Method for cleaning containers and cleaning machine

• US 8,574,371 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2010
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Krones AG (Krones)
• Original Assignee: Krones AG (Krones)
• Inventors: Folz, Cornelia, Momsen, Jan, Humele, Heinz, Kirchhoff, Timm, Wasmuht, Klaus-Karl, Hansen, Bernd, Islinger, Thomas, Weinholzer, Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): Carrillo, Bibi
• Application Number:
  US12/871,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20110067730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: 451/38, 451/39, 451/40, 451/76, 451/80, 451/81, 451/82, 451/83, 134/6, 134/8, 134/22.1, 134/22.12, 134/22.18, 134/26, 134/30, 134/32, 134/33, 134/34, 134/35, 134/37, 134/42
• US Class Current: 134/7
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 2203/005 the liquid being ozonated
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/38 the apparatus cleaning by using scrapers, chains, grains of shot, sand or other abrasive means abrasive blasting in general B24C
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/46 Inspecting cleaned containers for cleanliness

Abstract

A method for cleaning containers, in particular bottles of glass or plastics, and a cleaning machine with at least one cleaning medium, with the containers cleaned at least in one station preferential for the cleaning result and/or in a procedure step with at least essentially chemical-free cleaning media. The cleaning medium is advantageously a granular material, in particular granular ice, carried under pressure with compressed air or compressed water. The cleaning machine suited for carrying out the method includes downstream of an unpacking and presoaking station, a pre-cleaning station with a high pressure water blasting pre-cleaning section, and subsequently an intensive cleaning station with at least one intensive cleaning section to which a pressure blasting system for chemical-free, granular material and a carrier medium are associated, and a disinfection station following the intensive cleaning station.

Claims

1. A method for cleaning containers, in a cleaning machine, in which in several stations and process steps, at least one cleaning medium is allowed to act on the containers conveyed by the cleaning machine, comprising cleaning the containers in at least one station with at least one cleaning medium;

and wherein in at least one pre-cleaning step, wetting each container with chemical-free water essentially on all sides, pre-soaking dirt accumulations present on each container for a predetermined period, pre-cleaning an exterior of each container by blasting with chemical-free compressed pure water, subsequently internally cleaning each container over at least one further predetermined period at least by pressure blasting an inner surface of the container with granular material and a carrier medium, subsequently rinsing each container with chemical-free water, and finally disinfecting each container by applying ozone to the container.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising intensively cleaning at least the inner surface of each container with said granular material carried in one of water or air as the carrier medium.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the containers comprise non-sorted out containers, and cleaning the non-sorted out containers depending on a detected level of dirt.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein before final disinfection, detecting incompletely cleaned containers.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising imparting a rotary motion between the container and the granular material present on the inner surface of the container.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein ozone is applied using an energy pulse.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein the granular material is selected from the following group individually or in combination:

metal, plastics, sand, and salt.

8. The method according to claim 2, further comprising cleaning at least the inner surface of each container with granular ice.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein, for cleaning the inner surface of each container, a granulated nutshell material as the granular material is allowed to act on the inner surface of the container by means of said carrier medium.

10. The method according to claim 2, wherein the granular material is recyclable and/or degradable without leaving any residue.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein the energy pulse is piezoelectric.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the granular ice is dry ice of carbon dioxide or water ice that is blasted or injected as the granular ice.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the water ice is slurry ice.

14. A method for cleaning containers, in a cleaning machine, in which in several stations and process steps, at least one cleaning medium is allowed to act on the containers conveyed by the cleaning machine, comprising cleaning the containers in at least one station with at least one cleaning medium;

and wherein in at least one pre-cleaning step, wetting each container with chemical-free water essentially on all sides, pre-soaking dirt accumulations present on each container for a predetermined period, pre-cleaning an exterior of each container by blasting with chemical-free compressed pure water, subsequently internally cleaning each container over at least one further predetermined period at least by pressure blasting an inner surface of the container with granular material and a carrier medium, subsequently rinsing each container with chemical-free water, and disinfecting each container, wherein disinfecting each container comprises, on at least an inside and in an opening of the container, application and combustion of gas or of a substance combustible without leaving any residue.