DEVICE FOR TREATING PACKAGES, AND HOLDING-AND-CENTERING UNIT FOR PACKAGES

• US 20140208699A1
• Filed: 07/12/2012
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KHS GmbH (Salzgitter AG)
• Original Assignee: KHS GmbH (Salzgitter AG)
• Inventors: Reiniger, Markus, Schach, Martin, Stenner, Holger
• Granted Patent: US 9,821,569 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 53/510
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/002 Curing or drying the ink on the copy materials, e.g. by heating or irradiating
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4073 Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects B41J3/283, B41J3/286 take precedence; building up a 3D object using individual droplets from jetting heads B29C64/112
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/40733 Printing on cylindrical or rotationally symmetrical objects, e. g. on bottles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/543 with multiple inkjet print heads B41J2/17503, B41J2/2103 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 31/04 Evacuating, pressurising or gasifying filled containers or wrappers by means of nozzles through which air or other gas, e.g. an inert gas, is withdrawn or supplied

Abstract

An apparatus for printing different colors on packages includes holding-and-centering units, each having a primary and a secondary part. The primary part is held at a holding position during package handling. The secondary part is mounted in the primary part to be rotatable about a vertical axis of the unit. The secondary part receives a functional element necessary for handling a package. A plurality of secondary parts adapted to different types, forms and/or sizes of packages are associated with the primary parts.

Claims

1-28. -28. (canceled)

29. An apparatus for treating packages by applying furnishing features to said packages, said apparatus comprising a plurality of holding-and-centering units, each of which comprises a primary part and a secondary part, wherein said primary part is held at a holding position during package handling, wherein said secondary part is mounted on or in said primary part so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis of said holding-and-centering unit, wherein said secondary part receives a functional element necessary for handling a package, wherein said secondary part is driven by a motor during handling of a package, wherein a plurality of secondary parts adapted to different types, forms and/or sizes of packages are associated with said primary parts, wherein handling packages comprises at least one of holding, centering, aligning, moving, rotating, and pivoting a package at said holding positions, and wherein said features comprise printed material having plural colors.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising a package inlet, a package outlet, and a package transport path on which packages are moved in a transport direction from said package inlet to said package outlet, wherein said package transport path comprises at least one transport-and-treatment element that can be driven to rotate about a vertical machine axis, and wherein said transport-and-treatment element comprises a plurality of holding positions, each of which comprises one of said holding-and-centering units for handling packages.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said secondary part comprises an electromagnetic direct drive for controlled handling of a package, wherein said electromagnetic direct drive comprises a rotor and a stationary structure, wherein said stationary structure is one of a stator and a solenoid array, wherein said rotor comprises an array of permanent magnets that interact with said stationary structure, and wherein controlled handling is selected from the group consisting of aligning a package and rotating a package.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said secondary part comprises a format-adapted interchangeable mounting, a base part, and an infinitely variable and controllable electric motor, and wherein said primary part comprises a motor housing of said infinitely variable and controllable motor.

33. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising functional elements, wherein said functional elements comprise all functional elements necessary for the aligning and/or controlled moving of a package during handling thereof, wherein said functional elements are provided on a respective secondary part.

34. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein at least one of said primary part and said secondary part comprises a coding, and a sensor, wherein said coding indicates rotational angle position to said sensor.

35. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising a sensor, wherein said primary part comprises a structure for enabling definition of a rotational angle position of said primary part relative to a respective holding position, wherein said sensor is configured to detect said rotational angle position, and wherein said structure is selected from the group consisting of a form-fitting mounting, and centering-or-coupling elements.

36. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said package transport path comprises a plurality of transport-and-treatment elements adjacent to one another for transporting packages, wherein each of said transport-and-treatment elements can be driven to rotate said holding positions about said vertical machine axis.

37. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said secondary parts are each configured with a format-adapted interchangeable mounting and base part.

38. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said holding-and-centering units comprise pucks, wherein at said package input, each puck picks up a package, and wherein each puck is moved with said picked-up package from said package inlet to said package outlet along said package transport path, wherein upon arriving at said package outlet, each puck release said picked-up package, and wherein said apparatus further comprises a puck transport path over which pucks are returned from said package outlet back to said package inlet.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein said puck transport path is at least in part constituted by those transport-and-treatment elements that are also part of said package transport path.

40. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising receptacles formed between said holding positions to receive said pucks, wherein said receptacles are part of said puck transport path.

41. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising, at each holding position, a holder configured as a carrier for holding a holding-and-centering element, wherein said holder is height-adjustable in a direction along said machine axis.

42. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising, at each holding position, a mechanism for controlled holding and releasing of holding-and-centering elements.

43. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said secondary part comprises an RFID tag.

44. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein each holding position comprises an inkjet print head and a radiation source for at least one curing and drying of ink, wherein said radiation source is selected from the group consisting of a thermal radiation source, a microwave radiation source, and a UV radiation source.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein said print head is adjustable in at least one of a direction along said machine axis and an inclination relative to said machine axis.

46. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising a supply line for carrying a pressure medium, wherein at least one transport-and-treatment element is connectable to said supply line, wherein said transport-and-treatment element comprises a distribution line to at least one handling station and at least one coupling element, wherein said holding-and-centering unit comprises a quick-acting coupling for coupling to said handling station, and wherein said pressure medium is selected from the group consisting of a gaseous medium, a vaporous medium, and compressed air, whereby a package held at a holding-and-centering unit at said transport-and-treatment element is pressurizable with said pressure medium.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein said quick-acting coupling comprises a non-return valve such that after preloading a package with said pressure medium to a pressure, said pressure can be maintained in said package as said package traverses said package element transport section.

48. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein each holding-and-centering element comprises a holding-and-centering unit for passively holding a package with a spring force.

49. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein holding-and-centering units each comprise a recess configured to cover said package in a region of a mouth thereof.

50. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said holding-and-centering units are held at an associated printing segment by passive application of a holding force to primary parts thereof, and wherein said the holding-and-centering units are actively removed from said printing segments.

51. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said secondary part of said holding-and-centering unit comprises an electromagnetic direct drive for controlled handling of a package, wherein said electromagnetic direct drive comprises a rotor and a stationary structure, wherein said stationary structure is one of a stator and a solenoid array, and wherein said rotor comprises an array of permanent magnets that interact with said stationary structure.

52. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said secondary part of said holding-and-centering unit comprises a format-adapted interchangeable mounting, a base part, and an infinitely variable and controllable electric motor, and wherein said primary part comprises a motor housing of said infinitely variable and controllable motor.

53. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein at least one of said primary part and said secondary part of said holding-and-centering unit comprises a coding, and an incremental sensor, wherein said coding indicates rotational angle position to said incremental sensor.

54. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said holding-and-centering unit further comprising a sensor, wherein said primary part comprises a structure for enabling definition of a rotational angle position of said primary part relative to a respective holding position, wherein said sensor is configured to detect said rotational angle position, and wherein said structure is selected from the group consisting of a form-fitting mounting, and centering-or-coupling elements.

55. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said holding-and-centering unit further comprises a coupling element, a mating piece for a coupling element for establishing a connection between a supply of a pressure medium and a treatment element, and a central inner line through a lower opening through which said pressure medium is guided into a package to load said package with a preload pressure, wherein said pressure medium is selected from the group consisting of vaporous medium, gaseous medium, and compressed air.

56. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein said mating piece comprises a non-return valve in said central inner line such that said preload pressure is maintained in said package while said package traverses said package transport section.