ROUNDER MACHINE FOR TREATING CONTAINERS

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a rotary machine for treating containers having the features of the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Such rotary machines are designed, for example, as labeling machines for applying labels to containers for identification. Typically, the containers are accommodated in container holders arranged on a carousel rotating relative to the machine base. As the carousel rotates, the containers are transported past labeling units in the container holders and provided with labels. The labels can be cold-glue, hot-glue, and / or self-adhesive labels. However, rotary machines for other processing steps are also conceivable within the scope of the invention, for example, a printing machine for applying direct printing to the containers.

[0003] With such rotary machines, it can happen that individual containers break or become detached from the container holders. To prevent falling container fragments or falling debris from entering the machine base, a protective tabletop enclosing the vertical axis of the carousel is arranged between the carousel and the machine base.

[0004] The disadvantage is that container parts occasionally get stuck between the container holders on the carousel and the tabletop, disrupting production or even damaging a container holder. Furthermore, the interior space between the carousel and the tabletop is difficult to access, making cleaning difficult.

[0005] EP 0 947 362 A2 discloses a front table on vessel treatment machines.

[0006] EP 1 707 530 A1 discloses a stiffened table for a container handling machine.

[0007] WO 01 / 59354 A1 discloses a machine for treating containers comprising a table with a sandwich structure and a method for producing such a table.

[0008] WO 2009 / 016499 A2 discloses a carousel for conveying and weighing containers.

[0009] DE 20 2007 017 932 U1 discloses an arrangement for processing beverage units.

[0010] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a rotary machine for treating containers which is easier to access for cleaning and in which the clamping of container parts between the container holders and the table top is avoided.

[0011] To solve this problem, the invention provides a rotary machine for treating containers with the features of claim 1.

[0012] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are mentioned in the subclaims.

[0013] Since the operator of a container handling system typically specifies the container transport level relative to the floor, the installation space between the carousel and the machine base is correspondingly limited. Consequently, increasing the distance between the table top and the container holders by raising the transport level is only possible to a very limited extent.

[0014] Because, according to the invention, the upper side of the table top slopes radially outwards on all sides, at least in segments, with respect to the vertical axis, the installation space on the outer, peripheral area of ​​the table top is larger than that of the container receptacles. Consequently, there is no bottleneck between which container parts or even entire containers can become trapped. Furthermore, there is a sufficiently large distance between the container receptacles and the table top for an operator to clean them, for example using a broom or the like. Furthermore, the container parts slide or roll outwards from the central area due to gravity and the outwardly sloping upper side of the table top and can thus be removed more easily or fall out of the machine of their own accord.Consequently, the rotary machine according to the invention can be cleaned particularly easily and no container parts or even entire containers can become jammed between the container holders and the table top.

[0015] The rotary machine can be arranged in a container handling system, preferably in a beverage processing system. The rotary machine can preferably be a labeling machine for labeling the containers. The labeling machine can be arranged downstream of a filling system for filling a product into the containers and / or a capper. However, the labeling machine can also be arranged upstream of the filling process and / or directly downstream of a container manufacturing process. It is also conceivable for the rotary machine to be designed as a printing machine for applying direct printing to the containers. Separately, it can be a rotary machine that is not assigned to any system but operates in so-called stand-alone mode.

[0016] The rotary machine can comprise a docking ring to which treatment units for treating the containers can be modularly docked peripherally around the carousel. Preferably, a treatment unit can be a labeling unit. The docking ring can be a circular or circular sector-shaped curved rail arranged on the peripheral outer circumference of the carousel concentrically to its axis, allowing the treatment units to be modularly docked at various angular ranges of the rotary machine.

[0017] The containers can be designed to hold beverages, food, hygiene products, pastes, chemical and biological and / or pharmaceutical products. The containers can be bottles, cans, large containers and / or tubes. The container material can be glass, metal and / or plastic such as PET, PEN, HDPE or PP. It can also be a biodegradable container material whose main components are renewable raw materials such as sugar cane, wheat or corn. Furthermore, containers made of material mixtures, in particular of the aforementioned container materials, are also conceivable.

[0018] Falling container parts can refer to complete containers, parts of a container, broken pieces of a container, or the like. The falling debris can include, for example, marking elements, labels or parts of labels, adhesive, and the like.

[0019] The machine base may comprise a support frame to support the carousel, which is arranged to rotate relative thereto, on a floor. A drive motor may be arranged in the machine base to drive the carousel to rotate about its vertical axis. The drive motor and the carousel may be connected to each other via a gear and / or a carousel shaft. The carousel shaft may be arranged coaxially to the vertical axis of the carousel and / or be rotatably mounted in a bearing plate. The bearing plate may comprise a rolling bearing, preferably a ball and / or roller bearing. The gear may comprise gears and / or drive belts (e.g., a toothed belt).

[0020] The carousel can be rigidly connected to the carousel shaft. A region of the tabletop surrounding the vertical axis can be arranged around the bearing plate for the carousel shaft and / or rigidly connected to it. For example, this can be an opening that is welded, screwed, or otherwise rigidly connected to the bearing plate. The carousel can comprise a spoked table on which the container receptacles are arranged around its circumference. A central hub element of the spoked table can be connected to the carousel shaft.

[0021] The container receptacles can be arranged at regular intervals around the circumference of the carousel. Furthermore, the container receptacles can each comprise a direct drive motor, for example a servo motor or stepper motor, a turntable for receiving a container base and / or a centering bell for receiving the container mouth. The container receptacles, in particular the direct drive motors, can be designed to rotate the containers relative to a treatment unit arranged on the rotary machine. The direct drive motors can be arranged on the carousel such that their housings protrude vertically downwards from the carousel. Vertical can be the direction directed towards the center of the earth and / or in the direction of gravity. In contrast, the carousel can be arranged horizontally. Horizontal can be the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and / or parallel to a floor of a treatment plant."Container transport during processing with container receptacles" can mean that the containers are picked up at one angle of the carousel, then moved along with the carousel in the container receptacles, and then released from the container receptacles at a further angle. Starwheel conveyors can be assigned to the rotary machine for picking up and releasing the containers.

[0022] The container receptacles can each comprise a direct-drive motor for rotating the container plates, which, with its vertically lower end, also forms a vertically lower end of the corresponding container receptacle. In other words, the direct-drive motors can be arranged with their shafts parallel to the vertical axis of the carousel.

[0023] The tabletop can be substantially circular around the vertical axis and include a shaft passage for the carousel and / or the carousel shaft. The top side of the tabletop can be a vertically positioned upper side of the tabletop. "Radially outward" here can mean directions perpendicular to the vertical axis and pointing away from it and / or directions in the plane of the tabletop and pointing away from the vertical axis.

[0024] The top of the tabletop is conical. This ensures that the top has essentially the same angle on all sides with respect to the vertical axis. This allows the container components to be discharged outward with the greatest possible gradient. "Conical" here refers to a conical shape, preferably a flat cone. The axis of symmetry of the conical shape can coincide with the vertical axis of the carousel.

[0025] The conical upper side is formed from a single, shell-shaped raw sheet, which is formed into the conical upper side using a bending and / or rolling process. As a result, the raw sheet only needs to be deformed in one direction using the bending and / or rolling process, making production particularly simple. Shell-shaped raw sheet can have an essentially circular disk-shaped sheet in common. The basic shape of the raw sheet is symmetrical about a central circular opening, with an angular sector cut out of the basic shape. After the shell-shaped raw sheet has been bent, it is joined, preferably welded, in the area of ​​the parting lines of the cut-out angular sector. Using the bending process, the initially flat, shell-shaped raw sheet can be formed in such a way that it subsequently forms the conical upper side. This manufacturing process makes the conical upper side particularly easy to produce.However, deep drawing and / or stamping processes are also conceivable to produce the conical top.

[0026] According to an example not covered by the invention, the upper side of the tabletop can comprise at least three flat sheet metal segments that are connected to one another and each arranged to slope radially outward relative to the vertical axis. In other words, the at least three flat sheet metal segments can be connected to one another in such a way that they form an approximately conical upper side of the tabletop. It is conceivable that the sheet metal segments each form the same angular range of the upper side of the tabletop with respect to the vertical axis. The sheet metal segments can thus form correspondingly equal-sized slices of the tabletop.

[0027] The term "raw sheet" or "sheet segment" may refer to an extended, flat metal element, preferably having a maximum thickness of 10 mm, preferably 6 mm.

[0028] The top of the tabletop can be angled to the vertical axis at an angle of 75°-89°, preferably at an angle of 80°-85°. This allows for optimal use of the available installation space without the containers becoming jammed between the container holders and the tabletop. In other words, the tabletop can be angled to a horizontal plane at an angle of 1°-15°, preferably at an angle of 5°-10°.

[0029] The top of the tabletop can be designed to slope outward on all sides such that an outer edge region of the top forms a minimum free distance of at least 7 cm, preferably at least 10 cm, and more preferably at least 15 cm, from the vertically lower ends of the container receptacles. This prevents standard containers from becoming trapped between the vertically lower ends of the container receptacles and the top of the tabletop.

[0030] The table top can enclose a shaft feedthrough for the carousel, wherein the upper side of the table top extends from the shaft feedthrough to at least vertically below the container receptacles and / or to vertically below a peripheral circumference of the carousel and / or to a docking ring of the rotary machine for treatment stations. The shaft feedthrough can enclose the carousel shaft and / or the bearing plate. Preferably, the shaft feedthrough can be a circular opening in the table top that runs concentrically to the vertical axis. Because the shaft feedthrough extends at least vertically below the container receptacles, the machine table is particularly well protected from container parts or falling dirt, since the containers are typically occasionally damaged in the area of ​​the container receptacles and thus fragment.The peripheral outer perimeter of the carousel may be a circular outer edge of the carousel concentric with the vertical axis.

[0031] The top and bottom of the tabletop can be formed from sheet metal elements connected by wedge-shaped radial ribs in between. For example, the bottom of the tabletop can be designed as a flat sheet metal element connected to the top via wedge-shaped radial ribs in between. This construction gives the tabletop particularly high stability while maintaining a low weight. In addition, rectangular tangential ribs can be arranged between the radial ribs, connecting the sheet metal elements of the top and bottom. This further increases the tabletop's connection stability. In other words, the tabletop can comprise cassette-like cavities separated by the ribs.

[0032] The table top can include a connecting element to a front table of the rotary machine. This allows the table top and front table to be adapted separately to customer requirements. For example, the table top can be provided with different radii to adapt the rotary machine to different production conditions. The connecting element to the front table can be standardized, so that the front table does not need to be modified if the carousel or table top diameter is adjusted. The front table can be designed to accommodate star wheel conveyors for feeding and removing containers to the carousel. Furthermore, the table top and front table can also be formed as a single piece.

[0033] Further features and advantages of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures. Figure 1 shows an overview of an embodiment of the rotary machine according to the invention in a plan view; Figure 2 shows the Figur 1 Illustrated rotary machine in a side view; Figs. 3A - 3B show a first embodiment of the raw sheet and the table top formed therefrom in a plan view and a perspective view, respectively; and Figure 4 shows an example of a table top not falling within the scope of the invention in a perspective view.

[0034] In the Fig. 1 is an overview of a rotary machine 1 according to the invention in a plan view. Furthermore, in the Fig. 2 which in the Fig. 1 1 shows a side view of the rotary machine 1 shown. It can be seen that the containers 2 are first fed to the carousel 4 by the star wheel conveyor 8 and there they are received in the container receptacles 41. By rotating the carousel 4 in the direction of the arrow about the vertical axis A, the containers 2 are guided past the labeling units 6 and provided with labels there. During labeling, the containers 2 are each pivoted about their longitudinal axes with the container receptacles 41 so that the labels can be applied over their entire circumference. After treatment, the containers 2 are then transported via another star wheel conveyor 9 to subsequent treatment steps. Instead of labeling, another form of treatment of the containers is also conceivable, for example printing.

[0035] It can also be seen that the carousel 4 is designed, for example, as a spoke table with a central hub element 42, the spokes 43 and the outer ring 44 on which the container receptacles 41 are arranged.

[0036] Furthermore, it can be seen that the rotary machine 1 comprises a front table 7, in which the starwheel conveyors 8, 9 and, if applicable, other transport elements, such as screw drives and the like, are arranged. The front table 7 is connected to the tabletop 51 of the rotary machine via the connecting element 55. This ensures an adjusted arrangement of the front table 7 or the starwheel conveyors 8, 9 relative to the carousel 4, and the tabletop 51 can be adapted to different treatment scenarios without modifying the front table 7.

[0037] Furthermore, the docking ring 6' can be seen below the carousel 4. This runs concentrically to the vertical axis A as a rail segment and to which the labeling units 6 can be docked. This allows the use of various labeling units 6, which are then specifically designed for processing hot-melt, cold-glue, or self-adhesive labels.

[0038] As in particular in the Fig. 2 Shown in more detail, the machine base 3 comprises the support frame 31, a carousel drive 32, and the bearing plate 33 for driving and rotatably supporting the carousel shaft 42. The carousel drive 32 can comprise an electric motor, an angle sensor for position detection, and / or a gear. For example, a roller bearing is arranged in the bearing plate 33, with which the carousel shaft 42 can be rotatably mounted and supported downwards. The carousel drive 32 and the bearing plate 33 are firmly connected to the support frame 31, which in turn is supported on the floor (not shown in detail here).

[0039] The container receptacles 41 each comprise a direct drive motor 41b, a rotary plate 41a arranged on its shaft, and a centering bell 41c. The containers 2 are thus clamped between the centering bell 41c and the rotary plate 41a and can thus be securely rotated about their longitudinal axis by the direct drive motors 41b. As can be seen particularly in the empty container receptacle 41', a container has just broken during clamping and fallen through the spokes of the carousel 4 onto the tabletop 5. The broken container parts 2' are shown there.

[0040] The tabletop 5 encloses the vertical axis A and is symmetrical in design. It serves to protect the machine base 3 from falling container parts 2' as well as from running-off dirt 2". In other words, the tabletop 5 encloses the shaft passage 33 for the carousel shaft 42 in its inner region 51a and extends over the central section 51b to the outer edge region 51c below the container receptacles 41. Consequently, the entire area of ​​the machine base 3 is protected from falling container parts 2' and running-off dirt 2".

[0041] The upper side 51 of the table top 5 is conical and slopes radially outwards on all sides relative to the vertical axis A. This causes the individual container parts 2' to roll or slide outwards, allowing them to be easily removed. Since the upper side 51 of the table top 5 forms an angular range α of approximately 80° - 85° with respect to the vertical axis, a distance D of between 10 - 15 cm is created between the upper side 51 and the lower ends of the container receptacles 41, i.e., the downwardly projecting ends of the direct drive motors 41b. This provides sufficient space so that the container parts 2' cannot become trapped between the table top 5 and the ends of the direct drive motors 41b.

[0042] In the Fig. 3A und 3B A first embodiment of the raw sheet 51' and the table top 51 formed therefrom is shown in a plan view and as a perspective view. Fig. 3A The shell-shaped metal blank 51' can be seen. It is essentially circular in shape, with a central opening 51a' for the bearing plate and a missing angle segment W. The blank 51' cut in this way is bent into the shape shown in the Fig. 3B The conical upper surface 51 shown is formed and welded at the seams 55a, 55b formed by the missing angle segment W. This makes it particularly easy to produce the conical upper surface 51 of the table top 5 from the shell-shaped raw sheet 51'.

[0043] Furthermore, the Fig. 3B It can be seen more precisely that the upper side 51 is connected to the underside 52 of the table top 5 via the wedge-shaped radial ribs 53 and the tangential ribs 54 located therebetween. The upper side 51, the underside 52, and the radial and tangential ribs 54 are formed as sheet metal elements that are connected to one another, for example, by welds. Furthermore, the cylindrical outer and inner surfaces of the table top 5 are formed with cylindrical sheet metal elements.

[0044] Only for better visual inspection, the Fig. 3B A wedge-shaped sector S is removed to reveal the interior of the table top 5 with the radial ribs 53 and the tangential ribs 54. The ribs 53, 54 create a particularly flexurally and torsionally rigid connection between the top 51 and the bottom 52, thus resulting in a particularly stable table top 5.

[0045] In the Fig. 4 An example of a table top 500 not falling within the scope of the invention is shown in a perspective view. It differs from the Fig. 3A - 3B merely in that the upper side 551 of the table top 500 is formed by four flat, circular sector-shaped sheet metal segments 551a - 551d. These are welded together at their seams 555a - 555d, so that together they form the cone-like upper side 551. Similar to the Fig. 3A - 3B the top side 551 and the bottom side 552 are connected to each other via radial and tangential ribs, so that a correspondingly rigid structure is created.

[0046] It is understood that features mentioned in the previously described embodiments are not limited to this combination.

Claims

1. A rotary machine (1) for treating containers (2), preferably for labeling the containers (2), with a machine base (3) and a carousel (4) that is arranged so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis (A) relative to the machine base (3) and that is designed to transport the containers (2) during the treatment with container receptacles (41), a table plate (5, 500) enclosing the vertical axis (A) being arranged between the machine base (3) and the carousel (4) for protecting the machine base (3) from falling container parts (2') and / or running dirt (2"), wherein an upper side (51, 551) of the table plate (5, 500) is designed to slope radially outwards on all sides with respect to the vertical axis (A), and wherein the upper side (51) is designed to be conical, characterized in that the conical upper side (51) is formed by a single jacket-shaped raw sheet (51'), the basic shape of which is formed symmetrically with respect to a central circular opening (51a'), an angular sector (W) is cut out of the basic shape, and the sheet is formed by bending and / or rolling to form the conical upper side (51) and is connected, in particular welded, in the region of the dividing lines of the cut-out angular sector (W).

2. The rotary machine (1) according to claim 1, wherein the upper side (51, 551) of the table plate (5, 500) extends at an angle (α) of 75° - 89°, preferably at an angle (α) of 80° - 85°, to the vertical axis.

3. The rotary machine (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper side (51, 551) of the table plate (5, 500) is designed to slope downwards outwards on all sides in such a way that an outer edge region (51c) of the upper side (51, 551) forms a minimal free distance (D) to vertically underlying ends of the container receptacles (41) of at least 7 cm, preferably at least 10 cm, and more preferably at least 15 cm.

4. The rotary machine (1) according to one of claims 1-3, wherein the container receptacles (41) each comprise a direct drive motor (41b) for rotating the containers (2), which motor also forms a vertically lower end of the corresponding container receptacle (41) with its vertically lower end.

5. The rotary machine (1) according to one of claims 1-4, wherein the table plate (5, 500) encloses a shaft opening (33) for the carousel (4) and the upper side (51, 551) of the table plate (5, 500) extends from the shaft extends at least vertically below the container receptacles (41) and / or vertically below a peripheral outer circumference of the carousel (4) and / or to a docking ring (6') of the rotary machine (1) for treatment stations (6).

6. The Rotary machine (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the upper side (51, 551) and a lower side (52, 552) of the table plate (5, 500) are formed from sheet metal elements which are connected to wedge-shaped radial ribs (53) lying in between.

7. The Rotary machine (1) according to claim 6, wherein rectangular tangential ribs (54) are arranged between the radial ribs (53) and connect the sheet metal elements of the upper and lower sides (51, 52, 551, 552) to one another.

8. The rotary machine (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the table plate (51, 551) comprises a connecting element (55) to a front table (7) of the rotary machine (1).