What is claimed is:
1. An end-of-arm tool for handling at least one preform, the end-of-arm tool comprising:
a tooling base; and
at least one aligning coupler retained on the tooling base and arranged to releaseably retain, in use, the at least one preform;
each of the at least one aligning coupler including:
coupling means arranged to substantially conform, in use, to an end portion of a preform and to couple therewith when retaining the preform, the coupling means returns to a neutral configuration when the preform is released; and
alignment means arranged to engage, in use, a body portion of one of the at least one preform for aligning the preform with the coupling means.
2. The end-of-arm tool of claim 1 wherein the alignment means is an aligning surface of an opening in one of either:
an alignment jig; or
an alignment insert retained on an alignment jig.
3. The end-of-arm tool of claim 2 wherein the coupling means is a coupling surface on an end-effector.
4. The end-of-arm tool of claim 3 wherein the coupling surface is formed on a crown portion of the end-effector.
5. The end-of-arm tool of claim 4 wherein the end-effector further includes a stem beneath the crown and a duct therethrough, a first opening of the duct intersects the coupling surface, and a second opening of the duct at a base of the stem, the end-effector arranged to couple and decouple, in use, a preform controlled by the application of negative or positive air pressure respectively through the first opening by means of an air pressure source connected to the second opening and acting through the duct.
6. The end-of-arm tool of claim 5 wherein the neutral configuration of the coupling surface is conical.
7. The end-of-arm tool of claim 6 wherein the end-effector further includes a first connector on the stem for connection with a complementary connector on the tooling base.
8. The end-of-arm tool of claim 7 wherein the end-effector is formed from rubber.
9. The end-of-arm tool of claim 8 wherein the end-effector includes a bellows section between the crown and the stem.
10. The end-of-arm tool of claim 8 wherein each of the at least one aligning coupler further include a flow director surrounding the end-effector, the flow director arranged to temperature condition, in use, a preform retained on a injection mold core plate assembly of an injection mold by directing an airflow around a body portion of the at least one preform, the airflow being generated by the air pressure source acting through the first opening of the end-effector.
11. The end-of-arm tool of claim 10 wherein the at least one flow director is mounted to the tooling base.
12. The end-of-arm tool of claim 11 wherein the flow director is a substantially straight-walled tube.
13. The end-of-arm tool of claim 11 wherein the flow director is a tube with an inner wall profiled to be substantially symmetrical and offset from the outer geometry of the preform.
14. The end-of-arm tool of claim 11 wherein the flow director comprises a flow head adjustably engaged on a support member.
15. The end-of-arm tool of claim 14 wherein the flow head is a tube with an inner wall including an annular projection.
16. The end-of-arm tool of claim 12 wherein the alignment jig is mounted to the at least one flow director.
17. The end-of-arm tool of claim 8 wherein a plurality of the aligning couplers are arranged in at least one row on the tooling base.
18. The end-of-arm tool of claim 17 wherein the tooling base includes at least one manifold connecting the duct of each of the end-effectors of the plurality of aligning couplers in each row.
19. The end-of-arm tool of claim 18 wherein the alignment jig is a rail having a plurality of the alignment means thereon for each row of the aligning couplers.
20. The end-of-arm tool of claim 18 wherein the alignment jig is a plate having a plurality of the alignment means thereon.
21. The end-of-arm tool of claim 19 wherein the aligning coupler includes an end-effector support for connecting the end-effector to the tooling base.
22. The end-of-arm tool of claim 21 wherein the end-effector support includes a first connector for receiving the first connector of the end-effector, a second connector for connecting to the complementary connector on the tooling base, and a duct therethrough.
23. The end-of-arm tool of claim 22 wherein the tooling base further includes at least one alignment jig spacer spacing the alignment jig from the tooling base.
24. The end-of-arm tool of claim 23 wherein the tooling base further includes a bumper, the bumper arranged to interfacing, in use, with a complementary bumper on an injection mold to effect a coordination of movement between the injection mold stripper plate and the end-of-arm tool when transferring the preforms from the injection mold into the aligning couplers.
25. The end-of-arm tool of claim 24 wherein the tooling base includes at least one robot spacer sleeve, the robot spacer sleeve arranged to provide, in use, an interface to a robotic actuator.
26. An aligning coupler for use in an end-of-arm tool for handling a preform, the aligning coupler comprising:
coupling means arranged to substantially conform, in use, to an end portion of a preform and to couple therewith when retaining the preform, the coupling means returns to a neutral configuration when the preform is released; and
alignment means arranged to engage, in use, a body portion of one of the preform for aligning the preform with the coupling means.
27. The aligning coupler of claim 26 wherein the alignment means is an aligning surface of an opening in one of either:
an alignment jig; or
an alignment insert retained on an alignment jig.
28. The aligning coupler of claim 27 wherein the coupling means is a coupling surface on an end-effector.
29. The aligning coupler of claim 28 wherein the coupling surface is formed on a crown portion of the end-effector.
30. The aligning coupler of claim 29 wherein the end-effector further includes a stem beneath the crown and a duct therethrough, a first opening of the duct intersects the coupling surface, and a second opening of the duct at a base of the stem, the end-effector arranged to couple and decouple, in use, the preform controlled by the application of negative or positive air pressure respectively through the first opening by means of an air pressure source connected to the second opening and acting through the duct.
31. The aligning coupler of claim 30 wherein the neutral configuration of the coupling surface is conical.
32. The aligning coupler of claim 31 wherein the end-effector further includes a first connector on the stem, in use, the first connector connects the end-effector with a complementary connector on a tooling base.
33. The aligning coupler of claim 32 wherein the end-effector is formed from rubber.
34. The aligning coupler of claim 33 wherein the end-effector includes a bellows section between the crown and the stem.
35. The aligning coupler of claim 33 wherein the aligning coupler further includes a flow director surrounding the end-effector, the flow director arranged to temperature condition, in use, a preform retained on a injection mold core plate assembly of an injection mold by directing an airflow around a body portion of the retained preform, the airflow being generated by the air pressure source acting through the first opening of the end-effector.
36. The end-of-arm tool of claim 35 wherein the flow director is a substantially straight-walled tube.
37. The end-of-arm tool of claim 35 wherein the flow director is a tube with an inner wall profiled to be substantially symmetrical and offset from the outer geometry of the preform.
38. The end-of-arm tool of claim 35 wherein the flow director comprises a flow head adjustably engaged on a support member.
39. The end-of-arm tool of claim 38 wherein the flow head is a tube with an inner wall including an annular projection.
40. An integrated injection molding and blow molding system for the production of hollow plastic articles, the system comprising:
an injection molding machine including:
an injection unit arranged to provide, in use, a controlled flow of pressurized molten plastic; and
an injection mold clamp unit arranged to operate, in use, an injection mold between a mold open and a mold clamped position, the injection unit connected to the injection mold clamp unit to direct the flow of molten plastic into the injection mold for forming the at least one preform; and
a robotic actuator including an end-of-arm tool arranged to handle, in use, the at least one preform formed in the injection mold; and
the end-of-arm tool including:
a tooling base; and
at least one aligning coupler retained on the tooling base and arranged to releaseably retain, in use, the at least one preform;
each of the at least one aligning coupler including:
coupling means arranged to substantially conform, in use, to an end portion of a preform and to couple therewith when retaining the preform, the coupling means returns to a neutral configuration when the preform is released; and
alignment means arranged to engage, in use, a body portion of one of the at least one preform for aligning the preform with the coupling means; and
a blow molding machine including:
a blow clamp arranged to operate, in use, a blow mold between a mold open and a mold clamped position, the blow mold receiving at least one of the at least one preform, and for blowing the preform into the hollow plastic articles.
41. The system of claim 40 wherein the alignment means is an aligning surface of an opening in one of either:
an alignment jig; or
an alignment insert retained on an alignment jig.
42. The system of claim 41 wherein the coupling means is a coupling surface on an end-effector.
43. The system of claim 42 wherein the coupling surface is formed on a crown portion of the end-effector.
44. The system of claim 43 wherein the end-effector further includes a stem beneath the crown and a duct therethrough, a first opening of the duct intersects the coupling surface, and a second opening of the duct at a base of the stem, the end-effector arranged to couple and decouple, in use, a preform controlled by the application of negative or positive air pressure respectively through the first opening by means of an air pressure source connected to the second opening and acting through the duct.
45. The system of claim 44 wherein the neutral configuration of the coupling surface is conical.
46. The system of claim 45 wherein the end-effector further includes a first connector on the stem for connection with a complementary connector on the tooling base.
47. The system of claim 46 wherein the end-effector is formed from rubber.
48. The system of claim 47 wherein the end-effector includes a bellows section between the crown and the stem.
49. The system of claim 47 wherein each of the at least one aligning coupler further include a flow director surrounding the end-effector, the flow director arranged to temperature condition, in use, a preform retained on a injection mold core plate assembly of an injection mold by directing an airflow around a body portion of the at least one preform, the airflow being generated by the air pressure source acting through the first opening of the end-effector.
50. The system of claim 49 wherein the at least one flow director is mounted to the tooling base.
51. The system of claim 50 wherein the flow director is a substantially straight-walled tube.
52. The system of claim 50 wherein the flow director is a tube with an inner wall profiled to be substantially symmetrical and offset from the outer geometry of the preform.
53. The system of claim 50 wherein the flow director comprises a flow head adjustably engaged on a support member.
54. The system of claim 53 wherein the flow head is a tube with an inner wall including an annular projection.
55. The system of claim 51 wherein the alignment jig is mounted to the at least one flow director.
56. The system of claim 47 wherein a plurality of the aligning couplers are arranged in at least one row on the tooling base.
57. The system of claim 56 wherein the tooling base includes at least one manifold connecting the duct of each of the end-effectors of the plurality of aligning couplers in each row.
58. The system of claim 57 wherein the alignment jig is a rail having a plurality of the alignment means thereon for each row of the aligning couplers.
59. The system of claim 57 wherein the alignment jig is a plate having a plurality of the alignment means thereon.
60. The system of claim 58 wherein the aligning coupler includes an end-effector support for connecting the end-effector to the tooling base.
61. The system of claim 60 wherein the end-effector support includes a first connector for receiving the first connector of the end-effector, a second connector for connecting to the complementary connector on the tooling base, and a duct therethrough.
62. The system of claim 61 wherein the tooling base further includes at least one alignment jig spacer spacing the alignment jig from the tooling base.
63. The system of claim 62 wherein the tooling base further includes a bumper, the bumper arranged to interfacing, in use, with a complementary bumper on an injection mold to effect a coordination of movement between the injection mold stripper plate and the end-of-arm tool when transferring the preforms from the injection mold into the aligning couplers.
64. The system of claim 63 wherein the tooling base includes at least one robot spacer sleeve, the robot spacer sleeve arranged to provide, in use, an interface to a robotic actuator.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A crossover manifold system for hot and cold water faucet pairs arranged back to back on opposite sides of a partition, the system comprising:
a pair of manifold tubes, wherein each tube comprises:
a central section;
a first intermediate section and a second intermediate section, wherein each intermediate section is adjacent to and angled with respect to the central section; and
a first distal section and a second distal section, wherein each distal section is adjacent to and angled with respect to the first and second intermediate sections, respectively;
wherein the first and second distal sections are approximately parallel to one another, and
wherein the manifold tubes cross over one another.
2. The crossover manifold system of claim 1 wherein the first and second distal sections are approximately parallel to at least a portion of the central section.
3. The crossover manifold system of claim 2 further comprising:
a mounting bracket for attachment of the tubes to a stationary structure, wherein the mounting bracket holds the central sections of the tubes fixed relative to one another.
4. The crossover manifold system of claim 3 wherein the first and second intermediate sections of each tube are of different lengths and the first and second distal sections of each tube are of different lengths.
5. The crossover manifold system of claim 4 wherein the central section of each tube is asymmetrically disposed along the length of the tube.
6. The crossover manifold system of claim 5 wherein the pair of tubes comprises a first tube and a second tube, wherein the first tube is disposed in an opposite orientation relative to the second tube, such that the first distal section of the first tube is disposed adjacent to the second distal section of the second tube and the second distal section of the first tube is disposed adjacent to the first distal section of the first tube.
7. The crossover manifold system of claim 6 wherein the stationary structure to which the mounting bracket is attached is a drainwastevent pipe.
8. The crossover manifold system of claim 7 wherein the first intermediate section is not co-planar with the second intermediate section.
9. The crossover manifold system of claim 8 wherein the central sections of the tubes are held parallel to one another by the bracket.
10. The crossover manifold system of claim 9 wherein the first distal section of the first tube is parallel to the second distal section of the second tube and the second distal section of the first tube is parallel to the first distal section of the second tube.
11. The crossover manifold system of claim 10 wherein the first tube is a hot water tube and the second tube is a cold water tube, such that the first distal section of the hot water tube is parallel and adjacent to the second distal section of the cold water tube, and the second distal section of the hot water tube is parallel and adjacent to the first distal section of the cold water tube.
12. The crossover manifold system of claim 11 wherein the bracket is attached to the drainwastevent pipe by a clamp.
13. The crossover manifold system of claim 12 wherein the tubes comprise a rigid material.
14. The crossover manifold system of claim 13 wherein the tubes comprise copper tubing.
15. The crossover manifold system of claim 14 wherein the copper tubing comprises half-inch nominal diameter copper tubing.
16. The crossover manifold system of claim 15 wherein the clamp is a hose clamp.
17. The crossover manifold system of claim 16 wherein a cold water supply line and a hot water supply line attach to the cold water tube and hot water tube, respectively, at the same end of the manifold.
18. A method of manufacturing a manifold system for hot and cold water faucet pairs arranged back to back on opposite sides of a partition, the method comprising:
providing a pair of manifold tubes;
bending each of the manifold tubes to produce a central section; a first intermediate section and a second intermediate section; wherein each intermediate section is adjacent to and angled with respect to the central section; and a first distal section and a second distal section, wherein each distal section is adjacent to and angled with respect to the first and second intermediate sections, respectively; wherein the first and second distal sections are approximately parallel to one another, and wherein the manifold tubes cross over one another.
19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:
providing a mounting bracket with clips for holding the central section of each tube in place; and
attaching the manifold tubes to the mounting bracket in opposite orientations with the end portions parallel to one another and substantially aligned with one another.
20. A crossover manifold system for hot and cold water faucet pairs arranged back to back on opposite sides of a partition, the system comprising:
a pair of substantially identical manifold tubes and a mounting bracket for holding the tubes onto a drainwastevent pipe, wherein the manifold tubes comprise a first tube and a second tube, each tube comprising:
a central section;
a first intermediate section and a second intermediate section, wherein each intermediate section is adjacent to and angled with respect to the central section; and
a first distal section and a second distal section, wherein each distal section is adjacent to and angled with respect to the first and second intermediate sections, respectively;
wherein the first and second distal sections are approximately parallel to one another and to at least a portion of the central section;
wherein the first intermediate section is not co-planar with the second intermediate section;
wherein the first and second intermediate sections of each tube are of different lengths and the first and second distal sections of each tube are of different lengths, such that the central section of each tube is asymmetrically disposed along the length of the tube;
wherein the mounting bracket holds the central sections of the tubes in a fixed position approximately parallel to one another; and
wherein the first tube is disposed in an opposite orientation relative to the second tube, such that the first distal section of the first tube is disposed adjacent to the second distal section of the second tube and the second distal section of the first tube is disposed adjacent to the first distal section of the first tube.
21. A crossover manifold system for hot and cold water faucet pairs arranged back to back on opposite sides of a partition, the system comprising:
a pair of manifold tubes comprising a hot water tube and a cold water tube, wherein each tube comprises:
a central section;
a first intermediate section and a second intermediate section, wherein each intermediate section is adjacent to and angled with respect to the central section; and
a first distal section and a second distal section, wherein each distal section is adjacent to and angled with respect to the first and second intermediate sections, respectively;
wherein the manifold tubes cross over one another, such that the first distal section of the hot water tube is parallel to the second distal section of the cold water tube and the second distal section of the hot water tube is parallel to the first distal section of the cold water tube.
22. A method of installing a crossover manifold system for hot and cold water faucet pairs arranged back to back on opposite sides of a partition, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a first manifold tube and a second manifold tube;
providing a mounting bracket;
attaching the first and second manifold tubes to the mounting bracket;
attaching the mounting bracket to a stationary structure within the partition;
connecting a first end of the first manifold tube to a hot water supply line and to a first hot water valve;
connecting a second end of the first manifold tube to a second hot water valve, such that the first hot water valve and the second hot water valve are installed on opposite sides of the partition;
connecting a first end of the second manifold tube to a cold water supply line and to a first cold water valve; and
connecting a second end of the second manifold tube to a second cold water valve, such that the first cold water valve and the second cold water valve are installed on opposite sides of the partition.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein the first end of the first manifold tube is adjacent to the first end of the second manifold tube and wherein the first hot water valve is installed in a first side of the partition and the first cold water valve is installed in a second, opposite side of the partition.
24. The method of claim 22 wherein the first end of the first manifold tube is adjacent to the second end of the second manifold tube and wherein the first hot water valve is installed in a first side of the partition and the first cold water valve is installed in the first side of the partition.