WO2017167517A1

WO2017167517A1 - Device for turning drinks containers

Info

Publication number: WO2017167517A1
Application number: PCT/EP2017/054553
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andreas Krieg
Original assignee: Khs Gmbh
Priority date: 2016-03-30
Filing date: 2017-02-28
Publication date: 2017-10-05
Also published as: DE102016105736A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (10) for turning drinks containers, comprising at least one pivoting device (12, 14) with at least one pivot drive (26), and with at least one holding arrangement (15) connected to the pivot drive (26) and used for holding the drinks container (28), in particular a keg, in a holding position, which holding arrangement (15) can be pivoted by the pivot drive (26) through approximately 180 degrees between a receiving point and a setting-down point, in which container-turning device (10) the holding arrangement (15) has end-holding areas (18) which are designed to bear on the top face and bottom face of the drinks container (28) and which are spaced apart from each other by more than the length (L) of the drinks container, wherein a guide (30) for the drinks container (28) is arranged at least on the side of the holding position directed towards the pivot axis (S), said guide (30) in particular being stationary and extending at least partially over the pivot range of the pivoting device (12, 14).

Description

Beverage container turning device

The present invention relates to a beverage container turning device, i. a device with which beverage containers, in particular kegs and beverage containers, can be turned upside down so that they are e.g. on a subsequent one

Container treatment facility are aligned in a predefined coincident orientation and can be further treated, e.g. cleaned, sterilized or filled. Since in some installations the correct orientation of the beverage containers when placing on a conveyor is not always monitored, it may be necessary to subsequently turn the beverage containers, in particular kegs, so that they e.g. always point upwards with its top side having a fitting.

Beverage container inverters are known in the art, but most often include any gripping means which must be actuated for the respective turning operation in order to grip the beverage container for the turning operation. These

Devices are usually expensive or expensive, also require all moving parts of such a device of regular maintenance and

Lubrication. It is therefore an object of a beverage container turning device to provide that is easy to manufacture and preferably has less maintenance.

This object is achieved by a beverage container turning device according to claim 1. Advantageous developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are also described in the description and in the drawings.

According to the invention, the beverage container turning device (or else

Container turners) a pivoting device with at least one pivot drive and at least one connected to the pivot drive holding arrangement for holding a beverage container. The holding arrangement is pivotable by the pivot drive by about 180 ° between a pick-up point and a settling point of the container on a not belonging to the container turning device transport device. The holding arrangement of the container turner has formed to rest on the upper and lower end side of the beverage container end holding areas that continue

spaced apart as the length of the beverage container. At least on the pivot axis facing side of the holding arrangement, preferably also on the opposite side, is over the pivoting range of the pivoting device at least partially, preferably completely, extending guide for the

Beverage container arranged between the pick-up point and the settling point. Thus, the beverage container is held on the one hand by the holding arrangement and on the other hand by the fixed guide between the two end holding portions of the holding arrangement, while being pivoted through 180 °. The advantage of this container turning device according to the invention is that no separate grippers or moving holding arrangements are necessary to keep the beverage container in its position in the holding arrangement during pivoting. This is realized according to the present invention solely by the interaction of the voltage applied to an end face of the beverage container Endhaltebereiche the holding arrangement on the one hand and the fixed guide on the other. In addition to the

Pivoting device itself, i. next to the pure pivoting mechanism are thus no further moving parts for holding the beverage container during the

Wendens necessary. The only movement in the invention

Container turning device occurs, the pivoting movement is 180 °, which either one or two quarter-turn actuators are necessary. In case of only one

Schwenkantriebs are the pivoting devices preferably by means of a

Transmission element connected together.

The end holding portions protrude in the rest position of the container turner over and under the path of the container on a conveyor, for example on a conveyor belt, which is possible because they are farther apart than corresponds to the length of the container. This means that the normal transport path of the containers on the conveyor belt is not affected. Containers that do not need to be turned, so easily pass through the container turner. Now recognizes a detection device, which is associated with the container turning device or a Behälterbehandlungs- or - conveyor system that a container is upside down on the conveyor belt, the pivoting device of the container turner is activated when the container is located exactly in the gripping area of Endhaltebereiche. The container is then lifted upwards away from the conveyor belt by the end support region of the lower strut lying below the transport plane of the conveyor belt and into a fixed guide which guides the container on its circular path during turning. Preferably, the turning process is done with a

Speed which corresponds to the normal speed of transport of the container on the transport device, so that the container is placed on the conveyor belt exactly where it was before. In this way you do not have to monitor that the container is placed at the end of the turning process in a gap between containers.

Some types of containers have at their upper and / or lower end wreaths, within which, for example, a valve or a fitting is arranged. Therefore

preferably at least at the respective end-stop regions of the holding arrangement, at least one projection, e.g. Pin arranged, wherein the projections arranged on the two end holding portions facing each other. These projections engage in the containers, in particular kegs, within the top and bottom rim and lead during the pivoting movement of the keg with its top or bottom area always in its position by one of the two

Protrusions in its position is stabilized. Instead of a pin, other types of protrusions may also be used, e.g. cylindrical protrusions, linear

Projections, in the manner of a short wall or all kinds of protrusions, which are able to reach into the rim of a beverage container. In particular, these projections may be rubberized to prevent damage to the crown of the ring

Reduce beverage containers when turning. Also, preferably, the end retention areas may be covered with polymeric cushioning material, such as e.g. Silicone or rubber coated to prevent damage to the beverage containers in the top or

Prevent floor area. Preferably, the holding arrangement includes at least two struts, which with the

Pivoting shaft of the pivot drive are connected, which struts have at their remote from their pivot shaft free ends in each case an end-holding region. An end-holding area of the first strut engages under the bottom of the beverage container while the end-holding area of the other strut engages over the top of the beverage container with a slight play. Such an arrangement can be realized with a low cost of materials and leads to a secure determination of the beverage container during the turning process, without access to it by moving elements.

In order to improve the stability of the holding arrangement, the two struts can be interconnected by a connecting strut, so that even with heavy beverage containers, the struts do not deform during the pivoting operation. Preferably, when the connecting strut extends between the end-holding portions of the struts, the beverage container is held in position in the holding arrangement by the connecting struts in a position transverse to the conveying direction.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the container turning device has two pivoting devices with associated holding arrangements, which are arranged parallel to each other and have a mutual distance, which is designed to receive a conveying direction therebetween. In this way, on both sides of the conveyor device, e.g. a conveyor belt is provided in each case a holding arrangement with the associated pivoting device and possibly each with its own pivoting drive, so that laterally, i. is defined transversely to the conveying direction of the conveying device of the beverage container between the two holding arrangements. It is of course possible that only one of the two pivoting devices one

Swivel drive has. In this case, preferably the two

Pivoting devices connected to each other via a connection or transmission element.

Preferably, the distance of the two holding arrangements is adjustable in this case, so that the container turning device is adjustable for conveying devices of different sizes and of course for beverage containers of different sizes.

Preferably, the holding arrangement or forms the holding arrangements together with the fixed guide a turning frame for the beverage container, which prevents falling out of the beverage container during the pivoting movement. As a result, no moving parts are necessary for securing the beverage container in the holding arrangement during the pivoting of the beverage container. The only moving parts are thus the pivot drive, which is the

Container turning device is inexpensive and low maintenance. Preferably, the pivot drive and the struts of the holding arrangement in

Direction of the pivot axis arranged offset to the Endhaltebereichen. Thereby, the container turning device can be arranged relative to a conveying device such that these parts do not hinder the travel of beverage containers, while on the other hand the end holding region can engage in the barrel.

Preferably, the container turning device has a recognition device for detecting the position of a beverage container, and the swivel device is controllable in response to the output signal of the recognition device. In this way, in the container turning device according to the invention equal to the

Detection sensor for the orientation of the beverage containers on the conveyor integrated with and used to control the pivoting device. The container turning device according to the invention thus requires no external sensor or controller for its operation. The invention also relates to a container treatment device for

Beverage container comprising at least one transport device, in the course of which at least one of the above-described container turning devices is arranged. Preferably, each pivoting device on both sides of

Transport device arranged. In this way, a beverage container is defined during the tilting by the holding arrangements of the pivoting devices, without the need for additional moving or driven parts.

Preferably, the width of a conveyor element, e.g. Conveyor belt, the

Conveyor slightly narrower than the diameter of the beverage container. In this way, the end holding portion of the holding assembly can detect the lower end face of the beverage container without colliding with the conveying device. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above preferred embodiments may be combined in any manner. It is also

of course, that in the claims mentioned components can be provided individually or multiple times.

The following expressions are used synonymously: beverage containers - containers;

Container turner - container turner; Conveying device - conveyor belt; The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the schematic drawing. In this show:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a container turning device with two

Manipulators,

Fig. 2 is a side view II of the pivoting device of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is an end view of a pivoting device with fork-like

apart struts and a connecting strut between the Endhaltebereichen the struts.

Fig. 1 shows a container turning device 10, the mirror-symmetrical two identical pivoting devices 12, 14 has. Each pivoting device 12, 14 includes a holding arrangement 15, which is connected by means of a connecting part 22 and a pivot shaft 24 with a pivot drive 26. The holding assembly 15 includes two

Struts 16a, 16b, which have at their ends Endhaltebereiche 18, which are designed to bear against the top and bottom of a beverage container 28.

The two pivoting devices 12, 14 are to be arranged on both sides of a

Conveying device 20 designed, which may be, for example, an endless conveyor belt. The two struts 16a, 16b of each holding arrangement 15 engage under their end holding regions 18 the front side of a beverage container, for example a keg 28. The end holding regions 18 of each holding arrangement 15 are therefore laterally offset in the direction of the pivot axis S to the other components of the pivoting device 12, 14, so that neither the pivot drive 26, nor the pivot shaft 24, nor the connecting part 22 or the struts 16 a, b in the vertical Projection of the

In the illustrated unactuated rest position of the container turning device 10, these lie above and below the container 28 transported on the conveying device 20, as can be clearly seen from FIG. 2, which makes possible this is that the mutual distance of the opposite Endhaltebereiche 18 is greater than the length L of the beverage container 28th

Only in the case of the pivot drive is operated pivot the lower end support portions 18 of the lower struts 16 b in the conveying path and lift the container located there from the conveyor 20. The conveyor 20 has a width B which is smaller than the diameter D of the beverage container 28th Therefore, the end holding portions 18 of the holding assembly 15 can grip under the front side of the beverage container 28 without tangent to the conveyor 20. The end holding portions 18 each preferably carry a projection, such as a projection. Pin 30, which activates the

Swivel drive 26 can engage in the formed on the top and bottom of a beverage container 28, in particular a keg rim area.

The two struts 16a, 16b of the holding arrangement 15 thus form a fork, between which a beverage container 18 is held loosely between its end faces. When pivoting the pivot drive 26 is a beverage container 28 with a

Endhaltebereich the lower strut 16b lifted away from the conveyor 20 and then slides along a fixed, preferably semicircular or partially circular guide 30 along which preferably has an inner part 32 facing the pivot axis S and an outer part 33 facing away from the pivot axis. During pivoting, the beverage container 28 between the inner 32 and outer part 33 of the guide 30 is guided safely on its circular path about the pivot axis of the pivot drive 26. The inner and outer part of the guide can also be formed by mutually parallel struts or by moving guide belts or rollers. The beverage container is thus guided on its circular path during turning thus by the two struts 16 a, 16 b, the connecting strut 34 and by the inner and outer part 32, 33 of the guide 30 safely.

Fig. 2 shows in dashed lines the orientation of the container in two positions during the pivoting operation to the pivoting course of the container to

clarify. Preferably still connecting struts 34 may be provided, which connect the two struts 16 a, 16 at the Endhaltebereichen 18 together. These connecting struts 34 are thus located laterally of the conveying region of the beverage container 28, whereby the connecting struts for a not in the conveying region of the

Beverage containers 28 on the conveyor 20 grab, on the other hand, however, define the beverage container 28 transversely to the conveying direction of the conveyor 20 during pivoting. The beverage container 28, in particular Keg is therefore kept safe when turning between these connecting struts 34 and the inner 32 and outer part 33 of the guide 30. The illustrated container turning device 10 does not require any moving gripping or holding arrangements, which the

Set beverage container during panning. Fig. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the holding arrangement 15, in which case the two struts 16a, 16b diverge from the connecting part 22 to the outside and are connected in their Endhaltebereichen 18 by a connecting strut 34 with each other. In this arrangement, the struts 16a, 16b may be made thinner because they are stabilized due to the connecting struts 34 between the end support portions 18.

The invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments, but may be varied within the scope of the following claims.

Preferably, the container turning device still has a recognition device for the position of the beverage container, in particular keg on the conveyor. The container turning device can thus be controlled as a function of the output signal of the detection device, which may be an optical sensor, for example. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10 turning device

12 first pivoting device

14 second pivoting device

15 holding arrangement

16a first strut

16b second strut

18 final stop area

20 Conveying device - conveyor belt

22 connecting part

24 pivot shaft

26 rotary actuator

28 beverage container - keg with fitting

30 guide - half circle guide

32 inner part of the leadership

33 outer part of the guide

34 connecting strut

Claims

claims

1 . Beverage container turning device (10) containing at least one

Pivoting device (12, 14) with at least one pivot drive (26) and with at least one holding arrangement (15) connected to the pivot drive (26) for holding the beverage container (28), in particular keg, in a holding position, which holding arrangement (15) passes through the Swivel drive (26) is pivotable about 180 degrees between a pick-up point and a settling point, in which

Container turning device (10) the holding assembly (15) for abutment against the upper and lower end side of the beverage container (28) formed end holding portions (18) which are spaced further apart than the length (L) of the

Beverage container, wherein at least on the pivot axis (S) facing side of the holding position is at least partially over the pivoting range of

Pivoting device (12, 14) extending in particular fixed guide (30) for the beverage container (28) is arranged.

2. Container turning device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that at the end holding areas (18) in each case at least one projection (29), e.g. pen

is arranged, which arranged on the two Endhaltebereichen (18)

Projections (29) facing each other.

3. Container turning device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holding arrangement (15) comprises two struts (16a, 16b) which are connected to the pivot shaft (24) of the pivot drive (26) which struts

(16a, 16b) each have an end holding region (18) at their free ends remote from the pivot shaft (24).

4. container turning device (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that the two struts (16 a, 16 b) is interconnected by a connecting strut.

5. Container turning device (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that the connecting strut extends between the Endhaltebereichen (18) of the struts (16 a, 16 b).

6. Behalterwendevorrichtung (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises two mutually parallel pivoting devices (12, 14) which have a mutual distance, which is designed for receiving a conveying device (20).

7. Behalterwendevorrichtung (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that only one of the pivoting devices (12, 14) has a pivot drive (26).

8. Behalterwendevorrichtung (10) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the distance between the two pivoting devices (12, 14) is adjustable.

9. Behalterwendevorrichtung (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holding arrangement (s) (15) together with the guide (30) a turning frame for the beverage container (28) forms (n) falling out of the beverage container ( 28) during the pivoting movement prevented.

10. Container turning device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a recognition device for detecting the position of a beverage container (28), and in that the pivoting device (12, 14) is controllable in dependence on the output signal of the detection device.

1 1. Container turning device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that substantially all components (16a, 16b, 22, 24, 26) of the pivoting device (12, 14) offset in the direction of the pivot axis (S) to the Endhaltebereichen (18) are arranged.

12. Container turning device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the guide (30) is designed as a semi-circular guide.

13. Container treatment device for beverage containers (28), comprising at least one transport device (20), in the course of which at least one

Container turning device (10) is arranged according to one of the preceding claims.

14. Container treatment device according to claim 13, characterized in that a respective pivoting device (12, 14) on both sides of the transport device (20) is arranged.

15. Container treatment device according to claim 13 or 14, characterized

in that it has a recognition device for detecting the position of a beverage container (28), and in that the swivel device (12, 14) is controllable in dependence on the output signal of the recognition device.

16. Container treatment device according to claim 15, characterized in that the detection device includes an optical sensor or ultrasonic sensor.