CENTERING CONE FOR FIXING AN UPRIGHT CONTAINER

Abstract

The present invention provides a centering cone for fixing a container, in particular a container standing on a centering plate, and for supplying clean air into the container through an air outlet of the centering cone so as to increase the internal pressure of the container. The air outlet is defined by a passage opening with a screen or by at least two individual passage openings.

Claims

1. A centering cone for fixing a container, and for supplying clean air into the container through an air outlet of the centering cone so as to increase an internal pressure of the container, wherein the air outlet is defined by a passage opening with a screen, or the air outlet is defined by at least two individual passage openings.

2. The centering cone according to claim 1, comprising the screen, wherein the screen is adapted to be releasably fixed at an operating position.

3. The centering cone according to claim 2, comprising the screen, wherein the screen is formed from a material corresponding to or differing from the material of a body of the centering cone.

4. The centering cone according to claim 1, comprising the at least two individual passage openings, wherein the passage openings are configured such that, when air flows simultaneously through each of the passage openings with a maximum volume flow limited by the shape of the passage openings, the sum of the volume flows will be greater than or equal to a predetermined minimum volume flow.

5. The centering cone according to claim 4, wherein the shape of each of the passage openings prevents foreign particles contained in the air flow from exiting the centering cone in the direction of the container.

6. The centering cone according to claim 4, wherein each of the passage openings has a minimum diameter, which is smaller than or equal to 4 mm.

7. The centering cone according to claim 4, wherein the sum of the minimum cross-sectional areas of each of the passage openings is greater than or equal to a cross-sectional area that would be obtained for a passage opening having a diameter greater than or equal to 6 mm.

8. The centering cone according to claim 4, wherein the diameter of each of the individual passage openings is constant along the respective passage opening, and the sum of the cross-sectional areas of all the passage openings is greater than or equal to a cross-sectional area that would be obtained for a single passage opening having a diameter of at least 6 mm.

9. The centering cone according to claim 4, wherein all the passage openings have the same diameter.

10. The centering cone according to claim 4, wherein at least one or each of the passage openings has a shape tapering outwards, i.e. towards the container side during operation.

11. The centering cone according to claim 1, comprising the screen, wherein the screen is adapted to be releasably fixed at the operating position, by means of a toolless connection, e.g. a plug connection.

12. The centering cone according to claim 1, comprising the at least two individual passage openings, wherein the shape of each of the passage openings prevents foreign particles contained in the air flow from exiting the centering cone in the direction of the container.

13. The centering cone according to claim 1, comprising the at least two individual passage openings, wherein each of the passage openings has a minimum diameter, which is smaller than or equal to 4 mm, and is larger than or equal to 1 mm.

14. The centering cone according to claim 1, comprising the at least two individual passage openings, wherein the sum of the minimum cross-sectional areas of each of the passage openings is greater than or equal to a cross-sectional area that would be obtained for a passage opening having a diameter greater than or equal to 6 mm.

15. The centering cone according to claim 1, comprising the at least two individual passage openings, wherein the diameter (d) of each of the individual passage openings is constant along the respective passage opening, and the sum of the cross-sectional areas of all the passage openings is greater than or equal to a cross-sectional area that would be obtained for a single passage opening having a diameter of at least 6 mm.

16. The centering cone according to claim 1, comprising the at least two individual passage openings, wherein all the passage openings have the same diameter (d).

17. The centering cone according to claim 1, wherein at least one or each of, the passage openings has a shape tapering outwards, i.e. towards the container side during operation.

18. The two individual passage openings according to claim 6, wherein each of the passage openings is smaller than or equal to 2 mm and is larger than or equal to 1 mm.

19. The centering cone according to claim 9, wherein all the passage openings have the same length (l).

20. The centering cone according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined minimum volume flow is the volume flow required to increase the internal pressure of the container, which ensures stabilization of the container during fixing by means of the centering cone.

Description

[0043] Additional features and advantages will be explained hereinafter making reference to the exemplary figures, in which:

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a schematic, not to scale, cross-sectional view of a labeling machine including a centering cone;

[0045] FIGS. 2a and 2b show schematic, not to scale, oblique and cross-sectional views of a centering cone according to a first embodiment; and

[0046] FIGS. 3a and 3b show schematic, not to scale, oblique and cross-sectional views of a centering cone according to a second embodiment.

[0047] FIG. 1 shows exemplarily a cross-section of a labeling machine 1 with centering cones 2 and a centering plate 3. In the figure, it is also shown that a respective container 4 stands on each of the centering plates and is fixed from above by means of the centering cone. For this purpose, one end of the centering cone, namely the end towards which the nozzle head tapers, is inserted into the neck of the bottle.

[0048] In addition, a rotary air distributor 5 is shown, which has supplied thereto air filtered through an input filter 6 and which transfers this air from the stationary part of the labeling machine to the rotatable labeling carousel 7. The labeling carousel comprises the centering cones and the centering plates and conveys, during operation, the containers, standing on the centering plates and fixed by the centering cones, along part of a circular path to the labeling unit 8. The labeling unit is arranged on the periphery of the labeling carousel and applies labels to the containers while the containers stand on the centering plate and are fixed by the centering cones. In particular, the containers can also be rotated about their longitudinal axis by means of the centering plates, for example when they are being labeled with wrap-around labels.

[0049] The labeling carousel includes an air distributor 9 (annular distributor). The latter distributes the air such that it will flow to the centering cones.

[0050] Each centering cone can be configured such that the supply of air from the annular distributor to the container is activated by means of a lifting mechanism, when the centering cone is placed onto the container. The lifting mechanism allows the air supply to the container to be activated without a control, merely by placing the container.

[0051] For example, the centering cone may be configured and arranged in operation such that it includes a portion that is displaceable in a vertical direction. This portion may be configured such that (in an operating position) it is lifted from a rest position by a container occupying a working position (i.e. a position below the centering cone). The centering cone then comprises a blocking element, e.g. a ball, which, in a rest position of the displaceable portion, is held in a blocking position by the force of gravity and, optionally, additionally by a spring. The blocking position is a position in which the blocking element blocks the air supply from the annular distributor. The centering cone is then configured such that, by lifting the displaceable portion from the rest position, the blocking element will be lifted from the blocking position to a passing position. The passing position is a position in which the blocking element no longer blocks the air supply, so that air from the annular distributor can flow through the centering cone. For example, the air flow path may have provided therein a restriction that is completely blocked from above by the blocking element, when the blocking element occupies the blocking position, and will be unblocked when the blocking element is lifted.

[0052] The rotary air distributor 5 may, for example, be located below the carousel, as shown here. When the air is supplied to the carousel from below, it can, for example, be conducted upwards through the center shaft to the air distributor 9 of the carousel. In this case, the center shaft is configured as a hollow shaft that has an air duct for the air to be distributed.

[0053] The direction of air flow through the labeling machine is indicated by arrows 10.

[0054] Alternatively, the air can be conducted directly from the rotary distributor to the annular distributor through an air hose, instead of passing it through an air duct in the center shaft. In principle, the center shaft may be configured as a hollow shaft also in this case, and the air hose may be routed through the hollow shaft. The air hose may e.g. be made of plastic, such as PTFE. The air hose may e.g. have a diameter between 0.2 and 1 inch, in particular 0.4 and 0.8 inches, in particular 0.5 inches. In order to retain the air hose in position, it may be screw-fastened at both ends, preferably to the upper area of the rotary air distributor 5 and/or to the lower area of the air distributor 9.

[0055] In such a labeling machine, the centering cones according to the present invention described hereinafter or centering cones according to the present invention having a different configuration may be used. It goes without saying that these centering cones may also be used in other machines.

[0056] FIGS. 2a and 2b show an oblique view and a cross-section of a centering cone 11 according to a first embodiment of the invention. The body 12 of the centering cone has an air duct 13 formed therein, which here extends along a longitudinal axis of the centering cone inside the centering cone.

[0057] It can be seen in the figures that, in the present example, the centering cone comprises a portion 12a having a frustoconical shape with a circular cross-section and a plurality of portions 12b, 12c having a cylindrical shape, the cylindrical portions adjoining the lower base of the frustoconical shape. However, this is purely exemplary and a great variety of other shapes of the centering cone are imaginable, for example shapes with a non-circular cross-sectional area.

[0058] The air outlet 14 of the centering cone is arranged at the end of the centering cone towards which the body, in particular the portion with the frustoconical shape, of the centering cone tapers, this end being the container-side end in operation.

[0059] Here, the centering cone has an air outlet defined by precisely one passage opening and a screen 15 arranged therein. The screen may be fixed, in particular releasably fixed, at the operating position.

[0060] The passage opening has here, exemplarily, a circular cross-section having a constant diameter d along its entire length 1, other shapes being, however, imaginable as well.

[0061] When air flows through the air outlet into the container, it will also flow through the screen arranged in the passage opening. The screen prevents certain foreign particles in the air flow from entering the container insofar as these foreign particles are retained by the screen. In particular, the foreign particles are thus prevented from leaving the centering cone during normal operation. The mesh width of the screen can be selected according to the expected abrasion, in particular according to the expected size of the foreign particles.

[0062] FIGS. 3a and 3b show an oblique view and a cross-section of the centering cone 16 according to a second embodiment. As in the first embodiment, the body 17 of the centering cone has formed therein an air duct 18 also in this case. Also in this case, the air outlet 19 of the centering cone is arranged at the end of the centering cone towards which the centering cone tapers, which is the container-side end during operation.

[0063] Differently from the first embodiment, the centering cone here has an air outlet defined by a plurality of passage openings 20. A screen is not provided here, although that would also be imaginable as an option.

[0064] In the present example, the passage openings each have a circular cross-sectional area and a constant diameter d along their length 1. However, other shapes are imaginable as well.

[0065] It goes without saying that features referred to in the above-described embodiments are not limited to these special combinations and are also possible in arbitrary other combinations.