Caps sterilizer with magnetic movement with low pushing action

Abstract

Caps sterilizer (1) for sterilizing caps (Z) comprising: a chamber (4); a plurality of transport devices (21, 22) each of which is located within the chamber (4) and is movable along an internal track (T2) and comprising a respective internal magnetic tile (211; 221) and a respective caps support structure (212; 222); and a plurality of external magnetic tiles (11, 12) located outside the chamber (4) and is movable along an external track (T1) Each external tile (11; 12) is coupled to a respective associated internal tile (211; 221) by means of a magnetic levitation coupling. The movement of the internal tile (211; 221) along the internal track (T2) corresponds to the movement of the respective support structure (212; 222) along the internal track (T2). The movement of the support structure (212; 222) along the internal track (T2) corresponds to the movement of a supported group (G; G1, G2) along the internal track (T2).

Description

[0001]CAPS STERILIZER WITH MAGNETIC MOVEMENT WITH LOW PUSHING ACTION TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a caps sterilizer, in particular caps for containers, even more in particular caps for bottles. BACKGROUND ART The sterilization of materials required for the packaging of products, such as, for example, food products, is of fundamental interest to guarantee the necessary shelf-life of the products packaged and, consequently, to ensure consumers safety. This is essential when the food products needs to be packaged in aseptic or ultraclean conditions. Filling of containers, such as containers, cans and bottles made of base components such as glass, plastic, aluminium, steel and composite materials, with any type of pourable food product, such as carbonated liquids (e.g., sparkling water, soft drinks and beer), non- carbonated liquids (including still water, fruit juices, tea, sports drinks, wine, milk, flavoured water, etc.) and drinks containing pulp is known. In general, before being filled with the pourable food product, the containers are sterilized in a container sterilization device and are subsequently filled with the desired pourable food product in a filling machine. After filling of the containers, typically, the respective openings of the container through which filling takes place are closed by means of the application of respective caps. Before application, the caps are also sterilized in a respective sterilization machine. After sterilization, the sterile caps are fed to a capping machine, which also receives the filled containers in an aseptic ambient. A typical cap sterilization machine comprises a conveying device with a guide rail housed in an isolation chamber. The caps are positioned in succession and in contact with one another on the guide rail and by means of a pusher element, such as an insertion star, the caps are inserted one at a time and placed in contact with the succession of caps already present within the guide rail. This leads to a thrust force being exerted on the succession of caps, which results in the advancement of the succession of caps. Furthermore, due to the high sterilization temperatures into the tunnel, the caps heat up and, being subjected to the thrust force exerted on the succession of the plugs themselves, they can deform. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a caps sterilizer, which allows at least one of the aforementioned drawbacks to be overcome in a simple and economical manner. The aforesaid object is achieved by the present invention, as it relates to a caps sterilizer as defined in the independent claim 1. Alternative embodiments are protected by the dependent claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following detailed description is referred to the appended drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a schematic lateral view of a caps sterilizer in a first instant of a transporting operation; - Figure 2 is a schematic lateral view of the caps sterilizer in a second instant of a transporting operation; - Figure 3 is a schematical and prospective view (with parts removed for clarity) of a possible embodiment of the caps sterilizer; - Figures 4 is a schematical and lateral view (with parts removed for clarity) of the caps sterilizer of figure 3; - Figure 5 is a schematical and front view (with parts removed for clarity) of the caps sterilizer of figure 3; - Figures 6 and 7 are enlarged and prospective views (with parts removed for clarity) of the caps sterilizer of figure 3 in a feeding operation; - Figures 8 and 9 are enlarged and prospective views (with parts removed for clarity) of the caps sterilizer of figures 6 and 7 in a first instant of the transport operation downstream the feeding operation; and - Figures 10 and 11 are enlarged and prospective views (with parts removed for clarity) of the caps sterilizer of figures 6-9 in in a second instant of the transport operation. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION With reference to Figure 1, number 1 indicates as a whole a caps sterilizer for sterilizing caps Z, in particular caps Z for containers (not illustrated) such as bottles, flacons, cans or containers of this sort, adapted to contain a pourable product, preferably a pourable food product. The caps sterilizer 1 comprises a chamber 4, which is preferably a sterile and / or aseptic tunnel. The chamber 4 defines an aseptic and / or sterile space S, which is the internal space of the tunnel. The space S and the chamber 4 are indicated in Figures 1 and 2. The caps sterilizer 1 comprises a plurality of transport devices 21 and 22. Each transport device 21 or 22 is located within the chamber 4 and is movable through the chamber 4 along an internal track T2. The internal track T2 is indicated in Figures 1, 2, 4, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. In Figure 5 the transport devices 21 and 22 are represented with the same image and are cross sectioned along a cross section which is locally perpendicular to the internal track T2. A first transport device 21 is indicated in Figures from 1 to 9. A second transport device 22 is indicated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10 and 11. In Figure 5 the same image is intended to show a transport device which can be the first transport device 21 or the second transport device 22. Each transport device 21 or 22 comprises a respective internal magnetic tile 211 or 221, and a respective caps support structure 212 or 222. Each support structure 212 or 222 is configured for supporting a respective group of caps Z. A first group of caps is indicated with G1, and is supported by the supporting structure 212 of the first transport device 21. A second group of caps is indicated with G2, and is supported by the supporting structure 222 of the second transport device 22. The internal magnetic tile of the first transport device 21 is indicated with 211 and can be considered a first internal magnetic tile 211. The internal magnetic tile of the second transport device 22 is indicated with 221 and can be considered a second internal magnetic tile 221. The support structure of the first transport device 21 is indicated with 212 and can be considered a first support structure 212. The support structure of the second transport device 22 is indicated with 222 and can be considered a second support structure 222. The caps sterilizer comprises a plurality of external magnetic tiles 11 and 12, each of which is located outside the chamber 4 and is movable along an external track T1. For example, the external magnetic tile 11 can be considered a first external magnetic tile 11 and the external magnetic tile 12 can be considered a second external magnetic tile 12. The external track T1 is indicated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 9 and 11. The first external magnetic tile 11 is indicated in Figures from 1 to 9. In Figure 5, the same image is intended to represent the first magnetic tile 11 or the second magnetic tile 12. The second external magnetic tile 12 is indicated in Figures from 1 to 5 and from 9 to 11. Each external tile 11 or 12 is coupled to a respective associated internal tile 211 or 221 by means of a magnetic levitation coupling, so that the movement of the external tile 11 or 12 along the external track T1 corresponds to the movement of the associated internal tile 211 or 221 along the internal track T2. The first external magnetic tile 11 is coupled to the first internal magnetic tile 211 and the second external magnetic tile 12 is coupled to the second internal magnetic tile 221. Each internal tile 211 or 221 is coupled to the respective support structure 212 or 222, so that the movement of the internal tile 211 or 221 along the internal track T2 corresponds to the movement of the respective support structure 212 or 222 along the internal track T2. Each support structure 212 or 222 is configured for transporting the supported group G1 or G2 of caps Z, so that the movement of the support structure 212 or 222 along the internal track T2 corresponds to the movement of the supported group G1 or G2 along the internal track T2. Each external tile 11 or 12 is coupled to the respective associated internal tile 211 or 221 along a horizontal direction H for generating the movement of the respective transport device 21 or 22 along the internal track T2, and is coupled to the respective associated internal tile 211 or 221 along a vertical direction V for controlling the vertical position of the respective transport device 21 or 22. The vertical direction V is transversal or orthogonal to the horizontal direction H. By having magnetic external tiles 11 and 12 which are movable along the external track T1 and therefore along the horizontal direction H, there is no need of a complicated magnetic or electric configuration of each external tile for controlling the position of the caps along the horizontal direction, and therefore for controlling the horizontal motion of the caps through the tunnel 4. In fact, each external tile can be moved along the external track T1 by means of a cheap driving device 3. Therefore, typical advantages of the planar motors are obtained with a reduction of manufacturing costs, because the horizontal motion of the caps is obtained by horizontally moving the external magnetic tiles and the control of the vertical position of the caps is obtained by means of magnetic levitation generated by the external magnetic tiles. The caps sterilizer 1 comprises an external driving device 3 for moving each external tile 11 or 12 along the external track T1. The external driving device 3 can comprise a conveyor belt and / or an electric motor and / or a linear motor. The external driving device 3 is configured preferably for moving each external tile 11 or 12 independently from the others. The external driving device 3 comprises an elongated element 30 and a plurality of connections 31 and 32, each connection 31 or 32 being configured for connecting a respective external tile 11 or 12 with the elongated element 30. The elongated element 30 can be for example a linear track of a linear motor or a conveyor belt. The external driving device 3 can comprise an electric motor and / or a linear motor and / or any other kind of motor. In this way, a caps sterilizer is provided with also an improved accuracy in the control of the horizontal movement of the caps, without impacting significantly on the manufacturing costs. The driving device 3 is configured so that the longitudinal pitch between two subsequent external tiles along the external track T1 can vary. The caps sterilizer 1 is preferably configured for allowing a user to input said pitch and for automatically setting said pitch based on the input from the user. Therefore, flexibility of the caps sterilizer is improved, with respect to the size of the caps and of the time of sterilization which is needed. Therefore, a more accurate and more flexible caps sterilizer is provided, at least without impacting significantly on manufacturing costs. Each group G1 or G2 of caps comprises a at least one row of caps extending along the second track T2. A row comprises at least two caps. Each support structure 212 or 222 is configured for transporting the supported group G1 or G2 of caps Z by means of contacting the caps Z at least or only from the bottom. In this way, the force for transporting the caps has a reduced pushing component along said at least one row. In other words, this force is more a dragging force than a pushing force. That component may also be eliminated. In this way it is significantly reduced or eliminated the risk of caps deformation, which can exist also due to the heating of the caps for sterilization. It may be that each support structure 212 or 222 transports the supported group of caps by only dragging the group of caps, by means of contacting the caps Z only from the bottom. Each support structure 212 or 222 is configured for transporting the supported group G1 or G2 of caps with the transported caps being distanced from each other along the internal track T2. Each support structure 212 or 222 is configured for transporting the supported group G1 or G2 of caps by means of mechanical contact along at least or only the vertical direction V. In this way, the force for transporting the caps has a reduced pushing component along said at least one row. In other words, this force is more a dragging force than a pushing force. That component may also be eliminated. In this way it is significantly reduced or eliminated the risk of caps deformation, which can exist also due to the heating of the caps for sterilization. It may be that each support structure 212 or 222 transports the supported group of caps by only dragging the group of caps, by means of mechanical contact along only the vertical direction V. Each transport device 21 or 22 comprises a respective coupling structure 213 or 223. Each internal tile 211 or 221 is coupled to the respective support structure 212 or 222 by means of the respective coupling structure 213 or 223. Each support structure 212 or 222 comprises a respective plurality of rails 231 or 232 which are elongated along the internal track T2. Each plurality of rails 231 or 232 defines at least one part of a respective longitudinal sector of a railway for guiding the supported group of caps G1 or G2 along the internal track T2. In this way the longitudinal dragging effect or the longitudinal entrainment effect exerted by each support structure 212 or 222 on the respective group G1 or G2 of caps is improved, because each support structure corresponds substantially at least to a movable part of a respective longitudinal sector of a railway which guides the caps along the internal track T2. The rails of the first support structure 212 are indicated with 231, and the rails of the second support structure 222 are indicated with 232. Each coupling structure 213 or 223 comprises at least one respective C-shaped bracket or a respective plurality of C-shaped brackets, for fixing the position of the rails with respect to the internal tile 211 or 221. The caps sterilizer 1 comprises a side guard rail 24 to guide the transported caps Z. The side guard rail 24 is distinct from the supporting structures. The movement of each supporting structure 212 or 222 is with respect to the side guard rail 24. The side guide rail is therefore not integral with the movement of the caps along the internal track T2. In this way an optimal guiding effect is obtained, with a reduced complexity of the mechanical configuration of each supporting structure. The side guard rail 24 contributes to define the above-mentioned railway. The side guard rail 24 may be laterally movable with respect to the second track T2 for adapting the width of said railway to the specific format of the caps. In this way, the width of the above-mentioned railway can be adapted to the format of the caps, by means of a simple mechanical system, to increase the flexibility of the caps sterilizer. The caps sterilizer comprises a feeding unit 5 for feeding the respective groups of caps subsequently to the transporting devices. The feeding unit 5 comprises a pitching star 6 for defining the longitudinal pitch of the caps to be fed. The feeding unit comprises a feeding guide FP. The star 6 receives the caps from the feeding guide FP, spaces the received caps, and inserts the spaced caps in the transport devices. The star 6 is rotated by a motor 7 around a motorized axis X. The feeding unit 5 comprises the motor 7. The caps sterilizer is configured for sterilizing the caps being transported by means for example of introducing a sterilization agent in the chamber 4, or by means of UV rays.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Caps sterilizer (1) for sterilizing caps (Z) comprising: a chamber (4), which comprises preferably a sterile and / or aseptic tunnel; a plurality of transport devices (21, 22) each of which is located within the chamber (4) and is movable through the chamber (4) along an internal track (T2), each transport device (21; 22) comprising a respective internal magnetic tile (211; 221), and a respective caps support structure (212; 222) for supporting a respective group (G; G1, G2) of caps (Z); a plurality of external magnetic tiles (11, 12), each of which is located outside the chamber (4) and is movable along an external track (T1); wherein: each external tile (11; 12) is coupled to a respective associated internal tile (211; 221) by means of a magnetic levitation coupling, so that the movement of the external tile (11; 12) along the external track (T1) corresponds to the movement of the associated internal tile (211; 221) along the internal track (T2); each internal tile (211; 221) is coupled to the respective support structure (212; 221), so that the movement of the internal tile (211; 221) along the internal track (T2) corresponds to the movement of therespective support structure (212; 222) along the internal track (T2); wherein each support structure (212; 222) is configured for transporting the supported group (G; G1, G2) of caps so that the movement of the support structure (212; 222) along the internal track (T2) corresponds to the movement of the supported group (G1, G2) of caps along the internal track (T2).

2. The caps sterilizer (1) according to claim 1, comprising an external driving device (3), in particular comprising an electrical motor and / or a linear motor and / or a conveyor belt, for moving each external tile (11; 12) along the external track (T1), the external driving device (3) being configured preferably for moving each external tile (11; 12) independently from the others.

3. The caps sterilizer (1) according to claim 2, wherein the driving device (3) is configured so that the longitudinal pitch between two subsequent external tiles along the external track (T1) can vary, the caps sterilizer being preferably configured for allowing a user to input said pitch and for automatically setting said pitch based on the input from the user.

4. The caps sterilizer (1) according to any of the previous claims, wherein each group of caps comprises at least one respective row of caps extending along theinternal track (T2).

5. Caps sterilizer (1) according to Claim 4, wherein each support structure (212; 222) is configured for transporting the supported group (G; G1, G2) of caps (Z) at least by dragging the caps, by means of contacting the caps (Z) at least from the bottom.

6. The caps sterilizer (1) according to claim 5, wherein each support structure (212; 222) is configured for transporting the supported group (G; G1, G2) of caps with the transported caps being distanced from each other along the internal track (T2).

7. The caps sterilizer (1) according to Claim 4 or 5 or 6, wherein each external tile (11; 12) is coupled to the respective associated internal tile (211; 221) along a horizontal direction (H) for generating the movement of the respective transport device (21; 22) along the internal track (T2) and along a vertical direction (V) for controlling the vertical position of the respective transport device (21; 22), the vertical direction (V) being transversal or orthogonal to the horizontal direction (H); and wherein each support structure (212; 222) is configured for transporting the supported group (G; G1, G2) of caps at least by dragging the caps, by means of mechanical contact along at least the vertical direction(V).

8. The caps sterilizer (1) according to claim any of the previous Claims, wherein each support structure (212; 222) comprises a respective plurality of rails (231; 232) which are elongated along the internal track (T2), each plurality of rails (231; 232) defining at least one part of a respective longitudinal sector of a railway for guiding the supported group of caps (G1; G2) along the internal track T2.

9. Caps sterilizer according to Claim 8, wherein each transport device (21; 22) comprises a respective coupling structure (213; 223), each internal tile (211; 221) being coupled to the respective support structure (212; 222) by means of the respective coupling structure (213; 223), each coupling structure (213; 223) comprising preferably at least on C-shaped bracket or a plurality of C-shaped brackets.

10. Caps sterilizer (1) according to Claim 8 or 9, comprising a side guard rail (24) to guide the transported caps (Z) along the internal track (T2), the side guard rail (24) being distinct from the support structures so that the movement of each supporting structure (212; 222) is with respect to the side guard rail (24).

11. Caps sterilizer (1) according to Claim 10, wherein the side guard rail (24) contributes to definesaid railway and is laterally movable with respect to the internal track (T2) for adapting the width of said railway to the format of the caps.

12. The caps sterilizer (1) according to any previous claim, comprising a feeding unit (5) configured to feed the respective groups of caps subsequently to the transporting devices (21, 22), the feeding unit (5) comprising a pitching star (6) for defining the longitudinal pitch of the caps to be fed.

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