EP1330409B1 - Machine protection device - Google Patents

Abstract

A treatment or manufacturing installation in a working area, comprising at least one machine having at least one workstation, particularly a beverage bottle treatment or manufacturing machine, which is fixedly disposed on a floor area, and comprising a machine protection device which comprises panes which cover at least the workstation in a supporting frame which comprises vertical pillars and which defines an area.

Description

The invention relates to a treatment or production system according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a machine protection device according to the preamble of claim 15.

In a bottle treatment machine according to DE 30 29 755 A, the support frame of the machine protection device is placed on the machine frame in order to shield the work stations arranged above the machine frame from the outside. Disks made of transparent plastic can be pushed up in the fields. Each disc has upper and lower, integrated and inward-facing edge flanges and stiffening angle profiles that run vertically on the inside of the disc and to which holders are attached. The holders engage with rollers in raceways defined by the vertical supports. This arrangement represents a conventional concept of a machine protection device integrated in the system.

From the KRONES magazine, issue 2/2000, published by the board of Krones AG, D-93068 Neutraubling, DE, p. 42, 45, a concept for a bottle filling system is known, according to which the filling system with an integrated, fully encapsulated machine protection device is additionally arranged within a clean room, which by a in the operating site between the stand area and the ceiling fixed supporting frame structure with inner panels is limited. The supporting frame delimits a square that does not follow the contour of the stand area of the plant, but separates the plant in the operating facility from other, free-standing areas of the plant, but is at a large distance from the plant so that the panes are not contaminated by the plant.

Due to the framed panes, seals, fittings and the frame structure, a fully integrated machine protection device tends to have acute contamination areas that are difficult to keep clean or clean. Furthermore, it naturally hinders access to certain parts of the workstations and limits the viewing area. If the system is to be operated under isolated or clean room conditions, an external shielding of the room area is still required, despite the encapsulating machine protection device, which means a high level of structural complexity.

The invention has for its object to provide a treatment or manufacturing system in a plant and a machine protection device in which the aforementioned disadvantages are avoided and a machine protection function and if necessary also clean room insulation can be achieved with structurally justifiable effort.

The object is achieved with the features of claim 1 or the independent claim 15.

In the treatment or manufacturing system in the operating facility, the support frame with the framelessly anchored safety glass panes functions both as Machine protection device as well as room shielding. For this combination of functions, the panes have to be frameless safety glass panes, which offer the required safety standard and, thanks to the inside of the pane that is free up to the edges of the pane, can be easily cleaned and kept clean in order to meet hygienic requirements and clean room requirements. Facing the machine, there is an almost continuous surface made of safety glass, while fittings and the vertical supports with additional equipment are largely arranged outside the shielded area. The support frame can be of relatively delicate design and, thanks to its arrangement and design, is self-supporting. It is essential that the supporting frame conforms to the base surface contour of the machine or at least follows it as closely as possible and thereby reliably performs both functions. The clean room is only as big as necessary and can therefore be operated in an energy-saving manner. The close distance to the base surface contour of the machines is favorable for the machine protection function, ie for noise insulation, splash protection, injury protection and the like.

The machine protection device fulfills a double function if, as a shielding of a clean room area without integration into the machine, it only conforms to the base surface contour of the machine and is designed in an adaptable modular design. The frameless safety glass panes enable stable integration of the panes in the support frame. This is also important with regard to keeping it clean, which is more urgent because of the saving of an integrated machine protection device than with a clean room shielding of a machine or system that already has an integrated machine protection device.

Advantageously, a single frameless safety glass pane is firmly anchored for each field that is not to be opened, or one or two safety glass panes are pivotably anchored for each field that is to be opened, in order to conveniently enable the required access or, if necessary, even a lock or the like.

There should be open joints between adjacent vertical pane edges in order to allow a certain, limited exchange of air with the direction of flow to the outside and to enable simple and effective cleaning of the pane edges as well. In addition, manufacturing tolerances, individual movements of the fields and thermal dimensional changes can be compensated for in the joints.

The stability of the support frame is improved by band-like sheet metal covers between the vertical supports and above the safety glass panes. In addition, the sheet metal covers can be used conveniently as supports for additional equipment. Metal panels made of stainless steel are easy to keep clean and contribute to a pleasing aesthetic impression. The cover also saves height on the safety glass panes.

The height-adjustable feet on the vertical supports enable the support frame to be precisely adjusted. Moving the feet outwards is advisable with regard to the cleanliness of the outer edge of the clean room area. The lower edges of the panes form drip edges, from which dirt falls onto the base without contaminating the feet. In addition, the drip area can be kept clean thanks to the offset of the feet.

In fields with firmly anchored safety glass panes, lower cross connections between the vertical supports are also useful to increase the stability and inherent rigidity of the support frame.

Functionally reliable pane edge clamp fittings and pane edge point supports hold the firmly anchored frameless safety glass panes and are advantageous in terms of keeping them clean.

Swing-open safety glass panes are anchored with clamping swivel fittings, which also engage in a form-fitting manner in the panes. These fittings are also easy to clean on the inside of the clean room area.

Brackets for additional overhead fittings can be provided on the panels between the vertical supports, inside and / or outside.

In areas in which bushings are required from the outside into the clean room area or from the inside to the outside, it is expedient to incorporate sheet metal disks with corresponding openings in the support frame.

Although the support frame is automatically stable and provides the machine protection function and the clean room function without a direct connection to the machine, it may be advisable to provide spacers between the vertical supports and the machine on a case-by-case basis.

With regard to effective cleaning, stable positioning and easy assembly of the panes, the point supports should only have one bolt and inner and outer, have inward-reaching retaining tabs from the edge of the pane.

The required stability of the support frame is achieved with fields that are at least largely at right angles to one another, in cooperation with the cross connections between the vertical supports, it being possible for a plurality of rectilinearly aligned fields to be provided between the angles. The same or different field widths are expedient in order to individually adapt the support frame to the base surface contour of the machine or also to the work areas required for working on the machine. The support frame can be tailored, modified or modified as a modular system for the respective system. It is composed of just a few individual parts, which can be freely combined with one another.

The safety glass panes are expediently arranged at a distance in front of the inside of the vertical supports, so to speak self-supporting, so that the safety glass panes can be cleaned thoroughly not only on the inside but also on the outside, and in order to avoid zones that are particularly prone to contamination in the clean room area ,

Fig. 1

eine schematische Perspektivansicht einer Behandlungs- oder Fertigungsanlage in einer Betriebsstätte, die eine Maschinenschutzvorrichtung mit Doppelfunktion aufweist,

Fig. 2

eine Frontansicht eines Feldes der Maschinenschutzvorrichtung mit fest verankerten Sicherheits-Glas-Scheiben,

Fig. 3

einen Schnitt in der Ebene III-III in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4

einen Teil eines Feldes mit aufschwenkbaren Sicherheits-Glas-Scheiben, in einer Ansicht der Maschinenschutzvorrichtung von innen,

Fig. 5

einen Schnitt in der Ebene V-V in Fig. 4, und

Fig. 6

eine Schemadraufsicht auf eine Behandlungs- oder Fertigungsanlage in einer Betriebsstätte

Fig. 7

eine Frontansicht eines Feldes einer anderen Ausführung einer Maschinenschutzvorrichtung mit fest verankerten Sicherheits-Glas-Scheiben

Fig. 8

die Ansicht X nach Fig. 7.

Embodiments of the subject matter of the invention are explained with the aid of the drawing. Show it:

Fig. 1

1 shows a schematic perspective view of a treatment or production plant in an operating site which has a machine protection device with a double function,

Fig. 2

a front view of a field of the machine protection device with firmly anchored safety glass panes,

Fig. 3

3 shows a section in the plane III-III in FIG. 2,

Fig. 4

part of a field with hinged safety glass panes, in a view of the machine protection device from the inside,

Fig. 5

a section in the plane VV in Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6

a schematic plan view of a treatment or manufacturing plant in a plant

Fig. 7

a front view of a field of another embodiment of a machine protection device with firmly anchored safety glass panes

Fig. 8

the view X according to FIG. 7.

1 illustrates a treatment or production system in an operating site with at least one machine B having at least one work station, at least on several sides of which is surrounded by a support frame T, of which only basic machine components are indicated for the sake of clarity. The support frame T, which has a plurality of fields D, stands with vertical supports C on a stand area 1 and is nestled at a distance from the stand area contour of the machine B. In the embodiment shown, essentially right angles H are formed between some fields D, between which there are also several rectilinearly aligned fields D in some cases. The vertical supports C are additionally connected to one another via cross connections Q, one above continuous band-like screen 2, for example made of stainless steel sheet, is connected to the vertical supports C and forms the upper limit of the support frame T. The support frame T expediently ends freely above the height of work stations provided in the machine B. Panels E are provided in the fields D, which in the embodiment shown are two types of frameless safety glass panes G1, G2. The safety glass panes G1 are firmly anchored to the vertical supports C. The safety glass panes G2, on the other hand, are pivotally anchored, whereby either a single pivotable safety glass pane G2 forms a door and fills a field D, or two counter-pivotable safety glass panes G2 jointly fill in field D. A possible variant is not shown, in which a firmly anchored safety glass pane G1 is provided in a field D together with a pivotably anchored safety glass pane G2. In fields D with firmly anchored safety glass panes G1, additional lower transverse supports 3 are expediently provided between the vertical supports C and / or between a vertical support C and a vertical corner fitting profile 4. The lower disc edges 5 are at a distance X above the base 1 and form free drip edges.

The support frame T is independently stable, on the one hand through the angle H and on the other hand through the cross connections Q (the panel 2 and the cross struts 3).

If a passage is required in a field D, for example as indicated for a feed or discharge conveyor 6, then a stainless steel sheet metal plate E1 is anchored there instead of a safety glass plate.

The supporting frame T with the safety glass panes G1, G2 forms a combined machine protection device and clean room shielding VR for the machine B or the system comprising several machines B within the supporting frame T. The supporting frame T can be closed or against a wall within the operating site be scheduled.

Clean room conditioning equipment (not shown in FIG. 1) can, for example, be arranged on the panel 2 and cover the clean room shield VR in the manner of a lid. Cleaned air could also be introduced below the pane edges 5 or exhaust air removed.

2 and 3 three adjoining fields D with firmly anchored safety glass panes G1 are shown in detail. In each case two safety glass panes G1 butting each other with their vertical pane edges 12 are anchored to the vertical supports C by means of clamp fittings 7 such that a narrow joint 18 remains free. The lower disc edges 5 sit in disc edge point supports 8 of the vertical supports C. Each disc edge point support 8 has a stop bolt 9 running transversely to the edge of the disc, from which small inner and outer retaining tabs 10 extend, which engage from the edge of the disc over the sides of the disc. In this way, the safety glass panes G1 are positioned at a distance from the inner sides of the vertical supports C facing the machine B.

Each vertical support C has a height-adjustable stand 11, which is offset to the front with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vertical support C, so that the dripping area below the disc edges 5 remains free on the stand surface 1.

With this anchoring of the safety glass panes G1, the inner sides J are freely accessible up to the pane edges 12, 5 and, because of the joints provided, the pane edges 12, 5, with the exception of the clamp fittings 7 and the point supports 8, which, however, do not cause any significant contamination Define positions.

The cross struts 3 are fixed to the vertical supports C with flanges 13. The panel 2 is fixed at the upper ends of the vertical supports C with a narrow joint to the adjacent upper pane edge 12 and ends in the lower edge region with a small drip nose 2 '. Brackets 14 for further equipment, e.g. Channels 15 for cables, hoses and the like. Also attached to a disinfectant spray device 16, the spray direction of which is directed obliquely downward to the safety glass panes G1, G2.

4 and 5, the transition from a field D with a firmly anchored safety glass panes G1 to a field with two pivotably anchored safety glass panes G2 is shown in a front view and in a sectional view. Since it is only necessary to fix the right vertical pane edge 12 of the safety glass pane G1 on the vertical support C, a point support 8 ′ with horizontal retaining tabs 10 and the stop bolt 9 is provided here instead of at least one double clamping fitting 7. A wider joint 18 is left free between the firmly anchored safety glass pane G1 and the pivotably anchored safety glass pane G2. The safety glass pane G2 is anchored to the vertical support C by means of clamp fittings 7 'at at least two points lying one above the other and by means of joint fittings 20. The clamp fittings 7 'have bolts 19 which are not shown in FIG Bores of the safety glass pane G2 are used. In this field D, the second pivotally anchored safety glass pane G2 is also provided, which is anchored analogously to the next vertical support C. The two safety glass panes G2 face each other with their vertical pane edges 12, forming a narrow joint 18. Handles 21 are used to open and close the safety glass panes G2. Furthermore, actuators 22 for electrical door switches 23 are provided on pivotable safety glass panes G2. The door switches 23 are in turn mounted on the outside of the panel 2 and are used, for example, to control display or safety devices accordingly. Furthermore, in FIG. 5, a box 28 for electrical equipment parts facing the outside is attached in the panel 2, which also extends over the entire height of the vertical supports C and can replace a glass pane G1, G2 or sheet metal pane E1.

6 shows a combined machine protection device and clean room shielding VR, the supporting frame T of which is nestled at an intermediate distance to the base surface contour of the system consisting of several machines S, R, F, V1, V2. Depending on requirements, safety glass panes G1, G2 which are firmly anchored or pivotably anchored are provided in fields defined by the vertical supports C. In areas requiring access, for example with a feed Z and a discharge A, sheet metal disks E1 are used in the relevant fields D. As generally indicated by dashed swivel areas, there are several entry possibilities into the interior of the clean room area. In the course of the supporting frame T, a correspondingly outwardly and inwardly separated chamber 24 is defined by fields correspondingly arranged in the square, which can be entered without directly contacting the system to penetrate, but from which there are also different possibilities to go further inwards directly to the system. As a result, several pivotably anchored safety glass panes G2 are arranged there. Furthermore, a lock 25 is incorporated into the support frame C, via which access to other machines in the system is possible. A spacer between a vertical support C and a machine table or a machine is indicated at 26.

The system housed in the clean room area in Fig. 6 is e.g. a beverage bottle treatment system for sterile filling. With the Z feed, empty bottles enter the clean room area. Product lines are also installed there in the clean room area. The machine S is a sterilizer for sterilizing the bottles. The bottles are transferred to the sterilizer with appropriate feed stars (indicated as circles). The machine R is a rinser R that rinses the bottles. The machine F is a filler F which fills the product before the bottles are subsequently closed with a capper V1 or V2 and removed via the discharge A.

The machine protection device according to FIGS. 7 and 8 differs from the machine protection device according to FIGS. 1 to 5 in that both the rigid glass panes G1 and the pivotable glass panes G2 are arranged laterally on the vertical supports C and thus between two adjacent vertical supports C. come to rest. Accordingly, the joints 18 are formed between the vertical pane edge 12 and the adjacent outside of the respective vertical support C. This design is also easy to clean and therefore well suited for shielding a clean room.

As shown in FIG. 8, sheet metal brackets 30 are attached laterally to the vertical supports C, to which the rigid glass panes G1 are attached by means of clamping fittings 7. Correspondingly, articulated fittings 20 are fastened to the side of the vertical supports C, to which in turn the pivotable glass panes G2 are fastened by means of clamping fittings 7.

The cross connections Q are formed in the embodiment according to FIGS. 7 and 8 by pipe sections 31 which are fastened to the underside of the vertical supports C.

Claims (15)

1. Processing or manufacturing system in a production plant having at least one machine with at least one workstation, in particular a drinks bottle treatment or manufacturing machine arranged static on a support surface, and with a machine protection device, having panes covering at least the workstation, said panes being in a support frame defining fields and with vertical supports, characterised by the following features:

   a) the support frame (T) stands with the vertical supports (C) on the support surface (1), is independently self-supporting due to angles (H) between adjoining fields (D) and cross-connections (Q) between vertical supports (C) as a machine protection device and possibly closely joined as a clean room boundary (VR) with an intermediate spacing from the support surface contour of the machine (B),

   b) the panes (E) are frameless safety glass panes (G1, G2), each of which is anchored at a distance (X) above the support surface (1) to at least one vertical support (C), and

   c) the insides (J) of the panes (E) facing towards the machine (B) are freely accessible from the side of the machine (B) as far as the pane edges (5, 12).
2. System according to Claim 1, characterised in that per field (D), a frameless safety glass pane (G1) continuous in the transverse and vertical directions is firmly anchored or that one or two frameless and, in the vertical direction, continuous safety glass panes (G2) is/are anchored able to be rotated open.
3. System according to Claim 1, characterised in that between adjoining vertical pane edges (12), open joins (18) are provided.
4. System according to Claim 1, characterised in that above the panes on the insides of the vertical supports (C), band-like sheet metal shutters (2) link the vertical supports as cross-connections (Q).
5. System according to Claim 1, characterised in that each vertical support (C) has a height-adjustable foot (11) which is offset relative to the longitudinal axis of the vertical support beyond the front side of the vertical support.
6. System according to Claim 1, characterised in that in fields (D) having firmly anchored panes, lower cross-connections (3) are inserted between the vertical supports (C).
7. System according to Claim 1, characterised in that in fields (D) with firmly anchored safety glass panes (G1), pane edge clamping fastenings (7) and pane edge point supports (8) are provided on the vertical supports (C).
8. System according to Claim 1, characterised in that in fields (D) with rotatable safety glass panes (G1), clamping rotatable fastenings (7') with holding bolts (19) passed through bores in the panes are provided on the vertical supports (C).
9. System according to Claim 4, characterised in that internal and/or external holders (14, 15) are provided on the shutters (2), preferably for cables, lines, hoses, fluid outflow devices (16), electrical components (28) or similar.
10. System according to Claim 1, characterised in that in the support frame (T), fields are provided with an aperture, e.g. for conveying-in or conveying-out apparatus (Z, A) and that in the region of the aperture at least one sheet metal panel (E1) is anchored to the vertical supports (C).
11. System according to Claim 1, characterised in that spacers (27) are provided between individual vertical supports (C) and the machine (B).
12. System according to Claim 7, characterised in that the pane edge point supports (8) each have a bolt (9) orientated transverse to the plane of the pane and internal and external holding straps (10) engaging inwards from the pane edge (5, 12).
13. System according to Claim 1, characterised in that the support frame (T) is designed in a modular construction with fields (D) standing largely at a right angle (H) to each other or aligned in a straight line and having variable or the same field widths.
14. System according to Claim 1, characterised in that the safety glass panels (G1, G2) are arranged at a separation in front of the inside of the vertical supports (C).
15. Machine protection device having transparent panes in a support frame with vertical supports, characterised in that the panes are frameless safety glass panes (G1, G2) and are anchored static or rotatable in vertical supports (C) standing directly on the support surface (1) separate from the machine (B), at a separation behind the vertical supports and at a separation above the support surface (1), that the support frame ends open above and, by means of angles (H) and cross-connections (Q) formed along its course between fields (D) is independently self-supporting, and that the internal sides (J) of the safety glass panes (G1, G2) facing towards the machine (B) are freely accessible as far as the pane edges (12, 15) and, with the support frame (T), possibly also define a clean room boundary.