Station and method

Abstract

A hollow moulded fibre product forming station comprises a mould, an interface arrangement, and a reservoir system is described. The mould is for receiving a hollow moulded fibre product. The interface arrangement is connectable to an expandable member, the expandable member is changeable between a first configuration in which the expandable member is insertable into the hollow moulded fibre product, and a second configuration in which, in use, the expandable member urges the hollow moulded fibre product against an inner surface of the mould to form the hollow moulded fibre product and provide a formed hollow moulded fibre product. The reservoir system is configured so that, when the interface arrangement is connected to the expandable member, the reservoir system is able to supply a portion of fluid to, and receive the portion of fluid from, the expandable member via the interface arrangement to change the expandable member between the first configuration and the second configuration. The reservoir system has a volume greater than a volume of the portion of fluid.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hollow moulded fibre product forming station, comprising:
 a mould for receiving a hollow moulded fibre product;   an interface arrangement connectable to an expandable member, the expandable member changeable between a first configuration in which the expandable member is insertable into the hollow moulded fibre product, and a second configuration in which, in use, the expandable member urges the hollow moulded fibre product against an inner surface of the mould to form the hollow moulded fibre product and provide a formed hollow moulded fibre product; and   a reservoir system configured so that, when the interface arrangement is connected to the expandable member, the reservoir system is able to supply a portion of fluid to, and receive the portion of fluid from, the expandable member via the interface arrangement to change the expandable member between the first configuration and the second configuration,   wherein the reservoir system has a volume greater than a volume of the portion of fluid.   
     
     
         2 . The hollow moulded fibre product forming station of  claim 1 , wherein the hollow moulded fibre product forming station comprises the expandable member. 
     
     
         3 . The hollow moulded fibre product forming station of  claim 1 , wherein the hollow moulded fibre product forming station comprises a heater for heating the hollow moulded fibre product when the hollow moulded fibre product is in the mould. 
     
     
         4 . The hollow moulded fibre product forming station of  claim 3 , wherein the heater is configured to heat the hollow moulded fibre product to no less than 90° C. 
     
     
         5 . The hollow moulded fibre product forming station of  claim 1 , wherein the volume of the reservoir system is no greater than 4 times greater than the volume of the portion of fluid. 
     
     
         6 . The hollow moulded fibre product forming station of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the hollow moulded fibre product forming station comprises a cooling system configured to cool the portion of fluid; and   the hollow moulded fibre product forming station is configured to cause the cooling system to cool the portion of fluid before the fluid is supplied to the expandable member via the interface arrangement to change the expandable member from the first configuration to the second configuration.   
     
     
         7 . The hollow moulded fibre product forming station of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the cooling system comprises a heat exchanger, a fluid movement device, and a cooling system fluidic flow path;   the cooling system fluidic flow path has a first end connected to the reservoir system, and a second end connected to the reservoir system;   the heat exchanger is located along the cooling system fluidic flow path; and   the fluid movement device is configured to move fluid along the cooling system fluidic flow path and over the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         8 . The hollow moulded fibre product forming station of  claim 1 , wherein the hollow moulded fibre product forming station is configured to control the expandable member in a cycle in which the hollow moulded fibre product forming station causes:
 the expandable member to be inserted, in the first configuration, into the hollow moulded fibre product;   the portion of fluid to be supplied to the expandable member from the reservoir system, via the interface arrangement, to change the expandable member from the first configuration to the second configuration, within the hollow moulded fibre product, to urge the hollow moulded fibre product against the inner surface of the mould;   the expandable member to be maintained in the second configuration for a time period of no less than 10 s to form the hollow moulded fibre product and provide a formed hollow moulded fibre product;   the portion of fluid to be received by the reservoir system from the expandable member, via the interface arrangement, to change the expandable member from the second configuration to the first configuration; and   the expandable member to be withdrawn, in the first configuration, from the formed hollow moulded fibre product.   
     
     
         9 . The hollow moulded fibre product forming station of  claim 1 , wherein the hollow moulded fibre product forming station comprises a vacuum generator configured to move the portion of fluid from the expandable member to the reservoir system, via the interface arrangement. 
     
     
         10 . The hollow moulded fibre product forming station of  claim 1 , wherein the hollow moulded fibre product forming station comprises:
 an output fluidic flow path fluidically connecting the reservoir system to the interface arrangement;   an output fluid movement device located along the output fluidic flow path, and configured to move the portion of fluid along the output fluidic flow path; and   an output valve located along the output fluidic flow path, and configured to selectively allow or inhibit fluid flow along the output fluidic flow path.   
     
     
         11 . The hollow moulded fibre product forming station of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the hollow moulded fibre product forming station comprises:
 a return fluidic flow path, separate to the output fluidic flow path, fluidically connecting the interface arrangement to the reservoir system; 
 a return fluid movement device configured to move the portion of fluid along the return fluidic flow path; and 
 a return valve located along the return fluidic flow path, and configured to selectively allow or inhibit fluid flow along the return fluidic flow path; 
   the output valve is configured to allow fluid flow along the output fluidic flow path when the return valve inhibits fluid flow along the return fluidic flow path; and   the return valve is configured to allow fluid flow along the return fluidic flow path when the output valve inhibits fluid flow along the output fluidic flow path.   
     
     
         12 . The hollow moulded fibre product forming station of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the hollow moulded fibre product forming station comprises a divert fluidic flow path connecting the output fluid movement device to the reservoir system, and connected to the output fluidic flow path between the output fluid movement device and the output valve;   the output valve is located between the output fluid movement device and the interface arrangement; and   when the output valve inhibits fluid flow along the output fluidic flow path, the output fluid movement device is configured to move fluid along the divert fluidic flow path.   
     
     
         13 . The hollow moulded fibre product forming station of  claim 12 , wherein the hollow moulded fibre product forming station comprises a divert valve located along the divert fluidic flow path, and configured to allow fluid to flow along the divert fluidic flow path when the output valve inhibits fluid flow, and inhibit fluid flow along the divert fluidic flow path when the output valve allows fluid to flow. 
     
     
         14 . The hollow moulded fibre product forming station of  claim 1 , wherein the interface arrangement provides a common inlet and outlet to the expandable member. 
     
     
         15 . The hollow moulded fibre product forming station of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the interface arrangement comprises an interface arrangement valve;   the interface arrangement valve is configured to selectively inhibit or allow fluid flow through the interface arrangement.   
     
     
         16 . The hollow moulded fibre product forming station of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the hollow moulded fibre product forming station comprises:
 a further mould for receiving a further hollow moulded fibre product; and 
 a further interface arrangement connectable to a further expandable member, the further expandable member changeable between a further expandable member first configuration in which the further expandable member is insertable into the further hollow moulded fibre product, and a further expandable member second configuration in which, in use, the further expandable member urges the further hollow moulded fibre product against an inner surface of the mould to form the further hollow moulded fibre product and provide a further formed hollow moulded fibre product; 
   the reservoir system is configured so that, when the further interface arrangement is connected to the further expandable member, the reservoir system is able to supply a further portion of fluid to, and receive the further portion of fluid from, the further expandable member via the further interface arrangement to change the further expandable member between the further expandable member first configuration and the further expandable member second configuration,   wherein the reservoir system has a volume greater than a combined volume of the portion of fluid and the further portion of fluid.   
     
     
         17 . A method of forming a hollow moulded fibre product to provide a formed hollow moulded fibre product, the method comprising:
 containing fluid within a reservoir system;   inserting an expandable member in a first configuration into a hollow moulded fibre product located within a mould; and   retaining a portion of the fluid within the reservoir system whilst moving a further portion of the fluid from the reservoir system into the expandable member to change the expandable member from the first configuration to a second configuration in which the expandable member urges the hollow moulded fibre product against an inner surface of the mould.   
     
     
         18 . A hollow moulded fibre product forming station controller configured to cause a hollow moulded fibre product forming station to perform the method of  claim 17 . 
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory storage medium storing machine-readable instructions that, when executed by a hollow moulded fibre product forming station controller, cause the hollow moulded fibre product forming station controller to cause a hollow moulded fibre product forming station to perform the method of  claim 17 . 
     
     
         20 . A receptacle manufacturing line comprising the hollow moulded fibre product forming station of  claim 1  for providing a formed hollow moulded fibre product and apparatus for performing at least one additional process on the formed hollow moulded fibre product to provide the receptacle.