EP0723928B1 - Method and apparatus for treating containers - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method and a device for treating vessels according to the preamble of claim 1 and claim 10. Such a method and such a device are known from DE 33 11 200 C.

When filling oxygen-sensitive beverages, in particular beer, various measures are used to prevent air from being trapped in the head or neck area of the bottles before closing bottles that have already been filled, so that the contents of the bottle are not impaired. For example, a high-pressure injection device is used to inject a hot water jet into the filled, still open bottles in order to foam the beer in the bottle neck. Due to the foam increase, ideally right up to the bottle mouth, the air should be displaced before the bottles are closed (DE 33 11 200 C1). In addition, an attempt is made immediately before touching down and Fixing the closure still in the area of the bottle mouth and in the hat-shaped recess of the closure, for example crown caps, to displace the closing tools by means of special inert gas blowing devices.

Furthermore, a sealing machine has become known from US Pat. No. 4,099,361, with which crown caps or screw closures can be processed. When changing the closure type, a curve section can be exchanged in the groove curve provided for the height control of the closure tools, in order to be able to reduce the bottle load and thus the bottle breakage rate when processing crown caps. This machine is not specially adapted to the processing of oxygen sensitive products.

These measures cause increased construction costs.

The invention has for its object to bring about an improvement.

The problem is solved regarding the method by the characterizing features of claim 1 and the device regarding by the characterizing features of claim 10.

The proposed solution is an effective way of effectively displacing air from the neck or head space of a bottle and especially from the closure before the closure is finally attached to the vessel, without having to provide additional inert gas blowing devices in the area of the closure tools. The fact that the closure is brought to the bottle mouth after the injection process, but in contrast to the previous procedure is not immediately pressed sealingly against the mouth and fastened by deformation, but first a sufficiently long period of time close to the mouth of the bottle in an open Mouth shielding position is held, the excited by the injection process in the bottle interior and increased fluid release or release can be used to displace the air from the recess of the closure. The fluid flow emerging from the interior of the bottle through the mouth strikes the inside of the closure and is deflected towards the edge of the closure, in order to finally escape there through a gap between the closure and the edge of the mouth. In addition to the effective displacement of air in connection with the closure, this positively guided flow also provides good shielding of the bottle mouth which is still open, so that even at high bottle conveying speeds no turbulence can arise from the ambient air at the bottle mouth which, without this shielding, prevents air from entering the bottle mouth Bottleneck could result.

To implement the shielding position of the closure, a corresponding adjustment of the height control is sufficient in the known closing machines, which generally have a control cam on which the cam rollers of the individual closing tools rest. However, a modification of the course of the curve does not cause any major construction work and is easy to implement. After a relatively short period of time, the closure can finally be pressed gas-tight against the mouth and attached to it.

The proposed solution is particularly effective when a liquid gas, in particular liquid nitrogen, is injected into the bottles after filling. The liquid gas evaporating when entering a filled bottle creates an intense one Gas release in the bottle interior. The resulting gas evolution and flow can be so strong with the appropriate dosage that the closure can even be placed directly on the mouth in the shielding position. An increase in pressure in the interior of the bottle then raises the closure at a sufficiently high gas pressure so that the aforementioned gas flow between the closure and the mouth is created with the air displacement effect.

Air displacement by vaporizing liquefied gas brings other advantages compared to the known foaming of the beverage by means of injected hot water or the like, e.g. less contamination of the outside of the bottle and the closing tools due to non-overflowing foam. This considerably reduces the risk of infection from contaminated sealing tools, since the lack of beer foam largely removes the nutrient base from the undesired microorganisms in the gaps of the sealing tools.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

Fig. 1

die teilweise Draufsicht auf eine Vorrichtung zum Behandeln von Gefäßen,

Fig.2

einen vertikalen Teilschnitt durch das Oberteil einer Verschließmaschine entlang der Schnittlinie A-A in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3

einen vergrößert dargestellten vertikalen Schnitt durch das eigentliche Verschließwerkzeug und

Fig. 4

eine Abwicklung der Steuerkurve der in Fig. 2 dargestellten Verschließmaschine.

An exemplary embodiment is explained below with reference to the figure. It shows:

Fig. 1

the partial plan view of a device for treating vessels,

Fig. 2

2 shows a vertical partial section through the upper part of a capping machine along the section line AA in FIG. 1,

Fig. 3

an enlarged vertical section through the actual closing tool and

Fig. 4

a development of the control curve of the capping machine shown in Fig. 2.

1 shows part of a filler carousel 8, indicated only by a dash-dotted line, and the rotor 10, likewise only indicated schematically, of a capping machine 9, which is connected via a transfer starwheel 30 to the outlet of the filler carousel 8 and is driven synchronously with it. A stationary injection device 7 for liquid nitrogen is arranged on the circulation path of the transfer star wheel 30, between filler carousel 8 and the inlet of the sealing machine 9. In order to adapt to the properties of the beverage, the transport speed and other influencing variables, the position of the injection device 7 can be further away from the illustration or closer to the inlet of the sealing machine 9 and / or the injection pressure can be changed.

The rotor 10 of the capping machine 9 is, in a manner known per se, with receiving pockets (not shown) for the bottles 2, which are arranged in the receiving pockets by guide rails 31 which are arranged in a fixed manner on the orbit be kept equipped. To discharge the closed bottles 2 from the capper, an outlet star wheel 40 is arranged at its outlet. To supply the closure, a closure supply station 39 is positioned on the orbit of the rotor 10 between the outlet star wheel 40 and the transfer star wheel 30.

The structure of the capper can be seen from FIG. 2, which shows a vertical section through the capper upper part from its inner axis of rotation 20 to its outer periphery. From this illustration it can be seen that the rotor 10 consists essentially of a revolving drivable center shaft 19 with a support disk 21 rigidly attached to it, which has on its outer circumference bores lying on a pitch circle for receiving the closing tools 11. On the upper end of the center shaft 19, a rotationally fixed support 23 is mounted by means of a rotary bearing 22, to which a control cam 18 is attached.

A closing tool 11 consists of a guide tube 24, which is inserted through the aforementioned bore in the supporting disk 21 of the rotor 10 and in which a rod 25 carrying an interchangeably fastened closing cone 28, which is attached at its lower end, can be raised and lowered. The rod 25 is secured against rotation by means of a guide pin 26 which is fastened to the support disk 21 laterally next to the guide tube 24. At the upper end of the rod 25, a pair of cam rollers 14, 15 is attached, one cam roller 14 on the top and the second cam roller 15 on the Underside of the control curve 18 is present. In the interior of the rod 25, a pressure plunger 13 is guided, which has a magnet 12 at its lower end for holding a crown cap 1. The plunger 13 is permanently pressed downwards by a comparatively soft coil spring 16. Apart from the actual closing phase, in which the crown cork 1 is pressed against the bottle mouth 3 and deformed by flanging its edge and thereby fastened, a first shoulder surface 27 of the pressure plunger 13 is constantly on the top of the closing cone 28 or the support ring 29 (see Fig. 3). In addition, a sliding sleeve 32 is slidably mounted on the pressure ram 13. A hard helical spring 34 is clamped between this sliding sleeve 32 and a second shoulder surface 33 located at the lower end of the pressure ram 13. The plunger 13 is a certain, short distance alone against the low force of the soft coil spring 16 axially displaceable relative to the rod 25 until the top of the sliding sleeve 32 comes to rest on a step 35 formed in the rod 25. With a further displacement of the pressure plunger 13 upwards, the then effective, considerably higher force of the hard spring 34 must also be overcome.

In Fig. 3 the lower end of the closing tool 11 is shown in an enlarged view. The lower end of the guide tube 24 with the rod 25 projecting therefrom can be seen. At the end of the rod 25, a support ring 29 is detachably fastened with screws, which is exchangeable Receiving the annular sealing cone 28 is used. The closing cone 28 is partially penetrated by a magnet 12 connected to the pressing plunger 13 by pinning, the end face of the magnet 12 being set back inwards with respect to the lower edge of the closing cone. A centering of the crown cap 1 held by the magnet 12 in the sealing cone 28 is thereby achieved.

2 and 3, the position II of the closing tool 11 is shown, in which the crown cap 1 covers or shields the mouth 3 of the bottle 2, which has not yet been finally closed. 3 that the top of the mouth 3 is only a few millimeters apart from the inner end face 36 of the crown cap 1 in this position. The distance can vary due to the height tolerances of the bottles 2 standing on a stand plate (not shown). The lower edge 6 of the crown cork 1 lies below the mouth 3, with an annular gap 4 between the edge of the cork 1 projecting vertically downward from the end face 36 and the circumferential surface of the mouth. It is easy to understand that the gas emerging from the mouth 3 first meets the end face 36 of the cork 1 and is deflected towards the cork edge 6 in order to subsequently escape into the open through the aforementioned gap 4 between the edge and the circumferential surface of the mouth. During this process, both the air components that may still be present in the bottle neck and the air volume originally located in the recess 5 of the crown cap are completely displaced.

This air displacement also works through foam rising from the bottle when a classic, e.g. with hot water working injector 7 is used. However, it is more advantageous to use liquid gas, preferably liquid nitrogen, since an intensive gas flow can then be achieved. In this case, the crown cap 1 for shielding the mouth 3 - deviating from the illustration in FIGS. 2 and 3- can be placed directly on the mouth, because as the evaporation of the nitrogen in the bottle 2 increases, the internal pressure increases until the Crown cork is at least temporarily lifted from the mouth 3 to escape the gas by the gas force taking effect against the lower force of the soft spring 16 to escape. After the displacement of air, the closing tool 11 is further lowered by the control cam 18, whereby the crown cap 1 is pressed gas-tight against the mouth 3 and subsequently the edge 6 of the crown cap 1 is deformed radially inward by a further downward movement of the closing cone 28 against the force of the hard spring 34 and the mouth of the bottle 2 is covered (position III).

The three relevant height positions I, II, III of a closing tool 11, depending on its rotational position during a revolution with the rotor 10 of the closing machine 9, can be seen from the development of the curve shape of the control curve 18 shown in FIG. 4. The initial position of a closing tool 11, denoted by zero degrees, is located at the closing feed station 39 (see FIG. 1). With I, the top position is that The ready position of the closing tool 11 denotes, in which a magnet 1 is supplied with a cork 1 through the closing feed station 39 and then a bottle 2 is inserted concentrically under the closing tool 11 through the transfer star wheel 30. By lowering the closing tool (phase S) into the lower-lying shielding position II, the crown cork is brought close to the mouth 3 into the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and held for some time in the further course, the cork in the manner described above is gassed on its inside by gas emerging from bottle 2 (phase B). From this shielding position II, the closing tool 11 is then further lowered until the lowest position III, the closing position (position V), and then returned to the ready position I (phase H) to release and remove the now closed bottle (phase H), in order to have a cork again 1 at the shutter feed station 39.

Claims (22)

1. A process for the treatment of vessels, particularly bottles or the like, into which a fluid is injected after filling, before the mouth (3) of the vessel (2) is closed in a sealed manner by a closure (1), characterised in that after the injection of the fluid a closure (1) is first brought up to the mouth (3) of the vessel (2) and is held for a defined period in a position (II) above the mouth in such a way that the open mouth is covered by the closure but gas can escape from the vessel (2) through an annular gap (4) between the mouth and the closure, and thereafter the closure is fixed in a sealed manner to the vessel.
2. A process according to claim 1, characterised in that the closure (1) is not brought into and held in the screening position (II) in the vicinity of the mouth (3) until the expiry of a chronological delay after injecting the fluid into the vessel (2).
3. A process according to either one of claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the closure has an indentation (5) into which the mouth (3) is introduced in the screening position (II), wherein the bottom edge (6) of the closure (1) is preferably at a lower level in this position than is the top surface of the mouth.
4. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that in the screening position (II) the underside (36) of the closure (1) is only a few millimetres, preferably 1 to 3 mm, from the mouth (3).
5. A process according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that in the screening position (II) the closure (1) is held resting loosely on the mouth (3) and can be raised from the mouth by a pressure increase in the vessel (2).
6. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the fluid can be introduced through the open mouth (3) into a vessel (2) by an injection device (7), and a liquefied gas is used, particularly liquid nitrogen.
7. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the closure (1) can be fixed to the vessel (2) by a permanent deformation.
8. A process according to claim 7, characterised in that the closure (1) is a crown cap.
9. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the closure (1) is held in the screening position (II) by a closure tool (11) and is subsequently fixed by the latter to the vessel (2).
10. A device for the treatment of vessels, particularly bottles or the like, into which a fluid is injected after filling before the mouth (3) of the vessel (2) is closed in a sealed manner by a closure (1), for carrying out the process according to claim 1, characterised in that the device comprises a holding element (12) for the closure (1), with which holding element the closure (1) is brought up to the mouth (3) of the vessel (2) after the injection of the fluid into the vessel and is held in a position (II) screening the mouth for a time interval such that gas can escape from the vessel (2) through an annular gap (4) between the mouth (3) and the closure (1), and comprises a closure tool (11) with which the closure can thereafter be fixed in a sealed manner to the vessel.
11. A device according to claim 10, characterised in that the height of the holding element (12) and of the closure tool (11) can be controlled in relation to the mouth (3) of the vessel (2), and the holding element (12) is preferably integrated in the closure tool (11).
12. A device according to claim 11, characterised in that a height controller (18), particularly a control cam, is associated with the closure tool (11) and the holding element (12), with which controller the closure tool (11) and the holding element (12) can be brought from a stand-by position (I), in which a closure (1) can be fed to the holding element (12) and a vessel (2) can be introduced under the holding element (12) and/or closure tool (11), into a position (II) nearer the mouth (3), wherein the closure (1) held by the holding element (12) screens the open mouth (3) of the vessel (2) for the duration of a time interval.
13. A device according to claim 12, characterised in that the height controller (18) is constructed so that after the screening position (II) situated nearer the mouth (3) the holding element (12) and/or the closure tool (11) can be brought into an even lower position (III) for the fixation of the closure, and thereafter can be moved back into the stand-by position (I) for the removal of the closed vessel (2).
14. A device according to any one of claims 10 to 13, characterised in that the holding element (12) is constructed as a magnet and is preferably integrated in the pressure plunger (13) of the closure tool (11).
15. A device according to any one of claims 10 to 14, characterised in that a plurality of closure tools (11), each having a holding element (12), is disposed distributed at the periphery of a rotor (10) which can be driven in circulation, and the vessels (2) to be closed can be continuously introduced and taken out, synchronously with the circulating motion of the closure tools (11) and in the correct position under the latter.
16. A device according to claims 10 to 15, characterised in that at least one cam roller (14, 15), which is seated against a fixed control cam (18) which determines the height of the holding element (11), is associated with each closure tool (11).
17. A device according to any one of claims 12 to 16, characterised in that the control cam (18) is constructed so that in the screening position (II) a gap (4) exists between the closure (1) and the mouth (3) for the escape of gas from the vessel (2).
18. A device according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterised in that the control cam (18) is constructed so that in the screening position (II) the closure (1) rests on the mouth (3), and when there is a pressure increase in the inside of the vessel (2) it can be lifted off at least slightly from the mouth (3) by the gas pressure, particularly against the force of a soft spring (16) acting on the pressure plunger (13).
19. A device according to any one of claims 10 to 18, characterised in that as seen in the direction of conveying of the vessels, the injection device (7) is disposed in front of the rotor (10) carrying the holding elements (12) and closure tools (11), preferably on a transfer star wheel (30) connecting a filling machine carousel (8) to the rotor (10).
20. A device according to claim 19, characterised in that the position of the injection device (7) on the periphery of the transfer star wheel (30) is adjustable.
21. A device according to any one of claims 10 to 20, characterised in that the injection pressure of the fluid is can be varied, preferably depending on the speed of conveying of the vessels.
22. A device according to any one of claims 19 to 21, characterised in that the injection device (7) emits liquefied gas, particularly liquid nitrogen.

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