EP3486589B1 - Crates drying and/or cleaning device - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device for cleaning and / or drying boxes, which has a box inlet, a box outlet and a rotating device arranged between the box inlet and the box outlet, as well as a method for cleaning and / or drying boxes.

Conveyor lines with conveyor belts are required in many areas of industry and trade in order to transport goods in warehouses for the distribution of goods or in manufacturing plants from one position to another position. The conveyor lines must meet different requirements depending on their use. If, for example, pharmaceutical products or food are transported in a conveyor line, then, due to the high hygiene regulations for the transport of the goods, it must always be ensured that not only the conveyor line, but also the boxes used in it for transport are clean and hygienically clean. Before or after the empty boxes are used or temporarily stored, they must therefore be cleaned or washed and dried. On the one hand, the washed boxes should be quickly available again for the transport of goods and on the other hand the wet and damp boxes can represent a breeding ground for bacteria, the boxes should be dried as soon as possible. The washed boxes are often dried using drying systems that try to dry the wet boxes with the help of various fans. Problems with these drying systems, however, are the relatively long drying time, which can delay the conveying process in the conveying line, a high energy requirement and a high level of noise.

So shows the EP 1 154 214 B1 a centrifugal dryer, in which a stack of boxes to be dried is positioned by a conveyor line on a turntable of the centrifugal dryer, the turntable being directly connected to and driven by a motor via a toothed belt. The turntable is on a common level with the conveying level of a feed and discharge conveyor line for the stacks of crates. After a stack of crates to be dried has been transferred from the feed conveyor to the centrifugal dryer, it is stabilized with the help of additional columns on the turntable. For this purpose, the boxes are clamped at their corners by means of an extra clip part that is connected to the pillars. This bracket part includes, among other things an additional cylinder, which is connected with brackets, in order to be able to open and close the clamp part. In order to prevent already dried boxes from being hit by splash water from the wet boxes to be dried, the centrifugal dryer is designed as a closed container with doors on its inlet and outlet side. In addition to the complicated transfer, stabilization and positioning of the stacks of crates, the doors must be opened during the transfer and output of the stacks of crates and closed before the stack of crates rotates.

In the JP 2016 200288 A Another cleaning device is shown.

In the JP 2016 033447 A Another centrifugal drying device for containers is shown which, similar to the previously described patent, dries entire stacks of containers.

In the JP H11 342351 another drying device for containers is described. For this purpose, a container is stored upside down on a kind of lifting platform, which only drives the container up to the actual drying device. In the drying device, the box is then held in a complex manner by means of a ring and guide rods. Before the actual drying begins, the lifting device moves down so far that it no longer has any contact with the container. Only after drying does a lifting table of the lifting platform make contact with the container again and move it back down to a conveyor belt. The handover and drying of the containers is therefore also very time-consuming and complicated.

Before the crates are dried, they are often cleaned in separate crate washing systems, usually upstream of the crate drying system. In smaller-sized box conveyor systems, where the throughput of boxes is rather low, such separate cleaning (or washing) and subsequent drying can be relatively inefficient and costly because separate systems for drying and washing must be purchased and operated. In addition, more energy and more space is required for each additional system in order to be able to set up the systems. In addition, the efficiency can be reduced because, for example, the crates first have to be transported from a crate washing system to a crate drying system and each time they have to be repositioned for the relevant station.

It is an object of the present invention to create an alternative to this which enables boxes to be cleaned and / or dried particularly simply and quickly.

This object is achieved by a cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device according to claim 1 as well as a cleaning and / or drying system according to claim 14 and a method for cleaning and / or drying boxes according to claim 15.

According to the invention, the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device for drying crates, which usually each have a crate bottom or a bottom surface and circumferential side walls, has a crate inlet for receiving the washed crates to be dried. A box infeed is to be understood here as any interface at which boxes to be dried can be taken over on a conveyor line and transferred to the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device. The boxes to be dried can be fed in series, for example one box after the other, on a conveyor belt to a conveyor line and processed accordingly in series, ie. H. to be dried.

In addition, the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device has a box outlet for outputting the boxes dried by the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device. A box outlet is also to be understood here to be any interface at which the dried boxes can be transferred back to a conveyor line from a cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device.

The box inlet and the box outlet can in particular each also comprise a transfer area or longer section in the conveying direction of the boxes.

In order to be able to dry boxes, the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device also comprises a rotating device which is arranged between the box inlet and the box outlet.

The rotating device has an essentially vertical rotating shaft and a horizontally aligned rotating plate arranged on it on the top. The term "essentially" is to be understood in such a way that the rotating shaft is aligned vertically within the framework of permissible tolerances, for example within the framework of a tolerance of preferably a maximum tilt of 10 °, particularly preferably a maximum of 5 °, to the vertical.

In addition, the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device is designed in such a way that a crate to be dried can or will be placed on the turntable with a crate bottom inside. I. E. the box lies upside down on the turntable or with an upper edge of its side walls pointing downwards or open downwards. In this case, the box is preferably free, at least before the start of the rotation, that is to say initially without additional extra clamping, on the turntable.

In order to protect boxes that have already been dried by the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device from, for example, splashing water occurring during a centrifugal drying process or drying process, the turntable is arranged in a centrifugal position of the box at a distance below the box outlet. The "centrifugal position" is characterized in that in this position the crate to be dried can be subjected to the centrifugal drying process.

If the boxes are not cleaned beforehand in a separate washing installation, the device according to the invention can be designed to clean a box in a cleaning process. For this purpose, the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device described above optionally has a spray device in order to spray a box that has been taken over at the box inlet and is to be cleaned first with a cleaning fluid. A “cleaning fluid” here is to be understood as meaning any liquid or gas that is suitable for cleaning the boxes, or a mixture thereof. It is preferably water, optionally also with cleaning additives (e.g. detergents). It could also be compressed air. In any case, the cleaning fluid can also comprise solid particles.

Thus, the cleaning and / or drying system can be used both for drying and for cleaning boxes, and optionally only for drying or only for cleaning, that is, depending on the design and control, it can be a pure drying system or a Be a cleaning system or a combination of both.

In the corresponding method according to the invention for drying a crate by means of a cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device, a crate to be dried is first taken over at a crate inlet and brought into the spinning position in which the crate with a crate bottom inside on a turntable is a Rotating device, preferably as mentioned above, is freely deposited. The turntable then begins to rotate taking the box with it.

Due to the centrifugal force generated by the high rotation of the turntable, the water in the box is pushed outwards, collects on the inner edge or on the inner surfaces of the side walls of the box and flows downwards in the box positioned upside down. The water on the outside is simply thrown away. As a result of this displacement of the water due to the centrifugal force, the box is almost completely dried and only contains a residual amount of moisture, which also dries off within a few seconds while the box is being transported away.

After the crate to be dried has been rotated or spun, it is lifted out of the spinning position in order to deliver the then dried crate to the crate outlet. As already mentioned, the box outlet is located in a plane at a distance above the centrifugal position.

The method according to the invention can also optionally be used for cleaning boxes. In this case, instead of a (possibly already washed) box to be dried, a box to be cleaned is taken over at the box inlet and placed on the turntable. The turntable then begins to rotate with the crate (if necessary slowly in relation to the spinning) and the crate is sprayed with a cleaning fluid by means of a spray device.

After the box has been sprayed, the turntable on which the cleaned box rests can rotate faster and spin the box so that, as already described, the box is dried due to the centrifugal force. The box can not only be spun during the spin-drying process, but alternatively also during the cleaning process. Once the cleaning and drying process has been completed, the cleaned and dried crate can be transferred to the crate outlet.

The cleaned box can also be transferred to the box outlet without a centrifugal drying process following the cleaning process, e.g. B. if the box has been cleaned with compressed air and no further drying is required. Even a still wet, cleaned box could in principle be transferred to the box outlet without a subsequent centrifugal drying process and, for example, from one of the Cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device downstream box drying system can be dried, if this is desired.

With the devices and the method according to the invention, the boxes can optionally be dried and / or cleaned quickly and easily. Since the boxes are only freely placed upside down on the turntable, the tolerance range in which the boxes to be cleaned and / or dried can be placed on the turntable is relatively large. The boxes to be cleaned and / or dried therefore do not have to be precisely aligned, positioned or additionally clamped using extra tools or work steps - which would cost additional time - in order to be able to be placed on the turntable and then rotated. In addition, due to the arrangement of the box outlet and the turntable relative to one another, the already dried boxes on and behind the box outlet are protected from splashing water from the boxes to be cleaned and / or dried afterwards during the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying process.

The cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device can be built into an existing conveyor line and thus form a cleaning and / or drying system. If the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device does not have a spray device, the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device can in particular be connected downstream of a crate washing system in order to be able to dry the wet, washed crates promptly in a subsequent work step. The cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device or the cleaning and / or drying system can therefore also be viewed as part of an already existing crate washing system.

It is also possible to deliver a complete cleaning and / or drying system, which as a set includes a feed conveyor line to transport the crates to be cleaned and / or dried to the crate inlet of the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device, and a discharge Includes conveyor line to convey already cleaned and / or dried boxes to the box outlet of the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device. It would also be possible, however, for the cleaning and / or drying system to have only one feed conveyor section or only one discharge conveyor section and for sections or conveyor modules from other components to be used in an overall system.

Further, particularly advantageous configurations and developments of the invention emerge from the dependent claims and the following description, whereby the claims of one claim category can also be developed analogously to the claims and parts of the description for another claim category and in particular also add individual features to different exemplary embodiments or variants new embodiments or variants can be combined.

According to the invention, as already mentioned, the turntable is in the centrifugal position at a distance below the box outlet. For example, in a preferred variant, the distance between the turntable in the spinning position and the box outlet is at least 10 mm, particularly preferably at least 300 mm.

In addition, the turntable is preferably located in the centrifugal position below an inlet edge of the crate inlet. The turntable is thus located in a plane at a distance below the box inlet. For example, in a preferred variant, the distance between the turntable in the centrifugal position and the crate inlet is at least 10 mm, particularly preferably at least 300 mm.

Particularly preferably, the box inlet and the box outlet are essentially located in a common conveying plane, so that the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device can easily be interposed or installed between two conveying paths. The resulting cleaning and / or drying system would be constructed in such a way that a crate to be dried can be picked up on the same level and given out after the centrifugal drying process. As a result, depending on the design, a box can possibly be more easily fed in at the same time while another box is being carried away.

In order to move the boxes dried by the centrifugal drying process from the centrifugal position to the box outlet located above the centrifugal position, the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device can have a lifting device or lifting platform. With this lifting device it is also preferably possible to move a crate to be dried down from a "pick-up position" into a centrifugal position. In the "pick-up position" the box is therefore in a position on the lifting device in order to be able to move into the sling position.

In one possible variant, the lifting device is integrated into the rotating device. For this purpose, the turntable can preferably be mounted in the rotating device in a height-adjustable manner, which can be implemented, for example, by a reciprocating piston in the rotating device. Thus, the rotating device could pick up a crate to be dried in its pick-up position and move it into its spinning position and / or lift the crate back to the crate exit or crate outlet after the spin-drying process.

Advantageously, however, the lifting movement to move the crates between the pick-up position and the spinning position, on the one hand, and the rotational movement for drying the crates, on the other hand, can be carried out separately by different components or devices.

For this purpose, the lifting device preferably has a height-adjustable crate lift platform (separate from the turning device) - preferably automatically or manually by means of a lifting drive, which can be moved between at least an upper position above the turntable and a lower position below the turntable. In order to be able to move the box lift platform, the lift device is designed accordingly or the box lift platform is correspondingly coupled to a lifting actuator, in particular a lifting mechanism, of the lifting device and is appropriately controlled by means of a control device described below.

The crate lift platform represents a basis to be able to pick up a crate. The dimensions of the crate lift platform should be designed in such a way that a crate with defined crate dimensions to be transported in the conveying path can be accommodated in accordance with the standardized or standardized crate type used. In the context of the present invention, a "defined" or predetermined box size or box internal or external size is to be understood as corresponding to a respective standard or standard size for the boxes used in the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device. The transport crates or crates usually used in the companies are usually standardized or standardized, the norm or the standard being able to depend on the work area for which the crates are used, e.g. B. in the baking industry, the meat industry, etc. In addition, there are also specific standards for the boxes of a company or company.

The boxes to be dried can be conveyed both transversely and longitudinally to the conveying direction of the boxes on the infeed conveyor belt. Therefore, the boxes can also be designed accordingly can be taken across or lengthways at the box inlet or output at the box outlet. If a "box width" is described below, the dimension - regardless of the proportions of the box itself - refers to a box dimension transverse to the conveying direction. A box length accordingly describes the size of the box along the conveying direction. A front side of a box describes a first side wall of the box in the conveying direction and a rear side describes a last side wall of a box in the conveying direction.

The boxes to be dried are usually transported on a conveyor line with a horizontally oriented floor surface. The crate lift platform is therefore preferably designed in order to be able to receive a crate that is essentially horizontally aligned with the bottom surface and to be able to place it on a turntable, which is preferably likewise horizontally aligned. The crate to be dried arriving, for example, on a feed conveyor line can - as will be explained in detail later - transported to the horizontally aligned crate lift platform at the crate inlet or pushed onto it.

According to the invention, the box is, as mentioned, with its bottom inside, i. H. upside down, placed on the turntable. Therefore, the crate should also preferably rest upside down or with an upper edge of its side walls pointing downwards on the crate lift platform and thus be carried by it from below. If - as is quite common - the boxes are already transported upside down on the feed conveyor line, advantageously no extra repositioning of the boxes is necessary in order to be able to dry them in the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device.

If the crate was placed in its pick-up position on the crate lift platform, the crate lift platform is moved from its "upper position", in which the crate is picked up in its pick-up position, past the turntable to a "lower position". The "lower position" corresponds to a position in which the crate lift platform is no longer in contact with the crate and the crate is freely placed in its centrifugal position on the turntable. I. E. the lower position is preferably at least below the upper edge of the side walls of the boxes lying on the turntable. This lower position of the crate lift platform is preferably at least 10 mm, particularly preferably at least 50 mm, below the upper edge, ie the - in the upside down position - lower edge of the side walls of a crate lying on the turntable.

Crates or transport crates that are used in a conveyor line to transport goods are usually reused several times. Repeated use of the boxes may show signs of use or deformation. Such boxes could, for example, because of their shape in the pick-up position, get stuck on components of the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device.

So that the crate lift platform can, for example, pick up a deformed crate and take it with it, the crate lift platform can preferably also have clamping elements, for example motorized claws or the like. By means of the clamping elements, the crate lift platform can clamp a crate and move it from its pick-up position to its throwing position. As soon as the box is in its shooting position on the turntable, the box is no longer clamped and held, for example by moving the claws apart.

In a preferred variant, the crate lift platform has at least two support areas for the crate so that the lifting device can hold the crate securely or stably during a change of position and can drive past the turntable or pass the turntable between the upper position and the lower position, which are located in opposite areas or at opposite positions with respect to the turntable. There is then a free space between these support areas. A minimum clear dimension of this free space is advantageously greater than a minimum side length of a rectangle circumscribing the turntable. In addition, an inner length of the free space is preferably greater than a maximum side length of a rectangle circumscribing the turntable.

There are various possibilities for the specific design of the crate lift platform with two support areas opposite one another with respect to the turntable and a free space for the turntable in between.

The crate lift platform can, for example, preferably have a relatively large support surface in the form of a frame or the like running on at least two, preferably four, sides, e.g. B. a fork-shaped or U-shaped frame, which has a cutout in the middle as a free space for the turntable. The opposing support areas can here, for. B. corresponding, opposite sections of the frame at the cutout.

The frame can, for example, also be designed as an L-profile, the L-legs extending along two adjacent sides of the turntable. In this case, the ends of the L-legs can be viewed as the opposing support areas.

Other forms of training are also conceivable. In particular, the support areas do not necessarily have to be flat, but can also be implemented, for example, in the form of (relatively small, e.g. pointed) support points on which the crate rests at points with the upper edge of its side walls.

The turntable can also be designed largely as desired.

So z. B. the support surface of the turntable, on which a box rests, also have any shape, for example circular. However, a polygonal shape is preferred, since then - with appropriate dimensions, as described below - at least one corner or edge of the turntable can contact a box during a rotation and take it with it during the rotation.

Particularly preferably, the turntable, in particular the support surface of the turntable, has the basic shape of a turnstile. The turntable itself can thus have a low weight and torque, although it has a relatively large extension.

In particular, the turntable can also have several partial support surfaces, also in the form of support points, on which the inside of the box bottom rests at certain points. These partial bearing surfaces can, for. B. be positioned to each other in largely any arrangement, z. B. at the ends of a turnstile.

It is preferred that a largest diameter of the turntable, that is to say for example the diagonal across a turnstile, is at least as large as a smallest diameter of a defined, predetermined internal box dimension. As a result, the turntable can take with it the crate that is freely placed upside down on the turntable when the turntable rotates. If the turntable starts to rotate during the centrifugal drying process, the turntable makes contact with at least one edge or corner located on one side of the turntable which has the largest outer diameter of the turntable describes an inner surface of the crate to be dried (corresponding to the smallest inner size of the crate) and therefore takes the crate with it during the rotation.

The box is preferably stored on the turntable and rotated in such a way that the box even lifts slightly from the turntable during the centrifugal drying process.

In order to facilitate the drying of different boxes with different box dimensions, the turntable is detachably connected to the rotating shaft. As a result, the turntable can be selected and exchanged for a turntable with a corresponding dimension to match the type of crate, in order to convert the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device. For releasable attachment, fasteners such. B. screws, clamp connectors or clamps can be used. The rotary plate is preferably connected to the rotary shaft by means of a quick-release fastener, for example a bayonet coupling or the like.

A preferred further possibility to position or center the boxes to be dried more precisely on the turntable during the centrifugal drying process, is to use additional centering elements, e.g. B. to be attached to one edge of the turntable. These can, for example, be motor-controlled, retractable and extendable pins or, preferably, centrifugal weights. During the rotation, these centrifugal weights are pressed outward against an inner surface of the box by the centrifugal force, whereby they establish further contact between the turntable and the box to be thrown. The centering elements can thereby, for. B. compensate for a difference in size between the turntable and box, whereby a large number of different types of boxes of different box dimensions can be thrown with a turntable of one size.

As already mentioned above, the cleaning and / or drying system can preferably be operated in such a way that at the same time a crate to be dried is taken over at the crate inlet when a dried crate is transferred from the spinning position to the crate exit. This means that as many boxes as possible can be dried in the shortest possible time.

The cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device preferably has a positioning device in order to position a crate to be dried that is picked up at the crate inlet in the pick-up position, for example on the raised crate lift platform on. The positioning device preferably has movable positioning elements in order to be able to grasp or grasp the crates to be dried at the crate inlet and to be able to convey them into the pick-up position.

The positioning device could be implemented, for example, by means of two driving belts rotating by drive rollers (as a form of positioning elements). The driving belts can run synchronously with one another in the conveying direction and point with an upper run in the direction of an outside of a box. Here, the conveyor belts can have a spacing from one another which corresponds to a defined external dimension for a box width of a box to be dried. As a result, the driving belts can grab a box between them, clamp it to the side and position it in the direction of conveyance.

By aligning the driving belts, for example, in addition to positioning in the conveying direction, right-left centering transversely to the direction of the conveying path of the boxes is also possible.

When the boxes reach the pick-up position, the boxes are no longer clamped by the driving belts so that they can be moved into the centrifugal position, e.g. B. by lowering the crate lift platform. In order to achieve this, the driving belts can have a widening at least in the area of the pick-up position, e.g. B. "bulbous" shape. The "belly" would then correspond, for example, to the area in which the box is in the pick-up position and the distance between the driving belts is greatest. In the area of the pick-up position, the driving belts are at a distance from one another which is greater than the outer dimension of the box width, so that the upper runs of the driving belts no longer have any contact with the box. However, it would also be possible for the conveyor belts to move apart as soon as the box is in the pick-up position and is to be moved into the spinning position.

Additionally or alternatively, the positioning device can also have other or further positioning elements, preferably for example drivers or slides, in order to grip the crates to be dried at the crate inlet and to push them into the pick-up position. The drivers can preferably grip or engage behind the boxes on the outside on a rear side or on a lateral web or also from the inside on a front side.

The drivers accordingly preferably have a driving surface which is preferably oriented transversely to the conveying direction of the crates. They are moved in a suitable position in the area of the crate inlet between the crates in order to grasp them and then moved in the conveying direction to push the crates. You can e.g. B. be moved away again between the boxes at the latest in the area of the box outlet.

The drivers can, for example, be mechanically attached to the aforementioned driving belts in order to grip the crates at the crate inlet. Since the boxes are taken here by the drivers, the conveyor belts can be used for. B. also have a distance from one another which is wider than a width of a defined box size.

Depending on the specific design of the drivers, however, they could also be attached to the feed and / or discharge conveyor line, for example to a revolving conveyor belt. As a result, the drivers can take hold of the crates entering and exiting there in series.

The drivers are also preferably located one behind the other in the conveying direction, preferably at the same intervals, for example attached to the driving belts. The distances between the drivers are preferably greater than an external box dimension or longer than a box length of a box to be transported in order to be able to grasp the boxes running in series, for example on a conveyor belt.

In a possible further variant, the drivers could be driven, for example, via a pneumatically designed device. In a first step, drivers could be positioned transversely to the conveying device between the boxes, then moved in the conveying direction in order to position the boxes on the lifting device in the pick-up position. In a further step, the drivers would be pulled out again transversely in the conveying direction in order to then move back into the starting position. There you can then pick up the next box to be dried.

If the drivers are arranged and designed so that they can be moved from the crate inlet to the crate outlet via the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device, they can also serve to release dried crates at the crate outlet, e.g. B. to push from the crate lift platform onto the discharge conveyor line.

Another possibility to achieve right-left centering transversely to the direction of conveyance of the crates with a positioning device are centering strips on the crate lift platform. The centering strips can run essentially parallel to one another in the conveying direction. To center a box on the box lift platform, the box is pushed between the centering strips at the box inlet. There is preferably a gap between the centering strips and a box so that the box is not jammed.

All essential components of the cleaning and / or drying system, such as the rotating device, the lifting device, the positioning device and possibly also the feed and / or discharge conveyor line, can be controlled synchronously by means of a control device.

In this case, a control device can control all of the devices described above centrally. But it would also be possible that the control is set up decentrally, that is, that z. B. at least some of the devices have their own control devices or sub-control devices that communicate in a suitable manner with one another and / or with a higher-level control device. The communication between control device (s) and components and / or between the control devices with one another can take place via cables, but also wirelessly, for example.

By means of the control device, for example, the transport speed or a clocking of the feed and / or discharge conveyor lines can be set. This can be done depending on the drying time, e.g. the rotation time in which the box is spun, plus the times for positioning and moving the box up and down.

The rotation of the turntable or the spinning of the box can take place, for example, over a predefined, adjustable period of time. The rotation time is preferably at least 0.5 seconds, particularly preferably about 1 second. The maximum rotation time is preferably 2 seconds, particularly preferably 5 seconds.

If the rotation time is permanently set, a suitable fixed timing of the conveying speed on the feed and / or discharge conveyor sections, the positioning device and the lifting device can be specified accordingly. This can preferably be chosen in this way that a dried crate is transferred from the spinning position to the crate exit and at the same time a crate to be dried is taken over at the crate inlet.

Another possibility would be to spin the boxes until they reach a defined degree of dryness. The degree of dryness is preferably a maximum of 2 g residual moisture, particularly preferably almost 0 g residual moisture. This degree of dryness can be determined, for example, via sensors which are also connected to the control device. Is z. If, for example, a previously defined degree of drying is detected by the sensors, they can, for example, issue a stop command to the control device, whereby the rotation of the turntable (and thus the centrifugal drying process) is stopped and the boxes are moved upwards again and output.

If the box transfer and delivery at the box infeed or outfeed is not timed as described above, but depends on the individual drying time, the other components such as feed and / or discharge conveyor lines, the positioning device and the lifting device can also be used individually , but depending on each other, i. H. coordinated and controlled with each other.

For example, it would also be possible for the positioning device to have sensors, e.g. B. pressure sensors and / or a light barrier. The sensors can be triggered, for example, as soon as a crate to be dried is in the pick-up position. If the sensors are connected to the control device, the control device can, for example, based on the data sent by the sensors, issue a command to the lifting device so that it moves from its upper position to its lower position.

The speed at which the turntable hurls the crates, for example in order to dry them in the specified time or to the specified degree of drying, can also be controlled by means of the control device. The boxes are preferably spun at a speed of at least 300 min ^-1 , particularly preferably at least 700 min ^-1.

The box dimensions of the box types used in the cleaning and / or drying system can also be stored in the control device. For example, the respective type of crate can be used for a crate arriving on, for example, a feed conveyor belt to be selected. In this way, for example, the positioning device could be automatically aligned or adjusted to the size of the crate used in order to be able to position it correctly in the pick-up position. The timing could also be adapted to the type of crate. After the box type has been selected, it could also be shown, for example, whether the turntable used matches the box type arriving on the feed conveyor line, e.g. B. that the boxes are taken correctly during rotation, or whether a different turntable with a different outer diameter should be selected.

As already described, the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device can also be designed to clean the crates themselves in a cleaning process, which is why it can optionally be equipped with a spray device. Such a spray device can be designed in different ways.

The spray device can preferably have washing nozzles. These can preferably be arranged to the side and / or below and / or above a box lying on the turntable and to be cleaned. If a box to be cleaned is rotated by means of the turntable, the washing nozzles open and spray the box with a cleaning fluid, preferably water, from the inside and outside.

The boxes can be sprayed over a defined period of time (spraying time). The spraying time is preferably at least 2 seconds, particularly preferably at least 3 seconds. The spraying time is preferably a maximum of 5 seconds, particularly preferably a maximum of 4 seconds, e.g. approx. 3.6 seconds.

In order to achieve a larger spray radius, the washing nozzles preferably comprise pivotable washing nozzles.

Another parameter that can be set as a function of the cleaning requirement and / or the type of boxes and / or their usual use is the pressure with which the cleaning fluid is jetted onto the box. With average contamination, the pressure can preferably be around 4.5 bar.

Often there are labels on the boxes transported in a conveyor line, which, for example, contain information about a transported goods. In order to clean a box and, for example, to remove these labels, the spray device preferably has at least one high-pressure nozzle (which, for example, preferably emits a jet with a pressure of, for example, approx. 150 bar). The push-up nozzle is preferably attached to the side of a rotating box to be cleaned. The labels can be blasted and removed using the high-pressure nozzle.

• Figur 1 schematisch ein erstes Ausführungsbeispiel einer Reinigungs- und/oder Schleudertrocknungsvorrichtung während eines ersten Ausführungsschritts,
• Figur 2 die Reinigungs- und/oder Schleudertrocknungsvorrichtung nach Figur 1 während eines zweiten Ausführungsschritts,
• Figur 3 schematisch eine Unteransicht einer zu trocknenden Kiste auf der Kisten-Liftplattform sowie eines Schnitts durch die Drehvorrichtung mit einem Drehteller in Form eines Drehkreuzes einer Reinigungs- und/oder Schleudertrocknungsvorrichtung nach den Figuren 1 und 2,
• Figur 4 bis 11 schematisch verschiedene Ausführungsschritte bei einem möglichen Ablauf eines erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens zur Trocknung einer Kiste mittels eines weiteren Ausführungsbeispiels einer erfindungsgemäßen Reinigungs- und/oder Trocknungsanlage,
• Figur 12 schematisch ein weiteres Ausführungsbeispiel einer Reinigungs- und/oder Schleudertrocknungsvorrichtung als Schnittansicht quer zur Förderrichtung.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the attached figures on the basis of exemplary embodiments. The same components are provided with identical reference numbers in the various figures. Show it:

• Figure 1 schematically a first embodiment of a cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device during a first execution step,
• Figure 2 the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device Figure 1 during a second execution step,
• Figure 3 schematically shows a bottom view of a crate to be dried on the crate lift platform and a section through the rotating device with a rotary plate in the form of a turnstile of a cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device according to the Figures 1 and 2 ,
• Figures 4 to 11 schematically different execution steps in a possible sequence of a method according to the invention for drying a box by means of a further embodiment of a cleaning and / or drying system according to the invention,
• Figure 12 schematically a further embodiment of a cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device as a sectional view transverse to the conveying direction.

The ones in the Figures 1 and 2 The cleaning and / or drying system 200 shown has a feed conveyor line 110, a discharge conveyor track 120 and a cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device 100 connected between the feed conveyor track 110 and the discharge conveyor track 120.

With the aid of the feed conveyor line 110, boxes K to be dried in the cleaning and / or drying system 200 are transported in the conveying direction F, ie in the direction of the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device 100, upside down, ie opened downwards. The discharge conveyor line 120 is used to then, in the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device 100 to transport already dried boxes K further in a conveying direction F.

The ones in the Figures 1 and 2 The feed conveyor line 110 and discharge conveyor line 120 shown each comprise a support structure 4 and a support frame 4. On these support structures 4, rotatably mounted conveyor rollers 3 'are arranged along the conveyor path perpendicular to the conveying direction F, with at least one conveyor roller 3', preferably several or even all conveyor rollers 3 'can be driven by a motor. Alternatively, the feed conveyor line 110 and / or the discharge conveyor line 120 could also be implemented in any other way, for example also by means of conveyor belts or the like that are driven with the aid of a drive. The feed conveyor line 110 and / or the discharge conveyor line 120 could, however, also be implemented, for example, by a combination of conveyor belts and conveyor rollers.

In order to dry the wet boxes K transported by the feed conveyor line 110, the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device 100 has a rotating device 20 with a rotating plate 21 on the top. The rotating device 20 is located at a distance a below the conveyor rollers 3 'of the feed conveyor section 110 and discharge conveyor section 120. The feed conveyor section 110 and the discharge conveyor section 120 here have a common conveying plane FE. As a result, as will be explained later, it is easier to supply a box K at the same time while another box K is being carried away. The distance a of the turntable 21 of the rotating device 20 to the conveying plane FE of the feed conveyor section 110 and discharge conveyor section 120 is preferably at least 10 mm, particularly preferably at least 300 mm.

In order to bring the boxes K coming from the feed conveyor line 110 to the rotating device 20, the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device 100 comprises a lifting device 30 which moves the boxes K downwards and in the rotating device 20, namely on the turntable 21 of the rotating device 20, puts it upside down. The rotating device 20 and the lifting device 30 will, however, be explained in more detail later.

In order to be able to explain the mode of operation of the cleaning and / or drying system 200 more easily, FIGS Figures 1 and 2 three boxes K shown, which are transported longitudinally in a conveying direction F during a centrifugal drying process through the cleaning and / or drying system 200 and are dried there.

The first crate K (shown on the right in the figure) is a still wet crate K to be dried, which is being conveyed on the feed conveyor line 110 in the direction of the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device 100. The box K moves at a box inlet 50 into a positioning device 40 of the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device 100, from which it is taken over and positioned in the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device 100 at a pick-up position AP described below. The box inlet 50 here corresponds to a transition section from the feed conveyor line 110 to the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device 100, in which the positioning device 40 grips the box K.

The positioning device 40 here specifically comprises two circumferential driving belts 42 which are stretched, for example, over rollers 43, 44, two of the rollers serving as drive rollers 43 (cf. Figures 4 to 11 , it being arbitrary which of the rollers 43, 44 of a driving belt 42 are driven). The driving belts 42 run synchronously with one another in the conveying direction F and point with an upper run in the direction of an outside of the crates K located in the cleaning and / or drying system 200.

In addition, positioning elements 41, here specifically drivers 41, are attached to the driving belts 42. The drivers 41 grip the boxes K, which are located between the driving belts 42, on a rear side and thus push the boxes K further forward in the conveying direction F while the driving belts 42 rotate.

For this purpose, the drivers 41 accordingly have a driving surface which is oriented transversely to the conveying direction F of the crates K. The drivers 41 are at intervals of at least one box length K _al (see Figure 3 ) the boxes K to be conveyed in the cleaning and / or drying system 200 are arranged one behind the other on the driving belts 42. As a result, the boxes K running in series on the infeed conveyor line 110 can be picked up and discharged from the discharge conveyor line 120.

The driving belts 42 are also at a distance from one another which is at least greater than a width K _from a defined box size, as shown in FIG Figure 3 is drawn. This distance, which can also be very small, ensures that a box K is not jammed when it is to be moved downward by the lifting device 30 in the direction of the rotating device 20.

The second (in the Figure 1 middle) still to be dried box K in the cleaning and / or drying system 200 has already been gripped by the driving belts 42 and with the aid of the drivers 41 and positioned in the pick-up position AP. In this pick-up position AP, the box K can be transferred from the lifting device 30 to the rotating device 20.

For this purpose, the lifting device 30 comprises a height-adjustable crate lifting platform 31 which is in the form of a surrounding frame (see FIG Figure 3 ) formed crate lift platform 31 is aligned horizontally in order to be able to accommodate the crates K, which are also horizontally aligned with a bottom surface in the cleaning and / or drying system 200.

The crate lift platform 31 is connected to a lifting drive 32, not shown in detail, which is controlled by a control device 70. The control device 70 can also be connected to the positioning device 40, the rotating device 20, the feed conveyor line 110 and the discharge conveyor line 120 and, as already described, can control these devices in a coordinated or synchronized manner. The control device 70 can be connected to the aforementioned devices via cable 71, but it can also communicate wirelessly with the devices.

The rotating device 20 can be seen below the crate lift platform 31. The rotating device 20 has an essentially vertical rotating shaft 22 and the rotating plate 21 attached to it above, which here specifically has the shape of a turnstile 21 (see FIG Figures 3 such as Figures 4 , 5 , 10 and 11 ) having.

The Figure 3 shows a view from below of the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device 100 for this purpose Figure 1 and 2 . The turnstile 21, the rotating shaft 22 cut from below and the box lift platform 31 with a coupling section with which the box lift platform 31 is coupled to the lifting drive 32 and a box K on the box lift platform 31 can be seen here As mentioned, the crate lift platform 31 here corresponds to a frame, on the support area of which the crate K rests with an upper edge of its side walls. Since the box K would thus be covered by the box lift platform 31, it is only shown in dashed lines.

As in Figure 3 shown, the largest inner diameter T _{imax of} the crate lift platform 31 is smaller than the largest outer diameter K _{amax of} the crate K to be dried. In addition, the largest outer diameter T _{amax of} the crate lift platform 31 here greater than the largest inner diameter K _{imax of} a defined box dimension of the crate to be dried K.

In order to be able to place the box K on the turntable 21, the crate lift platform 31 or the frame must be designed or dimensioned in such a way that it can move down past the turntable 21. I. E. the remaining free space in the middle area of the crate lift platform 31 or the opening or recess in the frame 31 must be large enough for the turnstile 21 to fit through in at least one rotational position. Therefore, it is ensured here that a minimum clear dimension T _{ib of} the free space of the frame 31, namely here the inner width T _{ib of} the free space, is greater than a minimum side length D _{Min of} a rectangle circumscribing the turntable 21, here the turnstile 21 . In addition, an inner length T _{il of} the free space is greater than a maximum side length D _{l of} a rectangle circumscribing the turntable 21, that is to say here the turnstile 21.

The crate lift platform 31 of the lift device 30 can thus be positioned between an upper position P _o above the turntable 21 (as in FIG Figure 1 ), in which the frame 31 receives the box K in its pick-up position AP, and a lower position P _u below the turntable 21 (as in FIG Figure 2 ) are proceeded.

So that the box K rests freely on the turntable, as in Figure 2 As shown, the frame 31 is in the lower position P _u in a position in which the frame 31 no longer has any contact with the box K when it rests on the turntable 21. In the lower position P _{u there} is thus a distance or gap S between the support surface of the frame 31 and the upper edge of the side walls of the box K. This lower position is preferably at least 10 mm, particularly preferably at least 50 mm, below the surface of the turntable.

In order to take along the crate K to be dried in the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device 100 during a rotation of the turnstile 21, the largest outer diameter D _max corresponds to the turnstile 21, which extends from one corner of the turnstile 21 diagonally to an opposite corner of the turnstile 21 , at least a smallest diameter K _{iB of} the crate K to be thrown, as in Figure 3 is easy to see. The dimensions of the turnstile 21 and the box K are not shown to scale here. Thus, a distance between the turnstile 21 and the inner walls of the box K can also be smaller than it is in the Figure 3 is drawn.

If the rotation of the turntable 21, which is driven by a motor 25 of the rotating device 20, is started, at least one corner of the turnstile 21 immediately touches an inner corner of the box K, causing it to be carried along in the direction of rotation when it rotates about an axis of rotation R thus being spun and dried. During the rotation, speeds of at least 300 min ^-1 and particularly preferably of at least 700 min ^-1 are preferably achieved.

In order to be able to catch the water flowing down from the crates K during a rotation and to allow it to flow out to the outside, a collecting basin 80 with a drainage channel leading to a collecting basin (not shown) is located below the rotating device 20.

In order to also be able to dry boxes of different sizes, the turntable 21, as already described, is detachably connected to the vertical rotary shaft 22 via a quick-release fastener 23. As a result, the turntable 21 can be exchanged easily and quickly and adapted to the respective size of a box type. The quick release 23 can be implemented, for example, by a bayonet coupling.

On the discharge conveyor line 120 is in the Figures 1 and 2 the third box K, which has already been dried by the centrifugal drying process, is shown on the left. After the rotation of the turnstile 21, this dried box K was moved back to its pick-up position AP with the aid of the lifting device 30 and transported by the driving belts 42 and the drivers 41 from the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device 100 via a box outlet 60 to the discharge conveyor line 120. The box outlet 60 corresponds here, similarly to the box inlet 50, to an area which merges from the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device 100 to the discharge conveyor line 120. Because the rotating device 20 is located below the box outlet 60, it can be ensured that boxes K that have already been dried cannot be hit by boxes K that are still to be dried, for example spray water.

In addition, in Figure 2 to see that the box K still to be dried on the feed conveyor line 110 and the already dried box K on the discharge conveyor line 120 have only been transported a little further in the conveying direction F, since the drying process is in the cleaning and / or Spin drying device 100 takes only a few seconds.

In the Figure 1 and 2 The cleaning and / or drying system 200 shown also has a spray device 90 with washing nozzles 91, 95, of which a push-up nozzle 91 and two further washing nozzles 95 are shown here as an example, which work at a slightly lower pressure.

The washing nozzles 95 with the lower pressure and the push-up nozzle 91 can be opened when the crates K in the cleaning and / or drying system 200 are to be cleaned directly in the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device 100 and have not already been cleaned as described above are.

The washing nozzles 95 with the lower pressure are here below the turntable 21. The high-pressure nozzle 91 is, as in FIG Figure 2 , to the side of a box K located in the spinning position SP. If the turntable 21 begins to rotate while the box K to be cleaned is carried along, the washing nozzles 95 spray the rotating box K inside in order to clean it. The high-pressure nozzle 91 sprays or irradiates the rotating box K from the side and can therefore also remove any labels on a side wall of the box K. The washing nozzles 95 and the high-pressure nozzle 91 spray or irradiate the crate K to be cleaned with a cleaning fluid R _F , here water R _F.

The washing nozzles 95 are connected to a pump 92 of the spraying device 90 via a pressure hose 72, and the high-pressure nozzle 91 is connected to a high-pressure pump 93 of the spraying device 90 via a pressure hose 72. In this way, for example, the spray pressure on the respective washing nozzles 95 and the high-pressure nozzle 91 can be precisely adapted and the washing nozzles 95 and the high-pressure nozzle 91 can be operated independently of one another. It would also be conceivable that the washing nozzles 95 and the high-pressure nozzles 91 are operated with one and the same pump. The pump 92 and the high-pressure pump 93 are connected to a reservoir 94 for a cleaning fluid, here a water tank 94 of the spray device 90.

The pump 92 and the high pressure pump 93 are coupled here to the control device 70 of the entire cleaning and / or drying system 200 so that the spraying device 90 can be controlled to match the further processes of the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device 100.

The catch basin 80 catches the water R _{F here} , which is used for cleaning. The water collected in the collecting basin 80 can then be filtered in a filter system and are returned to the water tank 94 in a return device (not shown in the figures).

In the following Figures 4 to 12 no spray device is shown. The drying systems 200 ′, 200 ″ shown there could, however, also be expanded to include a spray device as desired.

Using a series of pictures in the Figures 4 to 11 individual method steps for drying a box K in a cleaning and / or drying system 200 ′ are explained once again for the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device 100 described above.

In contrast to the cleaning and / or drying system 200 according to FIGS Figures 1 and 2 , a feed conveyor line 110 and a discharge conveyor line 120 with conveyor belts 3 instead of conveyor rollers 3 '. In this case, the feed conveyor section 110 and the discharge conveyor section 120 are only symbolically represented by the conveyor belts 3 themselves, which in this illustration are stretched over rollers 45, 46, two of the rollers serving as drive rollers 45. However, it is arbitrary which of the rollers 45, 46 of the conveyor belts 3 are driven.

In Figure 4 an incoming crate K is again first transported upside down on the conveyor belts 3 of the feed conveyor line 110. The box K is picked up here by the positioning device 40 by means of the carrier belts 42 with the carriers 41, as already described, and conveyed in the conveying direction F to the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device 100.

In Figure 5 the crate K to be dried is positioned exactly by means of the positioning device 40 on the height-adjustable crate lift platform 31 of the lifting device 30. The support surface of the crate lift platform 31 is aligned horizontally and in the illustrated upper position P _{o is} in one plane with the conveying plane FE of the conveying surface of the conveyor belts 3 of the infeed conveyor line 110 and the discharge conveyor line 120. Is the crate to be dried Exactly positioned on the crate lift platform 31, the drivers 41 move back a little against the conveying direction FE, so that they no longer have any contact with the crate K. This has the advantage that if a box K Has deformations, the box K can be freely positioned on the box lift platform 31 and, for example, cannot get caught on the driver 41.

The crate lift platform 31 moves, as explained above and also again in Figure 6 shown, from its upper position P _o past the turnstile 21 to its lower position P _u . In its lower position P _u , the crate lift platform 31 moves, as in FIG Figure 7 can be seen so far down that the box K no longer rests on the box lift platform 31, but is freely placed on the turnstile 21 of the rotating device 20. The turntable 21 is in a rotary position, as in FIG Figure 3 , in which only the inside of the box bottom of the deposited box K is in contact with the turnstile 21. In this rotational position, the turnstile 21 is not yet in contact with an inner surface of a side wall of the box K and is thus freely placed on the turnstile 21. Only when the turnstile 21 rotates ( Figure 8 ), as already described, the turnstile 21 contacts the box K. at least with one corner of the turnstile 21.

If the box transfer and delivery at the box infeed 50 or box outlet 60 is timed at a fixed time, as already described, the crate lift platform 31 also moves the crates K to be dried downwards in accordance with this timing, as in FIG Figure 6 shown. If the box transfer and delivery at the box inlet 50 or box outlet 60 is not timed to a fixed time, it would also be possible, for example, for the positioning device 40 to have sensors, e.g. B. pressure sensors and / or a light barrier (not shown here) that starts the lifting drive 32 of the lifting device 30 and then moves the crate lift platform 31 downwards.

Is the box K on the turnstile 21 ( Figure 7 ), this is taken along with the box to be dried K ( Figure 8 ) set in rapid rotation, in such a way that the crate is dried by the resulting centrifugal force and can preferably even easily lift off the turnstile 21. Since the box K rests upside down on the turnstile 21, the water can collect on the side walls of the box K as described and flow out of the box K downwards.

Once the drying process or centrifugal drying process is complete, the turnstile 21 stops, as in FIG Figure 9 shown, in a rotary position in which the box K lying on the turnstile 21 is again in its starting position in which it was placed on the turnstile 21 or in a rotated 180 ° to this starting position again.

During the braking operation of the rotating device 20, during the end of the centrifugal drying process, the box K rotates in the opposite direction to the centrifugal direction. Therefore, the box K strikes with an inside (which lies opposite an inside which had contacted a corner of the turnstile 21 during the centrifugal drying process) against at least one corner of the turnstile (which lies opposite a corner which contacts an inside of the turnstile 21 during the centrifugal drying process had) on. The turnstile 21 is wedged in the box K lying on the turnstile 21 only during a rotation. When the centrifugal drying process is stopped, the box K rests freely on the turnstile 21 again.

In Figure 10 The lifting device 30 with the dried crate K lying on it moves upwards again into its upper position P _o , so that the crate K with its upper edge of the side walls is again in a common plane with the conveyor level FE of the discharge conveyor line 120.

In Figure 11 the dried box K is gripped by the drivers 41 of the positioning device 40 and conveyed by the lifting device 30 in the direction of the discharge conveyor line 120.

The ones in the Figures 1 to 12 The cleaning and / or drying system 200 shown and the cleaning and / or drying system 200 ′ each show variants in which the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device 100 has a separate lifting device 30 in addition to the rotating device 20. But this does not have to be the case.

The Figure 12 shows a further variant of a cleaning and / or drying system 200 ″, in which a crate K to be dried can be picked up from its pick-up position AP itself by means of a rotating device 20 and moved into its spinning position SP Figure 12 a sectional view of the cleaning and / or drying system 200 ″ transversely to the conveying direction.

In this exemplary embodiment of the cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device 100 ′, the rotary plate 21 is mounted in the rotating device 20 in a height-adjustable manner. This was realized in that the rotary shaft 22 is designed here as a telescopic cylinder with a reciprocating piston 24 on which the turntable 21, in particular a turnstile 21, is arranged at the top. Thus, the turntable 21 can move upwards and one upside down on one Storage, here z. B. two storage rails 3 ″, in their pick-up position AP, pick up the box K. For this purpose, the rotating device 20 first lifts the box K so that it rests freely on the turntable 21. The storage rails 3 ″ on which the box K is in the pick-up position AP has hung up, are then moved transversely to the stroke direction of the telescopic cylinder 22 to the outside.

These storage rails 3 ″ can form a type of bridge section between the feed conveyor line 110 and discharge conveyor line 120.

If the storage rails 3 ″ are moved outwards, the rotating device 20 moves downwards until the box K lying on it is in the spinning position SP. After the rotation, i.e. the spinning to dry the box K, the rotating device 20 moves the box K back up to a position above the storage rails 3 ". The storage rails 3 ″ then move together again and the box K can be placed in its pick-up position AP on the conveyor belts 3 and from there, for example by means of the drivers 41, can be transferred to the removal conveyor line 120, so that, preferably at the same time, one new crate K to be dried can be moved from the feed conveyor line 110 into the pick-up position AP on the storage rails 3 ″.

The above examples all show that a cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device according to the invention enables a box to be cleaned and dried as quickly as possible in a cleaning and / or drying system, so that at most only a residual amount of moisture is present after the drying process.

Finally, it is pointed out once again that the devices and methods described in detail above are merely exemplary embodiments which can be modified in the most varied of ways by the person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, a buffer system can also be connected in front of or behind the cleaning and / or drying system or integrated into this cleaning and / or drying system, in which the wet or the dried boxes can be collected. Furthermore, the use of the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude the possibility that the relevant features can also be present more than once.

List of reference symbols

3

Conveyor belts

3 '

Conveyor rollers

3 "

Storage rails

4th

Support structure / support frame

20th

Turning device

21st

Turntable / turnstile

22nd

Rotating shaft

23

Quick release

24

Reciprocating piston

25th

engine

30th

Lifting device

31

Crate lift platform / frame

32

Lifting drive

40

Positioning device

41

Positioning elements / drivers

42

Positioning elements / driving belts

43, 44, 45, 46

roll

50

Crate infeed

60

Crate outlet

70

Control device

71

electric wire

72

tube

80

Catch basin

90

Spraying device

91

Washer nozzle / high pressure nozzle

92

pump

93

high pressure pump

94

Reservoir / water tank

95

Washer nozzle

100, 100 '

Cleaning and / or centrifugal drying device

110

Feed conveyor line

120

Discharge conveyor line

200, 200 ', 200 "

Cleaning and / or drying system

a

distance

AP

Pick-up position

D _l

maximum side length

D _min

minimum side length

D _max

maximum outside diameter

F.

Conveying direction

FE

Funding level

K

box

K _al

Box length

K _from

Box width

K _amax

largest outside diameter

K _imax

largest inner diameter

K _iB

smallest diameter

P _o

upper position of the crate lift platform

P _u

lower position of the crate lift platform

R.

Axis of rotation

R _F

Cleaning fluid

S.

gap

SP

Spin position

T _imax

largest inner diameter

T _amax

largest outside diameter

T _ib

minimal clearance

T _il

inner length

Claims (15)

1. Cleaning and/or centrifuge drying device (100, 100') for cleaning and/or drying of crates (K), comprising

   - a crate inlet (50) for the transfer of crates (K),to be cleaned and/or to be dried

   - a crate outlet (60) for the output of crates (K),

   - a turning device (20) arranged between the crate inlet (50) and the crate outlet (60) with an essentially vertical rotary shaft (22) and a rotary plate (21) arranged on the top side of it,

   - and optionally, a spraying device (90) to spray a crate (K) to be cleaned with a cleaning fluid (R_F),

   wherein cleaning and/or centrifuge drying device (100, 100') is designed in such a way that a crate (K) to be cleaned and/or to be dried with a crate-bottom inner side is placed on the rotary plate (21), wherein the rotary plate (21) is arranged in a spinning position (SP) of the crate (K), in which the crate (K) is subjected to a cleaning and/or centrifuge drying process, at a distance (a) below the crate outlet (60).
2. Cleaning and/or centrifuge drying device according to Claim 1, wherein the rotary plate (21) is arranged in the spinning position (SP) at a distance (a) below the crate inlet (50), wherein, preferably, the crate inlet (50) and the crate outlet (60) are essentially located on a common conveyor level (FE).
3. Cleaning and/or centrifuge drying device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cleaning and/or centrifuge drying device (100, 100') has a lifting device (30) to move a crate from the spinning position (SP) to the crate outlet (60) and/or to move a crate (K) to be cleaned and/or to be dried from a pick-up position (AP) of the crate (K) down to the spinning position (SP) of the crate (K).
4. Cleaning and/or centrifuge drying device according to Claim 3, wherein the lifting device is integrated into the turning device (20).
5. Cleaning and/or centrifuge drying device according to Claim 3 or 4, wherein the lifting device (30) has a height-adjustable crate-lifting platform (31) for receiving a crate (K), wherein the crate-lifting platform (31) can be moved between at least one upper position (P_o) above the rotary plate (21) and a lower position (P_u) below the rotary plate (21).
6. Cleaning and/or centrifuge drying device according to Claim 5, wherein the crate-lifting platform (31) has at least two support areas for the crate (K), which, with respect to the rotary plate (21), are located at opposite positions, and has an open space between the support areas to pass by the rotary plate (21) during a change of position between the upper position (P_o) and the lower position (P_u).
7. Cleaning and/or centrifuge drying device according to Claim 5 or 6, wherein the crate-lifting platform (31) is designed in such a way that a floor surface of a crate (K) arranged on the crate-lifting platform (31) is essentially aligned horizontally.
8. Cleaning and/or centrifuge drying device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rotary plate (21) has a polygonal shape, preferably the shape of a turnstile (21).
9. Cleaning and/or centrifuge drying device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a largest diameter (D_max) of the rotary plate (21) is at least as large as a smallest diameter (K_iB) of a defined crate internal dimension.
10. Cleaning and/or centrifuge drying device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rotary plate (21) is detachably connected to the rotary shaft (22), preferably by means of a quick-release lock (23).
11. Cleaning and/or centrifugal drying device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the rotary plate (21) has a number of centring elements in order to centre a crate (K) on the rotary plate (21).
12. Cleaning and/or centrifuge drying device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cleaning and/or centrifuge drying device (100, 100') has a positioning device (40) for positioning a crate (K) taken at the crate inlet (50) in the pick-up position (AP).
13. Cleaning and/ or centrifuge drying device according to Claim 12, wherein the positioning device (40) has movable positioning elements (41) to acquire a crate (K) at the crate inlet (50) and transport it to the pick-up position (AP).
14. Cleaning and/or drying system (200, 200', 200") comprising a cleaning and/or centrifuge drying device (100, 100') according to any one of the preceding claims and a feeding conveyor line (110) to transport crates (K) to be cleaned and/or to be dried to the crate inlet (50) of the cleaning and/or centrifuge drying device (100), and/or a discharge conveyor line (120) to transport crates (K) to be cleaned or to be dried to the crate outlet (60) of the cleaning and/or centrifuge drying device (100, 100').
15. Method for cleaning and/or drying a crate (K) by means of a cleaning and/or centrifuge drying device (100, 100'), comprising at least the following steps:

    - Transfer of a crate (K) to be cleaned and/or to be dried at a crate inlet (50) into a spinning position (SP), in which the crate (K) with a crate-bottom inner side is placed on a rotary plate (21) of a turning device (20),

    - rotation of the rotary plate (21) thereby carrying the crate (K),

    - optionally spraying of a crate (K) with a cleaning fluid (R_F),

    - lifting the crate (K) from the spinning position (SP) to output the crate (K) at a crate outlet (60), which is located at a distance (a) above the spinning position (SP).

Images