Beverage bottling plant for filling bottles with a liquid beverage material having a treatment device for the treatment of bottles
First Claim
1. A beverage bottling plant for filling beverage bottles with liquid beverage material, said beverage bottling plant comprising:
- a beverage bottle cleaning machine being configured and disposed to clean beverage bottles;
a feed arrangement to supply beverage bottles to said beverage bottle cleaning machine;
a beverage filling machine being configured and disposed to fill beverage bottles with liquid beverage material;
said beverage filling machine comprising a plurality of beverage filling elements for filling beverage bottles with liquid beverage material;
at least one liquid reservoir being configured to hold a liquid to be bottled;
said at least one liquid reservoir comprising a gas headspace being disposed above a liquid to be bottled within said at least one liquid reservoir;
at least one supply line being configured and disposed to connect said at least one liquid reservoir to said beverage filling machine to supply liquid beverage material to said beverage filling machine;
a first conveyer arrangement being configured and disposed to move beverage bottles from said beverage bottle cleaning machine into said beverage filling machine;
said first conveyer arrangement comprising a star wheel structure;
a beverage bottle closing machine being configured and disposed to close tops of filled beverage bottles;
a second conveyer arrangement being configured and disposed to move filled beverage bottles from said beverage filling machine into said beverage bottle closing machine;
said second conveyer arrangement comprising a star wheel structure;
a beverage bottle labeling machine being configured and disposed to label filled, closed beverage bottles;
a third conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to move filled, closed beverage bottles from said beverage bottle closing machine into said beverage bottle labeling machine;
said third conveyer arrangement comprising a star wheel structure;
a beverage bottle packing station being configured and disposed to package labeled, filled, closed beverage bottles;
a fourth conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to move labeled, filled, closed beverage bottles from said beverage bottle labeling machine to said beverage bottle packing station;
said fourth conveyer arrangement comprising a linear conveyor structure being configured and disposed to arrange beverage bottles in groups for packing;
a computer control system being configured and disposed to monitor and control operation of said beverage bottling plant;
a beverage bottle treatment machine being configured and disposed to treat bottles to be filled;
said beverage bottle treatment machine comprising;
a treatment device being configured and disposed to treat the insides of bottles to be filled, comprising;
a supply for containing treatment agent to treat bottles;
a spray device being configured and disposed to introduce compressed air into said treatment device and to mix said compressed air with a supply of treatment agent to create treated air to treat bottles;
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;
a vertical tube being configured and disposed to permit the flow of treated air into a bottle;
said tube comprising a dispensing opening being configured and disposed to permit the flow of treated air into a bottle;
said helical heating channel being disposed about said tube;
a housing being configured and disposed to house said heater or heat exchanger, said tube, and said helical heating channel;
an enhancer being configured and disposed to enhance treated air prior to the exit of treated air from said tube.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A beverage bottling plant for filling bottles with a liquid beverage material having a treatment device for the treatment of bottles. 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.
30 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A beverage bottling plant for filling beverage bottles with liquid beverage material, said beverage bottling plant comprising:
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a beverage bottle cleaning machine being configured and disposed to clean beverage bottles;
a feed arrangement to supply beverage bottles to said beverage bottle cleaning machine;
a beverage filling machine being configured and disposed to fill beverage bottles with liquid beverage material;
said beverage filling machine comprising a plurality of beverage filling elements for filling beverage bottles with liquid beverage material;
at least one liquid reservoir being configured to hold a liquid to be bottled;
said at least one liquid reservoir comprising a gas headspace being disposed above a liquid to be bottled within said at least one liquid reservoir;
at least one supply line being configured and disposed to connect said at least one liquid reservoir to said beverage filling machine to supply liquid beverage material to said beverage filling machine;
a first conveyer arrangement being configured and disposed to move beverage bottles from said beverage bottle cleaning machine into said beverage filling machine;
said first conveyer arrangement comprising a star wheel structure;
a beverage bottle closing machine being configured and disposed to close tops of filled beverage bottles;
a second conveyer arrangement being configured and disposed to move filled beverage bottles from said beverage filling machine into said beverage bottle closing machine;
said second conveyer arrangement comprising a star wheel structure;
a beverage bottle labeling machine being configured and disposed to label filled, closed beverage bottles;
a third conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to move filled, closed beverage bottles from said beverage bottle closing machine into said beverage bottle labeling machine;
said third conveyer arrangement comprising a star wheel structure;
a beverage bottle packing station being configured and disposed to package labeled, filled, closed beverage bottles;
a fourth conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to move labeled, filled, closed beverage bottles from said beverage bottle labeling machine to said beverage bottle packing station;
said fourth conveyer arrangement comprising a linear conveyor structure being configured and disposed to arrange beverage bottles in groups for packing;
a computer control system being configured and disposed to monitor and control operation of said beverage bottling plant;
a beverage bottle treatment machine being configured and disposed to treat bottles to be filled;
said beverage bottle treatment machine comprising;
a treatment device being configured and disposed to treat the insides of bottles to be filled, comprising;
a supply for containing treatment agent to treat bottles;
a spray device being configured and disposed to introduce compressed air into said treatment device and to mix said compressed air with a supply of treatment agent to create treated air to treat bottles;
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;
a vertical tube being configured and disposed to permit the flow of treated air into a bottle;
said tube comprising a dispensing opening being configured and disposed to permit the flow of treated air into a bottle;
said helical heating channel being disposed about said tube;
a housing being configured and disposed to house said heater or heat exchanger, said tube, and said helical heating channel;
an enhancer being configured and disposed to enhance treated air prior to the exit of treated air from said tube. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A method of treating bottles with a treatment device, said treatment device comprising:
- a supply for containing treatment agent to treat bottles;
a spray device being configured and disposed to introduce compressed air into said treatment device and to mix said compressed air with a supply of treatment agent to create treated air to treat bottles;
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;
a vertical tube being configured and disposed to permit the flow of treated air into a bottle;
said tube comprising a dispensing opening being configured and disposed to permit the flow of treated air into a bottle;
said helical heating channel being disposed about said tube;
a housing being configured and disposed to house said heater or heat exchanger, said tube, and said helical heating channel;
an enhancer being configured and disposed to enhance treated air prior to the exit of treated air from said tube;
said method comprising the steps of;
mixing treatment agent and compressed air to create treated air;
heating treated air with said heater or heat exchanger;
flowing air through said enhancer to enhance treated air;
enhancing treated air at a temperature below the maximum allowable temperature of the containers to be treated;
flowing enhanced, treated air into a container to be treated. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5)
- a supply for containing treatment agent to treat bottles;
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6. A container treatment device being configured and disposed to treat the insides of containers to be filled, comprising:
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a supply for containing treatment agent to treat containers;
a spray device being configured and disposed to introduce compressed gas into said treatment device and to mix said compressed gas with a supply of treatment agent to create a treated gas to treat containers;
a heater or heat exchanger being configured and disposed to heat treated gas;
a tube being configured and disposed to permit the flow of treated gas into a container;
said tube comprising a dispensing opening being configured and disposed to permit the flow of treated gas into a container;
an enhancer being configured and disposed to enhance treated gas exiting from said tube. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification