Container treatment system

Abstract

Disclosed is a container treatment system (100) for treating containers (180), such as bottles, comprising a first treatment block (101) with a first single-line container exit point (112), further comprising a downstream second treatment block (102) having a wet region and / or temperature control region (123) with a mass conveyor for containers, a first single-line container feed point (121) upstream of the mass conveyor and a second single-line container exit point (122) downstream of the mass conveyor, and comprising a third treatment block (103) that is located downstream of the second treatment block (102) and has a second single-line container feed point (131), wherein the first single-line container exit point (112) of the first treatment block (102) is connected to the first single-line container feed point (121) of the second treatment block (102) via a first single-line conveying device (152), and the second single-line container exit point (122) of the second treatment block (102) is connected to the second single-line container feed point (131) of the third treatment block (103) via a second single-line conveying device (153).

Description

[0001] Container treatment plant

[0002] The present invention relates to a container treatment plant according to independent claim 1 and a range of container treatment plants according to claim 12 as well as a method for treating containers, such as bottles, according to claim 14.

[0003] State of the art

[0004] Container treatment systems, particularly block-type container treatment systems, are already known from the prior art. Various container treatment machines, such as a filler and sealer, a downstream pasteurizer, and a downstream decoration device, such as a printing press or a labeling machine, are usually operated at least partially synchronized, so that the containers are continuously conveyed through the system and treated in the process. Transport systems are arranged between the individual container treatment machines in a container treatment system. To compensate for any failures of individual container treatment machines without having to stop the upstream or downstream container treatment machines or adversely affecting their operation, extensive buffer systems are provided in the transport systems arranged between the machines.These can accommodate a large number of containers and thus maintain the operation of the container treatment plant at least partially, for example in the event of a failure of a downstream container treatment machine or in the event of a failure of an upstream container treatment machine.

[0005] For this purpose, the buffer systems must be large enough to provide sufficient buffer capacity at a typical throughput of several thousand or tens of thousands of containers per hour in order to avoid the adverse effects of a production interruption in a plant described above.

[0006] This entails considerable space requirements and restrictions regarding the positioning of the container handling machines relative to each other, as the buffer systems must be provided between them.

[0007] Based on the known state of the art, the technical problem to be solved is to essentially maintain the operation of a container treatment plant with several container treatment machines even in the event of failure of individual container treatment machines, while keeping the space requirements as low as possible.

[0008] Solution

[0009] This object is achieved according to the invention by the container treatment system according to independent claim 1 as well as the range of container treatment systems according to claim 12 and the method for treating containers according to claim 14. Advantageous developments of the invention are covered in the subclaims.

[0010] The container treatment plant according to the invention for treating containers, such as bottles, comprises a first treatment block with a first single-row container outlet, a second treatment block arranged downstream comprising a wet and / or tempering area with a mass conveyor for containers or a buffer system for containers, a first single-row container inlet upstream of the mass conveyor or the buffer system and a second single-row container outlet downstream of the mass conveyor or the buffer system, and a third treatment block arranged downstream of the second treatment block with a second single-row container inlet,wherein the single-row container outlet of the first treatment block is connected to the single-row container inlet of the second treatment block by a first single-row transport device, and the single-row container outlet of the second treatment block is connected to the single-row container inlet of the third treatment block by a second single-row transport device.

[0011] The invention is not limited to precisely one single-row container outlet or container inlet at the respective treatment blocks. Thus, several (e.g., two, three, or more) single-row container outlets and / or single-row container inlets can also be provided for respective treatment blocks, which can be arranged horizontally and / or vertically offset from one another.

[0012] For the purposes of the invention, a treatment block is understood to be an arrangement of at least one, but possibly also several, container treatment machines that carry out a treatment of containers jointly or separately and are not separated from one another by the first or second single-row transport device. In particular, within a treatment block, transport can take place using other transport devices, in particular star conveyors. Preferably, the throughput of the container treatment machines within a treatment block is the same and / or the operation of the container treatment machines in a treatment block is synchronized, so that the same number of containers is treated per unit of time by each container treatment machine in a treatment block.

[0013] The mass conveyor of the wet and / or temperature-controlled area is to be understood as a transport device in which the containers are transported essentially in a random manner. According to the invention, this mass conveyor extends through the wet and / or temperature-controlled area or is part of it.

[0014] In contrast to the mass conveyor, a single-row transport device is a transport device (such as a conveyor belt or air conveyor) in which containers can only be transported in exactly one row, i.e. one container after the other.

[0015] A wet and / or temperature-controlled area also includes any device that either heats and / or cools the containers and / or applies a liquid to them. This includes, in particular, pasteurizers and container washing machines.

[0016] In contrast, the buffer system is understood as being located outside of a treatment facility, and in particular outside of a wet and / or temperature-controlled area. In this sense, the buffer system only serves the purpose of buffering or storing containers after and / or before they are subjected to further container treatment.

[0017] According to the invention, the mass conveyor or part of the mass conveyor is advantageously used as a buffer area, since a large number of containers can be transported in this mass conveyor. This makes it possible to avoid additional buffer devices downstream or upstream of the second treatment block, which reduces the space requirements for the transport devices between the treatment blocks and thus the container treatment plant as a whole. In particular, this not only saves space but also advantageously allows a flexible arrangement of the treatment blocks relative to one another through appropriate settings or design of the first and second single-row transport devices. Single-row transport devices are more flexible in terms of their spatial arrangement and space requirements than buffer areas, which must meet a predetermined buffer capacity (number of containers that can be accommodated).The alternatively provided buffer system can advantageously store containers as a treatment block or as part of the treatment block, while these can still be fed into or removed from this buffer system via the single-row transport devices. This design also saves space and enables a flexible arrangement of the treatment blocks.

[0018] This allows changing space requirements, such as those of different customers, to be taken into account, although the design of the individual treatment blocks can always remain the same.

[0019] In one embodiment, the wet and / or tempering area is designed as a pasteurizer and / or the second treatment block comprises a blow-off device for blowing off liquid on the surface of the containers or the buffer system comprises a line buffer comprising at least two single-row buffer tracks, or a mass buffer for random buffering of containers.

[0020] Since containers are typically transported in a mass flow in a pasteurizer, this is particularly suitable for achieving the necessary buffering effect. Furthermore, an area can be provided at the inlet and / or outlet of the pasteurizer where containers can be buffered randomly after they leave the pasteurizer or before they are fed into it. This prevents containers from remaining in the pasteurizer for too long, even when there is a large buffer requirement. Line buffers and mass buffers can advantageously provide large buffer capacities.

[0021] Furthermore, it can be provided that the first single-row container outlet, the first single-row transport device, and the first single-row container inlet are designed for the single-row transport of containers in at least two vertical transport paths; and / or that the second single-row container outlet, the second single-row transport device, and the second single-row container inlet are designed for the single-row transport of containers in at least two vertical transport paths.

[0022] This configuration increases the throughput of the container treatment plant and, in particular, the container transport capacity between the individual treatment blocks. It can be provided that a height-overcoming device is assigned to the treatment blocks at the inlet and / or outlet, so that the containers transported along different vertical transport routes are brought back to a single height before being fed to a treatment machine in the respective treatment block, or are distributed across two different height levels to be fed to the respective transport routes after leaving the treatment block at the outlet. In particular, the second treatment block can comprise a mass conveyor that allows containers to be treated at two height levels corresponding to the vertical transport routes, so that a height-overcoming device is not required in this area.

[0023] In one embodiment, it is provided that the first treatment block comprises a filler and / or a closer and / or an inspection device for inspecting the containers.

[0024] These devices can advantageously be arranged outside a treatment block that includes a wet area and can thus continue to operate even if, for example, the third treatment block fails, since buffering of the containers is realized in between.

[0025] Furthermore, it can be provided that the third treatment block downstream of the second container inlet comprises a lane division for dividing the containers from the second single-row transport device into a plurality of lanes and / or wherein the third treatment block comprises an inspection device for inspecting the containers and / or wherein the third treatment block comprises a labeling machine and / or a direct printing machine.

[0026] The lane division allows for increased throughput of the third treatment block. Since the subsequent treatment of the containers following a pasteurization is usually not time-critical (i.e., a certain downtime of the containers prior to this treatment is possible without adversely affecting the containers), labeling machines or direct printing machines designed for decorating the containers can advantageously be arranged in this treatment block.

[0027] It can further be provided that the second treatment block and / or the third treatment block comprises a coding device for applying a code to containers.

[0028] By providing appropriate coding devices, containers can be tracked through the container processing plant, even if the containers are transported in an unorganized manner in the bulk conveyor and thus in the buffer area for the container processing plant. If a coding device is installed in both the first and third processing blocks, this allows precise tracking of where each container was processed in the first and third processing blocks, despite the possible mixing of the containers in the second processing block.

[0029] In one embodiment, no treatment of containers takes place in the area of ​​the first transport device and / or in the area of ​​the second transport device. The first and second transport devices thus serve only to transport the containers, without any treatment of the containers taking place during this process.

[0030] It can further be provided that upstream of the first treatment block, a fourth treatment block with a wet and / or tempering area, comprising a mass conveyor for containers, or with a buffer system for containers is arranged, wherein the fourth treatment block comprises a third single-row container outlet and the first treatment block comprises a third container inlet, wherein the third single-row container outlet is connected to the third single-row container inlet by a third single-row transport device.

[0031] The wet and / or tempering area with the mass conveyor can also serve as a buffer to compensate for a failure of the downstream first treatment block.

[0032] In particular, the fourth treatment block can comprise a container washing machine if it is designed as a wet and / or temperature-controlled area. Since the treatment of the containers in a container washing machine is not time-critical, a longer dwell time and thus a buffer effect of the container washing machine is possible without adversely affecting the containers, compensating for any failure of downstream container treatment machines.

[0033] It can further be provided that the third single-row container outlet, the third transport device, and the third single-row container inlet are designed for single-row transport of containers in at least two vertical transport lines. This allows the throughput of the containers in the single-row transport devices to be increased.

[0034] In one embodiment, the fourth treatment block and / or the second treatment block comprise a buffer area for the random buffering of containers outside the wet and / or tempering area and downstream of the container inlet of the treatment block and upstream of the container outlet of the treatment block. By providing external buffer areas, excessively long container treatment can be avoided.

[0035] According to the invention, a range of container treatment systems is further provided, wherein each of the container treatment systems comprises a container treatment system according to one of the preceding embodiments and wherein for two different container treatment systems of the range of container treatment systems, the first single-row transport device and / or the second single-row transport device and / or the third single-row transport device have a different shape.

[0036] Advantageously, the container treatment plants can only vary in terms of the design of the transport equipment. This makes it possible to adapt different container treatment plants to different spatial conditions without having to significantly modify the individual treatment blocks.

[0037] In particular, it can be provided that the treatment blocks for two different container treatment plants in the range of container treatment plants are designed essentially the same.

[0038] This design allows for flexible adaptation of the container treatment plant to different spatial conditions without requiring a fundamentally new design of the entire plant, including the treatment blocks.

[0039] It can also be provided that the treatment blocks for two different container treatment systems from the range of container treatment systems are designed essentially the same. The fact that the treatment blocks are designed essentially the same means, in particular, that they differ, if at all, only with regard to the container inlet and / or the container outlet, for example, the position or orientation of the container inlet and / or the container outlet. Since these elements can be designed as a modular part of a treatment block, changing these elements does not require a fundamentally new design of the treatment block itself, which increases the flexibility in adapting a container treatment system to different spatial conditions while simultaneously reducing the effort involved in designing the container treatment systems.Furthermore, a method for treating containers, such as bottles, is provided, wherein the containers are treated in a container treatment plant according to one of the preceding embodiments and at least one treatment step is carried out on the containers in each of the first treatment block, the second treatment block and the third treatment block.

[0040] Short description of the characters

[0041] Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a container treatment plant according to an embodiment.

[0042] Fig. 2a and b show schematic embodiments of the container transport in the transport devices and the treatment blocks.

[0043] Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of a buffer system.

[0044] Fig. 4a to c show different implementations of container treatment plants from a range of container treatment plants.

[0045] Detailed description

[0046] Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a container treatment system 100 for treating containers 180, such as bottles, cans, or the like, according to one embodiment. In the view shown in Fig. 1, the container treatment system comprises a first treatment block 101 and, downstream of the first treatment block in the transport direction of the containers 180, a second treatment block 102, as well as a third treatment block 103, downstream of the second treatment block 102 in the transport direction of the containers 180.

[0047] Each of these treatment blocks 101 to 103 comprises at least one container treatment machine that can perform a treatment step on the containers. Treating containers includes any action performed on the containers, in particular filling, closing, or cleaning, as well as heating, cooling, or applying a liquid, but also providing the containers with decorative elements, such as labels or printed images. Inspecting the containers can also be understood as treating the containers. Likewise, applying a code or other identification marking, for example, for tracking individual containers through the treatment system, as well as reading such a code, can be understood as treating the containers.However, mere buffering can also be understood as container treatment for configurations in which, in particular, the second treatment block 102 comprises a buffer system or is configured as such (i.e., does not comprise a further container treatment machine). Thus, in particular, a coding device for applying a code to the containers and / or a reading device for reading such a code and / or an inspection device for inspecting the containers can also be provided as part of the first and / or third treatment blocks 101 and 103.

[0048] Thus, the first treatment block 101 can comprise at least one container treatment machine in the form of a carousel 113, indicated schematically here, along whose periphery a plurality of container receptacles and / or treatment stations for treating the containers are arranged (not shown in detail here). The treatment machine can be designed in particular as a filler or closer or a combined filler-closer treatment machine. The first treatment block 101 can also comprise container treatment machines arranged one after the other (in the transport direction of the containers), wherein each of these machines can be designed as a carousel and / or as a linear machine. For example, a filler can be designed as a linear machine and a subsequent closer can be realized as a rotary machine.

[0049] In one embodiment, the second treatment block 102 comprises a wet and / or tempering area 123. This is designed as a mass conveyor, so that the containers are transported in a random manner in the area of ​​the wet and / or tempering area 123. The mass conveyor can have a length of several meters (for example, 5 m or 10 m or more) and can be designed as a conveyor belt or transport belt on which containers are guided through the wet and / or tempering area 123. The transport belt can, in particular, have a width transverse to the transport direction of the containers 180 in the area 123 that is a multiple of the diameter of a container, so that a plurality of containers can be transported next to one another and in a random manner.

[0050] Preferably, the wet and / or tempering area can be designed as a pasteurizer and can heat and / or cool the containers 180 guided through the wet and / or tempering area 123 either by radiation and / or air or by exposure to a liquid medium (for example water).

[0051] The second treatment block 102 may further preferably comprise, downstream of the wet and / or tempering area, a blow-off device which, if the containers were exposed to a liquid in the wet and / or tempering area 123, can cause the containers to dry.

[0052] Alternatively, as already described, the second treatment block can comprise a buffer system 123 instead of a wet and / or temperature-controlled area. This buffer system can be designed, in particular, as a line buffer or as a mass buffer. A line buffer is understood to be a buffer system in which containers can be temporarily stored in an orderly manner in several rows (also called aisles), at least with respect to the respective row. In a line buffer, the movement of containers in at least one of the rows of the line buffer can therefore come to a standstill, even though containers are continuously being fed into the line buffer and / or containers are continuously being removed from the line buffer. Preferred embodiments of such line buffers or line buffer tables are known from WO 2019 / 011516 A1, the content of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference. More detailed embodiments will be described with reference to Figure 3.

[0053] A mass buffer can be designed analogously to the mass conveyor in the wet and / or tempering area, whereby the mass buffer, in contrast to the mass conveyor in the wet and / or tempering area, is not designed as part of another container treatment machine, but merely performs the function of buffering containers. The mass buffer can, in particular, be designed as a conveyor belt for the random transport of containers. Preferred embodiments of a mass buffer are described in EP 3 929 114 A1. The content of EP 3 929 114 A1 is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference. Particularly preferred embodiments of a mass buffer are shown in EP 3 929 114 A1 in Figures 1 to 9 and described in the associated description in paragraphs 59 to 167.The methods described in connection with these embodiments are also preferred as embodiments of a mass buffer and in particular its operation.

[0054] The third treatment block 103 can then comprise one or more decoration devices and / or inspection devices. These can also be designed, as shown here, as one or more carousels 133, along whose periphery container receptacles and / or container treatment stations are arranged to carry out the respective treatment step. For example, if the treatment block 103 is designed as a labeling machine comprising a carousel 133 with container receptacles can be provided, along whose periphery stationary labeling units are arranged to apply the labels to the containers transported in the carousel. Alternatively or additionally, a printing press, in particular a direct printing press, can also be provided as part of the third treatment block 103.This can, for example, include rotating print heads (i.e. arranged on the carousel) or fixed print heads that apply printing ink to the containers.

[0055] Optionally, a fourth treatment block 104 can be arranged upstream of the first treatment block 101, which can comprise a mass conveyor 143 as part of a wet and / or tempering area 143. As an alternative to a wet and / or tempering area, a buffer system, for example in the form of a line buffer or mass buffer, can also be provided here. The fourth treatment block 104 can, in particular, comprise a container washing machine as an implementation of the wet and / or tempering area 143. Analogous to the second treatment block 102, it can also be provided here that a blow-off system is arranged downstream of the wet and / or tempering area 143, which dries the containers.

[0056] According to the invention, single-row transport devices for single-row transport of the containers are arranged between the individual treatment blocks. Thus, a first single-row transport device 152 is arranged between the first treatment block 101 and the second treatment block 102. A second single-row transport device 153 is arranged between the second treatment block 102 and the third treatment block 103, and a third single-row transport device 151 can be arranged between the optionally provided fourth treatment block 104 and the first treatment block 101.

[0057] The transport devices 151, 152, and 153 can be designed, in particular, as conveyor belts that transport containers consecutively in only one row (viewed transversely to the transport direction of the containers in the respective transport device). Alternatively or additionally, one or more of the transport devices can also be designed as air conveyors, in which the containers are arranged suspended from the support ring in a guide channel and are transported in the transport direction by an air flow.

[0058] The first treatment block 101 further comprises a first container outlet 112, which transfers containers from the treatment block 101 to the first single-row transport device 152. Here, for example, a suitable transfer of the containers from a transport in neck handling or from a transport in corresponding container receptacles within the first treatment block 101 to the single-row first transport device 151 can take place. Corresponding means are known from the prior art. The second treatment block 102 comprises a first container inlet 121, via which the containers are transferred from the first single-row transport device 152 to the second treatment block 102. This first container inlet 121 can comprise one or more guide elements or gates in order to distribute the containers from the single-row transport to the mass conveyor.For example, guide rails can be used that fan out in the transport direction of the containers, so that a disordered mass transport or a corresponding handover to the mass conveyor is guaranteed as far as possible across the entire width of the mass conveyor.

[0059] The second treatment block 102 further comprises, downstream of the wet and / or tempering area 123 or the buffer system, a second container outlet 122, which transfers the containers from the bulk conveyor to a downstream, second, single-row transport device 153. For this purpose, the second container outlet 122 can be configured "inversely" to the first container inlet 121, so that it separates the containers from the initially random transport in the bulk conveyor 123 and transfers them to the second, single-row transport device. Suitable guide slots can also be provided for this purpose, which accommodate the containers in several rows, which are then brought together to effect single-row transport.

[0060] In one embodiment, it can be provided that the first container inlet 121 and / or the second container outlet 122 comprise buffer areas (not shown in detail here), which can essentially be designed as standing areas or conveyor belts and can be used as buffers if the container treatment is interrupted downstream or upstream of the second treatment block (for example, due to a malfunction). It is then possible to block the second container outlet and to buffer the incoming containers in the buffer area or in the mass conveyor until they have reached their respective capacity limits. It can be provided that the buffer areas assigned to the first container inlet 121 and / or the second container outlet 122 can accommodate up to 10,000 or up to 20,000 containers or more.

[0061] The second single-row transport device 153 then feeds the containers to the third treatment block 103, which comprises a second container inlet 131, in which the containers can be taken over by the second single-row transport device 152 and fed to a container treatment machine of the third treatment block 103. Here, for example, the containers transported in the conveyor belt of the second single-row transport device 152 can be transferred to the neck handling (for example, by arranging a rotary star and a blocking device for successively feeding the containers to the rotary star). Subsequently, a transfer to the actual container treatment machines in the third treatment block 103 can take place.

[0062] The third treatment block 103 may further comprise a container outlet 132, through which containers can be fed, for example, to further container treatment machines or further processed as packaged pallets. However, this is not essential to the invention.

[0063] If a fourth treatment block 104 is provided, it comprises a third container outlet 142, via which containers can be fed to a third single-row transport device 151. Analogous to the second container outlet 122 of the second treatment block 102, this can also cause containers to be separated from the mass conveyor 143 via suitable gates before being transferred to the third single-row transport device 151.

[0064] If a fourth treatment block 104 is provided, the first treatment block 101 further comprises a third container inlet 111, via which containers from the third single-row transport device 153 can be conveyed to the first treatment block 101 and, in particular, to a container treatment machine of this treatment block. Here, in accordance with the embodiments already described above, suitable separation of the containers or spacing of the containers can be achieved, for example, via rotary starwheels and / or blocking devices, in order to then convey them to the respective container treatment machines.

[0065] The fourth treatment block 104 may further comprise a container inlet 141, through which containers can be fed to the fourth treatment block 104. The container inlet may be configured analogously to the previously described embodiments.

[0066] The first treatment block 101 and / or the third treatment block 103 can also comprise a lane division at the respective container inlet, which divides the containers from the single-row transport into several lanes, in which the containers are transported in an orderly manner and in a row one behind the other. From these lanes, the containers can then be fed to container treatment machines. For example, each lane can lead to a different labeling machine. This can increase the throughput of the treatment blocks 101 and 103. Furthermore, Fig. 1 shows a control device 160, which is connected to each of the provided treatment blocks 101, 102, 103, and 104, preferably for bidirectional data exchange. In addition, the control unit 160 can also preferably be connected to the respective single-row transport devices for bidirectional data exchange.The control unit can be designed as a control unit of the container treatment system and can control all components of the container treatment system. Alternatively or additionally, each of the treatment blocks 101 to 104 can be assigned a respective control unit that can control the functions of the treatment blocks. The control units can, in particular, be designed as computers.

[0067] Figures 2a and 2b show different embodiments of sequentially arranged treatment blocks, wherein at least one of the treatment blocks comprises a mass transporter. Therefore, the first treatment block 101 and the second treatment block 102, which comprises a mass transporter, are shown as examples in Figures 2a and 2b.

[0068] In Fig. 2a, the transport from the first treatment block 101 to the second treatment block 102 takes place via the single-row transport device 152, in which the containers 180 are transported in a single row. In the first container inlet 121, the containers are then divided by the single-row transport, as described with reference to Fig. 1, for example, via suitable guides, so that they can be fed to the mass conveyor 123 preferably across its entire width.

[0069] It is preferred if the mass conveyor 123 is moved more slowly than the transport speed of the containers 180 in the first single-row transport device, so that the capacity of the mass conveyor 123 is utilized as fully as possible. In particular, the transport speed of the containers in the mass conveyor can correspond to the reciprocal value of the maximum number of containers transported across the width of the mass conveyor perpendicular to the transport direction of the containers in the mass conveyor 123 multiplied by the transport speed of the containers in the first single-row transport device 152. If, for example, ten containers can be transported across the width of the mass conveyor perpendicular to the transport direction of the containers in the mass conveyor, the transport speed of the containers in the mass conveyor 123 can correspond to approximately one-tenth of the transport speed of the containers in the transport device 152.A lower belt loading in the conveyor of the bulk conveyor is also conceivable. Furthermore, the transport speed of the containers in the bulk conveyor can also correspond to the reciprocal value of the maximum possible average loading per row, assuming the densest packing of bottles, multiplied by the transport speed of the containers in the first single-row conveyor 152. This densest packing is theoretically the hexagonal packing, with one row of bottles offset from the adjacent row by half the diameter of the bottles perpendicular to the transport direction. This dense packing is often not achieved perfectly, but only to a certain percentage.If, during operation, the mass conveyor can be loaded to, for example, 90% or 97.5% of the densest possible packing, this value can be used to determine the transport speed in the single-row transport device.

[0070] It can also be provided that the transport speed of the containers in the mass conveyor 123 is used as a guideline, since the transport speed of the containers in the mass conveyor 123, if this is implemented, for example, as part of a pasteurizer, is essentially determined by the treatment time necessary for pasteurizing the products or the residence time of the containers in the pasteurizer.

[0071] Fig. 2b shows an alternative embodiment to Fig. 2a, in which the containers are transported in the first single-row transport device via two transport paths 251 and 252 arranged at a vertical distance from one another, which together form the single-row transport device 152. These transport containers 180 at different levels, so that the throughput of the containers that can be transported by the second single-row transport device 152 can be increased.

[0072] In this embodiment, it can be provided that the containers in the first treatment block 101 are only treated in one level. For example, a carousel can only comprise one level of container receptacles. In order to distribute the containers onto the transport routes 251 and 252, suitable guide devices can be used to divide the containers. For example, it can be provided that the container treatment takes place in the first treatment block at the level of the transport route 252 and the containers 180 are transferred from this height to a lower height corresponding to the transport route 251 and fed to this by a suitable vertical guide device. This can be done, for example, by suitable transport stars, wherein every second container can be fed to the second transport route 251 and the remaining containers to the first transport route 252.For this purpose, the transport starwheel can, for example, have lowering elements that allow individual lowering of containers. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2b, the second treatment block is designed such that the mass conveyor comprises two mass conveyors 231 and 232, each at the level of the transport path 251 and 252, respectively.

[0073] The first container inlet 121 is then preferably designed such that it can distribute the containers transported in single rows in the respective transport lines 251 and 252 to the respective mass conveyors 231 and 232.

[0074] Alternatively, it can be provided that in the second treatment block 102, as shown in Fig. 2a, the mass conveyor only transports containers on one level. In this embodiment, it can then be provided that the first container inlet 121 enables the containers to be transferred, for example, from the transport section 252 to the level of the mass conveyor 231. This can be achieved analogously to the first container outlet 112 by suitable rotating stars that enable all containers arriving on the transport section 252 to be lowered. This can be designed such that two independent guides are arranged at the level of, but upstream of, the mass conveyor 231, which ensure that the containers are distributed over the mass flow 231 so that accidental container collisions do not occur. The first arrangement of guides can distribute the containers on the transport section 251 at a consistent height.The second arrangement of gates can distribute the containers lowered from the transport path 252 before they are fed to the mass conveyor 231 with the other containers.

[0075] In the second container outlet 122, depending on the downstream single-row transport device (not shown here), the containers can then be arranged either on only one transport level or on two transport levels.

[0076] For example, the containers can first be separated again from the respective mass conveyors 231 and 232 (via corresponding guides) and then transferred to the downstream single-row transport device by transferring them to corresponding rotary stars with suitable guide devices for lowering or lifting the containers.

[0077] Fig. 3 shows, by way of example, a possible device 300 for conveying and temporarily storing articles (not shown), in particular the containers described so far, which is configured to divide or separate a single-track or single-lane inlet stream 326 from a container inlet according to one of the previous embodiments with an exemplary possible conveying direction 340 into at least two article inlet paths 327, 328.

[0078] For dividing or separating the inlet stream 326, the device 300 has an exemplary article inlet stream splitter 323, for example a switch, which can selectively guide or divide articles incoming via the inlet stream 326 onto a (first) article inlet path 327 or onto another (second) article inlet path 328.

[0079] For this purpose, the article inlet stream divider 323 can, for example, switch between two configurations or positions 324, 325. Shown here as an example, the article inlet stream divider 323 is in a first position / configuration 324 in which an article entering via the inlet stream 326 can be directed to an article inlet path 328.

[0080] The exemplary path or route or trajectory of an article in the configuration shown is shown by grayscale or hatching.

[0081] In addition, a possible second position / configuration 325 of the article inlet flow divider 323 is shown as an example, in which an article entering via the inlet flow 326 would / can be directed to another (second) article inlet path 327.

[0082] The device 300 also has, for example, two movable article inlet distributors 321, 322, each of which is assigned to an article inlet path 327, 328. Here, for example, the article inlet distributor 321 is assigned to the article inlet path 327, and the article inlet distributor 322 is assigned to the article inlet path 328.

[0083] The article inlet distributors 321, 322 can be designed, for example, as movable or movable slides or transfer slides or carriages or transfer carriages.

[0084] The movable article inlet distributors 321, 322 are configured to distribute articles from the article inlet paths 327, 328 assigned to them to at least one intermediate storage device 339.

[0085] The movable article inlet distributors 321, 322 are movable or displaceable or slidable, for example, along linear guides 331, 332, e.g. rails or grooves.

[0086] In addition, the article inlet distributors 321, 322 can be designed, for example, such that they can guide articles from one of the article inlet paths 327, 328 to different areas of the intermediate storage device 339, for example, to different rows of a multi-row buffer table or row buffer table, by means of non-rectilinear guide elements 333, 334. The possible guide elements 333, 334 can be designed, for example, as guide walls or guard rails for guiding the articles. Preferably, this can be, for example, a conveyor channel with at least one belt, wherein the containers can be guided into the rows, for example, by being clamped on one or both sides.

[0087] The buffer device 339 shown as an example is shown as a multi-row buffer table or line buffer table, which can have several rows or tracks 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320 for receiving, conveying and temporarily storing articles.

[0088] For example, the rows or paths 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320 of the buffer table or row buffer table are rectilinear and parallel to one another. However, other geometries, e.g., non-reciprocal geometries, of the rows or paths of the buffer table or row buffer table are also conceivable.

[0089] In the exemplary configuration of the device 300 or the configuration of the article inlet distributors 321, 322, the article inlet distributor 321 is configured, for example, to guide articles picked up via the article inlet path 327 to the line 305, while the article inlet distributor 322 is configured, for example, to guide articles picked up via the article inlet path 328 to the line 311.

[0090] The article inlet distributors 321, 322 may, among other things, be configured to distribute articles to different independent areas of the intermediate storage device 339.

[0091] For example, the article inlet distributor 321 can be configured to serve the rows or lanes 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308, 309, 310, i.e. to distribute articles to the rows or lanes 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308, 309, 310, while, for example, the article inlet distributor 322 can be configured to serve the rows or lanes 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320, i.e. to distribute articles to the rows or lanes 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320 can be distributed.

[0092] The article inlet distributors 321, 322 can be designed such that they have at least partially complementary contours, so that they can, for example, be displaced into one another in such a way that adjacent rows or lanes can also be served or approached by different article inlet distributors 321, 322. Thus, it is conceivable that, for example, row 310 can be served by article inlet distributor 321, while article inlet distributor 322 is in a position in which it can / could serve row 311.

[0093] Reference numerals 329, 330 indicate exemplary possible sections of the article inlet paths 327, 328 for feeding articles into the intermediate storage device. In other words, depending on the configuration or the position of the article inlet distributors 321, 322, the various sections of the article inlet paths 327, 328 can be used, driven over, or used as a conveying path for articles.

[0094] For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned that all sections of the illustrated paths, tracks and lines, i.e. inlet stream 326, article inlet paths 327, 328, 329, 330, as well as lines 301 to 320 can be designed as conveyor paths that can be configured to transport articles, such as containers.

[0095] As described above, drive means such as chain hoists and / or belts, as well as drives such as linear motors or long stator linear motors, can be used to drive the conveyor paths and / or to move the article inlet distributors 321, 322.

[0096] Drive motors 335, 336, 337, 338 are shown as examples, which can be configured together to drive the rows or tracks 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320 of the buffer device.

[0097] In principle, any combination of the number and task of the drive motors 335, 336, 337, 338 as well as their coupling with the rows / tracks 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320 is conceivable.

[0098] It is conceivable, for example, that only two motors, e.g. 335 and 337, are provided, with one of the motors driving the row / track into which containers are currently to be conveyed or buffered, while the second motor drives the row or track that is currently to be emptied or buffered out.

[0099] It is also possible that, for example, two motors 335, 336 can each drive at least one row / track of a group of rows / tracks and at least one further motor 337 is / are provided for emptying or exhausting at least one row / track.

[0100] It is also possible for each row / track to have its own drive. These exemplary drive motors can be designed as internal rotor motors, for example, which can be mounted on a shaft, which can also be used to deflect a possible drive chain of a row / track.

[0101] As also mentioned, but not shown, the device 300 can also have at least one or at least two movable article outlet distributors, wherein the article outlet distributors can be configured to receive articles from the at least one intermediate storage device and to distribute them to at least one article outlet stream, in particular in the region of the container outlet according to one of the preceding embodiments and from there to the single-row transport device.

[0102] Figs. 4a to 4c show different configurations of the container treatment system to illustrate a range of container treatment systems. In Fig. 4a, the container treatment system 480 is arranged in a space 401, such as a factory hall, which has an elongated shape. To accommodate this, the respective treatment blocks 411 to 414 are arranged one after the other in a row in the transport direction of the containers. The single-row transport devices 415 to 417 extend between them and connect the container outlet of one treatment block with the downstream container inlet of the next treatment block.

[0103] Since buffering of containers, if necessary, is already realized by the treatment blocks with a mass conveyor, corresponding buffer areas, which would take up a lot of space, can be avoided in the single-row transport devices 415 to 417. The single-row transport devices 415 to 417 can be adapted in particular to the space requirements of the room 401, in particular shortened or lengthened, depending on the available space. The treatment blocks 411 to 414 can, however, always be of the same design regardless of the length of the room 401, so that adaptation to a shorter space in the transport direction of the containers can be achieved by shortening the single-row transport device when planning the container treatment system 480. A structural redesign of the treatment blocks is, however, not necessary, which simplifies the design of the container treatment system 480.

[0104] It can also be provided that the treatment blocks are always designed identically except for the arrangement of the container inlets and / or outlets, so that by adjusting the single-row transport devices and the arrangement of the container inlets and outlets, adaptation to spatial conditions is achieved without the treatment blocks themselves having to be changed.

[0105] Fig. 4b shows another embodiment of the container treatment system 480. Here, the available space 402 is essentially rectangular and does not allow, for example, a linear arrangement of the treatment blocks 421 to 424 one after the other, as was the case in Fig. 4a. Since the treatment blocks are preferably designed essentially the same as the treatment blocks 411 to 414 according to Fig. 4a, adaptation to the spatial conditions can be achieved by changing the single-row transport devices 425 to 427, wherein, for example, the single-row transport device 426 transports the containers along a curve, so that the container transport device is reversed and space can be saved. Depending on the length and width of the space 402 (for example, a factory hall), the length and / or curvature of the individual single-row transport devices can be adjusted, if necessary.

[0106] As an alternative to the embodiments of Figs. 4a and 4b, Fig. 4c shows a container treatment system 480 that is to be arranged in a substantially L-shaped space 403. Here, too, treatment blocks 431 to 434 are provided, which are configured essentially identically to the treatment blocks according to the embodiments of Figs. 4a and 4b. Adaptation to the available space 403 can again be achieved by suitable configurations of the single-row transport devices 435 to 437, with the transport direction being changed by 90° in the transport device 436 to accommodate the L-shape of the available space 403.

[0107] Since the single-row conveyors do not have to provide a buffer effect, they can be selected virtually arbitrarily in terms of their length and thus their container capacity (the maximum number of containers available in the respective single-row conveyor at a given time), thus allowing adaptation to the spatial conditions. The buffer effect is ensured by the treatment blocks themselves, which are essentially always designed in the same way.

[0108] The embodiments shown as examples in Fig. 4a to 4c make it possible to create a range of container treatment systems that can be adapted practically arbitrarily to the available space, for example in a factory hall. This is achieved by adapting the single-row transport devices for single-row transport between the treatment blocks, whereas the individual treatment blocks are preferably always designed the same. Minor deviations in the treatment blocks, particularly with regard to the container inlet and / or the container outlet, can be provided for container treatment systems in the range. This applies in particular to transport in one or more transport levels, but also, for example, to the exit angle of the containers from the respective container outlet or the entry angle into the respective container inlet.This depends on the orientation of the transport equipment and can be modified accordingly.

[0109] However, the container treatment machines within the respective treatment blocks are preferably always designed and constructed in the same way for each container treatment plant of such a range.

Claims

Claims for a container treatment plant for treating containers, such as bottles, comprising a first treatment block with a first single-row container outlet, a second treatment block arranged downstream comprising a wet and / or temperature control area with a bulk conveyor for containers or a buffer system for containers, a first single-row container inlet upstream of the bulk conveyor or the buffer system and a second single-row container outlet downstream of the bulk conveyor or the buffer system, and a third treatment block arranged downstream of the second treatment block with a second single-row container inlet.wherein the single-row container outlet of the first treatment block is connected to the single-row container inlet of the second treatment block by a first single-row transport device, and the single-row container outlet of the second treatment block is connected to the single-row container inlet of the third treatment block by a second single-row transport device. Container treatment system according to claim 1, wherein the wet and / or tempering area is configured as a pasteurizer and / or the second treatment block includes a blow-off device for blowing off liquid from the surface of the containers; or wherein the buffer system comprises a line buffer comprising at least two single-row buffer lanes, or a mass buffer for randomly buffering containers. Container treatment system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first single-row container outlet,The first single-row conveying device and the first single-row container inlet are configured for the single-row conveying of containers in at least two vertical conveying sections; and / or wherein the second single-row container outlet, the second single-row conveying device, and the second single-row container inlet are configured for the single-row conveying of containers in at least two vertical conveying sections. Container treatment system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first treatment block comprises a filler and / or a capper and / or an inspection device for inspecting the containers. Container treatment system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the third treatment block, downstream of the second container inlet, comprises a lane divider for dividing the containers from the second single-row conveying device into several lanes. and / or wherein the third treatment block comprises an inspection device for inspecting the containers and / or wherein the third treatment block comprises a labeling machine and / or a direct printing machine. Container treatment system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second treatment block and / or the third treatment block comprises a coding device for applying a code to containers. Container treatment system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein no treatment of containers takes place in the area of ​​the first transport device and / or in the area of ​​the second transport device.Container treatment plant according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein upstream of the first treatment block a fourth treatment block with a wet and / or temperature control area, comprising a bulk conveyor for containers, or a buffer system for containers, is arranged, wherein the fourth treatment block comprises a third single-row container outlet and the first treatment block comprises a third container inlet, wherein the third single-row container outlet is connected to the third single-row container inlet by a third single-row transport device. Container treatment plant according to claim 8, wherein the fourth treatment block comprises a container washing machine. Container treatment plant according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the third single-row container outlet, the third transport device and the third single-row container inlet are configured for the single-row transport of containers in at least two vertical transport sections.Container treatment plant according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the fourth treatment block and / or the second treatment block comprise a buffer zone for the random buffering of containers outside the wet and / or temperature control zone and downstream of the container inlet of the treatment block and upstream of the container outlet of the treatment block. Range of container treatment plants, wherein each of the container treatment plants comprises a container treatment plant according to any one of claims 1 to 11, and wherein for two different container treatment plants of the range of container treatment plants... Treatment systems in which the first single-row transport device and / or the second single-row transport device and / or the third single-row transport device have different shapes. Assortment of container treatment systems according to claim 12, wherein the treatment blocks are substantially identical for two different container treatment systems of the assortment of container treatment systems. Method for treating containers, such as bottles, wherein the containers are treated in a container treatment system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, and at least one treatment step is carried out on the containers in each of the first treatment block, the second treatment block, and the third treatment block.

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