EP3741722B1 - Closure assembly for closing a container with a container closure - Google Patents

Description

technical field

The present invention relates to a closure arrangement for closing a filled container with a container closure, for example for applying a roll-up closure to a container to be closed in a beverage bottling plant.

State of the art

In beverage bottling plants it is known to close the containers filled with a filling product by means of a container closure. For this purpose, the filled container is usually transported from a filling device to a closing device, then transferred to the closing device and provided with the container closure in it.

Both the filling device and the closing device can be so-called rotary machines. In a rotary filler filler, the individual filling elements are arranged on the circumference of a filler carousel, with each filling element forming a single filling point on the filler carousel, at which one container can be filled with the filling product per cycle. The transport between the filler carousel and the rotary capper takes place, for example, via a transfer star. In a rotary capper, a capper carousel is provided, on the circumference of which are arranged capping elements which can each close a filled container with a container cap.

Correspondingly, a filled container runs from the filler carousel to the closing carousel through a curved, for example also meandering, conveying path, which can have, for example, sections in the shape of a circular arc. Depending on the conveying distance to be overcome, one, two or more transfer stars can be provided here in order to overcome the transport distance between the filler carousel and the closing carousel.

There are different seals for sealing filled containers in bottling plants Closure types are known, which can be designed differently depending on the geometric shape of the respective filled container and in particular its mouth area, as well as depending on the filling product.

Crown caps are known, for example, which can be molded onto the mouth of a filled container. Screw caps can be screwed onto an existing thread in the mouth area of a filled container. Corks can be placed in the mouth of a filled container. Roll-on closures are applied, for example in the form of a sleeve, to an existing thread in the mouth area of a container and then rolled onto the thread by means of a rolling device.

In order to transfer the caps to the filled container and the filled containers to the capping carousel in the correct position and in particular to the respective receiving pockets of the capping carousel that correspond to the respective capping element, the filled containers are usually separated before being introduced into the capping carousel by the formation of complex Guide sets stabilized and aligned.

It is known, for example, to provide at least three guide levels on the transfer starwheel, which transfers the filled containers to the closing carousel, for example two in the area of the container body and one in the area of the container neck. In this way, a stable and safe alignment and guidance of the filled container to be closed can already be achieved in the transfer star.

Furthermore, an infeed guide is usually designed in such a way that, by means of several guide sets arranged on different levels, an orientation of the container to be closed is achieved in a predetermined manner, in order in this way to transfer the container closure to be applied to the container mouth without any problems and to close the container accordingly Ensure container with this container closure.

Since a large number of container guides are provided, it is correspondingly necessary when changing the container format, i.e. for example a different height, a different diameter of the belly area of the container, a different contour of the belly area, a different neck diameter and a different ratio between the neck diameter and To either readjust the overall diameter according to the respective guide sets or replace completely. Accordingly, a separate combination of different guide fittings must be kept ready for each type of container. Furthermore, the required changeover time results in a standstill of the beverage bottling plant.

The US 3,432,989A describes a device for capping bottles. The U.S. 2,423,441A describes a container treatment device.

Presentation of the invention

Accordingly, based on the known prior art, it is an object of the present invention to specify a closure arrangement for closing a filled container with a container closure, which has a further improved structure.

This object is achieved by a capper arrangement having the features of claim 1. Advantageous developments result from the dependent claims, the present description and the attached figures.

Correspondingly, a closure arrangement for closing a filled container with a container closure is proposed, comprising a closure carousel with at least two closure elements arranged on its circumference and corresponding transport pockets and an infeed guide for receiving the container to be closed from an upstream transfer device and for transferring the container to the transport bags. According to the invention, the inlet guide has an inlet area that tapers in the conveying direction.

Because the inlet guide has an inlet area that tapers in the conveying direction, incoming containers can definitely be guided securely in their neck area and then guided in a preferred orientation for applying the container closure. In other words, the inlet area, which tapers in the conveying direction, serves to center the bottle neck and to align it in such a way that a container closure can be applied without any problems. The inlet area, which tapers in the conveying direction, can be designed in a quasi-funnel shape, so that the incoming container necks are aligned in the correct orientation.

The inlet guide has a guide channel, with the narrowing inlet area being part of the guide channel.

By means of the guide channel, a simple and efficient management of the container along a predetermined guideway can be achieved, so that the containers are correctly aligned, for example for the transfer of container closures, and a safe transfer of the container closures can be achieved.

The tapering inlet area preferably makes up only part of the guide channel, in particular only 5% to 20% of the length of the guide channel.

The larger part of the guide channel can thus be used for the aligned transport of the containers, so that the container closure can be reliably applied in this area.

The guide channel is formed between an inner guide blank and an outer guide blank.

This design of the guide channel allows a change in the geometry of the guide channel, adapted to the respective container shape, to be achieved by exchanging the inner and/or outer round guide.

On the two guide blanks, a contour is provided on the inner edge facing the guide channel, which contour is designed in the form of a chamfer.

Due to the formation of the contouring, a particularly smooth transport of the containers in the inlet guide and in particular the guide channel can be achieved.

In order to achieve a particularly safe takeover of the containers from the upstream transfer starwheel, the guide channel is preferably twice as wide at its entrance as it is after the narrowing in the conveying direction is complete. In other words, there is a significant reduction in the width of the guide channel from the infeed area, so that on the one hand the containers fed in by means of the transfer star wheel are reliably caught and on the other hand the containers then caught are quickly guided onto the desired transport path in order to then to achieve safe takeover of a container closure.

Preferably, a closure feed for feeding container closures to the infeed guide is provided and the narrowing of the infeed area is completed, viewed in the conveying direction F, before a closure is transferred to a container to be closed.

This means that when the container closure is transferred to the container, the container is already aligned in such a way that a reliable transfer can take place.

The closure feed is preferably designed to feed closure sleeves for roll-up closures.

The inlet guide is preferably designed in such a way that it covers 50° to 90° of the conveying area of the upstream transfer star.

This means that the containers can be picked up particularly safely and the containers can be transferred particularly gently to the closing carousel.

In order to achieve a simple changeover of the capper arrangement, the inlet guide can be designed to be quickly exchangeable, preferably via a plug-in connection.

Brief description of the figures

Figur 1

eine schematische perspektivische Ansicht einer Verschließeranordnung zum Verschließen eines befüllten Behälters;

Figur 2

eine schematische Ansicht von unten auf die Verschließeranordnung aus Figur 1; und

Figur 3

eine schematische Draufsicht auf die Verschließeranordnung aus den Figuren 1 und 2.

Preferred further embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail by the following description of the figures. show:

figure 1

a schematic perspective view of a closure arrangement for closing a filled container;

figure 2

Figure 12 is a schematic bottom view of the sealer assembly figure 1 ; and

figure 3

a schematic plan view of the capper assembly of FIGS figures 1 and 2 .

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

Preferred exemplary embodiments are described below with reference to the figures. Elements that are the same, similar or have the same effect are provided with identical reference symbols in the different figures, and a repeated description of these elements is sometimes dispensed with in order to avoid redundancies.

figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a closure arrangement 1 for closing a filled container, not shown here, with a container closure.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the closure assembly 1 is schematically provided for applying a roll-up closure. In this case, a closure sleeve is first placed on the mouth of the container to be closed, for example by towing the closure sleeve from a closure feeder. Then the closure sleeve by means of a Rolling head formed onto the outer contour present at the mouth of the container to be closed. The outer contour can be a thread, for example.

The capper arrangement described herein can also be used, inter alia, for crown caps.

The closing arrangement 1 comprises a closing carousel 10 which has a transport star 12 which has transport pockets 14 on its periphery, into which a container to be closed can be inserted and then transported in the closing carousel 10 as the transport star 2 rotates. In the figure 1 Closing elements, not shown but assigned to the respective transport bags 14, are provided in order to apply a container closure to the filled container.

The transport star 12 rotates relative to fixed components 11 of the closer arrangement, which are connected, for example, to a base frame and which can carry further machine components, not shown here, towards the top.

In order to guide the containers from an upstream transfer starwheel (not shown here) to the transport starwheel 12 of the closer arrangement 1, an inlet guide 2 is provided, which takes over the containers, for example in their neck area, from the upstream transfer starwheel at the inlet 20 and then the transport pockets 14 supplies.

The inlet guide 2 has an inlet region 22 that tapers in the conveying direction, as is particularly evident in FIGS figures 2 and 3 can be seen.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, the infeed guide 2 is formed by a circular guide 24 that is radially closer to the transport star 12 of the closer carousel 10 and an outer circular guide 26 that is correspondingly further radially outward from the transport star 12 of the closer carousel 10 . Correspondingly, a guide channel 28 is formed between the inner guide blank 24 and the outer guide blank 26, in which, for example, the container necks of the containers to be closed are guided.

The guide channel 28, which is formed between the inner guide ring 24 and the outer guide ring 26, has - except for the inlet area 22 - a width which corresponds to the maximum expected diameter of the respective section of the filled container which is to be closed, wherein in addition, a tightly dimensioned surcharge is granted in order to absolutely prevent containers from becoming jammed in the guide channel 28 .

In the bottom view of the capper assembly 1 shown in FIG figure 2 is shown, the construction of the closing carousel 10 with the transport star wheel 12, which has a large number of transport pockets 14 on its circumference, is shown once again. Also visible is the inlet guide 2, which has the inner round guide 24 and the outer round guide 26, which form the guide channel 28 between them.

On the two guide blanks 24, 26, on the inner edge 240, 260 facing the guide channel 28, a contour is provided in each case, which is designed in the form of a chamfer.

This contouring can correspond to the shape of the filled container to be closed, which is guided in this area. This contouring can, for example, be designed to correspond to the shoulder area of a bottle.

The tapering inlet area 22 can be seen particularly well in this view from below. The inlet area 22 tapers in the conveying direction F in such a way that at the inlet 20, at which the containers enter the guide channel 28, the guide channel 28 has a greater width than in all other sections of the guide channel 28 along the conveying direction F.

The infeed area 22, which tapers in the conveying direction F, accordingly forms a type of infeed funnel or catching area, which makes it possible to reliably pick up or catch the incoming containers or the incoming container necks by means of the infeed area and then quickly bring them into the transport path specified by the guide channel 28 .

A closure feed (shown in the embodiment in Figures 4 and 5) is connected to the position symbolized by the elongated holes 30, by means of which a container closure is applied to the container necks, which are then correctly aligned and positioned in the guide channel 28 after passing through the inlet area 22 can.

In the elongated holes 30 or at least at the position specified by them, such a closure feed can be connected, by means of which closures can be towed through the incoming container necks or container mouths, so that a container provided with a container closure or a container closure sleeve in this way can be placed in a transport pocket 14 of the transport star 12 of the capping carousel.

In other words, when a container has entered the closure arrangement 1 in the conveying direction F in the guide channel 28 , a closure sleeve for a roll-up closure is transferred by means of a closure feed arranged in the slots 30 . The closure sleeve is then closed on the container, which is accommodated in a transport pocket 14 of the transport star wheel 12 of the closing carousel 10, with a container closure by means of a closing element that is moved synchronously with the transport pockets, in particular the closure sleeve is rolled onto an outer contour of the container neck. The closure members are not shown in this view.

The closure feed can, for example, comprise a closure feed rail (not shown here), in which closures are kept ready in a predetermined orientation, so that a container running under the closure feed takes or tows such a closure with it.

It can be seen in the inlet area 22 that it has a shape that tapers in the conveying direction F. An incoming container is centered and guided accordingly by the infeed area 22, which tapers in the conveying direction F, in such a way that as soon as it passes the cap transfer point, it can be easily provided with a cap, for example in the form of a cap sleeve, which then, as soon as the container with the Closure sleeve is then transferred to the capper carousel 10 applied by means of the capping member, not shown, for example rolled up.

The closure arrangement 1 designed in this way makes it possible, even at higher speeds, to safely take over the containers or container necks from the inlet 20 by means of the inlet area 22, which tapers in the conveying direction F, and then to center them within the guide channel 28 in such a way that the container closures can be towed away takes place so easily and reliably at the closure feed that the subsequent closure process on the closure carousel 12, in which, for example, a closure sleeve applied to the respective container can be rolled onto a prefabricated thread by means of a rolling tool, can take place safely.

Accordingly, it can be avoided that when towing the respective container closures and in particular when towing closure sleeves for roll-up closures, the towing either does not work at all, or the closure sleeves are incompletely or crookedly placed, so that a faulty closure can occur during the subsequent rolling or roll-up closure or even one correct closure does not come about at all.

The inlet guide 2 can also be designed in such a way that the containers and in particular the container necks are guided completely by means of the guide channel 28 until the containers are transferred to the respective transport pockets 14 of the transport star wheel 12 of the capping carousel. Correspondingly, the containers are guided after they have been taken over by the transfer star wheel until they are handed over to the respective closing head or the transport pocket 14 assigned to the respective closing head.

The tapering inlet area 22 extends in the conveying direction F preferably only in a section of the guide channel 28 in which the transfer or the towing of the respective container closures does not yet take place. In other words, the narrowing of the inlet area 22 is preferably completed before the closures or closure sleeves are taken over, so that by the time the container neck or the container mouth passes the respective closure feed, the container mouth is already fully aligned, so that a reliable transfer can take place of the container closure, for example the closure sleeve, takes place on the container to be closed.

The closing carousel can also have a lower transport star wheel, not shown here, which also guides the containers to be closed in their belly area. The containers stand up, for example, on a transport plate. Correspondingly, the containers to be closed are guided both in their neck area by means of the transport star 12 and in their belly area by means of the lower transport star, with the containers standing on a transport plate.

With an infeed area 22 designed in this way, which tapers in the conveying direction F, it can also be achieved that an upstream transfer starwheel, which in conventional closer arrangements with complex guide sets, usually in three levels, i.e. two guide arrangements in the stomach area and one guide arrangement in the neck area of the container to be transferred , was equipped, can be carried out more easily.

In particular, an upper guide level for the container neck can be dispensed with, for example, since the infeed region 22 of the infeed guide 2, which tapers in the conveying direction F, can be used to align the containers to be closed that are entering the capper arrangement, which is sufficient for the caps can be reliably taken over and towed away.

The inlet guide 2 is preferably designed in such a way that it guides the container conveyed by the transfer star wheel approximately in a conveying range of 50° to 90° of the rotation of the transfer star wheel. The inlet area 22, which tapers in the conveying direction F, has only a relatively small proportion over this conveying area, for example from 2° to 20°.

In other words, the inlet guide can advantageously extend over a range of approximately 5% to 20% of the guide channel 28 .

The tapering of the tapering inlet area 22 can be designed, for example, in such a way that at the entrance 20 of the guide channel 28 the width of the guide channel 28 is approximately twice as wide as after the tapering in the conveying direction F has ended.

In a preferred embodiment, the inlet guide 2 can be changed quickly. In particular, the inner guide blank 24 and/or the outer guide blank 26 can be quickly replaced, for example to adapt to a different type of container that requires, for example, a differently dimensioned guide channel 28 and/or differently contoured inner edges 240, 260 in order to ensure smooth handling to reach the container.

The parts of the infeed guide are preferably attached to the closer arrangement 1 via plug-in connections, so that the exchange can preferably take place without tools. As far as applicable, all the individual features that are shown in the exemplary embodiments can be combined with one another and/or exchanged, insofar as the scope of protection of the following claims is not left.

Reference List

1

capper assembly

10

capper carousel

11

fixed components

12

transport star

14

transport bag

2

inlet guide

20

Entry

22

inlet area

24

inner guide round

26

outer guide ring

240

inside edge

260

inside edge

28

guide channel

30

Long hole

f

conveying direction

Claims (7)

1. Closure assembly (1) for closing a filled container with a container closure, comprising a closure carousel (10) with at least two closure members arranged on its periphery and respective transport pockets (14) corresponding thereto and an inlet guide (2) for receiving the containers that are to be closed from an upstream transfer device and for transferring the containers to the transport pockets (14), wherein

   the inlet guide (2) has an inlet region (22) that tapers in the conveying direction (F), the inlet guide (2) has a guide channel (28), the tapering inlet region (22) being part of the guide channel (28), and the guide channel (28) is formed between an inner circular guide (24) and an outer circular guide (26),

   characterised in that

   a contouring in the form of a chamfer is provided on each of the two circular guides (24, 26) on the inner edge (240, 260) facing the guide channel (28).
2. Closure assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the tapering inlet region (22) constitutes only a part of the guide channel (28), in particular only 5% to 20% of the length of the guide channel (28).
3. Closure assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterised in that the guide channel (28) is twice as wide at its entrance (20) as after completion of the tapering in the conveying direction (F).
4. Closure assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a closure feed is provided for feeding container closures to the inlet guide (2) and the tapering of the inlet region (22), viewed in the conveying direction F, is completed before the transfer of a closure to a container that is to be closed takes place.
5. Closure assembly (1) according to claim 4, characterised in that the closure feed is formed for feeding closure sleeves for roll-on closures.
6. Closure assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the inlet guide (2) is formed so as to cover 50° to 90° of the conveying region of the upstream transfer star.
7. Closure assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the inlet guide (2) is formed to be rapidly interchangeable, preferably via a plug-in connection.

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