Device for holding a container and closing device

Abstract

A device for holding a container in a container handling machine, for example for holding a support-ring-free bottle for the application of a screw closure, includes a carrier and a holding arrangement arranged on the carrier. The holding arrangement is movable relative to the carrier between a closed position for holding the container and an open position for releasing the container. The holding arrangement includes a collar-shaped support projection for supporting the container on a retaining ring of the container. The collar-shaped support projection includes a support projection region of a first holding arm and a support projection region of a second holding arm. The first holding arm and the second holding arm are arranged on the carrier so as to be pivotable in relation to one another for moving between the open position and the closed position.

Claims

1. A device for holding a container in a container handling machine comprising: a carrier; and a holding arrangement arranged on the carrier, wherein: the holding arrangement is movable relative to the carrier between a closed position for holding the container and an open position for releasing the container, the holding arrangement comprises a collar-shaped support projection configured to support the container on a retaining ring of the container, the collar-shaped support projection comprises a first holding arm with a first support projection region and a second holding arm with a second support projection region, the first holding arm and the second holding arm are configured on the carrier to enable them to pivot in relation to one another for moving between the open position and the closed position, the collar-shaped support projection defines a holding plane, the first holding arm is further configured on the carrier to enable the first holding arm to pivot about a first pivot axis, and the second holding arm is further configured on the carrier to enable the second holding arm to pivot about a second pivot axis, the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis lie in a pivot axis plane that extends parallel to the holding plane, and the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis are arranged parallel to one another.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the holding plane has a lower height in the open position than in the closed position.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first pivot axis or the second pivot axis lies in a first pivot axis plane.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the first pivot axis plane is arranged above the holding plane or at a height of the holding plane.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein: the first support projection region is able to pivot downward and radially outward about the first pivot axis in the open position relative to its position in the closed position, and the second support projection region is able to pivot downward and radially outward about the second pivot axis in the open position relative to its position in the closed position.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the collar-shaped support projection further comprises at least one tapered mandrel configured to impede a rotation of the container in the first holding arm and the second holding arm about its container axis.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the at least one tapered mandrel is directed upward in the closed position.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a third holding arm, wherein the third holding arm is configured to enable the third holding arm to pivot about a third pivot axis relative to the carrier.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the third holding arm comprises a third support projection region.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the third pivot axis lies in a second pivot axis plane.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the third pivot axis is perpendicular to the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the collar-shaped support projection exclusively supports the container on a bottom side of the retaining ring of the container.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising a bearing portion arranged on the carrier that is configured to support the container on a retaining ring or on a tamper-evident band of an applied container closure when the first holding arm and the second holding arm are pivoted to the open position.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the bearing portion is arranged at a predefined distance below the holding plane, such that when the first holding arm and the second holding arm are in the closed position, the applied container closure is spaced from the bearing portion at a distance of between 0.1 and 2 mm.

15. The device of claim 1, further comprising a control unit configured to control a position of the first holding arm and a position of the second holding arm, wherein the control unit comprises a cam follower and/or a drive.

16. A closing device for closing a filled container via a container closure comprising: a closing member configured to apply the container closure onto the filled container; and the device of claim 1.

17. A device for holding a container in a container handling machine comprising: a carrier; and a holding arrangement arranged on the carrier, wherein: the holding arrangement is movable relative to the carrier between a closed position for holding the container and an open position for releasing the container, the holding arrangement comprises a collar-shaped support projection configured to support the container on a retaining ring of the container, the collar-shaped support projection comprises a first holding arm with a first support projection region and a second holding arm with a second support projection region, the first holding arm and the second holding arm are arranged on the carrier to enable them to pivot in relation to one another for moving between the open position and the closed position, the collar-shaped support projection defines a holding plane, the first holding arm is configured on the carrier to enable the first holding arm to pivot about a first pivot axis, and the second holding arm is configured on the carrier to enable the second holding arm to pivot about a second pivot axis, the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis lie in a pivot axis plane that extends parallel to the holding plane, the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis are arranged parallel to one another, and the collar-shaped support projection extends at a circumferential angle of more than 180°.

18. The device of claim 17, further comprising a third holding arm with a third support projection region.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein: the third holding arm is arranged on the carrier to pivot about a third pivot axis, and the third pivot axis lies in a second pivot axis plane.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the third pivot axis is perpendicular to the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) Further embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail by the following description of the figures.

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a perspective side view of a device for holding a container in a container handling machine in a closed state;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a perspective side view of the device from FIG. 1 in an open state;

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a sectional view through the device from FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a top view of the device from FIG. 1;

(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a perspective side view of the device from FIG. 1 with a container held by the device;

(7) FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of a sectional view through a neck region of the container from FIG. 5;

(8) FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of a view of a detail of the device from FIG. 5;

(9) FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of a view of a detail of the device from FIG. 5 in an open state;

(10) FIG. 9 is a schematic representation of a view of a detail of a support region of the device from FIG. 5 holding the container;

(11) FIG. 10 is a schematic representation of a view of the detail from FIG. 9 with the device in an open state;

(12) FIG. 11 is a schematic representation of a sectional view of a closing device for closing a container by way of a container closure;

(13) FIG. 12 is a schematic representation of a sectional view of a further closing device for closing a container by way of a container closure; and

(14) FIG. 13 is a schematic representation of a top view of a beverage filling installation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(15) Exemplary embodiments are described below by way of the figures. In this case, identical, similar or similarly acting elements in the different figures are provided with identical reference symbols and repeated description of said elements is waived in part to avoid redundancies.

(16) FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a perspective side view of a device 1 for holding a container 2 (see FIG. 5) in a container handling machine in a closed state. The device 1 is realized in the present case for holding a support-ring-free bottle by its bottleneck and serves to hold the support-ring-free bottle for the application of a screw closure.

(17) The device 1 includes a carrier 10 and a holding arrangement 11 which is arranged on the carrier 10. The holding arrangement 11 is movable relative to the carrier 10 between a closed position, which corresponds to the closed state of the device 1, and an open position, which corresponds to an open state of the device 1. For supporting the container on a retaining ring of the container, the holding arrangement 11 includes a collar-shaped support projection 12 which extends upward.

(18) The support projection 12 is also realized upwardly in a tapered manner but can also assume another form.

(19) The holding arrangement 11 includes a plurality of holding arms 110, 112, 114, which are arranged on the carrier 10 so as to be pivotable in relation to one another. In this case, a first holding arm 110 is arranged on the carrier 10 so as to be pivotable about a first pivot axis 111, a second holding arm 112 is arranged on the carrier 10 so as to be pivotable about a second pivot axis 113, and a third holding arm 114 is arranged on the carrier 10 so as to be pivotable about a third pivot axis 115 (not shown here).

(20) Here, the support projection 12 includes three support projection regions 120, each of the holding arms 110, 112, 114 including a support projection region 120. In other words, the support projection regions 120 together realize the support projection 12.

(21) In order to be able to predefine the position of the holding arms 110, 112, 114, they are connected in articulated manner to a control unit 4 to control the position of the holding arms 110, 112, 114. The control unit 4 includes a cam follower 41 which is prestressed by a prestressing element 40 in the form of a spring in such a manner that the holding arms 110, 112, 114 are prestressed into the closed position. The control unit 4 can interact via the cam follower 41 with a correspondingly realized guide element of a handling machine, for example a lifting cam or a groove path, the guide element predefining the position of the holding arms 110, 112, 114 as a result of the interaction with the cam follower 41.

(22) The control unit 4 can also follow a guide path in a contactless manner, for example via magnets or an electric, electromagnetic, pneumatic or hydraulic actuator.

(23) FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a perspective side view of the device 1 from FIG. 1 in an open state. As can be seen in a comparison with FIG. 1, the support projection 12 or the support projection regions 120 in the open position, as shown in FIG. 2, are at a lower height compared to the closed position as can be seen in FIG. 1. This is obtained as a result of the support projection regions 120, in the open position, being pivoted downward and radially outward relative to their position in the closed position by pivoting the holding arms 110, 112, 114 about their respective pivot axis 111, 113, 115.

(24) As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the device 1 additionally includes two bearing portions 14 on the carrier 10 for supporting the container on its retaining ring or on the tamper-evident band of an applied container closure when the holding arms 110, 112, 114 are pivoted into the open position.

(25) As can be seen in FIG. 1 in conjunction with FIG. 2, a stop 15, 16, which predefines the position of the aforenamed holding arms 110, 112 in the closed position, is provided in each case by the respective outside surface of the bearing portions 14 for the first holding arm 110 and the second holding arm 112.

(26) FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a lateral sectional view through the device 1 from FIG. 1. The support projection 12 or the support projection regions 120 predefine a holding plane 121 which extends substantially perpendicularly to gravity, therefore horizontally.

(27) The first pivot axis 111 and the second pivot axis 113 lie in a first pivot axis plane 116 which extends parallel to the holding plane 121. The third pivot axis 115 lies in a further pivot axis plane 116′, which is also arranged above the holding plane 121 and parallel to the same at a spacing from the first pivot axis plane 116.

(28) The support projection 12 additionally includes a plurality of tapered mandrels 13 for impeding rotation of a container received by the holding arms 110, 112, 114 about its container axis. The mandrels 113 are distributed at regular intervals along the support projection 12 and extend over each of the support projection regions 120.

(29) As an alternative to this, all pivot axes 111, 113, 115 can also lie on different pivot axis planes or on one common pivot axis plane.

(30) As can be seen in said view, on the top side of the third holding arm 114 the carrier 10 provides a stop 17 which predefines the position of the third holding arm 114 in the closed position.

(31) The bearing portions 14 are arranged at a predefined distance below the holding plane 121, the distance being realized in such a manner that with the holding arms 110, 112, 114 in the closed position, the applied container closure is at a spacing from the bearing portions 14, in the present case at a distance of approximately 0.5 mm.

(32) FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a top view of the device 1 from FIG. 1. The pivot axes 111, 113 are arranged parallel to one another, whereas the third pivot axis 115 runs perpendicularly to the first pivot axis 111 and to the second pivot axis 113. As a result of said arrangement, the first holding arm 110 and the second holding arm 112 realize two lateral holding arms, and the third holding arm 114 realizes a central holding arm of the device 1.

(33) It can be clearly seen here that the support projection 12 divides into the support projection regions 120. Each of the support projection regions 120 includes a plurality of mandrels 13. The support projection 12 is arranged substantially on a divided circle about a central axis which corresponds to the container axis 21 of a container received in the device.

(34) It can additionally be seen that the support projection 12 extends at a circumferential angle 122 of more than 180°, in the present case approximately 225°. As an alternative to this, the circumferential angle 122 can also include another value.

(35) FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a perspective side view of the device 1 from FIG. 1 with a container 2 in the form of a support-ring-free bottle held by the device 1, onto which a container closure 3 has already been screwed.

(36) The holding arms 110, 112, 114 and the support projection regions 120 thereof are realized in such a manner that the container 2 is supported by the support projection 12 exclusively on the bottom of the retaining ring of the container 2, which is hidden here by the container closure 3.

(37) By the support projection 12 extending in the holding plane 121, and the retaining ring of the container 2 extending perpendicularly to the container axis 21, the container 2 is held in such a manner by the holding arms 110, 112, 114 that the container axis 21 is oriented perpendicularly to the holding plane 121.

(38) FIG. 6 shows a schematic representation of a sectional view through a neck region 20 of the container 2 from FIG. 5. It can be seen here that the support region 12 extends radially inward and upward from the holding arms 110, 112, 114 with reference to the container axis 21 such that it engages under the tamper-evident band 30 of the container closure 3 without, in this case, absorbing part of the weight force of the container 3 via the tamper-evident band. To this end, the support region 12 is realized in such a manner that in the closed position as shown in FIG. 6, it is at a distance from the tamper-evident band 30 of the container closure 3 applied to the container 2 when the container 2 is held in the device 1 as provided.

(39) Consequently, the container 2 is supported on the device 1 with its retaining ring 22 substantially exclusively via the support projection 12. The container 2 lies therefore with substantially its entire weight force on the support projection 12.

(40) FIG. 7 shows a schematic representation of a view of a detail of the device 1 from FIG. 5, the device 1 being closed. In comparison, FIG. 8 shows a schematic representation of a view of a detail of the device 1 from FIG. 5 in a now open state. In the position of the holding arms 110, 112, 114 which is shown in FIG. 7, which holding arms are situated in the closed position, the container 2 is held as described above by the support projection 12.

(41) It can also be seen from the two FIGS. 7 and 8 that the height realized by the support projection 12, which includes the support projection regions 120, is lower in the open position which is shown in FIG. 8 than the height in the closed position which is shown in FIG. 7. In other words, the height realized by the support projection 12 is lowered as a result of the pivoting of the holding arms 110, 112 relative to one another when the device 1 is opened.

(42) In the open position of the holding arms 110, 112, 114 shown in FIG. 8, the support projection 12 is or each of the individual support projection regions 120 are—as already described—pivoted downward and radially outward in such a manner that the container 2 then rests on the bearing portions 14 (see FIGS. 1 and 2), the container 2 being supported on the bearing portions 14 via the tamper-evident band 30 of the applied container closure 3.

(43) Consequently, the container 2 and the support projection 12 or the support projection regions 120 are disengaged.

(44) FIG. 9 shows a schematic representation of a view of a detail of a support projection 12 of the device 1 from FIG. 5 holding the container 2 and FIG. 10 shows a schematic representation of a view of a detail of the device 1 from FIG. 5 with the device 1 in the open state. FIGS. 9 and 10 show therefore in detail what is described in FIGS. 7 and 8. In addition, the mandrels 13, which are embedded in the material of the retaining ring 22 of the container 2 and, as a result, are able to support correspondingly the torque input into the container 2 by a screw capper, can be seen in detail in FIG. 10.

(45) By the holding arms 110, 112, 114 provided with the support projection regions 120 being pivoted downward and radially outward with reference to the container 2 in the open position and as a result being spaced from the container 2, a sufficiently large opening is provided in order to be able to remove the container 2 out of the device 1 on the open side of the device 1.

(46) In addition, a collision between the holding arms 110, 112, 114 and the container 2 and in particular a shoulder region of the container 2 does not occur.

(47) FIG. 11 shows a schematic representation of a sectional view of a closing device 5 for closing a container 2 by way of a container closure 3. The closing device 5 includes a device 1 according to FIG. 1 and a closing member 50 arranged above the device 1 for the application of a container closure 3 onto a filled container 2. The control unit 4 interacts with a guide element 53 for controlling the position of the holding arms 110, 112, 114.

(48) The closing device 5 is arranged on a capper carousel 7 in a rotary design.

(49) FIG. 12 shows a schematic representation of a sectional view of a further closing device 5 for closing a container 2 by way of a container closure 3. The closing device 5 corresponds substantially to that shown in FIG. 11, the control unit 4 of the device 1 interacting in this case with a guide groove 54 via a linkage 42 and a guide roller 43.

(50) FIG. 13 shows a schematic representation of a top view of a beverage filling installation 8 which is set up for filling a still liquid into containers 2 in the form of support-ring-free bottles.

(51) The beverage filling installation 8 includes a filler carousel 6 which is rotatable about a rotational axis 61 and includes a plurality of filling devices (not shown) for filling support-ring-free bottles with the still liquid. When viewed in a transport direction 80, connecting to the filler carousel 6 is a filler outlet star 60, to which the filled containers 2 are transferred. The filler outlet star 60 transports the containers 2 to and transfers them to a capper carousel 7 which is rotatable about a rotational axis 71 and includes a plurality of closing devices 5 according to one of the preceding embodiments, only one of the closing devices 5 being shown schematically here. During the transport of a fill container 2 along the capper carousel 7, it is closed by way of a container closure 3 by means of the closing device 5 assigned thereto and is then transferred to a capper outlet star 70.

(52) The device 1 or rather the holding arms 110, 112, 114 of the device 1 are situated in a second segment 52 in the open position, are closed when the filled containers 2 are transferred to the position of the filler outlet star 60 or are pivoted into the closed position in order to receive and to support or to hold the filled containers 2 there, and remain in the closed position until the filled and closed containers 2 are transferred to the capper outlet star 70. Consequently, the devices 1 are always situated in a first segment 51 in the closed position.

(53) Insofar as applicable, all individual features which are shown in the various embodiments can be combined together and/or exchanged without departing from the scope of the invention.