U.S. patent application number 14/082665 was filed with the patent office on 2014-05-22 for device for feeding container closures to a capper.
This patent application is currently assigned to Krones AG. The applicant listed for this patent is Krones AG. Invention is credited to Klaus Buchhauser, Sebastian Klepatz, Markus Schoenfelder.
Application Number | 20140137512 14/082665 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48693461 |
Filed Date | 2014-05-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140137512 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Buchhauser; Klaus ; et
al. |
May 22, 2014 |
DEVICE FOR FEEDING CONTAINER CLOSURES TO A CAPPER
Abstract
A system for feeding container closures to a capper (which can
be part of or separate from the system) in a beverage filling plant
comprises a sorter, an elevating conveyor and an inspection device,
where the inspection device is disposed before the elevating
conveyor, which enables better access to locations where faults can
potentially occur.
Inventors: |
Buchhauser; Klaus;
(Deuerling, DE) ; Klepatz; Sebastian; (Zeitlarn,
DE) ; Schoenfelder; Markus; (Deuerling, DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Krones AG |
Neutraubling |
|
DE |
|
|
Assignee: |
Krones AG
Neutraubling
DE
|
Family ID: |
48693461 |
Appl. No.: |
14/082665 |
Filed: |
November 18, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
53/287 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B 57/02 20130101;
B65B 7/2842 20130101; B65B 3/04 20130101; B65B 7/2807 20130101;
B67B 3/06 20130101; B65B 55/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
53/287 |
International
Class: |
B65B 7/28 20060101
B65B007/28 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 19, 2012 |
DE |
202012104464.1 |
Claims
1. A system for feeding container closures comprising: a capper; a
sorter disposed before the capper; an elevating conveyor disposed
between the capper and the sorter; and an inspection device
disposed before the elevating conveyor.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the inspection device is disposed
between the sorter and the elevating conveyor.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the inspection device is disposed
immediately before the elevating conveyor.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the inspection device is disposed
before the sorter.
5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a separating device
disposed before the inspection device.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the elevating conveyor comprises
a chain conveyor.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the elevating conveyor comprises
a helical chain conveyor.
8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a cross-transport
device disposed before the inspection device for transporting the
container closures to the inspection device or to the elevating
conveyor.
9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a closure buffer
disposed after the inspection device.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the closure buffer is disposed
after the elevating conveyor.
11. The system of claim 9, wherein the closure buffer is disposed
on top of the elevating conveyor.
12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a cross-transport
device disposed between the closure buffer and the capper.
13. The system of claim 9, wherein the closure buffer is disposed
between the elevating conveyor and the capper.
14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a cross-transport
device disposed between the elevating conveyor and the closure
buffer.
15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a closure chute
provided after the elevating conveyor.
16. The system of claim 9, further comprising a closure chute
coupled to the closure buffer and disposed between the closure
buffer and the capper.
17. The system of claim 12, further comprising a closure chute
coupled to the cross-transport device and disposed between the
cross-transport device and the capper.
18. The system of claim 1, further comprising a closure treatment
device disposed before the capper.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein the closure treatment device is
disposed between the capper and a closure chute.
20. A system comprising: a container closure sorter; a closure
chute disposed after the container closure sorter; a separating
device disposed after the closure chute; a cross-transport device
coupled to the separating device; an elevating conveyor disposed
after and coupled to the cross-transport device; an inspection
device disposed between the elevating conveyor and the
cross-transport device; and a capper disposed after the elevating
conveyor.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority from German Patent
Application No. 20 2012 104 464.1, filed on Nov. 19, 2012 in the
German Patent and Trademark Office, the disclosure of which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Technical Field
[0003] The present invention relates to a device for feeding
container closures to a capper in a beverage filling plant,
preferably for feeding plastic screw caps to a screw capper, for
closing plastic bottles having a closing thread by means of a screw
cap.
[0004] 2. Related Art
[0005] It is known to feed container closures, in particular
plastic screw caps, via feeder devices to a capper. In this, the
container closures are usually sorted into the correct orientation
in a sorter, for example a cascade sorter, an inclined sorter, a
vibration sorter or a centrifugal sorter, wherein these sorters are
usually disposed close to the floor. After being sorted in this
manner, the container closures are raised by an elevating conveyor
to the height required for the corresponding capper. Air conveyors
or inclined belt conveyors are usually used as elevating conveyors.
From the height which they thereby reach, which is usually in the
region of 10 meters above floor level, the closures are then fed to
the capper via a suitable closure chute, which also serves as a
closure buffer. Before the capper, the container closures are
inspected for possible damage or incorrect orientation, with
defective container closures then being removed from the stream.
After the inspection device, the container closures are then fed to
the actual capper, which carries out the closing of the beverage
containers which are to be closed using the applicable capping
heads.
[0006] Access to locations where faults can potentially occur is
difficult. This applies for example to access to the air conveyors
or the long inclined belts. Furthermore, the height which can be
reached is limited, particularly if air conveyors are used.
[0007] From DE 10 2008 047 286 A1, a device for producing
containers is known, in which a closing apparatus is provided, to
which closures are fed via a feeder device in the form of a
transport path or transport track.
SUMMARY
[0008] Proceeding from the known state of the art, a device for
feeding container closures to a capper is provided, which enables
better access to locations where faults can potentially occur.
[0009] In one embodiment, the device for feeding container closures
to a capper in a beverage filling plant comprises a sorter, an
elevating conveyor and an inspection device. In one embodiment, the
inspection device is disposed before the elevating conveyor.
[0010] By means of the location of the inspection device before the
elevating conveyor, and hence before the container closures are
transported to the height required by the capper, the inspection
device is disposed in an area which is usually easily accessible
for operators. In one embodiment, the inspection device is disposed
close to the floor.
[0011] By means of the location of the inspection device in such a
position, the sorter, which represents a particular source of
faults, the conveyor to the inspection device, and the inspection
device itself are correspondingly disposed close to the floor, with
the result that the main locations in which faults occur are easily
accessible for operators. In particular, the locations of faults
can be cleared and the faults can be rectified before the container
closures are conveyed via the elevating conveyor to an area which
is more difficult to access.
[0012] Furthermore, by means of an inspection in an area of the
plant which is located at the beginning of the container closure
transport stream, it is possible to prevent incorrectly oriented or
incorrectly dimensioned container closures, or container closures
whose properties are otherwise incorrect, from entering the
downstream areas of the plant. Faults caused by such defective
container closures can thereby be avoided. In other words, the fact
that the inspection device is disposed before the elevating
conveyor makes it possible to reject at this early stage, before
they enter the elevating conveyor, any container closures that are
damaged or do not conform to the specified dimensions, and which
could consequently cause problems in the elevating conveyor or
downstream thereof.
[0013] The elevating conveyor, in one embodiment, is in the form of
a chain conveyor, in order to avoid the use of an air conveyor or
belt conveyor, which requires extensive maintenance and are
fault-prone. Correspondingly, by the use of a chain conveyor, for
example a chain conveyor in the form of a helix, it is also
possible to achieve particularly compact dimensions along with an
energy consumption which is significantly reduced at least in
comparison with an air conveyor. The use of a chain conveyor may
thereby be classified as significantly less fault-prone than the
use of an air conveyor. Fault-free operation of the chain conveyor
is further ensured by the fact that the container closures are
pre-sorted and correctly oriented before they enter the chain
conveyor, and also by the fact that all defective container
closures have been rejected by means of the inspection device.
[0014] Between the sorter and the inspection device, a separating
device is provided in one embodiment, which separates the
individual container closures before they enter the inspection
device in order to permit separate inspection of each individual
container closure to be carried out without problems.
[0015] In a further example embodiment, the inspection device can,
however, also be disposed before the sorter, so that defective
container closures can be rejected before they enter the sorter, in
which the closures are positioned in their correct orientation.
[0016] In one embodiment, the inspection device is provided
immediately before the elevating conveyor, such as a chain
conveyor, in order to ensure that the container closures which
reach the elevating conveyor, and are hence conveyed out of the
operator's immediate area of influence, are correctly oriented and
correctly dimensioned, and that therefore no defective container
closures are transported.
[0017] In a further embodiment, the chain conveyor is followed by a
closure buffer, in which interim storage of the container closures
can take place if there is a mismatch between the supply of the
container closures and the consumption of the container closures.
This enables the bridging of the gaps caused by short-term
disruptions in the plant affecting either the conveying of
container closures or the capper itself, so that continuous
operation of the plant is possible.
[0018] The closure buffer can either be provided immediately
following the chain conveyor, or alternatively there can be an
additional cross-transport device between the chain conveyor and
the closure buffer. As an additional cross-transport device, a
chain cross conveyor is again suitable, being particularly
unsusceptible to faults.
[0019] In a further embodiment, the closure buffer is disposed
between the inspection device and the elevating conveyor. It can
also be ensured in this manner that the container closures that are
stored temporarily in the closure buffer are both correctly
oriented and correctly dimensioned, and that there are no defective
container closures in the closure buffer.
[0020] The closures, which are either conveyed via the chain
conveyor to the closure buffer or are conveyed from the closure
buffer via a further cross-transport device, for example a chain
cross conveyor, are finally fed to the actual capper from above via
a known closure chute with the required feed pressure. Before the
capper, in one embodiment, an additional treatment device for
treating the container closures can be provided, for example a
rinsing device or a disinfecting device in order to supply the
capper with hygienically acceptable container closures.
[0021] In a further embodiment, the treatment of the closures can
also take place in any other location, for example before the
elevating conveyor, before the closure buffer, or before a
cross-transport device; in these cases, the components that are
provided downstream of the applicable closure treatment device may
operate within an isolator or sterile housing, in order not to
compromise the prior sterilization or initial cleaning of the
container closure in the course of its subsequent transport.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0022] Further embodiments and aspects of the present invention are
more fully explained by the description below of the figures.
[0023] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a first embodiment
of the device for feeding container closures to a capper;
[0024] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a second embodiment
of a device for feeding container closures to a capper, and
[0025] FIG. 3 a schematic representation of a third device for
feeding container closures to a capper according to one
embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] Examples of embodiments are described below with the aid of
the figures. In the figures, elements which are identical or
similar, or have identical effects, are designated with identical
reference signs, and repeated description of these elements is in
part dispensed with in the description below, in order to avoid
redundancy.
[0027] In FIG. 1, a schematic representation of a device 1 for
feeding container closures to a capper 10 according to one
embodiment is shown. The device 1 feeds the container closures,
which are not shown here, to a capper 10 which, by means of
suitable capping heads, attaches the closures that are fed to it
to, for example, containers filled with a beverage. The capper 10,
in one embodiment, is a screw capper, which serves to screw plastic
screw caps onto, for example, the neck finish threads of PET
bottles or other plastic bottles which have screw threads. Such
screw cappers are known in principle from the state of the art.
[0028] Before the capper 10, a closure treatment device 12 is
provided, which serves to clean or sterilize the container closures
that are fed to it, and/or fill and/or surround them with a
protective gas atmosphere. This closure treatment device 12 for
treating the container closures is particularly important when
beverage containers are filled in a sterile environment, and
accordingly at least the inside of the container closure, which is
in direct contact with the filled product after closing, must be
sterile or aseptic and hygienically acceptable.
[0029] The container closures are first conveyed, via a conveying
apparatus which is not shown, to a sorter 2 in which the container
closures are oriented correctly. The sorter 2 can be for example a
cascade sorter, an inclined sorter, a vibration sorter or a
centrifugal sorter. The above-mentioned sorters use the asymmetric
mass distribution of container closures, for example of plastic
container closures, to achieve a suitable orientation.
[0030] After being sorted into the correct orientation by the
sorter 2, the container closures are conveyed via a closure chute
20 to a separating device 3, which then deposits the separated
container closures onto a cross-transport belt 30. The separating
device is for example in the form of a notched wheel, which thereby
serves to separate the container closures that are conveyed to
it.
[0031] The cross-transport device 30 is, in on embodiment, in the
form of a chain conveyor, since such a horizontally oriented chain
conveyor has a low probability of being the source of faults.
[0032] The correctly oriented, separated container closures are
then conveyed to an inspection device 4, which carries out checks
of the container closures, including checks for defects. Such
defects can be for example imperfect circularity of a container
closure, nicks or molding flash. The defects can also include
deformations of the container closures caused by collision and/or
abrasion, and/or torn-off tamper-evident bands. The container
closures can also be subject to deviations in their overall
dimensions, or other material defects which result for example in
reduced weight. Container closures that are recognized by the
inspection device 4 as defective are removed from the stream. The
container closures that are not recognized by the inspection device
4 as defective are then conveyed to an elevating conveyor 5, by
means of which the container closures are raised to the height
required for the subsequent procedure of feeding them to the capper
10. The elevating conveyor 5 is, in one embodiment, in the form of
a chain conveyor, which is significantly less prone to faults in
comparison with the air conveyors which are usually used.
[0033] Accordingly, the inspection device 4 is disposed immediately
before the elevating conveyor 5, to ensure that the container
closures conveyed to the elevating conveyor 5 have been classified
by the inspection device as acceptable. In particular, the
container closures that are conveyed have the correct orientation,
dimensions and surface properties. Consequently, the elevating
conveyor 5 is free of faults that would have resulted from the
entry into it of defective container closures.
[0034] The fact that the sorter 2, the separating device 3 and the
inspection device 4 are disposed before the elevating conveyor 5
further implies that these components are disposed in an area of
the plant which is significantly lower than the upper end 50 of the
elevating conveyor 5. Accordingly, the sorter 2, the separating
device 3 and the inspection device 4 are usually disposed close to
the floor or on the floor area of the device 1, so that operating
staff have easy access to these components. The areas of the plant
that are classified as fault-prone, namely in particular the sorter
2, the separating device 3, and the inspection device 4 with its
device for removing closures from the stream, can thus be disposed
in the floor area, so that operating staff have direct access to
them and are thereby able to rectify quickly any faults that
occur.
[0035] After being raised by the elevating conveyor 5 to the upper
end 50 of the elevating conveyor 5, the container closures are then
conveyed to a closure buffer 6, which serves to buffer the
container closures if a mismatch arises between the supply of
container closures from the sorter 2 and the uptake of container
closures by the capper 10. The location of the closure buffer 6
above the elevating conveyor 5, and in particular after the
inspection device 4, ensures that the closure buffer 6 also
receives only correctly oriented, correctly dimensioned container
closures with the correct properties. The container closures are
then conveyed from the closure buffer 6 via a closure chute 60 to
the closure treatment device 12 that was described above. The
closure chute 60 is usually inclined, so that conveyance by gravity
takes place. Since, however, the container closures that are
conveyed through the closure chute 60 have already been recognized
by the inspection device 4 as correctly oriented, correctly
dimensioned and having the correct material properties, the closure
chute 60 is also significantly less fault-prone than in a
conventionally arranged plant.
[0036] FIG. 2 shows a further example embodiment of a device 1', in
which the sorter 2 with the downstream closure chute 20 supplies
the pre-sorted closures to the separating device 3, wherein the
separating device 3 deposits the closures that have been separated
in this manner onto the cross-transport device 30. The correctly
oriented and separated closures are then conveyed to the inspection
device 4, which directly transfers the closures that are found to
be correct to the chain conveyor 5. The chain conveyor 5 in turn
transports the closures to the upper end 50 of the chain conveyor,
then transfers them to a cross-transport device 52, which is
preferably in the form of a chain conveyor or a belt conveyor.
[0037] Because the inspection device 4 has already ensured that the
container closures are correctly oriented and correctly
dimensioned, faults also do not occur on the cross-transport device
52, which subsequently discharges into the closure buffer 6.
Downstream of this is again the closure chute 60, which facilitates
the feeding of container closures to the closure treatment device
12 and finally to the capper 10.
[0038] Here too, the location of the inspection device 4 before the
elevating conveyor 5 is an essential precondition for disposal of
the sorter 2, the separating device 3 and the inspection device 4,
with its device for removing closures from the stream, in an area
to which operating staff have easy access. Consequently, the places
in which faults most frequently occur are easily accessible, with
the result that staff can intervene quickly if a disruption of the
plant's operation occurs.
[0039] FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of the device 1'', in
which the container closures are again sorted by the sorter 2 into
the correct orientation and conveyed via the closure chute 20 to
the separating device 3. The separated container closures are then
conveyed via the cross-transport device 30 to the inspection device
4, and those container closures that are thereby found to be
correctly oriented and to have the correct properties are conveyed
via the elevating conveyor 5, which is again formed as a chain
conveyor, to the closure buffer 6 disposed at the upper end 50 of
the elevating conveyor. From the closure buffer 6, the correctly
oriented and dimensioned container closures are conveyed, via a
cross-transport device 62 which is again for example in the form of
a chain conveyor or belt conveyor, to the closure chute 60, where
the container closures are then fed to the closure treatment device
12 and finally to the capper 10.
[0040] By means of the compact arrangement of the sorter 2, closure
chute 20, separating device 3, cross-transport device 30 and
inspection device 4 before the elevating conveyor 5, a compact
arrangement which also provides an economical use of space is
achieved.
[0041] In addition to the conveying of the plastic screw caps that
are mentioned here by way of example, closures of any other kind
can be conveyed by the applicable device, for example natural
corks, crown caps or other types of screwed closures. The conveying
of preforms and bottles is also possible.
[0042] To the extent applicable, all individual features described
in the individual example embodiments can be combined with each
other and/or exchanged, without departing from the field of the
invention.
* * * * *