Bearing plate for container positioning

Abstract

A support plate (1) for positioning containers (2), particularly on rotatable container tables (9), is described. The support plate comprises a base body (3), a spring-mounted support plate (4) for a container, and a guide ring (5) with an inner guide section (5a) for circumferential guidance of the container and an outer mounting section (5b) for attachment to the base body. Because the inner guide section is elastically deformable relative to the outer mounting section of the guide ring towards the base body, additional elastic elements, such as compression springs, on the guide ring for axially compliant guidance of container bottoms are unnecessary.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a support plate according to the preamble of claim 1, a treatment machine with at least one support plate and a manufacturing method for the support plate.

[0002] A support plate is known, for example, from DE 20 2015 103853 U1 and EP 2 746 176 A1 and preferably serves, in combination with a rotary drive, as a turntable for positioning containers on container tables of labeling machines and / or direct printing machines. Such support plates are then, for example, equipped with individual servo motors and arranged evenly along the circumference of the container table.

[0003] The support plate of EP 2 746 176 A1 has a base plate and a support plate for a container bottom, which is elastically supported on the base plate by means of compression springs. The support plate is further enclosed by a guide ring resting on separate compression springs. This guide ring has a chamfer along its inner guide edge, allowing containers to be placed on the support plate even with bottom cross-sections that, due to dimensional tolerances, partially rest on the inner guide edge. In this case, the guide ring is pressed downwards by the container bottom against the restoring force of the compression springs until the container bottom rests on the support plate. The guide ring also centers the container with respect to the support plate.

[0004] However, a disadvantage is that the guide ring requires several widely spaced compression springs and guide pins. Furthermore, a lateral guard, for example in the form of injection-molded parts, must be separately mounted between the compression springs. The support plate of this type is therefore complex to manufacture and maintain. In addition, replacing the guide ring when changing formats is comparatively cumbersome.

[0005] Furthermore, EP 2 746 176 A1 mentions a support plate according to the preamble of claim 1 as prior art.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for improved support plates.

[0007] The stated problem is solved with a support plate according to claim 1. Accordingly, this plate serves to position containers, in particular on rotatable container tables.

[0008] According to the invention, the inner guide section is elastically deformable relative to the outer fastening section of the guide ring towards the base body.

[0009] Due to the elastic deformability of the inner guide section, an axially spring-loaded mounting of the outer attachment section is unnecessary. Instead, the outer attachment section, and thus the entire guide ring, is rigidly fixed to the base body in a comparatively simple manner. Fewer individual parts are required. Replacing the guide ring is correspondingly easy, for example, when changing formats, i.e., to adapt to containers with a different base cross-section. Furthermore, the outer surface of the guide ring can be designed with fewer gaps and other surfaces that are difficult to clean.

[0010] Elastic deformability of the inner guide section can be achieved, in particular, by making it less stiff than the outer mounting section. For this purpose, the inner guide section includes, for example, areas with targeted material weakening and / or material recesses.

[0011] Preferably, the inner guide section comprises at least three partially circumferential segments that are elastically deformable independently of one another. A division into four to eight partially circumferential segments that are elastically deformable independently of one another is particularly preferred. This facilitates uniform and, in particular, centering deformation of the segments towards the base body. The segmentation allows the material stress in the inner guide section to be specifically adapted to the cross-section of the container bottom during elastic deformation, for example, for non-circular cross-sections.

[0012] Preferably, the inner guide section comprises at least one guide lip angled towards the base body. The guide lip can have a circumferential chamfer on its upper surface. The angled guide lip facilitates centering of the container guided by the inner guide section with respect to the central axis of the support plate.

[0013] Preferably, the outer mounting section is designed as an upper stop for the support plate. The support plate is preferably supported on the base body by means of at least one compression spring. The at least one compression spring then pushes the support plate axially away from the base body and against the guide ring. This allows the unloaded rest position of the support plate to be precisely defined at a specific height relative to the base body. However, it is also possible to define this height without an upper stop, solely by the length of the unloaded (without a container in contact with it) compression spring(s). Preferably, the outer mounting section includes outer side wall areas for protection against accidental contact. The protection against accidental contact is then preferably integrated integrally into the guide ring, but could also be attached to it by means of a snap connection or the like.The outer side wall areas then preferably also serve as shielding against dust and / or liquids.

[0014] Preferably, at least the inner guide section of the guide ring is made of a material manufactured additively, using 3D printing. This guide section then consists of a layered plastic or metal-plastic composite, such as Alumide. This allows for the production of comparatively complex structures, such as undercuts, recesses, stiffeners, or the like, to create inner guide sections with suitable stiffness and elasticity and to adapt them to predetermined container cross-sections. The inner guide section can then deform elastically in a suitable manner and center the container bottom.

[0015] A particularly advantageous method is the additive manufacturing of the entire guide ring using 3D printing from at least one plastic and / or metal-plastic composite, as described above. The inner guide section and the outer mounting section can also be made from different 3D printing materials.

[0016] Preferably, at least the inner guide section consists essentially of a thermoplastic material and, in a contact area with the containers, comprises an outer contact layer that is colored separately up to a permissible wear depth. Such a contact layer can advantageously be produced additively, i.e., by 3D printing, by printing the contact layer with a separate color onto a support structure.

[0017] The point at which the wear depth is reached can be visually detected by a color change at the worn area. For this purpose, the support structure beneath the contact layer is manufactured in a different color, particularly using additive manufacturing. Preferably, the outer contact layer is then colored separately to a depth of 0.1 to 1 mm. This allows for particularly practical monitoring of material wear.

[0018] Preferably, at least the guide section of the guide ring consists of a plastic colored to indicate the clear width and / or the opening shape of the guide ring.

[0019] Preferably, the entire guide ring, at least on its outer surface, consists of a suitably colored plastic. This allows specific guide rings to be color-coded to match specific container sizes and easily identified when changing sizes. This reliably prevents incorrect fitting of the support plates with unsuitable guide rings.

[0020] Preferably, the guide ring is replaceable when the base plate is mounted and is also part of a format-specific set of identical guide rings. Preferably, several such sets are available to fit different container cross-sections. The support plates can then be easily and quickly changed when changing formats.

[0021] The stated problem is also solved with a treatment machine for containers according to claim 11. Accordingly, this machine comprises a container table, which is in particular continuously rotatable, and a plurality of support plates preferably rotatable about themselves, mounted thereon according to at least one of the embodiments described above.

[0022] Preferably, the treatment machine has at least two sets of format-specific colored guide rings. This allows the treatment machine to be easily and accurately adapted to the container format being treated.

[0023] The stated problem is also solved by a manufacturing process for a support plate according to claim 13. Accordingly, at least the guide section of the guide ring is additively manufactured according to at least one of the embodiments described above, using 3D printing. The guide ring can then be adapted to different container formats, including non-round container cross-sections, relatively easily and with a geometry optimized for this purpose.

[0024] Additive manufacturing essentially takes place without shape-storing primary forms, cutting / separating tools, or the like.

[0025] Preferably, at least one outer surface of the guide ring is 3D printed with a printing ink corresponding to a specific container format. This allows the guide ring to be reliably assigned to a particular container format when formats change. Correct assembly can also be easily verified on the processing machine.

[0026] Preferably, at least one outer contact layer of the guide ring, which comes into contact with the container during operation, is 3D printed with a different ink than an underlying support structure of the guide ring over a permissible wear depth. This provides a wear indicator for the guide ring. The wear indicator can be monitored relatively easily visually during operation.

[0027] Preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings. They show: Figure 1 shows a schematic longitudinal section through a support plate; Figure 2 shows a schematic top view of the support plate; Figure 3 shows a schematic view of the guide ring from below; and Figure 4 shows a schematic longitudinal section through the inner guide section.

[0028] As the Figure 1 As can be seen, the support plate 1 for container 2 comprises a base body 3 and above it a downwardly spring-mounted support plate 4 for the container 2. The support plate 4 is enclosed by a guide ring 5 with an inner guide section 5a and an outer fastening section 5b.

[0029] The inner guide section 5a defines a central opening 5c ​​of the guide ring 5 and guides the container base 2a completely when lowered onto the support plate 4. The inner guide section 5a centers the container 2 with respect to a central axis 1a of the support plate 1. For this purpose, the central opening 5c ​​is adapted in terms of its clear width and opening shape to the respective cross-sectional format of the container 2.

[0030] When the container 2 is placed on the support plate 1, the container bottom 2a can, depending on dimensional tolerance and / or positioning accuracy, press on the inner guide section 5a and thereby elastically deform it towards the base plate 3 (downwards).

[0031] In contrast, the outer mounting section 5b is rigid and remains essentially dimensionally stable when the container 2 is set down. The outer mounting section 5b is screwed to the base plate 3 or otherwise connected in a rotationally fixed manner.

[0032] The support plate 4 sits on compression springs 6 or at least one similar elastic element and is thus resiliently mounted towards the base plate 3. The guide ring 5 preferably serves as an upward limiting stop 7 for the support plate 4. The stop 7 determines the upper position of the unloaded support plate 4 against the preload of the compression springs 6.

[0033] Alternatively, the length and spring force of the compression springs 6 could be designed such that the unloaded support plate 4 assumes the defined upper position even without the stop 7. A separate upper stop or a functionally equivalent element for the support plate 4 would also be possible.

[0034] For the sake of completeness, a drive shaft 8 for, for example, servomotor rotation of the support plate 1 about itself on a container table 9 of a treatment machine, preferably a labeling machine or direct printing machine, is also shown.

[0035] The schematic Figure 2 The top view shows that the inner guide section 5a is preferably subdivided into partial-circumference segments 10.1 to 10.4. Between these, for example, recesses 11 and / or correspondingly flexible material are formed to allow essentially independent elastic deformation of the partial-circumference segments 10.1 to 10.4 towards the base body 3. Additionally, recesses 12 may be present on the upper surface of the inner guide section 5a, or other areas with material weakening may be present.

[0036] This allows the stiffness of the inner guide section 5a to be specifically reduced compared to the outer fastening section 5b in order to create the elastic deformability of the inner guide section 5a towards the base body 3.

[0037] As the Figure 1 and 2 As can be seen, the inner guide section 5a preferably comprises a guide lip 13 angled downwards, i.e. towards the base body, to delimit the central opening 5c. The guide lip 13 then has, for example, a chamfered profile on its upper surface.

[0038] The Figure 2 Furthermore, it indicates that the central opening 5c ​​can be designed for container bottoms 2a with non-circular cross-sections, and of course also for round cross-sections. The guide ring 5 can therefore be provided in a format-specific manner.

[0039] The guide ring 5 is particularly suitable as an interchangeable component of a set for a specific container cross-section. A suitable set of identical guide rings 5 ​​must then be kept for each container cross-section to be processed and attached to the base bodies 3 of the support plates 1 when changing formats.

[0040] The guide ring 5 is attached, for example, by means of the Figure 2 schematically indicated and accessible screw connections 14 on the base body 3.

[0041] The Figure 3Figure 5 schematically illustrates in a view of the guide ring 5 from below that the inner guide section 5a may include different stiffenings 15 or similar material reinforcements and / or recesses 16 or similar material weakenings in order to provide the required elastic deformability of the inner guide section 5a towards the base body 3 and / or a suitable centering effect.

[0042] Such structures can be manufactured generatively, for example using 3D printing, which is particularly flexible and can also be produced with different material layers on top of each other if necessary.

[0043] Suitable 3D printing methods include, for example: selective laser sintering (SLS); fused deposition modeling (FDM); and jet fusion printing based on the jet printing of a mixture of liquids and printing powders.

[0044] The guide ring 5 is characterized in particular by the fact that it combines at least two different functions in one piece, namely: a dimensionally stable fastening of the guide ring 5 to the base body 3; a dimensionally elastic coaxial guidance of the container 2 and / or its centering with respect to the central axis 1a of the support plate 1; and / or a lateral protection against interference by means of outer side wall areas 5d.

[0045] The Figure 4 Figure 5a illustrates a particularly favorable embodiment of an additively manufactured inner guide section 5a with at least two material layers of different colors.

[0046] Accordingly, the inner guide section 5a includes a wear indicator 17 in the form of a specially colored contact layer 19 for the container 2, such as on the guide lip 13, on a differently colored support structure 20, up to a permissible wear depth 18.

[0047] For example, the contact layer 19 is 3D printed up to the permissible wear depth 18 using a first color 19a, and the support structure 20 is printed in a visually contrasting second color 20a. The contact layer 19 is then preferably 0.1 to 1 mm thick, corresponding to the respective permissible wear depth 18.

[0048] The inner guide section 5a, for example, is made of a thermoplastic material suitable for 3D printing. During operation, such materials are subject to wear when centering the container bottoms 2a. Progressive wear can then be visually detected in time by a color change from the first color 19a to the second color 20a.

[0049] As the Figure 3 and 4As indicated, the outer fastening section 5b comprises outer side walls 5d as a guard against accidental contact, in particular to protect against crushing or the like during the operation and / or maintenance of the support plates 1. The outer side walls 5d are then preferably integrated in one piece into the fastening section 5b.

[0050] The guide ring 5 is preferably manufactured in a color that is visually identifiable from the outside for assignment to a specific container format, for example in the first or second color 19a, 20a. This feature can advantageously be manufactured additively.

[0051] The guide ring 5 can then be reliably assigned to a specific container format as part of a quick-change set, so that conversion work during format changes is equally easy and error-free.

[0052] The axially rigid mounting of the outer mounting section 5b and the integrated safety guard facilitate the replacement and external cleaning of the guide ring 5. A correspondingly low-gap surface is achieved because the axial elasticity of the guide ring 5 in the area of ​​its central opening 5c ​​is not achieved with separate components such as compression springs or the like, but rather through the elastic deformability of the inner guide section 5a relative to the outer mounting section 5b.

[0053] In this context, additive manufacturing, using 3D printing, enables a cost-effective and flexibly adaptable shaping of the guide ring 3 and in particular its inner guide section 5a.

[0054] Various thermoplastic materials as well as composite materials, such as alumide, can be used to achieve the required elastic deformability of the inner guide section 5a and the dimensional stability of the outer fastening section 5b in a one-piece design.

[0055] In addition, advantageous properties such as a color marking of the guide ring 5 to match certain container formats and / or a wear indicator 17 in the form of a separately colored contact layer 19 for the container bottom 2a can be provided in a comparatively simple and equally flexible manner.

[0056] Additional advantages of additive manufacturing include timely global spare parts supply and / or on-site adaptation to additional container formats, as only 3D printers, design data, and raw materials are required. Extensive warehousing and logistics become less important.

Claims

1. A support plate (1) for positioning containers (2), in particular on rotatable container tables (9), comprising a base body (3); a support plate (4) for a container (2), spring-mounted thereon to be moveable downwards; and a guiding ring (5) enclosing the support plate (4) and having an inner guide portion (5a) for guiding the container (2) in a circumferential direction and an outer fixing section (5b) for rigidly fixing the outer fixing section (5b) and, in this way, the whole guiding ring (5) on the base body (3), characterized in that the inner guide portion (5a) can be elastically deformed relative to the outer fastening portion (5b) towards the base body (3).

2. The support plate according to claim 1, wherein the inner guide portion (5a) comprises at least three segments (10.1-10.4) partially extending around the circumference and being separately elastically deformable.

3. The support plate according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the inner guide portion (5a) comprises at least one guiding lip (13) angled towards the base body (3).

4. The support plate according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outer fixing portion (5b) is formed as an upper limiting abutment (7) for the support plate (4).

5. The support plate according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outer fixing portion (5b) comprises outer side wall regions (5d) as safety guards.

6. The support plate according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least the inner guide portion (5a) of the guiding ring (5) consists of a material produced in a building-up process, in particular by 3D printing.

7. The support plate according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inner guide portion (5a) is made essentially from a thermoplastic and comprises in a contact region with the containers (2) an outer contact layer (19) separately coloured down to a permissible wear depth (18).

8. The support plate of claim 7, wherein the outer contact layer (19) is coloured to a depth of 0.1 to 1 mm.

9. The support plate according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least the guide portion (5a) consists of a plastic material coloured to identify the inside diameter and / or the opening shape of the guiding ring (5).

10. The support plate according to at least any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guiding ring (5) can be replaced when the base plate (3) is fastened and is part of a set of identical guide rings (5) designed specifically for its form factor.

11. A treatment machine for containers, comprising a continuously rotatable container table (9) and a plurality of support plates (1) attached thereto, in particular rotatable about themselves, according to at least one of the preceding claims.

12. The treatment machine for containers according to claim 11, further comprising at least two sets of coloured guide rings (5) designed specifically for its form factor.

13. A manufacturing method for a support plate according to at least any one of the preceding claims 1 to 10, wherein at least the inner guide portion (5a) of the guide ring (5) is built up in 3D printing.

14. The manufacturing method according to claim 13, wherein at least the outer surface of the guiding ring (5) is produced in 3D printing in a colour associated with a container form factor.

15. The manufacturing method according to claims 13 or 14, wherein at least an outer contact layer (19) of the guiding ring (5) coming into contact with the containers (2) in use is produced in 3D printing up to a permissible wear depth (18) with a different colour (19a) from an underlying support structure (20) of the guiding ring (5).

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