Beer bottle aerating closure device

Abstract

The application discloses a beer bottle aeration locking cap device, which belongs to the field of cap screwing. The device comprises a rack, a lifting platform for carrying a beer bottle and driving the beer bottle to move in a vertical direction, an aeration assembly comprising an aeration pipe for being inserted into a bottle cap silica gel part of the beer bottle, and a wheel group clamping and rotating assembly comprising a plurality of wheels, a plurality of displacement motors and at least one rotating motor, wherein the plurality of wheels are arranged around the bottle cap, the plurality of displacement motors are used for driving the plurality of wheels to move close to each other to clamp the bottle cap, and the rotating motor is used for driving at least one wheel to rotate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of bottle capping, and more specifically, to a beer bottle inflation and locking device.

[0002] Carbonated beverages such as beer typically require sealing caps after bottling to ensure airtightness and taste stability during transportation, storage, and sales. For caps with silicone sealing parts or inflatable structures, to improve sealing, compensate for assembly tolerances, or achieve specific locking states, it is often necessary to inflate the silicone parts of the cap during or before capping. This causes radial expansion, ensuring a tighter fit to the bottle neck structure and creating a more reliable sealing interface.

[0003] On existing production lines, when processes such as "alignment, inflation, capping / locking, inspection, and optional rotary mixing" are involved, the common practice is to use multiple single-function machines or multiple dispersed stations to complete the process. For example, the silicone part of the bottle cap is first inflated at the inflation station using an inflation needle / inflation nozzle, and then the beer bottle is transferred to the capping machine to tighten and lock the cap. If it is also necessary to use rotation to mix, defoam, or homogenize the liquid inside the bottle, an additional rotary mixing station is required.

[0004] Multi-station sequential processing typically relies on conveyors, bottle separators, rotary tables, or robotic arms for transfer. The transfer process introduces additional positioning, waiting, and cycle time matching. The overall cycle time is limited by the slowest station, resulting in high human involvement and significant impact on process stability from personnel. This leads to excessive space requirements and poor production efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The summary section of this application is intended to provide a brief overview of the concepts, which will be described in detail in the detailed description section below. This summary section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed technical solutions, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed technical solutions.

[0006] To address the technical problems mentioned in the background section above, some embodiments of this application provide a beer bottle inflation and locking device, comprising: a frame; a lifting platform for carrying a beer bottle and driving the beer bottle to move vertically; an inflation assembly including an inflation tube for inserting into the silicone portion of the bottle cap; and a wheel clamping and rotating assembly including multiple wheels, multiple displacement motors, and at least one rotary motor, wherein the multiple wheels are arranged around the bottle cap, the multiple displacement motors are used to drive the multiple wheels to move closer together to clamp the bottle cap, and the rotary motor is used to drive at least one wheel to rotate.

[0007] Furthermore, a limiting structure is provided on the inflation tube, which is used to abut against the bottle cap to limit the insertion depth of the inflation tube into the silicone self-sealing part.

[0008] Furthermore, the plurality of wheels consists of four wheels, which are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the bottle cap.

[0009] Furthermore, a recessed groove is provided on the platform of the lifting platform for accommodating beer bottles; the middle part of the recessed groove is opposite to the inflation pipe.

[0010] Furthermore, the recessed groove is constructed as a stepped groove so that the recessed groove has multiple limiting circular surfaces; the outer surface of the beer bottle abuts against the limiting circular surfaces.

[0011] Furthermore, the lifting platform is also equipped with a cleaning structure for cleaning the outer wall of the beer bottle.

[0012] Furthermore, the cleaning structure includes: a mounting bracket, multiple hinged rods, multiple push rods, and a driving component; a brush portion is provided on the hinged rod, and the number of hinged rods matches the number of push rods; the push rods are hinged to the middle of the hinged rods, and the driving component is connected to the push rods.

[0013] Furthermore, the drive unit includes a control box; the control box has multiple guide chambers and a control chamber communicating with the multiple guide chambers; the drive unit also includes a liquid pump, which injects liquid into the control chamber; the push rod is provided with a guide portion, which fits against the inner wall of the guide chamber.

[0014] Furthermore, the rotary motor is provided in one unit and is connected to only one of the plurality of wheels in a transmission manner, so as to drive the bottle cap to rotate through the friction between the one wheel and the bottle cap.

[0015] A cap-locking inflation method, applied to the aforementioned cap-locking inflation device, includes: controlling a lifting platform to lift a beer bottle; controlling multiple wheels to approach and clamp the bottle cap; controlling an inflation tube to insert into the silicone self-sealing portion of the bottle cap and inflate the beer bottle; controlling a rotary motor to drive at least one wheel to rotate, thereby rotating the bottle cap to tighten it and / or rotate the beer bottle to mix the gas and liquid; and after inflation is completed, removing the inflation tube and releasing the clamping of the bottle cap by the multiple wheels.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this application are as follows: The lifting platform carries the beer bottles and enables vertical alignment. In conjunction with the wheel clamping and rotating components, the bottle caps are clamped and rotated, allowing inflation, cap tightening, and rotation to be completed continuously within the same equipment / station. This reduces manual intervention and station switching, and improves cycle time and process consistency.

[0017] The inflation tube is equipped with a limiting structure that abuts against the bottle cap, which structurally limits the insertion depth and prevents over-insertion from causing tearing, permanent deformation, or seal failure of the silicone self-sealing part. It also reduces phenomena such as poor inflation and backflow caused by insufficient insertion, thereby improving inflation stability and reliable sealing.

[0018] Multiple wheels are arranged around the bottle cap circumferentially and driven by a displacement motor to approach and clamp synchronously, which can form a nearly uniform radial clamping force and reduce eccentric loading. As roller contact parts, the wheels are less likely to damage the outer surface of the bottle cap than rigid claws, and are more conducive to the stable transmission of frictional torque, reducing slippage, chipping and other defects.

[0019] The lifting platform has a recessed groove to accommodate beer bottles, with the center of the recessed groove aligned with the inflation tube. This significantly improves the stability of the bottle placement and the alignment of the axis, reducing the insertion deviation of the inflation tube. Furthermore, the recessed groove is constructed as a stepped groove with multiple limiting circular surfaces, which can provide corresponding radial limits for different outer diameter bottle types, improving adaptability and ease of changeover. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the application and to make other features, objects, and advantages of the application more apparent. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of this application are used to explain the application and do not constitute an undue limitation of the application.

[0021] Furthermore, throughout the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. It should be understood that the drawings are schematic, and the elements are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0022] In the attached diagram: Figure 1 This is an overall schematic diagram based on an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of a part of the embodiment, mainly showing... Figure 1 Local structure; Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of a part of the embodiment, mainly showing the structure of the cleaning structure and some surrounding parts; Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of a part of an embodiment, mainly showing the structure of the cleaning structure; Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of a part of an embodiment, mainly showing the structure of the control box.

[0023] 1. Frame; 2. Lifting platform; 3. Inflation assembly; 31. Inflation pipe; 32. Limiting structure; 4. Wheel clamping and rotating assembly; 41. Wheel; 42. Displacement motor; 43. Rotary motor; 5. Cleaning structure; 51. Mounting bracket; 52. Hinge rod; 53. Brush part; 54. Push rod; 55. Guide part; 56. Drive component; 561. Control box; 562. Guide chamber; 563. Control chamber; 564. Liquid pump; 6. Beer bottle; 7. Bottle cap. Detailed Implementation

[0024] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of this disclosure. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings and embodiments of this disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0025] It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this disclosure can be combined with each other.

[0026] It should be noted that the concepts of "first" and "second" mentioned in this disclosure are used only to distinguish different devices, modules or units, and are not used to limit the order of functions performed by these devices, modules or units or their interdependencies.

[0027] It should be noted that the terms "a" and "a plurality of" used in this disclosure are illustrative rather than restrictive, and those skilled in the art should understand that, unless otherwise expressly indicated in the context, they should be understood as "one or more".

[0028] This disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0029] Reference Figure 1-5 , This embodiment provides a beer bottle inflation and locking device, including a frame 1, a lifting platform 2, an inflation component 3, and a wheel clamping and rotating component 4.

[0030] The frame 1 is used to install and support the lifting platform 2, the inflation assembly 3, and the wheel clamping and rotating assembly 4, and to provide a relatively stable installation reference for each actuator. The frame 1 can be a profile frame structure or a plate welded structure.

[0031] The lifting platform 2 is mounted on the frame 1. The lifting platform 2 is used to carry the beer bottle 6 and drive the beer bottle 6 to move vertically, so as to realize the alignment, approach and separation between the beer bottle 6 and the inflation component 3 and the wheel clamping and rotating component 4. In some embodiments, the lifting platform 2 may be composed of a lifting motor, a lead screw / synchronous belt transmission mechanism, a guide structure and a table surface; it may also be driven by a cylinder or an electric cylinder to achieve lifting.

[0032] The inflation assembly 3 includes an inflation tube 31, which is inserted into the silicone part (e.g., the silicone self-sealing part) of the bottle cap 7 of the beer bottle 6 and inflates the beer bottle 6 with gas, which can be CO2, N2, or a mixture, depending on the process requirements. The inflation assembly 3 further includes a gas source interface connected to the inflation tube 31 to achieve inflation.

[0033] The wheel clamping and rotating assembly 4 includes multiple wheels 41, multiple displacement motors 42, and at least one rotary motor 43. The multiple wheels 41 are arranged around the bottle cap 7; the multiple displacement motors 42 are used to drive the multiple wheels 41 to move closer together to clamp the bottle cap 7; the rotary motor 43 is used to drive at least one wheel 41 to rotate, so as to drive the bottle cap 7 to rotate through the friction between the wheel 41 and the bottle cap 7, thereby tightening the bottle cap 7, and / or drive the beer bottle 6 to rotate during the inflation stage to promote gas-liquid mixing.

[0034] In some embodiments, a limiting structure 32 is provided on the inflation tube 31. The limiting structure 32 is used to abut against the bottle cap 7 to limit the insertion depth of the inflation tube 31 into the silicone self-sealing part, so as to avoid damage to the silicone part, failure of the seal, or impact on the stability of the inflation channel due to excessive insertion.

[0035] The limiting structure 32 can be a limiting step, a limiting retaining ring, an adjustable limiting ring, or a replaceable limiting sleeve, etc., set on the outer periphery of the inflation tube 31. By setting the adjustable limiting structure 32, it can adapt to the structural differences and silicone thickness differences of different models of bottle caps 7.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment, the plurality of wheels 41 are four wheels 41, which are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the bottle cap 7, for example, approximately equally spaced at °, to improve the uniformity of force during clamping and reduce the risk of the bottle cap 7 being eccentric, slipping, or locally crushed.

[0037] In some implementations, each wheel 41 corresponds to a displacement motor 42. The displacement motor 42 drives the wheel 41 to move radially closer to or further away from the bottle cap 7 via a lead screw slide, linear module, or rack and pinion mechanism to complete clamping and releasing. The wheel 41 can be made of an elastic material with a certain coefficient of friction that is not easy to damage the cap, such as a rubber-coated wheel or a polyurethane wheel. The wheel surface texture can be smooth or non-slip.

[0038] Furthermore, in some embodiments, a single rotary motor 43 is provided, and it is only connected to one of the multiple wheels 41 for transmission, so as to drive the bottle cap 7 to rotate through the friction between the wheel 41 and the bottle cap 7. By driving only one wheel 41 to rotate, the complexity and cost of the mechanism can be reduced, and reliable torque transmission can be achieved while ensuring sufficient clamping force. The other undriven wheels 41 can play a supporting, stabilizing and clamping role.

[0039] In other embodiments, multiple rotary motors 43 may be configured to drive multiple wheels 41 to rotate synchronously, thereby achieving higher torque or better anti-slip capability.

[0040] In some embodiments, a recessed groove is provided on the platform surface of the lifting platform 2 to accommodate the beer bottle 6, thereby improving the stability of the beer bottle 6 and assisting in the centering and positioning of the beer bottle 6 and the inflation tube 31. The center of the recessed groove is opposite to the inflation tube 31 so that when the beer bottle 6 is raised to the correct position, the inflation tube 31 can enter the silicone self-sealing part of the bottle cap 7 from the central area of ​​the recessed groove.

[0041] In some embodiments, the recessed groove is constructed as a stepped groove, such that the recessed groove has multiple limiting circular surfaces, etc. The limiting circular surfaces of different diameters can be used to adapt to beer bottles 6 with different outer diameters or different shapes, and radial limiting is achieved by the outer surface of the beer bottle 6 abutting against the corresponding limiting circular surface, thereby improving the positioning accuracy of the bottle and reducing the risk of eccentric insertion of the inflation tube 31.

[0042] In some embodiments, a cleaning structure 5 for cleaning the outer wall of the beer bottle 6 is also provided on the platform of the lifting platform 2.

[0043] The cleaning structure 5 includes a mounting bracket 51, multiple hinge rods 52, multiple push rods 54, and a drive component 56. Each hinge rod 52 has a brush portion 53, which can be made of bristles, sponge, non-woven fabric, or a rubber scraper, etc., used to contact the outer wall of the bottle for wiping / brushing. The number of hinge rods 52 matches the number of push rods 54. The push rods 54 are hinged to the middle of the hinge rods 52, so that the linear movement of the push rods 54 drives the hinge rods 52 to swing, causing the brush portions 53 to move closer to or away from the outer wall of the bottle, thereby achieving clamping cleaning or resetting and opening of the cleaning structure 5.

[0044] The drive element 56 is connected to the push rod 54 to provide a push-pull action. In some embodiments, the drive element 56 may be a cylinder, an electric cylinder, or a motor screw mechanism.

[0045] In other embodiments, the drive 56 includes a control box 561. The control box 561 has a plurality of guide chambers 562 and a control chamber 563 communicating with the plurality of guide chambers 562; the drive 56 also includes a liquid pump 564 that injects liquid into the control chamber 563 to create pressure and drive the push rod 54 to move.

[0046] A guide portion 55 is provided on the push rod 54, which fits against the inner wall of the corresponding guide chamber 562 to achieve guiding and sealing of the push rod 54, reduce lateral shaking, and improve the consistency of synchronous operation of multiple push rods 54. By controlling the output pressure, flow rate, or injection volume of the liquid pump 564, the contact pressure between the brush part 53 and the outer wall of the bottle can be adjusted, thereby balancing cleaning effect and avoiding scratches on the bottle.

[0047] In this embodiment, the "liquid" may be hydraulic oil, food-grade liquid, or other applicable media; if it is a food-related scenario, food-grade, easy-to-maintain media and sealing materials may be preferred.

[0048] Based on the above-described device, this embodiment also provides a cap-locking inflation method, applied to the above-described beer bottle 6 inflation cap-locking device. The method may include the following steps: S101: Controls the lifting platform 2 to lift the beer bottle 6.

[0049] Place the beer bottle 6 into the recessed groove (or stepped groove) of the lifting platform 2 for initial positioning. Control the lifting platform 2 to rise, so that the bottle cap 7 gradually approaches the working position of the wheel clamping rotating component 4 and the inflation component 3.

[0050] S102: Control multiple wheels 41 to approach the bottle cap 7.

[0051] Multiple displacement motors 42 are controlled to drive the wheels 41 radially closer until the wheels 41 contact the outer periphery of the bottle cap 7 and form a clamping force. The clamping force threshold can be set according to the torque requirement to reduce slippage and avoid excessive compression that could deform the bottle cap 7.

[0052] S103: Control the inflation tube 31 to be inserted into the silicone self-sealing part of the bottle cap 7 and to inflate the beer bottle 6.

[0053] The inflation tube 31 is controlled to move relative to the bottle cap 7 (this can be achieved by the lifting platform 2 continuing to rise slightly, or by the inflation assembly 3 itself descending), so that the inflation tube 31 is inserted into the silicone self-sealing part. After the limiting structure 32 abuts against the bottle cap 7, the inflation tube 31 stops further insertion, thereby ensuring a consistent insertion depth. Then, the solenoid valve is opened / the inflation control is executed to fill the bottle with gas at the set pressure and the set amount of gas.

[0054] S104: Control the rotary motor 43 to drive at least one wheel 41 to rotate so as to rotate the bottle cap 7, thereby tightening the bottle cap 7 and / or rotating the beer bottle 6 to mix the gas and liquid.

[0055] During or after inflation, the rotary motor 43 drives the wheel 41 to rotate, which in turn rotates the bottle cap 7 through friction, thus tightening the cap. In some processes, the bottle can also be rotated / micro-rotated in a controlled manner during the inflation stage to enhance gas-liquid mixing (e.g., to promote uniform gas dissolution). The rotation direction, speed, rotation time, and target torque can be set by the control strategy.

[0056] S105: After inflation is complete, pull out the inflation tube 31 and release the clamps of multiple wheels 41 on the bottle cap 7.

[0057] The air circuit is shut off, and the inflation tube 31 is disengaged from the silicone self-sealing part. Then, the displacement motor 42 is controlled to retract the wheel 41, releasing the clamp on the bottle cap 7. The lifting platform 2 is then lowered to complete a single-bottle station cycle.

[0058] The above description is merely a selection of preferred embodiments of this disclosure and an explanation of the technical principles employed. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of the invention involved in the embodiments of this disclosure is not limited to technical solutions formed by specific combinations of the above-described technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by arbitrary combinations of the above-described technical features or their equivalents without departing from the above-described inventive concept. For example, technical solutions formed by substituting the above-described features with (but not limited to) technical features with similar functions disclosed in the embodiments of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A beer bottle inflation and locking device, characterized in that, include: frame; A lifting platform is used to support beer bottles and drive the beer bottles to move vertically. An inflation assembly, including an inflation tube for insertion into the silicone portion of the bottle cap of the beer bottle; The wheel clamping and rotating assembly includes multiple wheels, multiple displacement motors, and at least one rotary motor. The multiple wheels are arranged around the bottle cap. The multiple displacement motors are used to drive the multiple wheels to move closer to each other to clamp the bottle cap. The rotary motor is used to drive at least one wheel to rotate.

2. The beer bottle inflation and locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inflation tube is provided with a limiting structure, which is used to abut against the bottle cap to limit the insertion depth of the inflation tube into the silicone self-sealing part.

3. The beer bottle inflation and locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of wheels consists of four wheels, which are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the bottle cap.

4. The beer bottle inflation and locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting platform has a recessed groove on its surface, which is used to accommodate beer bottles; the middle part of the recessed groove is opposite to the inflation pipe.

5. The beer bottle inflation and locking device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The recessed groove is constructed as a stepped groove so that the recessed groove has multiple limiting circular surfaces; The outer side of the beer bottle abuts against the limiting circular surface.

6. The beer bottle inflation and locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting platform is also equipped with a cleaning structure for cleaning the outer wall of the beer bottle.

7. The beer bottle inflation and locking device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The cleaning structure includes: a mounting bracket, multiple hinge rods, multiple push rods, and a drive component; The hinge rod is provided with a brush part, and the number of the hinge rods matches the number of the push rods; The push rod is hinged to the middle of the hinge rod, and the drive member is connected to the push rod.

8. The beer bottle inflation and locking device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The drive unit includes a control box; the control box has multiple guide chambers and a control chamber communicating with the multiple guide chambers; the drive unit also includes a liquid pump that injects liquid into the control chamber; The push rod is provided with a guide part, which fits against the inner wall of the guide chamber.

9. The beer bottle inflation and locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotary motor is provided in one unit and is connected to only one of the multiple wheels to drive the bottle cap to rotate through the friction between the one wheel and the bottle cap.

10. A locking cap inflation method, applied to the locking cap inflation device according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, include: Control the lifting platform to raise the beer bottles; Control multiple wheels to approach and clamp the bottle cap; Control the inflation tube to insert into the silicone self-sealing part of the bottle cap and inflate the beer bottle; Control a rotary motor to drive at least one wheel to rotate in order to rotate the bottle cap, thereby tightening the bottle cap and / or rotating the beer bottle to mix gas and liquid; After inflation is complete, pull out the inflation tube and release the multiple wheels from clamping the bottle cap.

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