JP5539434B2 - Apparatus and method for producing a can body of an aerosol can - Google Patents

Description

  In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for manufacturing a can body used to manufacture an aerosol can. The can body to be manufactured has a cylindrical wall part adjacent to a neck part having a smaller diameter than the cylindrical wall part, and the neck part preferably has a cylindrical end part. This can body can then be used as a semi-finished part for the production of aerosol cans.

  The manufacture of aerosol cans is constrained by conflicting objectives. While each aerosol can from a different manufacturer should be superior to other aerosol cans, it can lead to increased material and cost costs, while low material consumption and light weight are costly. And for environmental reasons in particular. Compared to beverage cans, the required amount of aerosol cans is much less, so the same scale of economics as beverage cans cannot be achieved. Complex and expensive production equipment that has been capable of producing beverage cans can therefore not be easily replaced by equipment for producing aerosol cans.

  Patent Document 1 describes a so-called “main body manufacturing apparatus” used for manufacturing a can body, for example, by making a workpiece having a bottom and an adjacent cylindrical wall from a cup portion formed in advance by ironing. ing. Narrowing is not possible with this device.

  A machine and method for controlled spin flow forming of cans is known from US Pat. This document proceeds from a conventional method in which a preformed cup portion is formed by ironing, the bottom of the cup portion is reduced, and the length of the cylindrical wall is increased. The wall can then be provided in a separate device with a neck and a flange. For example, die forming, roller spinning, or pressure forming is suggested for neck forming using a spinning roller that rotates along the outer periphery and interacts with an inner member provided inside the can body. The

  Patent Document 2 proposes a spin flow forming method that controls metal flow during forming in order to minimize metal breakage.

  A method for producing a can body is known from Patent Document 3 in which the cup portion is first made from a plate-like material by deep drawing. The cup part is then formed into an ironed workpiece by ironing and then the circumference of the ironed workpiece is calibrated in several individual steps, so that several mold sets Is used. Each mold set has a mold and an inverted mold. During the calibration of the perimeter of this ironed workpiece, the excess thickness of the cylindrical wall is maintained. Finally, the shaped area can be made on the wall by so-called hydroforming or pressure pads and project either inward or outward as a narrow. In the case of this manufacturing method as well, various devices are required for different process steps, making the manufacturing very expensive.

US Pat. No. 5,357,777 German Patent Publication No. 3783509 T2 German Patent Publication No. 697111587 T2

  An apparatus and method for producing a can body, in particular for an aerosol can, which originates from this known prior art and is in time with a simple tool and can therefore be used economically for small quantities. Can be regarded as a subject of the present invention.

  This problem is solved by an apparatus with the features of claim 1 and a method with the features of claim 12.

  The heart of the invention is that the can body, in particular the can body used for the manufacture of aerosol cans, is generally manufactured as a semi-finished part with a single and preferably vertical machining stroke using several mandrels. That is. Initially, the cup part is manufactured from a plate-like and preferably circular material by deep-drawing using a drawing ring. After deep drawing of the cup part, the drawing ring preferably serves as a fastener for an ironing mandrel arranged coaxially with the drawing ring, the working mandrel being in the direction of the machining stroke. And is combined with the cup part to narrow down the cup part although it is an ironing channel. During this stage of the machining stroke, an ironed workpiece comprising a bottom and a cylindrical wall adjacent to the bottom is produced from the cup part. During ironing, the axial length of the wall increases, but the wall thickness decreases. This ironing can be performed by a ironing ring inside the ironing channel in several individual steps.

  Finally, during the last stage of the machining stroke and as a result of the stretch forming process of the bottom or center bottom of the ironed workpiece, the axial length of the workpiece is further increased and the neck is It is formed using a diameter smaller than the diameter of the cylindrical wall. To do so, a stretch forming mandrel is provided that moves relative to the ironing mandrel during the last stage of the machining stroke and forms a neck from the bottom of the ironed workpiece. The stretch forming mandrel now operates preferably with a dormer having a forming recess in the extension to the ironing channel. In doing so, the stretch forming mandrel presses the bottom of the ironed workpiece into the forming recess of the dormer. The ironing mandrel is now preferably used as a fastener and interacts with the contact surface on the dormer.

  A can body with a cylindrical wall and an adjacent neck portion with a smaller diameter is thus preferably in the vertical direction and in a single machining stroke, a squeezing mandrel, It can be manufactured by a single movement with a stretch forming mandrel. The can body is manufactured in a single setup. The workpiece is not moved between different machining devices between forming steps. Forming the plate-shaped material into the can body is realized by one processing stroke in one processing direction along the longitudinal axis of the apparatus, preferably the vertical direction. The equipment required for this is a very simple design and can therefore be manufactured inexpensively. As a result, the device can be used economically even in small quantities. Complex tools for producing narrow or narrow necks are not necessary. Further processing from the can body to the finished can, in particular an aerosol can, can then be designed simply and economically, for example, the closed end of the neck can be laser cut or another cut It can be opened by the process and the open opposite end is closed by inserting a circular bottom. This type of circular bottom can be easily and inexpensively manufactured and connected to the cylindrical wall of the can body.

  In an advantageous embodiment of the device, the ironing mandrel has a hollow cylindrical design and coaxially surrounds the stretch forming mandrel. The ironing mandrel can be mounted so as to be movable relative to the stretch forming mandrel, and can contact the outer surface of the stretch forming mandrel. The stretch forming mandrel is positioned inside the central recess of the hollow cylindrical ironing mandrel during ironing to produce the ironed workpiece. The stretch forming mandrel is preferably not ejected from the central recess of the ironing mandrel until the neck is formed from the bottom of the workpiece ironed by stretch forming.

  The diaphragm ring is moved by a diaphragm ring drive unit that can control or adjust the position or movement of the diaphragm ring during the movement mode. The aperture ring drive unit controls or regulates the force applied to the cup portion by the aperture ring during the force mode. In this way, the drawing ring can be used both for deep drawing of the cup and as a fastener during ironing.

  In a preferred embodiment, a blocking device is provided in the punch device that houses the stretch forming mandrel and the ironing mandrel. The blocking device blocks relative movement between the stretch forming mandrel and the ironing mandrel during the machining stroke at the blocking position. In particular, the blocking device is in the blocking position during ironing to produce a workpiece ironed from the cup. This ensures that the ironing mandrel contacts the cup / workpiece bottom in the area of the ironing mandrel and that no undesirable deformation of the workpiece occurs.

  The blocking device is preferably not switched to the release position until the stretch forming operation for the production of the neck is completed. The ironing mandrel is now preferably in contact with the contact surface at the end of the ironing channel and can perform the function of a fastener. Due to the continuous movement of the punching device in the machining direction, the stretch forming mandrel is ejected out of the central recess of the ironing mandrel and forms the bottom / bottom of the ironed workpiece. Here, the ironing mandrel is preferably press-fitted into the forming recess of the dormer. At the end of the stretch forming operation by the stretch forming mandrel, the processing stroke in the processing direction ends. The punch device driving unit moves the punch device together with the ironing mandrel, and moves the stretch forming mandrel opposite to the processing direction. During this return stroke movement, the can body can be removed from the ironing mandrel.

  Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the independent claims and in the detailed description. The detailed description explains an example of a design of an apparatus according to the invention and a method according to the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. The detailed description is limited herein to the substantial features of the invention. The drawings may be further referenced.

It is the longitudinal cross-sectional schematic diagram at the time of the process stroke start which shows the design example of the apparatus which manufactures a can main body. FIG. 2 shows the device according to FIG. 1 after deep drawing of a cup part from a plate-like material. FIG. 3 shows the device according to FIGS. 1 and 2 after the ironing process has passed through the ironing channel. FIG. 4 shows the device according to FIGS. 1 to 3 during a stretch forming process on the bottom of the ironed workpiece at the end of the machining stroke. It is the longitudinal cross-sectional schematic of the can main body manufactured completely.

  1 to 4 show a preferred design example of an apparatus 10 for manufacturing a can body 11. The can body 11 is shown in a schematic vertical cross-sectional view in FIG. 4, and has a cylindrical wall 12 continuing from the neck portion 13 at one end of the can body 11. In the region of the neck portion 13, the diameter of the can body 11 is smaller than the diameter in the region of the cylindrical wall 12. Starting from the cylindrical wall 12, the can body 11 tapers in the first region 13a, so the outer surface of the can body 11 is curved in the first region 13a. Adjacent to the first region 13a, the neck 13 has a second region 13b with a cylindrical flange 14 sealed at the closed free end 15 of the can body 11 by a circular wall region 16. On the opposite side of the closed free end 15, the can body 11 forms an open end 17 whose opening is limited by a circular rim 18 of the cylindrical wall 12. The can body 11 is used as a semi-finished part for producing an aerosol can. To do so, the can body 11 can be sealed at the open end 17 by a circular bottom and incised in the area of the flange 14.

  The device 10 is shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 in a very schematic form in a block diagram manner. Guideways, frames, bearings, etc. are not shown. The device 10 in the design example has an aperture ring 26 that can be driven in the processing direction A by the aperture ring drive unit 25. The aperture ring 26 is arranged coaxially with the longitudinal axis L of the device 10. The processing direction A is aligned parallel to the vertical axis L.

  A fastener 27 that is annular in the present embodiment is mounted coaxially with the aperture ring 26 so as to be movable in the processing direction A by the fastener drive unit 28. The aperture ring 26 can be moved in the processing direction A by the aperture ring drive unit 25 through a through hole 29 arranged coaxially with the longitudinal axis L and surrounded by the fasteners 27.

  The fastener 27 is used for clamping the plate-like material 32 to the support surface 34 on the table 33 that is fixedly arranged on the frame. The support surface 34 is aligned substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L and extends in a horizontal plane in the design example. The longitudinal axis L and the processing direction A preferably extend in the vertical direction.

  The support surface 34 forms a ring and surrounds the opening of the cylindrical deep drawing channel 37 in the table 33 arranged coaxially with the longitudinal axis L. At the end opposite the support surface 34, the deep drawing channel 37 continues to the cylindrical ironing channel 38, and the diameter of the ironing channel 38 is smaller than the diameter of the deep drawing channel 37. As a result, a step 39 having a ring-shaped holding stop surface 40 is formed at the transition point between the deep drawing channel 37 and the ironing channel 38. The holding stop surface 40 extends in a plane parallel to the support surface 34 and substantially horizontally according to this embodiment.

  The ironing channel 38 is closed by a dormer 45 at the end opposite to the step 39. The dormer 45 is pretensioned against the table 33 by elastic pretensioning means 46 which can be formed by a spring train, for example. In this way, the dormer 45 is provided to be movable against the force of the pretensioning means 46. At an extension of the ironing channel 38, the dormer 45 has a forming recess 48 on the processing side 47 associated with the ironing channel 38. The forming recess 48 has the same diameter as the ironing channel 38 at the transition point to the processing side 47, and has a first recess region 49 in which the diameter of the forming recess 48 continuously decreases. ing. The wall that limits the forming recess 48 in the first recess region 49 is concave according to this embodiment. A second indentation region 50 is provided coaxially with the longitudinal axis L, providing a cylindrical cavity adjacent to the indentation region 49 and ending at the bottom 75.

  The deep drawing channel 37, the ironing channel 38, and the forming recess 48 are arranged along a common longitudinal axis L.

  The apparatus 10 further includes a punch device 56 that can be moved in the processing direction A by the punch device drive unit 55. The punching device 56 accommodates a carrier component 57 in which a cylindrical stretch forming mandrel 58 is arranged along the longitudinal axis L. The ironing mandrel 59 is arranged coaxially with the stretch forming mandrel 58. The ironing mandrel 59 has a hollow cylindrical shape and preferably contacts the outer surface of the stretch forming mandrel 58 in the region of the cylindrical guide recess 60 of the ironing mandrel. The shape of the end region 59a of the ironing mandrel 59 coincides with the shape of the first indented region 49 of the forming indented portion 48, and according to the embodiment, it is designed to have a convex shape without a rim. The ironing mandrel 59 is provided so as to be movable along the stretch forming mandrel 58 and, therefore, along the longitudinal axis L relative to the stretch forming mandrel 58. It is supported by force setting means 61 on the carrier part 57 of the punching device 56. The spring row 62 including one or more spiral springs is used as the force setting means 61 in the design example. The carrier part 57 further comprises a blocking device 63 that is used to block any movement of the ironing mandrel 59 opposite to the processing direction A during the processing stroke of the punch device 56.

  In a preferred design embodiment, the blocking device 63 can be moved offset for this purpose between the carrier part 57 and the ironing mandrel 59 in the spring of the spring row 62 or from this intermediate space. It has at least one and preferably more slides 64 that can go out. For this purpose, the sliding part 64 is arranged on the carrier part 57 so as to be movable in the radial direction relative to the longitudinal axis L, as schematically indicated by the arrow P in FIG. When the sliding portion 64 is in an intermediate space between the carrier part 57 and the ironing mandrel 59, the ironing mandrel 59 moves in the direction opposite to the machining direction A and against the spring force of the spring row 62. This is not possible and the spring train 62 cannot be compressed. The blocking device 63 is consequently in the blocking position of the blocking device shown in FIG. When the sliding portion 64 is moved out of this intermediate space between the ironing mandrel 59 and the carrier part 57, the ironing mandrel 59 resists the spring force of the spring row 62 against the stretch forming mandrel 58. And it can move in the direction opposite to the machining direction A. The blocking device 63 is then in the release position. The sliding portion can be moved by a linear motion or a turning motion.

  In an alternative design, the blocking device 63 is pivotable about the longitudinal axis L, instead of the movable slide 64, and between the blocking position and the release position at a predetermined pivot angle about the longitudinal axis L. It is possible to have a blocking part that can be swiveled with. In the blocking position, the blocking part contacts the associated end face of the ironing mandrel 59 and prevents the movement of the ironing mandrel 59 opposite to the machining direction A and against the spring force of the spring row 62. In the release position, a recess is provided in the ironing mandrel 59 at the extension of the blocking part, in which the blocking part is engaged so that the ironing mandrel 59 can be moved in the direction opposite to the machining direction A. To do. For example, a blocking part that coincides with the rod-shaped sliding part 64 can be designed.

  For a better overview, the drive units 25, 28, 55 are not shown in FIGS. In a preferred design example, each drive unit 25, 28, 55 comprises an electric motor, preferably a servo motor. These servo motors individually operate in an alternating mode that alternates between the two rotational settings and can be managed without mechanical motion transfer elements such as clutches or brakes. The method of manufacturing the can body 11 shown schematically in FIG. 5 will now be described on the basis of FIGS.

  In FIG. 1, the material 32 is placed on the support surface 34. The material 32 has a disk-like or plate-like shape having a substantially constant thickness, and preferably has a circular shape. The fastener driving unit 28 moves the fastener 27 in the processing direction A, and clamps the material 32 between the fastener 27 and the support surface 34. The clamping force of the blank 32 is preferably controlled or adjusted by the fastener drive unit 28. In this state, the processing stroke in the processing direction A starts to form the plate material 32 on the can body 11. In order to do so, the punching device 56 is moved by the punching device drive unit 55 in the processing direction A, and the aperture ring 26 is moved by the aperture ring drive unit 25. The aperture ring drive unit 25 is now in the movement mode, in which the aperture ring drive unit 25 is in position and / or acceleration and / or speed of the aperture ring 26 during movement of the aperture ring in the machining direction A. Is controlled or adjusted.

  As soon as the draw ring 26 comes into contact with the blank 32, it begins to draw the blank into the deep drawing channel 37. The fastener drive unit 28 now adjusts the clamping force or the fastener force of the fastener 27 so that the material is squeezed from between the fastener 27 and the support surface 34 and then shown in FIG. As shown, it is fully drawn into the deep drawing channel 37. At the end of the deep drawing process, the drawing ring 26 forms the material 32 in the cup portion 70 including the bottom 71 and the cylindrical wall portion 72. At the end of the deep drawing process, the drawing ring 26 presses the annular region of the bottom 71 adjacent to the wall portion 72 against the holding stop surface 40 of the step 39. This position of the aperture ring 26 can also be called a holding stop position or a clamp position. As soon as the aperture ring 26 reaches this clamping position, the aperture ring drive unit 25 switches from the movement mode to the force mode. In this force mode, the aperture ring drive unit 25 controls or adjusts the force with which the aperture ring 26 presses the bottom 71 of the cup portion 70 against the holding stop surface 40. The aperture ring 26 thus actually acts as a fastener for the punch device 56.

  Following deep drawing, a further stage of the machining stroke begins in the machining direction A. The punch device 56 is further moved in the processing direction A by the punch device drive unit 55. The blocking device 63 is in the blocking position and blocks any movement of the ironing mandrel 59 relative to the stretch forming mandrel 58. Due to the continuous movement of the two mandrels 58, 59 in the machining direction A, the ironing mandrel 59 contacts the bottom 71 and narrows the cup part 70 into the ironing channel 38.

  During the simultaneous movement of the ironing mandrel 59 and the stretch forming mandrel 58 through the ironing channel 38, the cup portion 70 has a reduced surface area of the bottom 71 and a wall portion having the required dimensions of the wall 12 of the can body 11. The wall 72 is formed such that the axial length of the wall 72 increases and the wall thickness of the wall decreases. At the end of the ironing process, the cup part 70 is finished into a ironed work piece 73 as shown in FIG.

  After the forming process on the ironed workpiece 73 of the cup part 70, the final stage of the machining stroke in the machining direction A is continued. Initially, the punching device 56, together with the two mandrels 58, 59 of this punching device, is in the processing direction A until the ironed workpiece 73 contacts the wall of the first region 49 of the forming recess 48. Moved to. In this position, the blocking device 63 is switched to the release position of this blocking device. Switching of the blocking device 63 to the release position allows the ironing mandrel 59 to be moved relative to the stretch forming mandrel 58 in the direction opposite to the machining direction A. The punch device driving unit 55 further moves the punch device 56 in the processing direction A. Since the dormer 45 is pressed against the ironing mandrel 59 by the pretensioning means 46, the machining mandrel 59 is moved against the spring force of the spring row 62 and relative to the stretch forming mandrel 58. Here, the force setting means 61 formed by the spring row 62 is configured to apply the work piece 73 on which the ironing mandrel 59 has been ironed to the wall of the first depression area 49 of the forming depression 48 of the dormer 45. Determine the clamping force or holding force to be pressed. At the same time, the stretch forming mandrel 58 presses the center bottom portion 74 of the ironing processed workpiece 73 to the second indentation region 50 of the forming indentation 48. The axial length of the ironed workpiece 73 increases here. During the last stage of this processing stroke in the processing direction A, the stretch forming processing mandrel 58 and the dormer 45 interact to perform the stretch forming processing of the ironed workpiece 73.

  FIG. 4 shows the final position of the processing stroke in the processing direction A in which the stretch forming processing mandrel 58 presses the center bottom 74 against the bottom 75 of the second region 50 of the forming processing recess 48. Forming of the raw material 32 into the can body 11 is completed, and the punch device driving unit 55 can move the punch device 56 to the initial position in the opposite direction to the processing direction A. During this return stroke, the can body 11 can be removed from the punching device 56 or the ironing mandrel 59. For this purpose, a take-out means not shown in detail can be brought into contact with the outer surface of the ironing mandrel 59, so that the can body 11 is removed when the return stroke continues. The rim 18 can be engaged.

  After the return stroke of the three forming mandrels 26, 58 and 59 and the fastener 27, the next round disc or plate material 32 can be inserted and formed as described above in the next machining stroke. It is.

  The present invention thus relates to an apparatus and a method in which a can body 11 including a cylindrical wall 12 and a neck portion 13 having a smaller diameter can be manufactured in one processing direction and in one processing direction A. The device 10 has a drivable draw ring 27 that is used to deep draw the cup portion 70 from the plate stock 32 in the first stage of the machining stroke. After completion of this first stage, cup portion 70 is squeezed into ironing channel 38 using ironing mandrel 59 and formed into ironed workpiece 73. Finally, the stretch forming mandrel 58 is moved out of the guide recess 60 of the ironing mandrel 59, and in conjunction with the forming recess 48 of the dormer 45 in the stretch drawing process stage of the processing stroke, At least a portion of the neck is formed. As a result of the stretch drawing step, the processing stroke is completed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Apparatus 11 Can main body 12 Wall 13 Neck part 13a Neck part 1st area 13b Neck part 2nd area 14 Flange 15 Closed free end 16 Wall area 17 Open end 18 Rim 25 Diaphragm ring drive unit 26 Diaphragm ring 27 Fastening Tool 28 Fastener drive unit 29 Through-hole 32 Material 33 Table 34 Support surface 37 Deep drawing channel 38 Ironing channel 39 Step 40 Holding stop surface 45 Dormer 46 Pretensioning means 47 Processing side 48 Forming recess 49 First recess Part region 50 Second recess part region 55 Punch device drive unit 56 Punch device 57 Carrier component 58 Stretch forming mandrel 59 Ironing mandrel 59a Ironing mandrel end region 60 Guide recess 61 Force setting means 62 Spring row 63 Blocking device 64 Sliding Moving portion 70 Cup portion 71 Bottom 72 Wall portion 73 Ironed workpiece 74 Center bottom portion 75 Bottom A Processing direction L Vertical axis P Arrow

Claims (15)

An apparatus for producing a can body (11) including a neck portion (13) in one processing stroke,
An aperture ring (26) that can be driven by an aperture ring drive unit (25) for deep drawing of the cup portion (70) from a plate-like or disc-like material (32);
In order to form the cup part into a ironed workpiece (73) with a bottom and a cylindrical wall by being ironed in a ironing channel (38), which can be driven by a punch drive unit (55). Stretch forming having an ironing mandrel (59) and movable relative to the ironing mandrel (59) for stretch forming of the bottom (74) of the ironed workpiece (73) A punching device (56) having a processing mandrel (58);
A device comprising:   The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the draw ring (26) is arranged coaxially with the stretch forming mandrel (58) and the ironing mandrel (59).   The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ironing mandrel (59) has a hollow cylindrical shape and coaxially surrounds the stretch forming mandrel (58).   The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ironing mandrel (59) is movably provided relative to the stretch forming mandrel (58) and contacts an outer surface of the stretch forming mandrel (58).   The aperture ring drive unit (25) is for controlling or adjusting the position or movement of the aperture ring (26) in the movement mode and for controlling or adjusting the force applied by the aperture ring (26) in the force mode. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to be operated.   A blocking device (63) for blocking any movement of the ironing mandrel (59) relative to the stretch forming mandrel (58) in the blocking position during the machining stroke of the punch device (56) is provided. The apparatus of claim 1.   The blocking device (63) allows any movement of the ironing mandrel (59) relative to the stretch forming mandrel (58) during the machining stroke of the punch device (56) in the release position. The apparatus according to claim 6.   Device according to claim 1, wherein a dormer (45) with a forming recess (48) interacting with the stretch forming mandrel (58) and / or the ironing mandrel (59) is provided.   The punch device drive unit (55) is configured to perform stretch forming on the bottom (74) of the ironed workpiece (73) when the blocking device (63) is in a release position of the blocking device. 9. Apparatus according to claims 7 and 8, configured to move a stretch forming mandrel (58) into the forming recess (48).   The ironing mandrel (59) serves as a fastener during stretch forming of the bottom (74) of the ironed workpiece (73) by the stretch forming mandrel (59). Item 2. The apparatus according to Item 1.   The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ironing mandrel (59) is supported by force setting means (61) on a carrier part (57) of the punching device (56). A method of manufacturing a can body (11) having a neck (13) in one processing stroke,
Deep drawing the cup portion (70) from the plate material (32) using the drawing ring (26);
The cup part (70) is formed into an ironed workpiece (73) having a bottom and a cylindrical wall by ironing in an ironing channel (38) using an ironing mandrel (59). And steps to
Stretch forming the bottom (74) of the ironed workpiece (73) using a stretch forming mandrel (58) movable relative to the ironing mandrel (59);
A method comprising:   Movement of the ironing mandrel (59) relative to the stretch forming mandrel (58) is prevented during the forming of the cup part (70) into the ironing workpiece (73). The method of claim 12.   The ironing mandrel (59) moves the ironing work piece (73) into the contact surface of the domer (45) during the stretch forming process of the bottom (74) of the ironing work piece (73). The method according to claim 12, wherein the method is pressed against the surface.   The stretch forming mandrel (58) presses the bottom (74) of the ironed workpiece (73) against the forming recess (48) of the domer (45) during the stretch forming. The method according to claim 14.

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