Installation for the high-speed plasma treatment of containers

Abstract

The present invention relates to an installation (9) for the plasma treatment of containers in order to deposit a barrier coating on the interior and / or exterior wall of said containers, said installation (9) being positioned between a unit (2) for manufacturing the containers and a unit (10) for filling said containers, characterized in that it comprises at least one container-distribution conveyor (8) comprising an inlet (E) at the container-manufacturing unit (2) and an outlet (S) at the container-filling unit (10), at least two plasma-treatment units (12, 13) for the plasma-treatment of said containers, said plasma-treatment units (12, 13) being positioned at the periphery of the distribution conveyor (8) between the inlet (E) and the outlet (S), and the distribution conveyor (8) defines, facing each plasma-treatment unit (12, 13), a loading point (C) at which one container in two is taken from the distribution conveyor (8), to be transferred to and treated in the plasma-treatment unit (12, 13), and an unloading point (D) at which the treated containers are transferred from the plasma-treatment unit (12, 13) to said distribution conveyor (8), the containers taken at the loading point (C) of the second plasma-treatment unit (12, 13) being different from the containers taken at the loading point of the first plasma-treatment unit (12, 13) upstream of the second plasma-treatment unit (12, 13).

Description

Installation for the treatment of containers by high-speed plasma

[0001] The present invention relates to an installation for the treatment of containers by plasma, said plasma treatment making it possible to deposit a thin-layer barrier coating on the internal and / or external wall of said containers, by using a low-pressure plasma, i.e. at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, or similar. The installation according to the invention advantageously allows treatment of said containers at high speed. State of the art

[0002] In the field of manufacturing containers made of polymer materials such as PET, it is well known that these containers have the disadvantage of not being impermeable to certain gases, particularly oxygen and carbon dioxide. This is why carbonated drinks gradually lose their carbon dioxide, which migrates into the atmosphere through the polymer material.

[0003] In this respect, it is well known that the shelf life of a carbonated liquid contained in a PET bottle cannot exceed, commercially, a few weeks or a few months, of the order of 4 to 6 months. It is also thus that the oxygen in the atmosphere, through the polymer material, is likely to come into contact with the liquid contained in the container and, ultimately, to oxidize it by degrading its organoleptic characteristics in particular. For example, the shelf life of a PET bottle filled with beer cannot exceed, commercially, 2 to 5 weeks.

[0004] In order to increase the inherent barrier effect of the polymer materials constituting the containers, it is well known to deposit a barrier material by plasma activated vapor phase (PECVD according to the English acronym "Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition").

[0005] For this purpose, a machine is conventionally used, equipped with a plurality of processing units, each comprising an electromagnetic wave generator, a cavity connected to the generator and made of a conductive material (generally metallic), as well as an enclosure arranged in the cavity and made of a material (generally quartz) transparent to the electromagnetic waves coming from the generator.

[0006] After introducing the container (generally made of a thermoplastic polymer material such as PET) into the enclosure, a high vacuum of a few picobars, necessary for establishing the plasma, is created inside the container, while a medium vacuum (of the order of 30 mbar to 100 mbar) is created in the enclosure outside the container in order to prevent it from contracting under the effect of the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the container.

[0007] A precursor gas (such as acetylene) is then introduced into the container, this precursor being activated by electromagnetic bombardment (generally low-power UHF microwaves at 2.45 GHz) to convert it to a cold plasma state and thus generate species including hydrogenated carbon (comprising CH, CH2, CH3) which is deposited in a thin layer (the thickness of which is typically between 50 and 200 nm depending on the case) on the internal wall of the container.

[0008] Such a machine is notably described in European patent EP1068032 filed by the applicant.

[0009] The industrial implementation of this technology has given rise to many difficulties, one of which relates to the vacuum to which the interior of the container must be subjected to evacuate the air (essentially composed of oxygen and nitrogen) whose oxygen molecules (02) would, on the one hand, be likely to react with the species generated by the plasma and, on the other hand, would also risk being absorbed by the barrier layer, thus reducing its barrier properties (which is what we want to avoid). To evacuate the enclosure, the machine generally includes a vacuum circuit which connects the enclosure to a source of depression arranged outside the machine, the vacuum circuit then comprising a sealed rotating connection.

[0010] The same source of depression can be used to create a vacuum from the outside and the inside of the container: the vacuum circuit then comprises a first termination, which opens outside the container when it is in the enclosure, and a second termination opening inside the container, with the interposition between these two terminations of a controlled valve, arranged to close the first termination when the vacuum outside the container has reached a first predetermined value (generally between 30 mbar and 100 mbar, as we have seen), the creation of a vacuum from the inside of the container, via the second termination, continuing until a second predetermined value is obtained (of a few pbars).

[0011] Such an arrangement is described in European patent EP 1 228 522 also filed by the applicant.

[0012] All these installations for the treatment of containers by plasma in order to deposit a barrier coating on the internal and / or external wall of said containers of the prior art nevertheless have the disadvantage of not allowing the manufacture of containers at high speeds, in particular due to the vacuum application. Indeed, these installations do not allow container manufacturing rates higher than 40,000 bottles per hour and, to achieve higher rates, i.e. rates higher than 40,000 bottles per hour, it would be necessary for the wheel, also called carousel, to be larger to accommodate a greater number of "coating" stations, for the installation to include more vacuum pumps which must be connected to the center of the wheel, the installation not including sufficient space for the pumps and the connecting pipes, etc.

[0013] There is therefore a need for an installation for the treatment of containers by plasma in order to deposit a barrier coating on the internal and / or external wall of said containers allowing high speeds without increasing its size and reducing the quality of the coating deposited. Disclosure of the invention

[0014] One of the aims of the invention is therefore to overcome these drawbacks by proposing an installation for the treatment of containers by plasma in order to deposit a barrier coating on the internal and / or external wall of said containers of simple and inexpensive design, whose size is limited and allowing the manufacture of bottles at high speeds, i.e. speeds of 60,000, 72,000 or even 80,000 bottles per hour.

[0015] For this purpose and in accordance with the invention, an installation is proposed for the treatment of containers by plasma in order to deposit a barrier coating on the internal and / or external wall of said containers, said plasma being obtained by partial ionization, under the action of an electromagnetic field, of a reaction fluid injected under low pressure into a treatment zone, said installation being positioned between a container manufacturing unit and a unit for filling said containers; said installation being remarkable in that it comprises at least one container distribution conveyor comprising an inlet at the container manufacturing unit and an outlet at the container filling unit, at least two plasma container treatment units, said treatment units being positioned at the periphery of the distribution conveyor between the inlet and the outlet, and the conveyor defines,opposite each plasma treatment unit, a loading point where every other container is taken from the distribution conveyor, to be transferred to the plasma treatment unit and treated there, and an unloading point where the treated containers are transferred from the plasma treatment unit to said distribution conveyor, the containers taken at the loading point of the second plasma treatment unit being different from the containers taken at the loading level of the first plasma treatment unit upstream of the second plasma treatment unit.,

[0016] Said plasma treatment units are arranged outside the conveyor, on the same side of said conveyor.

[0017] Furthermore, each loading point and each unloading point is respectively distinct from the entry point and the exit point of the distribution conveyor.

[0018] In addition, each loading point consists of a transfer wheel called an input wheel which takes every other container from the distribution conveyor and delivers them to the plasma treatment unit.

[0019] Preferably, each unloading point consists of a so-called output transfer wheel which picks up the treated containers at the outlet of the plasma treatment unit and delivers them to the distribution conveyor downstream of the input transfer wheel between two containers not picked up by said input transfer wheel.

[0020] According to a first variant embodiment, the distribution conveyor consists of a plurality of so-called conveyor wheels, each conveyor wheel comprising at its periphery an even number of individual gripping members for a container, regularly distributed regularly at the periphery of the conveyor wheel, and each conveyor wheel having a zone of tangency with a downstream and / or upstream conveyor wheel, and two successive conveyor wheels rotating in opposite directions in a synchronized manner so that each gripping member is in coincidence with a corresponding gripping member of the downstream and / or upstream conveyor wheel in said zone of tangency.

[0021] The said gripping members consist of clamps capable of individually supporting a container and holding it in position during transport.

[0022] Furthermore, each conveyor wheel of the distribution conveyor comprises an odd number of gripping members when said installation comprises an odd number of processing units along said distribution conveyor.

[0023] Preferably, each conveyor wheel of the conveyor comprises an even number of gripping members when said installation comprises an even number of processing units along said distribution conveyor.

[0024] Furthermore, the input transfer wheel and the output transfer wheel, extending in line with each processing unit, are rotationally synchronized with the conveyor wheels of the distribution conveyor so that the gripping members of the input transfer wheel and the output transfer wheel are in coincidence with empty gripping members in the loading and unloading tangent zones.

[0025] According to a first variant embodiment, the distribution conveyor consists of a closed loop track and a plurality of individual container gripping devices, said individual gripping devices circulating on said track.

[0026] Said conveyor track is magnetic and includes a control unit configured to control the independent movement of each individual gripping device.

[0027] Other advantages and characteristics will emerge more clearly from the following description of several variant embodiments, given as non-limiting examples, of the installation for the treatment of containers by plasma in accordance with the invention, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

[0028] is a schematic top view which represents a container manufacturing installation including an installation for the treatment of containers by plasma according to the teachings of the invention,

[0029] is a top view showing the conveyor wheels of the distribution conveyor as well as the input and output wheels of a treatment unit of the installation according to the invention,

[0030] is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the distribution conveyor of the installation according to the invention.

[0031] Method of carrying out the invention

[0032] In the following description of the installation for the treatment of containers by plasma in order to deposit a barrier coating on the internal and / or external wall of said containers according to the invention, the same numerical references designate the same elements. The different views are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0033] Furthermore, in the remainder of the description, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" will be used depending on the direction of movement of the containers or depending on the direction of rotation of the wheels.

[0034] In the remainder of the description, containers of different "formats" will have different necks, in particular a different outer neck diameter.

[0035] With reference to the, installation 1 for the mass production of containers, particularly bottles, comprises several so-called treatment units, each of which can be installed as a single unit. For this purpose, each treatment unit comprises a single supporting frame. The frame of a treatment unit is then designed to be able to be transported and placed on the ground as a single unit.

[0036] In the example shown in , a first unit is formed by a container manufacturing unit 2. Said container manufacturing unit 2, not shown in , comprises a carousel 3 for forming preheated preforms. The carousel 3 is carried by the frame of the manufacturing unit 2. The carousel 3 carries a plurality of molding units, not shown, which are intended to shape the preforms into containers by forming using a pressurized fluid. During the forming operation, the carousel 3 rotates so as to move the hollow bodies continuously from a point for loading a hot preform to a point for unloading the formed container. Such a carousel 3 is well known to those skilled in the art. It will therefore not be described in further detail.

[0037] A heat treatment unit 4, commonly called a preform thermal conditioning oven, is arranged upstream of the container manufacturing unit 2. This is for example a heating tunnel which is traversed by a chain of gripping members (not shown), each of which is capable of carrying a preform. The preforms are thus heated during their conveyance through the heating tunnel from an entry point for the cold preforms to a transfer point for the hot preforms towards the forming carousel 3. Such a heat treatment unit 4 is well known to those skilled in the art and will therefore also not be described in more detail below.

[0038] Furthermore, a preform conveying and sorting unit 5 is arranged upstream of the heat treatment unit 4 to supply the heat treatment unit 4 with cold preforms, said preforms being initially contained in a feed hopper 6 arranged upstream of the preform conveying and sorting unit 5. Such a conveying and sorting unit 5 and such a feed hopper 6 are well known to those skilled in the art and will therefore also not be described in more detail below.

[0039] The containers continuously exit the container manufacturing unit 2 via an output transport device carried by the chassis of the container manufacturing unit 2. The output transport device is here formed by a transfer wheel 7 driven in rotation about a substantially vertical axis. The transfer wheel 7 comprises at its periphery members (not shown) for gripping individual containers.

[0040] A distribution conveyor 8 is arranged directly downstream of the container manufacturing unit 2. Said distribution conveyor 8 is capable of taking charge of the containers leaving the container manufacturing unit 2 to transport them to a subsequent downstream processing unit.

[0041] The following downstream unit is formed by an installation for the treatment of containers by plasma 9 in order to deposit a barrier coating on the internal and / or external wall of said containers, said plasma being obtained by partial ionization, under the action of an electromagnetic field, of a reaction fluid injected under low pressure into a treatment zone, said installation for the treatment of containers by plasma 9 being positioned between the container manufacturing unit 2 and a filling unit 10 of said containers, arranged downstream of the installation for the treatment of containers by plasma 9 which will be described in more detail later, the latter including the distribution conveyor 8.Incidentally, the container manufacturing installation 1 also comprises a labeling unit 11 arranged downstream of the filling unit 10, the filling unit 10 and the labeling unit 11 are well known and will not be described in further detail.

[0042] Said installation for the treatment of containers by plasma 9 thus comprises a distribution conveyor 8 for the containers comprising an inlet (E) at the level of the container manufacturing unit 2 and an outlet (S) at the level of the filling unit 10 of said containers, and two plasma treatment units 12 and 13 for the containers by plasma, said plasma treatment units 12 and 13 for the containers being positioned at the periphery of the distribution conveyor 8 between the inlet (E) and the outlet (S) of said conveyor 8.

[0043] It goes without saying that the installation for the treatment of containers by plasma 9 may comprise more than two plasma treatment units 12 and 13 without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0044] Said distribution conveyor 8 defines, opposite each plasma treatment unit 12 and 13, a loading point (C) where every other container is taken from the distribution conveyor 8, to be transferred to the plasma treatment unit 12, 13 and to be treated there, and an unloading point (D) where the treated containers are transferred from the plasma treatment unit 12, 13 to said distribution conveyor 8, the containers taken at the loading point (C) of the second plasma treatment unit 13 being different from the containers taken at the loading point (C) of the first plasma treatment unit 12 upstream of the second plasma treatment unit 13.

[0045] In this first embodiment, shown in the, said plasma treatment units 12, 13 are arranged outside the distribution conveyor 8, on the same side of said distribution conveyor 8.

[0046] Furthermore, each loading point (C) and each unloading point (D) is distinct respectively from the entry point (E) and the exit point (S) of the distribution conveyor 8.

[0047] In addition, each loading point (C) consists of a transfer wheel called an input wheel 14 which takes one container out of two from the distribution conveyor 8 and delivers them to the plasma treatment unit 12 or 13.

[0048] Preferably, each unloading point (D) consists of a so-called output transfer wheel 15 which picks up the treated containers at the outlet of the plasma treatment unit 12 or 13 and delivers them to the distribution conveyor 8 downstream of the input transfer wheel 14 between two containers not picked up by said input transfer wheel 14.

[0049] Each plasma treatment unit 12 and 13 comprises, in a well-known manner, a treatment carousel 16 which is carried by a frame of said plasma treatment unit 12, 13.

[0050] As shown in more detail in , the containers conveyed by the distribution conveyor 8 are continuously conveyed to the carousel 16 of the first plasma treatment unit 12 by means of an input transfer wheel 14, hereinafter referred to as the "input wheel". The input wheel 14 is rotated about a substantially vertical axis. It comprises individual container gripping members 17 regularly distributed around its periphery.

[0051] The treated containers exit the treatment carousel 16 of the first plasma treatment unit 12 via an output transfer wheel 15, hereinafter referred to as the "output wheel". The output wheel 15 is rotated about a substantially vertical axis. It comprises individual container gripping members 18 regularly distributed around its periphery.

[0052] The input wheel 14 and the output wheel 15 are carried by a frame (not shown) which carries the processing carousel.

[0053] In this particular embodiment, the distribution conveyor 8 is made up of a plurality of so-called conveyor wheels 19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, 19E…, 19M, 19N, 19O, 19P, 19Q, etc., each conveyor wheel 19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, 19E…, 19M, 19N, 19O, 19P, 19Q, etc. comprising at its periphery an even number of individual gripping members 20 of a container, regularly distributed regularly at the periphery of the conveyor wheel 19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, 19E…, 19M, 19N, 19O, 19P, 19Q, etc., and each conveyor wheel 19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, 19E…, 19M, 19N, 19O, 19P, 19Q, etc. having a tangent zone with a downstream and / or upstream conveyor wheel 19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, 19E…, 19M, 19N, 19O, 19P, 19Q, etc., and two successive conveyor wheels 19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, 19E…, 19M, 19N, 19O, 19P, 19Q, etc. rotating in opposite directions in a synchronized manner so that each gripping member 20 is in coincidence with a corresponding gripping member 20 of the downstream and / or upstream conveyor wheel 19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, 19E…, 19M, 19N, 19O, 19P, 19Q, etc.in the said tangency zone.

[0054] Said gripping members 20 consist of clamps capable of individually supporting a container and holding it in position during its transport. These clamps being well known, they will not be described in detail.

[0055] Furthermore, each conveyor wheel 19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, 19E…, 19M, 19N, 19O, 19P, 19Q, etc. of the distribution conveyor 8 comprises an even number of gripping members 20 when said installation 9 comprises an even number of plasma treatment units 12, 13 along said distribution conveyor 8 and each conveyor wheel 19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, 19E…, 19M, 19N, 19O, 19P, 19Q, etc. of the distribution conveyor 8 comprises an odd number of gripping members 20 when said installation 9 comprises an odd number of plasma treatment units 12, 13 along said distribution conveyor 8.

[0056] The input transfer wheel 14 and the output transfer wheel 15, extending in line with each plasma treatment unit 12, 13, are synchronized in rotation with the conveyor wheels 19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, 19E…, 19M, 19N, 19O, 19P, 19Q, etc. of the distribution conveyor 8 so that the gripping members of the input transfer wheel 14 and the output transfer wheel 15 are in coincidence with empty gripping members 20 in the loading (C) and unloading (D) tangent zones.

[0057] According to an alternative embodiment of the distribution conveyor 8, with reference to the, said distribution conveyor 8 consists of a track 30 in a closed loop and a plurality of individual gripping devices 31 for the containers, said individual gripping devices 31 circulating on said track 30. The track 30 of the distribution conveyor 8 is magnetic and comprises a control unit configured to control the independent movement of each individual gripping device 31.

[0058] The distribution conveyor 8 ensures the distribution of the containers for each plasma treatment unit 12, 13. For this purpose, the distribution conveyor 8 defines, opposite each plasma treatment unit 12, 13, a loading point (C), at the level of the input wheel 14 of a plasma treatment unit 12, 13, and an unloading point (D) at the level of the output wheel 15 of a plasma treatment unit 12, 13.

[0059] Each individual gripping device 31 comprises a carriage 32 and a clamp 33 mounted on the carriage 32 to grip a container. Furthermore, the track 30 is magnetic and typically incorporates a long-stator synchronous linear motor, composed of a series of electromagnets, each carriage 32 including a rotor typically formed from one or more permanent magnet(s) positioned opposite the motor. The distribution conveyor 8 advantageously comprises a control unit 34 configured to control the current supply to each electromagnet, and more precisely to vary the voltage and frequency of the current flowing in each electromagnet. In this way, the control unit 34 can control the independent movement of each carriage 32, and can in particular control the speed of each carriage 32 independently of the others.In other words, the control unit 34 can accelerate, brake or even maintain the speed of each trolley 32 constant at any location on the track 30.

[0060] At the loading point (C) and at the unloading point (D), the distribution conveyor 8 is advantageously equipped with a cam which acts on a roller (e.g. a ball bearing) carried by the clamp 33 of each individual gripping device 31 to open it and thus release a container, respectively to close it and thus grip a container.

[0061] According to a final variant embodiment, not shown in the figures, the installation for the treatment of containers by plasma 9, comprises in the same way as previously a distribution conveyor 8 and at least two plasma treatment units 12 and 13. However, said installation is distinguished from that previously described by the fact that said treatment units 12 and 13 are arranged outside the distribution conveyor 8, on either side of said distribution conveyor 8, and not on the same side of said conveyor 8.

[0062] It goes without saying that the distribution conveyor 8 may consist of any other distribution conveyor 8 capable of defining, opposite each plasma treatment unit 12, 13, a loading point (C) where every other container is taken from the distribution conveyor 8, to be transferred to the plasma treatment unit 12, 13 and treated there, and an unloading point (D) where the treated containers are transferred from the plasma treatment unit 12, 13 to said distribution conveyor 8, the containers taken at the loading point of the second plasma treatment unit 12, 13 being different from the containers taken at the loading level of the first plasma treatment unit 12, 13 upstream of the second plasma treatment unit 12, 13 without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0063] Finally, it is clear that the examples just given are only specific illustrations and are in no way limiting as to the fields of application of the invention.

Claims

Installation for treating containers by plasma (9) in order to deposit a barrier coating on the internal and / or external wall of said containers, said plasma being obtained by partial ionization, under the action of an electromagnetic field, of a reaction fluid injected under low pressure into a treatment zone, said installation (9) being positioned between a container manufacturing unit (2) and a filling unit (10) of said containers, characterized in that it comprises at least one distribution conveyor (8) for the containers comprising an inlet (E) at the container manufacturing unit (2) and an outlet (S) at the filling unit (10) of said containers, at least two plasma container treatment units (12, 13), said plasma treatment units (12, 13) being positioned at the periphery of the distribution conveyor (8) between the inlet (E) and the outlet (S), and the distribution conveyor (8) defines,opposite each plasma treatment unit (12,13), a loading point (C) where every other container is taken from the distribution conveyor (8), to be transferred to the plasma treatment unit (12,13) ​​and treated there, and an unloading point (D) where the treated containers are transferred from the plasma treatment unit (12,13) ​​to said distribution conveyor (8), the containers taken at the loading point (C) of the second plasma treatment unit (12,13) ​​being different from the containers taken at the loading level of the first plasma treatment unit (12,13) ​​upstream of the second plasma treatment unit (12,13)., Installation according to claim 1 characterized in that the plasma treatment units (12, 13) are arranged outside the distribution conveyor (8), on the same side of said distribution conveyor (8). Installation according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that each loading point (C) and each unloading point (D) is distinct respectively from the entry point (E) and the exit point (S) of the distribution conveyor (8). Installation according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each loading point (C) consists of a transfer wheel called an entry wheel (14) which takes one container out of two from the distribution conveyor (8) and delivers them to the plasma treatment unit (12, 13). Installation according to claim 4 characterized in that each unloading point (D) consists of a transfer wheel called an output wheel (15) which takes the treated containers at the output of the plasma treatment unit (12, 13) and delivers them to the distribution conveyor (8) downstream of the input transfer wheel (14) between two containers not taken by said input transfer wheel (14). Installation according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the distribution conveyor (8) is made up of a plurality of so-called conveyor wheels (19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, 19E…, 19M, 19N, 19O, 19P, 19Q, etc.), each conveyor wheel (19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, 19E…, 19M, 19N, 19O, 19P, 19Q, etc.) comprising at its periphery an even number of individual gripping members (20) for a container, regularly distributed regularly at the periphery of the conveyor wheel (19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, 19E…, 19M, 19N, 19O, 19P, 19Q, etc.), and each conveyor wheel (19A,19B,19C,19D,19E…, 19M,19N,19O,19P,19Q,etc) having a tangent zone with a downstream and / or upstream conveyor wheel (19A,19B,19C,19D,19E…, 19M,19N,19O,19P,19Q,etc), and two conveyor wheels (19A,19B,19C,19D,19E…, 19M,19N,19O,19P,19Q,etc) successively rotating in opposite directions in a synchronized manner so that each gripping member (20) is in coincidence with a corresponding gripping member (20) of the downstream and / or upstream conveyor wheel (19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, 19E…, 19M, 19N, 19O, 19P, 19Q, etc) in said tangency zone., Installation according to claim 6 characterized in that said gripping members (20) consist of clamps capable of individually supporting a container and holding it in position during its transport. Installation according to any one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that each conveyor wheel (19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, 19E…, 19M, 19N, 19O, 19P, 19Q, etc.) of the distribution conveyor (8) comprises an odd number of gripping members (20) when said installation comprises an odd number of plasma treatment units (12, 13) along said distribution conveyor (8). Installation according to any one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that each conveyor wheel (19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, 19E…, 19M, 19N, 19O, 19P, 19Q, etc.) of the distribution conveyor (8) comprises an even number of gripping members (20) when said installation comprises an even number of plasma treatment units (12, 13) along said distribution conveyor (8). Installation according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that the input transfer wheel (14) and the output transfer wheel (15), extending in line with each plasma treatment unit (12, 13), are synchronized in rotation with the conveyor wheels (19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, 19E…, 19M, 19N, 19O, 19P, 19Q, etc.) of the distribution conveyor (8) so that the gripping members (17, 18) of the input transfer wheel (14) and the output transfer wheel (15) are in coincidence with empty gripping members (20) of the conveyor wheels ((19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, 19E…, 19M, 19N, 19O, 19P, 19Q, etc.) in the loading tangent zones (C) and unloading (D). Installation according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the distribution conveyor (8) consists of a track (30) in a closed loop and a plurality of individual gripping devices (31) for the containers, said individual gripping devices (31) circulating on said track (30). Installation according to claim 11 characterized in that the track (30) of the distribution conveyor (8) is magnetic and in that it comprises a control unit (34) configured to control the independent movement of each individual gripping device (31).

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