DEVICE FOR COLLECTING MILK SAMPLE BOTTLES

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for collecting milk sample bottles according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Such devices are used on milk collection vehicles with automatic sample bottle filling.

[0003] In known facilities, two round magazines are used.

[0004] Such a circular magazine can contain up to 72 empty sample bottles. They are transported to a sample bottle filling station via a sample bottle conveyor and, after sampling, transported to the second empty circular magazine. After the milk collection round is completed, one circular magazine contains up to 72 milk sample bottles filled with milk samples. This circular magazine is then transferred to milk testing laboratories, which analyze the milk samples, ideally fully automated.

[0005] Simpler systems are also known, containing, for example, only 16 milk sample bottles. Since round sample bottle magazines are still used for transport to the milk testing laboratories and must also be used for automated processes in the milk testing laboratories, the problem arises that the filled milk sample bottles must be manually sorted into the round magazine at the end of the milk collection tour. Other systems are known, for example, from GB 2 110 624 A and US 5,029,695 A. These systems can be loaded automatically, but they require a relatively large amount of space.

[0006] The invention is based on the object of designing the generic device in such a way that it enables automatic sorting into the magazine with only a small space requirement.

[0007] This object is achieved according to the invention in the generic device with the characterizing features of claim 1.

[0008] The magazine of the device according to the invention is designed so that the milk sample bottles located in the receiving space can be discharged via the outlet and filled with the milk sample. To identify the milk sample, a barcode or transponder is applied to the milk sample bottle, which identifies the milk contained in the sample bottle with regard to time, location, etc. The filled and labeled milk sample bottles are then conveyed back into the receiving space of the magazine via the inlet. Since the inlet and outlet of the magazine are mutually blocked, the milk sample bottles can be fed in through the inlet and removed from the receiving space of the magazine through the outlet without mutual interference.Since there is only one magazine, the device can be designed very compactly, so that it can also be installed on collection vehicles where only a small installation space is available for the device.

[0009] The milk sample bottles can be fed out of the magazine's receiving area one after the other through the outlet and transported to an identification and filling position. The filled and labeled milk sample bottles can then be transported back into the receiving area via the inlet.

[0010] The outlet is advantageously equipped with a guide, which facilitates the removal of the milk sample bottle from the receiving chamber. The milk sample bottle can be reliably removed from the magazine and transported further for identification and filling.

[0011] The outlet guide advantageously ensures that the discharged milk sample bottle does not come into contact with the milk-filled and identified milk sample bottle introduced through the inlet.

[0012] An advantageous embodiment is achieved when the magazine's receiving space is ring-shaped. This allows a large number of milk sample bottles to be accommodated in the magazine in a small space.

[0013] It is advantageous when the receiving space is designed in a ring shape if it is bordered by two coaxial ring walls.

[0014] The radial width of the annular receiving space corresponds approximately to the diameter of the milk sample bottle, which is thus perfectly guided between the two ring walls.

[0015] In the receiving chamber, the milk sample bottles are arranged one behind the other in such a way that they lie advantageously next to each other. This makes optimal use of the ring-shaped receiving chamber.

[0016] The milk sample bottles are conveniently mounted on a rotating base that rotates relative to the two ring walls. The base transports the milk sample bottles within the receiving space.

[0017] The magazine outlet is advantageously provided in the outer ring wall. The outlet is formed by an opening in the outer ring wall through which the milk sample bottle can be moved out of the receiving space and transported to the identification and filling position.

[0018] It is also advantageous to provide the inlet for the filled and identified milk sample bottles in the outer ring wall.

[0019] The recording room can also have a square outline.

[0020] In this case, the recording space is advantageously limited by a rectangular frame.

[0021] To ensure reliable transport of the milk sample bottles within the receiving space, it is advantageous to have at least one partition wall within the receiving space. This divides the receiving space into at least two receiving space sections. The milk sample bottles are located in these receiving space sections.

[0022] To achieve optimal use of the storage space, the storage sections are advantageously connected at both ends of the partition. This allows the milk sample bottles to be transported from one storage section to the other at the end of the partition.

[0023] The outlet is conveniently located at the other end of the partition wall, designed to be separate from or blocked from the inlet. Therefore, even with this rectangular design of the receiving space, the milk sample bottles can be fed in and out simultaneously without the milk sample bottles interfering with each other.

[0024] The device according to the invention is advantageously designed such that at least one transport system is assigned to the magazine in order to feed the milk sample bottles into the receiving space.

[0025] The transport system is preferably located in the immediate vicinity of the magazine, especially near the inlet and outlet. Therefore, the milk sample bottles only have to travel a very short distance to be transferred from or into the magazine.

[0026] Easier transport of milk sample bottles during infeed and outfeed is achieved when the transport system features a slider for infeed and a slider for removing the milk sample bottles. The slider allows for reliable transport of the milk sample bottles.

[0027] The slider is advantageously equipped with a holder for the milk sample bottle. This holder is designed to prevent the milk sample bottle from falling over during transport.

[0028] Preferably, the slider can be designed so that its base has a recess into which the milk sample bottle is placed. The diameter of the recess then corresponds approximately to the outer diameter of the base area of ​​the milk sample bottle.

[0029] The slides don't need to be very high. It's sufficient if they're just high enough to prevent the milk sample bottle placed in them from falling over.

[0030] To transport the milk sample bottles in the magazine's receiving space, a drive is provided with which the floor of the receiving space can be rotated.

[0031] The floor of the receiving room is designed so that the milk sample bottles stand on the floor in the receiving room.

[0032] The subject matter of the application arises not only from the subject matter of the individual patent claims, but also from all information and features disclosed in the drawings and the description. Even if they are not the subject matter of the claims, they are claimed as essential to the invention insofar as they are novel, individually or in combination, over the prior art.

[0033] Further features of the invention emerge from the further claims, the description and the drawings.

[0034] The invention is explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings 1-7. Drawings 8-12 show an embodiment not according to the invention. Fig. 1 in front view a first embodiment of a device according to the invention, Fig. 2 a view in the direction of arrow II in Fig. 1 , Fig. 3 a view in the direction of arrow III in Fig. 1 , Fig. 4 a rear view of the device according to the invention, Fig. 5 a top view of the device according to the invention, Fig. 6 a bottom view of the device according to the invention, Fig. 7 the device according to the invention in perspective view, Fig. 8 a top view of a device not according to the invention, Fig. 9 a view in the direction of the arrow IX in Fig. 8 , Fig. 10a view in the direction of arrow X in Fig. 8 , Fig. 11a view in the direction of arrow XI in Fig. 8 , Fig. 12 the device according to Fig. 8 in perspective view.

[0035] The facility according to the Fig. 1 bis 7 has a magazine 1, which in this embodiment is designed as a round magazine. A transport system 2 is assigned to the magazine 1, with which sample bottles 3 can be removed from and fed into the magazine 1.

[0036] The device is located on milk collection vehicles used to collect milk from the production facilities. A milk sample from the milk delivered by the respective production facility is poured into sample bottle 3, which is later tested in a milk testing laboratory.

[0037] The device has a carrier 4 on which the magazine 1 and the transport system 2 are arranged.

[0038] The magazine 1 has a base 18 ( Fig. 5 and 7). The base 18 is mounted on an axle 5 in a rotationally fixed manner. This axle projects upwards through an upper support wall 6. Below the support wall 6, the axle 5 is connected to a corresponding drive 7 ( Fig. 6 ), which drives the axis 5 in a rotating manner.

[0039] The drive 7 is housed in a receptacle 8, which is delimited in the direction of the magazine 1 by the support wall 6. Side walls 9 adjoin the edge of the support wall 6, laterally delimiting the receptacle 8. The side walls 9 are of equal height and, when the device is installed, protect the drive 7 housed in the receptacle 8. In the exemplary embodiment, the receptacle 8 is open on the side opposite the support wall 6. This allows easy access to the drive 7 if it needs to be repaired, maintained, or replaced. The receptacle 8 can, of course, be closed by a floor.

[0040] The receptacle 8 also houses a lifting unit 39 for raising the sample bottles 3 and a drive motor 40 for a bottle rotating box (not shown). The sample bottles 3 can thus be rotated to reliably read the barcodes attached to their exterior using a barcode reader.

[0041] The sample bottles 3 can be lifted into a filling position using the preferably pneumatic lifting unit 39 (see Fig 2 bis 4 and 7 ).

[0042] The magazine 1 has an annular receiving space 10 for the sample bottles 3. It is radially delimited by two coaxial ring walls 11, 12. The distance between the two ring walls 11, 12 essentially corresponds to the diameter of the sample bottles 3, so that they are reliably secured against tipping over in the receiving space 10.

[0043] The outer ring wall 11 has, over most of its circumference, spaced-apart slots 13 parallel to the rotation axis 5, which terminate at a distance from the upper edge 14 of the ring wall 11 and extend to the lower edge 15 of the ring wall 11. The slots 13 serve to save material and weight.

[0044] Advantageously, the two ring walls 12, 13 are connected to each other via transverse webs 16. These are located at the upper edge of the two ring walls 11, 12. The webs 16 are advantageously connected in one piece to the inner ring wall 12 and extend beyond the receiving space 10 to the outer ring wall 11. The free end 17 of the webs 16 is bent at a right angle and rests against the outside of the outer ring wall 11. Preferably, the free web end 17 is firmly connected to the ring wall 11, for example, by adhesive bonding.

[0045] The ring walls 11, 12 are held in a suitable manner on the support 4.

[0046] Both ring walls 11, 12 extend perpendicular to the floor 18, which defines the lower boundary of the receiving chamber 10. The sample bottles 3 stand on the floor 18 in the receiving chamber 10.

[0047] The magazine 1 has an inlet / outlet area 19 through which the sample bottles 3 are transferred to or removed from the magazine 1.

[0048] The inlet area 19a is separated from the outlet area 19b by a locking bar 20 ( Fig. 5 ). The transport system 2 feeds the sample bottles 3 to the magazine 1. Furthermore, the transport system serves to transport the sample bottles 3 to an identification and filling position 21 ( Fig. 5 and 7 ).

[0049] To insert the sample bottle 3 into the receiving space 10 of the magazine 1, a drive 22 is provided, advantageously formed by a piston-cylinder unit, which is arranged on the carrier 4 and with which the sample bottle 3 is pushed through the infeed area 19a into the receiving space 10. The sample bottle 3 is advantageously inserted into a slide 24 in the area outside the magazine 1, which is provided with a holder 25 for the sample bottle and is displaced approximately radially to the magazine 1 by the drive 22 such that the sample bottle 3 reaches the receiving space 10 of the magazine 1. The slide is then retracted by means of the drive 26. In this way, one sample bottle 3 at a time is inserted into the receiving space 10 with the slide 24. The base 18 of the magazine 1 is rotated in such a way that the infeed area 19a is free for the introduction of the next sample bottle 3. The base 18 is thus rotated step by step.

[0050] When the sample bottle 3 reaches the discharge area 19b, the sample bottle 3 that is at the front in the direction of rotation comes into contact with the closure bracket 20, which separates the discharge area 19b from the inlet area 19a. The closure bracket 20 has a curved or inclined guide surface 23 on its side facing the discharge area 19b ( Fig. 5 ), which ensures that the front sample bottle 3 is discharged from the receiving space 10 via this guide surface 23.

[0051] The guide surface 23 extends approximately from the inner ring wall 12 to the edge of the discharge area 19b ( Fig. 5 ) and, viewed in the axial direction of the magazine 1, is at an obtuse angle to the ring wall 12. As a result, the sample bottles 3 are reliably guided diagonally outwards to and through the discharge area 19b.

[0052] The slide 24 is connected to a slide drive 26, with which it is driven from the Fig. 5 can be transported from the starting position shown with the sample bottle 3 inserted into the holder 25 to the barcode reading position 21, which is located in front of the drive 22. After successful barcode scanning, the sample bottle 3 is raised by means of the lifting unit 39. In the raised position, a sampling needle (not shown) is inserted into the sample bottle 3 and a representative milk sample is injected into the sample bottle 3. The sample bottle 3 is then lowered.

[0053] The filled sample bottle 3 can then be pushed into the inlet area 19a by means of the drive 22. The slide 24 has a bore 46 ( Fig. 4 ), through which the piston rod can be moved in order to move the sample bottle 3 from the receptacle 25 of the slide 24 into the inlet area 19a. As soon as the sample bottle 3 has been introduced into the receiving space 10, the piston rod of the drive 22 is pulled out of the slide 24 and then the slide 24 is moved into the starting position according to Fig. 4 reduced.

[0054] The two drives 22, 26 have drive directions perpendicular to each other, which enable easy transport of the sample bottle 3.

[0055] As can be seen from the Fig. 5 and 7As can be seen, the slide 24 is arranged in the transfer position directly adjacent to the discharge area 19b. The guide surface 23 of the closure bracket 20 is designed such that it extends close to the slide 24. The guide surface 23 is advantageously arranged such that it adjoins the inner wall of the receptacle 25 of the slide 24 at only a small distance. This allows the discharged sample bottle 3 to be reliably moved into the receptacle 25 of the slide 24.

[0056] The identification / filling position 21 serves to read the barcode or transponder attached to the side of the sample bottle 3. Since the sample bottle 3 is rotated about its axis by the drive 40, the barcode attached to the jacket of the sample bottle 3 can be easily moved into a position where it can be read by the barcode reader.

[0057] The sample bottle can also have a transponder located in the bottom of the bottle, which is detected accordingly.

[0058] The outer ring wall 11 is provided with a corresponding opening in the inlet / outlet area 19 so that the sample bottles 3 can be reliably inlet and outlet.

[0059] The inner ring wall 12 can serve as a stop and guide when the sample bottles 3 are introduced, which ensures that the sample bottles 3 reach the receiving space 10 of the magazine 1 reliably.

[0060] In the described embodiment, the sample bottles are fed in and out radially. In principle, it is also possible to design the infeed / outfeed area 19 such that the sample bottles can be fed axially into the receiving space 10 and removed from the receiving space 10. In this case, instead of the slides 24, grippers can be provided, for example, which insert the sample bottles into the receiving space 10 from above or lift them out of it. In this case, too, the infeed / outfeed area 19 is designed such that the infeed area 19a is separate from the outfeed area 19b. Therefore, as in the described embodiment, it is possible to feed and remove sample bottles simultaneously.

[0061] Instead of the slides described, other receiving devices for the sample bottles 3 can also be provided, for example star arms, the arms of which are provided at the radially outer end with the corresponding receptacles 25 for the sample bottles 3. These star arms are then arranged such that one arm is opposite the inlet area 19a or the outlet area 19b and, after the respective sample bottle has been inlet or outlet, they are rotated such that the next arm is opposite the inlet area 19a or the outlet area 19b.

[0062] The described device is particularly characterized by its simple design. It is lightweight and requires minimal space in the collection vehicle. The loading and unloading of sample bottles can be carried out fully automatically. Magazine 1 of the device is designed to be compatible with existing automation systems used in milk laboratories.

[0063] In the non-inventive embodiment according to the Fig. 8 bis 12 The magazine 1 is rectangular in shape. It is arranged on the carrier 4, which, for example, also has a rectangular outline. This exemplary embodiment shows that an xy arrangement of the sample bottles 3 is also possible instead of a round arrangement.

[0064] The magazine 1 has parallel longitudinal sides 27, 28, which run parallel to the longitudinal sides 29, 30 of the carrier 4. The longitudinal sides 27, 28 and 29, 30 are connected to each other by narrow sides 31, 32 and 33, 34, which run at right angles to them.

[0065] In contrast to the round magazine according to the Fig. 1 bis 7 the side walls 27, 28, 31, 32 of the magazine 1 are lower than the sample bottles 3. They therefore protrude beyond the side walls 27, 28, 31, 32 of the magazine 1.

[0066] In contrast to the previous embodiment, the receiving space 10 of the magazine 1 is elongated and consists of two parallel receiving areas 10a, 10b, which are separated from each other by a partition wall 35 over most of their length. The partition wall 35 ends at a distance from the narrow sides 31, 32 of the magazine 1 ( Fig. 8 ). This creates transition areas 36, 37 in the area of ​​these narrow sides 31, 32, via which the sample bottles 3 can pass from one section 10a to the other section 10b of the receiving space 10.

[0067] In the transition area 37 is the inlet / outlet area 19 for the sample bottles 3. It has the inlet area 19a ( Fig. 8 ), which is separated from the discharge area 19b by a blocking element 38. The blocking element 38 has the guide surface 23, via which the respective sample bottle 3 is brought into the discharge area 19b. Here, the sample bottle 3 - in contrast to the previous embodiment - is removed axially from the receiving space 10. The blocking element 38 ensures that the sample bottle cannot pass from section 10b into section 10a of the receiving space 8.

[0068] In this embodiment, four drives 41 to 44 are provided for the infeed and outfeed operations, in order to transport all existing sample bottles 3 one after the other to the barcode reading and filling position. The drives 41 to 44 are advantageously each piston-cylinder unit, with adjacent drives positioned at right angles to each other ( Fig. 8 ). The drive 43 moves the lower row of sample bottles 3 to the right in the direction of P. This frees up a space in the lower row, into which the drive 42 pushes the left sample bottle 3 of the upper row. The drive 41 can then move the upper row of sample bottles 3 in the opposite direction to P, freeing up a space at the front in the direction of movement P. The drive 44 can be used to move the last sample bottle 3 in the lower row into the filling position at the inlet area 19a in the space thus freed up in the upper row.

[0069] In the long sides 27, 27 and the narrow sides 31, 32 of the magazine 1 there are openings for the passage of piston rods 45 to 48 of the drives 41 to 44 ( Fig. 8 ).

[0070] Instead of the piston-cylinder units mentioned, conveyor belts can also be used as drives 41 to 44 for transporting the sample bottles 3.

[0071] In the described embodiments, the sample bottles 3 are manually inserted into or removed from the magazine 1. It is also conceivable to use a change magazine for filling or removing the sample bottles 3, which has corresponding openings for the drives 41 to 44. Furthermore, at least one opening is provided in the base of the magazine for the rotating and / or lifting device at the filling position.

Claims

1. Device for collecting milk sample bottles (3), comprising at least one magazine (1) which has at least one receiving space (10) for the milk sample bottles (3), which is provided with at least one loading region (19a) and at least one unloading region (19b) for the milk sample bottles (3), wherein the loading region (19a) is blocked against the unloading region (19b), characterized in that the loading region (19a) is separated from the unloading region (19b) by a locking clip (20) which delimits the loading region (19a) with one side and has a curved or oblique guide surface (23) on its side facing the unloading region (19b) via which the milk sample bottle (3) is discharged from the receiving space (10).

2. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the receiving space (10) is delimited by two coaxial annular walls (11, 12).

3. Device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the outlet (19b) is provided in the outer annular wall (11).

4. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the loading region (19a) is provided in the outer annular wall (11).

5. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least one transport system (2) is assigned to the magazine (1) in order to load the milk sample bottles (3) at least into the receiving space (10).

6. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the transport system (2) has a slider (24) for loading and a slider (24) for removing the unloaded milk sample bottles (3).

7. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the magazine (1) is provided with a drive (5, 7) for transporting the milk sample bottles (3) in the receiving space (10).