EP2536513B1 - Device for transporting bottles or similar containers - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device according to. Preamble of claim 1.

Devices for transporting bottles or other containers are also known, in particular, in a star-type configuration in which a plurality of container receptacles are formed on the circumference of a rotor which can be driven in rotation around a vertical machine axis. At these container receptacles, the containers are transferred at a transfer position in each case individually from a preceding machine or a preceding system component and then kept at the respective container receptacles with rotating rotor transported to a dispensing position at which the containers are transferred to another machine or plant component.

In many cases, it is necessary to turn over the containers in the transport path between a first machine or plant component and a second machine or plant component, for example to return the containers treated in a rinser in overhead position or orientation by turning them into their normal position and in this normal position, for example to hand over to a filling machine.

The object of the invention is to provide a device that allows not only transporting the container from a transfer position to a dispensing position with a simplified design and compact size, but also allows this transport path and a pivoting of the container about an axis perpendicular or transverse to the container axis , To solve this problem, a device according to the patent claim 1 is formed.

For the purposes of the invention, "container axis" is to be understood as meaning the vertical axis of the containers, which as a rule is also the axis of the container opening of the respective container.

The publication WO 2005/0080013 A1 discloses a turning device for bottles according to the preamble of claim 1. The turning device formed on a rotor has a pivotably held on the rotor arm, which is adjusted by means of a control cam during rotation of the rotor in its inclination, at the free end of the arm is a pivotable on Arm holding the bottle holder provided which has a toothing which engages in a corresponding toothing, which is provided on the outer peripheral side of the turntable of the rotor by the toothing engagement while the pivotal movement of the arm is converted into a rotational movement, so that the bottle from a normal position in which the Bottle opening facing up, is pivoted in an overhead position.

The publication US 2004/025909 A1 discloses a device for turning bottles. The device comprises a rotor, on which a plurality of container carriers are arranged circumferentially, which are connected to the rotor via an arm. The container carriers are arranged pivotably on the arm. The container carrier is in each case assigned an inwardly projecting guide element, which is forcibly guided on a control cam and causes a pivoting of the container carrier relative to the arm upon rotation of the rotor.

For the purposes of the invention, "overhead position" or overhead orientation means a container orientation in which the opening of the respective container points downwards. Under normal position or normal orientation is to be understood in the context of the invention, a container orientation, in which the respective container opening facing upward.

Preferably, the device according to the invention is designed so that the container receptacles which are formed by container grippers are pivoted on the transport path between the transfer position and the dispensing position from a starting position in a first direction by 180 ° and on the way between the dispensing position and the transfer position 180 ° back, ie be pivoted in an opposite second direction, so that each container receptacle at the transfer position has the starting position again.

In a preferred embodiment, the control of the lifting and pivoting movements is in each case cam-controlled and thus positively controlled in synchronism with the movement of the container receptacles. Preferably, the lifting movement is equal to or substantially equal to the size that the containers have in the direction of their container axis. According to the invention, the lifting and pivoting movements are coordinated with one another such that the pivoting of each container ultimately takes place about an axis which intersects the container axis in its center.

Further developments, advantages and applications of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments and from the figures. In this case, all described and / or illustrated features alone or in any combination are fundamentally the subject of the invention, regardless of their summary in the claims or their dependency. Also, the content of the claims is made an integral part of the description.

Fig. 1

in vereinfachter perspektivischer Funktionsdarstellung einen Rinser sowie eine Füllmaschine für Behälter in Form von Flaschen, zusammen mit einem zwischen diesen Maschinen oder Anlagenkomponenten angeordneten transportsternartigen Transporteur zur Übergabe der Flaschen vom Rinser an die Füllmaschine;

Fig. 2

den Rinser, die Füllmaschine sowie den Transporteur der Figur 1 in Draufsicht;

Fig. 3 und 4

eine vergrößerte Seitenansicht bzw. Draufsicht des transportsternartigen Transporteurs der Figur 1.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the figures of an embodiment. Show it:

Fig. 1

in a simplified perspective functional representation of a rinser and a filling machine for containers in the form of bottles, together with an arranged between these machines or plant components transport star-like conveyor for transferring the bottles from the rinser to the filling machine;

Fig. 2

the rinser, the filling machine and the transporter of the FIG. 1 in plan view;

3 and 4

an enlarged side view and top view of the transport star-like carrier of the FIG. 1 ,

In the figures, 1 is a rinser of circumferential design, for example a wet and / or a dry rinser for the treatment or rinsing, cleaning and / or disinfecting the interior of bottles 2 with a liquid and / or dry treatment medium. For this purpose, the rinser 1 consists, in the manner known to the person skilled in the art, substantially of a rotor 3 which can be driven peripherally around a vertical machine or rinser axis MA1 in the direction of the arrow A, at the circumference of which its treatment stations 6 are formed at uniform angular intervals relative to one another, in each case consisting of a claw-like bottle holder 4 and a nozzle 5 for discharging the liquid or gas and / or vapor treatment medium into the respective bottle 2.

Like in the FIG. 1 the bottles 2 are shown in the treatment positions 6 formed by a respective bottle gripper 4 and a nozzle 5 in overhead position, ie oriented with the container or bottle axis in the vertical direction and thus parallel to the machine axis MA1 of the rinser 1, but with their bottle opening 2.1 down and arranged with the bottom of the bottle 2.2 facing up. The bottles 2 are in this orientation via a container or bottle inlet, not shown handed over individual treatment positions 6, wherein the turning of the bottles 2 from their original normal position with the bottle axis oriented in the vertical direction and with the bottle opening 2.1 facing up into the overhead position, for example in the area of the bottle or container inlet.

After the treatment of the bottles 2 they arrive with the rotatably driven rotor 3 to a transfer position 7, at which each bottle 2 is recorded in overhead position of a bottle gripper 8 of the transport star-like transporter 9 and moved with the feed dog 9, so that each Bottle 2 then finally after turning in normal position, ie oriented with the bottle axis in the vertical direction and with the bottle opening 2.1 lying overhead at a dispensing position 10 to a treatment position 11 of the filling machine 12 is passed.

The filling machine 1 is of such a circulating design, which in the manner known to those skilled in the art u.a. a rotatably driven around a vertical machine axis MA2 of the filling machine 12 in the direction of arrow B rotor 13, at the periphery of a plurality of treatment positions 11 are formed at uniform angular intervals, u.a. consisting of a container support 14.1 for a suspended support of the bottles 2 at a below the bottle mouth 2.1 formed mouth flange 2.3 and from a respective filling element 14 for controlled filling of the bottles 2 with a liquid product.

The peculiarity of the system shown is the formation of the transport element 9. This also has a rotor 15 which is driven in rotation around a vertical machine axis MA3 in the direction of arrow C and thus counter to the rotational movement of the rotors 3 and 13 (arrows A and B) is and at the periphery of a plurality of bottle grippers 8 is provided. These bottle grippers 8 are formed, for example, like a pair of pliers with two gripper jaws that are relatively movable and spring biased into a closed position, each gripping a flat 2 at the transfer position 7 at its portion of the bottle neck formed between the bottle mouth 2.1 and the mouth flange 2.3 hold by clamping, until the respective bottle 2 has then returned to its normal position with the revolving rotor 15 to the dispensing position 10 after being turned back or pivoted and is there transferred to a container carrier 14 a treatment position 11 of the filling machine 12. By not shown control means, the bottle gripper 8 are respectively opened at the positions 7 and 10 for receiving a bottle 2 from the rinser 1 and for transferring a bottle 2 to the filling machine 12.

The bottle grippers 10 are provided in pairs in the illustrated embodiment of the conveyor 9 in pairs on a common board 8.1 (subcarrier) and with this on a bottle gripper carrier 16 about a common axis, the u.a. formed by the axis of a hinge pin 17 and tangent to the circumference or direction of rotation of the rotor 15 and to an imaginary, the machine axis MA3 concentrically enclosing circular cylinder is oriented.

The bottle gripper carriers 16 are mounted on guide rods 18 in the vertical direction, i. slidably provided on the circumference of the rotor 15 parallel to the machine axis MA3. The relative to the machine axis MA3 relative to the gripper carriers 16 radially inwardly offset guide rods 18 each extend between an upper rotor element 15.1 and a lower rotor element 15.2 of the rotor 15, so that this results in a ring cage-like structure, despite a relatively light construction a high Has strength or stability. Furthermore, the guide rods 18 are provided in pairs, in such a way that two each with respect to the machine axis MA3 radially spaced guide rods 18 are provided to guide a bottle gripper carrier 16, each bottle gripper carrier so in the vertical direction on the leadership formed by the two guide rods 18 in vertical direction is movable, but twist-proof is performed.

As the figures show, the bottle gripper carrier 16 are formed arm-like in the illustrated embodiment, in such a way that they protrude with their longitudinal extent with respect to the machine axis MA3 of their guide formed by the two guide rods 18 radially outward. To the the outside end of the bottle gripper 8 are hinged to the auxiliary carriers or boards 8.1 to the respective bottle carrier 16.

By a fixed, i. with the rotor 15 non-rotating cam 19 and by engaging in this cam 19, on the bottle gripper carrier 16 freely rotatably mounted cam rollers 20, the bottle gripper carrier 16 are positively driven with rotating rotor 15 along its guide rods 18 in the vertical direction and in such a way that the bottle gripper carrier 16 are located at the transfer position 7 in the lowest stroke position and at the discharge position 10 in the uppermost stroke position. The bottle gripper carrier 16 are thus moved on the angular range of rotation of the rotor 15 between the transfer position 7 and the dispensing position 10 upwards and moved on the angular range of rotation of the rotor between the dispensing position 10 and the transfer position 7 back down. For this purpose, the cam 19 has a rising between the transfer position 7 and the dispensing position 10 and between the dispensing position 10 and the transfer position 7 again sloping course.

As the figures show, is the fixed, ie not rotating with the rotor 15 control and lifting cam 19 within the movement space in which the guide rods 18 move when the rotor rotates, and is at a non-rotating with the rotor and also within the Movement space of the guide rods 18 coaxially with the machine axis MA3 arranged central column 21 attached. This is possible because the lower rotor part 15.2 is designed as a ring concentrically enclosing the machine axis MA3 and is connected via the guide rods 18 to the upper spoke wheel-like rotor part 15.1. The cam rollers 20 are located respectively at the radially inner end of the bottle gripper carrier 16 with a short distance from the guide rods 18 and thus at a short distance from the sliding bushes with which the bottle gripper carrier 16 are guided on the guide rods, resulting in driving optimal conditions. The two bottle grippers 8 each bottle gripper pair are provided on the common board 8.1, with the the two bottle grippers 8 of each bottle gripper pair are provided so as to be pivotable on the bottle gripper carrier 16 about the common horizontal, tangential to the rotary movement (arrow C) of the rotor 15 oriented and substantially formed by a hinge pin 17.

On each board 8.1, a control arm 22 is attached with one end between the two bottle grippers 8, in such a way that this control arm is oriented with its longitudinal extent radially to each of the hinge pin 17 formed pivot axis of the board 8.1. Each control arm 22 is formed at its end remote from the associated board 8.1 with a guide piece 23, which fork-like a stationary, i. with the rotor 15 non-rotating, self-contained and formed in the illustrated embodiment of a tube profile guide curve 24 engages and is guided on this cam 24 slidably. In order to ensure a secure engagement of the respective guide piece in the guide cam 24, each control arm 22 is formed in the illustrated embodiment telescopically with axially acting spring means which press the associated guide piece 23 against the guide cam 24.

The cam 24 has a path of movement of the hinge pin 17 at a distance wendelartig enclosing course, with a half turn or 180 ° -Windung between the transfer position 7 and the dispensing position 10 and with a likewise half turn or 180 ° -Wiring with The distance of the control cam 24 from the path of movement of the hinge pin 17 is equal to the length of the control arms 22. The control curve 24 is further designed so that the container on the transport path between the Transfer position 7 and the dispensing position 10 with its container base based on the machine axis MA3 initially pivoted outside and then pivoted back inside, preferably so that each bottle 2 on half of the transport path or the angular range of rotation of the rotor 15 between the transfer position 7 and the dispensing position 10 is oriented with its bottle axis radially or approximately radially to the machine axis MA3.

By cooperating with the control cam 24 control arms 22 takes place with rotating rotor 15 a compulsory pivoting of the bottle gripper 8 to the pivot axis of the associated hinge pin 17 by 180 ° C, so that at the transfer position 7 initially recorded in the overhead position of the bottle grippers 8 bottles The two control cams 19 and 24 are coordinated so that the controlled by the control cam 20 lifting movement and controlled by the control cam 24 pivotal movement of the bottle gripper 8 about the pivot axes or hinge pin 17 result in a resulting movement in such a way that each bottle 2 during transport from the transfer position 7 to the dispensing position 10, ie on the corresponding angular range of rotation of the rotor 15 in fact about its center of the bottle, i. be pivoted about an axis that cuts the respective bottle axis in its center. This design, in addition to the general advantage of a compact design and the pivoting back of the bottles 2 in their normal position also has the advantage that there is virtually no height offset between the bottles 2 on the rinser and the bottles 2 on the filling machine.

In the illustrated embodiment, the Sterkurve 24 specifically on such a profile, that the longitudinal extent of each control arm 22 is oriented at the positions 7 and 10 respectively radially to the machine axis MA3. The guide curve 24 is further formed in the illustrated embodiment, that it at the positions 7 and 10 has a different height level in the vertical direction, ie at the transfer position 7, a lower level, which there is substantially the lower level or the starting position of the Bottle gripper 8 corresponds to the transfer position 7, and at the transfer 10 a higher level, which also corresponds approximately to the higher level of the bottle gripper 8 at the dispensing position 10. In the direction of rotation C of the rotor 5, the height level of the control cam 24 increases in the vertical direction from the transfer position 7 to the discharge position 10 first and then falls from the transfer position 10th to the transfer position 7 back to the lower height level. In addition, the control cam 24 has a profile such that the radial distance from the machine axis MA3 at the transfer position 7 by twice the length of the control arms 22 is greater than at the discharge position 10th

It is understood that the rotors 3, 13 and 15 are synchronously driven in such a way that whenever a treatment position 6 of the rinser 1 has reached the transfer position 7, there is also a bottle gripper 8, or whenever a bottle gripper 8 has reached the dispensing position 10, there is also a container carrier 14.1 for receiving the relevant bottle 2 ready.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

rinser

2

bottle

2.1

bottle opening

2.2

bottle bottom

2.3

Mündungsflansch

3

Rotor of the rinser 1

4

Bottle holder or gripper on the rinser 1

5

treatment nozzle

6

Treatment position at the rinser 1

7

Transfer position between rinser and transporter 9

8th

bottle grippers

8.1

Board for two bottle grippers 8

9

carrier

10

Transfer position between feed dog 9 and filling machine

11

Treatment position on filling machine 12

12

filling Machine

13

rotor

14

filler

14.1

container carrier

15

rotor

15.1, 15.2

rotor member

16

Bottle gripper carrier

17

hinge pins

18

guide rod

19

cam

20

follower

21

central pillar

22

control arm

23

guide piece

24

cam

A

Direction of rotation of the rotor 3

B

Direction of rotation of the rotor 13

C

Direction of rotation of the rotor 15

MA1

Vertical machine axis of the rinser 1

MA2

vertical machine axis of the rotor 13

MA3

vertical machine axis of the rotor 15

Claims (10)

1. Device for transporting bottles or similar containers (2) between a transfer position (7) and a discharge position (10), comprising a transport element (15) that may be driven in a rotating manner about at least one vertical machine axis (MA3) and a plurality of container receptacles (8) provided on the transport element (15) and having a gripper-like design for picking up and holding in each case one container (2) during its transport from the transfer position (7) to the discharge position (10), wherein first control means (19, 20) are provided for a lifting movement of each container receptacle (8) in an axis parallel to the at least one machine axis (MA3), as well as second control means (23, 24) for a controlled pivot movement of each container receptacle (8) about at least one pivot axis which is oriented perpendicular to the at least one machine axis (MA3), between the transfer position (7) and the discharge position (8), out of the initial position, and for the controlled return pivoting of each container receptacle (8) into its initial position about the at least one pivot axis between the discharge position (10) and the transfer position (7), and wherein the first and second control means (19, 20; 23, 24) are configured for controlling the lifting and pivoting movement in synchrony with the movement of the container carriers (8), wherein the container receptacles (8) or the ancillary carriers (8.1) carrying these container receptacles, in each case capable of being pivoted about the at least one pivot axis, are provided in each case on a carrier (16), which is provided at the transport element (15) such as to be displaced by the first control means (19, 20) for the lift movement in the axial direction parallel to the at least one machine axis (MA3), characterised in that the lift movement and the pivot movement of the container receptacles (8) are matched to one another in such a way that the containers (2) are pivoted about a mid-axis running perpendicular to their container axis, and that the course of the at least one first control curve and of the at least one second control curve (19, 24) is selected in such a way that the container receptacles (8) of the transfer position (7) in the lower lift position for the reception of the containers (2) are in an overhead location, and at the discharge position (10) in the upper lift position for the discharge of the containers (2) are in the normal location.
2. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that the transport element is a rotor (15), which can be driven so as to circulate about a vertical machine axis (MA3).
3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the first control means are formed from at least one first control curve (19) surrounding the at least one machine axis (MA3) and from guide pieces (20) engaging into this control curve (19), which are provided at the carriers (16) carrying the container receptacles (8) and displaceably guided parallel to the at least one machine axis (MA3), and
   that the second control means are formed from at least one second control curve (24) and from second guide pieces (23) interacting with this control curve, which are provided at the container receptacles (8) or at an ancillary carrier (8.1) which in each case can be pivoted about the respective pivot axis (17) and comprising a container receptacle (8), wherein the second control curve (24) surrounds the movement path of the pivot axes (17) in a helical or spiral manner.
4. Device according to claim 3, characterised in that the second control curve (24) surrounds the movement path of the pivot axes (17) with a part winding which corresponds to the pivot angle of the container receptacles (8), and specifically with a winding direction between the discharge position (10) and the transfer position (7) which is opposed to the winding direction between the transfer position (7) and the discharge position (10).
5. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the first control curve (19) is arranged inside the movement path of the container receptacles (8) or of the carriers (16) for the container receptacles (8), and that the second control curve (24), related to the at least one machine axis (MA3), runs radially outside the movement path of guides (18) for the lift movement of the container receptacles (8) or of the carriers (16).
6. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that, with the formation of the transport element as a rotor (15), this consists of at least one upper and another lower rotor element (15.1, 15.2), of which the upper rotor element (15.1) is rotatably mounted on a middle-located machine element (21), formed preferably as a column, and the lower rotor element (15.2) is configured as a ring surrounding the machine element (21), and that the rotor elements (15.1, 15.2) are connected to one another, among other elements by the guide rods (18) forming the guide for the carriers (16) of the container receptacles (8), to form a cage-type structure.
7. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that in each case two container receptacles (8) are provided at a common ancillary carrier (8.1), which can be pivoted in a controlled manner about the at least one pivot axis (17).
8. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the respective guide piece (23), interacting with a second control curve (24), is provided or formed on a control arm (22), which projects from the respective container receptacle (8) or from the respective ancillary carrier radially to the pivot axis (17).
9. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised by its use as a transporter between a device or system component (1) for the cleaning and/or sterilising of the containers (2) and a machine or system component (12) for the filling of the containers (2) with a liquid filling product.
10. Device according to claim 9, characterised in that the device or system component (1) is formed for the cleaning and/or sterilising of the containers (2), in the form of a wet and/or dry rinser.

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