Air cooling system for preform molding

摘要

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method of cooling molded preforms. The apparatus and method make advantageous use of air amplifiers to create a flow of cooling air over the molded preforms. In a first embodiment of the present invention, the air amplifiers are mounted to a part removal and cooling robot. In a second embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of air amplifier stations are positioned about an index block to cool the molded preforms. In a third embodiment of the present invention, a vacuuming system is provided to improve the adherence of the air flow created by the air amplifiers to the exterior surfaces of the molded preforms. In a fourth embodiment of the present invention, the air amplifiers are mounted to a movable plate and each amplifier has an internal bore sized to receive a molded preform to be cooled.