EP2338830B1 - Cooling device for stabilising a container structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention is directed to an apparatus and a method for cooling containers according to the preambles of claims 1 and 6. In the so-called hot-fill filling of liquids in PET bottles, PET blanks, referred to below as preforms, are first blown into PET bottles in a blow molding machine. Subsequently, the bottles are passed by means of a transfer device (or transport device) to a filler in order to be filled there with (hot) filling material. The bottles which have not yet been closed are subsequently "nitrogen-dried" with nitrogen and sealed shortly thereafter. This process is also known as nitro-hotfill process. The bottle bottom is cooled in the transfer area between a blowing machine and a filler by means of water jets working in series. Subsequently, the hot, closed bottle is preferably transported by means of at least one conveyor belt to the bottle cooler. In the recooler, the hot bottle is cooled to room temperature.

From the WO 2006/079754 A2 For example, a method is known by which the bottom of a bottle is shaped such that the stresses resulting from heat and pressure during the filling of a heated liquid which act on the bottle do not lead to an undesired deformation of the bottle.

From the moment when the hot liquid is in the bottle, the soil is very much thermally stressed; after closure, the load on the soil is further increased by the increase in pressure, which in turn is caused by nitrogen blasting strengthened. The previous process therefore requires a very precise adjustment of all variable parameters, otherwise the soil unintentionally deformed or emerges outward. This means z. B. that the center of the soil gets in contact with the floor space and thus the bottle can no longer be controlled.

From the DE 20 2007 008 120 U1 a device is known by which the containers produced by a blow molding machine can be cooled until they arrive at a filler.

From the US 4,450,878 a device and a method according to the preambles of claims 1 and 6 is known.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device which enables the deformation of freshly filled containers to be avoided despite high thermal stress and high compressive stress.

According to the invention, the solution of the aforementioned object by means of a device for filling containers, according to claim 1.

This is advantageous because, depending on the thermal load and / or the pressure load acting on the containers, an active and / or passive temperature control of the containers is possible. It follows that the cooling is adaptable to the respective boundary conditions or states or can also be operated with standard settings.

According to the invention, the tempering device is a cooling device for cooling the bottom region of the container. In this case, the floor area is not only to be understood as the area which is intended to be set up on a flat surface, but also encompasses the distance between the individual contact areas, which can be brought into contact with the erection level, in the longitudinal direction of the container staggered areas. Likewise, the bottom region of the container preferably comprises the bottom wall region, which extends at least in sections on the outside of the container in its longitudinal direction and which adjoins the base surface.

This embodiment is advantageous because by means of the cooling device, a targeted cooling of the bottom portion, is feasible, whereby a targeted increase in the stability of each treated container in the applied area is possible. Particularly preferably, the injection point of the respective container can be specifically cooled by means of the cooling device.

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the container is acted upon by the tempering device with a flowable medium, which is preferably a fluid and is particularly preferably water or air.

It is also conceivable that the tempering device for cooling has a solid body, which consists for example of cooled or coolable metal, ice or the like. The cooling temperature is lower than 40 ° C, preferably lower than 30 ° C and more preferably between 20 ° C and 30 ° C or lower.

This embodiment is advantageous, since the supplied fluid is preferably temperature-controlled and, depending on the container or liquid supplied, a medium can be used for cooling, which has the respectively corresponding or suitable heat conduction coefficient.

By means of the filling means is a heated fluid, i. a liquid or gas can be introduced into the container, wherein the fluid is ideally hotter than 30 ° C, preferably hotter than 50 ° C, and more preferably hotter than 70 ° C. The fluid is particularly preferably a liquid food, wherein it is also conceivable that other flowable substances in the containers can be filled.

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cooling device is at least partially in the region of the filling device and / or arranged after the filling device, that it forms at least one cooling section, so that at least in sections a temporary or continuous cooling of the transported bottles is feasible.

This is advantageous since the cooling section (water injection to the bottom of the bottle), which is located in the transfer area between a blow molding machine, in particular a stretch blow molding machine, and at least one filling device, can be extended. A supplementary cooling section could thus begin at the end of the aforementioned cooling section and only end before a further filling device, in particular a droppler. It can thus be the entire route, in which the bottles are preferably transported hanging, to allow cooling of the soil. It is thus possible during the filling process to cool the ground, whereby heating of the soil can be avoided.

A dropper is understood as meaning a device which at least supplies nitrogen to the containers or introduces them into the containers. It is particularly preferable for the containers to be closed by the dropper or after the dropper by means of a closure device. It is also conceivable that the cooling section also extends in the dropper and only partially along the transport path provided after the dropper.

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cooling device in the region of the filling device on rigid and / or dynamic air and / or water nozzles, so that water is supplied to the outer wall of the container. In the case of rigid air and / or water nozzles, a nozzle attachment according to the transfer distance or cooling distance is possible. Preferably, rigid air and / or water nozzles are already providable in the area of the filling device and / or in the transfer section after the filling device.

Rigid means hereby preferably stationary and more preferably immovable, with stationary also pivotal and / or rotational movements of the nozzles are conceivable.

Dynamic air and / or water nozzles drive preferably with the bottle or the filling valve. This means that the dynamic air and / or water nozzles are preferably movable, wherein movably is to be understood as being pivotable, rotatable and / or relative to the environment relatively movable. A movement of dynamic air and / or water jets can be done depending on the transport speed and the transport path of the containers. Particularly preferably, the dynamic water nozzles are movable such that they at least partially the same or approximately the same speed as the transported containers and thus the direction of movement and the speed of movement of the containers at least partially with the direction of movement and movement speed of the air and / or water nozzles substantially to match.

The water feed could be done with dynamic water nozzles, for example via rotary distributor, whereby a targeted and more effective cooling would be possible. In addition, combined arrangements of dynamic and rigid air and / or water nozzles are conceivable or dynamic air and / or water nozzles can be temporarily used as a rigid nozzle or as limited in their degrees of freedom movement nozzles.

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the device has a further filling device, wherein the further filling device is arranged in the transport path of the containers after the first filling device, which preferably fills the containers with hot or heated liquids. The further filling device here is preferably to be understood as a dropper, which preferably provides a fluid and particularly preferably a gas and particularly preferably nitrogen for introduction into the container or introduces it into the container.

In the transport path of the bottles in front of the first filling device, a blow molding machine for forming preforms into containers or bottles is preferably provided. The containers are preferably at least partially made of plastic and are particularly preferably PET bottles.

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, a recooler is provided in the transport path of the containers after the further filling device and the container can be cooled during transfer from the further filling device to the recooler at least temporarily by means of at least one cooling device. The transfer preferably takes place at least in sections with a conveyor belt. However, it is also conceivable that essentially the complete transfer from the further filling device to the recooler takes place by means of a conveyor belt. Just after closing the bottles are transported on the conveyor belt to the recooler. Again, an active or passive ground cooling could take place.

This embodiment is advantageous because, after the containers have been closed, an increase in pressure takes place within the container due to the nitrogen supplied in the further filling device and thus deformation of the container bottom is prevented by the resulting bottom cooling.

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cooling device and at least one further cooling device in the region between the further filling device and the recooler partially designed as a water bath and / or water nozzles or air nozzles. On the one hand it is possible to transport the bottles in a water bath to the cooler, d. H. A conveyor belt chain on which the bottles are standing runs in a water bath.

However, a water bath is likewise providable in the area between the blow molding machine and the droppler or the further filling device.

On the other hand, the water and / or air nozzles could be arranged for example in the interior of the conveyor belts such that through them the respective fluid upwards, d. H. preferably in the direction of the containers, can be injected. The chain links required for this must be adapted, d. H. it can be holes in the chain links are introduced or to be able to inject the water jet from the interior of the conveyor belt on the bottom of the bottle can. In the case of the use of air nozzles, the supply of recycle air from the blow molding machine is conceivable.

The ground aftercooling, as described above, does not have to be installed on the complete conveyor belt section to the bottle cooler. There are also "cooling sectors" imaginable, through which the bottle bottoms are acted upon with cooling. Cooling sectors thus describe sections of the entire transfer path, which may be formed for example by water and / or air nozzles, water baths, the like and combinations thereof.

Depending on the size of the device, the bottles need a defined time to reach the recooler. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bottles require about 1.5-3.5 minutes, and more preferably about 2.5 minutes, until they reach the recooler. During this time, the bottle bottom, as described above, a very elevated process is exposed, d. H. In this phase, the bottom of the bottle must compensate for a bottle internal pressure of approx. 1 - 3 bar, preferably 1.3 - 2.0 bar, for hot material. As a result of the aforementioned devices, the soil is no longer subjected to such a high load during the filling phase and during transport since there is a continuous or section-wise and preferably substantially permanent cooling process. As a result, on the one hand the soil weight of the container or of the bottle can be reduced and / or on the other hand the internal pressure of the bottle can be increased.

A further embodiment further comprises a sterilization device for closures. The advantage of a process in which containers are filled with hot liquids is, inter alia, that after a closing operation the containers can be pivoted so that the hot product rests not only against the container inner wall but also against the closure inner wall. The hot product thus leads to a sterilization or sterilization of the closure. For this purpose, a rotating station is arranged in the treatment section between the filler and the outlet from the plant, in which the containers can be rotated or pivoted at least temporarily, at least partially. Preferably, a bottom cooling of the container is made in this turning station. According to a preferred embodiment, the containers are rotated between 75 degrees and 100 degrees, more preferably between 85 degrees and 95 degrees, so that they are transported approximately horizontally. In this position, the container bottom cooling can then be carried out or continued. The application of cooling medium can be done by means of nozzles.

In a further embodiment, the means of transport, which detects the containers in the turning station, formed circumferentially, such as in a transport chain. In order not to burden the means of transport in the course of operation with respect to the temperature too much, it can be acted upon in the return with a cooling medium. The same cooling medium is preferably also used for cooling the container bottoms. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the two media are taken from one and the same stock and returned to them.

The invention thus relates preferably to process-related processes for a filling process in which the supply of nitrogen into the containers takes place, in particular the invention relates to a nitro-hotfill filling process which takes place using nitrogen.

The present invention is also directed to a method for filling containers, in particular bottles, according to claim 6.

Further advantages, objects and features of the present invention will be explained with reference to the following description of appended drawings, in which filling devices for filling containers are shown by way of example. Components of the filling device, which in the figures at least substantially coincide with regard to their function, may in this case be identified by the same reference number, wherein these components need not be numbered or explained in all figures.

Fig. 1

eine erste schematische Darstellung einer Fülleinrichtung; und

Fig. 2

ein Beispiel für eine Kühlstrecke, wie sie bei einer Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Erfindung vorgesehen sein kann.

Show:

Fig. 1

a first schematic representation of a filling device; and

Fig. 2

an example of a cooling line, as may be provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a device 1 for filling containers. With the arrow P is a feed direction, characterized in the preforms of a previously arranged means are supplied via the transport path section 2 of a blow molding machine 4 for forming the preforms in bottles.

The bottles produced in the blow molding machine 4 can be supplied via the transport path section 6 to a filler 8 for filling the bottles with a preferably heated substance and particularly preferably a heated liquid.

The containers filled in the filler 8 can be fed via the transport path section 10 to a further filling device 12 for further filling of the containers with a gas. In the further filling device 12 or in the transport path of the containers after the further filling device 12 takes place by means of a closure device (not shown), a closure of the bottles.

The sealed bottles are subsequently transported via the transport route section 14 to a recooler 16. In this recooler 16, the cooling of the containers and the liquid provided therein and / or the gas provided therein takes place.

In the transport sections 2, 6, 10, 14, the containers or preforms are at least partially suspended and / or stationary transportable. Sectionwise, the transport sections 2, 6, 10, 14 preferably consist of at least one rotary conveyor and / or at least one linear conveyor unit (3, 14). A linear conveyor unit 3, 14 can also promote the containers or preforms to be transported by curves. However, the transport movement is at least partially not about a single axis of rotation. It is also conceivable that a transfer of the bottles from the blow molding machine 4 to the filling device 8 and / or from the filling device 8 to the further filling device 12 takes place directly, ie. H. one or more transport path section 6, 10 are not provided.

It is also conceivable that in each of the existing transport sections 2, 6, 10, 14 or at least in sections in individual sections 2, 6, 10, 14 an active and / or passive cooling of a region and in particular the bottom portion of the transported bottles.

The blow molding machine 4 and the filling device 8 as well as the further filling device 12 can likewise be regarded as conveying devices in which or in the region thereof an equally active and / or passive cooling in combination with one another or individually is conceivable. For cooling the containers, cooling devices are preferably provided at least in sections in all transport devices.

However, it is also conceivable here that the cooling devices are provided only in individual transport path sections 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 14, 16 or can be understood in sections as a cooling device.

A cooling device can be used as bath cooling, d. H. be carried out at least in sections for cooling a portion of the transported container or the transported containers. A bath cooling preferably has a cooled or coolable substance, which is preferably flowable and particularly preferably liquid. In one embodiment, the substance is preferably water, it being possible for the water to be mixed with one or more additives as required. The bath cooling can be equipped with a cooling device for cooling the substance provided in the bath and / or have a circulation for the exchange of the heated substance.

It is also conceivable that the bath cooling is supplemented or replaced by cooling by means of water nozzles and / or air nozzles. The cooling device or cooling devices are particularly preferably controllable by means of a control device and / or sensor device, wherein parameters selected from the group at least consisting of conveying speed, filling speed, filling temperature, material of the preforms, size of the bottle, the like and combination thereof are taken into account.

The filling of the liquid in the filling device 8 and / or the gas in the wide filling device 12 is possible in blocked, temporarily blocked and unblocked machines. In the case of non-blocked machines, the blow molding machine 4 and the filling device 8 are preferably separate from one another and are interconnected, for example, by an air conveyor (not shown). When using an air conveyor, the floor cooling of the containers is preferably carried out only by means of the operating air used by the air transporter. On a floor cooling can thus be dispensed with between the blowing machine and the filling preferably, if or because the duration of the transport the bottles are sufficient to cool the bottles. Thus, embodiments are conceivable which have cooling devices only when filling the containers in the filling device and / or downstream devices or transport sections. However, a combined arrangement, ie an arrangement in which both an air conveyor and a further device for cooling the container bottoms between the blowing machine and the filling device is provided, is also conceivable.

It is also conceivable that at least in the region between the filling device and the recooler, a head space sterilizer for sterilizing the closure means with which the containers are closable, and / or in particular for sterilizing the head region or mouth region of the containers (inside and / or outside) is provided.

In Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of a conveyor line 18 is shown. The conveying path has a first conveying section, which extends between the reference numerals 20 and 22. In this conveying section is preferably carried out by means of a blow molding machine, the deformation of preforms into containers. In the transport section between the reference numerals 20 and 22, a ground aftercooling is preferably carried out. Between the reference numerals 22 and 24, the conveying path 18 preferably passes through a filling device, in which a bottom cooling of the containers takes place. In the conveyor section, which extends between the reference numeral 24 and the reference numeral 32, a transport of the containers on a conveyor belt 26 is preferably carried out. The containers are conveyed on the conveyor belt 26 through section cooling regions 28, 30 to be cooled therein at least in a bottom region , It's from the Fig. 2 that the section cooling areas 28, 30 can be designed to have different lengths and can be provided in any number and at any point in the conveyor line 18.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

contraption

2, 6, 10, 14

Transport stretch

3, 14

Linear conveyor unit

4

blow molding machine

8th

filling

12

further filling device

16

drycoolers

18

conveyor line

20, 22, 24, 32

conveyor sections

26

conveyor belt

28, 30

Section cooling areas

P

arrow

Claims (6)

1. An apparatus for filling containers, in particular bottles, with a heated fluid, comprising at least one transport device (2, 6, 10, 14) for transporting the containers, at least one filling device (8) for filling the containers with heated fluid and a tempering device for tempering a bottom area of the containers, wherein the tempering device is arranged at least at times at least partially in or below the bottom area of the transported containers and the filling device (8) is arranged at least at times at least partially in or above a mouth area of the transported containers,
   wherein
   the tempering device is arranged on said apparatus (1) in such a way that tempering during and/or after the filling operation becomes possible, characterised in that
   the apparatus includes a further filling device (12), wherein the further filling device (12) being preferably arranged downstream of the filling device (8) along the transport route of the containers and a heat exchanger (16) is provided downstream of the further filling device (12) along the transport route of the containers, wherein the tempering device is a cooling device for cooling the bottom area of the container, and wherein a directed cooling of the bottom area is feasible by means of the cooling device.
2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1,
   characterised in that
   a flowable medium, which is preferably a fluid and particularly preferably water or air, may be applied to the container by means of the tempering device.
3. The apparatus as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   the at least one cooling device is mounted at least in sections in the area of the filling device (8) and/or after the filling device (8) in such a way that it forms at least one cooling section, so that at least in sections a periodical or continuous cooling of the transported bottles may be carried out.
4. The apparatus as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   the cooling device has rigid and/or dynamic water nozzles in the area of the filling device (8), in order to supply water to the outside wall of the container.
5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1,
   characterised in that
   the cooling device or at least one further cooling device is formed in the area between the further filling device (12) and the heat exchanger (16) partially as a water bath and/or as having water nozzles or air nozzles.
6. A method for filling containers, in particular bottles, with a heated fluid, wherein the containers are transported by means of at least one transport device (2, 6, 10, 14) and are filled with heated fluid by means of a filling device (8) which is located at least at times at least partially in or above a mouth area of the transported containers and are tempered by means of a tempering device which is located at least at times at least partially in or below a bottom area of the transported containers,
   wherein
   the containers are cooled by the tempering device at least periodically during and/or after the filling operation
   characterised in that
   the apparatus includes a further filling device (12), wherein the further filling device (12) being preferably arranged downstream of the filling device (8) along the transport route of the containers and a heat exchanger (16) is provided downstream of the further filling device (12) along the transport route of the containers, wherein the tempering device is a cooling device for cooling the bottom area of the container, and wherein a directed cooling of the bottom area is feasible by means of the cooling device.

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