DEVICE FOR HOLDING A CONTAINER AND CONTAINER TREATMENT DEVICE

Abstract

A device for holding a container in a container treatment device, for example for holding a beverage container in a neck portion or in a trunk portion, includes two gripping arms which are pivotable relative to one another in a pivoting plane and which in each case have a holding portion for holding the container to be held, and a lifting rod which is coupled to the gripping arms such that the holding portions are pivotable relative to one another by a displacement of the lifting rod perpendicular to the pivoting plane of the gripping arms. A container treatment device, provided with such a device, is also described.

Claims

1. A device for holding a container in a container treatment device comprising: two gripping arms that are configured to pivot relative to one another in a pivoting plane, wherein each gripping arm of the two gripping arms comprises a holding portion configured to hold the container; and a lifting rod that is coupled to the two gripping arms such that the holding portions of the two gripping arms are configured to pivot relative to one another by a displacement of the lifting rod perpendicular to the pivoting plane.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the two gripping arms are pivotably arranged about a common pivot axis, or the two gripping arms each have a separate pivot axis about which they are pivotably arranged.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a coupling member, wherein one of the two gripping arms comprises a pivot lever that is fixedly connected to the one gripping arm, and the pivoting lever is coupled to the lifting rod via the coupling member.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein: the coupling member is rotatably arranged on the lifting rod, the pivoting lever in its longitudinal direction is displaceably received on the coupling member, the pivoting lever is received on the coupling member in a rotatable manner relative to the coupling member, or the coupling member comprises an adjusting element configured to adjust a pivoting position of the one gripping arm.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the coupling member is rotatably arranged on the lifting rod, and a rotational axis of the coupling member is oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the lifting rod.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein the lifting rod comprises a slide element, and the coupling member is coupled to the lifting rod via the slide element.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein: the coupling member is coupled on one side to the slide element and coupled on another side to the pivoting lever, or the slide element has an S-shaped configuration and is connected at a central portion to the lifting rod.

8. The device of claim 3, wherein: coupling of the coupling member to the lifting rod is arranged in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the lifting rod above the coupling of the coupling member to the pivoting lever relative to an orientation of the container held by the two gripping arms, coupling of the coupling member to the lifting rod is arranged in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the lifting rod below the coupling of the coupling member to the pivoting lever relative to an orientation of the container held by the two gripping arms, coupling of the coupling member to the lifting rod is arranged between the pivoting lever and the coupling member, or coupling of the coupling member to the lifting rod is arranged between the pivoting lever and the coupling member relative to a pivot axis on a side of the holding portion of the one gripping arm.

9. The device of claim 3, further comprising a coupling housing that encloses the coupling member and the pivoting lever, wherein the lifting rod extends through a sealed opening in the coupling housing.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the two gripping arms are each fastened to a shaft configured to pivot about a pivot axis of its respective gripping arm, and the shafts extend through a sealed bore in the coupling housing.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising two coupling members, wherein each of the two gripping arms comprise a pivot lever that is fixedly connected to its respective gripping arm, and the pivoting levers are coupled to the lifting rod via the two coupling members.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the two gripping arms are rotatably coupled to one another via two intermeshing gears.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the lifting rod on its side opposing the two gripping arms comprises a control unit configured to control a position of the lifting rod relative to a longitudinal axis of the lifting rod.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the control unit comprises: a pretensioning element configured to pretension the lifting rod into a predetermined position, or an interaction portion configured to interact with a predetermining device configured to predetermine a position of the lifting rod, wherein the interaction portion is in the form of a slide element, a pin, and/or a wheel and is configured to slide and/or roll on a predetermining device configured as a guide curve or a guide groove.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the lifting rod comprises two rod elements that are configured to be displaced relative to one another in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the lifting rod, and the rod elements are coupled via a spring element in the direction of the longitudinal axis.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein: the container treatment device comprises a housing, the lifting rod comprises a seal configured to seal the lifting rod relative to a housing opening of the housing, and the lifting rod extends through the housing opening.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein: the seal is fastened to the lifting rod, the seal is configured to be fastened to the housing opening, the seal is configured to compensate for the displacement of the lifting rod, the seal comprises a silicone material, or the seal is configured as a folding bellows.

18. A container treatment device comprising: a transport device configured to transport containers, wherein the transport device comprises a device configured to hold a container, the device comprising: two gripping arms that are configured to pivot relative to one another in a pivoting plane, wherein each gripping arm of the two gripping arms comprises a holding portion configured to hold the container; and a lifting rod that is coupled to the two gripping arms such that the holding portions of the two gripping arms are configured to pivot relative to one another by a displacement of the lifting rod perpendicular to the pivoting plane.

19. The container treatment device of claim 18, further comprising a housing configured to provide a sealed space.

20. The container treatment device of claim 19, wherein: the two gripping arms are arranged in an interior of the housing, the lifting rod extends through a housing opening, the lifting rod comprises a control unit, and the control unit is arranged outside the housing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0047] Further embodiments of the invention are described in more detail by the following description of the figures.

[0048] FIG. 1 shows schematically a side view of a container treatment device;

[0049] FIG. 2 shows schematically a perspective side view of a device for holding a container;

[0050] FIG. 3 shows schematically a perspective rear view of the device of FIG. 2;

[0051] FIG. 4 shows schematically a rear view of the device of FIG. 2;

[0052] FIG. 5 shows schematically a pair of gripping arms of the device of FIG. 2 in an open state;

[0053] FIG. 6 shows schematically the pair of gripping arms of FIG. 5 in a closed state;

[0054] FIG. 7 shows schematically a functional diagram of the device of FIG. 1;

[0055] FIG. 8 shows schematically a functional diagram of a further device for holding a container; and

[0056] FIG. 9 shows schematically a side view of a further device for holding a container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] Exemplary embodiments are described hereinafter with reference to the figures. In this case, elements which are the same, similar or have the same function are provided in the various figures with identical reference numerals and a repeated description of these elements is in some cases omitted in order to avoid redundancies.

[0058] Shown schematically in FIG. 1 is a side view of a container treatment device 100 which comprises a transport device 110 for transporting containers 7, a treatment device 130, in the present case in the form of a closing device for closing a container 7 with a container closure (not shown), and a housing 120 which at least partially encloses the treatment device 130. The housing 120 may be, for example, an isolator which serves to form an atmosphere in the interior thereof which is shielded relative to the surroundings.

[0059] The transport device 110 has a device 1 for holding a container 7 which comprises two gripping arms 2 which are pivotable relative to one another in a pivoting plane 21 and which in each case have a holding portion 20 for holding the container 7 to be held, in the present case in a neck portion of the container 7.

[0060] The device 1 further comprises a lifting rod 3 which is coupled to the gripping arms 2 such that the holding portions 20 are pivotable relative to one another by a displacement of the lifting rod 3 perpendicular to the pivoting plane 21. In FIG. 1 the displacement of the lifting rod 3 is indicated by means of the reference numeral 37 and the pivoting of the gripping arm 2 is indicated by means of the reference numeral 20.

[0061] The lifting rod 3 extends along its longitudinal axis 30. In the present case, relative to its longitudinal axis 30 the lifting rod 3 is oriented perpendicular to the pivoting plane 21.

[0062] A coupling arrangement 10, which is designed to convert a displacement of the lifting rod 3 perpendicular to the pivoting plane 21 into a pivoting of the gripping arms 2 relative to one another, is arranged between the lifting rod 3 and the gripping arms 2.

[0063] The lifting rod 3 comprises a control unit 5 for controlling the position of the lifting rod 3 relative to the longitudinal axis 30. The control unit 5 comprises a pretensioning element 50, in the present case in the form of a spiral spring, which is supported on one side on a projection 38 of the lifting rod 3 and on the other side on a carrier 111 of the transport device 110.

[0064] A rolling bearing 53 for rotationally decoupling the pretensioning element 50 and the projection 38 is arranged between the projection 38 and the end of the spiral spring supported thereon.

[0065] By means of the pretensioning element 50 the lifting rod 3 is pretensioned into an upper end position, viewed in the direction of the longitudinal axis 30, which corresponds in the present case to the direction of gravity g.

[0066] The control unit 5 further comprises an interaction portion 51, in the present case in the form of a wheel 52, which may roll over a guide curve (not shown). In the upper end position of the lifting rod 3 the gripping arms 2 and thus the holding portions 20 are in an open position.

[0067] In order to move the gripping arms 2 and thus the holding portions 20 into a closed position for holding the container 7 to be held, the lifting rod 3 is moved counter to the pretensioning of the pretensioning element 50 perpendicular to the pivoting plane 21 in the direction of the gripping arms 2. The displacement 37 of the lifting rod in the direction of gravity g is translated by the coupling arrangement 10 into the pivoting movement 22 of the gripping arms 2.

[0068] The lifting rod 3 comprises two rod elements 33, 34 which are displaceable relative to one another in the direction of the longitudinal axis 30 and which are coupled via a spring element 35 in the direction of the longitudinal axis. Accordingly, a closing force may be provided on the holding portions 20 via the spring element 35 and an overtravel of the upper rod element 33.

[0069] The overtravel of the rod element 33, thus the path which the rod element 33, predetermined via the wheel 52, additionally covers after the gripping arms 2 are located in the closed position due to the displacement of the lifting element 3 in the direction of the gripping arms 2, in this case corresponds to a spring path of the spring element 35, a compressive force being transmitted thereby to the lower rod element 34 corresponding to the spring stiffness of the spring element 35. This compressive force is transmitted to the gripping arms 2 via the coupling arrangement 10 so that the gripping arms 2 press against their holding portions 20 with a corresponding closing force in the direction of the container 7 to be held.

[0070] Alternatively, the lifting rod may also be coupled to the gripping arms such that the lifting rod 3 is lifted counter to the direction of gravity g. Accordingly, therefore, the pretensioning element 35 may be designed as a tension spring.

[0071] The gripping arms 2 of the device 1 are arranged inside the sealed space provided by the housing 120. The lifting rod 3 extends through a housing opening 121, wherein the control unit 5 is arranged outside the housing 120, in the present case above the housing 120.

[0072] The lifting rod 3 comprises a seal 36, the lifting rod 3 being sealed thereby relative to the housing opening 121. In the present case, the seal 36 is fixedly fastened to the lifting rod 3 and also fixedly fastened to the housing opening 121 and/or the housing 120. The seal 36 is configured such that a travel of the lifting rod 3 required during operation may be compensated by the seal 36. In the present case, the seal 36 comprises a silicone material and is configured in the form of a folding bellows.

[0073] Alternatively, the seal 36 may also be configured in the form of a hollow cylinder.

[0074] FIGS. 2 and 3 show schematically a perspective side view and a perspective rear view of a device 1 for holding a container as may be contained, for example, in the container treatment device 100 according to FIG. 1.

[0075] As already described relative to FIG. 1, the device 1 comprises two gripping arms 2, which are pivotable relative to one another in the pivoting plane 21, and the lifting rod 3.

[0076] The gripping arms 2 are pivotably arranged on a mount 11, in each case about a pivot axis 22 which is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis 30 and which is configured via a mechanical shaft 24. Each gripping arm 2 further comprises a pivoting lever 23 which is arranged on the shaft 24 and which extends perpendicular to the pivot axis 22, relative to the pivot axis 22, on the side opposing the holding portion 20. The pivoting lever 23 in this case is connected fixedly in terms of rotation to the gripping arm 2.

[0077] The lifting rod 3 comprises an S-shaped slide element 31 which is rigidly fastened to the lifting rod 3 in a central portion 32 of the slide element 31.

[0078] Each pivoting lever 23 is coupled in each case via a coupling member 4 to the lifting rod 3, wherein the coupling 42 is located between the coupling member 4 and the pivoting lever 23 relative to the associated pivot axis 22 on the side opposing the holding portion 20. Each coupling member 4 is rotatably arranged in each case on a side of the slide element 31 of the lifting rod 3, wherein a rotational axis 40 (see FIG. 3) of the coupling member 4 is oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 30. On the other side of the coupling member 4 the pivoting lever 23 is guided with play on the coupling member 4 in order to prevent jamming.

[0079] Moreover, each coupling member 4 comprises an adjusting element which is configured in the present case as an eccentric element 43 for adjusting the pivoting position of the gripping arm. A spacing between the coupling 41 and the coupling 42 may be adjusted via the eccentric element 43.

[0080] As may be identified in FIG. 4 which schematically shows a rear view of the device 1 of FIGS. 2 and 3, the coupling 41 is arranged between the coupling member 4 and the slide element 31 above the coupling 42 between the coupling member 4 and pivoting lever 23, wherein the couplings 41, 42 are arranged relative to the pivot axes 22 on a side opposing the holding portions 20. As a result, a displacement of the lifting rod 3 in the direction of gravity g leads to a closing of the gripping arms 2.

[0081] A pair of gripping arms 2 of the device 1 in an open state is shown schematically in FIG. 5, and the pair of gripping arms of FIG. 5 in a closed state is shown schematically in FIG. 6.

[0082] FIG. 7 shows schematically a functional diagram of the device 1 of FIGS. 2 to 4, wherein the lifting rod 3 together with the S-shaped slide element 31 and the coupling members 4 with their couplings 41, 42 are shown by solid lines in an upper position, viewed in the direction of gravity g. The position thereof which they adopt when the lifting rod 3 has been displaced by a predetermined displacement 37 is indicated by means of dashed lines. A corresponding offset 44 of the coupling 42 outwardly perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 30 is implemented by the displacement 37. The pivoting lever 23 which is coupled by the coupling member 4 to the coupling 42 is subjected to a pivoting movement which corresponds to the offset 44 and which is transmitted thereby to the respective gripping arm 2.

[0083] Due to the arrangement of the coupling 41 above the coupling 42, the gripping arms 2 are closed by the lifting rod 3 being moved downwardly.

[0084] FIG. 8 shows schematically a functional diagram of a further device 1 for holding a container. The device 1 substantially corresponds to that of FIG. 7, wherein here the couplings 41 are arranged below the couplings 42. Accordingly, the gripping arms 2 are closed by lifting the lifting rod 3, thus a displacement 37 counter to the direction of gravity g, since the couplings 41, 42 are arranged relative to the pivot axes 22 on a side opposing the holding portions 20.

[0085] A side view of a further device 1 for holding a container 7 is shown schematically in FIG. 9. The device 1 substantially corresponds to that of FIGS. 2 to 4, wherein a coupling housing 6 encloses the slide element 31, the coupling members 4 and the pivoting levers 23.

[0086] The lifting rod 3 extends through an opening 60 in the coupling housing 6 which is sealed by means of a seal 62, and the shafts 24 of the gripping arms 2 extend in each case through a bore 61 in the coupling housing 6 which is sealed by means of a seal 63.

[0087] The seal 62 in this case is configured to compensate for the required travel of the lifting rod 3 occurring during operation. Moreover, the seal 63 is configured to compensate for the required pivoting movement of the shaft 24 occurring during operation.

[0088] If applicable, all of the individual features which are shown in the exemplary embodiments may be combined together and/or replaced without departing from the scope of the invention.