Spraying device and method for the internal spraying of containers

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a container cleaning machine according to claim 1 and a method for internally spraying containers according to claim 10. State of the art

[0002] DE 39 25 725 C1 discloses a nozzle arrangement for the internal spraying of bottles with a nozzle body which closes an opening of a spray pipe and has a bore, which is rotated about an axis of rotation synchronously with the bottle transport.

[0003] EP 2 724 793 A1 discloses a container cleaning machine for the internal spraying of containers with a spraying device comprising a hollow shaft with at least one row of several spray nozzles along the hollow shaft, a supply device for supplying the hollow shaft with the spraying medium and motor means for moving the hollow shaft in the container cleaning machine, according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0004] DE 94 03 641 U1 discloses a device for injecting a fluid through the open mouth into the interior of moving vessels, wherein the device is arranged in a stationary manner above a vessel transport device.

[0005] DE 60100 070 T2 discloses a device for cleaning containers. In a first embodiment, the nozzles can follow the containers, arranged with the openings facing downwards, through a tunnel. Task

[0006] Based on the known state of the art, the technical problem to be solved is to provide a container cleaning machine and a method for the internal spraying of containers by means of a spraying device, which allows a flexible use of the spraying device. Solution

[0007] This object is achieved according to the invention by the container cleaning machine according to claim 1 and the method according to claim 10. Further embodiments and developments are covered in the subclaims.

[0008] The container cleaning machine according to the invention comprises a container basket moving in a direction of travel and a spraying device for spraying the interior of containers arranged upside down in container cells of the container basket moving in the direction of travel with a spray medium. The spraying device comprises a hollow shaft with at least one row of several spray nozzles along the hollow shaft, a supply device for supplying the hollow shaft with the spray medium, and at least one servomotor for moving the hollow shaft in the container cleaning machine relative to and independently of the container basket.

[0009] "A row" can refer to a linear arrangement of several consecutive spray nozzles parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hollow shaft. Adjacent nozzles of the several consecutive spray nozzles can all be equally spaced from each other, or the spacing can be different.

[0010] More than one row of spray nozzles can also be provided, for example two, three or more rows.

[0011] For example, four rows of spray nozzles can be provided. The rows can be offset by 90°.

[0012] The containers can be, for example, plastic containers, for example PET containers, for example reusable PET containers or bottles, for example glass containers, for example reusable glass containers or bottles.

[0013] By providing at least one servomotor for moving the hollow shaft in the container cleaning machine relative to and independently of the container basket, the internal spraying of the upside-down containers can be adapted to the given geometries of the containers. By moving the hollow shaft in the container cleaning machine relative to and independently of the container basket, the duration of the internal spraying can also be increased, as the movement of the hollow shaft with the spray nozzles can follow the containers.

[0014] The spraying device may also comprise one or more control devices for controlling the at least one servo motor.

[0015] It can be provided that the at least one servo motor comprises a control device.

[0016] One of the at least one servo motors is provided for rotating the hollow shaft about its longitudinal axis.

[0017] By rotating the hollow shaft around its longitudinal axis, the row of multiple spray nozzles can cover a solid angle and apply the spray medium within that solid angle. Without rotating the hollow shaft, the row of multiple spray nozzles could only apply the spray medium within a smaller and fixed solid angle. The rotation of the hollow shaft around its longitudinal axis occurs in both directions.

[0018] To enable the servomotor, which can be provided to rotate the hollow shaft around its longitudinal axis, to perform this rotation, the hollow shaft can be mounted in bearings on and / or in the spraying device. For example, the bearings can be provided on and / or in a tube intended to receive the spray medium and arranged parallel to the hollow shaft. The tube can include openings that can be arranged such that spray nozzles of the hollow shaft can be arranged in alignment therewith and can be supplied with the spray medium.

[0019] Alternatively or additionally, one of the at least one servomotors can be provided for linearly moving the hollow shaft in and against the running direction. If this one of the at least one servomotors is provided "alternatively" for linearly moving the hollow shaft in and against the running direction, it can be provided that the hollow shaft can only be moved linearly in and against the running direction by means of this servomotor. If this one of the at least one servomotors is provided "additionally" for linearly moving the hollow shaft in and against the running direction, it can be provided that the hollow shaft can be rotated about its longitudinal axis by the aforementioned servomotor and can be moved linearly in and against the running direction by means of this servomotor by means of the servomotor mentioned here.The rotation around the longitudinal axis and the linear movement in and against the direction of travel can be carried out simultaneously and / or at different times.

[0020] By linearly moving the hollow shaft in and against the direction of travel, the spraying device can be moved synchronously and / or following and / or ahead of a container basket of a container cleaning machine moving in one direction of travel.

[0021] To enable the servomotor, which can be provided for linearly moving the hollow shaft in and against the direction of travel, to perform this linear movement, the spraying device can be arranged on and / or on a movable structure in the container cleaning machine. For example, the movable structure can be provided such that the movable structure can be arranged below the containers, which are arranged upside down in container cells of a container basket of the container cleaning machine that moves in a direction of travel, and thus the linear movement of the hollow shaft in and against the direction of travel can take place below these containers. The movable structure can be arranged on rollers or on slide rails.

[0022] The supply device may include a valve. The valve can be used to control the flow of the spray medium.

[0023] The supply device can comprise a pipe for receiving the spray medium, which can be arranged parallel to the hollow shaft. The pipe can comprise openings that can be arranged such that spray nozzles of the hollow shaft can be arranged in alignment therewith and can be supplied with the spray medium. If the hollow shaft is designed to be rotatable about its longitudinal axis, by rotation in the first or second direction, the plurality of spray nozzles of the at least one row of multiple spray nozzles provided along the hollow shaft can be arranged in alignment with the openings of the pipe in a first angular range of rotation, while in the remaining angular range (360° minus the first angular range), the plurality of spray nozzles cannot be arranged in alignment with the openings, so that in the remaining angular range, the spray nozzles cannot be supplied with spray medium and thus cannot dispense any spray medium.

[0024] The spray nozzles can be designed as bores in the hollow shaft and two spray nozzles can be assigned to one bore.

[0025] The bores can be provided continuously through the hollow shaft and the walls of the hollow shaft. The two spray nozzles can correspond to or encompass the two ends of the bore, i.e., where the bore pierces a wall of the hollow shaft.

[0026] The holes can be straight.

[0027] The hollow shaft for internal spraying of one of the containers in one of the container cells can comprise four spray nozzles arranged offset by 90°.

[0028] The four spray nozzles can be arranged along one circumference of the hollow shaft. Or the four spray nozzles can be arranged along two circumferences, which can, for example, have a distance of between 3 mm and 5 mm.

[0029] A first pair of opposing spray nozzles of the four spray nozzles arranged offset by 90° can be assigned to a first bore in the hollow shaft and a second pair of opposing spray nozzles of the four spray nozzles arranged offset by 90° can be assigned to a second bore in the hollow shaft.

[0030] The spray nozzles of the first and second pairs of opposing spray nozzles can each be arranged offset by 180°. This can be achieved by a straight bore, which can be provided continuously in the hollow shaft and the walls of the hollow shaft. The spray nozzles of the first / second pair can correspond to or encompass the two ends of the bore, i.e., where the bore pierces a wall of the hollow shaft.

[0031] The first hole and the second hole may be provided separately from each other or the first hole and the second hole may be connected.

[0032] If the first and second holes are provided separately, this may mean that they do not intersect and therefore that spray medium passing through the first hole cannot reach the second hole.

[0033] If the first and second holes are connected, this may mean that they intersect and therefore spray medium that passes through the first hole can also enter and pass through the second hole.

[0034] The holes can run perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the hollow shaft and intersect the longitudinal axis and / or the holes can enclose an angle between 45° and less than 90° to the longitudinal axis and intersect the longitudinal axis.

[0035] It can also or alternatively be provided that the bores run perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the hollow shaft and cannot intersect the longitudinal axis, and / or that the bores enclose an angle of between 45° and less than 90° with a perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and do not intersect the longitudinal axis. The bores include the aforementioned bores, the first and second bores.

[0036] The method according to the invention for the internal spraying of containers arranged upside down in container cells of a container basket of a container cleaning machine moving in a running direction, with a spray medium by means of the spraying device as described above or further below, comprises supplying the hollow shaft with the spray medium by means of the supply device and moving the hollow shaft in the container cleaning machine relative to and independently of the container basket by means of the at least one servo motor.

[0037] The movement of the hollow shaft can comprise a rotation of the hollow shaft about its longitudinal axis by means of one of the at least one servo motors and / or a linear movement of the hollow shaft in and against the running direction by means of one of the at least one servo motors. Short character description

[0038] The attached figures illustrate aspects and embodiments of the invention by way of example for better understanding and illustration. It shows: Figure 1 shows a schematic oblique view of spray devices for the internal spraying of containers in a container cleaning machine, Figure 2 shows a side sectional view of containers during internal spraying with the spray device, Figure 3 shows a side sectional view of the spray device, Figures 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D show various embodiments of bores in the hollow shaft and Figure 5 shows a side sectional view of a container cleaning machine. Detailed description

[0039] In the figures described below, identical reference numerals designate identical parts. For clarity, identical parts are described only when they first appear. However, it is understood that, with reference to variants and embodiments of a part described in the figures, they can also be applied to the corresponding parts in the other figures.

[0040] The Figure 1 shows a schematic oblique view of spraying devices 1 for spraying the interior of containers 2 with a spraying medium in a container cleaning machine. The containers 2 are arranged upside down in container cells 3 of a container basket 4 of the container cleaning machine, which moves in a direction of travel 5.

[0041] The spray devices 1 are arranged below the containers 2. The spray devices 1 each comprise a hollow shaft 6 with at least one row of several spray nozzles 7 (here, for example, six spray nozzles 7), which are arranged along the hollow shaft 6, i.e., parallel to the longitudinal axis 9 of the hollow shaft 6. Adjacent spray nozzles 7 of the several consecutive spray nozzles 7 in the row are all spaced at the same distance d from one another.

[0042] To supply the hollow shaft 6 with the spray medium, a supply device 8 is provided, which is designed here, for example, as a pipe for receiving the spray medium. The supply device 8 is arranged parallel to the hollow shaft 6 in such a way that the spray medium can be transferred from the supply device 8 to the hollow shaft 6.

[0043] The spraying device 1 also comprises a first servomotor (not shown) which can be provided for rotating the hollow shaft 6 about its longitudinal axis 9 in the first and second rotational directions 11. In order for the servomotor to be able to rotate, the hollow shaft 6 is mounted in bearings 10 on the spraying device 1. By rotating the hollow shaft 6 about its longitudinal axis 9, the row of several spray nozzles 7 can cover a solid angle and can apply spray medium in this solid angle (see also Figure 3 ).

[0044] The spraying device 1 further comprises a second servomotor (not shown) for linearly moving the hollow shaft 6 in a first and a second direction 12, wherein the first direction corresponds to the running direction 5 and the second direction is opposite to the running direction 5. The linear movement of the hollow shaft 6 can mean that the hollow shaft 6 is moved linearly together with the supply device 8. By linearly moving the hollow shaft 6 in the first and second directions 12, the spraying device 1 can be moved synchronously and / or following and / or ahead of the container basket 4 moving in the running direction 5.

[0045] To enable the second servomotor to perform linear movement, the spraying device 1 is arranged on a movable structure 13 in the container cleaning machine. Illustratively, the movable structure 13 comprises slide rails.

[0046] The rotation about the longitudinal axis 9 and the linear movement can be performed simultaneously and / or staggered. By means of the first and second servomotors, the spraying device 1 and thus the hollow shaft 6 can be moved in the container cleaning machine relative to and independently of the container basket 4.

[0047] The Figure 2shows a lateral sectional view of containers 2 during internal spraying with the spraying device 1. The hollow shaft 6 here has, by way of example, four rows of several spray nozzles 7, which are arranged along the hollow shaft 6, i.e., parallel to the longitudinal axis 9 of the hollow shaft 6. The four rows are offset by 90°. Spray medium 14 is arranged in the supply device 8, which, when a spray nozzle 7 is arranged in alignment with an opening 18 of the supply device 8, can be discharged in a spray medium jet 15. The spray medium jet 15 can reach the interior 19 of the container 2 through an opening 16 of the container 2 and be used for internal spraying of the inner walls 17 of the container 2. Depending on the rotational position of the hollow shaft 6 and its arrangement relative to the container 2, different portions of the inner walls 17 can be sprayed with different intensities and / or from different directions. Figure 2three different relative arrangements of the hollow shaft 6 to the container 2 are shown. On the left, the left area of the inner side wall is sprayed more intensively, although a portion of the spray medium also reaches the inner bottom wall and runs down the right area of the inner side wall and out of the container 2. In the middle, the inner bottom wall is sprayed more intensively and a portion of the spray medium reaches the right and left inner side walls, runs down there and out of the container 2. On the right, the right area of the inner side wall is sprayed more intensively, although a portion of the spray medium also reaches the inner bottom wall and runs down the left area of the inner wall and out of the container 2.

[0048] The Figure 3shows a side sectional view of the spray device 1. The hollow shaft 6 with the four rows of spray nozzles 7 is more clearly visible here. A first pair of opposing spray nozzles 7 of the four spray nozzles 7 arranged offset by 90° is assigned to a first bore 20 in the hollow shaft 6, and a second pair of opposing spray nozzles 7 of the four spray nozzles 7 arranged offset by 90° is assigned to a second bore 21 in the hollow shaft 6.

[0049] The first and second bores 20, 21 are formed as straight bores that extend continuously through the hollow shaft 6 and the walls of the hollow shaft 6. The spray nozzles of the first / second pair can correspond to or encompass the two ends of the bores 20, 21, i.e., where the bores 20, 21 each pierce a wall of the hollow shaft 6. In the illustration, the two bores 20, 21 are not in contact with each other.

[0050] During the rotation of the hollow shaft 6, a spray nozzle 7 can apply spray medium in a total solid angle range of 23.

[0051] The Figures 4A, 4B, 4C show different designs and arrangements of holes in the hollow shaft.

[0052] The Figure 4Bshows the hollow shaft 6 with two bores 24, 26, in which a larger diameter is provided in the area of the spray nozzles 25, 27 than in the rest of the bores 24, 26. The cross-section runs through the first bore 24, whereby the dashed representation of the second bore 26 is intended to show that the second bore 26 is arranged behind the first bore 24 in the direction of view. The side view shows a cross-section of the area of the first spray nozzle 25 of the first bore 24 in the wall of the hollow shaft 6. The course of the second bore 26 within the hollow shaft 6 is shown in dashed lines. The two bores 24, 26 each run perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 9 of the hollow shaft 6.

[0053] The Figure 4Cshows the hollow shaft 6 with two bores 20, 28, each of which has the same diameter throughout. The cross section runs through the first bore 20, whereby the dashed representation of the second bore 28 is intended to show that the second bore 26 is arranged behind the first bore 20 in the direction of view. The side view shows a cross section of the first bore 20 in the wall of the hollow shaft 6. The bore 20 runs perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 9 of the hollow shaft 6. The course of the second bore 28 within the hollow shaft 6 is shown in dashed lines. The bore 28 encloses an angle 29 with a perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 9 of the hollow shaft 6, whereby the angle can be between 45° and less than 90°.

[0054] The Figure 4Dshows the hollow shaft 6 with connected bores 30 that intersect in the area of the longitudinal axis 9 of the hollow shaft 6. The cross-section runs through the two connected bores 30. The side view shows one of the two bores 30 in the wall of the hollow shaft 6. The course of the second bore 30 within the hollow shaft 6 is shown in dashed lines. The two bores 30 each run perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 9 of the hollow shaft 6. Both bores 30 have the same diameter throughout.

[0055] The Figure 5shows a side sectional view of a container cleaning machine 31 with two caustic baths 33, 36. The container carriers with the containers arranged upside down therein are transported along a transport path 32 through the container cleaning machine 31; in the illustration, the transport direction runs from right to left. The containers pass from a first caustic bath 33 into an area in which a spraying device 34 is provided for spraying the inside of the upside-down containers. The spray medium is a first caustic at a first temperature. In addition, an application device 35 is provided in this area for applying a second caustic at the second temperature to the outside of the upside-down containers. The internal spraying and the application can take place simultaneously or sequentially.The first lye and the second lye are, as explained in more detail below, drained from the first lye bath 33 by means of a drain device 37. The area with the spray device 34 and the application device 35 is arranged above the second lye bath 36, with a drain plate 41 being provided below the spray device 34 and the application device 35 and above a level of the lye in the second lye bath 36.

[0056] The containers then enter a second caustic bath 36, which is separate from the first caustic bath 33. After leaving the second caustic bath 36, the containers can be removed from the container cleaning machine 31 and forwarded to further processing steps.

[0057] In the illustration, the first lye used for spraying the inside of the upside-down containers is caught and collected in the first lye bath 33 after the internal spraying, and the second lye used for applying the outside of the upside-down containers is caught and collected in the first lye bath 33 after the application. For this purpose, the deflector plate 41 is provided below the area in which the spraying device 34 and the application device 35 are provided. This deflector plate 41 directs the first lye used for spraying the inside of the upside-down containers to the first lye bath 33 after the internal spraying, and the second lye used for applying the outside of the upside-down containers to the first lye bath 33 after the application.

[0058] Lye can be drained from the first lye bath 33 by means of a drain device 37. The drained lye is filtered in a filter device 38. The filtered lye is passed, firstly, through a heater 39, which is designed to heat the lye supplied to it and thereby obtain the first lye at the first temperature, and then to the spray device 34, and secondly through a cooler 40, which is designed to cool the lye supplied to it and thereby obtain the second lye at the second temperature, and then to the application device 35.

[0059] The first temperature may be between 58 °C and 90 °C, 80 °C and 90 °C or 83 °C and 87 °C, the second temperature may be between 58 °C and 70 °C or between 63 °C and 67 °C, the temperature of the lye baths 33, 36 may be between 70 °C and 80 °C, or for example this temperature may be 75 °C.

[0060] The first and second lye can be the same lye except for the temperature, for example the same type of lye.

[0061] A container cleaning machine may also comprise one or more than two caustic baths, wherein spraying and pressurizing of the containers may be provided on the transport path between the first and second caustic baths and / or between the following caustic baths.

Claims

1. Container cleaning machine comprising a container basket (4) that is movable in a running direction (5), and a spraying device (1) for internal spraying of containers (2), which are arranged upside down in container cells (3) of the container basket (4) moving in the running direction (5), with a spraying medium (14), wherein the spraying device (1) comprises: a hollow shaft (6) with at least one row of multiple spray nozzles (7) along the hollow shaft (6); a supply device (8) for supplying the hollow shaft (6) with the spraying medium (14); at least one servomotor for moving the hollow shaft (6) within the container cleaning machine relative to and independently of the container basket (4), characterised in that one of the at least one servomotors is designed to rotate the hollow shaft (6) about its longitudinal axis (9) in the one and in the other direction.

2. The container cleaning machine according to claim 1, wherein one of the at least one servomotors is designed to move the hollow shaft (6) linearly in and against the running direction (5).

3. The container cleaning machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the supply device (8) comprises a valve.

4. The container cleaning machine according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the supply device (8) comprises a pipe for receiving the spraying medium (14), which is arranged parallel to the hollow shaft (6), and wherein the pipe comprises openings (18) which are arranged in such a way that spray nozzles (7) of the hollow shaft (6) are arrangeable in alignment therewith and are supplyable with the spraying medium (14).

5. The container cleaning machine according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the spray nozzles (7) are designed as bores (20, 21, 24, 26, 28) in the hollow shaft (6), and wherein two spray nozzles (7) are assigned to one bore (20, 21, 24, 26, 28).

6. The container cleaning machine according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the hollow shaft (6) comprises for internal spraying of one of the containers (2) in one of the container cells (3) respectively four spray nozzles (7) arranged offset by 90°.

7. The container cleaning machine according to claim 6, wherein a first pair of oppositely positioned spray nozzles (7) of the four spray nozzles (7) arranged offset by 90° is assigned to a first bore (20, 21, 24, 26, 28) in the hollow shaft (6), and a second pair of oppositely positioned spray nozzles (7) of the four spray nozzles (7) arranged offset by 90° is assigned to a second bore (20, 21, 24, 26, 28) in the hollow shaft (6).

8. The container cleaning machine according to claim 6, wherein the first bore (20, 21, 24, 26, 28) and the second bore (20, 21, 24, 26, 28) are provided separately from one another or wherein the first and second bores (30) are connected to one another.

9. The container cleaning machine according to one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the bores (20, 21, 24, 26) extend perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis (9) of the hollow shaft (6) and intersect the longitudinal axis (9), and / or wherein the bores (28) enclose an angle between 45° and less than 90° to a perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (9) and intersect the longitudinal axis (9).

10. Method for internal spraying of containers (2), which are arranged upside down in container cells (3) of a container basket (4) moving in a running direction (5) of the container cleaning machine according to one of claims 1 to 9, with a spraying medium (14) by means of the spraying device (1), the method comprising: supplying the hollow shaft (6) with the spraying medium (14) by means of the supply device (8); moving the hollow shaft (6) in the container cleaning machine relative to and independently of the container basket (4) by the at least one servomotor, wherein the moving of the hollow shaft (6) comprises rotating the hollow shaft (6) about its longitudinal axis (9) by one of the at least one servomotors, wherein the rotating of the hollow shaft (6) about its longitudinal axis can be carried out in the one and in the other direction.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the moving of the hollow shaft (6) comprises: linear moving of the hollow shaft (6) in and against the running direction (5) by one of the at least one servomotors.