Bottle Transfer Grippers with Deflection Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bottle transfer systems in cleaning and filling systems are complex and difficult to clean, especially when handling PET bottles without a locking groove, as they require overlapping clamp tracks which complicate the transfer process and increase maintenance challenges.
Innovation Solution
The grippers are positioned on the same level with deflection elements to facilitate the transfer of bottles between transport stars, allowing for sliding motion in a single plane and decoupling centrifugal forces, with adjustable gripper arm configurations such as straight edges, inclined profiles, V-shaped grooves, and semicircular designs to ensure smooth and efficient transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If bottles are transferred using overlapping clamp tracks on transport stars, then the transfer can be achieved, but the device complexity increases and cleaning becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the transfer function from the complex overlapping clamp track system and relocates it to a separate deflection element. This separates the transport function (performed by simple transport stars) from the transfer function (performed by the deflection element), thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining transfer reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The deflection element acts as an intermediary component between two transport stars. Instead of having transport stars directly interact through complex overlapping tracks, the deflection element mediates the bottle transfer by receiving bottles from one transport star and guiding them to the other, simplifying the overall system architecture.
2Ease of operation
If grippers are positioned at different levels for transfer, then the transfer path can be established, but centrifugal forces cause deflection and transfer reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention positions all grippers at the same vertical level, creating an equipotential transfer path. This eliminates vertical height differences that would exacerbate centrifugal force effects, allowing bottles to transfer horizontally where centrifugal forces are minimized and more easily controlled, thereby improving both ease of operation and transfer reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention acknowledges that centrifugal forces are unavoidable in rotating transport stars, but converts this potential harm into a benefit by designing the transfer to occur at the same level where centrifugal forces are perpendicular to the transfer direction. This orientation minimizes the harmful deflection effect while maintaining the rotational motion benefits.
3Weight of moving object
If PET bottles without locking grooves are handled, then weight is reduced, but the neck ring must perform locking groove functions increasing transfer complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention designs grippers with universal end face profiles (such as V-shaped grooves or semicircular shapes) that can effectively handle both bottles with locking grooves and bottles without locking grooves. This multi-functional gripper design eliminates the need for different gripper configurations based on bottle type, maintaining simplicity while accommodating weight-reduced bottles.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the gripping mechanism from relying on positive engagement with locking grooves to using distributed contact forces through specially shaped end faces. This parameter change in the gripping approach allows effective handling of lighter bottles without locking grooves while maintaining the same simple gripper structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration simplifies the transfer process, reduces maintenance complexity, and mitigates centrifugal forces, enabling trouble-free operation and easier cleaning by maintaining bottles in a single plane and allowing for radial pushing above the bottle's center of gravity.
Implementation Method 1
the opposing centrifugal forces are decoupled. The radial pushing over represents an intermediate step, in which the bottle experiences an impulse above the center of gravity of the bottle, which counteracts or mitigates the deflection caused by the centrifugal force of the first turning circle
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (1) for transferring bottles (4), containers, or the like held by means of grippers (3), clips, clamps, or the like, from one transport star wheel (2a) to another (2b), or to a rinser, filler, or the like, wherein such bottles are held only in one plane, particularly below the neck ring. This is achieved in that the grippers (3) are positioned on a plane in the transfer area, having a delivery opening and transfer opening positioned one in front of the other in the transfer area, and having at least one diverting element (6) for sliding or transferring the bottle (4) from a gripper (3a) of a turning circle to a gripper (3b) of the other turning circle.