Monitoring apparatus for container handling plants

Abstract

An apparatus for handling containers with a plurality of handling units for handling the containers, which handling units contain at least one filling device for filling the containers with a flowable medium, a closure device disposed downstream in a transport direction of the containers for closing the filled containers with closures, and with a labelling device for labelling the containers, and with a transport device for transporting the containers. The apparatus has at least one information output device, which is configured in such a way that it outputs information about the occurrence of malfunctions of the apparatus , wherein the information output device has at least one first information output element, which outputs a first information item about a specific malfunction in such a way that the first information item can be perceived in a first region and a second information output element which outputs a second information item about the same malfunction in such a way that the second information item can be perceived in a second region, wherein the first region and the second region are at least partially different.

Claims

1. An apparatus for treating containers with a plurality of treating units for treating the containers, which treating units contain at least one filling device for filling the containers with a flowable medium, a closure device disposed downstream in a transport direction of the containers for closing the filled containers with closures, and with a labelling device for labelling the containers, and with a transport device for transporting the containers, wherein the apparatus has at least one information output device, which is configured in such a way that it outputs information about the occurrence of malfunctions of the apparatus to a user, wherein the information output device has at least one first information output element, which outputs a first information item about a specific malfunction to the user in such a way that the first information item can be perceived in a first region and a second information output element which outputs a second information item about the same specific malfunction to the user in such a way that the second information item can be perceived in a second region, wherein the first region and the second region are at least partially different, characterized in that the second region completely encloses the first region geometrically and that the apparatus has a third information output element which outputs a third information about the malfunction in such a way that the information in a predefined third region can be perceived, wherein the third region differs both from the first region and the second region and the third region completely encloses the first region of at least one first information output element and the second region of the second information output element geometrically.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one information output element is designed in such a way that it outputs information about the location of a malfunction and/or information which are characteristic of the malfunction or the correction thereof.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus has an input unit via which commands can be passed to the apparatus by a user.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one region is selected from a group of regions which includes an immediate geometric region around the input unit, a working region of a user of the apparatus, a higher-level region for a plurality of treating units and a higher-level region of the entire apparatus.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one information output element only outputs information relating to precisely one treating unit.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one information output element is configured in such a way that it outputs different information items which relate to different treating units.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a transport path along which the containers are conveyed through the machine remains constant.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a respective first information output element is assigned to at least two treating units and these information output elements are assigned to an information output element.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the apparatus has an input unit via which commands can be passed to the apparatus by a user.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one region is selected from a group of regions which includes an immediate geometric region around the input unit, a working region of a user of the apparatus, a higher-level region for a plurality of treating units and a higher-level region of the entire apparatus.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one information output element only outputs information relating to precisely one treating unit.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one information output element is configured in such a way that it outputs different information items which relate to different treating units.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein a transport path along which the containers are conveyed through the machine remains constant.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein a respective first information output element is assigned to at least two treating units and these information output elements are assigned to an information output element.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein at least one region is selected from a group of regions which includes an immediate geometric region around the input unit, a working region of a user of the apparatus, a higher-level region for a plurality of treating units and a higher-level region of the entire apparatus.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein at least one information output element only outputs information relating to precisely one treating unit.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein at least one information output element is configured in such a way that it outputs different information items which relate to different treating units.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein a transport path along which the containers are conveyed through the machine remains constant.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein a respective first information output element is assigned to at least two treating units and these information output elements are assigned to an information output element.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein at least one information output element only outputs information relating to precisely one treating unit.

Description

[0039] Further advantages and embodiments are apparent from the appended drawings, in which:

[0040] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an apparatus according to the invention; and

[0041] FIG. 2 shows a representation to illustrate the interaction of the information output elements.

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an apparatus according to the invention.

[0043] This has a feeding unit 28 for plastic parisons such as for example a roller grader. Starting from this roller grader 28 the plastic parisons pass through a furnace 26 and into a transforming device 16 which transforms the plastic parisons into plastic containers. In this case a sterilising unit 14 can also be provided for sterilising the plastic parisons.

[0044] Starting from the transforming device 16 the containers produced in this way pass via a further transport device 17, optionally a further sterilising unit 18, to a filling device 2 which fills the containers with a liquid and in particular a beverage. In the transport direction T of the containers a closure device 4 for closing the containers adjoins this filling device 2, followed by a labelling device 6 for labelling the containers. The reference 30 identifies quite schematically a collating device which collates a large number of containers to form a pack, and the reference 32 relates, equally schematically, to a palletiser.

[0045] The reference 5 relates to a third information output element, which is disposed at a higher level, so that signals which are output by this third information output element 5 can be picked up in the region B3 which in principle comprises the entire plant. The reference 13 identifies the information output by the third information output element 5. This may for example be merely the information that a malfunction has occurred somewhere in the plant.

[0046] Simultaneously with the output of this information the machine can for example be stopped.

[0047] The references 51, 52 and 53 each relate to second information output elements which are disposed on different plant parts, such as in this case the filling device, the transforming device 16 and the palletiser region. In this case these regions are each individually identified by the references B2. All the regions B2 lie within the large region B3. Information items 12 which relate to the malfunction are in turn output on these information output elements 51, 52 and 53.

[0048] The references 511, 512, 521 and 531 each denote first information output elements which in this case are each disposed on input devices 24 for operating the machine in the part of the plant. Accordingly the regions B1 in which signals output by these information output elements 511, 512, 521, 531 can be perceived are smaller and are each inside the regions B2 assigned thereto. A plurality of information output elements 511, 512, 521, 531 could also be disposed within the region B2. The reference 11 relates to the information output by the first information output elements.

[0049] The reference numeral 40 identifies a control unit for controlling the plant. In this case this control unit can also control the information output device, i.e. in particular the interaction of the individual information output elements and can for example assign to a specific malfunction those information output elements which output this malfunction to the user.

[0050] FIG. 2 shows a diagram of an information output device 12 for output of the particular information on the malfunctions. In this case a higher-level information output element 5 is again provided, to which three second information output elements 51, 52 and 53 are assigned in this example. Three information output elements 511, 512, 513; 521, 522, 523; 531, 532, 533 are in turn assigned to each of these second information output elements. In this case this assignment is represented by the respective connecting lines L. This assignment is understood so that at one of the assigned information output elements in each case information about a certain malfunction is output, and is also output on the higher-level information output element (for example 51-53).

[0051] In this case the third information output element 5 is assigned to the entire plant, the second information output elements 51, 52 and 53 are assigned to individual plant areas and the first information output elements 511, 512, 513; 521, 522, 523; 531, 532, 533 are each assigned to specific plant parts. These first information output elements 511-533 are therefore assigned to specific machine parts. In this case the regions B1 (not shown) are the respective proximal regions of the relevant information output element 511 . . . 533. However it is pointed out that the location of the malfunction may also differ from the location of the first information output elements 511 . . . 533.

[0052] If for example a malfunction to which the first information output element 512 is assigned occurs on a machine part, then this information output element 512 will output an information item about the malfunction. However, substantially at the same time the second information output element 51 and the third information output element 5 will also output an information item about the malfunction. Thus regardless of where the user is he can quickly reach the location of the actual malfunction.

[0053] Optionally the information output element 5 can also be assigned to a further higher-level information output element 5a and can for example be in radio communication therewith. This further information output element 5a may for example be a remote computer or a user's mobile telephone, so that in the event of malfunction a user is informed about this by mobile telephone.

[0054] It will be seen in FIG. 2 that this arrangement can be changed both with regard to the number of information output elements and with regard to the cascading depth. However, it has been ascertained that at least three of the four levels I to IV shown here are useful in order to provide efficient malfunction management.

[0055] The applicant reserves the right to claim all the features disclosed in the application documents as essential to the invention in so far as they are individually or in combination novel over the prior art.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0056] 1 apparatus

[0057] 2 filling device

[0058] 4 closure device

[0059] 5, 5a third information output element

[0060] 6 labelling device

[0061] 12 information output device

[0062] 14 sterilising unit

[0063] 16 transforming device

[0064] 17 transport device

[0065] 18 sterilising unit

[0066] 24 input device

[0067] 26 furnace

[0068] 28 feeding unit, roller grader

[0069] 30 collating device

[0070] 32 palletiser

[0071] 40 control unit

[0072] 51, 52, 53 second information output element

[0073] 511, 512,513,

[0074] 521, 522, 523,

[0075] 531, 532, 533 first information output element

[0076] T transport direction

[0077] 11, 12, 13 output information

[0078] B1 first region

[0079] B2 second region

[0080] B3 third region

[0081] I-IV levels

[0082] L connecting lines