SAFETY CLOSURE FOR A CONTAINER WITH A MEDIA SUPPLY LINE

Abstract

A safety closure for or on a container with a media supply line is described. The safety closure comprises: a lid which is actuated in particular mechanically for closing the container; a shut-off device for shutting off the media supply line; a pivoting lever with an actuating arm for pressing on the lid and with an in particular opposite first locking element; and a second locking element which is drive-coupled to the shut-off device and, which as a stop for the first locking element, being selectively operative when the shut-off device is open, is configured such that the lid can not be opened. Accidentally opening the lid when the container is spray rinsed can thereby be prevented in a simple and reliable manner.

Claims

1. A safety closure for a container with a media supply line for rinsing and/or cleaning said container, comprising: a lid for closing said container; a shut-off device for closing said media supply line; a pivoting lever with an actuating arm for placing said lid and with a first locking element; and a second locking element which is drive-coupled to said shut-off device and which has a stop for said first locking element, said second locking element being selectively operative when said shut-off device is open, and said second locking element configured such that said lid cannot be opened when said shut-off device is open.

2. The safety closure according to claim 1, wherein the first locking element is opposite to said actuating arm.

3. The safety closure according to claim 1, where said second locking element is further configured such that said first locking element blocks said second locking element when said lid is open and thereby prevents said shut-off device from opening.

4. The safety closure according to claim 1, where said second locking element comprises a recess which, when said shut-off device is closed, is aligned with said first locking element such that said first locking element engages in said recess when said lid is opened.

5. The safety closure according to claim 1, where said second locking element is a locking disk with a recess for said first locking element.

6. The safety closure according to claim 5, where said second locking element is movable about an axis of rotation which is oriented orthogonal to a pivot axis of said pivoting lever.

7. The safety closure according to claim 1, where said first locking element comprises a recess for said second locking element.

8. The safety closure according to claim 7, where said first locking element is configured as a disk.

9. The safety closure according to claim 1, where said shut-off device is opened/closed manually by way of a handle, and said second locking element is fixedly connected to said handle.

10. The safety closure according to claim 1, where said container is a dosing container and said lid is configured for closing a filling opening for a product component or a product additive.

11. The safety closure according to claim 1, further comprising a spray rinsing device for said container and connected to said media supply line.

12. The safety closure according to claim 1, further comprising an electrically or pneumatically actuated shut-off device for shutting off said media supply line.

13. The safety closure according to claim 1, where said pivoting lever is rotatably mounted at a side of said lid.

14. The safety closure according to claim 13, where said pivoting lever is mounted on said container.

15. The safety closure according to claim 1, further comprising a lock for said actuating arm fastened to said container in a position of said lid which seals said container.

16. The safety closure according to claim 1, where said lid is configured for manual opening/closing.

17. A container, which is configured as a dosing container for a product component or a product additive with a media supply line and a safety closure, said safety closure comprising: a lid for closing said container; a shut-off device for closing said media supply line; a pivoting lever with an actuating arm for placing said lid with a first locking element; and a second locking element which is drive-coupled to said shut-off device and which has a stop for said first locking element, the second locking element being selectively operative when said shut-off device is open, and the second locking element configured such that said lid cannot be opened when said shut-off device is open.

18. The container according to claim 17, where said container is configured as a dosing container for a product component or a product additive for the production of a beverage.

19. The container according to claim 17, said container being configured for stationary operation in a production facility for foodstuffs such as, for example, beverages and in particular beer, and where said media supply line is configured for rinsing and/or cleaning without disassembling said container.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0034] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated in the drawings, where:

[0035] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a first embodiment with the valve open and the lid closed.

[0036] FIG. 2 shows a schematic top view of the arrangement according to FIG. 1.

[0037] FIG. 3 shows a view according to FIG. 1 with the valve closed and the lid open.

[0038] FIG. 4 shows a schematic top view of a second embodiment with the valve closed and the lid open.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] FIGS. 1-4 show the relative positioning of various components of the safety closure and container. If shown directly contacting each other, or directly coupled, then such components may be referred to as directly contacting or directly coupled, respectively, at least in one example. Similarly, components shown contiguous or adjacent to one another may be contiguous or adjacent to each other, respectively, at least in one example. As an example, components lying in face-sharing contact with each other may be referred to as in face-sharing contact or physically contacting one another. As another example, elements positioned apart from each other with only a space there-between and no other components may be referred to as such, in at least one example.

[0040] As yet another example, elements shown above/below one another, at opposite sides to one another, or to the left/right of one another may be referred to as such, relative to one another. Further, as shown in the figures, a topmost element or point of element may be referred to as a “top” of the component and a bottommost element or point of the element may be referred to as a “bottom” of the component, in at least one example. As used herein, top/bottom, upper/lower, above/below, may be relative to a vertical axis of the figures and used to describe positioning of elements of the figures relative to one another. As such, elements shown above other elements are positioned vertically above the other elements, in one example. As yet another example, shapes of the elements depicted within the figures may be referred to as having those shapes (e.g., such as being circular, straight, planar, curved, rounded, chamfered, angled, or the like). Further, elements shown intersecting one another may be referred to as intersecting elements or intersecting one another, in at least one example. Further still, an element shown within another element or shown outside of another element may be referred as such, in one example.

[0041] As can be seen schematically in FIGS. 1 and 2, safety closure 1 is according to a first preferred embodiment formed on a container 2 with a media supply line 3 for rinsing and/or cleaning container 2. Safety closure 1 comprises: a vertically tiltable lid 4 for manually closing container 2; a shut-off device 5 for manually closing media supply line 3; a pivoting lever 6 with an actuating arm 6a for placing lid 4 and with an oppositely disposed first locking element 6b; and a second locking element 7 which is drive-coupled to shut-off device 5 and locks or releases a motion of first locking element 6b for the purpose of unlocking lid 4. First locking element 6b is configured, for example, as a lever arm, a disk segment or the like.

[0042] Pivoting lever 6 may be rotatably mounted about a horizontal pivot axis 6c. Second locking element 7 may be embodied as a locking disk 7a with a recess 7b rotatable about a vertical axis of rotation 7c.

[0043] Shut-off device 5 may be configured as a manual flap, i.e. as a disk valve with a flap 5a and a handle 5b for manually opening/closing. This is schematically indicated in FIG. 2 as a double arrow, where the actuating directions are merely by way of example. Flap 5a is mounted in shut-off device 5 rotatable about an axis of rotation 5c for closing shut-off device 5. Axes of rotation 5c, 7c may be identical for directly coupling locking disk 7a and flap 5a to each other. Other shut-off devices which can be actuated by a rotational motion about an axis are also conceivable.

[0044] It is evident from FIG. 1 that second locking element 7, in particular locking disc 7a, is configured as a stop 8, being selectively operative when the shut-off device 5 is open, for first locking element 6b so that lid 4 cannot be opened when shut-off device 5 is open.

[0045] It is evident in particular from FIG. 3 that first locking element 6b can only be tilted into/through recess 7b when shut-off device 5 is closed, namely when first locking element 6b is in the top view (of FIG. 2) aligned flush with the recess 7b, i.e. locking disk 7a rests in a corresponding rotational position. This allows lid 4 to be opened, as a result of which also shut-off device 5 is blocked in its closed position. Position 9 of recess 7b being in flush alignment with first locking element 6b and the associated position of handle 5b are in FIG. 2 for better understanding indicated by dotted lines.

[0046] A bearing support 10 for pivoting lever 6 protruding laterally toward second locking element 7 over lid 4 may be formed on container 2. Alternatively, bearing support 10 can also be attached, for example, to a tubing, such as media supply line 3.

[0047] A lock 11 for closed lid 4 may be also formed on container 2. As evidenced by FIGS. 2 and 3, lock 11 can comprise a locking screw 11a or the like and, for example, can be pivoted about a horizontal axis of rotation 11b in order to release actuating lever 6a for opening lid 4 after locking screw 11a has been released.

[0048] Lid 4 may comprise a support 4a on which lid 4 is suspended on actuating lever 6a. Lid 4 is mounted preferably in a rotationally fixed manner but tiltable about a horizontal axis of rotation on actuating lever 6a. The lid 4 can by use of actuating lever 6a be placed on container 2 and lifted off from the latter.

[0049] Container 2 may be configured as a dosing container. When lid 4 is open, a product component 12 (indicated schematically in FIG. 1 by a block arrow), a product additive or the like can be filled into container 2. When lid 4 is closed, container 2 can by use of media supply line 3 be rinsed, cleaned and, in particular, spray rinsed with a liquid medium 13, such as, for example, hot water. For this purpose, at least one spray rinsing device 14, for example in the form of a spray nozzle (shown) and/or a pump (not shown) and/or a similar device for supplying liquid medium 13 subject to a suitable overpressure, may be provided on media supply line 3.

[0050] The liquid medium can in principle contain a rinsing agent, a cleaning agent, a disinfecting agent, at least one technical adjuvant and/or a product. Technical adjuvants can also be part of the product additives and are, for example, enzymes, calcium chloride, acid and solvents other than water.

[0051] FIG. 2 schematically shows an electrically and/or pneumatically operated valve 15 for releasing, shutting off and/or dosing the liquid medium 13 in particular in a centrally controlled manner. Once second locking element 7 acts as a stop 8 for first locking element 6b and shut-off device 5 is open, a predetermined process for rinsing, cleaning and/or disinfecting container 2 can without further restriction be automatically controlled by closure lock 1.

[0052] As is evident from FIG. 4, safety closure 21 can according to a second preferred embodiment alternatively be configured for a pivoting lever 26, which can be pivoted about a vertical pivot axis 26c , and lid 4. Pivoting lever 26 comprises an actuating arm 26a which may be fixedly connected to lid 4 by support 4a, and a first locking element 26b which cooperates operably with second locking element 7 like in the first embodiment. First locking element 26b may then be formed to be disk-shaped with a recess 26d, for example, a notch.

[0053] With both safety closures 1, 21, lid 4 can only be opened when recess 7b of locking disk 7a is with respect to first locking element 6b, 26b oriented such that it can pivot into recess 7b . Otherwise, locking disk 7a acts as a stop 8 for first locking element 6b, 26b in order to prevent lid 4 from being opened.

[0054] In the second embodiment, shut-off device 5 can be opened only when recess 26d of first locking element 26b is aligned flush with second locking element 7, in particular with locking disk 7a. In both variants, the pivot axes 6c, 26c may be oriented orthogonally to the axis of rotation 7c of locking disk 7a.

[0055] For the remainder, all the structural elements described in the context to the first embodiment having corresponding functions can also be present in the second embodiment and the associated container 2 and media supply line 3.

[0056] Safety closure 1, 21 is constructed purely mechanically and therefore exhibits particularly high reliability against failure. Accordingly, safety closure 1, 21 can serve as an additional safety measure which in failure-free operation of optional electrically and/or pneumatically operated valve 15 is indeed redundant, but which, due to the sequential arrangement of shut-off device 5 and valve 15, however, has effect for example when a seal breaks in valve 15, i.e. also when the latter is faultlessly actuated and/or set.

[0057] Second locking element 7 is, in at least one embodiment, connected to flap 5a as well as to support 5b in a rotationally-fixed manner, for example, in a positive-fit manner. However, it would also be conceivable to couple second locking element 7 to shut-off device 5 by way of a gear, a connecting rod, a worm gear, a sprocket/gear rod or the like.

[0058] Second locking element 7 could therefore also be configured as a linearly movable slide lock (not shown), operationally corresponding to locking disk 7a, with a recess 7b for first locking element 6b, 26b. For such a slide lock, the rotational motion for actuating shut-off device 5 would need to be transformed into a linear motion of the slide lock, for example, with a coupling by way of a sprocket and a gear rod.

[0059] It is crucial that the position of recess 7b relative to first locking element 6b, 26b changes depending on the open position of shut-off device 5 as described above, i.e. second locking element 7, possibly also in the form of a control slide, when shut-off device 5 is open acts as a stop 8 for first locking element 6b, 26b, and recess 7b of second locking element 7, when shut-off device 5 is closed, is in a position 9 aligned with first locking element 6b, 26b so that first locking element 6b, 26b can pivot into recess 7b.

[0060] Container 2 and media supply line 3 are suitable for stationary installation and a rinsing and/or cleaning and/or disinfecting process in a food-processing operation, such as, for example, in a brew house or a similar production plant.

[0061] Safety closure 1, 21 in a simple and reliable manner ensures protection of the operator from hot and/or aggressive liquid media 13 which could otherwise escape due to an accidental opening of lid 4, in particular during a rinsing and/or cleaning and/or disinfection process. A disinfection process also includes sterilization. The same also applies for disinfectants and sterilization agents.

[0062] The electrically and/or pneumatically operated valve 15 can be, for example, a ball valve, a shut-off flap, a slide or the like. Valve 15 could also be actuated hydraulically.

[0063] The spray rinsing device 14 can, for example, be understood as being a tube which ends in container 2. Spray rinsing device 14 can also comprise distributing devices, such as an injection head, target jet cleaner, baffle plate or similar devices which spread or fan out the medium. Ring lines with openings are also conceivable.