Apparatus for thermoforming plastic containers

1. An apparatus for thermoforming plastic containers comprising:

a pickup station ( 24 );

a feeder ( 25 ) for feeding flat sheets ( 8 ) of thermoformable plastic material to the pickup station ( 24 );

at least one thermoforming device ( 3 ) in turn comprising a shaped mould ( 4 ) and a closing element ( 5 ), the shaped mould ( 4 ) and the closing element ( 5 ) being movable relative to each other at least between a home position in which they are away from one another, and a forming position in which they are near to each other for, in use, clamping a flat sheet ( 8 ) between them; the closing element ( 5 ) comprising a resting surface ( 16 ) that is facing the shaped mould ( 4 ) at least when they are in the forming position; and being equipped with suction means designed to retain on the resting surface ( 16 ) at least one of said flat sheets ( 8 ) at least when the shaped mould ( 4 ) and the closing element ( 5 ) are in the home position;

one or more heating elements ( 6 ) for heating the closing element ( 5 );

a transferring device ( 26 ) for transferring the flat sheets ( 8 ) from the pickup station ( 24 ) to the closing element ( 5 );

an extracting device ( 9 ) for extracting the thermoformed container ( 2 ) from the shaped mould ( 4 ); and

an electronic unit ( 10 ) for controlling and checking operation of the apparatus ( 1 );

characterised in that said feeder ( 25 ) comprises:

at least one support ( 50 ) for a reel ( 51 ) of a web ( 52 ) of said thermoformable plastic material;

unwinding means ( 53 ) for unwinding said reel ( 51 ) of web ( 52 ), designed, in use, to feed the web ( 52 ) along a sliding path extending from the at least one support ( 50 ) to the pickup station ( 24 ); and

a cutting device ( 54 ) for cutting the web ( 52 ) positioned along the sliding path for dividing the web ( 52 ) into a plurality of pieces, each of which corresponds to one flat sheet ( 8 ) to be fed to the pickup station ( 24 ).

2. The thermoforming apparatus according to claim 1 , characterised in that the cutting device ( 54 ) is designed to make on the web ( 52 ) exclusively cuts transversal to a line of extension of the sliding path, for dividing the web ( 52 ) into a plurality of pieces, each of which has, transversally to the line of extension of the sliding path, a width that is equal to the width of the web ( 52 ).

3. The thermoforming apparatus according to claim 2 , characterised in that the cutting device ( 54 ) is designed to make on the web ( 52 ) a main cut ( 55 ) that is perpendicular to the line of extension of the sliding path and that extends inside the web ( 52 ) and along most of its width, and, at each end of the main cut ( 55 ), a pair of secondary cuts ( 56 ) that extend diverging from the related end of the main cut ( 55 ) to the edge of the web ( 52 ), only the part of web ( 52 ) between each pair of secondary cuts ( 56 ) constituting scrap ( 57 ) produced by the cutting device ( 54 ).

4. The thermoforming apparatus according to claim 1 , characterised in that the cutting device ( 54 ) is designed to make on the web ( 52 ) exclusively one or more longitudinal cuts parallel to a line of extension of the sliding path for dividing the web ( 52 ) into a plurality of strips side by side, and cuts transversal to the line of extension of the sliding path, for dividing each strip of web ( 52 ) into a plurality of pieces, each of which has, transversally to the line of extension of the sliding path, a width that is equal to the width of the self-same strip.

5. The thermoforming apparatus according to claim 4 , characterised in that the cutting device ( 54 ) is designed to make on each strip of web ( 52 ), a main cut ( 55 ) that is perpendicular to the line of extension of the sliding path and that extends inside the strip of web ( 52 ) and along most of its width, and, at each end of the main cut ( 55 ), a pair of secondary cuts ( 56 ) that extend diverging from each end of the main cut ( 55 ) to the edge of the strip of web ( 52 ), only the part of each strip of web ( 52 ) between each pair of secondary cuts ( 56 ) constituting scrap ( 57 ) produced by the cutting device ( 54 ).

6. The thermoforming apparatus according to claim 1 , characterised in that the thermoforming device ( 3 ) comprises at least one first shaped mould ( 4 ) and one second shaped mould ( 4 ) which are interchangeable and alternately usable for making containers ( 2 ) having different shapes, and in that the cutting device ( 54 ) comprises at least one first cutting unit and one second cutting unit which are also interchangeable and alternately usable, the first cutting unit being designed to divide the web ( 52 ) into a plurality of flat sheets ( 8 ) of a first type and usable with the first shaped mould ( 4 ), and the second cutting unit being designed to divide the web ( 52 ) into a plurality of flat sheets ( 8 ) of a second type and usable with the second shaped mould ( 4 ).

7. The thermoforming apparatus according to claim 1 , characterised in that the cutting device ( 54 ) comprises at least one pair of counter-rotating rollers ( 59 ) between which, in use, the web ( 52 ) can slide, at least one of the counter-rotating rollers ( 59 ) being equipped with one or more blades.

8. The thermoforming apparatus according claim 6 , characterised in that the cutting device ( 54 ) comprises at least one pair of counter-rotating rollers ( 59 ) between which, in use, the web ( 52 ) can slide, at least one of the counter-rotating rollers ( 59 ) being equipped with one or more blades, and in that the first cutting unit and the second cutting unit are constituted of one or both of the counter-rotating rollers ( 59 ).

9. The thermoforming apparatus according to claim 7 , characterised in that the pair of counter-rotating rollers ( 59 ) is also part of the unwinding means ( 53 ).

10. The thermoforming apparatus according to claim 1 , characterised in that the cutting device ( 54 ) comprises at least one transversal blade ( 73 ) movable relative to a contact element ( 74 ) transversally to the sliding path between a first position in which the two are away from each other and allow feeding of the web ( 52 ) along the sliding path and a second position in which they are clamped against each other for; in use; cutting the web ( 52 ).

11. The thermoforming apparatus according to claim 2 , characterised in that the thermoforming device ( 3 ) comprises at least one first shaped mould ( 4 ) and one second shaped mould ( 4 ) which are interchangeable and alternately usable for making containers ( 2 ) having different shapes, and in that the cutting device ( 54 ) comprises at least one first cutting unit and one second cutting unit which are also interchangeable and alternately usable, the first cutting unit being designed to divide the web ( 52 ) into a plurality of flat sheets ( 8 ) of a first type and usable with the first shaped mould ( 4 ), and the second cutting unit being designed to divide the web ( 52 ) into a plurality of flat sheets ( 8 ) of a second type and usable with the second shaped mould ( 4 ).

12. The thermoforming apparatus according to claim 4 , characterised in that the thermoforming device ( 3 ) comprises at least one first shaped mould ( 4 ) and one second shaped mould ( 4 ) which are interchangeable and alternately usable for making containers ( 2 ) having different shapes, and in that the cutting device ( 54 ) comprises at least one first cutting unit and one second cutting unit which are also interchangeable and alternately usable, the first cutting unit being designed to divide the web ( 52 ) into a plurality of flat sheets ( 8 ) of a first type and usable with the first shaped mould ( 4 ), and the second cutting unit being designed to divide the web ( 52 ) into a plurality of flat sheets ( 8 ) of a second type and usable with the second shaped mould ( 4 ).

13. The thermoforming apparatus according to claim 2 , characterised in that the cutting device ( 54 ) comprises at least one pair of counter-rotating rollers ( 59 ) between which, in use, the web ( 52 ) can slide, at least one of the counter-rotating rollers ( 59 ) being equipped with one or more blades.

14. The thermoforming apparatus according to claim 13 , characterised in that the pair of counter-rotating rollers ( 59 ) is also part of the unwinding means ( 53 ).

15. The thermoforming apparatus according to claim 4 , characterised in that the cutting device ( 54 ) comprises at least one pair of counter-rotating rollers ( 59 ) between which, in use, the web ( 52 ) can slide, at least one of the counter-rotating rollers ( 59 ) being equipped with one or more blades.

16. The thermoforming apparatus according to claim 2 , characterised in that the cutting device ( 54 ) comprises at least one transversal blade ( 73 ) movable relative to a contact element ( 74 ) transversally to the sliding path between a first position in which the two are away from each other and allow feeding of the web ( 52 ) along the sliding path and a second position in which they are clamped against each other for, in use, cutting the web ( 52 ).

17. The thermoforming apparatus according to claim 3 , characterised in that the cutting device ( 54 ) comprises at least one transversal blade ( 73 ) movable relative to a contact element ( 74 ) transversally to the sliding path between a first position in which the two are away from each other and allow feeding of the web ( 52 ) along the sliding path and a second position in which they are clamped against each other for, in use, cutting the web ( 52 ).

18. The thermoforming apparatus according to claim 4 , characterised in that the cutting device ( 54 ) comprises at least one transversal blade ( 73 ) movable relative to a contact element ( 74 ) transversally to the sliding path between a first position in which the two are away from each other and allow feeding of the web ( 52 ) along the sliding path and a second position in which they are clamped against each other for, in use, cutting the web ( 52 ).

19. The thermoforming apparatus according to claim 5 , characterised in that the cutting device ( 54 ) comprises at least one transversal blade ( 73 ) movable relative to a contact element ( 74 ) transversally to the sliding path between a first position in which the two are away from each other and allow feeding of the web ( 52 ) along the sliding path and a second position in which they are clamped against each other for, in use, cutting the web ( 52 ).

20. The thermoforming apparatus according to claim 6 , characterised in that the cutting device ( 54 ) comprises at least one transversal blade ( 73 ) movable relative to a contact element ( 74 ) transversally to the sliding path between a first position in which the two are away from each other and allow feeding of the web ( 52 ) along the sliding path and a second position in which they are clamped against each other for, in use, cutting the web ( 52 ).