METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETERMINING THE QUALITY OF EMPTY CONTAINERS

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for determining the quality of empty containers according to claim 1 and a device for determining the quality of empty containers according to claim 12. State of the art

[0002] Current reusable packaging systems in the beverage industry can only process empty containers (pallets, crates, bottles) that meet the quality requirements of the system operator. Therefore, pallets, crates, and / or bottles that are no longer suitable for sale due to damage cannot be processed. Furthermore, only empty containers that correspond to the beverage product being manufactured can be processed. This means, for example, that the bottles must have the appropriate design, volume, and color, and that the crates must have the appropriate color and imprint.

[0003] Furthermore, the empty containers delivered to a reusable packaging system must be processable, i.e., a pallet must be depalletizable and a box must be unloadable.

[0004] To ensure that only processable empty containers are fed into a production stream in the reusable packaging plant, manual sorting can be carried out outside the plant and automatic or semi-automatic sorting systems can be provided inside the plant.

[0005] DE 10 2016 211 910 A1 discloses an inspection method for inspecting containers arranged in an empty container box, wherein the containers are gripped by a head and grippers arranged on it in several rows of grippers and removed from the empty container box. These containers are inspected with an optical inspection system, wherein the rows of grippers are moved relative to each other in the longitudinal direction of the rows, thereby creating optical access to the respective rows of containers for the inspection system.

[0006] DE 41 36 253 A1 discloses a sorting device for sorting different types of objects, such as bottle crates, according to its features. The sorting device comprises closed circuits for the objects, namely an outer and an inner storage unit, which are connected via an infeed station and an outfeed station. Task

[0007] The object of the invention is to provide a method and a device that enable improved operation of a plant based on a determined quality of empty containers supplied to the plant. Solution

[0008] This problem is solved by the method, the device according to claim 1 and the device according to claim 12. Further features of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.

[0009] The procedure for determining the quality of empty containers, including pallets, crates, and bottles, which are fed into a system, for example a reusable packaging system, for sorting the empty containers according to quality and for controlling the system includes: Receiving a pallet palletized with crates that may contain bottles. Assigning origin information to the pallet, feeding the pallet to a depalletizer, determining if the pallet is depalletizable and, if so, assigning depalletizability information to the pallet, depalletizing the pallet, assigning origin information to each of the depalletized crates, feeding the crates to an empty crate inspection system, determining if the crates are unloadable and, if so, assigning unloadability information to each of the crates, checking for bottle fill and assigning fill information to each of the crates, using the information for plant control.

[0010] The pallet containing the crates and bottles can be delivered to the plant by truck. The crates can be considered as arranged in a stack, with the stack potentially consisting of one or more layers and having a certain height.

[0011] The origin can refer to the truck, the supplier, the freight forwarder and / or a supermarket from which the pallet originates.

[0012] Determining whether the pallet can be depalletized can be done using the depalletizer.

[0013] The origin of the boxes can refer to the pallet on which they were delivered, which, through the information on the pallet, can establish a relationship to the truck, the supplier, the freight forwarder and / or a supermarket from which the pallet and therefore also the box may have originated.

[0014] During the empty container inspection, it can be determined for each crate whether the crate can be unloaded using an unloading device, i.e., whether the bottles can be removed from the crate using the unloading device.

[0015] The discharge information can be assigned to each of the boxes. Assigning the discharge information to each box can involve placing a marker with the discharge information on the box and / or transmitting the discharge information to the data processing device by means of control, counting, and / or positioning through devices within the system.

[0016] The information is used to control the system. For example, by checking the number of bottles in the system, it can be determined whether the crates can supply a predetermined quantity of bottles. If the predetermined quantity is not met, the system can be controlled to add more bottles.

[0017] During the empty container inspection, it can be further determined whether the crates are correct and whether they contain the same type of product. Information regarding correctness and product purity can be assigned to each crate. A correct crate may conform to predefined characteristics regarding color, dimensions, shape, and / or logo.

[0018] To determine the purity of a crate's contents, one can count a first number of correct bottles (i.e., bottles that conform to a specified type, such as color, dimensions, and / or shape), a second number of incorrect bottles (i.e., bottles that deviate from a specified type), and a third number of empty spaces (missing bottle(s)) within the crate. A crate can be considered purity if it contains only the first number of correct bottles and / or the third number of empty spaces. Therefore, a purity crate cannot contain any incorrect bottles.

[0019] Quantity information can be assigned to each of the boxes. Assigning quantity information to each box can involve placing a marker with the quantity information on the box and / or transmitting the quantity information to the data processing device via control, counting, and / or positioning by devices within the system.

[0020] If the crates are unloadable, correctly sorted, and contain only one type of bottle, they can be unloaded and sent for crate inspection, followed by bottle inspection. Unloading the crates means that the bottles inside are grasped with a suitable unloading device and removed from the crate. During bottle inspection, the bottles can be checked for damage (e.g., whether or not damage is present). For example, damage to the base and / or scuffing on the bottle body, or similar issues, can be identified. Information regarding the origin and any damage can be assigned to each bottle.Assigning the origin and damage information to each of the bottles may involve placing a marking with origin and damage information on the bottle and / or passing the origin and damage information to a data processing device by means of control, counting and / or positioning by devices of the plant.

[0021] Assigning the origin information to the pallet may involve placing a marker indicating the origin on the pallet and / or passing the origin information to a data processing device by means of control, counting and / or positioning by devices of the plant.

[0022] The information can be shared within the facility and can be used in combination with other information gathered within the facility.

[0023] After depalletizing, the pallet can be fed to a pallet inspection station, inspected, and have information assigned to it for inspection. For example, the inspection can include at least one of the following: the pallet meets predefined criteria, the pallet is intact, the pallet's running boards and / or deck boards and / or blocks are intact, the pallet's tensile strength meets predefined values.

[0024] For further use, the pallet must, for example, meet required safety standards (e.g., intact running boards and / or deck boards and / or blocks and / or sufficient tensile strength) so that it can be loaded with crates (which may contain bottles) and used for transport in a loaded state.

[0025] The procedure can further include determining the height of a stack of boxes and, from this, determining the number of boxes. The height can be determined without contact. Since standardized pallets with known dimensions are generally used, the number of boxes present can be deduced from the determined height.

[0026] Assigning the origin information to each of the boxes may involve placing a marker indicating the origin on each of the boxes and / or passing the origin information to a data processing device by means of control, counting and / or positioning by devices of the plant.

[0027] The origin of the boxes can refer to the pallet on which they were originally delivered, which, through the information on the pallet, can establish a relationship to the truck, the supplier, the freight forwarder and / or a supermarket from which the pallet and therefore also the box may have originated.

[0028] Checking the filling with bottles may include a first number of bottles that meet specified criteria, a second number of bottles that do not meet specified criteria, and / or a third number of missing bottles.

[0029] When checking the contents with bottles, the bottles may be located in the box.

[0030] Criteria can include a suitable design, volume, and color; for example, whether a bottle conforms to a predefined type (e.g., color, dimensions, and / or shape, etc.). Missing bottles can be identified by counting empty spaces in the crate.

[0031] Quantity information can be assigned to each crate. Assigning quantity information to each crate can involve placing a marker with the quantity information on the crate and / or transmitting the quantity information to the data processing device via control, counting, and / or positioning by the system's devices. A crate can be designated as single-variety if it contains only one type of bottle and / or one type of empty space.

[0032] The procedure can further include checking each box, for example in a box inspection, and assigning information for verification to each of the boxes. For example, the verification can include at least one of the following: the box meets specified criteria, the box does not meet specified criteria, the box is intact.

[0033] The bottles may have been unloaded from the crates beforehand for inspection purposes.

[0034] The criteria can include damage to the box, for example in the area of ​​the handles and / or compartments, such as cracks in the material, missing material.

[0035] The emptied box can be sent for inspection, for example, during a box check.

[0036] For example, the box can be inspected for damage (e.g., whether damage is present or not).

[0037] Damage information can be assigned to any of the boxes. Assigning damage information to each box may involve placing a mark with the damage information on the box and / or transmitting the damage information to the data processing device by means of control, counting, and / or positioning through devices within the system.

[0038] The procedure may further include checking each bottle, for example in a bottle inspection, and assigning information for verification to each bottle. For example, the verification may include at least one of the following: the bottle meets specified criteria, the bottle does not meet specified criteria, the bottle is intact.

[0039] The bottles can be unloaded from the crate for inspection purposes.

[0040] Criteria may include damage to the bottle, for example, in the base and / or neck area, such as cracks in the material, missing material, and / or scuffing, and / or an odor inside the bottle (e.g., in the case of PET bottles). An inspection of the bottles, for example, regarding damage (e.g., whether damage is present or not), can be carried out as part of a bottle inspection.

[0041] Assigning the verification information to each of the bottles may involve placing a marking with verification information on the bottle and / or passing the verification information to a data processing device by means of control, counting and / or positioning by devices of the plant.

[0042] The process may further include creating empty container quality statistics based on the available information.

[0043] The device for determining the quality of empty containers, comprising pallets, boxes, and bottles, which are fed into a system, for sorting the empty containers according to quality and for controlling the system, is particularly suitable for carrying out the procedures as described above or below, wherein the device comprises a depalletizer and an empty container control system.

[0044] The device may further include an unloading device for unloading the boxes, as described above or below.

[0045] The device may further include a bottle control and a crate control, as described above or below.

[0046] Furthermore, the device may include necessary transport equipment for transporting the pallet with the boxes and bottles and for transporting the boxes (with or without bottles). Brief character description

[0047] The accompanying figures serve to better understand and illustrate aspects of the invention. They show: Figure 1 Empty containers comprising one pallet, crates and bottles. Figure 2A a first level of a plant in which a process for determining the quality of empty containers fed into the plant, for sorting the empty containers according to quality and for controlling the plant can be carried out and Figure 2B a second level of the facility. Detailed character description

[0048] The Figure 1Figure 1 shows empty containers 1, which can be delivered, for example, by truck to a reusable packaging plant for beverage production. The empty containers 1 comprise a pallet 2, for example, a Euro pallet, on which 24 crates 3 are arranged in three layers of 2x4 crates; the illustration shows 18 crates 3 1 - 3 18. A crate 3 has a height hk, and the stack of crates 3 on the pallet has a height hs, which here corresponds to 3·hk. It is also possible that different types of crates, different dimensions, colors, and / or materials, or the like, are present on a pallet 2.

[0049] The crates 3 contain bottles 4. There may be one or more empty spaces 5, each missing a bottle. This is the case, for example, with crates 36, 316, and 318. It is also possible for a crate to contain no bottles, i.e., to be empty. It is also possible for different types of bottles to be present in one or more of the crates 3.

[0050] To determine the quality of the empty containers 2, the pallets 2, crates 3, and bottles 4 can each be inspected separately in designated inspection devices. A batch or inspection lot used to determine the quality of the empty containers 2 can comprise one or more pallets 2, each palletized with crates 3 and the bottles 4 contained therein.

[0051] In the Figures 2A and 2BAn example of a reusable packaging system arranged on two levels, connected by an elevator, is described. Alternatively, a reusable packaging system can be designed on a single level.

[0052] The Figure 2A shows a first level 6, for example the ground floor, of a reusable packaging facility, also referred to simply as the facility, in which a procedure for determining the quality of empty containers 1 (as for example in the Figure 1 (shown), comprising pallets 2, boxes 3, bottles 4, which is fed into the system, for sorting the empty containers 1 according to quality and for controlling the system.

[0053] Empty containers 1 can be delivered to the system by truck. Each pallet 2, or pallets 2 belonging to a batch or inspection lot, is assigned origin information. Assigning origin information to pallet 2 can involve marking it with the origin and / or transmitting the origin information via control, counting, and / or positioning by system devices. The origin can refer to the truck, the supplier, the freight forwarder, and / or a supermarket from which pallet 2 originated.

[0054] The empty container 1 can be fed into the system directly from the truck that delivered it at a loading point 7 using a forklift. From loading point 7, the empty container 1 is conveyed to a pallet exchange station 10 via a first transport path 8 and a second transport path 9 using transport devices.

[0055] At pallet exchange station 10, pallet 2 is exchanged for an empty pallet 11. Empty pallet 11 may be a previously inspected pallet that met the required quality standards during pallet inspection. Empty pallet 11 can be supplied to pallet exchange station 10 from an empty pallet magazine 12.

[0056] Pallet 2 can be fed to a depalletizer, where it is first determined whether pallet 2 is depalletizable, i.e., whether the boxes 3 containing the bottles 4 can be removed from pallet 2. If pallet 2 is depalletizable, it is depalletized, and the boxes 3 with the bottles 4 are placed on an empty pallet 11 at the pallet exchange station 10. Information regarding its depalletizability is assigned to pallet 2. Assigning this origin information to pallet 2 can involve placing a marker indicating its origin on the pallet 2 and / or transmitting the origin information to a data processing device via control, counting, and / or positioning by devices within the system.

[0057] The empty pallet 11 with the boxes 3 and bottles 4 is transported along a third transport route 19 by means of transport devices to an elevator 20, by means of which it is lifted from the first level 6 of the system to a second level of the system (see Figure 2B ) is transported.

[0058] Pallet 2 is fed to a pallet inspection station 14 via a fourth transport path 13. At the pallet inspection station 14, pallet 2 is inspected and information for the inspection is assigned to it. The inspection can include at least one of the following: pallet 2 meets predefined criteria, pallet 2 is intact, the running boards and / or deck boards and / or blocks of pallet 2 are intact, or the tensile strength of pallet 2 meets predefined values. Assigning the information for the inspection to pallet 2 can include placing a mark with the inspection information on pallet 2 and / or transmitting the information to the data processing device by means of control, counting, and / or positioning by devices of the system.

[0059] If the inspection reveals that pallet 2 is defective, i.e., it does not meet the specified criteria, it can be fed to a defective pallet magazine 15 via a fifth transport route 17.

[0060] If the inspection shows that pallet 2 is good, i.e., meets the specified criteria, it can be fed to a good pallet magazine 16 via a sixth transport route 18. Pallets 2 from the good pallet magazine 16 can be transferred to the empty pallet magazine 12 and then used as empty pallets 11.

[0061] The Figure 2BFigure 21 shows a second level of the system where the crates 3 and bottles 4 are inspected. The empty pallet 11, containing the crates 3 and the bottles 4, is transported to the second level 21 via the elevator 20. Along a seventh transport path 22, the empty pallet 11 with the crates 3 and bottles 4 is transported to an unloading device 23, which is shown here as a duplex unloader. The unloading device 23 also determines the height of the stack of crates 3 on the empty pallet 11 and thus the number of crates 3 present. The crates 3 with the bottles 4 are unloaded, and during unloading, information about their origin is assigned to each crate 3.Assigning the origin information to each of the boxes 3 may include placing a marker indicating the origin on the box 3 and / or passing the origin information to the data processing device by means of control, counting and / or positioning by devices of the plant.

[0062] By means of a container transport device 24, the unloaded boxes 3 are conveyed past a first inspection device 25 and a second inspection device 26 via a first feeder 28 to a box merging station 27 and thus to an empty container inspection station 30. In the first and second inspection devices 25, 26, it can be checked whether empty container-related defects occur that may require operator intervention.

[0063] In the empty container inspection 30, it can be determined for each crate 3 whether the crate 3 can be unloaded with an unloading device 35, i.e., whether the bottles 4 can be removed from the crate 3 using the unloading device 35. Information on unloadability is assigned to each crate. Assigning the information on unloadability to each crate 3 can involve placing a mark with the information on the crate 3 and / or transmitting the information to the data processing device by means of control, counting, and / or positioning by devices of the system. Furthermore, it is determined whether the crate 3 is correct, i.e., whether it corresponds to a predefined type (e.g., color, dimensions, shape, and / or logo, etc.). Information on correctness is assigned to each crate.Assigning the information on correctness to each of the boxes 3 may involve placing a mark with the information on correctness on box 3 and / or passing the information on correctness to the data processing device by means of control, counting and / or positioning by devices of the plant.

[0064] Furthermore, a first number of correct bottles, i.e., bottles that conform to a predefined type (e.g., color, dimensions, and / or shape, etc.), a second number of incorrect bottles, i.e., bottles that deviate from a predefined type (e.g., color, dimensions, and / or shape, etc.), and a third number of empty spaces 5 in box 3 are determined. Information about the quantities is assigned to each of the boxes 3. Assigning the quantity information to each of the boxes 3 may involve placing a mark with the quantity information on the box 3 and / or transmitting the quantity information to the data processing device by means of control, counting, and / or positioning by devices within the system. A box 3 can be designated as single-type if it contains only a first number of bottles 4 and / or a third number of empty spaces 5.

[0065] Cases 3, which are unloadable and correct and contain only a first number of bottles 4 and / or a third number of empty spaces 5, can be fed to a subsequent unloading device 35 via a tenth transport path 34. The bottles 4 can be removed from the case 3 by means of the unloading device 35 and then fed to a bottle inspection, where, for example, an inspection for damage (e.g., damage present or no damage) of the bottles 4 can be carried out. Information on origin and damage can be assigned to each of the bottles 4. Assigning the information on origin and damage to each of the bottles 4 can include placing a mark with information on origin and damage on the bottle 4 and / or transmitting the information on origin and damage to the data processing device by means of control, counting and / or positioning by devices of the system.

[0066] The emptied box 3 can be sent for box inspection, where, for example, a check for damage (e.g., whether damage is present or not) can be carried out. Damage information can be assigned to each of the boxes 3. Assigning damage information to each of the boxes 3 can involve placing a mark with the damage information on the box 3 and / or transmitting the damage information to the data processing device via control, counting, and / or positioning by devices within the system.

[0067] Crates 3 that are unloadable and / or incorrect and / or contain a second set of bottles can be fed to a manual sorting station 32 via an eighth transport route 31. There, the unloadability issue can be resolved, for example, by removing an object from crate 3 that is preventing unloading, and / or an incorrect crate 3 can be removed, and / or the second set of bottles can be removed. Afterwards, the crate 3 containing bottles 4 can be fed to a second feeder 29 via a ninth transport route 33, which introduces the crate 3 with the bottles 4 into the crate merging station 27. No new information is assigned to the crates 3 and bottles 4 coming from the manual sorting station in the empty container control roll 30.

Claims

1. Method for determining a quality of empties (1) comprising pallets (2), boxes (3), and bottles (4), which are fed to an equipment for sorting the empties (1) according to the quality and for controlling the equipment, wherein the method comprises: - receiving a pallet (2) that is palletized with boxes (3) that can comprise bottles (4), - assigning information about an origin to the pallet (2),, - feeding the pallet (2) to a depalletiser, determining whether the pallet (2) is depalletisable, and assigning information about the depalletisability to the pallet (2) - if the pallet (2) is depalletisable, depalletising the pallet (2), - assigning information about the origin to each of the depalletized boxes (3), - feeding the boxes (3) to an empties inspection system (30), determining whether the boxes (3) are unloadable, and assigning information about unloadability to each of the boxes (3), - if the boxes are unloadable, checking a filling with bottles and assigning information about the filling to each of the boxes, - using the information to control the equipment.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the empties inspection system (30), it is also determined whether the boxes (3) are correct and whether the boxes (3) are uniform, and wherein information about correctness and information about uniformity is assigned to each of the boxes (3).

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein if the boxes (3) are unloadable, correct and uniform, the boxes (3) are unloaded and the boxes (3) are fed to a box checking system, and the bottles (4) are fed to a bottle checking system.

4. The method according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the assigning of the information about the origin of the pallet (2) comprises: - arranging a mark with the origin on the pallet (2) and / or - forwarding the information about the origin to a data processing device by controlling, counting and / or position by devices of the equipment.

5. The method according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein after depalletising the following is performed: - feeding the pallet (2) to a pallet check (14), - checking the pallet (2) and assigning information about the check to the pallet (2), wherein, for example, the check comprises at least one from the following list: - the pallet (2) meets predetermined criteria, - the pallet (2) is intact, - bottom boards and / or deck boards and / or blocks of the pallet (2) are intact, - tensile strength of the pallet (2) meets predetermined values.

6. The method according to any of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: - determining a height of a stack of the boxes (3) and determining a number of the boxes (3) therefrom.

7. The method according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the assigning of the information about the origin to each of the boxes (3) comprises: - arranging a mark with the origin on each of the boxes (3) and / or - forwarding the information about the origin to a data processing device by controlling, counting and / or position by devices of the equipment.

8. The method according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the checking of the filling with bottles (4) comprises: - a first number of bottles (4) that meet predetermined criteria, - a second number of bottles (4) that do not meet predetermined criteria, and / or - a third number of missing bottles (4).

9. The method according to any of claims 1 to 8, further comprising checking each box (3), for example in a box checking system, and assigning information about the checking to each of the boxes (3), wherein, for example, the checking comprises at least one from the following list: - the box (3) fulfils predetermined criteria, - the box (3) does not fulfil predetermined criteria, - the box (3) is intact.

10. The method according to any of claims 1 to 9, further comprising checking each bottle (4), for example in a bottle checking system, and assigning information about the checking to each of the bottles (4), wherein, for example, the checking comprises at least one from the following list: - the bottle (4) fulfils predetermined criteria, - the bottle (4) does not fulfill predetermined criteria, - the bottle (4) is intact.

11. The method of any of claims 1 to 10, creating an empties quality statistic based on the existing information.

12. Device for determining a quality of empties (1) comprising pallets (2), boxes (3) and bottles (4) which are fed to an equipment for sorting the empties (1) according to the quality and for controlling the equipment, wherein the device comprises a depalletiser, an empties inspection system (30), an unloading device (35) and a data processing device, characterised in that devices of the equipment are designed, to assign information about the origin of a pallet (2) by arranging a mark with the origin on the pallet (2) and / or by forwarding the information about the origin to the data processing device by controlling, counting and / or position, the depalletiser is designed to determine whether the pallet is depalletisable, devices of the equipment are designed, to assign information about the origin to each of the boxes by arranging a mark with the origin on each of the boxes and / or by forwarding the information about the origin to the data processing device by controlling, counting and / or position, the empties inspection system (30) is designed such that for each box in the empties inspection system (30) it is determinable whether the box is unloadable by the unloading device (35), and that if the boxes are unloadable, a filling with bottles is checkable and assigning information about the filling to each of the boxes devices of the equipment are designed, to assign information about the unloadability to each of the boxes by arranging a mark with the information to the unloadability on the box and / or by forwarding the information about the unloadability to the data processing device by controlling, counting and / or position, and device for carrying out the method according to any of claims 1 to 11.

13. The device according to claim 12, further comprising an unloading device (23) for unloading the boxes (3).

14. The device according to claim 12 or 13, further comprising a bottle checking system, and a box checking system.