EP2797834B1 - Device and method for filling, sealing and labelling receptacles - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device and a method for filling, closing and labeling containers. In the beverage manufacturing industry it has long been known that containers, for example plastic containers, are filled and then closed and also provided with labels. In this case, several adjoining units are usually provided, for example a filler that fills the containers, a closer downstream of this filler that closes the containers with closures, and a chain unit that attaches labels to the outer wall of the containers.

Devices are also known in which the containers are first labeled and then the containers are filled, as well as devices in which the filled but still unsealed containers are labeled.

Devices are also known from the prior art which combine the individual method steps.

From the DE 39 27 489 A1 a device for filling containers is known. Containers are filled during their transport and labeled by means of further container processing devices, such as labeling devices, arranged along a container path, or printed on by means of printing devices.

WO 2005/058734 A1 describes a method and a device for handling vessels, a section in the conveying direction of these vessels between an inlet and an outlet station being designed as a multiple passage section. For example, several testing processes can take place on the respective vessels while this route is running.

The FR 2 576 003 describes a device according to the preamble of claim 1, and a corresponding method for subjecting objects to a plurality of treatment steps of the same treatment unit.

From the DE 198 06 647 A1 a method and an apparatus for producing a labeled plastic bottle are known. A blowing station for reshaping plastic preforms into plastic containers is provided, upstream of which a device for labeling plastic preforms is connected.

The present invention is based on the object of making such devices even more compact compared to the prior art. This is achieved according to the invention by a device and a method according to the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments and developments are the subject of the dependent claims.

A device according to the invention for treating containers has the features of claim 1.

A combined machine is therefore proposed which both fills and closes the containers and also provides them with labels. The labeling can take place before or after the filling or also after the containers have been closed. In contrast to machines known from the prior art, the containers are filled, labeled and sealed while they are being transported with said carrier.

For example, it is possible for the filling units to be fixedly arranged on the carrier and for the filling units to preferably also have transport elements or gripping elements which hold the containers while the containers are being filled. Correspondingly, the closing units can also be arranged firmly on the carrier and hold or guide the containers while they are closed with a closure. The labeling units can also be arranged at least partially fixed on the carrier. However, it would also be possible for the labeling units to be arranged, for example in a stationary manner, around an outer circumference of the carrier in order to label the containers.

The movable support of the device is used to transport the containers to be treated and has a large number of treatment units which treat each container in a predetermined manner. The treatment units of a first group of these treatment units are filling units which fill the containers with a flowable medium. These filling units each have filling elements which are arranged on a carrier and which move with the containers at least in sections. Furthermore, the treatment units of a second group of these treatment units are labeling devices which apply labels to the containers.

They are arranged opposite the carrier in such a way that the containers are filled by the first filling units and the containers are labeled by the labeling units during transport of the containers by means of a movable carrier. Furthermore, the device has a closing unit for closing the containers with closures, this closing device having a plurality of closing units which close the containers filled with the flowable medium with a closure and these closing units are arranged in such a way that those filled by the filling units Containers are initially closed by the closing units and then labeled by the labeling devices.

In an embodiment not according to the invention, it is therefore proposed that the closing units are not necessarily located on the movable carrier, but rather are arranged separately from it, for example on a separate closing unit. In this embodiment, the empty containers advantageously first pass through the above-mentioned devices and are filled in the process. The containers are then transferred to the closer via a transport device, such as a transport star, and provided there with closures. The closed containers are then again transferred to the above-mentioned device and provided there with labels.

In this embodiment, which is not according to the invention, at least one transport means is therefore provided between the movable carrier and the closing device, which transfers the containers to the closing unit. A second transport means or a second transport unit is also advantageously provided, which in turn transfers the closed containers to the combined filling and labeling unit.

Advantageously, one of the two transport devices is preferably a dividing draft star and / or a multifunction star in both transport devices.

In this embodiment, which is not according to the invention, the closing device could have a carrier that is smaller in terms of diameter than the filling device. This takes account of the fact that the capper does not need such a large diameter as, for example, a filling machine.

It is also possible here for the containers to be brought to a division of the filling device by, for example, a dividing screw and transferred to an infeed star. The containers are filled and transported in the discharge star and then brought to the closing device with the same star. After the containers have been closed, they are again brought into the division of the labeling machine by the infeed star, which is advantageously a division warping star.

After the containers have been labeled, the outlet star, which is also used to feed the containers to the closing device, brings the containers to the outlet.

The device is advantageously a continuously operating machine, i.e. the containers are moved continuously during the treatment processes. However, it would also be possible to design the machine as a cycle machine, which transports the containers in cycles.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the carrier is a carrier that can be rotated about a predetermined axis of rotation. For example, the machine can be designed as a rotary machine, with the filling units and / or the closing units being arranged on a corresponding rotatable carrier in the manner of a filling carousel or closing carousel.

According to the invention, the treatment units are arranged on or opposite the carrier in such a way that each container is transported at least twice by the carrier (in particular along an essentially identical transport path) in order to be filled, labeled and closed. It would thus be possible for the containers to be filled and closed in a first cycle on or by means of the carrier and to be labeled in a second cycle.

However, it would also be possible for the containers to be filled and labeled in a first cycle and to be closed in a second cycle. Finally, it would also be possible for the containers to be filled with the carrier in a first cycle and to be closed and labeled in a second cycle. The containers thus advantageously circulate exactly twice with said carrier. However, it would also be possible that the three Treatments, namely, filling and sealing and labeling are carried out in three rounds with the carrier.

In the case of the claimed device, the filling units and the closing units are arranged offset from one another on the carrier. It is thus possible for a large number of treatment units to be arranged on the carrier, the filling units and the closing units (and, if applicable, also the labeling units) being arranged on the carrier. However, this order can also be designed differently. It would thus be possible for a total of the same number of filling units, closing units and labeling units to be arranged on the carrier and for these to be arranged one behind the other on the carrier in a predetermined sequence.

It would also be possible to exchange such treatment units, preferably to exchange labeling units, in particular to equip the containers with labels differently.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the labeling units are arranged at least partially stationary with respect to the carrier and in particular radially outside the outer circumference of the carrier. It is also possible that these labeling units are in turn divided into different groups, so that different labels can also be attached to the containers depending on customer requirements. In other words, the labeling units are advantageously exchangeable.

In a further advantageous embodiment, differently treated containers can be fed to the carrier. It is thus possible that completely untreated, that is to say empty and unlabeled, containers are initially fed to the carrier and, in a later cycle, containers that are already filled or closed or labeled.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the device has a feed device which feeds the containers to the carrier and a first and a second feed unit which each feed the containers to this feed device. With this feed unit it can be, for example, a feed star that feeds the containers to the carrier. This feed star can, for example, be supplied with empty and unlabeled containers from another star and at the same time from another star with containers that have already been treated in a predetermined manner, for example filled containers.

This feed device advantageously has a plurality of controllable holding or gripping elements for holding or gripping the containers. In this way, each individual gripping element can be controlled individually, for example opened and closed in order to take over a container. It is thus possible for the containers to be transferred to the feed device and from there to the carrier device in a predefined manner (and preferably also in the order). This means that containers are preferably already being transported in different treatment stages by the feed device.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the device has at least one pitch changing device which changes a pitch between the individual containers during their transport. It is thus possible, for example, for a feed screw to be provided in front of the feed device or the inlet star, which brings the containers to the division of the carrier.

According to the invention, a pitch changing device is provided which conveys containers that have already been treated in a predetermined manner (i.e. already transported by the transport device) back to the carrier. The above-mentioned further feed unit dividing draft star is thus formed, which changes a division between the individual containers in order in this way to adapt the division of the containers to a further treatment step such as, for example, closing. The device thus advantageously has two or more such pitch changing devices, it being possible for these pitch changing devices, as mentioned above, to be, for example, indexing screws or pitch-delaying stars.

The present invention is further directed to a method for treating containers having the features of claim 8.

In terms of the method, it is therefore also proposed that the containers be subjected to the at least three treatment steps mentioned, namely filling, closing and labeling, during transport with the said carrier. In addition, further treatment steps, such as, for example, sterilization of the containers or leakage tests and the like, can also take place.

The containers are transported at least twice by means of the carrier during their treatment by the treatment units.

Thus, the carrier advantageously at least temporarily simultaneously transports containers in different treatment stages, for example untreated containers to fill them and at the same time already filled containers to close them or also already filled and closed containers to label them and the like.

In a further advantageous method, a division between the containers is changed at least once during the treatment. So it is possible that after filling the containers, their division is changed to match the division of the individual Adjust closing units. Further advantages and embodiments emerge from the attached drawings:

Here show:

Fig. 1

A roughly schematic representation of a device in a first embodiment;

Fig. 2

A roughly schematic representation of a further embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3a, b

two representations not according to the invention to illustrate a method, and

Fig. 4

a representation of a further treatment device not according to the invention for containers.

Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention. This device 1 according to the invention for treating containers has a carrier 2 which also serves as a transport device for the container and on which a plurality of treatment units 4, 6, 8 are arranged. The treatment units 4 are filling devices, not shown in detail, which fill the containers with a liquid. The treatment units 8 are closing stations which provide the containers with closures, for example screw closures onto these containers. The treatment units 6 are labeling units which provide the containers with labels. The reference numeral 18 designates closure elements, such as closure heads, which screw the closures onto the containers. The reference numeral 14 denotes filling elements which fill the containers in each case.

The carrier 2 or the transport device is arranged to be rotatable about an axis of rotation D. The individual treatment units can be arranged equidistantly in the circumferential direction of the carrier. The reference symbol P2 identifies the transport direction of the containers during their transport on the carrier or their transport with the treatment units arranged on the carrier.

The containers 10 are also shown differently depending on their treatment status. The containers 10 represented by empty circles still identify untreated containers that are neither filled, closed, nor labeled. The circles filled with dots identify already filled and already closed containers and the circles provided with a brick-like pattern identify filled, but not yet closed or labeled containers.

This means that the in Fig. 1 embodiment shown, the containers are filled in a first pass, closed in a second circuit and provided with labels in a third circuit with the carrier 2 or the transport device. However, as mentioned above, the sequence can also be designed differently, so that initially there is a first cycle in which the containers are filled, then a second cycle in which they are labeled, and finally a third cycle in which they are closed. It would also be possible for the containers to be labeled first, then filled and then closed. In principle, this ensures any sequence, but the containers are first filled and only then closed.

The feed device 20 has a multiplicity of controllable gripping elements 22 which grip the containers 10 for the purpose of transporting them along the arrow P1. At the in Fig. 1 In the embodiment shown, only every third gripping element is supplied with containers by the supply unit 32. This feed device 32 can be a dividing screw that brings the containers to a predetermined pitch.

The containers that have already been treated in a predetermined manner are then transferred back to the infeed star 20 via an outlet star 36 and a transfer star 34. For example, it is possible that filled, but not yet closed and not labeled containers are conveyed to the star inlet 20 via the transfer star 34. This transfer star 34 is a division delay star with which the division between the individual containers can be changed.

At the in Fig. 1 embodiment shown, the empty gripping elements 22 are now equipped with containers, so that overall on the inlet star 20, the containers are conveyed in several different treatment stages and correspondingly to the Carrier 2 can be passed. The transfer star 34 can also have a gripping element and in particular a multiplicity of gripping elements 44 which are used to hold and transport the containers. In this way, the containers are preferably guided individually through the entire device. Furthermore, in one possible embodiment, the transfer star 34 has a multiplicity of arms 46 which can be pivoted relative to a carrier 45 and on which the individual gripping elements 44 are arranged.

The reference numeral 38 identifies (again only roughly schematically) a discharge device which transports away the finished containers, ie the filled and closed and labeled containers. You can see that the in Fig. 1 The embodiment shown, the treatment stations 4, 6, 8 are each arranged alternately on the carrier 2. However, it would also be possible for the labeling units 6, in particular, not to be arranged on the carrier 2 itself, but rather in its surroundings, in order to provide the individual containers with labels. It should be noted that the individual treatment stations 4, 6, 8 are each shown only roughly schematically. It would also be possible that some of the treatment units (for example the filling units 4) are offset in the radial direction of the carrier with respect to other treatment units.

The containers therefore advantageously remain on the carrier at a specific treatment station 4, 6, 8 during a specific cycle.

Fig. 2 shows another embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention. In this embodiment, the filling units 4 and the closing units 8 are each combined to form a common treatment station 4, 8 so that two types of treatment stations are alternately arranged here on the carrier 2. This means that the in Fig. 2 The variant shown, the containers are transported only twice along their transport path P with the carrier 2, whereas in the case of the in Fig. 1 The embodiment shown, the containers are conveyed three times along the transport path P2. The arrows P1-P4 illustrate the transport path of the containers as a whole. The reference symbol 42 identifies gripping elements of the carrier 2

It would also be conceivable that the individual containers are subjected to all three treatment steps during one pass on the carrier 2, in which case each individual treatment unit is equipped in combination as a labeling station as a filling device and sealing device.

The Figures 3a and 3b show two representations not according to the invention to illustrate the method. The filling units and the closing units are not shown here. At the in Fig. 3a The situation shown, empty containers 10a are fed to the transport device 2 and, as in FIG Fig. 3a illustrated, filled during this transport. The filled containers are then provided with closures during this passage on the transport device 2 and then (already closed) transported back to the infeed star 20 via the outlet star 36 and the transfer star 34 (arrow P4). Contrary to the claimed invention, the transfer star 34 is not designed here as a pitch warping star.

At the inlet star, only every second gripping element was equipped with empty containers 10a. The respective remaining free gripping elements are then equipped with the filled and closed containers 10b.

These containers 10b are, as in Figure 3b shown, transferred back to the transport device and labeled there with the labeling unit 6 during its second cycle. The correspondingly closed and labeled containers are provided with the reference symbol 10c and are carried out via the outlet star 36.

Fig. 4 shows a device not according to the invention. In this embodiment, the closing units are not located on the carrier 2, but on a further closing unit 80. This closing unit 80 can take over the already filled containers from the discharge star 36 and close the containers with closures during the transport with the unit 80. The closed containers are then transferred again to the carrier 2 via the infeed star or feed device and then labeled with the labeling units 6. In this embodiment, too, both the filling of the containers and the labeling of the containers take place with the same unit and only the closing takes place with the closing unit 80, which is coupled to the filling and labeling unit via the mentioned outlet and inlet stars. In this embodiment too, the infeed star 20 is used both to transport the empty and unlabeled containers and to transport the containers that have already been filled and closed. The outlet star 36 is preferably used here both for transporting the only filled but not yet closed and unlabeled containers, and for transporting the filled, labeled and closed containers. As mentioned, it is possible that the inlet star or feed device 20 and / or the outlet star 36 are designed as pitch warping stars, or also as so-called multifunctional stars. This procedure also enables a relatively small division between the individual containers 10 on the device 1.

List of reference symbols

1

contraption

2

Carrier, transport device

4th

Treatment units (filling units)

6th

Treatment units (labeling units)

8th

Treatment units (sealing units)

10

Containers

10a

empty containers

10b

filled and closed containers

10c

filled, closed and labeled containers

14th

Filling elements

18th

Locking elements

20th

Infeed star, feed device

22nd

Gripping elements

32

Feeding device

34

Transfer star

36

Outlet star

38

Discharge device

42

Gripping elements of the transport device 2

44

Gripping elements of the transfer star 34

45

Carrier of the transfer star

46

swivel arms

80

unit

P1 - P5

Transport path of the containers

Claims (9)

1. An apparatus for the treatment of containers (10) with a movable carrier (2) for conveying the containers to be treated, with a plurality of treatment units (4, 6, 8) which treat each container (10) in a pre-set manner, wherein the treatment units (4, 6, 8) of a first group of these treatment units (4, 6, 8) are filling units (4) which fill the containers (10) with a flowable medium, and these filling units (4) have in each case filling elements (14) which are arranged on the carrier (2) and which move jointly with the containers (10) at least sectionwise, wherein the treatment units (4, 6, 8) of a third group of these treatment units (4, 6, 8) are closing units (8) which close with a closure the containers (10) filled with the flowable medium and which have in each case closure elements (18) which are arranged on the carrier (2) and which move jointly with the containers (10) at least sectionwise, wherein the treatment units (4, 6, 8) are arranged on or with respect to the carrier (2) in such a way that each container (10) is conveyed at least twice by the carrier (2), wherein the filling units (4) and the closing units (8) are arranged offset from one another on the carrier (2),
   characterized in that
   the treatment units (4, 6, 8) of a second group of these treatment units (4, 6, 8) are labelling devices (6) which apply labels to the containers (10), wherein each container (10) is conveyed at least twice by the carrier (2) in order to be filled, labelled and closed, and in that the treatment units (4, 6, 8) are arranged with respect to the carrier (2) in such a way that the filling of the containers by the first filling units (4), the labelling of the containers (10) by the labelling units (6) and the closing of the containers (10) by the closing units (8) take place during a conveying of the containers (10) by means of the one movable carrier (2), wherein the containers (10) are transferred back to the infeed starwheel (20) via an outlet starwheel (36) and a transfer starwheel (34), wherein the transfer starwheel (34) is a pitch-varying starwheel.
2. An apparatus (1) according to claim 1,
   characterized in that
   the carrier (2) is a carrier rotatable about a pre-set axis of rotation (D).
3. An apparatus (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the labelling units (6) are arranged so as to be stationary.
4. An apparatus (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the labelling units (6) are interchangeable.
5. An apparatus (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   containers (10) treated in different ways are capable of being supplied to the carrier (2).
6. An apparatus (1) according to claim 1,
   characterized in that
   the apparatus (1) has a supply device (20) which supplies the containers (10) to the carrier (2) as well as a first (32) and a second (34) supply unit which supply containers to this supply device (20) in each case, wherein the second (34) supply unit corresponds to the pitch-varying starwheel (34).
7. An apparatus (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the apparatus (1) has at least one distribution changing device (32) which changes a distribution between the containers (10).
8. A method for treating containers (10) with a plurality of treatment units (4, 6, 8), wherein the containers are conveyed during the treatment thereof at least in part by means of a carrier (2) and the containers are filled with a flowable medium by filling units (4) which are a first group of these treatment units (4, 6, 8) and have filling elements (14) which are arranged in each case on the carrier (2) and which move jointly with the containers (10) at least sectionwise, after the filling with the flowable medium they are closed with a closure by closing units (8) which are a second group of these treatment units (4, 6, 8) and have closing elements (18) which are arranged in each case on the carrier (2) and which move jointly with the containers (10) at least sectionwise, and wherein labels are applied to the containers by means of labelling units (6) which are a third group of these treatment units (4, 6, 8),
   wherein the filling of the containers by the filling units (4), the labelling of the containers (10) by the labelling units (6) and the closing of the containers (10) by the closing units (8) take place during a conveying of the containers (10) by means of the one movable carrier (2), wherein the containers (10) in each case are conveyed at least twice by the carrier (2) during the treatment thereof by the treatment units (4, 6, 8), wherein the filling units (4) and the closing units (8) are arranged offset from one another on the carrier (2), wherein the containers (10) are transferred back to the infeed starwheel (20) via an outlet starwheel (36) and a transfer starwheel (34), wherein the transfer starwheel (34) is a pitch-varying starwheel.
9. A method according to at least one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   a distribution between the containers (10) is changed at least once during the treatment thereof.

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