DEVICE AND METHOD FOR TRANSPORTING CONTAINERS IN A CONTAINER TREATMENT SYSTEM

• US 20160214799A1
• Filed: 08/13/2014
• Published: 07/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Krones AG (Krones)
• Original Assignee: Krones AG (Krones)
• Inventors: Walter, Ralf, Senn, Konrad
• Granted Patent: US 9,809,392 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/0244 Bottles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2811/0673 Control of conveying operations
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 37/02 Flow-sheets for conveyor combinations in warehouses, magazines or workshops
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 43/10 Sequence control of conveyors operating in combination
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 54/02 electrostatic, electric, or magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 3/24 Devices for supporting or handling bottles transport or storing devices in general B65G
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 7/0013 Synchronising

Abstract

A transport device for transporting containers in a container treatment system which has a first container treatment unit for a process step and a second container treatment unit for the process step, the transport device having at least one receiving point for the containers, at least one delivery point for the containers, a transport track which connects the at least one receiving point, the at least one delivery point, the first container treatment unit, and the second container treatment unit, and at least one transport element for transporting a container, the transport element being movably arranged on the transport track. The transport track and the at least one transport element are designed such that the at least one transport element can be guided from a receiving point to a delivery point in an individually controllable manner.

Claims

1. A transport device for transporting containers in a container treatment system which has a first container treatment unit for a process step and a second container treatment unit for said process step, with at least one receiving point for containers,

at least one delivery point for containers,

a transport track which connects said at least one receiving point, said at least one delivery point, said first container treatment unit, and said second container treatment unit;

and

at least one transport element for transporting at least one container, said transport element being movably arranged on said transport track,

where said transport track and said at least one transport element are designed such that said at least one transport element can be guided from a receiving point to a delivery point in an individually controllable manner.

2. The transport device according to claim 1, where said transport device comprises a first receiving point and a second receiving point as well as a first delivery point and a second delivery point, where said transport track connects said first container treatment unit and said second container treatment unit in series, and where said transport track comprises:

a first process path, which connects said first receiving point via said first container treatment unit to said first delivery point, and a return path for said transport element, where at least a section of said return path is formed as a second process path, which connects said second receiving point via said second container treatment unit to said second delivery point.

3. The transport device according to claim 2,

where said transport track further comprises a compensation path connecting said first delivery point to said first receiving point and/or said second delivery point to said second receiving point.

4. The transport device according to claim 3,

where at least a section of said compensation path is configured such that said transport element can be guided in either direction.

5. The transport device according to claim 1,

where said first and said second container treatment unit are operated such that said transport element can be supplied selectively to said first or said second container treatment unit, and

where said transport track comprises:

a first transport path connecting said at least one receiving point via a first track switch to said first and said second container treatment unit, and a return path for said transport element.

6. The transport device according to claim 5, where said transport track further comprises a second transport path that connects said first and said second container treatment unit via a second track switch to said at least one delivery point.

7. The transport device according to claim 1, where said first container treatment unit comprises a first protection zone and said second container treatment unit a second protection zone separate from said first protection zone.

8. The transport device according to claim 1, where said transport element and at least a section of said transport track are formed such that said transport element can in the area of said section of said transport track be moved by way of magnetic force, preferably in interaction with said transport track.

9. The transport device according to claim 1, where said transport element is supported at the transport track one of fully magnetically, in part magnetically and in part mechanically, or fully mechanically.

10. The transport device according to claim 1, further comprising a control device for controlling said transport element.

11. The transport device according to claim 10, where said control device is configured to control said transport element in dependence of a first process time and/or a first throughput of said first container treatment unit and/or of a second process time and/or a second throughput of said second container treatment unit.

12. A method for transporting containers in a container treatment system which includes a first container treatment unit for a process step and a second container treatment unit for said process step, comprising:

receiving, in a transport element, at least one first container at a first receiving point for transporting containers,

transporting said first container by way of said transport element along said transport track from said first receiving point to said first or second container treatment unit,

transporting said first container by way of said transport element along said transport track from said first or said second container treatment unit to a first delivery point,

said transport element delivering said first container at said first delivery point, and

returning said transport element to said first receiving point, wherein said transport element is guided in an individually controlled manner from said receiving point to said delivery point.

13. The transport method according to claim 12,

wherein said first and said second container treatment unit are arranged in parallel along said transport track, and

wherein said first container is by way of said transport element supplied selectively to said first or said second container treatment unit.

14. The transport method according to claim 12,

wherein said first container is transported from said first receiving point to said first container treatment unit, and where returning said transport element to said first receiving point comprises:

said transport element receiving at least one second container at a second receiving point, transporting said second container by way of said transport element along said transport track from said second receiving point to said second container treatment unit, transporting said second container by way of said transport element along said transport track from said second container treatment unit to a second delivery point, and said transport element delivering said second container at said second delivery point.

15. The transport method according to claim 14, where said transport element is in dependence of at least one of an operating state or a throughput of said second container treatment unit returned directly from said first delivery point to said first receiving point.