Container processing installation and a method for processing containers
Patent Information
- Application Number
- EP2023822372
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-01-06
- Filing Date
- 2023-12-13
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-12
AI Technical Summary
High-speed container treatment systems in the beverage industry face issues with spillover of filling material during transfer from filling machines to sealing devices, leading to reduced efficiency and increased space requirements when attempting to prevent spills.
A container treatment system with two rotating closing devices operating in parallel with a filling machine, utilizing transfer devices with adjustable gripping elements to slow down container transfer speed and prevent spillover, while maintaining high performance.
The system effectively reduces or prevents spillover, allowing for high-throughput operation with minimal contamination, achieving performance rates of up to 100,000 containers per hour without compromising efficiency.
Smart Images
Figure 1.1
Abstract
Description
[0001] Container treatment plant and method for treating containers
[0002] The invention relates to a container treatment plant for treating containers according to the preamble of patent claim 1. Furthermore, the invention also relates to a corresponding method for treating containers in a container treatment plant.
[0003] The invention relates to container processing systems in the beverage industry, which can also be referred to as beverage filling systems or filling lines. In particular, the present invention relates to container processing systems with high efficiency and productivity that allow precise filling at high output. Thus, the present invention relates to container processing systems with container processing machines with a capacity of more than 10,000 containers per hour, in particular container processing machines with a capacity of more than 50,000 containers per hour.
[0004] Container processing systems of this type typically comprise several container processing machines with different functions, which carry out the necessary sequential process steps during filling. The core of such container processing systems is the machine for filling the containers, namely so-called filling machines or fillers, and the subsequent machines for closing the containers, so-called closers. As is known, other container processing machines can be provided as additional system components, for example, upstream of the filler or downstream of the closer.
[0005] Filling machines of this type have a multitude of processing stations or positions, which can also be referred to as filling stations or filling positions. At each filling station of the filling machine, a filling element or filling device is provided with a filling valve or liquid valve, through whose discharge opening the liquid filling material is dispensed into the container.
[0006] Such filling machines are usually rotating or rotary filling machines of a revolving design, which can also be referred to as filler carousels. Due to their high performance, these fillers rotate at high speed. The containers to be filled, especially bottles, are moved along by the filler carousel at this high speed during filling and, once filled, are transferred to a subsequent capper for sealing.
[0007] The cappers of the above-mentioned type also generally have a multitude of processing stations or positions, which can also be referred to as capping stations or capping positions. The cappers are also usually designed as rotating or rotary cappers of a circulating design.
[0008] Due to the high speeds at which the containers are transported in treatment plants of the type mentioned, the problem often arises in practice that the liquid contents spill over during transport, particularly when the containers are transferred from the filler to the closer.
[0009] To prevent this, the transport or operating speed of the container processing machines is often reduced, which, however, leads to a loss of efficiency, so that the container processing system can only be operated at a lower output than its nominal capacity. It is also known to date to counteract this problem of overflow by designing the sealer connected to the filler and any transfer devices provided between the filler and sealer very large, in particular with very large diameters. However, this is accompanied by increased space requirements and reduced system flexibility of the container processing system. Therefore, there is a continued need for container processing systems that can be operated in an improved manner at the desired high outputs.
[0010] The object of the invention is to provide a container treatment system for treating containers which allows the filling and closing of containers with high performance in an effective and safe manner and at the same time avoids or at least reduces the overflow of contents.
[0011] This object is achieved by a container treatment system according to the features of independent patent claim 1. Furthermore, a method according to the features of independent patent claim 13 is proposed to achieve this object. The dependent claims relate to particularly advantageous developments of the invention. The present invention provides a container treatment system for treating containers. The container treatment system comprises at least one rotating filling machine for filling the containers with a liquid filling material, as well as a first and a second rotating closing device for closing the filled containers.The container treatment system further comprises at least one first transfer device, connected to a first transfer point on the filling machine, for transferring containers from the filling machine to the first closing device, and at least one second transfer device, connected to a second transfer point on the filling machine, for transferring containers from the filling machine to the second closing device. The transfer devices are each equipped with a plurality of gripping and / or holding elements, distributed over their respective circumferences, for gripping the containers. According to the invention, the gripping and / or holding elements of the respective transfer device are each movable in the circumferential direction such that a distance between two gripping and / or holding elements arranged directly next to one another can be varied.
[0012] In the container processing system according to the invention, two closing devices are connected to a filling machine, such that during the ongoing process of filling the containers of a container stream, two closing devices are actively operating together with the filling machine. In other words, two closing devices operate in parallel with the one filling machine. Advantageously, the containers filled in the filling machine can be distributed between the two closing devices for closing.
[0013] The transfer of the filled containers to the two closing devices is realized via the two provided transfer devices, which alternately receive the containers from the filling machine with their gripping and / or holding elements. The distance between the gripping and / or holding elements can be adjusted relative to one another during their circumferential movement. In this way, when the filled containers are transferred to the two closing devices, the speed at which the containers are transferred to the closer can be reduced, preferably halved, compared to the speed at which the containers are transported in the filling machine. This can prevent or reduce any spillage of the contents filled into the containers.In conventional container handling systems, such overflow usually occurs at the high transport speeds prevailing at the exact point where the containers are transferred to the closing device via a transfer device. Particularly when the rotors of the transfer device and closing device have a smaller diameter than the rotor of the filling machine, overflow can occur. This occurs because the direction of the inclination of the liquid level, namely the tilt angle, changes. Due to the smaller rotor size, the tilt angle is very steep, so that overflow events can occur.
[0014] In contrast, in the present container treatment system according to the invention, the intended transfer of the containers to two parallel closing devices and the associated reduction in the speed of the containers during their transfer to the closing devices make it particularly advantageous to avoid or reduce overflow while simultaneously maintaining the high performance of the container treatment system. This means that with the container treatment system according to the invention, overflow can be reduced or prevented while maintaining a consistently high performance, allowing the container treatment system to operate at high performance without contaminating the container treatment system with overflowing contents and without running the risk of undesirably altering the previously defined volume of contents in the containers.
[0015] Thus, with the present container treatment plant according to the invention, the effect of impulses or the effect of changing centrifugal forces on the filled containers or on the liquid filling material filled in the containers can be controlled in such a way that the container treatment plant can be operated safely and cleanly in high-performance operation.
[0016] In particular, the container processing system can thus be designed for high throughput and achieve very high capacities when filling and closing containers, for example capacities of at least 80,000, in particular at least 90,000 or 100,000 containers per hour. Particularly preferably, the filling machine of the present container processing system is a high-performance filling machine, which in particular has a filling capacity of at least 80,000 containers per hour, in particular at least 90,000 containers per hour, and most preferably at least 100,000 containers per hour.
[0017] The filling machine of the present container treatment system is preferably designed for filling plastic bottles, for example, PET bottles. The high-performance filling machine operating at the aforementioned high performance can also be synonymously referred to as a high-speed filling machine. In the high-performance or high-speed filling machine, the containers, in particular bottles such as PET bottles, are fed at high speed into an inlet area of the filling machine, namely the filler inlet, and are also transported at high speed over the filler's pitch circle and filled in the process.
[0018] Advantageously, the first transfer device and the second transfer device together form a dividing device. This dividing device is designed to divide a container stream of filled containers provided by the filling machine in the region of the first transfer point into at least one first container sub-stream fed to the first closing device and a second container sub-stream fed to the second closing device. This can, for example, ensure that the filling machine fills the container stream at a high capacity or high throughput, each of the two closing devices closes the containers at half the capacity compared to the filling machine, and the container treatment system delivers the high capacity corresponding to the filling machine.
[0019] Particularly preferably, the first transfer device and the second transfer device are configured to alternately receive the containers provided by the filling machine and arranged in succession in the container stream. In particular, the first transfer device and the second transfer device are configured such that the first transfer device receives every second container from the container stream at the first transfer point, and the second transfer device receives the remaining containers at the second transfer point. In other words, each of the two transfer devices receives those containers that are arranged as the "next-but-one" containers in the container stream.In the case of a fictitious numbering of the containers directly following one another in the container flow with consecutive numbers, the first transfer device takes over all containers with odd numbers and the second transfer device takes over all containers with even numbers.
[0020] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the gripping and / or holding elements, at least in the receiving state when receiving the containers from the filling machine, have a transport pitch that differs from a filling position pitch of the filling machine. Particularly preferably, the transport pitch in the receiving state corresponds to twice the filling position pitch.
[0021] The transport pitch of the gripping and / or holding elements, which can also be understood as the transport pitch of the transfer devices, is to be understood as the relative distance between the gripping and / or holding elements gripping or carrying the containers. The transport pitch of the gripping and / or holding elements thus simultaneously corresponds to the distance between successive transported containers. For example, the distance between the gripping and / or holding elements or between the containers can be determined as the distance between the respective vertical axes of the gripping and / or holding elements or between the respective container vertical axes of the transported containers. The "transport pitch" can also be determined via the distance between the respective front sides or leading edges of the adjacent or successive gripping and / or holding elements - which are in front in the direction of movement.
[0022] In the present case, the transport pitch changes during the rotation of the gripping and / or holding elements due to their variable spacing arrangement or due to the change in the relative spacing of the gripping and / or holding elements from one another during a rotation around the circumference of the transfer devices. In particular, the transport pitch changes at least from a "transport pitch upon receiving the containers from the filling machine" in the takeover state to a "transport pitch upon transferring the containers to the closing device" in the transfer state. It is understood that after the containers have been transferred to the closing device, the gripping and / or holding elements change from the "transport pitch upon transfer" back to the "transport pitch upon takeover" during their further movement while rotating around the circumference of the transfer devices.
[0023] In this context, the term "filling position pitch" refers to the machine pitch of the filling machine, in particular the distance between the filling positions or filling points. The filling positions or filling points, each of which can be assigned a vertical filling position axis, are evenly distributed around the circumference of the filling machine's rotor, specifically at a predetermined angular distance from one another, so that the filling positions are evenly spaced in radians. The pitch between the filling positions can be understood in particular as the arc distance between the respective filling position axes of adjacent filling positions. The "filling position pitch" can also be determined via the distance between the respective front sides or leading edges of the adjacent or successive filling points - which are in the leading direction in the direction of movement.
[0024] The filling position pitch, or rather the machine pitch of the filling machine, correlates with the distance between the respective consecutive containers in the container flow during their filling. A "larger filling position pitch" corresponds to a greater distance between adjacent filling positions, so that with a "larger filling position pitch," the containers are also spaced further apart during their filling.
[0025] The expression "the gripping and / or holding elements in the receiving state have a transport pitch that corresponds to twice the filling position pitch" is to be understood here as meaning that the gripping and / or holding elements of the transfer devices in the receiving state have a respective distance from one another that is twice the distance between the respective filling positions of the filling machine. In this way, a gripping and / or holding element is appropriately assigned to every second filling position at the transfer point. In other words, immediately consecutive gripping and / or holding elements of the transfer devices can be aligned for receiving, each with a first and third filling position - based on consecutive filling positions.In this embodiment, the pitch can be doubled when the containers are transferred from the filling machine to the transfer device. This means that the distance between the containers received by the transfer device is doubled during transfer or in the transfer state relative to the distance between the containers in the filling machine. Thus, a change in pitch is caused by the transfer of the containers from the filling machine to the transfer device. Following transfer by the transfer device, a pitch shift is then caused during further transport of the containers due to the change in the distance between the gripping and / or holding elements during the circulation.
[0026] Most preferably, the first transfer device and / or the second transfer device are designed as a rotating transfer star, in particular as a pitch-delay star. For example, the gripping and / or holding elements can be arranged on a star body or a star plate via corresponding pivot arms. The pivot arms, for example, have an arm that can be telescopically extended via a linear bearing and a pivot bearing, such that the distance between the gripping and / or holding elements along the substantially circular transport path can be changed for pitch delay.
[0027] Alternatively, the respective transfer devices can also be designed, for example, in the form of linear motor transfer systems with rotating "movers" that can be moved along a closed orbit, in particular along an oval orbit. The gripping and / or holding elements can be arranged accordingly on independently movable "movers" of the linear motor.
[0028] It is also conceivable for the gripping and / or holding elements to be movable independently of one another at variable speeds along the circumference of the respective transfer device, for example, by means of a worm drive with a variable pitch and / or a magnetic drive. This allows the distances between adjacent gripping and / or holding elements to be varied, thereby changing the spacing of the containers transported one behind the other and thus adjusting them to a different pitch.Furthermore, the first transfer device and / or the second transfer device are preferably configured to bring the containers received at the respective transfer points to a predetermined closing position division of the closing device until they are transferred to the respective closing device or to a transport star arranged upstream of the respective closing device, and to transfer the containers with the corresponding closing position division to the respective closing device or the upstream transport star.
[0029] The term "closing position pitch" in this context refers to the machine pitch of the closing device. The rotating closing device of the revolving design has a plurality of closing positions evenly distributed around the circumference of a rotor of the closing device. The "closing position pitch" refers to the distance between the closing positions. The closing positions, each of which can be assigned a vertical closing position axis, are arranged at a predetermined angular distance from one another in such a way that the closing positions are evenly spaced in radians, whereby the distance between the closing positions can be understood in particular as the arc distance between the respective closing position axes of adjacent closing positions.The “closing position division” can also be determined via the distance between the respective front sides or front edges of adjacent or successive closing positions - which are in the direction of movement in each case.
[0030] According to a particularly preferred embodiment, each closing device is followed by a respective outlet star, such that the filled and closed containers discharge from the container treatment plant via the outlet stars as partial container streams.
[0031] The division of the container flow initially fed to the filling machine at the filler inlet and transported via the filler partial circuit into at least two container partial flows at the transfer points in an outlet area of the filling machine, as well as the simultaneous change in the transport pitch of the gripping and / or holding elements of the transfer units, has the combined effect that the closing devices - in relation to the filling machine - only have to work at "half" power, i.e. that the closing devices can therefore be operated at a lower rotation speed.
[0032] Preferably, each closing device has a rotating, motor-driven rotor with a plurality of closing stations arranged on the circumference of the respective rotor for closing the containers, wherein the respective rotors of the closing devices have a respective rotor diameter which is smaller than a diameter of the rotor of the filling machine.
[0033] Particularly preferably, the rotor diameter of the respective rotors of the closing devices corresponds to at most half the diameter of the rotor of the filling machine, preferably at most one third and particularly preferably at most one quarter of the diameter of the rotor of the filling machine.
[0034] According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the first and second transfer devices each have a diameter that is reduced compared to the diameter of the rotor of the filling machine. In particular, the respective diameter of the transfer devices corresponds to at most half, at most one-third, or at most one-quarter of the diameter of the rotor of the filling machine.
[0035] Preferably, at least one control and / or regulating device is provided, which is communicatively connected at least to the filling machine, the transfer devices, and the closing devices. The control and / or regulating device is preferably configured to control and / or regulate the respective rotation speed of the filling machine, the transfer devices, and the closing devices.
[0036] According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, a stretch blow molding machine and / or a labeling machine are further provided, which are / are arranged upstream of the filling machine. In particular, the stretch blow molding machine and / or the labeling machine can be integrated with the filling machine. Furthermore, a (plasma) coating device for coating the interior of the containers can also preferably be provided, which can also be integrated with the stretch blow molding machine and / or the labeling machine and / or the filling machine. In the aforementioned embodiments, the integration can thus be realized as a duoblock, triblock, or quadroblock.
[0037] Furthermore, one or more feeding devices and / or transfer devices, for example, infeed starwheels and / or transfer starwheels, can be provided in the inlet to the filling machine. In variants with a stretch blow molding machine and / or labeling machine arranged upstream of the filling machine, one or more feeding devices and / or transfer devices, for example, infeed starwheels and / or transfer starwheels, can of course also be provided in the inlet of this stretch blow molding machine and / or labeling machine.
[0038] The present invention also relates to a method for treating containers in a container treatment plant, wherein the container treatment plant has at least one rotating filling machine for filling the containers with a liquid filling material, at least one first and one second closing device of rotating design for closing the filled containers and at least one first transfer device connected to the filling machine at a first transfer point for transferring the containers from the filling machine to the first closing device and a second transfer device connected to the filling machine at a second transfer point for transferring the containers from the filling machine to the second closing device.In the method according to the invention, the containers are filled in the filling machine, and the filled containers are alternately gripped and taken over at the transfer points by appropriately provided gripping and / or holding elements of the transfer devices. The containers held by the gripping and / or holding elements are transported at least in sections over the circumference of the transfer devices for transfer to the respective closing devices, and a distance between directly adjacent containers is changed in the process. The container treatment system used in the method according to the invention can, in particular, be the container treatment system according to the invention described above.
[0039] Preferably, the filled containers in the filling machine are transported as a container stream to the area of the first transfer point. At the first transfer point, every second container from the container stream is taken over by the first transfer device, thereby forming a first container sub-stream. The containers of the first container sub-stream are transferred from the first transfer device to the first closing device. The filled containers of the container stream remaining at the first transfer point in the filling machine are transported to the second transfer point, where they are taken over by the second transfer device, thereby forming a second container sub-stream. The containers of the second container sub-stream are transferred from the second transfer device to the second closing device.
[0040] According to a preferred embodiment, the containers are transported in the filling machine at a predetermined first speed and are taken over by the respective transfer devices at this first speed at the respective transfer points. Furthermore, the containers are slowed down for transfer from the respective transfer device to the respective closing device and transferred to the closing devices at a second speed that is reduced compared to the first speed. The containers are then transported further by the closing devices at the reduced second speed and sealed.
[0041] Furthermore, the containers are preferably transported in the filling machine with a filling position pitch. The filled containers are taken over at the transfer points by the gripping and / or holding elements of the respective transfer devices, each with a transport pitch of the gripping and / or holding elements, wherein the transport pitch of the gripping and / or holding elements differs from the filling position pitch of the filling machine, in particular corresponding to twice the filling position pitch. During transport along the circumference of the respective transfer devices until transfer to the respective closing devices, the containers are brought to a closing position pitch of the closing devices and transferred to the respective closing devices with a closing position pitch.
[0042] According to a further preferred variant, the filling machine treats the containers in the container stream at a first rate, measured as containers per unit of time, and each of the closing devices treats the containers in the container substreams at a second rate, half the first rate, measured as containers per unit of time. The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments and the figures. They show:
[0043] Fig. 1 is a roughly schematic overview of a variant of a container treatment plant in plan view;
[0044] Fig. 2 shows a roughly schematic and highly simplified section of a container treatment plant in the area of the first transfer point and
[0045] Fig. 3a, 3b roughly schematically and only partially sketched gripping and / or holding elements of a transfer device at different distances from each other.
[0046] Where appropriate, identical reference numerals are used in the figures for identical or equivalently functioning elements of the invention. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, only those reference numerals are shown in the individual figures that are necessary for the description of the respective figure. Furthermore, the invention is shown in the figures only as a schematic view to explain its operation. In particular, the representations in the figures serve only to explain the basic principle of the invention. For reasons of clarity, all components of the device have been omitted.
[0047] Figure 1 shows, based on a roughly schematic and highly simplified overview in plan view, an embodiment of a container treatment system 1 for treating containers 20, 20' (which are not shown in Figure 1 for reasons of clarity, see Figure 2), in particular bottles, such as plastic bottles, in particular PET bottles. The container treatment system 1 sketched as an example in Figure 1 comprises a rotating filling machine 2 for filling the containers 20, 20' with a liquid filling material, in particular with a beverage. The rotating filling machine 2 is of a rotating design and comprises a rotor 3 rotating in a direction of rotation R around a vertical center axis MA of the filling machine 2.
[0048] In an inlet area 14 of the container treatment plant 1, namely in the example shown in a filler inlet, a plurality of feeding devices 11 are provided for feeding the containers, which in the example shown are designed in the form of cooperating feed stars, via which the containers are fed to the filling machine 2 as a container stream S.
[0049] The filling machine 2 has a plurality of filling positions 4, which are evenly distributed around the circumference of the rotor 3 at predetermined angular intervals and are moved along with the rotor 3. The filling positions 4, which define respective filling points, are each equipped with corresponding filling elements known to those skilled in the art, which are designed to fill containers, in particular PET bottles. For the sake of simplicity, only a few filling positions 4 are shown in a small section of the circumference of the rotor 3 in Figure 1; the majority of the filling positions 4 are omitted from Figure 1. However, it is understood that the rotor 3 is occupied with filling positions 4 over its entire circumference.
[0050] The filling positions 4, evenly distributed at predetermined angular intervals, are provided on the rotor 3 in a filling position pitch T1, wherein the filling position pitch T1 corresponds to a machine pitch of the filling machine 2. When filling the containers 20, 20' in the filling machine 2, the containers 20, 20' are transported according to this filling position pitch T1. This means that the immediately consecutive containers 20, 20', which are transported in the filling machine 2 as a container stream S, are spaced from one another such that they are also arranged in a filling position pitch T1.
[0051] The container treatment plant 1 shown as an example further comprises a first transfer device 5 arranged at a first transfer point P1 and directly adjoining the filling machine 2, and a second transfer device 7 arranged at a second transfer point P2 and directly adjoining the filling machine 2, wherein the second transfer point P2 is arranged after the first transfer point P1 with respect to the direction of rotation R of the rotor 3 of the filling machine 2.
[0052] Following the first transfer device 5 arranged at the first transfer point P1, a first closing device 6 is provided in the container treatment plant 1, which in the example in Figure 1 is directly connected to the first transfer device 5, so that the first transfer device 5 is configured for the direct, immediate transfer of the containers to the first closing device 6. In an analogous manner, following the second transfer device 7 arranged at the second transfer point P2, a second closing device 8 is provided, which in the example in Figure 1 is directly connected to the second transfer device 7, so that the second transfer device 7 is configured for the direct, immediate transfer of the containers to the second closing device 8.
[0053] Each of the two closing devices 6, 8 is a rotating closing device of a rotating design and has a respective rotating, motor-driven rotor 6a, 8a, on the circumference of which a plurality of closing positions 13 (not shown in Figure 1 and only indicated sporadically in Figure 2 at a randomly selected section) are provided for closing the containers 20, 20'. The closing positions 13 are evenly distributed at predetermined angular intervals in a closing position pitch T3 (see Figure 2) on the respective rotor 6a, 8a, wherein the closing position pitch T3 corresponds to a respective machine pitch of the closing devices 6, 8. When the containers 20, 20' are closed in the closing devices 6, 8, the containers 20, 20' are transported in the closing position pitch T3.This means that the immediately successive containers passing through the closing devices 6, 8 are spaced apart from one another in such a way that the containers 20, 20' in the closing devices 6, 8 are also arranged in closing position pitch T3.
[0054] Each of the two closing devices 6, 8 is connected to a respective outlet star 9, 10, which receives the closed containers 20, 20' from the respective closing device 6, 8, whereby the closed containers 20, 20' can thus be transported away to an outlet area 15 of the container treatment plant 1.
[0055] During operation of the container treatment plant 1, the still empty containers 20, 20' to be filled are fed to the filling machine 2 via the feed devices 11 at the filler inlet and transported in the filling machine 2 as a container stream S along a filler partial circle over the circumference of the rotor 3 at a first speed v1 and filled during this process. The filled containers reach the first transfer point P1 as a container stream S at the first speed v1. As can also be seen from Figure 2, at the first transfer point P1, every second container 20 from the container stream S, i.e. an incoming container 20, then the next but one container 20 and subsequently every next but one container 20 from the container stream S, is taken over by the first transfer device 5 and transported as the first container partial stream TS1 partially over the circumference of the first transfer device 5 and transferred to the first closing device 6.Here, the containers 20 are slowed down for transfer from the transfer device 5 to the closing device 6, so that the containers have a second speed v2 during transfer that is reduced, in particular halved, compared to the first speed v1, and at which the containers 20 are transported further even after transfer to the closing device 6. After closing in the closing device 6, the containers 20 of the first container partial stream TS1 are transferred to the outlet starwheel 9, where they exit the container treatment plant 1 as container partial stream TS1.
[0056] The containers 20' remaining at the first transfer point P1 in the filling machine 2, i.e. the containers not taken over by the first transfer device 5 at the first transfer point P1, are transported further by the rotor 3 of the filling machine 2 at the first speed v1 to the second transfer point P2 and there taken over by the second transfer device 7. From the second transfer device 7, the containers 20' are transported as a second partial flow TS2 partially over the circumference of the second transfer device 7 and transferred to the second closing device 8. In this case, the containers 20' are again slowed down for transfer from the transfer device 7 to the closing device 8, so that the containers 20' have a second speed v2 during transfer which is reduced, in particular halved, compared to the first speed v1, and at which the containers 20' are also transported further by the closing device 8 after being transferred.After closing in the closing device 8, the containers 20' of the second container partial flow TS2 are transferred to the outlet star 10, where they exit the container treatment plant 1 as container partial flow TS2.
[0057] In this way, the container stream S transported in the filling machine 2 is divided into two container sub-streams TS1, TS2 by means of the two transfer devices 5, 7, and the two container sub-streams TS1, TS2 are further processed via the two closing devices 6, 8. In the container stream S, the containers 20, 20' are transported at a very high first speed v1, whereas in the container sub-streams TS1, TS2, the containers 20, 20' are transported at half the second speed v2.
[0058] As can be seen from Figure 1, in the exemplary container treatment plant 1, both the transfer devices 5, 7 and the closing devices 6, 8 are designed to be much smaller in terms of their dimensions or size than the filling machine 2. In particular, the respective rotors 6a, 8a of the closing devices 6, 8 have a respective rotor diameter dR, dR' that is smaller than a diameter dF of the rotor 3 of the filling machine 2 and, in the example shown, corresponds only approximately to a quarter of the diameter dF of the rotor 3 of the filling machine 2. Likewise, the first and second transfer devices 5, 7 have a respective diameter dS, dS' that is reduced compared to the diameter dF of the rotor 3 of the filling machine 2 and, in the example of Figure 1, also corresponds approximately to a quarter of the diameter dF of the rotor 3 of the filling machine 2.
[0059] With reference to Figures 2 and 3a, 3b, the transfer of the containers 20, 20' from the filling machine 2 to the closing devices 6, 8 is explained in more detail below. For the sake of clarity, the container treatment system 1 in Figure 2 is only partially shown in the area of the first transfer point P1, with the filling machine 2 only partially indicated and only the first transfer device 5 and the first closing device 6 being shown. It is understood, however, that the second transfer device 7 and the second closing device 8 are connected to the filling machine 2 at the second transfer point P2 (not visible in Figure 2).
[0060] When the containers 20, 20' are respectively taken over by the first and second transfer device 5, 7 at the corresponding transfer points P1, P2, a change in pitch takes place, in particular in the sense that the containers 20, 20', starting from their relative spacing or arrangement to one another in the container flow S in the filling machine 2, namely starting from the filling position pitch T1, are first brought into a transport pitch T2 when taken over by the transfer device 5, 7, which corresponds to twice or essentially twice the filling position pitch T1.The corresponding change in pitch from the filling position pitch T1 to the transport pitch T2 is effected in particular by the containers 20, 20' of the container stream S being alternately taken over at the transfer points P1, P2 by the two transfer devices 5, 7, namely by gripping and / or holding elements 12 provided accordingly on the circumference of the transfer devices 5, 7.
[0061] In Figure 2, the containers 20, 20' of the container stream S are sketched alternately as black filled and unfilled circles. The black filled circles are intended to symbolize those containers 20 that are taken over at the first transfer point P1 by the first transfer device 5 and transferred as the first container partial stream TS1 to the first closing device 6. The unfilled circles, in turn, are intended to symbolize those containers 20' that remain at the first transfer point P1 in the filling machine 2, are transported to the second transfer point P2, are taken over there by the second transfer device 7 and are transferred as the second container partial stream TS2 to the second closing device 8.
[0062] For the sake of simplicity, only a few gripping and / or holding elements 12 are shown in Figure 2, in particular to outline the receiving and transfer states. However, it is understood that the gripping and / or holding elements 12 are distributed around the entire circumference of the transfer device 5; however, this is not shown in the figures for reasons of clarity.
[0063] The transport pitch T2 present when the containers 20, 20' are taken over by the transfer devices 5, 7, which can also be understood as the transport pitch T2 of the gripping and / or holding elements 12 provided on the circumference of the transfer devices 5, 7 for supporting or holding the containers 20, 20', correlates with a distance a1 between immediately adjacent gripping and / or holding elements 12 in the state of taking over the containers 20, 20' from the filling machine 2, as shown in Figure 3a.
[0064] The containers 20, 20' taken over by the respective transfer device 5, 7 are - in the state held by the gripping and / or holding elements 12 - moved or transported over a partial circle of the circumference of the transfer devices 5, 7 until they are handed over to the respective closing devices 6, 8. During this transport of the containers 20, 20' until they are handed over to the respective closing devices 6, 8, a division change again takes place, namely in such a way that the containers 20, 20' are brought to the closing position division T3 of the closing devices 6, 8 by division delay for the transfer to the respective closing devices 6, 8.
[0065] The corresponding pitch change or pitch delay from the transport pitch T2 to the closing position pitch T3 is effected in particular by the gripping and / or holding elements 12 being changed in their distance relative to one another during their movement over the pitch circle along the circumference of the transfer devices 5, 7.
[0066] The distance between two gripping and / or holding elements 12 arranged directly next to one another is changed on the movement path between receiving and transferring, namely on the movement path from the receiving of the containers 20, 20' from the filling machine 2 to their transfer to the closing device 6, 8. The distance a1 present in the receiving state, corresponding to the transport pitch T2, is reduced during the circulating movement to a distance a2 shown in Figure 3b, which is present in the transfer state and correlates with the closing position pitch T3.
[0067] It is understood that, along with the change in the distance between the gripping and / or holding elements 12 supporting the containers 20, 20' from distance a1 to distance a2, the distance between the respective directly successive containers 20, 20' of the container substreams TS1, TS2 is also changed accordingly. In the example shown in the figures, the transfer devices 5, 7 are each designed in the form of dividing delay stars.
[0068] In Figure 2, in addition to the direction of rotation R of the rotor 3 of the filling machine 2, the respective directions of rotation R', R" of the transfer device 5 and the rotor 6a of the closing device 6 are also marked. Although the direction of rotation R, R', R" is reversed at the respective transitions from the filling machine 2 to the transfer device 5 and from the transfer device 5 to the closing device 6, the influence of forces acting on the filled containers or on the liquid filling material filled in the containers, e.g. opposing accelerations, impulses, centrifugal forces, is controlled due to the reduced velocities in the container partial flows TS1, TS2 in such a way that there is no or only a very slight risk that filling material could spill over and this could lead to contamination or that the previously defined filling volume could be changed.
[0069] List of reference symbols
[0070] 1 container treatment plant
[0071] 2 filling machines
[0072] 3 Rotor of the filling machine
[0073] 4 filling positions
[0074] 5 first transfer facility
[0075] 6 first closing device
[0076] 6a Rotor of the first closing device
[0077] 7 second transfer facility
[0078] 8 second closing device
[0079] 8a Rotor of the second closing device
[0080] 9, 10 discontinued stars
[0081] 11 feeding devices in the filler inlet
[0082] 12 gripping and / or holding elements
[0083] 13 closing positions
[0084] 14 Inlet area
[0085] 15 Run-off area
[0086] 20, 20' Container a1 , a2 Distance dF Diameter of the rotor of the filling machine dR, dR' Rotor diameter of the closing devices dS, dS' Diameter of the transfer devices
[0087] MA vertical center axis of the filling machine
[0088] P1 first transfer point
[0089] P2 second transfer point
[0090] R, R', R“ direction of rotation
[0091] S Container flow
[0092] T1 filling position division
[0093] T2 transport division
[0094] T3 closing position division
[0095] TS1 first container partial flow
[0096] TS2 second container partial flow v1 first speed v2 second speed
Claims
Patent claims 1. Container treatment plant (1) for treating containers (20, 20'), comprising at least one filling machine (2) of a rotating design for filling the containers (20, 20') with a liquid filling material and a first and a second closing device (6, 8) of a rotating design for closing the filled containers (20, 20'), wherein the container treatment plant (1) further comprises at least one first transfer device (5) adjoining the filling machine (2) at a first transfer point (P1) for transferring containers (20) from the filling machine (2) to the first closing device (6) and at least one second transfer device (7) adjoining the filling machine (2) at a second transfer point (P2) for transferring containers (20') from the filling machine (2) to the second closing device (8), wherein the transfer devices (5,7) are each equipped with a plurality of gripping and / or holding elements (12) distributed over their respective circumferences for gripping the containers (20, 20'), characterized in that the gripping and / or holding elements (12) of the respective transfer device (5, 7) are each movable in the circumferential direction such that a distance (a1, a2) between two gripping and / or holding elements (12) arranged directly next to one another can be changed.
2. Container treatment plant (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first transfer device (5) and the second transfer device (7) together form a dividing device which is designed to divide a container flow (S) of filled containers (20, 20') provided by the filling machine (2) in the region of the first transfer point (P1) into at least one first container partial flow (TS1) fed to the first closing device (6) and a second container partial flow (TS2) fed to the second closing device (8).
3. Container treatment plant (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the first transfer device (5) and the second transfer device (7) are configured to transfer the containers provided by the filling machine (2) and successive in the container stream (S) (20, 20') alternately, in particular in such a way that the first transfer device (5) at the first transfer point (P1) takes over every second container (20) from the container stream (S) and the second transfer device (7) at the second transfer point (P2) takes over the remaining containers (20').
4. Container treatment plant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gripping and / or holding elements (12), at least in the takeover state when taking over the containers (20, 20') from the filling machine (2), have a transport pitch (T2) which is different from a filling position pitch (T1) of the filling machine (2), in particular corresponds to twice the filling position pitch (T1).
5. Container treatment plant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first transfer device (5) and / or the second transfer device (7) are each designed as a dividing delay star.
6. Container treatment plant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first transfer device (5) and / or the second transfer device (7) are configured to bring the containers (20, 20') received at the respective transfer points (P1, P2) to a predetermined closing position division (T3) of the closing device (6, 8) until they are handed over to the respective closing device (6, 8) or to a transport star wheel upstream of the respective closing device (6, 8) and to hand over the containers with the corresponding closing position division (T3) to the respective closing device (6, 8) or the upstream transport star wheel.
7. Container treatment plant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each closing device (6, 8) is followed by a respective outlet star (9, 10) such that the filled and closed containers (20, 20') run out of the container treatment plant (1) via the outlet stars (9, 10) as partial container streams (TS1, TS2).
8. Container treatment plant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each closing device (6, 8) has a rotating, motor-driven rotor (6a, 8a) with a plurality of closing stations (13) arranged on the circumference of the respective rotor (6a, 8a) for closing the containers, wherein the respective rotors (6a, 8a) of the closing devices (6, 8) have a respective rotor diameter (dR, dR') which is smaller in each case than a diameter (dF) of the rotor (3) of the filling machine (2).
9. Container treatment plant (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that the rotor diameter (dR, dR') of the respective rotors (6a, 8a) of the closing devices (6, 8) corresponds at most to half the diameter (dF) of the rotor (3) of the filling machine (2), preferably at most to one third and particularly preferably at most to one quarter of the diameter (dF) of the rotor (3) of the filling machine (2).
10. Container treatment plant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first and the second transfer device (5, 7) have a respective diameter (dS, dS') which is in each case reduced compared to the diameter (dF) of the rotor (3) of the filling machine (2), in particular in each case corresponding to at most half or at most one third or at most one quarter of the diameter (dF) of the rotor (3) of the filling machine (2).
11. Container treatment plant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one control and / or regulating device is provided which is communicatively connected at least to the filling machine (2), the transfer devices (5, 7) and the closing devices (6, 8).
12. Container treatment plant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that further a stretch blow molding machine and / or a Labelling machine are provided, which are arranged upstream of the filling machine (2) and in particular are blocked with it.
13. Method for treating containers (20, 20') in a container treatment plant (1), wherein the container treatment plant (1) has at least one rotating filling machine (2) for filling the containers (20, 20') with a liquid filling material, at least one first and one second closing device (6, 8) of rotating design for closing the filled containers (20, 20') and at least one first transfer device (5) connected to the filling machine (2) at a first transfer point (P1) for transferring the containers (20) from the filling machine (2) to the first closing device (6), as well as a second transfer device (7) connected to the filling machine (2) at a second transfer point (P2) for transferring the containers (20') from the filling machine (2) to the second closing device (8), wherein in the method the containers (20, 20') in the filling machine (2) and the filled containers (20, 20') are alternately placed at the transfer points (P1,P2) are gripped and taken over by correspondingly provided gripping and / or holding elements (12) of the transfer devices (5, 7), wherein the containers (20, 20') held by the gripping and / or holding elements (12) are transported at least in sections over the circumference of the transfer devices (5, 7) for transfer to the respective closing devices (6, 8), and in the process a distance between directly successive containers (20, 20') is changed.
14. Method according to claim 13, characterized in that the filled containers (20, 20') are transported in the filling machine (2) as a container stream (S) into the area of the first transfer point (P1), wherein at the first transfer point (P1) every second container (20) is taken over from the container stream (S) by the first transfer device (5) and thereby a first container partial stream (TS1) is formed, wherein the containers (20) of the first container partial stream (TS1) are transferred from the first transfer device (5) to the first closing device (6), wherein the filled containers (20') of the container stream (S) remaining at the first transfer point (P1) in the filling machine (2) are transferred to the second Transfer point (P2), are taken over there by the second transfer device (7) and thereby a second container partial flow (TS2) is formed and wherein the containers (20') of the second container partial flow (TS2) are transferred from the second transfer device (7) to the second closing device (8).
15. Method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the containers (20, 20') are transported in the filling machine (2) at a predetermined first speed (v1) and are taken over at this first speed (v1) at the respective transfer points (P1, P2) by the respective transfer devices (5, 7) and that the containers (20, 20') are slowed down for transfer from the respective transfer device (5, 7) to the respective closing device (6, 8) and are transferred to the closing devices (6, 8) at a second speed (v2) which is reduced compared to the first speed (v1) and are transported further by the closing devices (6, 8) at the reduced second speed (v2) and are closed in the process.
16. Method according to one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that the containers (20, 20') are transported in the filling machine (2) with a filling position pitch (T1) and the filled containers are taken over at the transfer points (P1, P2) by the gripping and / or holding elements (12) of the respective transfer devices (5, 7) in each case in a transport pitch (T2) of the gripping and / or holding elements (12), wherein the transport pitch (T2) of the gripping and / or holding elements differs from the filling position pitch (T1) of the filling machine (2), in particular corresponds to twice the filling position pitch (T1), and wherein the containers (20, 20') are transported along the circumference of the respective transfer devices (5, 7) until the transfer to the respective closing devices (6, 8) to a closing position pitch (T3) of the closing devices (6,8) and transferred to the respective closing devices (6, 8) with closing position division (T3).
7. Method according to one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that the filling machine (2) treats the containers (20, 20') in the container stream (S) with a first output, measured as containers per unit of time, and in that each of the closing devices (6, 8) treats the containers (20, 20') in the container partial streams (TS1, TS2) with a second output, measured as containers per unit of time, which is half the first output.