Beverage bottling plant for filling beverage bottles with a liquid beverage, with an information adding arrangement for adding information relating to the beverage bottles, and a method of operating the beverage bottling plant

Abstract

A beverage bottling plant for filling beverage bottles with a liquid beverage, with an information adding arrangement for adding information relating to the beverage bottles, and a method of operating the beverage bottling plant. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

Description

BACKGROUND [0001] 1. Technical Field [0002] This application relates to a beverage bottling plant for filling beverage bottles with a liquid beverage, with an information adding arrangement for adding information relating to the beverage bottles, and a method of operating the beverage bottling plant. [0003] 2. Background Information [0004] A beverage bottling plant for filling bottles with a liquid beverage filling material can possibly comprise a beverage filling machine, which is often a rotary filling machine, with a plurality of beverage filling positions, each beverage filling position having a beverage filling device for filling bottles with liquid beverage filling material. The filling devices may have an apparatus designed to introduce a predetermined volume of liquid beverage filling material into the interior of bottles to a substantially predetermined level of liquid beverage filling material. [0005] Some beverage bottling plants may possibly comprise filling arrangements...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013] An object of at least one possible embodiment is to create a device for the application of information and / or images onto container surfaces that is as mechanically simple as possible, is as little susceptible to disruption as possible and can be operated at a high output capacity, whereby the orientation of the information can be selected as desired with respect to the geometry of the container. Another object of at least one possible embodiment of the present application is to describe a method and a device with which it is possible to provide bottles or similar containers efficiently with labels of different sizes and formats or containing different information. SUMMARY

[0016] One feature of a method realized in at least one possible embodiment of the present application is that the information that is initially essential for the overall appearance of labels, and at least a significant portion of the label design and printing of labels that forms this part of the packaging design, is printed before labeling. In at least one example, this process occurs before the application of labels to containers in a labeling station or in a printing unit in a labeling station on raw material or primary material of labels. Printing labels thus takes place in a labeling station immediately or essentially immediately prior to labeling. That feature alone makes it possible, using one and the same label primary material to modify a label design or content by a corresponding adjustment or conversion of a printing unit.

[0017] In at least one possible embodiment of the present application, a printing unit is realized so that individual printed images are produced on labeling primary material as a function of an actuation by an electronic control unit or a computer, and specifically according to a print mask that is formed by an electronic control unit or by computer software from a data set, and is stored for example in a memory of a control device or of a computer. By modifying this software printing mask, it becomes possible to easily modify or convert a label design, and specifically with regard to all its aspects, including but not limited to text, graphics and colors, as well as size and shape of label printing. At least one possible embodiment of the present application therefore offers the capability, among other things, to modify and / or update individual label designs easily, and also as a function of specific containers to be labeled or products contained in these containers. It is also possible to select and use label designs required for a product for printing label primary material, to select sizes of individually-printed labels to match sizes and / or diameters of containers to be labeled, and / or to modify label designs or parts of label designs while a labeling process is in operation.

Problems solved by technology

In these cases, labeling containers can be changed only by replacing mechanical print masks or formats that are used for direct printing of containers or by replacing labels or labeling material used, which at the very minimum is time-consuming and in any case is generally not possible while printing or labeling machine is in operation.

Images