particular pushed onto the drive shaft of the relevant adjusting cylinder. With the relevant rotary encoder 60, the extension position of the corresponding actuator 48 of the adjusting cylinder 46 can be determined exactly and thus the corresponding position of the extrusion head 12 with the corresponding spindle unit 24 can be indicated.

[0044] The position adjustment in the stop 54 is carried out by means of a height adjustment and in this respect mechanically, whereas the rotary encoder 60 allows electronic position detection, and the corresponding rotary encoder 60 can be connected to a corresponding computer unit (CPU) for position evaluation. However, regardless of the use of the rotary encoder 60, the corresponding stop 54 can also be used with and without an adjustment function, in order to achieve a safety limitation for the following situation: one linear drive 46 or even two linear drives 46 should fail. In the relevant case, the downward movement of the extrusion device 10 is limited via the mechanical stop 54, so that in the event of a possible failure of the linear drive 46, indirect losses are avoided in each case, which is generally beneficial to safety.

[0045] So from outside Figures 1 to 4 As can be seen, the forming device 18 has two mold jaws 62 that can be moved in opposite directions toward and away from each other, and the two mold jaws each have a forming recess 64 on their end sides facing each other, which imitates the corresponding container contour 22 and forms a forming area 20 when abutting against each other, which is preferably formed according to Figures 5 to 7 The corresponding container body 28 of the figure, for which the corresponding spindle unit 24 is arranged according to Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the lowered molding position, the molding area 20 is embedded in the molding area, which is located between the two mold clamps 62. Figure 3 The opened main mold is shown in the lowered mandrel unit 24, wherein the two mold grippers 62 move away from each other and vice versa. Figure 4The molding shape of the main mold is closed, that is, the two mold clamps 62 are abutted against each other with their free end sides facing each other, so that the extruded hose 16 can be molded on the corresponding contours of the two mold clamps 62 and on the outer contour of the corresponding mandrel unit 24. The relevant molding process can be assisted by negative pressure, which is also called vacuum molding in professional terms. The relevant negative pressure exists in the molding gap 64 (also referred to as cavity) of the two mold clamps 62. Alternatively or additionally, the inside of the hose 16 can also be loaded with compressed air, so that the hose 16 is pressed into the molding gap 64 of the mold clamp 62 in the scope of the blow mold. Not only blow molding but also vacuum molding is known to the academic community, so it will not be explained in detail here.

[0046] Furthermore, the forming device 18 has two further mold jaws which can be moved in opposite directions towards and away from each other, and which have on their mutually facing end sides a further forming recess (not shown) which imitates the corresponding container contour 22 and, in contact with each other, forms a further part of the forming region 20 which produces a corresponding container body 28 according to the present invention. Figure 7 For the relevant forming process of the head component 66, the corresponding mandrel unit 24 is outside the forming area 20 in its initial position, such as in Figure 2 However, for simplicity, Figures 1 to 4 Only the receiving block 68 is depicted, to which the head mold clamp with its corresponding head mold is arranged. The relevant head mold construction is conventional and is described by way of example in DE 10 20 20 00 4 564 A1 ( Figure 3 ) is described in detail, so no further explanation is given here. A single adjusting cylinder 70 is used to move the receiving block 68 together with the mold clamp 62. In addition, a rod guide device 72 is provided to accurately move the individual mold clamps of the main mold and the head mold.

[0047] Especially from Figure 5 As can be seen, the corresponding mandrel unit 24 has an outer contour 74, which is used for the formation of a contact cone in the region of the upper opening 78 in the container body 28 and is preferably formed as part of a so-called standardized conical connecting piece. Figure 5 and Figure 6 , a Luer cone is produced as the contact cone 76 using the illustrated mandrel unit 24, but much more complex connection geometries can also be produced, as exemplarily described in WO 2019 / 063346 A1 ( Figure 2 a to Figure 2 c), there are a plurality of front and contact functional surfaces that transition into one another. In this regard, it is also possible to realize the same Figure 7, which as a whole shows a container in the form of an ampoule made of plastic material in one piece before it is opened, which comprises a container body 28 for accommodating a fluid or pasty container content 80 and the like for medical purposes that can be discharged via a container opening 78. The container opening 78 is closed along a separation point 82 by a separable head part 84, to which a neck part 86 is connected, which transitions into the actual container part in the form of the container body 28. The head part 84 has a handle 88, with which the head part 84 can be unscrewed from the neck part 86 with a small actuating torque when the container opening 78 is released. The relevant separation point 82 is formed by the transition between the respective molds of the container body 28 and the head part 84.

[0048] On the outer circumference, in the upper region of the neck part 86, a part of a threaded section 90 is shown in the form of a tightening thread, which serves to lock with a not shown removal instrument, such as a syringe body, which, when the opening 78 is released, engages with a not shown conical removal body in the contact cone 76 and comes into contact with it in a sealing manner for removing the container contents 14 from the container body 28. Figure 7 The relevant Ruhr junction area is marked with 92 in FIG.

[0049] Figure 6 Partially shown as in accordance with Figure 7 In the process of forming the container, a so-called container card 94 is basically produced, and the container product 8 must then be separated from the container card 94 after it is completed, and the container card then constitutes the usual stamping waste during forming. Figure 6 , the container contents 80 can also be injected into the corresponding container body 28, for example by means of a delivery opening in the corresponding spindle unit 24 together with the subsequent tubular extension 26 as part of the filling device 14, but this is not shown in detail in the figure.

[0050] The device according to the invention is characterized in that the corresponding mandrel unit 24 is accurately placed in the feed direction according to the positioning device 52 relative to the molding zone 20. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The molding position and in this fixedly shown end position are held in a defined manner during the molding and / or filling process, while the corresponding mold clamps 62 of the molding device 18 can be moved transversely to this feed direction during the feed movement to form the molding area 20 for the container product 8 to be produced.

[0051] Therefore, within the scope of producing the relevant container product 8, the formable hose 16 output by the extrusion device 10 is plastically formed on its inner side by means of the associated mandrel unit 24, which is precisely placed in the axial direction according to the positioning device 52. Figure 3 and Figure 4 shaped position and is held immovably in the illustrated end position so that, by a subsequent feed movement of the die grippers 62 of the forming device 18 transversely thereto in the radial direction, the corresponding container 8 is first completely formed with its filling body 28 without the head part 66 while forming the aforementioned forming zone 20. Figure 7 The container product 8 shown in FIG. 8 thus has a precisely shaped Luer cone as abutment cone 76, which is composed of a container having a Figure 5 and Figure 6 The manufacturing method of the measures shown in is produced. In this way, when the container product is opened, the removal body can be introduced into the removal process in a precisely fitting and thus fluid-tight manner.

Claims

1. A device for producing container products (8), preferably by means of a forming, filling and sealing method, the device comprising an extrusion device (10) which outputs a formable hose (16), the hose receiving a molding shape from the forming device (18) in a molding zone (20) from the outside which at least partially imitates a container contour (22), and the device comprising at least one mandrel unit (24) which is received in the hose (16) in a manner cooperating with the forming device (18) and which performs the molding of the hose at least partially from the inside, It is characterized in that With the aid of a positioning device (52), the corresponding mandrel unit (24) is guided in such a way that it can be moved from an initial position outside a molding zone (20) of the molding device (18) to a predeterminable molding position as a defined end position within the molding zone (20), and vice versa from the molding position to the initial position.

2. The device according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The positioning device (52) has at least one adjustable mechanical stop (52) and / or at least one position measuring device for precisely presetting and maintaining the forming position as the defined end position for each spindle unit (24).

3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The position measuring device has at least one rotary encoder (60), which preferably has an inductive rotational angle sensor.

4. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The corresponding spindle unit (24) can be moved back and forth between the initial position and the molding position along an axial feed direction and in the opposite direction along a return direction by means of the extrusion head (12) of the extrusion device (10), and the corresponding direction extends parallel to the discharge direction of the hose (16) from the extrusion head (12).

5. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The extrusion head (12) is guided by means of a guide device (32) and can be moved in two opposite directions by a drive device.

6. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The drive device has at least one linear drive (46), the actuator (48) of which cooperates with the rotary encoder (60), preferably an absolute rotary value encoder.

7. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The forming device (18) has two mold jaws (62) that can move toward and away from each other in opposite directions, and the two mold jaws each have a forming recess (64) on their end sides facing each other, the forming recess mimicking the corresponding container contour (22) and forming a forming area (20) in mutual contact, the forming area preferably forming the corresponding container body (28), and for this purpose the corresponding mandrel unit (24) is embedded in the forming area (20) in its forming position.

8. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The forming device (18) has two further mold jaws that can move in opposite directions toward and away from each other, and the two further mold jaws each have a forming gap on their end sides facing each other, the further forming gap portions imitate the corresponding container contour and the further forming gap portions, in mutual contact, constitute another part of the forming area (20), the forming area preferably constituting a head part (66) for the corresponding container body (28), and for the corresponding forming process, the corresponding mandrel unit is outside the forming area (20) in its initial position.

9. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The respective mandrel unit (24) has an outer contour (74) which serves to form a contact cone (70) in the container body (28), preferably as part of a conical connection for medical purposes.

10. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The corresponding mandrel unit (24) is inserted into the molding position relative to the molding zone (20) along the feed direction by means of the positioning device (52) and is held stationary in the end position in the molding position, while the mold clamp (62) of the forming device (18) can form the molding zone (20) in a movable manner transversely to the feed direction during the feed movement.

11. Method for operating a device according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that In the context of manufacturing container products (8), a formable hose (16) output by means of an extruder is at least partially formed on its inner contour side (30) by means of at least one mandrel unit (24), which is inserted into the forming position (20) in such a precise manner in the axial direction by means of a positioning device (8) and is held stationary in the end position in such a way that a subsequent advance movement of the die clamps (62) of the forming device (18) transversely thereto in the radial direction at least partially forms the corresponding container (8) while forming the forming zone (20).

12. The method according to claim 11, It is characterized in that During forming, the surface temperature of at least the formed part of the mandrel unit is in the range of 5°C to 35°C, preferably 5°C to 25°C, particularly preferably 10°C to 20°C.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, It is characterized in that When polyethylene (LDPE) is used as the main container material, the molding time is less than 2 seconds, preferably less than 1.5 seconds, particularly preferably less than 1 second, and when polypropylene (PP) and / or polycycloolefins (COC, COP) are used as the main container material, the molding time is in the range of 0.8 seconds to 3 seconds, preferably in the range of 1.2 seconds to 2.2 seconds.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, It is characterized in that The container body (28) is formed in the forming zone (20) by vacuum forming by means of negative pressure in the forming recesses (64) of two mold jaws (62) and is filled by the mandrel unit (24).

15. A container produced with the device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and with the method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, in which container at least a part of the conical connection (76) is formed integrally with high precision.

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