Beverage bottling plant for filling bottles with a liquid beverage material and a method and device for the treatment of bottles and containers to be filled

• US 20060005896A1
• Filed: 06/24/2005
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KHS GmbH (Salzgitter AG)
• Original Assignee: KHS AG (Salzgitter AG)
• Inventors: Till, Volker
• Granted Patent: US 7,497,237 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 141/147
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/22 Phase substances, e.g. smokes, aerosols or sprayed or atomised substances
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 55/10 by liquids or gases

Abstract

A beverage bottling plant for filling bottles with a liquid beverage material and a method and device for the treatment of bottles and containers to be filled. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

Claims

1-22. -22. (canceled)

23. A container filling plant for filling containers with liquid, said container filling plant comprising:

a container filling machine being configured and disposed to fill containers with liquid;

a first conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey containers to be filled to said container filling machine;

said container filling machine comprising;

a rotor;

a rotatable vertical machine column;

said rotor being connected to said vertical machine column to permit rotation of said rotor about said vertical machine column;

a plurality of container filling elements for filling containers with liquid being disposed on the periphery of said rotor;

each of said plurality of container filling elements comprising a container carrier being configured and disposed to receive and hold containers to be filled;

each of said plurality of container filling elements being configured and disposed to dispense liquid into containers to be filled;

at least one liquid reservoir being configured to hold a supply of liquid;

at least one supply line being configured and disposed to connect said at least one liquid reservoir to said container filling machine to supply liquid to said container filling machine;

a first star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move containers into said container filling machine;

a second star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move containers out of said container filling machine;

a container closing machine being configured and disposed to close tops of filled containers;

a second conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey filled containers from said container filling machine to said container closing machine;

said container closing machine comprising;

a rotor;

a rotatable vertical machine column;

said rotor being connected to said vertical machine column to permit rotation of said rotor about said vertical machine column;

a plurality of closing devices being disposed on the periphery of said rotor;

each of said plurality of closing devices being configured and disposed to place closures on filled containers;

each of said plurality of closing devices comprising a container carrier being configured and disposed to receive and hold filled containers;

a first star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move filled containers into said container closing machine;

a second star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move filled, closed containers out of said container closing machine;

a container treatment machine being configured and disposed to treat containers prior to filling;

a third conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey treated containers from said container treatment machine to said container filling machine;

said container treatment machine comprising;

a rotor;

a rotatable vertical machine column;

said rotor being connected to said vertical machine column to permit rotation of said rotor about said vertical machine column;

a first star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move containers into said container treatment machine;

a second star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move treated containers out of said container treatment machine;

a plurality of container treatment devices being disposed on the periphery of said rotor and being configured to treat the insides of containers prior to filling;

each of said plurality of treatment devices comprising a container carrier being configured and disposed to receive and hold containers;

each of said plurality of treatment devices comprising;

a supply for containing treatment agent to treat containers;

a spray device being configured and disposed to spray and mix compressed air with a supply of treatment agent to create treated air to treat containers;

a heater or heat exchanger being configured and disposed to heat treated air;

a helical heating channel being configured and disposed to heat treated air and to permit the flow of treated air there through;

a vertical tube being configured and disposed to permit a flow of treated air into a container;

said tube comprising a dispensing opening being configured and disposed to permit the flow of treated air into a container;

said helical heating channel being disposed about said tube;

a rod being disposed vertically and being configured and disposed to move up and down from an engaged position to a disengaged position, and from a disengaged position to an engaged position;

said rod comprising a channel being in an operative connection with said dispensing opening;

an actuator device being configured and disposed to move said rod from an engaged position to a disengaged position, and from a disengaged position to an engaged position;

a control valve system being configured and disposed to control injection of at least one pulse of treated air into a container;

said heater being configured to heat treated air to a temperature greater than the temperature which a plastic container can tolerate without destructive effects on the plastic container;

a dispensing arrangement being configured and disposed to dispense treated air into a container to be treated; and

said dispensing arrangement being configured to dispense at least one pulse of treated air into a container, which said at least one pulse of heated, treated air is sufficiently long and sufficiently hot to treat the inside surface of the container and sufficiently short to minimize destructive effects on the container by said at least one pulse of heated, treated air.

24. Container filling plant according to claim 23, wherein:

said heater channel is realized to heat the treatment agent to a processing temperature in the range between approximately one hundred thirty degrees Celsius and one hundred fifty degrees Celsius;

said heater channel is a channel that is coiled around an axis of the treatment device head;

said heater channel is realized in a housing of a heat exchanger of the treatment device head;

within said housing, a core is held, which has at least one groove on its periphery that forms the heater channel;

said rod can be moved axially by the actuator device in an axis parallel to a vertical treatment device axis between an idle position and a work position, in which rod an axial channel is formed that is in communication with the dispensing opening, and which has, on the end the is farther from the dispensing opening, at least one control opening, which when the rod is in the work position is in communication with the heater channel or with a chamber that is connected with said channel;

said tube that forms the dispensing opening can be fastened on the end farther from the discharge openings to one end of the rod, preferably so that it can be replaced or exchanged;

preceding the heater channel in the direction of flow there is a sprayer device for the introduction of the water mixed with hydrogen peroxide by means of at least one spray nozzle;

said heater device, for example an electrical heater device or heater cartridge, is configured to heat the heater channel; and

a plurality of treatment device heads are disposed on the periphery of a rotor that rotates around a vertical machine axis.

25. A container filling plant for filling containers with a filling material, said container filling plant comprising:

a filling machine being configured and disposed to fill empty containers with a filling material;

a first moving arrangement being configured and disposed to move containers to said filling machine;

said filling machine comprising;

a moving device being configured and disposed to accept containers from said first moving arrangement and to move containers within said filling machine;

an apparatus being configured and disposed to hold containers during filling; and

at least one filling device being configured and disposed to fill containers with a filling material upon the containers being within said filling machine;

a closing machine being configured and disposed to close filled containers;

a second moving arrangement being configured and disposed to accept filled containers from said moving device of said filling machine to move filled containers out of said filling machine;

said second moving arrangement being configured and disposed to move filled containers from said filling machine to said closing machine;

said closing machine comprising;

a moving device being configured and disposed to accept filled containers from said second moving arrangement and to move filled containers within said closing machine;

an apparatus being configured and disposed to hold filled containers during closing; and

at least one closing device being configured and disposed to close filled containers upon the filled containers being within said closing machine;

a treatment machine being configured and disposed to treat containers prior to filling;

a third moving arrangement being configured and disposed to move containers to said treatment machine;

said first moving arrangement being configured and disposed to move treated containers from said treatment machine to said filling machine;

said treatment machine comprising;

a moving device being configured and disposed to accept containers from said third moving arrangement and to move containers within said treatment machine;

an apparatus being configured and disposed to hold containers during treating;

at least one treatment device being configured and disposed to treat containers upon the containers being within said treatment machine; and

said at least one treatment device comprising;

a source of a treatment agent, which treatment agent is configured to be heated to treat the inside surface of a container;

a heater being configured and disposed to heat a portion of said treatment agent to a temperature greater than the temperature which a container can tolerate without destructive effects on the container; and

a dispensing arrangement being configured to dispense at least one pulse of said heated treatment agent into a container, which said at least one pulse of heated treatment agent is sufficiently long and sufficiently hot to treat the inside surface of the container and sufficiently short to minimize destructive effects on the container by said at least one pulse of heated treatment agent.

26. The container filling plant according to claim 25, wherein:

said heater comprises at least one heater channel through which said treatment agent flows;

said injecting arrangement comprises a valve control and a dispensing opening for the timed dispensing of said heated treatment agent into a container; and

said valve control comprises a control valve system and an actuator device configured and disposed to permit a pulsed opening and closing of the valve system.

27. The container filling plant according to claim 26, wherein said heater channel is configured to heat said treatment agent to a processing temperature in the range between approximately one hundred thirty degrees Celsius and one hundred fifty degrees Celsius.

28. The container filling plant according to claim 27, wherein said heater channel is a channel that is coiled around a central axis.

29. The container filling plant according to claim 28, wherein said heater comprises a heat exchanger housing disposed about and to house said heater channel.

30. The container filling plant according to claim 29, wherein a core is disposed in said heat exchanger housing which has at least one groove on its periphery that forms the heater channel.

31. The container filling plant according to claim 30, wherein said at least one treatment device comprises a rod configured and disposed be vertically moved by said actuator device between an idle position and a work position, in which rod an axial channel is formed that is in communication with the dispensing opening, and which has, on the end the is farther from the dispensing opening, at least one control opening, which when the rod is in the work position is in communication with the heater channel or with a chamber that is connected with said channel.

32. The container filling plant according to claim 31, wherein the tube that forms the dispensing opening can be fastened on the end farther from the discharge openings to one end of the rod, preferably so that it can be replaced or exchanged.

33. The container filling plant according to claim 32, wherein preceding the heater channel in the direction of flow there is a sprayer device for the introduction of water by at least one spray nozzle.

34. The container filling plant according to claim 33, wherein said heater comprises an electrical heater device or heater cartridge to heat the heater channel.

35. The container filling plant according to claim 34, wherein:

said container treatment machine comprises a plurality of treatment devices disposed on the periphery of a rotor that rotates around a vertical machine axis; and

said treatment agent comprises hydrogen peroxide.

36. The container filling plant according to claim 25, wherein in the housing, a core is held, which has at least one groove on its periphery that forms the heater channel.

37. A method of operating a container filling plant for filling containers with a filling material, said container filling plant comprising:

a filling machine being configured and disposed to fill empty containers with a filling material;

a first moving arrangement being configured and disposed to move containers to said filling machine;

said filling machine comprising;

a moving device being configured and disposed to accept containers from said first moving arrangement and to move containers within said filling machine;

an apparatus being configured and disposed to hold containers during filling; and

at least one filling device being configured and disposed to fill containers with a filling material upon the containers being within said filling machine;

a closing machine being configured and disposed to close filled containers;

a second moving arrangement being configured and disposed to accept filled containers from said moving device of said filling machine to move filled containers out of said filling machine;

said second moving arrangement being configured and disposed to move filled containers from said filling machine to said closing machine;

said closing machine comprising;

a moving device being configured and disposed to accept filled containers from said second moving arrangement and to move filled containers within said closing machine;

an apparatus being configured and disposed to hold filled containers during closing; and

at least one closing device being configured and disposed to close filled containers upon the filled containers being within said closing machine;

a treatment machine being configured and disposed to treat containers prior to filling;

a third moving arrangement being configured and disposed to move containers to said treatment machine;

said first moving arrangement being configured and disposed to move treated containers from said treatment machine to said filling machine;

said treatment machine comprising;

a moving device being configured and disposed to accept containers from said third moving arrangement and to move containers within said treatment machine;

an apparatus being configured and disposed to hold containers during treating;

at least one treatment device being configured and disposed to treat containers upon the containers being within said treatment machine; and

said at least one treatment device comprising;

a source of a treatment agent, which treatment agent is configured to be heated to treat the inside surface of a container;

a heater being configured and disposed to heat a portion of said treatment agent to a temperature greater than the temperature which a container can tolerate without destructive effects on the container; and

a dispensing arrangement being configured to dispense at least one pulse of said heated treatment agent into a container, which said at least one pulse of heated treatment agent is sufficiently long and sufficiently hot to treat the inside surface of the container and sufficiently short to minimize destructive effects on the container by said at least one pulse of heated treatment agent, said method comprising the steps of;

moving containers into said treatment machine;

heating a portion of said treatment agent to a temperature greater than the temperature which the containers can tolerate without destructive effects on the containers;

dispensing at least one pulse of heated treatment agent into the containers, which said at least one pulse of heated treatment agent is sufficiently long and sufficiently hot to treat the inside surface of the containers and sufficiently short to minimize destructive effects on the containers by said at least one pulse of heated treatment agent;

moving treated containers to said filling machine;

filling treated containers;

moving treated, filled containers to said closing machine; and

closing treated, filled containers.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the treatment agent is heated to a temperature in the range between approximately one hundred thirty degrees Celsius and one hundred fifty degrees Celsius.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein during the treatment of containers, the introduction of the hot treatment agent is interrupted at least once.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the hot treatment agent is introduced into the individual containers by a tube that is introduced into the containers.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein said treatment agent comprises hydrogen peroxide.

42. The method according to claim 41, wherein said containers comprise plastic bottles.