METHOD AND DEVICE FOR MONITORING THE OPERATION OF A CONTAINER CLEANING MACHINE

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for monitoring the operation of a container cleaning machine according to claim 1 and to a container cleaning machine according to claim 11. State of the art

[0002] Container cleaning machines are well known in the art. It is common practice to clean reusable containers, such as bottles or cans, in container cleaning machines before further processing steps, such as refilling or applying new labels. In these machines, for example, according to WO2019 / 002047A2, a cleaning medium can be applied to the containers, whose carriers are transported upside down, through one or more nozzles. It is also known to pass the containers through a series of successive cleaning baths, in which, for example, impurities or other unwanted deposits on or in the bottles are removed.

[0003] The containers are typically transported by container carriers (corresponding to container holders) in a series of lanes, for example parallel to each other, through the container cleaning machine from an inlet of the container cleaning machine (into which the containers can be fed in an unordered manner, for example by means of a mass conveyor) to an outlet of the container cleaning machine and, while they are transported through the container cleaning machine in these container carriers, the containers are cleaned.

[0004] Some cleaning devices, such as nozzles for applying or removing cleaning media, may be provided separately (individually) for each of the lanes. During operation, one or more of these cleaning devices may fail.

[0005] Furthermore, a sensor device is known that is roughly in the form of a container and can be transported by a container cleaning machine to measure, for example, the machine's performance. Other parameters such as temperature and conductivity can also be measured over time. This sensor unit allows for point-by-point monitoring of the container cleaning machine's operation.

[0006] However, this requires the separate installation of this sensor unit in the tank cleaning machine, a task ultimately left to the machine operator. This creates the risk of intermittent monitoring.

[0007] From DE 42 37 207 C1 it is known to provide an inspection system on a chain conveyor of a container cleaning machine.

[0008] Furthermore, EP 1 281 446 A1 discloses a measuring device for monitoring the cleaning of containers during passage through a washing system, in which the measuring device is designed as a dummy container equipped with a temperature sensor, which dummy container is passed through the washing system together with the containers to be cleaned with cleaning water. The measuring device is characterized in that the dummy container comprises means which, during use, determine the presence of all types of substances in the cleaning water.

[0009] A method according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from document WO 2019 / 002047 A2. Task

[0010] Based on the known state of the art, the technical problem to be solved is therefore to specify a reliable method for monitoring the operation of a container cleaning machine. Solution

[0011] This problem is solved according to the invention by the method for monitoring the operation of a container cleaning machine according to claim 1 and the container cleaning machine for cleaning containers according to claim 11. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

[0012] The inventive method for monitoring the operation of a container cleaning machine, wherein the container cleaning machine transports several containers simultaneously from an inlet to an outlet of the container cleaning machine by means of container carriers, each of which accommodates at least one container, in several substantially parallel lanes, comprises that during the operation of the container cleaning machine at least two sensor units in container carriers are transported through the container cleaning machine in different lanes at all times, and wherein the sensor units monitor environmental data and / or operating data within the container cleaning machine, and wherein the sensor units transmit the environmental data and / or operating data to an evaluation unit by means of data transmission, which evaluates the environmental data and / or operating data.

[0013] The fact that at least two sensor units are transported in container carriers in different lanes through the container cleaning machine at all times during operation means that these two sensor units are located in different container carriers, and these carriers are located in different lanes—that is, a first sensor unit in a first lane and a second sensor unit in a second lane. Furthermore, this is preferably understood to mean that at least two sensor units are always located in container carriers between the inlet and outlet of the container cleaning machine. These need not always be the same two sensor units.For example, three or more sensor units can be transported through the container cleaning machine, whereby, for example, a first sensor unit leaves the container cleaning machine through the outlet, while at the same time or earlier, a second sensor unit and a third sensor unit were introduced into the container cleaning machine via the inlet.

[0014] The method according to the invention allows reliable monitoring of environmental data and operating data even in the fundamentally independent lanes of the tank cleaning machines, which avoids any misjudgments regarding the operation of the tank cleaning machine and ensures complete information about the operation of the tank cleaning machine.

[0015] The sensor units can match the shape and / or weight of the containers cleaned by the container cleaning machine.

[0016] Forces and environmental influences that typically act on the container cleaning machine also act on the sensor unit in the same way, which enables a reliable assessment of the operation.

[0017] It can also be provided that at any given time a sensor unit is transported in a container carrier in each aisle by the container cleaning machine.

[0018] This enables complete monitoring of the operation of the entire container cleaning machine.

[0019] In a further development of this embodiment, the sensor units are transported in immediately adjacent container carriers and thus along a line perpendicular to the transport direction through the container cleaning machine, or the sensor units are transported in the transport direction through the container cleaning machine at a distance from each other. Minor temporal changes, for example in the pH values ​​of cleaning baths, can thus be detected, while still ensuring monitoring of the operation of each individual lane.

[0020] Furthermore, the sensor units can transmit environmental data and / or operational data to the evaluation unit using data transmission means. The evaluation unit evaluates the environmental data and / or operational data and, depending on the evaluation, interrupts the operation of a lane.

[0021] The operation of a lane is interrupted if the evaluation of environmental and / or operational data shows that it does not correspond to predefined values. For example, if the temperature inside the tank cleaning machine is too low (or too low in a specific lane) compared to a predefined target value, the operation of that lane can be stopped.

[0022] In one embodiment, interrupting the operation of a lane includes blocking the inlet of the container cleaning machine for that lane.

[0023] This variant ensures that no additional containers accidentally enter the otherwise blocked aisle, thus preventing damage to the machine and inadequate cleaning of these containers.

[0024] It may also be provided that the sensor units include a battery for power supply, wherein the battery is charged at least temporarily during the transport of the sensor unit by the container cleaning machine by means of an inductive charging device.

[0025] With this design, the sensor units can be used essentially continuously without needing to be replaced. This minimizes the number of sensor units required at any one time.

[0026] Alternatively, it can be provided that a sensor unit is fed into the inlet of the container cleaning machine and discharged at the outlet of the container cleaning machine, the discharged sensor unit being fed to a maintenance unit before the sensor unit is reintroduced into the inlet of the container cleaning machine, and the maintenance unit reading environmental data and / or operating data from the sensor unit and / or charging an accumulator of the sensor unit and / or emptying a memory of the sensor unit.

[0027] Problems that may arise, for example, during data transmission through the container cleaning machine or that could occur during the inductive charging of the sensor unit batteries in the area of ​​the container cleaning machine, can thus be avoided.

[0028] Furthermore, the environmental data may include at least one of temperature, humidity, pH value, conductivity, air composition, and the operating data may include at least one of nozzle activity, fill level of a cleaning basin of the tank cleaning machine, and discharge pressure of a cleaning fluid from a cleaning nozzle of the tank cleaning machine.

[0029] This environmental and / or operational data is particularly suitable for ensuring monitoring of the operation of the tank cleaning machine.

[0030] The container cleaning machine can also have at least 8, at least 10, or at least 12 lanes.

[0031] The invention can thus be applied to common container cleaning machines.

[0032] The container cleaning machine according to the invention for cleaning containers comprises an inlet and an outlet, and a plurality of container carriers which can be moved by the container cleaning machine from the inlet to the outlet in substantially parallel lanes, and at least two sensor units, wherein the container carriers are configured to accommodate containers and sensor units, wherein the container cleaning machine includes an evaluation device for evaluating environmental data and / or operating data acquired by means of one of the sensor units, and wherein the container cleaning machine is configured to carry out the method according to one of the preceding embodiments in conjunction with the sensor units. Reliable operation can be ensured with this container cleaning machine through reliable monitoring of its operation.

[0033] Furthermore, it may be provided that the evaluation device is designed to block an aisle depending on the evaluation of the environmental data and / or operational data.

[0034] This evaluation device allows for appropriate responses to changing environmental and / or operational data, which may indicate a malfunction of the container cleaning machine, in order to avoid inadequate cleaning results or even damage to containers.

[0035] Furthermore, the container cleaning machine can include a maintenance unit for receiving a sensor unit, wherein the maintenance unit can read environmental data and / or operating data from a sensor unit and / or charge an accumulator of the sensor unit and / or clear a memory of the sensor unit.

[0036] This device ensures reliable handling of the sensor units.

[0037] The container cleaning machine can have at least 8, or at least 10, or at least 12 lanes.

[0038] These embodiments correspond to the common container cleaning machines, which can thus be advantageously monitored with the invention.

[0039] In a further development of this embodiment, it is provided that the lanes run parallel and from the inlet to the outlet at the same or at different heights.

[0040] This makes the invention applicable to conventional container cleaning machines that operate linearly or that operate at different height levels. Brief description of the characters

[0041] Figure 1 shows a top view of a container cleaning machine according to one embodiment. Figures 2a and 2b show different embodiments for guiding sensor units through the container cleaning machine. Figure 3 shows an embodiment of a container carrier as it can be used in the container cleaning machine, with a sensor unit arranged therein. Detailed description

[0042] Figure 1Figure 1 shows a container cleaning machine 100 for cleaning containers such as bottles or cans 130. In the embodiment shown here, the container cleaning machine is designed as a linearly operating container cleaning machine. This means, in particular, that the containers are transported through the container cleaning machine essentially in a horizontal plane without changes in vertical height, in accordance with the arrow directions shown, from left to right (in the embodiment shown here). This embodiment is not to be understood as mandatory or limiting. Examples are known from the prior art in which container cleaning machines operate at different height levels, and these variants are also intended to be encompassed by the invention.

[0043] In the Figure 1In the illustrated embodiment, the container cleaning machine 100 comprises an inlet 121 into which the containers can be introduced into a cleaning area 101 of the container cleaning machine. The containers can be fed to this inlet 121, for example, via a bulk conveyor 120, which transports a large number of containers upright in a random manner. Alternatively, the containers can also be transported in an ordered manner to the inlet 121, for example, in a series of separated lanes. In the area of ​​the inlet 121, the containers 130 are then received in container carriers 132, which can then transport the containers 130 through the cleaning area 101 of the container cleaning machine. This preferably takes place in a series of lanes 110, which, as shown here, run essentially parallel to each other and in which a series of container carriers are moved from the inlet 121 towards an outlet 141.It is understood that at least for the container carriers 132, a return system (not shown here) is also provided, so that the container carriers are moved from the outlet 143, where they can transfer the containers 130 to a further transport device 140 after cleaning in cleaning area 101, back to the inlet 121. This can be achieved, for example, by arranging the container carriers on a chain or a series of chains that run around the container cleaning machine and thus transport the container carriers back from the inlet to the outlet.

[0044] While the lanes in the embodiment shown here are parallel and run at the same level, it is also possible for the lanes 110 to run, for example, in the same horizontal plane, but not parallel or not perfectly parallel to each other. Alternatively or additionally, it is also possible for the lanes to run partially at different levels relative to each other, so that, for example, a first lane runs through the container cleaning machine at a first level and a second lane runs through the container cleaning machine at a second level.

[0045] The aforementioned transport device 140 can take the containers from the outlet of the container cleaning machine, and in particular from the cleaning area 101, and transport them further. The invention is not limited with respect to this transport device, and it could, for example, also be a bulk conveyor or a transport device for the orderly transport of the containers. In particular, transport devices in the form of conveyor belts and transport devices in the form of holding devices for holding individual containers and transporting these containers (such as neck handling) are conceivable.

[0046] In the cleaning section, the container cleaning machine comprises a series of cleaning devices 151 and 152. The invention is not limited in this respect, and in particular with regard to the technical components used for cleaning the containers. However, a number of cleaning devices are already known from the prior art, which either enable the collective cleaning of several containers or effect the individual cleaning of containers.

[0047] Collective cleaning devices include, for example, cleaning baths of a certain size into which containers can be inserted. For instance, 100 containers can be simultaneously guided through such a cleaning bath in their respective carriers and aisles. Individually operating cleaning devices include, for example, spray nozzles that clean the interior of a container by spraying it with a cleaning fluid. These devices operate individually because, while they clean the interior of one container, they cannot simultaneously clean the interior of another.

[0048] It is also known to use a variety of different cleaning agents in this regard, such as alkaline baths, acid baths, or baths with grease-dissolving properties. Water can also be used without the addition of alkaline or acidic components, for example, to remove cleaning agent residues from the containers before they leave the container cleaning machine.

[0049] The invention is not limited in this respect.

[0050] Furthermore, it is known to implement specific settings in the container cleaning machine, such as a specific overall humidity level or a specific temperature. For example, a constant temperature of up to 90 degrees Celsius can be maintained in the cleaning area of ​​the container cleaning machine, or at least an elevated temperature of, for example, 50 or 90 degrees Celsius can be maintained in a series of cleaning baths, or in at least one cleaning bath, or in a clear water bath. Cleaning media or water used to individually treat containers can also have an elevated temperature.

[0051] Alternatively, it is also conceivable to use specially cooled cleaning media or to expose containers to a colder medium after they have passed through a cleaning bath operated at an elevated temperature or a corresponding cleaning nozzle, in order to reduce the temperature of the containers again.

[0052] As already mentioned, the invention is not limited in this respect and can be combined in connection with any container cleaning machine that performs any kind of cleaning of the containers.

[0053] According to the invention, at least two sensor units 131 are transported in corresponding container carriers 132 at all times during the operation of the container cleaning machine in the cleaning area, i.e., in the area of ​​the container cleaning machine between the inlet 121 and the outlet 141. The sensor units are designed to collect data about the environment (environmental data), for example, in the cleaning area 101, and / or operating data of the container cleaning machine. This data can then be used to monitor the operation of the container cleaning machine.

[0054] It is provided that at least two sensor units 131 are transported in container carriers in different aisles. This means that one sensor unit 131 is transported in a container carrier 132 in a first aisle, and simultaneously a second sensor unit 132 is transported through a second aisle that is different from the first aisle.

[0055] It may also be provided that, in particular, at least one sensor unit is transported in each aisle at all times during the operation of the container cleaning machine.

[0056] The sensor units are described in more detail with regard to their design in the Figure 3described. In any case, they basically have sensors that can measure environmental values, such as temperature, pressure, humidity, pH value, conductivity, air composition, and H2 content, and / or they have sensors that can measure operating data of the tank cleaning machine, such as the dispensing of cleaning media through a specific cleaning nozzle or the lack thereof.

[0057] The sensor units can, in particular, in Shape, weight, surface structure, or other properties that correspond to or are the same as those of the containers to be cleaned with the container cleaning machine. In particular, they may, for example, have the shape of a bottle if the 100 containers to be cleaned with the container cleaning machine are 130 bottles.

[0058] However, in one embodiment it is not provided that these sensor units are transported together with the containers during the further course of the treatment of the containers after leaving the container cleaning machine 100, as this can lead to damage to other container treatment machines, such as labeling machines, printing machines or fillers, or to damage to the sensor units.

[0059] For this reason, it may be provided, for example, that the sensor units are permanently mounted in the corresponding container carriers. Alternatively, it may also be provided that the sensor units 131 can be picked up and dropped off by the container carriers (for example, picked up at the inlet 121 and dropped off at the outlet 141), but that a corresponding transport device 171 is provided, which, for example, has a gripper that can remove a sensor unit from the transport device 140 and which may also have a gripper that can transfer a sensor unit 131 to the transport device 120 upstream of the inlet 120. This transport device 171 then ensures that sensor units leaving the container cleaning machine are returned to it.However, this embodiment can lead to the distribution of the sensor units in the lanes of the cleaning area 101 of the container cleaning machine 100 being random rather than targeted, for example, depending on how the sensor unit reaches the inlet 121 via the mass conveyor 120. This can be advantageous, however, because randomly occurring periodic malfunctions of the container cleaning machine can be detected more effectively through the statistical distribution of the sensor units than if the distribution of the sensor units in the individual lanes 110 of the container cleaning machine 100 were always the same and, in particular, periodic.

[0060] According to the invention, an evaluation unit 172 is provided as part of the container cleaning machine. This evaluation unit can, for example, communicate with one or more sensor units via a wireless or wired connection for the purpose of data exchange in order to obtain environmental and / or operating data from the respective sensor unit. Furthermore, this evaluation unit is configured to evaluate the operating and / or environmental data. This evaluation can, for example, consist of storing the acquired environmental and / or operating data in a memory with the corresponding time of its acquisition and / or with an assignment to the corresponding sensor unit and, accordingly, optionally also with an assignment to the aisle and the container carrier in which this data was acquired.Additionally or alternatively, the evaluation can also consist of further manipulating the acquired environmental and / or operational data, for example by performing mathematical operations on them. However, this is not mandatory.

[0061] Additionally, the system may include a comparison with target values ​​specified for environmental and / or operational data. For example, a specific temperature may be predefined in cleaning area 101 of the tank cleaning machine to ensure disinfection and / or reliable cleaning of the tanks. This temperature could be, for example, 90°C. If the evaluation unit, when analyzing the temperature measured by the sensor unit, determines that the measured temperature deviates from the target temperature of, for example, 90°C (even taking a certain tolerance into account), the evaluation unit may be designed to either interrupt the operation of the entire tank cleaning machine or at least the operation of the lane in which the evaluated sensor unit measured the corresponding temperature.

[0062] This means that the cleaning of the containers in this aisle will not continue until, for example, an operator has resolved the identified problem that is the cause of the temperature deviation from the specified temperature and the evaluation unit releases the operation again.

[0063] Of course, other environmental and / or operational data can also lead to such an interruption of the operation of all lanes or the entire container cleaning machine.

[0064] In particular, the evaluation unit may be configured to interrupt the entire operation of the tank cleaning machine if environmental and / or operational data indicate a malfunction in a collectively operating cleaning unit (e.g., a cleaning tank), and / or it may be configured to interrupt only the operation of a specific lane if a cleaning unit specifically assigned to that lane (e.g., an individually operating unit such as a nozzle for dispensing a cleaning medium to clean the interior of a tank) malfunctions. In the latter case, the other lanes are not affected, allowing their operation to continue. Interrupting only the operation of this one lane advantageously ensures the continued operation of the tank cleaning machine and thus reduces total downtime.

[0065] Furthermore, interrupting the operation of the container cleaning machine and / or the lane can also include completely interrupting the supply of containers via the inlet 120 of the container cleaning machine. For example, a physical barrier can be positioned at the container inlet so that containers can no longer enter the container inlet from the transport device 120, or the movement of the containers in the transport device can be stopped by halting the conveyor belt or other equipment used to transport the containers.

[0066] Furthermore, the container cleaning machine can include means that, for example, can charge a battery of the sensor unit 131. These means can be, for example, inductive means, which can be used particularly when the sensor units 131 are permanently carried in corresponding container carriers 132 and are arranged, for example, in the cleaning area 101 or in the area where the container carriers are returned from the outlet 141 to the inlet 121. The inductive charging of the batteries can be effected, for example, by certain electromagnetic fields.

[0067] Alternatively, a maintenance unit may be provided, for example, in the transport device 171 or in an area to which the sensor units 131 can be transferred. This maintenance unit may, for example, be configured to read the environmental and / or operating data from the sensor unit (and, for example, supply it to the evaluation unit or store it in a memory) and / or it may be configured to ensure that the sensor unit is recharged. For example, the maintenance unit may supply power to the sensor unit's battery via a plug connection, cable connection, or other suitable connection. Additionally or alternatively, this maintenance unit may enable the sensor unit to be checked for faults (for example, by testing the sensors).Alternatively or additionally, it may also be provided that this maintenance unit empties the memory of the sensor unit at regular intervals to make room for new data.

[0068] In Figure 2 Various embodiments for transporting the sensor units through the cleaning area 101, or more generally through the container cleaning machine 100, are shown. In the Figure 2aThe sensor units 231 to 234 are transported along a line perpendicular to the transport direction of the sensor units and the other containers through the container cleaning machine. This means that the sensor units 231 to 234 are essentially arranged in adjacent container carriers of different aisles and are thus transported through the container cleaning machine. This allows environmental data and / or operating data of the container cleaning machine to be recorded for all aisles simultaneously, which reduces the likelihood of temporal fluctuations and thus misinterpretations of the data. This embodiment is particularly preferred in cases where the sensor units 231 to 234 are fixedly arranged in the container carriers, i.e., not in the outlet 141 (see Figure 1). Figure 1 ) exit the container cleaning machine and must first be fed back into inlet 121.

[0069] Figure 2bFigure 1 shows an alternative embodiment. This figure again depicts a series of containers 130, which are transported in the various aisles 110 together with sensor units 231 to 234. However, points 235 indicate that further rows of containers can be transported between the successively depicted rows of containers. For example, five further rows of containers can be transported through the cleaning area 101 between the row of containers with sensor unit 231 and between the row of containers with sensor unit 232. This applies to each of the aisles 110. Similarly, five or any further number of rows of containers, for example 10, can be transported between the row of containers with sensor unit 232 and the row with sensor unit 233.The distances d1 and d2 between these consecutively depicted rows of containers, and thus also between the sensor units transported in different aisles, are therefore not necessarily the same, but can also be different. The same applies to the distance d3.

[0070] Preferred embodiments, however, are those in which the distances d1 to d3 are essentially equal and, for example, no rows of containers without sensor units are transported between the rows with sensor units. In this embodiment, the infeed is preferably stopped (i.e., no containers are fed to the container carriers, for example, by blocking the infeed with a physical barrier), and the sensor units are inserted into an empty row of container carriers not filled with containers, so that one sensor unit of this row is positioned in each aisle. Several immediately consecutive rows of container carriers can also be equipped with sensor units in this way. Once the sensor units have been positioned in the container carriers, the bottle infeed can be released again, and containers can be fed to the container carriers.As an alternative to loading an empty row of container carriers with sensor units, the sensor units can also be permanently mounted in the row of container carriers. In this case, the infeed is also stopped, but the additional insertion of the sensor units into the container carriers is unnecessary, since the sensor units are permanently mounted in the container carriers.

[0071] While in the Figures 2a and 2b Not shown, but as described above, an embodiment is also conceivable in which sensor units are transported in a completely irregular and random manner. This is particularly relevant in combination with a mass conveyor for feeding containers 130 to the inlet 121 of the container cleaning machine (see Figure 1 ) possible, whereby the sensor units are then preferably fed to this mass transporter before the inlet 121 in order to ensure a random distribution of the sensor units.

[0072] Figure 3Figure 1 shows a detailed representation of a sensor unit 131 as it can be arranged in a container receptacle 132. The sensor unit 131 is shown here "upside down". Furthermore, a cleaning nozzle 390 is arranged near the sensor unit 131 and the container receptacle 132, which, by way of example, applies a cleaning medium towards the opening area of ​​the sensor unit (analogous to the opening area of ​​a container).

[0073] The in Figure 3The sensor unit shown is depicted as a bottle, such as a water bottle or a beer bottle. Alternatively, the sensor unit can also be designed in the form of a can if the container cleaning machine is specifically designed for cleaning cans. It is preferred that the geometry and / or shape and / or mass and / or surface contour of the sensor unit corresponds as closely as possible to that of the containers to be cleaned in the container cleaning machine. This ensures that the influence of the container cleaning machine on the sensor unit is as similar as possible to the influence that the container cleaning machine has on the containers actually being cleaned, and thus the acquired data (environmental data and / or operating data) correspond as closely as possible to the reality of the containers being cleaned.

[0074] In the embodiment shown here, the sensor unit comprises a series of sensors 381 to 385. For example, a sensor 382 can be provided, which is designed as a pressure sensor and measures, for instance, the pressure of the cleaning medium dispensed by means of the cleaning nozzle 390. By measuring this pressure, it can be determined, for example, whether the cleaning nozzle is functioning correctly. If the pressure is too low or too high, a malfunction may be present.

[0075] Furthermore, one or more temperature sensors 384 and 385 can be provided to measure the ambient temperature. A humidity sensor 383 can be provided to measure the humidity inside the container cleaning machine. Additionally, a sensor (also schematically designated 383) can be provided to measure the air composition inside the container cleaning machine (e.g., at a defined location). For example, this air composition sensor can measure the concentration of H₂ inside the container cleaning machine.

[0076] Furthermore, a pH measuring sensor 381 may be provided, which measures the pH value, for example, in a cleaning bath and / or a cleaning fluid applied to the container. Additionally, a conductivity sensor (also designated 381) may be provided, which can measure the conductivity (or conductance) of the air and / or within a cleaning bath and / or another area exposed to a liquid within the container cleaning machine.

[0077] All of these sensors can be combined in any way.

[0078] Furthermore, the sensor unit can include a processor unit 396, which, for example, has a memory and a processor that stores and, if necessary, processes the environmental and / or operational data measured by the individual sensors 381 to 385. In particular, the processor unit can also be assigned an internal clock, which makes it possible to associate each measured value from the sensors with a time. This can enable the measured value to be traced back to a position of the sensor unit in the tank cleaning machine at the time at which this value was measured.This makes it possible, for example, to determine in which cleaning bath or in which area of ​​the tank cleaning machine this value was measured and, for example, to control the tank cleaning machine accordingly with the help of the evaluation device, for example to interrupt the operation of the entire tank cleaning machine or the lane.

[0079] Alternatively or additionally to such a clock, the processor unit 396 can also include a GPS sensor, or such a sensor can be permanently assigned to the sensor unit. This allows the position of the sensor unit in the container cleaning machine to be determined and correlated with the measured sensor values, enabling the most targeted evaluation of the sensor data acquired by the sensor unit.

[0080] Data transmission via the sensor unit can occur, for example, via a wireless data connection, such as a wireless data connection or the 5G standard. For this purpose, the processor unit can be assigned a corresponding transmitter and / or transceiver, which enables at least the transmission of data, but preferably also the reception of data and thus an exchange with, for example, the evaluation unit.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring the operation of a container cleaning machine (100), wherein the container cleaning machine simultaneously conveys a plurality of containers (130) from an inlet (121) to an outlet (141) of the container cleaning machine using container carriers (232) each receiving at least one container (130) through a plurality of substantially parallel passages (110), wherein the method is characterized in that in operation of the container cleaning machine at any time at least two sensor units (131) in container carriers are conveyed via different passages through the container cleaning machine and wherein the sensor units monitor environment data and / or operating data within the container cleaning machine; wherein the sensor units by means of data communication devices transmit the environment data and / or the operating data to an evaluation device (172) that evaluates the environment data and / or the operating data.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor units (131) match the containers (130) cleaned by the container cleaning machine (100) with regard to shape and / or weight.

3. The method according to claims one or 2, wherein at any time in a container carrier (132) of each passage one sensor unit (131) is conveyed through the container cleaning machine (100).

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the sensor units (131) are conveyed in container carriers (132) immediately adjacent to each other and thus along a line perpendicular to the transport direction through the container cleaning machine (100) and wherein the sensor units are conveyed spaced from each other in the transport direction through the container cleaning machine.

5. The method according to anyone of claims 1 to 4, wherein the evaluation device interrupts operation in a passage according to the evaluation.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein interrupting the operation in a passage (110) comprises blocking the inlet (121) of the container cleaning machine (100) for the respective passage.

7. The method according to anyone of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sensor units (131) comprise a battery for power supply, wherein the battery is, at least temporarily, charged during the transport of the sensor unit through the container cleaning machine (100) by means for inductive charging of the battery.

8. The method according to anyone of claims 1 to 6, wherein a sensor unit is introduced into the inlet (121) of the container cleaning machine (100) and discharged via the outlet (141) of the container cleaning machine, wherein the discharged sensor unit is supplied to a maintenance unit before the sensor unit is reintroduced into the inlet of the container cleaning machine, and wherein the maintenance unit reads environment data and / or operating data from the sensor unit and / or recharges a battery of the sensor unit and / or clears a memory of the sensor unit.

9. The method according to anyone of claims 1 to 8, wherein the environment data comprise at least one of temperature, humidity, pH value, conductance, air composition, and wherein operating data comprise at least one of activity of a nozzle, filling level of a cleaning basin of the container cleaning machine, discharge pressure of a cleaning agent via a cleaning nozzle of the container cleaning machine (100).

10. The method according to anyone of claims 1 to 9, wherein the container cleaning machine (100) comprises at least eight or preferably at least 10 or more preferably at least 12 passages (110).

11. A container cleaning machine (100) for cleaning containers including an inlet (121) and an outlet (141) and a plurality of container carriers (132) that can be moved through the container cleaning machine from the inlet to the outlet via passages (110) substantially parallel to each other, and at least two sensor units (131), wherein the container carriers are configured to receive containers and at least one of the sensor units, wherein the container cleaning machine comprises an evaluation device (172) for evaluating environment data and / or operating data obtained by means of one of the sensor units, and wherein the container cleaning machine is configured to carry out the method according to anyone of claims 1 to 10 in cooperation with the at least two sensor units.

12. The container cleaning machine according to claim 11, wherein the evaluation device is configured to block a passage according to the evaluation of the environment data and / or operating data.

13. The container cleaning machine (100) according to claims 11 or 12, wherein the container cleaning machine comprises a maintenance unit for receiving a sensor unit (131), wherein the maintenance unit enables reading environment data and / or operating data from a sensor unit and / or charging a battery of the sensor unit and / or clearing a memory of the sensor unit.

14. The container cleaning machine (100) according to anyone of claims 11 to 13, wherein the container cleaning machine comprises at least eight or preferably at least 10 or more preferably at least 12 passages (110).

15. The container cleaning machine (100) according to claim 14, wherein the passages (110) extend parallel to each other and run at the same height or at different heights from the inlet (121) to the outlet (141).