EP3423361B1 - Section of a packaging line for beverage containers and method for handling beverage containers during their transport along a packaging line - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a section of a packaging line for beverage containers and a method for handling beverage containers during their transport along a packaging line.

When packaging articles, in particular beverage containers, bottles or the like, in bundles, the articles are put together in the desired manner and wrapped in a shrink film. The shrink film is shrunk on by supplying hot air in a shrink tunnel around the articles. The articles enter the shrink tunnel with the shrink film via an entrance and leave the shrink tunnel via an exit after the shrinking process. A conveyor or horizontal conveyor can extend through the shrink tunnel to move the articles through the shrink tunnel during the shrinking process.

Before the articles are led into the shrink tunnel, thermoplastic packaging material is applied to a compilation of articles in order to produce a container from the respective compilation via the thermoplastic packaging material in the shrink tunnel.

The DE 10 2007 062 329 A1 discloses a device for handling objects, in particular packaged containers. The device comprises a first and a second handling device for the objects and in particular a packaging machine and a palletizing machine, wherein the packaging machine can be formed by a shrink tunnel. In order to prevent, in a structurally simple and space-saving manner, objects from possibly being damaged in the first handling device during a downstream delivery stop, the device has a storage device which has a plurality of receiving places for the temporary receiving of objects, which is essentially one horizontal axis between a receiving position for receiving the objects and a storage position are movable.

Such a shrinking device as mentioned above is for example from the German utility model with the publication number DE 20 2007 018 402 U1 known. The shrink tunnel of the DE utility model is connected to a gas supply device, via which the packaging materials are acted upon by a fluid temperature-controlled medium. For this purpose, the fluid, which is at a fluid temperature, passes through a flow chamber and is guided in the direction of several outlet openings. By applying the gaseous medium to the packaging material, the packaging material can be shrunk onto articles.

In generic devices according to the DE utility model, the shrink tunnel is followed by a horizontal conveyor device, on which the articles stand after they have left the shrink tunnel and are possibly moved in the direction of further work stations. On the horizontal conveyor or during its transport the articles then cool down through the respective horizontal conveyor device and can subsequently be manipulated by the other workstations. Before being fed to the further work stations, it may be necessary to group or distribute the articles so that the containers reach the respective work station with a certain distribution or grouping. For this purpose, a grouping or distributing device can be arranged upstream of the workstation.

If a shrink tunnel is taken out of operation, all articles are moved out of the shrink tunnel so as not to be damaged due to the temperature level prevailing in the shrink tunnel. The respective horizontal conveying device connected to the shrink tunnel can serve as a buffer, which can accommodate all of the respective containers located in the shrink tunnel when the shrink tunnel is taken out of operation. If the shrink tunnel or the packaging line is put into operation again, the containers standing on the horizontal conveyor device or the buffer can then be moved further in the direction of a respective work station.

Such devices or sections of a packaging line require a large amount of space. In addition, it may be necessary to reorganize or group the containers so that they can be processed by the workstation. Based on the prior art, devices would therefore be desirable which have a high degree of flexibility.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a generic section of a packaging line or a generic method which require little space and are highly flexible. The device should also be characterized by a simple structure. The process should be easy to implement.

The above objects are achieved by an apparatus and a method comprising the features in claims 1 and 12. Further advantageous embodiments are described by the subclaims.

The invention relates to a section of a packaging line for beverage containers. The beverage containers can be formed, for example, by bottles or PET bottles or cans.

The section comprises a shrink tunnel, by means of which shrink tunnels for producing containers of thermoplastic packaging material can be shrunk onto assemblies on beverage containers. For this purpose, the shrink tunnel can have a housing with two openings oriented in alignment with one another, the beverage containers entering the housing through one of the two openings, subsequently being moved through the shrink tunnel and leaving the shrink tunnel as a container via a further opening or out of the shrink tunnel the further opening can be removed. In order to transport the beverage containers or containers through the shrink tunnel, a horizontal conveyor device can be positioned within the shrink tunnel. At least two opposing shaft walls, between which the beverage containers are moved, can be arranged in the shrink tunnel. The shaft walls can each have openings through which tempered air exits and is moved in the direction of the thermoplastic packaging material.

The section of the packaging line can expediently comprise a work station which is arranged upstream of the shrink tunnel in the direction of flow of the beverage containers and via which work station thermoplastic packaging material can be applied to compositions on beverage containers. The work station can be arranged directly upstream of the shrink tunnel in the direction of flow of the beverage containers.

In addition, an inlet for beverage containers can be arranged upstream of the workstation, via which the beverage containers are passed on to the workstation. The inlet can comprise a plurality of alley plates oriented parallel to one another, via which the beverage containers are guided in parallel rows.

The section also includes at least one manipulator, which is designed for the preferably clamping and / or form-fitting acceptance and handling of containers produced via the shrink tunnel. The at least one manipulator immediately follows the shrink tunnel downstream.

Furthermore, in preferred embodiments, the section of the packaging line can comprise at least one working device downstream of the shrink tunnel, by means of which further packaging material can be applied to the containers produced by means of the shrink tunnel. It is conceivable, for example, that the at least one downstream of the shrink tunnel Work device can provide the respective container with a tray or an outer packaging formed from plastic and / or cardboard and / or other materials. Thus, the at least one working device following the shrink tunnel downstream can be designed to apply a respective packaging containing cellulose or made of cardboard and / or cardboard and / or plastic and / or other materials to the containers. It is also conceivable that the at least one working device following the shrink tunnel downstream is designed as a stretch winder. Thus, the at least one working device downstream of the shrink tunnel can be designed to apply a further packaging material designed as a stretch film to containers.

A detection area of the at least one manipulator can thus extend at least approximately to an opening of the shrink tunnel, from which opening the containers exit the shrink tunnel. The at least one manipulator can thus accept and manipulate containers immediately or at least approximately immediately after leaving the shrink tunnel. The expression "immediately" can be understood in the context of the present invention in such a way that no further station or working device, such as a horizontal conveyor device or the like, is arranged between the at least one manipulator and the shrink tunnel. Furthermore, the term “directly” can be understood in the context of the present invention in such a way that, as already mentioned above, a detection area of the at least one manipulator extends at least approximately up to an opening of the shrink tunnel, from which opening the containers exit the shrink tunnel.

In particularly preferred embodiments, it can also be provided that the at least one working device connects directly downstream to the at least one manipulator. Such embodiments are further characterized by a small space requirement of the section of the packaging line.

Furthermore, embodiments have proven themselves in which at least one device for cooling the containers is assigned to the shrink tunnel and / or the at least one manipulator. It is conceivable here that the at least one device for cooling the containers comprises at least one blower, via which at least one blower the containers can be acted upon by an air volume flow coming from above and a further air flow coming from below. The containers can be in the area of an exit of the shrink tunnel in the direction from above coming air volume flow and the air volume flow coming from below are applied. The device can be positioned in such a way that the containers can be cooled or subjected to an air volume flow before being received by the at least one manipulator.

It may also be that the at least one manipulator has a device for cooling the containers or that the at least one manipulator is assigned a device for cooling the containers. If the at least one manipulator, as described below, is designed as a parallel kinematics robot or as an industrial robot, it may be the case that an air volume flow is directed onto the containers by means of a coordinated movement of several working arms and the at least one manipulator receives the containers following in time and manipulated. The device for cooling the containers can have at least one nozzle, through which an air volume flow for cooling the containers can emerge and which nozzle is mechanically connected to the plurality of working arms, so that the nozzle moves or moves by means of a coordinated movement of the several working arms. can be moved.

As just mentioned, it may be that the at least one manipulator is designed as a parallel kinematics robot. In particular, the at least one manipulator can be designed as a tripod and thus have three working arms that can be moved independently of one another. Embodiments in which the at least one manipulator is designed as a parallel kinematics robot have proven themselves in order to achieve a high throughput when handling containers along the packaging line.

It is also conceivable that the at least one manipulator is designed as an industrial robot. In further embodiments, the at least one manipulator can comprise at least two hanging gripping arms, which interact to handle packs and can be moved along the packaging line and at an angle to the flow direction of the packs.

It is also conceivable that the section includes a storage area for temporarily holding containers, into which storage area containers can be transferred by a movement oriented obliquely to their direction of flow and brought about by the at least one manipulator. The shrink tunnel, the at least one manipulator and the at least one work station can thus be positioned in a linear arrangement. The memory area can laterally to the linear Connect the installation. In particular, the storage area can connect laterally to the linear arrangement in the area of the at least one manipulator.

A capacity of the storage area for beverage containers can correspond to at least one capacity of the shrink tunnel for beverage containers. If the shrink tunnel is taken out of operation, in practice all containers or beverage containers accommodated in the shrink tunnel at a certain point in time are removed from the shrink tunnel, so that there are no containers in the shrink tunnel after that. In embodiments known from the prior art, these containers, which are removed from the shrink tunnel, are temporarily stored on a horizontal conveying device which is directly connected to the shrink tunnel and which is designed as an empty travel route. In the described embodiment with a storage area, such an empty travel route can advantageously be dispensed with, as a result of which the section of the packaging line can be made compact or space-saving. The storage area can be laterally offset or positioned obliquely to the direction of flow of the containers along the packaging line. It may also be the case that the at least one manipulator has its own horizontal conveyor device, above which a clamping and / or gripping device designed as a component of the at least one manipulator is movably suspended. The own horizontal conveyor of the at least one manipulator can optionally be designed as a storage area.

Furthermore, the section of a packaging line can comprise a control device coupled to the at least one manipulator, via which the at least one manipulator can be controlled in order to generate an arrangement and / or orientation of the containers intended for the at least one working device. It is conceivable here that the at least one manipulator for generating the respective arrangement and / or orientation which is provided for the at least one working device can rotate and / or offset obliquely to its direction of flow. The at least one manipulator can optionally form a bundle stream with a number of n parallel rows from a bundle stream with a number of m parallel rows, the number n being different from the number m.

Furthermore, the section can comprise at least one optical sensor system for recognizing the nature of containers, the at least one manipulator being operatively connected to the at least one optical sensor system, so that containers whose The actual condition deviates from a target condition, possibly can be separated out via the at least one manipulator before being fed to the at least one working device. The at least one optical sensor system can be designed as a camera system. Furthermore, the at least one optical sensor system or the camera system can be coupled to the control device described above, the control device causing the respective container to be separated out via the at least one manipulator if the respective actual condition deviates from the desired condition. For example, the target quality can be specified as the quality of the shrinking of the thermoplastic packaging material onto combinations of beverage containers. If the quality of the shrink fit does not correspond to the specified target condition or if the actual condition deviates from the specified target condition, the respective container, as already described above, can be separated out using the at least one manipulator.

It is also conceivable that the at least one manipulator is coupled to a control device which, if a particular container is discarded, brings about a replacement by another container which is effected via the at least one manipulator, the actual condition of the further container corresponding to the desired condition. The further containers can be positioned, for example, in the previously described storage area, into which the at least one manipulator transfers a separated container and subsequently receives another container, the further container being moved in the direction of the at least one working device instead of the separated container.

It is also conceivable that containers, the actual condition of which deviates from a desired condition, can be transferred into the storage area via a movement oriented obliquely to their flow direction via the at least one manipulator.

It may also be the case that the section comprises at least one horizontal conveying device, via which manipulated containers can be fed to the at least one working device, the at least one manipulator being designed for stacking the containers on the at least one horizontal conveying device. As mentioned below, for example for the purpose of maintenance, repair or decommissioning, it can be provided that at a certain point in time all Beverage containers located in the shrink tunnel are removed from the shrink tunnel. It may be the case that the beverage containers located in the shrink tunnel at the specific point in time after removal from the shrink tunnel are at least partially received and stacked by the at least one manipulator. As already mentioned above, the at least one manipulator can have its own horizontal conveyor. The containers can be stacked on our own horizontal conveyor. When the shrink tunnel is started up again, the containers can be moved in a stacked form to at least one working device. It may also be the case that when the shrink tunnel is started up again, a stacked formation of the containers is lifted via the at least one manipulator and the containers are passed on to the at least one working device in a non-stacked formation.

In addition, embodiments have proven themselves in which the at least one manipulator is designed for stacking the containers on the at least one horizontal conveyor device and in which at least one working device is provided downstream of the at least one manipulator and is used to apply further packaging material to the containers in a stacked formation can be.

It is also conceivable that the at least one manipulator is designed to produce a specific target orientation of a plurality of containers relative to a position capable of being palletized. After the target alignment has been established, the multiple containers can be compressed, resulting in a layer capable of being palletized. The palletizable layer can then be placed on an assigned pallet or transferred to an assigned pallet.

It is also conceivable that the section comprises a horizontal conveying device, to which a grouping station connects, by means of which grouping station a specific alignment of the packs to one another can be produced for a position capable of being palletized. In this case, the at least one manipulator can be designed to position the containers on the horizontal conveyor device. The at least one manipulator can thus be designed as a rotating and / or distribution system for containers.

The invention also relates to a method for handling beverage containers while they are being transported along a packaging line. Features that have already been described above for various embodiments of the Section according to the invention have been described, can also be provided in conceivable embodiments of the method according to the invention and are therefore not mentioned redundantly. In addition, the following features, which relate to conceivable embodiments of the method according to the invention, can be provided for the section of a packaging line according to the invention.

As part of a first step of the method, beverage containers are fed to a shrink tunnel, in which thermoplastic packaging material is shrunk onto assemblies of beverage containers and in this way respective containers are produced from the assemblies. In the shrink tunnel, a tempered fluid flow can be applied to the thermoplastic packaging material in order to shrink the thermoplastic packaging material onto the respective combination of beverage containers. For example, assemblies formed from two, four or six beverage containers can be produced, to which thermoplastic packaging material is applied, the assemblies with their respective thermoplastic packaging material subsequently entering the shrink tunnel or being fed to the shrink tunnel.

Before forming the compilations, the beverage containers can be run in parallel rows. The compilations can be formed by decelerating or accelerating beverage containers ahead of beverage containers following in the flow direction.

In a further step of the method according to the invention, the containers are removed from the shrink tunnel. Here, the containers can be moved in the direction of at least one working device following the shrink tunnel in the flow direction. In the shrink tunnel, the containers can be moved in a linear direction and, if necessary, via a horizontal conveyor.

It is further provided that the containers, after being removed from the shrink tunnel, reach a detection area of at least one manipulator directly following the shrink tunnel, which preferably receives and handles at least one manipulator directly following the shrink tunnel in a clamping and / or form-fitting manner.

The detection area of the at least one manipulator can connect at least approximately directly to an exit or an opening of the shrink tunnel.

It may also be the case that the containers are fed to a working device which follows the at least one manipulator in a flow direction of the containers and which applies further packaging material to the containers.

In particularly preferred embodiments, the containers can be cooled by means of an air volume flow before being received by the at least one manipulator. It is conceivable here that the containers are cooled by an air volume flow coming from below and by another air volume flow coming from above. Here, containers in the area of the shrink tunnel and / or in the area or detection area of the at least one manipulator can be cooled by means of the air volume flow. In particular, respective containers can be cooled by the at least one manipulator before being received.

Practice has shown that containers can have a high temperature immediately after leaving the shrink tunnel. The cooling described makes it possible to receive containers at least approximately immediately after leaving the shrink tunnel by means of the at least one manipulator.

It may also be the case that all of the beverage containers located in the shrink tunnel at a certain point in time are removed from the shrink tunnel, so that there are subsequently no beverage containers in the shrink tunnel. In addition, the beverage containers or containers located in the shrink tunnel at the specific point in time after being removed from the shrink tunnel can be at least partially received by the at least one manipulator and transferred obliquely to their flow direction into a storage area by means of the at least one manipulator. For example, this may be necessary if the shrink tunnel is to be shut down temporarily or there are faults that need to be remedied. The respective containers located in the storage area can be transferred in time after at least a partial transfer of the containers located in the shrink tunnel to the storage area of the at least one manipulator are removed from the storage area and moved further in the direction of the at least one working device.

In further embodiments, it may also be the case that the containers are brought into an arrangement and / or new orientation provided for the at least one working device mentioned above via the at least one manipulator. For example, containers can be selectively rotated and / or offset obliquely to their direction of flow and / or decelerated or accelerated compared to subsequent containers.

In addition, a condition of containers can be checked by sensors, containers, the actual condition of which deviates from a desired condition, being separated out via the at least one manipulator before being fed to the at least one working device. As already described above, the desired quality can be designed as the quality of the shrink-fitting of the thermoplastic packaging material on combinations of beverage containers.

• Figur 1 zeigt eine schematische Ansicht einer denkbaren Ausführungsform eines Abschnittes einer Verpackungslinie;
• Figur 2 zeigt eine schematische Ansicht einer weiteren denkbaren Ausführungsform eines Abschnittes einer Verpackungslinie;
• Figur 3 zeigt einzelne Schritte, wie sie bei einer denkbaren Ausführungsform eines erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens vorliegen können.

In the following, exemplary embodiments are intended to explain the invention and its advantages with reference to the attached figures. The size relationships of the individual elements to one another in the figures do not always correspond to the real size relationships, since some shapes are simplified and other shapes are shown enlarged in relation to other elements for better illustration.

• Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a conceivable embodiment of a section of a packaging line;
• Figure 2 shows a schematic view of another conceivable embodiment of a section of a packaging line;
• Figure 3 shows individual steps as they can be in a conceivable embodiment of a method according to the invention.

Identical reference numerals are used for identical or identically acting elements of the invention. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, only reference numerals are shown in the individual figures which are necessary for the description of the respective figure. The illustrated embodiments merely represent examples of how the invention can be designed and do not represent a final limitation.

Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a conceivable embodiment of a section 1 of a packaging line for beverage containers 3.

Section 1 comprises in the exemplary embodiment Figure 1 an inlet 7, via which individual beverage containers 3 are conveyed in the flow direction SR indicated by the arrow. The inlet 7 comprises a plurality of alley plates, via which parallel tracks for guiding the beverage containers 3 are formed in parallel rows.

A feed station 9 immediately follows in the flow direction SR. When the beverage containers 3 pass from the feed 7 into the work station 9, leading beverage containers 3 can be accelerated with respect to subsequent beverage containers 3, so that there is a gap between the leading beverage containers 3 and the subsequent beverage containers 3 certain distance is formed. Leading beverage containers 3 and lagging beverage containers 3 then form a respective combination of beverage containers 3 in the area of the work station 9. The distance between leading beverage containers 3 and lagging beverage containers 3 can also be formed in the work station 9 itself. Thermoplastic packaging material is applied to the respective combinations of beverage containers 3 via the work station 9.

Figure 1 shows with reference to number 13 a shrink tunnel which connects directly to the work station 9. In order to form a respective container 5 from the combinations of beverage containers 3 and their respective thermoplastic packaging material, the thermoplastic packaging material in the shrink tunnel 13 is subjected to thermal energy, the thermoplastic packaging material shrinking onto the respective combination and thereby a container 5 from the respective combination and its thermoplastic Packaging material is formed.

The shrink tunnel 13 comprises a device 14 for cooling the containers 5. Before leaving the shrink tunnel 13, the containers 5 pass through the device 14. Via the device 14, the containers 5 for cooling are each provided with one coming from below and one towards above coming air volume flow. After passing through the device 14 or after cooling, the containers 5 leave the shrink tunnel 13.

Section 1 also comprises at least one working device 30 which follows the shrink tunnel 13 downstream or in the flow direction SR and via which further packaging material or stretch film is applied to the containers 5 produced by means of the shrink tunnel 13. The working device 30 following the shrink tunnel 13 in the flow direction SR is therefore designed as a stretch winder. In the exemplary embodiment Figure 1 an outer packaging is applied to the container 5 by means of the working device 30. The outer packaging can be designed, for example, as a tray or as an outer packaging formed by cardboard and / or cardboard.

A manipulator 20 is arranged between the working device 30 and the shrinking tunnel 13, which manipulator connects directly to the shrinking tunnel 13 or which immediately follows the shrinking tunnel 13 without further intermediate stations between the working device 30 and the shrinking tunnel 13. The shrink tunnel 13 can be formed by a first module, the manipulator 20 by a second module, the second module directly connecting to the first module.

It may be the case that the manipulator 20 has its own horizontal conveying device which connects directly to the shrink tunnel 13. The manipulator 20 can detect and manipulate containers 5 standing on its own horizontal conveyor. The detection area of the manipulator 20 can extend at least approximately up to an opening of the shrink tunnel 13, via which opening containers 5 leave the shrink tunnel 13.

The manipulator 20 is in the embodiment Figure 1 designed as a parallel kinematics robot 21 or tripod and has a plurality of working arms, the movements of which for receiving and handling containers 5 are coordinated with one another.

A memory area of section 1 is shown with reference to number 17. The manipulator 20 or the parallel kinematics robot 21 can receive containers 5, bring about a movement oriented obliquely to the direction of flow SR for the respective containers 5 received and thereby transfer the containers 5 into the storage area 17 and deposit them in the storage area 17. The manipulation 20 can transfer the containers 5 into the storage area 17 via a Control device S can be specified, which is coupled to the manipulator 20 or the parallel kinematics robot 21. As a result, a continuation of the respective container 5 to the working device 30 is prevented at least temporarily. If the shrink tunnel 13 is taken out of operation, all of the containers 5 or beverage containers 3 accommodated in the shrink tunnel 13 at a certain point in time must be removed from the shrink tunnel 13, since the shrink tunnel 13 has a high temperature level, which is due to the too long retention time of containers 5 in the shrink tunnel 13 would lead to damage to the respective container 5.

It may be the case that the containers 5 located in the shrink tunnel 13 at the specific time and subsequently removed from the shrink tunnel 13 are received by the manipulator 20 or the parallel kinematics robot 21, transferred to the storage area 17 and deposited in the storage area 17. If the shrink tunnel 17 is started up again in time, the containers 5 transferred to the storage area 17 and deposited in the storage area 17 can be removed from the storage area 17 via the manipulator 20 or the parallel kinematics robot 21 and further in the direction of the working device 30 be moved. Even in the event of faults, it may be necessary to remove all of the containers 5 from the shrink tunnel 13. A transfer into the storage area 17 can then take place via the manipulator 20, as described above.

In Figure 1 As previously mentioned, stretch film can be applied to the respective containers 5 via the working device 30. The working device 30 is thus designed as a stretch winder. For this purpose, it is necessary to bring the containers 5 into a corresponding predetermined orientation and orientation before they are fed to the working device 30. Information about a target orientation and target orientation of the containers 5 provided for the working device 30 can be stored on the control device S. The control device S can use the information to manipulate the containers 5 or align the containers 5 via the manipulator 20 or the parallel kinematics robot 21 in such a way that the containers 5 reach the working device 30 in the predetermined target orientation and target orientation .

In addition, section 1 has an optical sensor 23, which is designed as a camera system 24 and is connected to the control device S. The optical sensor 23 or the camera system 24 supplies information to the Control device S for the actual condition of containers 5, which leave the shrink tunnel 13. For example, the optical sensor 23 or the camera system 24 can provide information on the quality of the shrinking of the thermoplastic packaging material onto the respective combination of beverage containers 3. The control device S compares the actual condition of the containers 5 with a predetermined desired condition. If the actual condition of a container 5 or more containers 5 deviates from a predetermined target condition, the control device S can separate the respective one container 5 or the respective plurality of containers 5, the actual condition of which deviates from the predetermined target condition , via the manipulator 20 or via the parallel kinematics robot 21. For example, separated containers 5 can be transferred from the manipulator 20 or the parallel kinematics robot 21 into the storage area 17. For various embodiments it is also conceivable that the manipulator 20 replaces a separated container 5 with another container 5, the actual condition of which corresponds to the desired condition. The further containers 5 can optionally be stored in the storage area 17 or located in the storage area 17.

In particular in embodiments according to Figure 1 , in which the containers 5 are provided with stretch film by means of the working device 30, an additional grouping and / or distribution system can be dispensed with, so that the section 1 has a high degree of flexibility while still requiring little space in the flow direction SR of the containers 5.

Figure 2 shows a schematic view of another conceivable embodiment of a section 1 of a packaging line. Section 1 from the exemplary embodiment Figure 2 has according to section 1 from the embodiment Figure 1 an inlet 7, a work station 9, a shrink tunnel 13 and a device 14 for cooling the container 5. In addition, section 1 has a manipulator 20 which is designed as a parallel kinematics robot 21. The manipulator 20 or the parallel kinematics robot 21 connects directly to the shrink tunnel 13. The components mentioned are identical to the exemplary embodiment Figure 1 trained so that with regard to the constructive and functional design Figure 1 is remitted.

In the exemplary embodiment Figure 2 a layer formation belt 18 is also provided, which is directly connected to the manipulator 20 or the parallel kinematics robot 21 connects. The manipulator 20 can be used to position containers 5 on the layer formation belt 18 in a specific orientation that is intended for a position capable of being palletized. Information on the specific orientation is stored on the control device S, which controls the at least one manipulator 20 for the corresponding positioning of the containers 5. Furthermore, two movable infeed elements 6 are provided in the area of the layer formation belt 18, which can compress the containers 5 located on the layer formation belt 18 and aligned via the manipulator 20 and thereby produce a layer capable of being palletized from the containers 5. Compared to the flow direction SR along which the containers 5 move in the shrink tunnel 13, a further flow direction SR ′ of the containers 5 on the layer formation belt 18 is offset by 90 °. After a container capable of being palletized has been formed from the containers 5 on the layer formation belt 18 by means of compression by the delivery elements 6, the layer capable of being palletized is passed on to a palletizing device 22. The palletizing device 22 then places the palletizable layer on an assigned pallet which is not shown in the figures in the patent application.

A working area of the manipulator 20 can extend at least in sections over the layer formation belt 18 in order to pass on containers 5 in the specific orientation to the layer formation belt 18 or to deposit them on the layer formation belt 18. It may also be the case that the manipulator 20 has its own horizontal conveyor device, on which in Figure 2 is referred to by way of example with number 60. The manipulator 20 can produce a specific alignment of the containers 5 for a layer capable of being palletized on its own horizontal conveyor device 60 and then pass the containers 5 on to the layer formation belt 18 by means of its own horizontal conveyor device 60 or move them in the direction of the layer formation belt 18.

Figure 3 shows individual steps as they can be in a conceivable embodiment of a method according to the invention. In a first step, beverage containers 3 are fed to a shrink tunnel 13, in which thermoplastic packaging material is shrunk onto assemblies of beverage containers 3. As a result, several beverage containers 3 are combined to form a container 5.

Following this in time or after the thermoplastic packaging material has been shrunk on, the containers 5 are removed from the shrinking tunnel 13, whereupon the containers 5 reach the detection area of at least one manipulator 20 directly following the shrink tunnel 13. The at least one manipulator 20 accepts containers 5 and, after receiving them, handles the respective containers 5. As a result of the acceptance and handling by the at least one manipulator 20, the containers 5 can be brought into an orientation and / or arrangement provided for a working device 30. The containers 5 are then continued in the direction of the working device 30. Stretch film is then applied to the container 5 by the working device 30.

Reference list

1

section

3rd

Beverage containers

5

Containers

6

Delivery element

7

Intake

9

Workstation

13

Shrink tunnel

14

Cooling device

17th

Storage area

18th

Layer formation tape

20

manipulator

21

Parallel kinematics robot

22

Palletizing device

23

Optical sensor

24th

Camera system

30th

Work equipment

32

Horizontal conveyor

S

Control device

SR

Flow direction

Claims (14)

1. A section (1) of a packaging line for beverage containers (3), which section comprises:

   - a shrinking tunnel (13), via which shrinking tunnel (13) thermoplastic packaging material can be shrunk onto assemblies of beverage containers (3) in order to produce packs (5), as well as

   - at least one manipulator (20), which manipulator (20) is preferably designed for the clamping and/or form-fitting reception and handling of packs (5) produced via the shrinking tunnel (13), characterized in that

   - the at least one manipulator (20) is located downstream of the packs (5), directly following the shrinking tunnel (13), so that no horizontal conveying device is arranged between the at least one manipulator (20) and the shrinking tunnel (13) as a further station or working device, as the case may be.
2. The section of a packaging line according to claim 1, comprising at least one working device (30) located downstream of the at least one manipulator (20), via which working device (30) further packaging material can be applied to the packs (5), which are produced via the shrinking tunnel (13).
3. The section of a packaging line according to claim 2, in which the at least one working device (30) is immediately adjoining the at least one manipulator (20) downstream.
4. The section of a packaging line according to one or more of the claims 1 to 3, comprising a storage area (17) for temporarily receiving packs (5), into which storage area (17) packs (5) can be transferred by a movement, which movement is oriented obliquely to their flow direction (SR) and which movement is effected by the at least one manipulator (20)
5. The section of a packaging line according to claim 4, in which a capacity of the storage area (17) for beverage containers (3) corresponds to at least a capacity of the shrinking tunnel (13) for beverage containers (3).
6. The section of a packaging line according to one of the claims 2 to 4, comprising a control device (S), which control device (S) is coupled to the at least one manipulator (20), via which control device (S) the at least one manipulator (20) can be controlled to produce an arrangement and/or orientation of the packages (5), which arrangement and/or orientation is provided for the at least one working device (30).
7. The section of a packaging line according to one of the claims 1 to 6, comprising at least one horizontal conveying device, via which horizontal conveying device manipulated packs (5) can be fed to the at least one working device (30), wherein the at least one manipulator (20) is designed for stacking packs (5) on the at least one horizontal conveying device.
8. The section of a packaging line according to one of the claims 1 to 7, in which the at least one manipulator (20) is designed to produce a specific nominal alignment of a plurality of packs (5) relative to one another corresponding to a palletizable layer.
9. A method for handling beverage containers (3) during their transport along a packaging line, the method comprising the following steps:

   - feeding of beverage containers (3) into a shrinking tunnel (13), in which shrinking tunnel (13) thermoplastic packaging material is shrunk onto assemblies of beverage containers (3) and whereby respective packs (5) are produced from the assemblies,

   - removing the packs (5) from the shrinking tunnel (13),

   - wherein the packs (5), after being removed from the shrinking tunnel (13), pass into the seizing range of at least one manipulator (20), which manipulator (20) is located directly downstream of the shrinking tunnel (13), wherein no horizontal conveying device is arranged between the at least one manipulator (20) and the shrinking tunnel (13) as a further station or working device, and which manipulator (20), which is located directly downstream of the shrinking tunnel (13), receives and handles packs (5) preferably in a clamping and/or form-fitting manner.
10. The method according to claim 9, in which the packs (5) are fed to a working device (30) located downstream of the at least one manipulator (20) in a flow direction (SR) of the packs (5), which working device (30) applies further packaging material onto the packs (5).
11. The method according to one of the claims 9 and 10, in which all beverage containers (3) located in the shrinking tunnel (13) at a certain moment in time are removed from the shrinking tunnel (13), so that no beverage containers (3) are subsequently located within the shrinking tunnel (13), and in which the beverage containers (3) located in the shrinking tunnel (13) at the specific moment in time are, after removal from the shrinking tunnel (13), at least proportionally seized by the at least one manipulator (20) and transferred obliquely to their direction of flow (SR) into a storage area (17) by means of the at least one manipulator (20).
12. The method according to one or more of the claims 10 and 11, in which packs (5) are brought via the at least one manipulator (20) into an arrangement and/or new orientation provided for the at least one working device (30).
13. The method according to one of the claims 10 to 12, in which the packs (5), after removal from the shrinking tunnel (13), are stacked by means of the at least one manipulator (20) and are fed to the working device (30) in a stacked arrangement.
14. The method according to one or more of the claims 9 to 13, in which the packs (5) are brought into a nominal alignment with respect to one another via the at least one manipulator (20), which alignment is intended for a palletizable layer.

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