Transport Star Guide Unit for Irregular Container Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional container handling devices in beverage bottling plants struggle with securely transporting and aligning containers with irregular profiles, leading to gaps and tilting issues, especially during capping, requiring additional mechanisms like brake shoes and belt clamps.

Innovation Solution

A device with a rotating transport star featuring a guide unit that pivots between a guide and release position, encompassing containers to secure them against lateral movement and tilting, using a retaining ring or cam to match the container's profile, and a locking mechanism for stable positioning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If conventional guide curves and transport stars are used, then circular containers can be transported safely, but containers with irregular profiles experience gaps and guidance play

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompatibility with irregular container profilesVSAvoidguidance stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The guide curve is divided into multiple segmented guide surfaces that can independently contact different portions of irregular container profiles. Each segment can be adjusted or configured to match specific container shapes, eliminating gaps and ensuring continuous guidance for containers with non-circular cross-sections.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The guide surfaces are designed with locally adapted geometries that correspond to specific container profile features. Different sections of the guide curve have customized shapes and contact points optimized for particular container types, enabling reliable guidance across diverse container shapes while maintaining stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Manufacturing precision

If spring-loaded parallelograms are used for alignment, then containers can be aligned, but containers are tilted against the direction of travel

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontainer alignmentVSAvoidcontainer orientation stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using spring-loaded parallelograms that push containers and cause tilting, the invention employs a guide curve system that passively guides containers through gravity and geometric constraints. The guide surfaces are designed to naturally direct containers along the intended path without applying lateral forces that would cause tilting against the direction of travel.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The active mechanical alignment system (spring-loaded parallelograms) is replaced with a passive guide curve system that uses the container's own weight and the geometric design of the guide surfaces to achieve alignment. This substitution eliminates the tilting effect while maintaining precise container orientation throughout the transport path.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If brake shoe star and belt clamp are added, then anti-rotation protection is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveanti-rotation protectionVSAvoidnumber of additional mechanisms

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The guide curve system is designed to simultaneously perform multiple functions: guiding containers along the transport path, maintaining container orientation, and preventing rotation. By integrating these functions into a single cohesive guide mechanism, the invention eliminates the need for separate brake shoe stars and belt clamps, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliable anti-rotation protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4686676A1Device for transporting at least one container and container treatment device

Publication Date: 2026.02.04 KRONES AG

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AI summary

The present invention relates to a device (1) for transporting at least one container (5), for example for transporting containers (5) in a beverage filling plant (200), comprising a rotating transport star (10) with transport pockets (11) for transporting the at least one container (5), wherein the rotating transport star (11) comprises at least one guide unit (20) movable relative to a transport pocket (11), which holds the container (5) together with the transport pockets (11) in a guide position and which releases the container (5) in a release position, wherein the guide position and the release position are spaced apart from each other in the direction of a rotation axis (12) of the transport star (10); it further relates to a container treatment device (100) that treats containers (5), for example in a beverage filling plant (200).