Apparatus for producing plastic containers according to a form, fill and seal process

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for producing plastic containers according to a form, fill and seal process, at least consisting of a forming device (12), an extruding device (16), and a production device (26) which, in a manufacturing position, forms plasticized plastic material coming from the extruding device (16) into the form of a tube and subsequently feeds the same to the forming device (12) for forming containers and fills said containers with a specifiable fluid before the containers are sealed, characterized in that, by means of a transport device (32), at least the production device (26) can be brought into at least two different positions, of which one corresponds to the manufacturing position and at least one other position is used to perform a different task.

Description

[0001] KOCHER-PLASTIK MASCHINENBAU GMBH Talstraße 22-30, 74429 Sulzbach-Laufen, Germany

[0002] DEVICE FOR PRODUCING PLASTIC CONTAINERS ACCORDING TO A FORMING, FILLING AND

[0003] LOCKING PROCESS

[0004] The invention relates to a device for producing plastic containers according to a forming, filling and closing process, at least consisting of a forming device, an extruder device, and a production device which, in a production position, forms plasticized plastic material originating from the extruder device into a tube and then feeds it to the forming device for forming containers and fills it with a predeterminable fluid before closing it.

[0005] DE 10 2008 028 754 A1 discloses a device for producing and filling containers, in which at least one tube of plasticized plastic material can be extruded into an open mold. By means of a filling device having a plurality of separate functional channels, at least the filling material can be introduced into the respective containers by means of a filling mandrel assigned to a respective mold. A mandrel shielding hood is provided which has at least one functional space and which, in its functional position, establishes a media-carrying connection between its respective functional space and the respectively assigned functional channel of the filling device. This opens up the possibility of introducing those media which are suitable for cleaning, sterilization, cooling / drying, etc., into the functional space or spaces within the shielding hood via a respective functional channel of the filling device.Accordingly, the shielding hood is a component of a cleaning, sterilizing and / or drying device which can be operated via a corresponding media supply from the filling device in order to bring the device into an aseptic state for starting a production sequence.

[0006] Based on this prior art, the invention is based on the object of further improving the known solution while retaining its advantages.

[0007] A corresponding object is achieved by a device having the features of patent claim 1 in its entirety. Since, according to the invention, at least the production device can be moved into at least two different positions by means of a transport device, one of which corresponds to the manufacturing position and at least one further position serves to perform a different task, this further position can be used as a maintenance position in which the production device is moved out of the manufacturing or production position and is largely freely accessible for carrying out cleaning, inspection, and / or other maintenance work.

[0008] In practice, it has been shown that the production equipment, which in particular comprises a die head and the filling and dosing units and mandrel tubes arranged thereon, requires intensive cleaning from time to time. This includes, for example, the removal of stuck-to plastic material on the filling mandrels of the filling unit and / or on the underside of the die gap of the die (extrusion) head. This is often no longer possible, particularly in the case of plastic residues, using liquid or gaseous cleaning agents or baking; rather, the use of mechanical aids such as scrapers, brushes, etc., which enable prompt manual cleaning, is necessary. Furthermore, in addition to or as an alternative to the intensive cleaning mentioned, the production equipment can be inspected for possible wear or defects. Furthermore, as part of maintenance, defective parts can be repaired or replaced with new ones.Furthermore, the additional position outside the production position can serve as a setup station to replace a new production device if necessary.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, the transport device comprises a guide by means of which the extruder device, together with the production device, can be moved into the individual positions and secured there in a defined manner. A carriage guide can preferably be used as the guide, which enables horizontal movement of the extruder and production device. In this way, both the "production position" and "maintenance position" positions can be assumed promptly, so that the actual production process is not unduly impaired or delayed if maintenance should become necessary.

[0010] In another particularly preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, it is provided that, in the manufacturing position, the production device is located in a manufacturing space designed as a clean room. Furthermore, it is preferably provided that, in the respective further position, the production device is located in a receiving space adjacent to the manufacturing space, which is also designed as a clean room. Accordingly, it is preferably provided that, even during transport or the movement of the production device from the manufacturing position to the respective further position and back, the production device always remains in a clean room environment.In this way, in the production or manufacturing position, both the production equipment with the extrusion head and filling device, as well as the molds of the molding device, are enclosed by a housing on which a fan with an air filter system, particularly in the form of a highly effective HEPA filter, is mounted. This allows a higher air pressure to be set in the production area than the ambient air pressure. In this way, filtered air is supplied from top to bottom in the operational setup of the device. This air flows around the production unit and the molds of the molding unit, preferably in the form of a laminar air flow, and only exits into the environment below the molds of the molding device.In this way, a low-particle manufacturing environment is achieved for the production unit and at least the molds of the molding facility, which is particularly important for medical purposes, so that a clean room environment is created that can be maintained even when the production facility is located in the reception room adjacent to the manufacturing room, in which maintenance takes place. Preferably, it can be provided that a separate air filtration system is also installed for the reception room, which generates an air flow similar to that in the manufacturing room and uses a particulate filter, depending on the desired clean room class according to EN 1822-1:2009, for example a filter known in technical terms as a HEPA filter - where HEPA stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air / Arrestance.

[0011] In another particularly preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, the receiving space can be separated from the production space by means of a partition in the production position, and the partition separates the receiving space from the surroundings in each further position. Preferably, the partition is further formed from a movable partition wall, which, together with the production device and the extruder device, at least partially traverses the receiving space to assume the individual positions. This best ensures that the desired clean room environment is maintained even during transport of the production device between the various positions.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, the receiving space consists of a cuboid housing with individual side walls as well as a floor and a ceiling wall, which is closed or open at its free, opposite end faces depending on the travel position of the partition wall. Such a cuboid housing, which forms a body bounded by six rectangles with a free end wall, can be manufactured particularly cost-effectively and can be sufficiently sealed from the inside against the environment compared to other parts of the device, so that the desired clean room conditions can be maintained in this respect as well.

[0013] For process-reliable transport operation, including the transfer of the individual devices between the positions, it is preferably provided that the partition wall is arranged between the production device and the extruder device, by means of the guide from the further position in which the receiving space is closed off from the environment, linearly traverses the receiving space from a front position to a rear position in which the partition wall directly separates the receiving space from the production space.

[0014] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, it is further provided that, in the further position of the production device, the individual maintenance, inspection, and / or cleaning work can be carried out via a closable inspection opening in the floor part of the receiving space, in particular at the respective discharge opening of a hose head of the production device, so that a connection to the environment is established when the inspection opening is open and during the relevant work. The filtered air flows through this inspection opening into the environment, thus preventing the entry of potential contaminants by means of the countercurrent principle.

[0015] Further advantageous embodiments of the device according to the invention are the subject of the other subclaims.

[0016] In the following, the device according to the invention is explained in more detail with reference to embodiments according to the drawing. In a schematic representation and not to scale, the

[0017] Figure 1 is a perspective front view of the essential parts of the device;

[0018] Figure 2 shows a section of Figure 1 with a production and extruder device;

[0019] Figure 3 shows an enlarged image section corresponding to the circled representation in Figure 2;

[0020] Figures 4 and 5 show two different embodiments of a receiving space for use in a device according to Figure 1;

[0021] Figures 6, 7 and 8 show a side view of the device according to Figure 1 and, in this order, a manufacturing position, a transition position and a maintenance position for the production device. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a device according to the invention for producing plastic containers using a forming, filling and closing process, also known in technical terms as the bottelpack® process. The device has a machine frame 10 that can be mounted on a hall floor or the like and is usually constructed from individual profiles or frame parts that, when connected to one another in a longitudinal and transverse arrangement, form the machine frame 10 as a whole. Within the machine frame 10, a forming device 12 is accommodated with individual forming tools 14 that can be moved relative to one another between an open receiving position and a closed position that shapes the individual container products.

[0022] Furthermore, an extruder device 16 is mounted on the top of the machine frame 10. As an essential component, the extruder device 16 has an upwardly projecting collecting hopper 18, which serves to receive plastic granules that can be fed to a plasticizing unit 20, with an extruder screw unit 22 for melting the plastic granules into plasticized plastic material, which is pressed at a free end of the extruder device 16 via a correspondingly designed connecting device 24 into a production device 26, which in particular has a die head 28 and, arranged thereon, has a filling and dosing unit 30 with mandrel tubes (not shown in detail). In this respect, the extruder device 16 is therefore only the extruder with its essential components flanged to the die head 28 of the production device 26.The corresponding design for such manufacturing devices is common and is shown by way of example in DE 10 2020 004 564 A1 of the patent holder, so it will not be discussed in more detail here. In any case, however, in a manufacturing position, plasticized plastic material originating from the extruder device 16 is formed into a tube and then fed to the forming device 12 for forming containers. These containers are filled with a predeterminable fluid before they are closed, for example, in the form of a medical device to be disposed of, which originates from the filling or dosing unit 30 of the production device 26.

[0023] As can be seen from the sequence shown in Figures 6 to 8, the production device 26 can be moved into at least two different positions by means of a transport device 32, one of which corresponds to the manufacturing position shown in Figure 6 and at least one further position as shown in Figure 8 serves a different task, with Figure 7 showing one of the possible intermediate positions between the manufacturing position shown in Figure 6 and the further position shown in Figure 8. In the representation shown in Figure 7, the production device 26 is therefore in a type of transit position, which is also assumed in the opposite direction when the production device 26 is moved back from the further position shown in Figure 8 to the manufacturing position shown in Figure 6.

[0024] As can be seen particularly from the partial view according to Figure 2, the extruder device 16 is accommodated within the machine frame 10 in a substantially horizontal orientation, whereas the production device 26 occupies a substantially vertical operating position. As can be further seen from Figure 2, the transport device 32 has a guide 34, in particular in the form of a carriage guide, by means of which the extruder device 16, together with the production device 26, can be moved back and forth into the individual positions according to Figures 6 to 8 and can be fixed in a defined manner, at least in the end positions.While in the production or manufacturing position according to Figure 6 the plasticized plastic tube originating from the production device 26 is formed into container products, including ampoules, by means of the forming device 12, followed by filling and closing of the same, the further position according to the illustration in Figure 8 represents a maintenance position in which various maintenance work can be carried out on the production device 26, for example in the form of cleaning and an inspection of the device 26. It is also possible to repair any defective parts or replace them with new parts as part of the maintenance, whereby in the further maintenance position located outside the manufacturing position, a new production device 26 can also be completely exchanged into the manufacturing device if necessary.As can be further seen from Figures 2 and 3, the extruder device 16, together with the production device 26, is guided horizontally along parts of the machine frame 10 by means of the transport device 32 as a whole, a bulkhead 36 being accommodated between the two devices 16 and 26, in the manner of a rectangular separating plate 38, which is designed to be hermetically closed except for a sealed passage point with the connection device 24 as a transition between the extruder device 16 and the hose head 28 of the production device 26. Further components of the extruder device 16 are provided with the reference numeral 22.

[0025] Figure 3 shows, in particular, the structure of the guide 34, which is designed as a carriage guide and has two longitudinal guides 40 spaced apart from one another, along which a carriage 42 of the extruder device 16 is guided for longitudinal movement. The carriage 42 can be moved, for example, manually into a forward position corresponding to the production position shown in Figure 6 or into a rearward position in which the production device 26 assumes the maintenance position shown in Figure 8. The guide 34 mentioned also includes a pinion drive 44 and a rod-shaped clamping device 46, with which the devices 16, 26 and 36 can be fixed in the specified positions. The guide 34 designed in this way is stable, functionally reliable and can be implemented in a particularly cost-effective manner.When, as shown in Figure 6, the production device 26 is located above the molding device 12 in a working or manufacturing position, it is accommodated in a manufacturing space 48 within the machine frame 10, which is designed as a clean room. This manufacturing space 48 is laterally enclosed by an environmental shell 50 consisting of several wall components, with the free end face 52 of the manufacturing space 48 being closed by the bulkhead 36 in the form of the appropriately designed partition plate 38, which the production device 26 has carried along on its path from the maintenance position shown in Figure 8, assuming intermediate positions as shown in Figure 7, into the manufacturing position shown in Figure 6. At the same time, the extruder device 16 has also been moved along with the molding device 12, while the molding device 12 is stationary in the machine frame 10.Otherwise, as viewed in the direction of Figure 6, the production chamber 48 is sealed at the top by an air filtration system 54 with a fan (not shown) and a HEPA or particulate air filter 56, which creates an overpressure relative to the ambient air. A preferably laminar air flow emanates from the air filtration system 54 in a vertical direction from top to bottom, which exits into the ambient air after flowing through the production chamber 48 with the production device 26 and after passing the molding device 12.

[0026] Upstream of the production position according to Figure 6, in front of the production space 48, there is an essentially cuboid-shaped receiving space 58, which is shown in one embodiment in Figure 4. The receiving space 58 shown in Figure 4 consists of two individual side walls 60, of which the front side wall 60, as viewed in the direction of Figure 4, has a partially glazed access door 62. Furthermore, the receiving space 58 is provided with a floor wall 64 and a ceiling wall 66, wherein the floor wall 64 merges into the adjacent side wall 60 via angular profiles 68.Otherwise, the box-shaped receiving space 58 is kept open at the front and rear on its two opposite end faces 70, 72 as viewed in the direction of Figure 4, wherein the free end faces 70, 72 have a cross-section or span a passage space 74 in the interior of the receiving space 58 such that the bulkhead 36 shown in Figure 2 in the form of the partition plate 38 can pass through the receiving space 58 from the front end face 70 to the rear end face 72 and vice versa, wherein a sufficiently tight closure is desired between the peripheral edge 76 of the partition plate 38, which forms the bulkhead 36, in relation to the respective edge-side inner circumference of the receiving space 58, which encompasses the passage space 74, in order not to significantly impair the prevailing clean room conditions, in particular in the production room 48.For such adequate sealing of the cleanroom, a hermetic (i.e., airtight) seal is preferred but not absolutely necessary. Rather, to maintain the cleanroom class, it is sufficient to keep the gap or opening area so small that the air flowing out of the cleanroom prevents the entry of contaminants into the cleanroom through the counterflow principle. It has been shown that gap widths of 1 mm to 5 mm are possible without disadvantage between the peripheral edge 76 of the partition plate 38, which forms the bulkhead 36, and the inner circumference of the receiving space 58, which is at the respective edge. This enables simple and low-friction movement of the production unit and largely eliminates the need for complex movable seals. This reliably minimizes friction and the associated generation of particles.

[0027] If the production device 26 is in its rear manufacturing position according to Figure 6, the bulkhead 36 or the partition plate 38 closes off the free end face 52 of the surrounding casing 50 towards the front in the direction of the extruder device 16. In this manufacturing position, the front end face 70 of the receiving space 58, together with the passage space 74, is kept open, and the rear end face 72 is sealed, preferably hermetically, by the partition plate 38 of the bulkhead 36. If the production device 26 is now moved forward from its manufacturing position according to Figure 6 and, assuming transit positions, one of which is shown in Figure 7, into the maintenance position according to Figure 8, the partition plate 38, starting from the rear end face 72 of the receiving space 58, traverses the latter and assumes a front position in which the end face 70 of the receiving space 58 is now closed.In this way, the receiving space 58 is closed to the outside, and the clean room conditions prevailing in the production space 48 are extended to the receiving space 58 due to the displacement of the bulkhead 36. If the bulkhead 36 or the separating plate 38 is penetrated by the connecting device 24 between the extruder device 16 and the production device 26, the edge closure is in any case hermetically sealed, so that no unwanted particle contamination can enter the clean room, which is prevented anyway by the overpressure prevailing in the space compared to the ambient air.

[0028] As can be seen in particular from Figure 1, a partially circumferential gallery 78 can be provided within the framework of the support structure in the machine frame 10, which can be accessed via staircases 80 on the free end of the device. Via the respective staircase 80 and the gallery 78, provided the production device 26 has assumed its maintenance position according to Figures 1 and 8, it can be manually cleaned from below via a freely accessible inspection space 82. If no maintenance or other cleaning work is being carried out, the inspection space is closed by a cover 83. For maintenance purposes, a rectangular inspection opening 86 is opened by means of a pivoting floor flap 84 in the floor wall 64 of the receiving space 58, through which mechanical aids (not shown in detail), such as scrapers, brushes, etc.Cleaning of filling mandrels of the filling and dosing unit 30 is just as possible as cleaning of a nozzle gap on the underside of the hose (extrusion) head 28. Furthermore, it is provided that during operation, with the inspection opening 86 open, the filtered clean room air can flow out into the environment through the pivoted-back bottom flap 84.

[0029] After accessing the receiving room 58 via the access door 62, maintenance work can also be performed on the production facility 26, such as replacing defective parts. In addition to replacement, repairing affected components is also possible.

[0030] In a modified embodiment of a receiving space according to Figure 5, for the sake of simplicity, the same components as in the embodiment according to Figure 4 are provided with the same reference numerals, and the statements made so far also apply to the embodiment according to Figure 5, which differs significantly from the embodiment according to Figure 4 in that a third, partially glazed side wall 88 is present in the rear wall area, which thus delimits the rear end face 72, which is closed by the bulkhead 36 or the partition plate 38. Thus, the production device 26 is then in its manufacturing position according to Figure 6.If the bulkhead 36 moves forward as viewed in the direction of Figure 5, a closing or boundary wall (not shown in more detail) for the receiving space 58 is additionally required in the area of ​​the front end face 70 of the receiving space 58 so that the bulkhead 36 can close off the receiving space 58 sufficiently tightly in the front position, as stated above for the embodiment according to Figure 4. In a further modification, the embodiment according to Figure 5 provides an independent air filter system 90 in addition to the air filter system 54, with an additional particulate filter 92. For the sake of completeness, reference should also be made to a multi-link energy chain 94, which is shown cut away in Figure 5 and otherwise serves the usual energy supply to components of the manufacturing device according to the illustration in Figures 1 and 6 to 8.

[0031] Overall, the present device according to the invention, particularly for use in BFS systems, with only one production position for hose extrusion and filling, enables manual intensive cleaning of the production facility, even with the use of mechanical aids, in a simple manner while maintaining clean room conditions by providing a separate maintenance position with an associated maintenance room in addition to the actual production position. This has no equivalent in the prior art.

Claims

Patent claims 1 . Device for producing plastic containers by a forming, filling and closing process, at least consisting of - a forming device (12), - an extruder device (16), and - a production device (26) which, in a production position, forms plasticized plastic material originating from the extruder device (16) into a tube and then feeds it to the forming device (12) for forming containers and fills them with a predeterminable fluid before closing them, characterized in that by means of a transport device (32) at least the production device (26) can be brought into at least two different positions, one of which corresponds to the production position and at least one further position serves to perform a different task.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the transport device (32) has a guide (34) by means of which the extruder device (16) together with the production device (26) can be moved into the individual positions and fixed in a defined manner.

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in the manufacturing position the production device (26) is located in a manufacturing room (48) which is designed as a clean room.

4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the respective further position the production device (26) is located in a receiving space (58) adjacent to the production space (48), which is designed as a clean room.

5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that during the transport of the production device (26) from the manufacturing position to the respective further position, the production device (26) remains in the clean room.

6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the receiving space (58) in the production position can be separated from the production space (48) by means of a bulkhead (36) and that the bulkhead (36) separates the receiving space (58) from the environment in the respective further position.

7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bulkhead (36) is formed from a movable partition wall (38) which, together with the production device (26) and the extruder device (16), at least partially passes through the receiving space (58) for assuming the individual positions.

8. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the receiving space (58) consists of a cuboid-shaped housing with individual side walls (60, 88) as well as a bottom wall (64) and a top wall (66), which is closed or open at its free opposite end faces (70, 72) depending on the travel position of the partition wall (70, 72).

9. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the partition wall (38) arranged between the production device (26) and the extruder device (16) by means of the guide (34) from the further position in which the receiving space (58) is closed off from the environment, linearly the Receiving space (58) is traversed from a front to a rear position, in which the partition wall (38) separates the receiving space (58) from the production space (48).

10. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the further position of the production device (26) individual maintenance, inspection and / or cleaning work can be carried out via a closable inspection opening (86) in the bottom wall (64) of the receiving space (58), in particular at the respective discharge opening of a hose head (28) of the production device (26).

11. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the guide (34) is formed from at least one longitudinal guide (40) along which the extruder device (16) is guided back and forth with the production direction (26) together with the bulkhead (36), whereas the production space (48) with the molding device (12) and the receiving space (58) are arranged stationary on a machine frame (10).

12. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in order to create clean room conditions in the production room (48), an air flow from an air filter system (54), preferably flowing vertically from top to bottom and after passing through a filter (56), in particular in the form of a particle filter, is passed through.

13. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one particle filter (56) for producing clean room conditions is mounted on the top of the production space (48) and optionally at least one further particle filter (92) is mounted on the top of the receiving space (58).

14. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the air flow emanating from the production space (48) is used to create clean room conditions in the receiving space (58) during and after the transport of the production device (26) from the production position to the further position.

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