US20020175448A1 - System and method for identifying and rejecting defective blow-molded plastic products - Google Patents
System and method for identifying and rejecting defective blow-molded plastic products Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20020175448A1 US20020175448A1 US10/143,374 US14337402A US2002175448A1 US 20020175448 A1 US20020175448 A1 US 20020175448A1 US 14337402 A US14337402 A US 14337402A US 2002175448 A1 US2002175448 A1 US 2002175448A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- container
- sound level
- sound
- signal
- mold
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C49/00—Blow-moulding, i.e. blowing a preform or parison to a desired shape within a mould; Apparatus therefor
- B29C49/42—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
- B29C49/78—Measuring, controlling or regulating
- B29C49/80—Testing, e.g. for leaks
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C2949/00—Indexing scheme relating to blow-moulding
- B29C2949/07—Preforms or parisons characterised by their configuration
- B29C2949/0715—Preforms or parisons characterised by their configuration the preform having one end closed
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C49/00—Blow-moulding, i.e. blowing a preform or parison to a desired shape within a mould; Apparatus therefor
- B29C49/02—Combined blow-moulding and manufacture of the preform or the parison
- B29C49/06—Injection blow-moulding
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C49/00—Blow-moulding, i.e. blowing a preform or parison to a desired shape within a mould; Apparatus therefor
- B29C49/08—Biaxial stretching during blow-moulding
- B29C49/10—Biaxial stretching during blow-moulding using mechanical means for prestretching
- B29C49/12—Stretching rods
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C49/00—Blow-moulding, i.e. blowing a preform or parison to a desired shape within a mould; Apparatus therefor
- B29C49/28—Blow-moulding apparatus
- B29C49/30—Blow-moulding apparatus having movable moulds or mould parts
- B29C49/36—Blow-moulding apparatus having movable moulds or mould parts rotatable about one axis
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C49/00—Blow-moulding, i.e. blowing a preform or parison to a desired shape within a mould; Apparatus therefor
- B29C49/42—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29L—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
- B29L2031/00—Other particular articles
- B29L2031/712—Containers; Packaging elements or accessories, Packages
- B29L2031/7158—Bottles
Definitions
- This invention relates to systems and methods for producing blow-molded plastic articles, and more particularly, for identifying and rejecting defective blow-molded plastic products during the process of making blow-molded plastic products.
- Blow molding of containers and other products is a well-known process in which a heated thermoplastic preform is loaded into a mold and filled with pressurized blow air to expand the preform to the shape of the mold interior surface.
- U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,729 entitled “Apparatus for Making Containers by Blow Moulding Plastic Parisons;” 5,863,571, entitled, “Machine for Making Containers by Blow Moulding Plastic Parisons;” 4,427,360, entitled “Apparatus for blow Molding Plastic Articles from a Parison;” and 4,943,228, entitled, “Blow Molding Machine,” illustrate an injection blow molding process for containers.
- Each of these patents are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
- the air pressure within the preform may begin at about 75 pounds per square inch (“PSI”) and reach approximately 550 PSI during the active blow stage.
- PSI pounds per square inch
- the molds typically have small vents near the split lines and/or near the base to permit air to escape from the mold as the preform expands.
- a system for rejecting a defective discontinuous container from a container production line includes a blow molding carousel, a sound detector system, and a kick mechanism.
- the blow molding carousel comprises at least two molds such that each one the molds includes an interior surface corresponding to a shape of the container and a nozzle coupled to the carousel and disposed proximate an opening in said mold. Each one of the molds receives pressurized blow air into the mold through the nozzle.
- the carousel includes a preform-loading point and a container-unloading point, and may also include a container transfer wheel for transferring a plurality of the containers from the carousel at the container-unloading point.
- the sound detector system is an disposed proximate the carousel and outputs a reject signal upon sensing a blow air sound level exceeding a predetermined sound level set point (preferably in decibels).
- the kick mechanism ejects the discontinuous container in response to the reject signal being output from the sound detector.
- the kick mechanism includes a reject arm that strikes the discontinuous container from the container transfer wheel to eject the discontinuous container therefrom.
- the sound detector system includes a device, which preferably is a proximity switch) for ascertaining a position of the mold from which blow air is escaping (that is, the mold that is creating the sound that exceeds the predetermined sound level set point).
- a preform contiguously expands within the mold interior surface in response to the pressurized blow air to form the container.
- a failure of a wall of the preform or the container during expansion forms the discontinuous container having a hole through which the blow air flows to form the blow air sound level exceeding the predetermined sound level set point.
- the predetermined sound level set point is less than a sound level of the pressurized blow air flowing outwardly through the container hole and the mold.
- the system may include a delay that sequences the actuation of the reject arm with a signal from said sound detector.
- the delay may be any suitable delay that achieves such sequencing, such as a time delay approximately equal to the time interval between the container moving from the sound detector to the reject arm or a preset number of pulses from a proximity switch approximately corresponding to the number of containers between the sound detector and the kick mechanism.
- a controller may control the sequencing, although any logic, including that in a microphone that senses the sound level, may be employed.
- the sound detection system for identifying a defective discontinuous container from a container production line includes a microphone and a control system.
- the microphone senses a sound level proximate a container mold and produces a signal that corresponds to the sound level.
- the sound level may varying according to whether pressurized blow air flows through the discontinuity and a vent in the container mold.
- the control system which is in communication with the microphone, receives the sound level signal and compares the sound level signal to a predetermined sound level set point.
- the control system outputs a reject signal in response to the sound level signal exceeding the predetermined sound level set point, which is less than a sound level signal corresponding to pressurized blow air flowing through the container mold vent.
- the sound detection system may also include a proximity switch for sensing the position of the mold relative to the microphone, wherein the sound level system is activated in response to the proximity switch indicating that the mold is within a predetermined sensing range of the microphone and deactivated in response to the proximity switch indicating that the mold is outside of the predetermined sensing range.
- the sound detection system may include a controller that compares the sound level signal to the predetermined set point. The controller generates a reject signal in response to the sound level signal exceeding the predetermined set point and delays generating the reject signal according to the predetermined interval.
- a method for rejecting a defective discontinuous container from a container production line comprises the steps of: (a) sensing a sound level proximate a blow molding carousel comprising at least two molds such that each one of the molds includes an interior surface corresponding to a shape of the container and receives pressurized blow air into the mold; (b) generating a sound level signal that corresponds to the sound level; (c) comparing the sound level signal with a predetermined sound level set point; (d) generating a reject signal in response to the sound signal exceeding the predetermined set point; and (e) rejecting the discontinuous container from the production line in response to the reject signal.
- a preform contiguously expands within the mold interior surface in response to the pressurized blow air to form the container and a failure of a wall of the preform or the container during expansion forms the discontinuous container having a hole through which the blow air flows to form the blow air sound level exceeding the predetermined sound level set point.
- the method may include a deactivating step and an activating step.
- the activating step includes activating the method in response to the carousel being disposed in a first circumferential position.
- the deactivating step disables at least one of the sensing step (a), the generating step (b), the comparing step (c), the generating step (d), and the rejecting step (e) in response to the carousel being disposed in a second circumferential position.
- the deactivating step preferably may include deactivating at least one of the comparing step (d) and the generating step (d) in a controller.
- the generating step preferably may include delaying outputting the reject signal to sequence the rejecting step (e) with the sensing step (a).
- the sequencing step may include delaying the outputting of the reject signal, as described above.
- the generating step (b) may include may employ a controller.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic of a production line employing the system according to the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a top view of a portion of a blow molding carousel with aspects of the present invention shown in schematic;
- FIG. 3 is perspective view of a housing for enclosing a portion of the system according to the present invention.
- FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating schematically illustrating aspects of the present invention.
- FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a preform for which the present invention may be employed
- FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a container for which the present invention may be employed.
- the container production system includes a blow molding carousel 12 , a preform transfer wheel 14 , a container transfer wheel 16 , a conveyor 18 , and a preform oven 20 .
- the carousel 12 includes at least two molds for forming a plastic container therein.
- carousel 12 includes several molds, such as twenty-four, that rotate with the carousel in a predetermined circular path.
- a series of preforms 5 are conveyed along a defined path through oven 20 wherein heat is applied to the preform from a battery of heating elements, which typically are elongated infrared bulbs.
- a battery of heating elements typically are elongated infrared bulbs.
- fingers grip the preform 5 by the finish area and position the preform into an open mold, a portion of which is shown in FIG. 5. The fingers retract, and a blow nozzle 34 is inserted into the opening of the preform.
- pressurized blow air 9 shown schematically in FIG. 5, is introduced into the interior of the preform to expand preform 5 .
- a stretch rod (not shown) may drive the bottom surface of the preform until it impinges on the bottom of the mold (not shown).
- the pre-blowing stage corresponds to stretching of the preform 5 by the stretch rod
- the active blow stage corresponds to further expansion of the preform in the hoop direction.
- the blow air 9 preferably pressurizes the preform such that after the active blow stage, preform has expanded to the shape of the interior 34 of the mold.
- the preform 5 may take the shape of a bottle 4 , shown in FIG. 6, that is further described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,416, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
- preform 5 may include a small hole or wall discontinuity 8 a.
- bottle 4 has a sidewall 7 that preferably is continuous to form an acceptable container, but may include a discontinuity 8 b (shown in phantom in FIG. 6), which may be caused by discontinuity 8 a in the preform or some other defect in the preform, such as excessive crystallization or wall thickness or composition that is outside of the specified range, or simply improper and unanticipated stretching or expansion of the preform.
- discontinuity encompasses a hole, crack or other aperture in any portion of the container, including the base and sidewall, through which air may escape.
- the reference numeral 4 will be employed to designate an acceptable, continuous container, while reference numeral 6 will be employed to designate a defective, discontinuous container (that is, a container with a sidewall having a discontinuity 8 b ).
- the container 4 , 6 essentially has its final shape, as shown in FIG. 6.
- the container 4 , 6 continues counter-clockwise through a thermal stabilization stage in which cooling water flowing through the mold cools and stabilizes the material.
- the containers 4 , 6 within the molds 30 continue moving to a container-unloading point 24 , where the molds open and the containers are transferred from the carousel 12 to the container transfer wheel 16 .
- the containers 4 , 6 are then transferred from the container transfer wheel 16 to a conveyor 18 .
- a sound detector system 38 includes a microphone 40 within a microphone housing 42 .
- Microphone 40 may be any conventional microphone, including for example the piezo-electric element type such as Model AF10 Sound Flow Sensor supplied by Nohken, Inc.
- a microphone may be employed that weights components of the sound level to emphasize particular frequency ranges. The frequencies for weighting will vary according to the particular aspects of the application, and will depend on such factors as mold and vent design, frequency of the ambient noise, size of the hole to be sensed, and similar variables, as will be understood by persons familiar with blow-molding technology and sound detecting or measuring equipment.
- Housing 42 may be a box or other-shape enclosure that houses microphone 40 .
- Housing 42 may be formed of any conventional material, such as sheet metal, and preferably includes insulation surrounding most of the microphone 40 to inhibit ambient noise and vibration from reaching microphone 40 .
- Housing 42 includes a housing inlet 44 which is directed toward the molds 30 of the carousel 12 to expose an inlet of the microphone 40 to the blow air exiting the molds 30 .
- the housing 42 and microphone 40 preferably are mounted onto a slide 46 that enables the sound detector system 38 to moved circumferentially relative to carousel 12 to position the system 38 to fine tune its operation, as will be understood by persons familiar with sound detection principles.
- the microphone 40 is disposed relative to the carousel between 150 degrees and 210 degrees from the preform-loading point 22 . Even more preferably, microphone 40 is disposed approximately 180 degrees from the preform-loading point 22 in order to sense the sound level from the mold 30 based on a substantially fully formed container 4 , 6 .
- an acoustical enclosure surrounds the carousel 12 and sound detector system 38 to diminish the ambient sound reaching microphone 40 .
- a proximity switch 52 is provided.
- switch 52 is disposed circumferentially in-line (that is, at the same radial position relative to carousel 12 ) with microphone 40 .
- Switch 52 preferably substantially senses the presence or absence of the mold along the arc length of one mold such that switch senses the presence or absence of a mold 30 in front of microphone 40 .
- switch 52 outputs a first value upon the carousel reaching a first position 62 that corresponds to a leading edge of a mold passing in front of microphone 40 and outputs a second value upon the carousel reaching a second position 64 that corresponds to a trailing edge of the mold passing in front of the microphone 40 .
- switch 52 may be a conventional proximity sensor that is positioned vertically above the microphone.
- first and second carousel positions 62 and 64 may be varied according to the desired span for which microphone 40 will be activated. Under particular circumstances, it may be desirable for the microphone 40 to be activated for a very short period relative to the mold width. For example, in circumstances in which holes 8 b are relatively large such that the sound level has a high magnitude, the proximity switch may be set to provide an interval within which the sound detector system 38 is activated equal to one eighth of the width of the mold. Thus, the sound detector system 38 may be less likely to pick up an ambient sound, including pressurized blow air flowing from a mold 30 that is one or more molds away from the microphone, thereby diminishing the false identification of a continuous container 4 .
- the switch 52 may be in a normally open position, and switch to a closed position upon sensing that the mold 30 is disposed directly in front of microphone 40 . Upon mold 30 moving away from switch 52 and microphone 40 , switch 52 may return to its normally open state.
- a pair of limit switches (not shown) may be employed in which the first limit switch indicates that the mold leading edge is in position (that is, the first position 62 ) and the second limit switch indicates that the mold trailing edge is in position (that is, the second position 64 ).
- a first of the two limit switches may be disposed at first position 62 and set to trigger upon contacting leading edge of mold 30 .
- a second of the two limit switches may be disposed at the second position 64 and set to trigger upon contacting the trailing edge of mold 30 .
- Other techniques and devices for ascertaining the position of the mold 30 relative to microphone 40 will be apparent to persons familiar with such techniques and devices in light of the present specification.
- a control system 48 may be a conventional programmable logic controller or part of a larger control system.
- the control system 48 preferably is in electronic communication with the sound detector system 38 and the proximity sensor 52 .
- the system also includes a conventional kick mechanism 56 that includes a reject arm 58 that strikes a container 6 to eject it from the production line.
- the kick mechanism is a pneumatic system that is controlled by an air valve 60 .
- reject arm 58 is disposed on the transfer wheel 16 between the container-unloading point and the conveyor 18 .
- the kick mechanism 56 may be disposed on the carousel 12 (this configuration is not shown).
- the kick mechanism 56 may be of the type that is supplied by the carousel manufacturer.
- a method for rejecting a defective discontinuous container 6 from a production line which is as described above.
- proximity switch 52 activates the sound detector system 38 such that microphone 40 is activated.
- proximity switch deactivates the sound detector system 38 .
- Proximity switch 52 may be in communication with controller 48 in order to deactivate the sound detector system 38 (that is, the sound detector system 38 outputs a signal to the controller which does no further processing of the signal based on the signal from switch 52 ) or switch 52 may be in direct communication with electronics in the microphone 40 (that is, if the microphone has the logic circuit that can suppress its output based on the signal from switch 52 ).
- a sound level 70 is sensed by the microphone 40 . While the proximity switch 52 indicates the presence of a mold 30 , microphone 40 outputs a sound level signal 72 to controller 48 . Controller 48 compares the sound level signal 72 to a predetermined sound level set point, which corresponds to a sound level that is less than the sound level of pressurized blow air escaping through a hole 8 b in the container wall 7 , but greater than the sound level at normal operation of the production line. Thus, if the sound level signal 72 is greater than the predetermined set point (which is indicated in FIG. 4 as a decision block), it indicates that the container is defective because of a discontinuity therein.
- the predetermined set point may be determined empirically according to the particular aspects of the application. For example, a small hole (for example one-sixteenth inch diameter) in the container 6 may provide a low sound level that is difficult to distinguish from background noise. In contrast, a large hole provides a high sound level such that the set point may be set well above the ambient noise level. Setting the sound level set point at a low magnitude to identify holes 8 b that are small may falsely identify some sound levels as indicating a defective discontinuous container 6 . Conversely, setting the sound level set point at a relatively high magnitude to identify holes 8 b that are relatively large may not identify the sound level corresponding to relatively small holes 8 b. Thus, the set point may be set according to the preferred trade-off between adequately identifying defective containers or products and falsely identifying acceptable products as defective.
- the disabling of the system by the proximity switch 52 diminishes the frequency of falsely identifying an acceptable product as defective because, for example, if a short term ambient sound level occurs that is above the predetermined set point while the proximity switch 52 senses that there is no mold 30 in position between first and second positions 62 and 64 , then the sound detector system/control system will not send a reject signal 76 . If the controller 48 determines that the sound level signal 72 is greater than the predetermined set point, controller 48 generates a reject signal 76 , which for example may open valve 60 to actuate reject arm 58 to eject the defective container 6 or product from the transfer wheel 16 before the defective container or product reaches the conveyor.
- the controller 48 preferably sequences the actuation of reject arm 58 with the sound level signal 72 that exceeds the predetermined set point.
- the sequencing may be achieved by delaying the outputting of the reject signal 76 by a time interval approximately equal to the time that the defective container 6 takes to move from in front of the proximity switch 52 to the reject arm 58 .
- the sequencing is achieved by delaying the outputting of the reject signal approximately by a preset number of pulses from a proximity switch approximately corresponding to the number of containers between the microphone and the reject arm.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Blow-Moulding Or Thermoforming Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- This invention relates to systems and methods for producing blow-molded plastic articles, and more particularly, for identifying and rejecting defective blow-molded plastic products during the process of making blow-molded plastic products.
- Blow molding of containers and other products is a well-known process in which a heated thermoplastic preform is loaded into a mold and filled with pressurized blow air to expand the preform to the shape of the mold interior surface. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,729, entitled “Apparatus for Making Containers by Blow Moulding Plastic Parisons;” 5,863,571, entitled, “Machine for Making Containers by Blow Moulding Plastic Parisons;” 4,427,360, entitled “Apparatus for blow Molding Plastic Articles from a Parison;” and 4,943,228, entitled, “Blow Molding Machine,” illustrate an injection blow molding process for containers. Each of these patents are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
- The air pressure within the preform may begin at about 75 pounds per square inch (“PSI”) and reach approximately 550 PSI during the active blow stage. The molds typically have small vents near the split lines and/or near the base to permit air to escape from the mold as the preform expands. U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,491, entitled, “Device for Sealing a Plastic Container Preform to a Blow Moulding Nozzle,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, illustrates a mold for a container.
- Even though the preform wall is designed to remain continuous throughout the blowing process to form a continuous container that holds the intended contents, holes or discontinuities in the wall of a finished container sometimes occur that render the container useless. Because such defective products often are not identified during an inspection process, the defective containers frequently may be shipped to a bottler, where the defective container produces leaks, as well as loss of product and production time. The trend toward decreasing weight and wall thickness of containers exacerbates the problem of discontinuities in the preform or container wall.
- A system for rejecting a defective discontinuous container from a container production line is provided. The system includes a blow molding carousel, a sound detector system, and a kick mechanism. The blow molding carousel comprises at least two molds such that each one the molds includes an interior surface corresponding to a shape of the container and a nozzle coupled to the carousel and disposed proximate an opening in said mold. Each one of the molds receives pressurized blow air into the mold through the nozzle. The carousel includes a preform-loading point and a container-unloading point, and may also include a container transfer wheel for transferring a plurality of the containers from the carousel at the container-unloading point.
- The sound detector system is an disposed proximate the carousel and outputs a reject signal upon sensing a blow air sound level exceeding a predetermined sound level set point (preferably in decibels). The kick mechanism ejects the discontinuous container in response to the reject signal being output from the sound detector. Preferably, the kick mechanism includes a reject arm that strikes the discontinuous container from the container transfer wheel to eject the discontinuous container therefrom. The sound detector system includes a device, which preferably is a proximity switch) for ascertaining a position of the mold from which blow air is escaping (that is, the mold that is creating the sound that exceeds the predetermined sound level set point).
- Thus, a preform contiguously expands within the mold interior surface in response to the pressurized blow air to form the container. A failure of a wall of the preform or the container during expansion forms the discontinuous container having a hole through which the blow air flows to form the blow air sound level exceeding the predetermined sound level set point. The predetermined sound level set point is less than a sound level of the pressurized blow air flowing outwardly through the container hole and the mold.
- The system may include a delay that sequences the actuation of the reject arm with a signal from said sound detector. The delay may be any suitable delay that achieves such sequencing, such as a time delay approximately equal to the time interval between the container moving from the sound detector to the reject arm or a preset number of pulses from a proximity switch approximately corresponding to the number of containers between the sound detector and the kick mechanism. A controller may control the sequencing, although any logic, including that in a microphone that senses the sound level, may be employed.
- According to another aspect of the present invention, the sound detection system for identifying a defective discontinuous container from a container production line is provided that includes a microphone and a control system. The microphone senses a sound level proximate a container mold and produces a signal that corresponds to the sound level. The sound level may varying according to whether pressurized blow air flows through the discontinuity and a vent in the container mold.
- The control system, which is in communication with the microphone, receives the sound level signal and compares the sound level signal to a predetermined sound level set point. The control system outputs a reject signal in response to the sound level signal exceeding the predetermined sound level set point, which is less than a sound level signal corresponding to pressurized blow air flowing through the container mold vent.
- The sound detection system may also include a proximity switch for sensing the position of the mold relative to the microphone, wherein the sound level system is activated in response to the proximity switch indicating that the mold is within a predetermined sensing range of the microphone and deactivated in response to the proximity switch indicating that the mold is outside of the predetermined sensing range. Further, the sound detection system may include a controller that compares the sound level signal to the predetermined set point. The controller generates a reject signal in response to the sound level signal exceeding the predetermined set point and delays generating the reject signal according to the predetermined interval.
- According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for rejecting a defective discontinuous container from a container production line is provided that comprises the steps of: (a) sensing a sound level proximate a blow molding carousel comprising at least two molds such that each one of the molds includes an interior surface corresponding to a shape of the container and receives pressurized blow air into the mold; (b) generating a sound level signal that corresponds to the sound level; (c) comparing the sound level signal with a predetermined sound level set point; (d) generating a reject signal in response to the sound signal exceeding the predetermined set point; and (e) rejecting the discontinuous container from the production line in response to the reject signal. Thus, a preform contiguously expands within the mold interior surface in response to the pressurized blow air to form the container and a failure of a wall of the preform or the container during expansion forms the discontinuous container having a hole through which the blow air flows to form the blow air sound level exceeding the predetermined sound level set point.
- Further, the method may include a deactivating step and an activating step. The activating step includes activating the method in response to the carousel being disposed in a first circumferential position. The deactivating step disables at least one of the sensing step (a), the generating step (b), the comparing step (c), the generating step (d), and the rejecting step (e) in response to the carousel being disposed in a second circumferential position. The deactivating step preferably may include deactivating at least one of the comparing step (d) and the generating step (d) in a controller. The generating step preferably may include delaying outputting the reject signal to sequence the rejecting step (e) with the sensing step (a). The sequencing step may include delaying the outputting of the reject signal, as described above. The generating step (b) may include may employ a controller.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic of a production line employing the system according to the present invention;
- FIG. 2 is a top view of a portion of a blow molding carousel with aspects of the present invention shown in schematic;
- FIG. 3 is perspective view of a housing for enclosing a portion of the system according to the present invention;
- FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating schematically illustrating aspects of the present invention;
- FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a preform for which the present invention may be employed;
- FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a container for which the present invention may be employed.
- Referring to the Figures to illustrate an embodiment of the present invention, a production system for producing containers by blow-molding preforms is provided that rejects defective containers. Referring to FIG. 1, the container production system includes a
blow molding carousel 12, apreform transfer wheel 14, acontainer transfer wheel 16, aconveyor 18, and apreform oven 20. Thecarousel 12 includes at least two molds for forming a plastic container therein. Preferably,carousel 12 includes several molds, such as twenty-four, that rotate with the carousel in a predetermined circular path. - A series of
preforms 5, an example of which is shown in FIG. 5 (including a hole 8 a that will form a corresponding hole in the container, thereby forming the discontinuous container), are conveyed along a defined path throughoven 20 wherein heat is applied to the preform from a battery of heating elements, which typically are elongated infrared bulbs. At a preform-loading point 22, fingers (not shown) grip thepreform 5 by the finish area and position the preform into an open mold, a portion of which is shown in FIG. 5. The fingers retract, and ablow nozzle 34 is inserted into the opening of the preform. - Upon seating, pressurized
blow air 9, shown schematically in FIG. 5, is introduced into the interior of the preform to expandpreform 5. Optionally, a stretch rod (not shown) may drive the bottom surface of the preform until it impinges on the bottom of the mold (not shown). Referring to FIG. 2, the pre-blowing stage corresponds to stretching of thepreform 5 by the stretch rod and the active blow stage corresponds to further expansion of the preform in the hoop direction. Theblow air 9 preferably pressurizes the preform such that after the active blow stage, preform has expanded to the shape of theinterior 34 of the mold. For example, thepreform 5 may take the shape of a bottle 4, shown in FIG. 6, that is further described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,416, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. - As shown in FIG. 5,
preform 5 may include a small hole or wall discontinuity 8 a. Referring to FIG. 6, bottle 4 has asidewall 7 that preferably is continuous to form an acceptable container, but may include adiscontinuity 8 b (shown in phantom in FIG. 6), which may be caused by discontinuity 8 a in the preform or some other defect in the preform, such as excessive crystallization or wall thickness or composition that is outside of the specified range, or simply improper and unanticipated stretching or expansion of the preform. Thus, the term “discontinuity” (and words formed from the same root word) encompasses a hole, crack or other aperture in any portion of the container, including the base and sidewall, through which air may escape. The reference numeral 4 will be employed to designate an acceptable, continuous container, while reference numeral 6 will be employed to designate a defective, discontinuous container (that is, a container with a sidewall having adiscontinuity 8 b). - Thus, at the end of the active blowing stage (that is, the most counter-clockwise point of the area identified as “active blow” in FIG. 2), the container4,6 essentially has its final shape, as shown in FIG. 6. The container 4,6 continues counter-clockwise through a thermal stabilization stage in which cooling water flowing through the mold cools and stabilizes the material. Referring to FIG. 1, the containers 4,6 within the
molds 30 continue moving to a container-unloading point 24, where the molds open and the containers are transferred from thecarousel 12 to thecontainer transfer wheel 16. The containers 4,6 are then transferred from thecontainer transfer wheel 16 to aconveyor 18. - Referring to FIGS. 1, 2,3, and 4, according to an aspect of the present invention, a
sound detector system 38 is provided that includes amicrophone 40 within amicrophone housing 42.Microphone 40 may be any conventional microphone, including for example the piezo-electric element type such as Model AF10 Sound Flow Sensor supplied by Nohken, Inc. Alternatively, a microphone may be employed that weights components of the sound level to emphasize particular frequency ranges. The frequencies for weighting will vary according to the particular aspects of the application, and will depend on such factors as mold and vent design, frequency of the ambient noise, size of the hole to be sensed, and similar variables, as will be understood by persons familiar with blow-molding technology and sound detecting or measuring equipment. -
Housing 42 may be a box or other-shape enclosure that housesmicrophone 40.Housing 42 may be formed of any conventional material, such as sheet metal, and preferably includes insulation surrounding most of themicrophone 40 to inhibit ambient noise and vibration from reachingmicrophone 40.Housing 42 includes ahousing inlet 44 which is directed toward themolds 30 of thecarousel 12 to expose an inlet of themicrophone 40 to the blow air exiting themolds 30. Thehousing 42 andmicrophone 40 preferably are mounted onto aslide 46 that enables thesound detector system 38 to moved circumferentially relative tocarousel 12 to position thesystem 38 to fine tune its operation, as will be understood by persons familiar with sound detection principles. - Preferably, the
microphone 40 is disposed relative to the carousel between 150 degrees and 210 degrees from the preform-loading point 22. Even more preferably,microphone 40 is disposed approximately 180 degrees from the preform-loading point 22 in order to sense the sound level from themold 30 based on a substantially fully formed container 4,6. Preferably, an acoustical enclosure surrounds thecarousel 12 andsound detector system 38 to diminish the ambientsound reaching microphone 40. - Referring to another aspect of the present invention, a
proximity switch 52 is provided. Preferably, switch 52 is disposed circumferentially in-line (that is, at the same radial position relative to carousel 12) withmicrophone 40.Switch 52 preferably substantially senses the presence or absence of the mold along the arc length of one mold such that switch senses the presence or absence of amold 30 in front ofmicrophone 40. Thus, switch 52 outputs a first value upon the carousel reaching afirst position 62 that corresponds to a leading edge of a mold passing in front ofmicrophone 40 and outputs a second value upon the carousel reaching asecond position 64 that corresponds to a trailing edge of the mold passing in front of themicrophone 40. Specifically, for example, switch 52 may be a conventional proximity sensor that is positioned vertically above the microphone. - Further, first and second carousel positions62 and 64 may be varied according to the desired span for which
microphone 40 will be activated. Under particular circumstances, it may be desirable for themicrophone 40 to be activated for a very short period relative to the mold width. For example, in circumstances in which holes 8 b are relatively large such that the sound level has a high magnitude, the proximity switch may be set to provide an interval within which thesound detector system 38 is activated equal to one eighth of the width of the mold. Thus, thesound detector system 38 may be less likely to pick up an ambient sound, including pressurized blow air flowing from amold 30 that is one or more molds away from the microphone, thereby diminishing the false identification of a continuous container 4. - The
switch 52 may be in a normally open position, and switch to a closed position upon sensing that themold 30 is disposed directly in front ofmicrophone 40. Uponmold 30 moving away fromswitch 52 andmicrophone 40,switch 52 may return to its normally open state. Alternatively, a pair of limit switches (not shown) may be employed in which the first limit switch indicates that the mold leading edge is in position (that is, the first position 62) and the second limit switch indicates that the mold trailing edge is in position (that is, the second position 64). Specifically, a first of the two limit switches may be disposed atfirst position 62 and set to trigger upon contacting leading edge ofmold 30. A second of the two limit switches may be disposed at thesecond position 64 and set to trigger upon contacting the trailing edge ofmold 30. Other techniques and devices for ascertaining the position of themold 30 relative tomicrophone 40 will be apparent to persons familiar with such techniques and devices in light of the present specification. - According to another aspect of the present invention, a
control system 48 is provided that may be a conventional programmable logic controller or part of a larger control system. Thecontrol system 48 preferably is in electronic communication with thesound detector system 38 and theproximity sensor 52. The system also includes aconventional kick mechanism 56 that includes areject arm 58 that strikes a container 6 to eject it from the production line. Preferably, the kick mechanism is a pneumatic system that is controlled by anair valve 60. Preferably rejectarm 58 is disposed on thetransfer wheel 16 between the container-unloading point and theconveyor 18. Alternatively, thekick mechanism 56 may be disposed on the carousel 12 (this configuration is not shown). Thekick mechanism 56 may be of the type that is supplied by the carousel manufacturer. - The operation of the system will be described in conjunction with a description of the method according to an aspect of the present invention,. A method is provided for rejecting a defective discontinuous container6 from a production line, which is as described above. As
mold 30 passes tofirst position 62,proximity switch 52 activates thesound detector system 38 such thatmicrophone 40 is activated. Asmold 30 passes tosecond position 64, proximity switch deactivates thesound detector system 38.Proximity switch 52 may be in communication withcontroller 48 in order to deactivate the sound detector system 38 (that is, thesound detector system 38 outputs a signal to the controller which does no further processing of the signal based on the signal from switch 52) or switch 52 may be in direct communication with electronics in the microphone 40 (that is, if the microphone has the logic circuit that can suppress its output based on the signal from switch 52). - Referring particularly to FIG. 4, a
sound level 70 is sensed by themicrophone 40. While theproximity switch 52 indicates the presence of amold 30,microphone 40 outputs asound level signal 72 tocontroller 48.Controller 48 compares thesound level signal 72 to a predetermined sound level set point, which corresponds to a sound level that is less than the sound level of pressurized blow air escaping through ahole 8 b in thecontainer wall 7, but greater than the sound level at normal operation of the production line. Thus, if thesound level signal 72 is greater than the predetermined set point (which is indicated in FIG. 4 as a decision block), it indicates that the container is defective because of a discontinuity therein. - As will be understood by persons familiar with blow-molding processes, the predetermined set point may be determined empirically according to the particular aspects of the application. For example, a small hole (for example one-sixteenth inch diameter) in the container6 may provide a low sound level that is difficult to distinguish from background noise. In contrast, a large hole provides a high sound level such that the set point may be set well above the ambient noise level. Setting the sound level set point at a low magnitude to identify
holes 8 b that are small may falsely identify some sound levels as indicating a defective discontinuous container 6. Conversely, setting the sound level set point at a relatively high magnitude to identifyholes 8 b that are relatively large may not identify the sound level corresponding to relativelysmall holes 8 b. Thus, the set point may be set according to the preferred trade-off between adequately identifying defective containers or products and falsely identifying acceptable products as defective. - Further, the disabling of the system by the
proximity switch 52 diminishes the frequency of falsely identifying an acceptable product as defective because, for example, if a short term ambient sound level occurs that is above the predetermined set point while theproximity switch 52 senses that there is nomold 30 in position between first andsecond positions reject signal 76. If thecontroller 48 determines that thesound level signal 72 is greater than the predetermined set point,controller 48 generates areject signal 76, which for example may openvalve 60 to actuatereject arm 58 to eject the defective container 6 or product from thetransfer wheel 16 before the defective container or product reaches the conveyor. - Because the
reject arm 58 is preferably spaced apart frommicrophone 40, thecontroller 48 preferably sequences the actuation ofreject arm 58 with thesound level signal 72 that exceeds the predetermined set point. The sequencing may be achieved by delaying the outputting of thereject signal 76 by a time interval approximately equal to the time that the defective container 6 takes to move from in front of theproximity switch 52 to thereject arm 58. Preferably, the sequencing is achieved by delaying the outputting of the reject signal approximately by a preset number of pulses from a proximity switch approximately corresponding to the number of containers between the microphone and the reject arm. - Aspects of the present invention is illustrated by employing particular embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and reference should be made to the claims to ascertain the scope of the invention. Particularly, the present invention is not limited to the particular containers shown and described, but may be employed with any blow-molded product. Further, even though an injection blow molding process is used to illustrate the invention, the present invention encompasses extrusion blow molding and other blow molding techniques, including a linear production line, as will be understood by persons familiar with those techniques in light of the present disclosure. Further, the components provided herein are for illustration purposes, and the present invention is not limited to the particular components or systems explicitly described herein.
Claims (35)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US10/143,374 US20020175448A1 (en) | 2000-02-07 | 2002-05-10 | System and method for identifying and rejecting defective blow-molded plastic products |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US09/498,690 US6416308B1 (en) | 2000-02-07 | 2000-02-07 | System for identifying and rejecting defective blow-molded plastic products |
US10/143,374 US20020175448A1 (en) | 2000-02-07 | 2002-05-10 | System and method for identifying and rejecting defective blow-molded plastic products |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US09/498,690 Division US6416308B1 (en) | 2000-02-07 | 2000-02-07 | System for identifying and rejecting defective blow-molded plastic products |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20020175448A1 true US20020175448A1 (en) | 2002-11-28 |
Family
ID=23982095
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US09/498,690 Expired - Fee Related US6416308B1 (en) | 2000-02-07 | 2000-02-07 | System for identifying and rejecting defective blow-molded plastic products |
US10/143,374 Abandoned US20020175448A1 (en) | 2000-02-07 | 2002-05-10 | System and method for identifying and rejecting defective blow-molded plastic products |
Family Applications Before (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US09/498,690 Expired - Fee Related US6416308B1 (en) | 2000-02-07 | 2000-02-07 | System for identifying and rejecting defective blow-molded plastic products |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (2) | US6416308B1 (en) |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20050236726A1 (en) * | 2004-04-23 | 2005-10-27 | Niewels Joachim J | Method and apparatus for controlling a vent gap with active material elements |
DE102008051564A1 (en) * | 2008-10-09 | 2010-04-15 | Khs Corpoplast Gmbh & Co. Kg | Bottle-shaped container inspecting method, involves subjecting container with excitation signal, and detecting defective container during detection of minimum deviation between response signal and reference signal |
US20130135818A1 (en) * | 2011-11-25 | 2013-05-30 | Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. | Container data center and method for reducing noise in the container data center |
US20130277892A1 (en) * | 2012-03-20 | 2013-10-24 | Krones Ag | Method of treating plastics material containers with reduction of time during the synchronization of parts of the plant |
Families Citing this family (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
ITPN20000015A1 (en) * | 2000-03-01 | 2001-09-03 | Sipa Spa | SYSTEM WITH AUTOMATIC DETECTION DETECTION DEVICE FOR BLOWED CONTAINERS |
US6999923B1 (en) * | 2000-06-23 | 2006-02-14 | International Business Machines Corporation | System and method for control of lights, signals, alarms using sound detection |
US6553809B1 (en) * | 2001-11-01 | 2003-04-29 | Plastic Technologies, Inc. | Method and apparatus for detecting holes in plastic containers |
ITPN20020089A1 (en) * | 2002-11-15 | 2004-05-16 | Sipa Spa | PLANT AND PROCEDURE WITH SPECIFIC DEVICE FOR |
WO2008028185A2 (en) * | 2006-09-01 | 2008-03-06 | Meckl Michael F | Vacuum turntable system for leak testing melt blown bottles |
DE102008010885A1 (en) * | 2008-02-25 | 2009-08-27 | Krones Ag | Apparatus and method for monitoring the operability of a container treatment apparatus |
CA2718103A1 (en) * | 2008-03-17 | 2009-09-24 | Plastic Technologies Inc. | Method and apparatus for improved detection of holes in plastic containers |
CN115139493A (en) * | 2022-06-27 | 2022-10-04 | 安庆市众友塑料包装有限公司 | Automatic blanking equipment for stretch blow molding machine and using method thereof |
Family Cites Families (15)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4351663A (en) * | 1980-01-30 | 1982-09-28 | Ball Corporation | Glass container rejector |
US4427360A (en) | 1981-12-30 | 1984-01-24 | Krupp Corpoplast Maschinenbau Gmbh | Apparatus for blow molding plastic articles from a parison |
FR2575406B1 (en) * | 1984-12-28 | 1987-04-10 | Pont A Mousson | MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PLASTIC BOTTLES WITH THE SETTING OF STABILIZING CUPS AND INTERNAL PRESSURIZATION USING A GAS |
JPS62275731A (en) * | 1986-05-26 | 1987-11-30 | Toppan Printing Co Ltd | Method for detecting pinhole in blow-molded container |
US5139406A (en) * | 1987-12-16 | 1992-08-18 | Dai Nippon Insatsu Kabushiki Kaisha | Apparatus and system for inspecting wall thickness of synthetic resin containers |
DE3815194C3 (en) | 1988-05-04 | 1999-09-23 | Krupp Corpoplast Masch | Blow molding machine |
JPH0667589B2 (en) * | 1990-03-29 | 1994-08-31 | 東興業株式会社 | Blow molding machine built-in pinhole inspection device |
JPH04298322A (en) * | 1991-03-27 | 1992-10-22 | Ube Ind Ltd | Device for judging malfunction of blow molding machine |
US5244610A (en) * | 1992-02-14 | 1993-09-14 | Plastipak Packaging, Inc. | Rotary plastic blow molding |
FR2709264B1 (en) | 1993-08-26 | 1995-10-27 | Sidel Sa | Installation for manufacturing containers by blowing plastic preforms. |
FR2722134B1 (en) | 1994-07-11 | 1996-09-06 | Sidel Sa | SEALING DEVICE BETWEEN A PLASTIC CONTAINER BLANK AND A BLOWER NOZZLE, AND CONTAINER BLOWER MACHINE PROVIDED WITH SUCH A DEVICE |
FR2731176B1 (en) | 1995-03-02 | 1997-04-30 | Sidel Sa | INSTALLATION FOR MANUFACTURING CONTAINERS BY BLOWING PLASTIC PREFORMS |
FR2733176B1 (en) | 1995-04-19 | 1997-06-27 | Sidel Sa | DEVICE FOR MANUFACTURING CONTAINERS IN THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL BY BLOWING OR STRETCH-BLOWING |
US6186760B1 (en) * | 1997-08-01 | 2001-02-13 | Greig S. Latham | Blow mold machine monitor and control system |
US5988416A (en) | 1998-07-10 | 1999-11-23 | Crown Cork & Seal Technologies Corporation | Footed container and base therefor |
-
2000
- 2000-02-07 US US09/498,690 patent/US6416308B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2002
- 2002-05-10 US US10/143,374 patent/US20020175448A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20050236726A1 (en) * | 2004-04-23 | 2005-10-27 | Niewels Joachim J | Method and apparatus for controlling a vent gap with active material elements |
US7481642B2 (en) * | 2004-04-23 | 2009-01-27 | Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. | Method and apparatus for controlling a vent gap with active material elements |
US20090098232A1 (en) * | 2004-04-23 | 2009-04-16 | Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. | Method and Apparatus For Controlling A Vent Gap With Active Material Elements |
DE102008051564A1 (en) * | 2008-10-09 | 2010-04-15 | Khs Corpoplast Gmbh & Co. Kg | Bottle-shaped container inspecting method, involves subjecting container with excitation signal, and detecting defective container during detection of minimum deviation between response signal and reference signal |
US20130135818A1 (en) * | 2011-11-25 | 2013-05-30 | Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. | Container data center and method for reducing noise in the container data center |
US20130277892A1 (en) * | 2012-03-20 | 2013-10-24 | Krones Ag | Method of treating plastics material containers with reduction of time during the synchronization of parts of the plant |
US9452576B2 (en) * | 2012-03-20 | 2016-09-27 | Krones Ag | Method of treating plastics material containers with reduction of time during the synchronization of parts of the plant |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US6416308B1 (en) | 2002-07-09 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US6416308B1 (en) | System for identifying and rejecting defective blow-molded plastic products | |
CN103079796B (en) | Utilize and carry out feeding back the method being manufactured container by crude green body according to detected pressures minimum of a value | |
US8721940B2 (en) | Method for producing a vessel from a preform, with feedback depending on the development point of the preform | |
JP5608564B2 (en) | Method and apparatus for blow molding containers | |
CA1093772A (en) | Process for the automatic inspection of blow-molded articles | |
US20100204819A1 (en) | Method for producing a vessel from a preform, with feedback depending on the expansion end point of the preform | |
CA2347279A1 (en) | Automated material distribution control for stretch blow molded articles | |
JP6712259B2 (en) | Control method of blow molding method for container made of plastic material | |
US10683126B2 (en) | Etched preform tip | |
AU2002348331B2 (en) | Method and apparatus for detecting holes in plastic containers | |
CA2401598C (en) | Blow-moulding plant with apparatus for automatic burst detection in blow-moulded containers | |
US4104343A (en) | Detecting and sorting abnormal articles during blow molding | |
US20060255513A1 (en) | Mold gap seal | |
JP3272522B2 (en) | Blow air supply device for blow molding machine | |
JPH085125B2 (en) | Biaxial stretch blow molding method | |
JP3119741B2 (en) | Blow molding container molding equipment | |
US20230131159A1 (en) | Method for Operating an IS Machine for Producing Glass Containers | |
WO2005118407A3 (en) | Polyolefin container having certain shrink characteristics and method of making such containers | |
JP3391843B2 (en) | Container molding equipment | |
JP3231491B2 (en) | Injection stretch blow molding equipment | |
JP2578840B2 (en) | Blow molding machine | |
JP3433921B2 (en) | Method of detecting pre-blow height and setting method of pre-blow height in compressed air forming method | |
IES66135B2 (en) | Blow moulding method and apparatus | |
JPH06126822A (en) | Method and device for molding heat-resistant vessel | |
JPH06254951A (en) | Container preparation device |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: CITICORP NORTH AMERICA, INC., NEW YORK Free format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNORS:CONSTAR INTERNATIONAL INC.;BFF INC.;CONSTAR, INC.;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:013516/0930 Effective date: 20021120 Owner name: CONSTAR INTERNATIONAL INC., PENNSYLVANIA Free format text: PARTIAL RELEASE;ASSIGNOR:JPMORGAN CHASE BANK (F/K/A THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK);REEL/FRAME:013542/0355 Effective date: 20021120 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO PAY ISSUE FEE |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: CITIGROUP NORTH AMERICA, INC., NEW YORK Free format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:CONSTAR INTERNATIONAL INC.;REEL/FRAME:015980/0584 Effective date: 20031223 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: VENTURE LENDING & LEASING VIII, INC., CALIFORNIA Free format text: SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:ABLACON INC.;REEL/FRAME:049801/0716 Effective date: 20190718 Owner name: VENTURE LENDING & LEASING IX, INC., CALIFORNIA Free format text: SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:ABLACON INC.;REEL/FRAME:049801/0716 Effective date: 20190718 |