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WO2025087702A1 - Dispositif et procédé de traitement de contenants - Google Patents

Dispositif et procédé de traitement de contenants Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2025087702A1
WO2025087702A1 PCT/EP2024/078547 EP2024078547W WO2025087702A1 WO 2025087702 A1 WO2025087702 A1 WO 2025087702A1 EP 2024078547 W EP2024078547 W EP 2024078547W WO 2025087702 A1 WO2025087702 A1 WO 2025087702A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
treatment
rotor
containers
container
transfer
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
PCT/EP2024/078547
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Ludwig Clüsserath
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
KHS GmbH
Original Assignee
KHS GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by KHS GmbH filed Critical KHS GmbH
Publication of WO2025087702A1 publication Critical patent/WO2025087702A1/fr
Pending legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67C—CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS
    • B67C7/00—Concurrent cleaning, filling, and closing of bottles; Processes or devices for at least two of these operations
    • B67C7/0006—Conveying; Synchronising
    • B67C7/004—Conveying; Synchronising the containers travelling along a circular path
    • B67C7/0046—Infeed and outfeed devices
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67C—CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS
    • B67C3/00—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus; Filling casks or barrels with liquids or semiliquids
    • B67C3/02—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus
    • B67C3/023—Filling multiple liquids in a container
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67C—CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS
    • B67C3/00—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus; Filling casks or barrels with liquids or semiliquids
    • B67C3/02—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus
    • B67C3/22—Details
    • B67C3/225—Means for filling simultaneously, e.g. in a rotary filling apparatus or multiple rows of containers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67C—CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS
    • B67C7/00—Concurrent cleaning, filling, and closing of bottles; Processes or devices for at least two of these operations
    • B67C7/0006—Conveying; Synchronising
    • B67C7/002—General lay-out of bottle-handling machines
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67C—CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS
    • B67C7/00—Concurrent cleaning, filling, and closing of bottles; Processes or devices for at least two of these operations
    • B67C7/0006—Conveying; Synchronising
    • B67C7/004—Conveying; Synchronising the containers travelling along a circular path

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a device and a method for treating containers, preferably plastic containers, such as PET bottles.
  • the invention is directed to a device and a method for treating the containers using so-called "neck handling.”
  • the invention relates, for example, to devices for container treatment in container treatment plants in the beverage industry, which can also be referred to as beverage filling plants or filling lines.
  • the present invention is directed to container treatment devices or container treatment machines with high efficiency and productivity that allow treatment, in particular filling, at high performance.
  • Container treatment systems of the type mentioned generally comprise several container treatment machines with different functions, particularly those interacting in sequence, via which the necessary sequential process steps during filling are carried out.
  • the core of such container treatment systems often consists of machines for filling the containers, namely so-called filling machines or fillers, and subsequent machines for closing the containers, so-called closers.
  • different container treatment machines can be provided as additional system components, which are arranged, for example, upstream of the filler or downstream of the closer.
  • the present invention also relates to such devices.
  • Such container processing machines are usually rotating or rotary machines of a revolving design that rotate at high speeds due to their high performance.
  • Container processing machines typically have a multitude of processing stations or positions arranged around the machine, particularly on a rotor, where the respective containers are held for the duration of the processing and moved along with the rotor during the processing. Since the fundamental goal of production plants is to operate highly efficiently, there are also efforts to increase the efficiency of container processing devices in container processing and beverage filling plants. For example, it is known from the prior art to design rotating container processing machines with multiple rows to increase capacity and to provide the accompanying processing stations in several rows on a machine rotor. For example, DE 10 2005 032 175 A1 discloses such a multi-row container processing machine.
  • the object of the invention is to provide a device for treating containers which allows for increased efficiency in container treatment with a structurally simple design.
  • the present invention provides a device for treating containers.
  • the device comprises at least one treatment machine of a rotating design with at least one rotor that can be driven to rotate around a vertical machine axis and has a plurality of treatment stations arranged in multiple rows on the circumference of the rotor in several treatment circuits.
  • the rotor has at least one first outer treatment circuit and a second inner treatment circuit arranged concentrically thereto.
  • the device comprises, for each treatment circuit, respective, associated transfer devices for feeding and removing the containers to and from the respective treatment circuit.
  • each treatment has a container carrier rotating with the rotor for suspendedly receiving a container.
  • At least the container carriers of the first, outer treatment circuit are designed to be height-adjustable, specifically such that, during the rotation of the rotor, the container carriers of the first, outer treatment circuit can be raised in a controlled manner from a transfer level provided for container transfer to a transition level elevated therefor, in order to traverse the transfer devices belonging to the second, inner treatment circuit without collision during the rotation of the rotor.
  • the transfer level is understood to be the height of the container carriers or a level or height level that corresponds to the level or height level at which the containers are fed into and removed from the rotor, namely to and from the treatment circuits, by means of the transfer devices.
  • the transfer level can therefore also be referred to as the handover level and coincides with a substantially horizontal plane, in particular the receiving plane, which is defined by the container carriers when they are ready to receive the containers or to receive the containers from the transfer devices. Since the container carriers are designed to receive or carry the containers in a suspended manner, the said receiving plane is arranged at the level of an upper region of the held or carried containers, in particular a neck section of the containers or a container neck, and intersects the carried containers in their neck section.
  • the treatment circuits are preferably arranged at the same vertical height of the rotor and are therefore essentially on a common horizontal plane, so that the treatment level is the same for all treatment circuits. Accordingly, the treatment circuits have, for example, different diameters or radii. This means that the number of treatment stations per treatment circuit can differ if necessary. It is also conceivable that a pitch or pitch distance is different for the respective treatment circuits, wherein a pitch or pitch distance is to be understood as a relative distance between the treatment stations, in particular between the container carriers gripping or carrying the containers, and essentially corresponds to an angular distance between the treatment stations belonging to a respective treatment circuit. Depending on the selected angular distance between the treatment stations, their The number per treatment circle can therefore be the same or different, even if the diameters or radii of the treatment circles differ.
  • container carriers for hanging up the containers are understood to mean that each container carrier is designed such that it grips or holds the containers in an upper container section or region, so that a bottom of the container is free and the containers are preferably held without any base support.
  • the container carriers are designed, for example, for hanging up bottle-like containers, in particular bottles, such as plastic bottles, for example PET bottles, wherein the container carriers grip the bottles in their neck region, in particular picking them up and holding them at the bottle neck.
  • the container carriers for hanging up the containers are therefore designed for so-called neck handling.
  • the height-adjustable container supports are movable in their vertical height, i.e., their height can be adjusted by means of a movement or adjustment in the direction of the machine axis.
  • the position of the container supports can only be changed in the vertical direction.
  • the container supports can only be changed in their vertical height by means of the height adjustability or height movement.
  • the respective position of the individual container supports is fixed and unchangeable with respect to the circumferential direction of the rotor.
  • the position of the individual container supports is fixed and unchangeable, particularly in the radial direction of the rotor.
  • Transfer devices preferably refer to devices that are particularly designed for neck handling and serve to supply and remove containers to/from the treatment circuits.
  • the transfer devices can also be understood as handover devices or transfer devices.
  • all transfer devices are arranged at the same height level, in particular at the transfer level.
  • this also means that the corresponding holding or supporting elements of the transfer devices, which are intended to support the containers, are arranged on a common level corresponding to the receiving level, namely at the transfer level.
  • the device according to the invention offers the particular advantage of achieving higher performance with reduced machine complexity and space requirements.
  • the device can be integrated into existing production lines with exceptional ease, as both the treatment machine and the transfer devices are highly compatible with existing machine components of conventional container treatment systems.
  • the device according to the invention offers the advantage of increased flexibility, particularly increased system flexibility.
  • Each treatment circuit can be viewed as a treatment line or partial treatment line, whereby in the present device, each treatment line can be independently supplied or equipped with containers, which creates further special advantages because the treatment lines can produce both in parallel and separately/individually.
  • a further advantage is that, due to the independence of the treatment lines, different treatments can be carried out in the respective treatment circuits, or, for example, different container sizes or formats can be treated simultaneously in a single device, namely one format in each treatment circuit.
  • Another advantage of the present device is that, compared to conventional container treatment devices, more treatment stations can be arranged and placed within the same footprint, i.e., with the same area or space requirements in the hall of a plant. This results in a capacity increase of more than 70% compared to conventional, single-row treatment machines, for example.
  • the container carriers can be raised, for example, via a control cam, preferably via a stationary control cam.
  • linear drives rotating with the rotor can be provided for raising/lowering the container carriers, with a separate linear drive being provided for each container carrier of the first, outer treatment circuit for individually controlled height adjustment.
  • corresponding, controllable lifting elements for example, lifting cylinders, can be provided for lifting the container carriers, with each container carrier in particular being equipped with a lifting element or lifting cylinder and thus being individually controlled in height.
  • a rotation angle range can also be set at which the container carriers are raised, i.e. the container carriers can be raised in a controlled manner and kept in the raised state over an adjustable rotation angle range during the rotational movement of the rotor.
  • the transfer devices for feeding and removing the containers are each designed as transfer stars.
  • Separate transfer stars are provided for each treatment circuit, namely a separate first transfer star serving as the feed star and a separate second transfer star serving as the removal star.
  • Transfer stars are particularly suitable for neck handling and enable particularly efficient container transfer.
  • the feed stars of the treatment circuits are particularly preferably arranged in an inlet area of the treatment machine, and the discharge stars of the treatment circuits are arranged in an outlet area of the treatment machine.
  • the inlet area and the outlet area together extend over at most one-third of the circumference of the rotor.
  • the feed star and the discharge star are of the second, inner treatment circuit are arranged directly adjacent to each other with respect to the circumference of the rotor and between the feed star and the discharge star of the first outer treatment circuit.
  • the transfer devices are designed in such a way that for all treatment circuits the supply and removal of the containers takes place at the transfer level provided for the container transfer and thus at the same height.
  • the "active treatment rotation angle range” is understood to mean in particular the range that lies on a movement path of the containers around the circumference of the rotor during its rotation between the associated transfer units, namely the range that extends from the inlet on the associated feed star to the outlet on the associated discharge star.
  • the respective active treatment rotation angle ranges of the outer and inner treatment circuits can differ.
  • the active treatment rotation angle range on the inner treatment circuit can extend over at least 300°, preferably over at least 320°, for example over 329°.
  • the active treatment rotation angle range on the outer treatment circuit can correspondingly extend over a smaller active treatment rotation angle range relative to the inner treatment circuit, for example over at least 270°, preferably over at least 280°, for example over 288°.
  • At least one further treatment circuit is provided, wherein the further treatment circuit, in particular each further treatment circuit, is assigned its own transfer devices for supplying and removing the containers.
  • the rotor of the treatment machine comprises a plurality of rotor elements, each with associated treatment stations, wherein one of the rotor elements with its treatment stations forms the first, outer treatment circuit, and another of the rotor elements forms the second, inner treatment circuit.
  • the rotor elements are particularly designed for independent operation, such that the treatment circuits can be operated independently of one another. The possibility of independent operation particularly advantageously increases the flexibility of the device and its applicability to a wide variety of treatments and process sequences or processes.
  • separate drive units are preferably provided for the rotating drive of the multiple rotor elements, wherein the rotor elements are in particular rotatable in opposite directions to one another.
  • the rotation of the rotor elements can thus take place in opposite directions of rotation, in particular at respective rotational speeds that can be the same or different from one another.
  • the multiple rotor elements designed for independent operation can also be rotatable in the same direction of rotation, in particular in the same direction of rotation, for example also at the same rotational speed or at different rotational speeds.
  • a common drive unit can also be provided for the multiple rotor elements.
  • the treatment stations of at least one rotor element are different from the treatment stations of the remaining rotor elements, so that the rotor elements are designed for different container treatments.
  • the container supports of the second, inner treatment circuit are also designed to be height-adjustable in a controlled manner; in particular, in the case of embodiments with more than two treatment circuits, all container supports of all treatment circuits can be designed to be height-adjustable in a controlled manner.
  • At least one of the treatment circuits is a filling circuit, whose treatment stations are designed as filling stations for filling the containers with a liquid filling material.
  • at least one closing device is also provided downstream of the filling circuit.
  • each of the filling stations preferably comprises a filling device, which in this case can also be referred to as a filling element or filling valve.
  • the filler circuit can particularly preferably be designed for free jet filling or pressure filling.
  • the container carriers on the rotor are designed to be movable in a controlled manner such that the suspended containers can be delivered to a treatment element of the respective treatment station by means of the container carriers via a delivery movement and can be brought into contact and/or sealing position with the treatment element.
  • the container carriers can be moved towards the filling element or filling element via the delivery movement and can preferably be pressed against it, which advantageously enables pressure filling.
  • the filling element or filling element can be delivered in a vertical direction and can thus be brought into a sealing position against a container mouth.
  • the device comprises a blow molding device, in particular a stretch blow molding machine, arranged upstream of the treatment machine for producing the containers from preforms, as well as a distribution device arranged between the blow molding device and the treatment machine for distributing the containers coming from the blow molding device to the first and second treatment circuits, in particular to the transfer devices of the first and second treatment circuits.
  • a block-type solution can advantageously be implemented.
  • both or more treatment circuits can be designed as filling circuits, thereby enabling two- or multi-stage filling. It is understood that if the treatment circuits are designed differently, i.e., if the individual treatment circuits have different treatment stations, different, consecutive treatments can also be carried out in the successively passed through treatment circuits, so that several stages of the entire treatment process take place in the multiple treatment circuits.
  • one or more stationary treatment station(s), in particular a labeling or inspection station can be provided adjacent to the outer and/or inner treatment circuit.
  • the present invention also provides a method for treating containers.
  • the method for treating the containers is carried out by means of a treatment machine of a rotating design, wherein the treatment machine is equipped with a rotatingly driven rotor and treatment stations arranged around the rotor in at least one first, outer treatment circuit and a second, inner treatment circuit concentric therewith.
  • the containers are fed to the treatment circuits for treatment by means of respective transfer devices assigned to the treatment circuits and, for this purpose, transferred at a transfer level provided for the container transfer to respective container carriers rotating with the rotor for hanging collection of the containers.
  • the containers are then removed again after the treatment, which takes place on a partial circle during the rotational movement of the rotor.
  • At least the container carriers of the first, outer treatment circuit are moved in a controlled manner in height during the rotational movement of the rotor and are raised from the transfer level to a transition level which is higher than the transfer level, so that during the rotational movement of the rotor the
  • the transfer devices belonging to the second, inner treatment circuit can be passed over without collision by the container carriers of the first, outer treatment circuit.
  • the method according to the invention preferably utilizes the above-described treatment machine or the above-described device comprising the treatment machine. All of the above-mentioned features and advantages of the device according to the invention, in particular also its preferred embodiments, can also relate to the method.
  • the container carriers of the first, outer treatment circuit are lowered again in a controlled manner to the transfer level after passing over the transfer devices belonging to the second, inner treatment circuit and are thus made available for receiving the containers at the transfer level.
  • Fig. 1 is a roughly schematic overview of a variant of a device for treating containers in plan view
  • Fig. 2 shows a roughly schematic and highly simplified representation of a section of the device according to Figure 1 in the inlet area, namely in the area of a second transfer point of the second, inner treatment circuit;
  • Fig. 3 shows a roughly schematic and highly simplified representation of a section of the device according to Figure 1 in the inlet area, namely in the area of a first transfer point of the first, outer treatment circuit;
  • Fig. 4 shows, by way of example and using a simplified graphic diagram, the height adjustment of the container carriers during one revolution of the rotor and Fig. 5 to 8 each show, on the basis of a roughly schematic overview representation in plan view, further embodiments of the device for treating containers;
  • Figure 1 shows, using a roughly schematic and highly simplified overview in plan view, an embodiment of a device 1 for treating containers B, in particular bottles, such as plastic bottles, in particular PET bottles.
  • the device 1 sketched as an example in Figure 1 comprises a rotating treatment machine M with a rotor 2 that can be driven to rotate around a vertical machine axis MA or rotates in a direction of rotation R.
  • the rotor 2 of the treatment machine M is provided with a plurality of treatment stations 5, 6, which are arranged distributed around the circumference of the rotor in two treatment circuits 3, 4.
  • the rotor 2 comprises a first outer treatment circuit 3 with its treatment stations 5 and a second, inner treatment circuit 4 with its treatment stations 6 arranged concentrically thereto.
  • the treatment machine M is a filling machine, which can also be referred to as a filler.
  • both treatment circuits 3, 4 are formed by respective filler circuits, whose treatment stations 5, 6 are in turn each designed as filling stations for filling the containers B with a liquid filling material, in particular with a beverage, and for this purpose each have a filling element as a treatment element, which can also be referred to as a filling element or filling valve.
  • the device 1 For each of the treatment circuits 3, 4, the device 1 comprises respective transfer devices 7, 8, 9, 10 assigned to the treatment circuits 3, 4 for feeding and removing the containers B to and from the respective treatment circuit 3, 4.
  • the transfer devices 7, 8, 9, 10 for feeding and removing the containers B are each designed as transfer stars, with separate transfer stars being provided for each treatment circuit 3, 4.
  • the first, outer treatment circuit 3 is assigned its own first transfer star serving as feed star 7 and its own second transfer star serving as discharge guide star 9.
  • the second, inner treatment circuit 4 is assigned its own first transfer star serving as feed star 8 and its own second transfer star serving as discharge guide star 10.
  • the transfer starwheels 7, 8, 9, 10 are designed such that the supply and removal of containers B for both treatment circuits 3, 4 takes place at a transfer level N1 intended for container transfer (not visible in Figure 1, see Figures 2 and 3) and thus at the same height.
  • the respective diameters of the supply and removal starwheels 8, 10 of the second, inner treatment circuit 4 are larger than the respective diameters of the supply and removal starwheels 7, 9 of the first, outer treatment circuit 3.
  • the feed stars 7, 8 of the treatment circuits 3, 4 are arranged in an inlet area 15 of the filling machine M and the discharge stars 9, 10 of the treatment circuits 3, 4 are arranged in an outlet area 16 of the filling machine M.
  • the inlet and outlet areas 15, 16 of the filling machine M are arranged adjacent to one another and preferably extend within a region of a third of a circle or quarter of a circle, in particular along or within a section of the rotor circumference with a center angle of less than 120°.
  • the adjacent inlet and outlet areas 15, 16 occupy a section of the rotor circumference with a center angle of approximately 80° to 90°.
  • the feed starwheel 8 and the discharge starwheel 10 of the second, inner treatment circuit 4 are directly adjacent to each other with respect to the circumference of the rotor 2 and are arranged between the feed starwheel 7 and the discharge starwheel 9 of the first, outer treatment circuit 3.
  • a respective imaginary circumferential line or circular path of the feed starwheel 8 and the discharge starwheel 10 intersects with the imaginary circumferential line or circular path of the rotor 2, namely with the circumferential line or circular path of the first, outer treatment circuit 3.
  • the feed starwheel 7 and the discharge starwheel 9 overlap with the first, outer treatment circuit 3.
  • the containers B are treated in the device 1 in a so-called “neck handling”, in which the containers B are held hanging for transport and treatment or during transport and treatment and are gripped in their neck area, in particular via a flange section in the neck area known as a neck ring 24 (see Figures 2 and 3), and are held hanging in this way.
  • neck handling in which the containers B are held hanging for transport and treatment or during transport and treatment and are gripped in their neck area, in particular via a flange section in the neck area known as a neck ring 24 (see Figures 2 and 3), and are held hanging in this way.
  • each of the treatment stations 5, 6 of the two treatment circuits 3, 4 has a container carrier 11, 12 (not visible in Figure 1, see Figures 2 and 3) rotating with the rotor 2 for hangingly receiving a container B.
  • the container carriers 11 of the first outer treatment circuit 3 as well as the container carriers 12 of the second inner treatment circuit 4 are formed, for example, by container grippers or container clamps which are designed to hold the neck section of the containers B, in particular to hold the containers B on their neck ring 24 in neck handling.
  • At least the container carriers 11 of the first, outer treatment circuit 3 are designed to be height-adjustable and can be raised from the transfer level N1 provided for the container transfer to a higher transition level N2 during the rotational movement of the rotor 2 in the direction of rotation R in a controlled manner in order to travel over the transfer devices 8, 10 belonging to the second, inner treatment circuit 4 without collision during the rotational movement of the rotor.
  • the controlled lifting of the container carriers 11 of the first, outer treatment circuit 3, carried out to avoid collisions, takes place within the inlet and outlet areas 15, 16 of the filling machine M, in particular at least in the area or section in which the transfer stars 8, 10 of the second, inner treatment circuit 4 are located.
  • the container carriers 11 of the first, outer treatment circuit 3 can thus be lifted over a specific, preferably adjustable, rotation angle range c o during the rotational movement, wherein the rotation angle range c o , in which the container carriers 11 of the first, outer treatment circuit 3 are raised to the transition level N2, is selected at least such that the projected, imaginary intersection surfaces between the transfer stars 8, 10 and the first, outer treatment circuit 3 lie entirely within the rotation angle range c o .
  • Figures 2 and 3 each show, in a roughly schematic and highly simplified representation, a respective section of the device 1 according to Figure 1 in the inlet area 15 of the filling machine M.
  • Figure 2 shows the state in the area of a transfer point for the transfer of the containers B to the second, inner treatment circuit 4, which transfer point is also understood as the takeover point 13 of the second, inner treatment circuit 4.
  • Figure 3 shows the state in the area of a transfer point for the transfer of the containers B to the first, outer treatment circuit 3, which transfer point is also understood as the takeover point 17 of the first, outer treatment circuit 3.
  • the feed star 8 of the second, inner treatment circuit 4 for transferring the containers B to the second, inner treatment circuit 4 is arranged below the rotor 2, overlapping therewith, so that the containers B can be transferred at the transfer level N1 by correspondingly provided support or holding elements of the feed star 8 to the container carriers 12 of the second, inner treatment circuit 4.
  • the feed star 8 and the containers B supported by the support or holding elements The containers B held suspended by the feed star 8 are thus moved or guided in the overlapping area under the first, outer treatment circuit 3.
  • the container carriers 11 of the first, outer treatment circuit 3 are raised to the transition level N2 in this overlapping area by means of a height adjustment movement Vh, which can also be referred to as an adjustment movement or lifting movement.
  • Vh a height adjustment movement
  • the containers B suspended from the feed star 8 can pass unhindered beneath the container carriers 11.
  • Figure 3 shows the state of a transfer of containers B from the feed star 7 to the first, outer treatment circuit 3.
  • this transfer area which lies outside the rotation angle range w for passing over the transfer stars 8, 10
  • the container carriers 11 of the first, outer treatment circuit 3 are lowered again by means of a lowering movement starting from the transition level N2 to the transfer level N1, in which the transfer of the containers B from the feed star 7 to the container carriers 11 takes place.
  • a rotational position designated a-0 in Figure 4 which can also be understood as the starting position or zero position of a respective revolution, is defined in the example as the start and end position of a full revolution of the rotor and can thus also be referred to, for example, as an angular position of 0° or 360°.
  • the rotational position a-0 is located between the inlet area 15 and the outlet area 16 of the filler M and is thus approximately centrally within the rotational angle range w in which the container carriers 11 of the first outer treatment circuit 3 are raised to the transition level N2 in order to travel over the transfer stars 8, 10 without collision.
  • Each container carrier 11 is located in the rotational position a-0 on the raised transition level N2, as can be seen from the graphic representation in Figure 4.
  • the container carriers 11 of the first outer treatment circuit 3 are lowered to the transfer level N1 at the rotational position a-1 in the inlet area 15, at which position the container carriers 11 have already crossed the transfer star 8, where they can pick up the containers B at the transfer point or takeover point 13.
  • the container carriers 11 with the containers B suspended from them are moved further over the active treatment rotation angle range and the containers B are treated during this time.
  • the container carriers 11 of the first outer treatment circuit 3 are raised to the transition level N2 in the outlet area 16 at the rotation position a-2 in order to drive over or cross the transfer stars 8, 10 without collision.
  • the container carriers 12 of the second inner treatment circuit 4 are located, for example, at the transfer level N1 throughout the entire rotation of the rotor 2 and can, for example, also be designed as rigid, i.e., height-nonadjustable, container carriers 12.
  • the container carriers 12 of the second inner treatment circuit 4 are already loaded and each have a hanging container B.
  • the container carriers 12 of the second inner treatment circuit 4 are free or empty at the rotational position a-2, since the containers B are transferred to the transfer star 9 in the direction of rotation R before the rotational position a-2, namely at the transfer point of the first, outer treatment circuit 3.
  • Figures 5 to 8 each show further embodiments of the present device 1 using roughly schematic and highly simplified overview representations in plan view.
  • the rotor 2 of the treatment machine M designed as a filling machine comprises two rotor elements 2a, 2b, each with associated treatment stations 5, 6, wherein the rotor elements 2a, 2b are designed in particular for independent operation.
  • Each of the rotor elements 2a, 2b forms a a treatment circuit 3, 4, namely the rotor element 2a forms the first outer treatment circuit 3 and the rotor element 2b arranged concentrically to the rotor element 2a forms the second inner treatment circuit 3.
  • a separate drive unit (not shown) is provided for each rotor element 2a, 2b for its rotating drive, so that the two rotor elements 2a, 2b and thus, of course, also the two treatment circuits 3, 4, can be driven and operated independently of one another.
  • the rotor elements 2a, 2b and the treatment circuits 3, 4 can be rotated in opposite directions to one another or rotate in opposite directions to one another.
  • the rotor element 2a rotates in a direction of rotation R1 about the machine axis MA and the rotor element 2b in an opposite direction of rotation R2, i.e. the containers B treated in the first outer treatment circuit 3 and those treated in the second inner treatment circuit 4 encounter one another during their rotation around the machine axis MA.
  • both treatment circuits 3, 4 are each designed as a filler circuit and are accordingly equipped with filling stations as treatment stations 5, 6.
  • the device 1 is designed for a two-stage filling process in which the containers B pass through both treatment circuits 3, 4 for their filling and are filled, for example, in the first treatment circuit 3 with a first filling material component or with a first filling material quantity and are then filled in the second treatment circuit 4 with a second filling material component or a second filling material quantity.
  • the containers B must be transferred from the first treatment circuit 3 to the second treatment circuit 4 after their respective treatment in the first treatment circuit 3, which is why additional transport elements, in particular transport stars 14, 14', are provided in the device 1 according to Figure 5 for transferring or redirecting and/or distributing the containers B in the desired manner.
  • additional transport elements in particular transport stars 14, 14'
  • the relative arrangement of the transfer stars 7, 8, 9, 10 to one another can deviate from the arrangement as described for the example according to Figure 1.
  • the transfer stars 8, 10 of the second inner treatment circuit 4 are essentially swapped positions with one another.
  • a treatment machine M which is different from a filling machine can also be provided and that, of course, the individual treatment circuits 3, 4 can also differ in their respective functions, in particular such that, for example, different treatments can be carried out in the individual treatment circuits 3, 4.
  • the containers B it is alternatively also possible for the containers B to first be fed to the second, inner treatment circuit 4 for their treatment and to be treated there first, and then subsequently transferred to the first outer treatment circuit 3 for treatment there.
  • Figure ß shows, for example, an embodiment of the device 1 in which the containers B are first fed via the feed star 8 to the second, inner treatment circuit 4, designed as a filler circuit, and are filled there during the rotating movement in the direction of rotation R2.
  • the containers B are then transferred via the discharge star 10 and a further transport star 14 to a closer 18, which in turn feeds the closed containers B via the feed star 7 to the first, outer treatment circuit 3 and moves them in the opposite direction of rotation R1.
  • Adjacent to the first, outer treatment circuit 3, further stationary treatment devices 19 are provided, for example labeling units and/or inspection devices, past which the containers B are guided during the circulation on the first, outer treatment circuit 3 and are subjected to the corresponding treatment (e.g. labeling or inspection).
  • Figure 7 illustrates a variant in which both treatment circuits 3, 4 are designed as filler circuits and have the same direction of rotation R, and in which each container B passes through only one of the treatment circuits 3, 4 for filling with product.
  • the filled containers B are transferred via the respective transfer stars 9, 10 associated with the treatment circuits 3, 4 to a closing machine 18, which is also designed as a double-row machine and has an outer and inner closing circuit.
  • a double-row closing machine 18 it would be possible to use two separate closing machines, each with only one closing circuit, to close the containers B. In such a case, one of the two closing machines would machines for closing the containers B coming from the outer treatment circuit 3 and the other closing machine for closing the containers B coming from the inner treatment circuit 4.
  • the containers B filled in the first, outer filler circuit 3 are thus fed to the outer capping circuit via the transfer star 9 and sealed there.
  • the containers B filled in the second, inner filler circuit 4 are fed to the inner capping circuit via the transfer star 10 and sealed there.
  • a further embodiment of the device 1 forms a blocked system and is shown in Figure 8.
  • the device 1 here comprises, upstream of the treatment machine M, which is again designed as a filler, a blow molding machine 20 for producing the containers B from preforms by stretch blow molding.
  • the preforms are fed to the blow molding machine 20 via a feed 23.
  • Downstream of the blow molding machine 20, between the blow molding machine 20 and the treatment machine M there is a distribution system with at least one distribution star 21 and transfer stars 22, 22', via which the finished containers B are fed or allocated to the feed stars 7, 8 of the treatment machine M after stretch blow molding and from there transferred to the two treatment circuits 3, 4 of the treatment machine M.
  • a labelling machine for labelling the containers B to be filled can be provided between the blow moulding machine 20 and the treatment machine M designed as a filler, in particular upstream of said distribution system.

Landscapes

  • Filling Of Jars Or Cans And Processes For Cleaning And Sealing Jars (AREA)
  • Specific Conveyance Elements (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un dispositif (1) de traitement de contenants (B) comprenant au moins une machine de traitement de type rotative (M) comprenant au moins un rotor (2) qui peut tourner autour d'un axe de machine vertical (MA), et une pluralité de stations de traitement (5, 6) réparties le long de la circonférence du rotor (2) en de multiples rangées dans une pluralité de cercles de traitement (3, 4). Le rotor (2) présente au moins un premier cercle de traitement externe (3) et un second cercle de traitement interne (4) qui lui est concentrique. Pour chaque cercle de traitement (3, 4), le dispositif (1) comprend des dispositifs de transfert appariés respectifs (7, 8, 9, 10) destinés à fournir et décharger les contenants (B) vers et à partir du cercle de traitement respectif (3, 4). Selon un aspect particulier de l'invention, chaque station de traitement (5, 6) des cercles de traitement (3, 4) comporte un support de contenant respectif (11, 12) qui tourne conjointement avec le rotor (2), pour recevoir un contenant (B) de manière suspendue. Au moins les supports de contenant (11) du premier cercle de traitement externe (3) sont conçus pour être mobiles verticalement et peuvent être élevés à partir d'un niveau de transfert (N1), prévu pour le transfert de contenants, à un niveau de changement (N2), lequel est élevé par rapport au niveau de transfert, de manière commandée pendant le mouvement de rotation du rotor (2) afin de passer au-dessus des dispositifs de transfert (8, 10) appariés au second cercle de traitement interne (4) de manière sans collision pendant le mouvement de rotation du rotor (2).
PCT/EP2024/078547 2023-10-24 2024-10-10 Dispositif et procédé de traitement de contenants Pending WO2025087702A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE102023129144.0A DE102023129144B4 (de) 2023-10-24 2023-10-24 Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Behandeln von Behältern
DE102023129144.0 2023-10-24

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WO2025087702A1 true WO2025087702A1 (fr) 2025-05-01

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WO (1) WO2025087702A1 (fr)

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1236363B (de) * 1959-04-13 1967-03-09 Meyer Geo J Mfg Co Flaschenfuellmaschine
DE3830663A1 (de) * 1988-09-09 1990-03-15 Orthmann & Herbst Fuellorgan fuer karbonisierte getraenke mit behaelteranpresseinrichtung
DE102005032175A1 (de) 2005-07-09 2007-01-18 Krones Ag Behälter-Behandlungsmaschine und Verfahren zum Laden und Entladen einer Behälter-Behandlungsmaschine

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN106006515A (zh) * 2016-06-30 2016-10-12 江苏新美星包装机械股份有限公司 双通道旋转式灌装装置

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1236363B (de) * 1959-04-13 1967-03-09 Meyer Geo J Mfg Co Flaschenfuellmaschine
DE3830663A1 (de) * 1988-09-09 1990-03-15 Orthmann & Herbst Fuellorgan fuer karbonisierte getraenke mit behaelteranpresseinrichtung
DE102005032175A1 (de) 2005-07-09 2007-01-18 Krones Ag Behälter-Behandlungsmaschine und Verfahren zum Laden und Entladen einer Behälter-Behandlungsmaschine

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DE102023129144B4 (de) 2025-10-02

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