CN121057619A - Device and method for cleaning bath liquid of container cleaning equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for cleaning a bath of a container cleaning device. In order to provide a device which can clean the bath of a vessel cleaning apparatus simply, efficiently and in a long-term and water-saving manner, according to the invention the device has a cyclically driven screen belt with an upper run and a lower run. The upstroke section is used to filter and/or remove impurities from the bath liquid delivered from the cleaning bath of the container cleaning device onto the screen belt. The device has a spraying unit arranged between the lower run and the upper run for spraying the screen belt with cleaning liquid. Furthermore, a collection container is provided which is arranged below the downstroke section and/or the spray unit for collecting and subsequently reusing the cleaning liquid output by the spray unit.

Description

Apparatus and method for cleaning bath liquids for cleaning containers and equipment

Technical Field

This invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning bath liquid in container cleaning equipment, and a method for cleaning bath liquid in container cleaning equipment.

Background Technology

In the prior art, container cleaning equipment is typically used to clean containers, such as beverage containers and/or recyclable bottles, and remove their labels. For this purpose, container cleaning equipment typically has multiple container compartments into which containers are placed and conveyed through different cleaning areas with cleaning baths.

In the cleaning areas, containers are treated with various bath solutions, such as soft lye, lye, warm water, and/or fresh water, to remove dirt and/or peel off labels. The peeled dirt and labels accumulate in the bath solutions in each cleaning area, thus requiring regular or even continuous cleaning. To clean the bath solutions, filtration units, such as belt filters, are typically installed in one or more areas of the cleaning bath. The bath solutions flow through the filtration units, which themselves can become clogged over time, necessitating regular cleaning or replacement, which is particularly cumbersome and time-consuming for typical belt filter sizes.

To avoid replacing filter units, some known container cleaning equipment includes devices for rinsing the filter units. However, to avoid excessive water consumption, these devices typically operate intermittently, thus failing to achieve complete cleaning of the filter belt. Alternatively, continuous rinsing is necessary, but this is associated with high water consumption. While such high water consumption was acceptable in the past, increased environmental awareness has made operators of container cleaning equipment increasingly reluctant to adopt this approach.

Summary of the Invention

Based on this, the objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for cleaning bath liquid in container cleaning equipment, which can clean the bath liquid in container cleaning equipment simply, efficiently and for a long period of time, and in a water-saving manner.

This task is accomplished by the apparatus according to claim 1 and the method according to claim 9. Advantageous extensions of the invention are given in the dependent claims.

The apparatus according to the invention for cleaning bath liquid in a container cleaning device has a circulated screen belt having an upper stroke section and a lower stroke section. According to the invention, the upper stroke section is used to filter and/or remove impurities from the bath liquid guided onto the screen belt from at least one cleaning bath tank of the container cleaning device. According to the invention, the apparatus has a spraying unit disposed between the lower stroke section and the upper stroke section for spraying the screen belt with cleaning liquid, and a collection container disposed below the lower stroke section and/or the spraying unit for collecting and subsequently reusing the cleaning liquid output from the spraying unit.

The inventors recognized that impurities, such as dirt particles or label residue, in the bath solution of container cleaning equipment can be easily and quickly removed by filtration using the upper stroke section of the screen belt. The spray unit achieves simple and efficient cleaning of the screen belt by spraying the cleaning fluid in the opposite direction to the bath flow, thereby reducing bath solution residue on the screen belt and lowering residual alkalinity. This particularly allows for the use of plastic elements, such as sliding or sealing elements made of plastic, for guiding the screen belt. Furthermore, the inventors recognized that by positioning the spray unit between the lower and upper stroke sections and placing a collection container below the lower stroke section, the cleaning fluid can be reused, for example, for filling a cleaning bath, thus significantly reducing the water consumption of the container cleaning equipment.

Although the device for cleaning bath liquid according to the invention can in principle be a separate device from the container cleaning equipment, it is preferably integrated into the container cleaning equipment. Preferably, the device for cleaning bath liquid is arranged inside the housing of the container cleaning equipment.

Container cleaning equipment can, in principle, be any equipment used for cleaning containers. Therefore, container cleaning equipment preferably has multiple cleaning baths containing one or more different bath solutions, such as lye, warm water, or fresh water. Containers can, in principle, be any type of vessel, wherein the containers are preferably made of plastic or glass and/or used to hold food, especially beverages. Accordingly, the containers are preferably bottles. More preferably, the containers are recyclable bottles, particularly made of glass or plastic.

According to the invention, a screen belt is configured to filter impurities from a bath liquid. In principle, the screen belt is understood as a body adapted to trap impurities in the bath liquid on its surface while allowing the bath liquid to pass through. For example, the screen belt has a perforated screen surface with numerous openings extending between edge elements or respective lateral guide chains. Preferably, the screen belt has a plurality of screen elements arranged spaced apart from each other in the direction of belt travel for filtering impurities. The screen elements are, for example, each arranged on a sliding element at its end and arranged in a guide device, either individually or together with the sliding element. Preferably, the screen belt is guided in the guide device at least in the upper and lower stroke sections, in the spray unit region.

The upper and lower stroke sections describe two spaced-apart free-running sections of the screen belt. According to the invention, the screen belt is cyclically driven, which is understood to mean that the screen belt is turned at at least one steering roller, preferably at least two steering rollers, and driven by a drive unit, such as an electric motor. The screen belt has an upper side and a lower side opposite to the upper side in all sections.

The upper stroke section has a first upper section and a first lower section opposite to the first upper section. Referring to the position of use of the device, the first upper section is preferably located above the first lower section. The lower stroke section has a second upper section and a second lower section opposite to the second upper section. Referring to the position of use of the device, the second upper section is preferably located below the first and/or second lower section. Preferably, the lower sections, particularly due to at least one turning of the screen belt, are arranged facing each other. Furthermore, the lower stroke section is preferably arranged at an angle between 0° and 50°, preferably between 0° and 35°, and particularly preferably between 0° and 20° relative to the upper stroke section, at least in the spray unit area. Very particularly preferably, the lower stroke section is arranged parallel to the upper stroke section, at least in the spray unit area.

A spraying unit is understood in principle as a unit for outputting cleaning liquid onto and spraying the screen belt. Here, the spraying unit is configured to remove impurities filtered from the bath liquid from the screen belt. For this purpose, the spraying unit outputs cleaning liquid, such as water, toward the screen belt, particularly the lower section of the screen belt. Preferably, the spraying unit is configured to output cleaning liquid substantially across the entire width of the screen belt. Also preferably, the spraying unit has at least one discharge opening for discharging the cleaning liquid. The discharge opening is preferably constructed and arranged such that the cleaning liquid is sprayed onto the screen belt, particularly onto a surface substantially perpendicular to the screen belt.

Furthermore, the discharge opening is particularly preferably configured as a nozzle, so that the cleaning fluid is output from the spray unit and/or directed to the screen belt, especially the lower stroke section of the screen belt, under pressure, particularly 16 bar, preferably 2-5 bar.

Preferably, the injection unit has at least two discharge openings spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the injection unit. Particularly preferably, the injection unit has a plurality of spaced-apart discharge openings, and very particularly preferably spaced apart from each other at equal intervals. Here, it is particularly preferred that the discharge openings extend over 60%-120%, preferably 80%-100%, and particularly preferably 95%-100% of the length of the piping element and/or the width of the screen belt.

According to the invention, the injection unit is disposed between the lower stroke section and the upper stroke section. Preferably, the injection unit is arranged between the lower side sections of the lower stroke section and the upper stroke section, and/or pointing towards the lower side sections, particularly the lower side section of the lower stroke section. Particularly preferably, the injection unit is arranged between the first lower side section and the second lower side section. Preferably, the injection unit is arranged closer to the lower stroke section (particularly the second lower side section) than to the upper stroke section (particularly the first lower side section). Preferably, the injection unit is arranged at a distance between 0 cm and 20 cm from the second lower side section, particularly preferably between 1 cm and 15 cm, and very particularly preferably between 2 cm and 10 cm.

A separation element is preferably provided between the injection unit and the upper stroke section to capture impurities, especially label residue, that may accidentally fall off or pass through the upper stroke section. For example, the separation element is formed as a protective plate.

The collection container is, in principle, a component configured to capture the cleaning fluid output from the spray unit onto the screen belt and sprayed through it. For this purpose, the collection container has an inlet opening on its upper side or the side facing the screen belt and spray unit, which preferably extends over the entire upper side of the collection container. Particularly preferably, the inlet opening has a rectangular shape. The collection container also preferably extends at least over the entire width of the screen belt and spray unit, and particularly preferably beyond that range. Also preferably, the collection container has a cuboid shape, wherein, particularly preferably, the width transverse to the direction of screen belt operation is greater than the length parallel to the direction of operation. For reuse of the cleaning fluid, the collection container is connected, for example, to the cleaning bath or circulation loop of the spray unit of a container cleaning device.

According to an advantageous extension of the invention, the spraying unit is connected to the collection container such that the cleaning fluid collected in the collection container can be reused to clean the next stroke section. For this purpose, the collection container is preferably connected to the spraying unit via a pump and/or piping, thereby enabling the advantageous reuse of the cleaning fluid for cleaning the next stroke section, thus achieving cost-effective and resource-saving screen belt cleaning.

However, the cleaning solution becomes rich in impurities that detach from the screen belt over time, therefore, the cleaning solution should be filtered as the operating time of the device used for the cleaning solution increases. For example, a filtration unit can be installed on the pump and/or pipeline connecting the collection container and the spray unit to filter the cleaning solution before reuse. However, according to an advantageous extension of the invention, a screen body is provided in the collection container to filter the cleaning solution guided through the screen belt, thereby easily removing impurities from the cleaning solution.

In principle, a sieve body is understood as a body configured to separate impurities, particularly label residues, from cleaning fluid. The sieve body is preferably constructed for mechanically filtering the cleaning fluid. Preferably, the sieve body has a sieve surface with multiple openings penetrating the surface to allow the cleaning fluid to pass through. Furthermore, the sieve body is preferably made of metal. Also preferably, the sieve body is arranged on the lower side or bottom region of the collection container, so that settled impurities remain within the sieve body. Very particularly preferably, the sieve body extends substantially over the entire bottom area of the collection container. With the aid of the sieve body, the cleaning fluid can be filtered efficiently and easily during collection in the collection container, thereby separating it from impurities.

According to an advantageous configuration of the invention, the collection container and/or sieve body is configured such that the sieve body is adjustable between a use position and a removal position. In the use position, the sieve body is arranged in the collection container such that the sieve body, particularly the sieve surface, extends across the entire cross-section of the inlet opening, thereby collecting all cleaning fluid entering the collection container and/or the cleaning fluid output by the spray unit. In the removal position, the sieve body can be removed from the collection container and/or from the cleaning device to remove impurities filtered from the cleaning fluid and/or to clean and/or replace the sieve body.

Preferably, the sieve body and/or collection container has at least one support element for supporting the sieve body in the use position and/or for guiding the sieve body between or in the process of adjusting the use position and the removal position. When adjusting between the use position and the removal position, the sieve body preferably moves along a movement path arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the spray unit. The support element is preferably configured such that the sieve body is spaced apart from the bottom of the collection container in the use position. Particularly preferably, the sieve body is formed as a plate element and has tabs for guiding and stabilizing the sieve body. By adjusting the sieve body between the use position and the removal position, simple and quick cleaning of the sieve body can be achieved.

According to an advantageous extension of the invention, the collection container has a locking unit adjustable between a locked position, in which the sieve body is fixed in a use position, and a released position, in which the sieve body is released to adjust between a use position and a removal position. In the locked position, the locking unit prevents the sieve body from adjusting from the use position to the removal position. In the released position, the locking unit releases the sieve body for removal from the collection container. Preferably, the locking unit has a locking element that engages with a section of the sieve body and/or the collection container in the locked position and disengages in the released position. Furthermore, the locking unit is preferably arranged on a housing plate connected to the sieve body and/or can be removed from the collection container together with the sieve body. For example, the locking unit is formed as a rotary lock. The locking unit provides a simple and reliable way to prevent accidental adjustment of the sieve body.

In principle, the collection container is sufficient to collect and reuse the cleaning fluid, wherein the collection container may have a section in its lower region for storing the received cleaning fluid, or it may be configured to immediately and/or completely drain the received cleaning fluid for reuse. However, according to an advantageous extension of the invention, the cleaning device has a storage container connected to the collection container for expanding the storage capacity of the collection container or forming a storage volume. The collection container preferably has a discharge opening, particularly for connecting the storage container, which is particularly preferably arranged in the lower end region of the sidewall of the collection container. The storage container describes a component for expanding the storage capacity of the collection container and/or for storing the cleaning fluid.

Particularly preferably, the collection container and/or storage container is connected via a supply line to a bath disposed within the cleanroom of the container cleaning equipment. More preferably, the spraying unit of the device is connected to the bath of the container cleaning equipment via this line and/or a pump, thereby enabling the spraying unit to operate with cleaning fluid stored in the bath of the container cleaning equipment. By connecting the collection container to the storage container and/or the bath of the container cleaning equipment, a particularly large amount of cleaning fluid can be stored.

The spraying unit according to the invention is, in principle, sufficient to clean impurities on the screen belt. However, preferably, a cleaning unit is arranged upstream of the spraying unit in the lower and/or upper stroke sections for removing coarse impurities from the screen belt. Particularly preferably, the cleaning unit is configured for mechanical cleaning of the screen belt. For example, the cleaning unit can be configured as a metal scraper or blade. However, an advantageous extension according to the invention provides a cleaning roller upstream of the spraying unit in the screen belt running direction for removing coarse impurities from the screen belt. Preferably, the cleaning roller is configured such that coarse impurities, particularly label residue, adhering to the lower stroke section, particularly the second upper section of the lower stroke section, are removed. The cleaning roller preferably has a plurality of cleaning elements extending radially from the longitudinal axis of the cleaning roller for removing coarse impurities. The cleaning elements are preferably made of plastic. The cleaning roller can be driven to rotate, preferably against the running direction of the screen belt, by means of a drive device. Particularly preferably, the cleaning roller is formed as a brush roller. The cleaning roller provides a simple and reliable way to pre-clean the screen belt before spraying with cleaning fluid, thus slowing down screen clogging and allowing for longer-term use without the need for replacement.

The method for cleaning bath liquid for cleaning container cleaning equipment according to the present invention can be performed in particular using the above-described apparatus and includes the following steps: guiding the bath liquid from a cleaning bath to a circulating screen belt having an upper stroke section and a lower stroke section; filtering and/or removing impurities from the bath liquid by means of the upper stroke section of the screen belt; spraying the screen belt with cleaning liquid by means of a spray unit arranged between the lower stroke section and the upper stroke section; collecting the cleaning liquid in a collection container arranged below the lower stroke section and/or the spray unit; and reusing the cleaning liquid output by the spray unit and collected in the collection container.

The cleaning fluid trapped in the collection container can, in principle, be reused within the container cleaning equipment in any manner. Preferably, the cleaning fluid trapped in the collection container is reused to clean the next stage of the cleaning process.

Attached Figure Description

Embodiments of the apparatus and method according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are as follows.

Figure 1 shows a side view of a device for cleaning bath liquid in a container.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the device in Figure 1.

Figure 3a shows a perspective view of the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2, with the sieve in the use position.

Figure 3b shows a perspective view of the apparatus of Figure 1-3a, with the sieve in the removed position.

Figure 4 shows a side view of a container cleaning device with the apparatus of Figures 1-3.

Detailed Implementation

Figure 1 shows a side view of the apparatus 1 for cleaning the bath liquid in the container cleaning device 2.

The device 1 has a cyclically driven screen belt 3, which has an upper stroke section 4 and a lower stroke section 5. Furthermore, the device 1 has an injection unit 6 disposed between the lower stroke section 5 and the upper stroke section 4, and a collection container 7 disposed below the lower stroke section 5 and the injection unit 6.

The screen belt 3 has a plurality of screen elements 30 arranged at intervals in the running direction of the screen belt 3 for filtering impurities. Each screen element 30 is arranged on a sliding element 31 at its end and is respectively arranged in a guide device 32 by the sliding element 31, wherein the screen belt 3 is guided in the guide device 32 at the upper stroke section 4 and the lower stroke section 5, at least in the region of the spray unit 6. In addition, the screen belt 3 is turned at the deflector roller 33 and driven by a drive unit not shown in the figure.

The upper stroke section 4 has a first upper section 8 and a first lower section 9 opposite to the first upper section 8. Referring to the operating position of the device 1, the first upper section 8 is arranged above the first lower section 9. In the operating position, the upper stroke section 4 is arranged horizontally. The lower stroke section 5 has a second upper section 10 and a second lower section 11 opposite to the second upper section 10. Referring to the operating position of the device 1, the second upper section 10 is arranged below the first and second lower sections 9 and 11. The lower stroke section 5 is arranged parallel to the upper stroke section 4 in the region of the injection unit 6.

The injection unit 6 is arranged between the first lower section 9 and the second lower section 11. Furthermore, the injection unit 6 is arranged closer to the second lower section 11 than to the first lower section 9. A separation element in the form of a protective plate 12 is arranged between the injection unit 6 and the upper stroke section 4.

The injection unit 6 has a conduit element 13 and a plurality of discharge openings arranged substantially spaced apart from each other along the entire length of the conduit element 13, the discharge openings being in the form of nozzles 14, wherein the nozzles 14 point toward the second lower section 11 of the lower stroke segment 4.

The collection container 7 is arranged to be spaced apart from the second upper section 10 of the lower stroke section 4. In addition, the collection container 7 extends along the longitudinal axis L of the injection unit 6 over the entire length of the piping element 13 of the injection unit 6 and has an inlet opening 15 having a rectangular cross-section 16 extending parallel to the longitudinal axis L of the injection unit 6.

The device 1 also includes a sieve body 17 arranged in a collection container 7, the sieve body having a sieve surface 18 as shown in FIG. 2, the sieve surface having a plurality of openings 19 penetrating the sieve surface 18. The sieve body 17 is adjustable between a use position shown in FIG. 3a and a removal position shown in FIG. 3b. The collection container 7 has a support element 20 for supporting the sieve body 17 in the use position and for guiding the sieve body 17 when adjusting between the use position and the removal position.

Furthermore, the collection container 7 has a locking unit arranged on the housing plate 21 connected to the sieve body 17, which is in the form of a rotary lock 22. The rotary lock 22 can be adjusted between a locked position that fixes the sieve body 17 in the use position and a released position that releases the sieve body 17 to adjust between the use position and the removal position.

The collection container 7 is connected to the bath 24 located in the clean chamber 29 of the container cleaning equipment 2 via the supply line 23. The spraying unit 6 is connected to the bath 24 of the container cleaning equipment 2 via the pump 25, so that the spraying unit 6 can operate with the cleaning solution stored in the bath of the container cleaning equipment 2.

In addition, the device 1 has a cleaning roller 26 disposed upstream of the spray unit 6 in the running direction of the screen belt 3. The cleaning roller has a plurality of cleaning elements 27 extending radially from the longitudinal axis LR of the cleaning roller 26 for removing coarse impurities from the screen belt 3.

The device 1 can be used to perform a method for cleaning the bath liquid in the container cleaning equipment 2. The bath liquid is guided from the cleaning bath 28 of the container cleaning equipment 2 to the screen belt 3. Impurities are filtered and removed from the cleaning liquid by means of the upper stroke section 4. Subsequently, coarse impurities are removed from the second upper section 10 of the lower stroke section 5 by means of the cleaning roller 26. Then, the screen belt 3 is sprayed by means of the spraying unit 6, wherein the cleaning liquid is sprayed through the nozzle 14 onto the second lower section 11 of the lower stroke section 5. The cleaning liquid is finally collected in the collection container 7, filtered by means of the screen body 17, and guided to the bath 24 of the container cleaning equipment 2 through the supply line 23. For reuse in the spraying unit 6, the cleaning liquid is transported from the bath 24 to the spraying unit 6 by means of the pump 25.

The screen belt 3 is cleaned simply and efficiently by spraying cleaning fluid onto it using a spray unit 6 arranged between the lower stroke section 5 and the upper stroke section 4. This reduces the amount of residual bath fluid on the screen belt 3 and lowers the residual alkalinity. This allows the guide device 32 of the screen belt 3 to use plastic components, such as sliding elements 31 or sealing elements.

List of reference numerals

1. Device for cleaning bath liquid

2 Container Cleaning Equipment

3-sieve belt

4. Upper travel segment

5 Lower travel segment

6 injection units

7 Collection Containers

8 First upper section

9 First lower section

10 Second upper section

11 Second lower section

12 Separable Components/Protective Plate

13 Piping Components

14 Discharge opening/nozzle

15 Enter the opening

16. Cross-section of the opening

17-sieve body

18 sieves

19 openings

20 support elements

21 Shell Plate

22 Rotary Locking Device

23 Supply Pipeline

24 baths

25 pumps

26 cleaning rollers

27 Cleaning Components

28 Cleaning Bath Tub

29 Clean Room

30-sieve element

31 Sliding element

32 guide devices

33 steering rollers

The longitudinal axis of the L-jet unit

The longitudinal axis of the LR cleaning roller.

Claims (10)

1. An apparatus (1) for cleaning a bath of a container cleaning device (2), comprising:

a cyclically driven screen belt (3) having an upper run (4) and a lower run (5), wherein the upper run (4) is provided for filtering and/or removing impurities from a bath liquid guided onto the screen belt (3) from a cleaning bath (28) of the container cleaning device (2);

a jet unit (6) arranged between the lower run (5) and the upper run (4) for flushing the screen belt (3) with cleaning liquid, and

A collection container (7) arranged below the downstroke section (5) and/or the spray unit (6) for collecting and subsequently reusing the cleaning liquid output by the spray unit (6).

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the spray unit (6) is connected with the collecting container (7) such that the cleaning liquid collected in the collecting container (7) is reused for cleaning the downstroke section (5).

3. Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by a screen (17) arranged in the collection container (7) for filtering the cleaning liquid guided through the screen belt (3).

4. A device according to claim 3, characterized in that the collecting container (7) and/or the sieve (17) are configured such that the sieve (17) is adjustable between a use position and a removal position.

5. A device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the collecting container (7) has a locking unit (22) which is adjustable between a locking position, in which the sieve body (17) is fixed in the use position, and a release position, in which the sieve body (17) is released for adjustment between the use position and the removal position.

6. Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by a reservoir container connected to the collection container (7) for expanding the storage capacity of the collection container.

7. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the collection container (7) and/or the reservoir container are connected by a supply line (23) to a bath (24) arranged in a clean room (29) of the container cleaning apparatus (2).

8. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by a cleaning roller (26) arranged upstream of the injection unit (6) in the direction of travel of the screen belt (3) for removing coarse impurities from the screen belt (3).

9. A method for cleaning a bath of a container cleaning device (2), comprising the steps of:

directing the bath from the cleaning bath (28) onto a cyclically driven screen belt (3) having an upper run (4) and a lower run (5);

filtering and/or removing impurities from the bath by means of an upper run (4) of the screen belt (3);

Flushing the screen belt (3) with a cleaning liquid by means of a spraying unit (6) arranged between the lower run (5) and the upper run (4);

Collecting the cleaning liquid in a collecting container (7) arranged below the downstroke section (5) and/or the spray unit (6), and

The cleaning liquid which is output by the spraying unit (6) and collected in the collecting container (7) is reused.

10. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that the cleaning liquid collected in the collection container (7) is reused for cleaning the downstroke section (5) by means of the spray unit (6).