SPINDLE-SHAFT UNIT FOR A DEVICE FOR THE ROTARY CLOSING OF CONTAINERS WITH A SCREW CLOSURE

Abstract

A spindle-shaft unit for closing a containers with a screw closure includes a spindle that is rotatable and axially movable relative to a housing and a bearing unit arranged between the housing and the spindle. The bearing unit comprises a sliding bearing that interacts with the spindle and a further bearing that interacts with the sliding bearing. The spindle is arranged at the sliding bearing such as to be displaceable and non-rotatable relative to the sliding bearing. The further bearing secures the sliding bearing so as to be rotatable and non-displaceable relative to the housing.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. An apparatus comprising a spindle-shaft unit for closing a containers with a screw closure, said spindle-shaft unit comprising a housing, a spindle that is rotatable and axially movable relative to said housing, and a bearing unit arranged between said housing and said spindle, wherein said bearing unit comprises a sliding bearing that interacts with said spindle and a further bearing that interacts with said sliding bearing, wherein said spindle is arranged at said sliding bearing such as to be displaceable and non-rotatable relative to said sliding bearing, and wherein said further bearing secures said sliding bearing so as to be rotatable and non-displaceable relative to said housing.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said sliding bearing comprises a sliding bushing.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said sliding bearing comprises a collar bushing.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said sliding bearing comprises a sliding bushing, wherein said apparatus further comprises a ring, wherein said ring comprises a side guide that is secured to said sliding bushing, wherein said side guide interacts with a corresponding side guide of said spindle, wherein, as a result of said interaction, said sliding bushing is secured against rotation relative to said spindle, and wherein said side guide is selected from the group consisting of a slot and a nose.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a ring, wherein said spindle comprises side guides opposite one another, wherein said ring comprises corresponding side guides opposite each other, wherein said side guides are selected from the group consisting of noses and slots, and wherein said side guides are selected such that side guides of said ring engage said side guides of said spindle.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said spindle has a circumference, wherein said apparatus further comprises first and second parts that engage each other to form a ring, and wherein each of said first and second parts surrounds half of said circumference.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said sliding bearing comprises a sliding bushing, wherein said apparatus further comprises an outer ring, an inner ring, and a ball bearing, and wherein said ball bearing contacts said outer ring at said housing and contacts said inner ring at said sliding bushing.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a ring, wherein said sliding bearing comprises a first sliding bushing and a second sliding bushing that is disposed above said first sliding bushing, and wherein said ring conjoins said first and second sliding bushings.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a borehole, a closure head, and a closure ring, wherein said closure head is arranged on said spindle, wherein said bearing is arranged in said borehole, wherein said borehole is a hole of said housing, and wherein said closure ring closes said borehole is in a direction towards said closure head.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a closure head disposed on said spindle, wherein said spindle rotates and axially displaces said spindle.

25. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a toothed wheel that is secured to said spindle to enable said spindle to be driven to rotate, wherein at least a section of said toothed wheel projects out of said housing.

26. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said housing comprises an opening, wherein said apparatus further comprises a toothed wheel that is secured to said spindle enabling said spindle to be driven to rotate, and wherein at least a section of said toothed wheel is accessible through said opening.

27. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said sliding bearing is a first sliding bearing, wherein said apparatus further comprises a spindle guide, a second sliding bearing, and a closing head, wherein said second sliding bearing is arranged at said spindle, wherein said spindle comprises a distal section and a proximal section, wherein said distal section interacts with said first sliding bearing, wherein said closure head is disposed at said distal section, and wherein said spindle guide controls axial displacement of said spindle.

28. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a toothed wheel, a second sliding bearing, and a spindle bearing, wherein said sliding bearing is a first sliding bearing, wherein said spindle comprises a distal section and a proximal section, wherein said spindle bearing connects said distal section to said proximal section, and wherein said spindle bearing is arranged between said second sliding bearing and said toothed wheel, and wherein said spindle bearing is a ball bearing.

29. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a toothed wheel, a second sliding bearing, and a spindle bearing, wherein said sliding bearing is a first sliding bearing, wherein said spindle comprises a distal section and a proximal section, wherein said spindle bearing connects said distal section to said proximal section, and wherein said spindle bearing is arranged between said second sliding bearing and said toothed wheel, and wherein said spindle bearing is a roller bearing.

30. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said sliding bearing is a first sliding bearing, wherein said apparatus further comprises a spindle guide, a control curve, and a second sliding bearing, wherein said spindle comprises a distal section and a proximal section, wherein said spindle guide comprises a running wheel, and wherein said running wheel rolls along said control curve for controlling a stroke of said spindle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0056] These and other features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying figures, in which:

[0057] FIG. 1a shows a side view of a device for rotary closing,

[0058] FIG. 1b is a sectional drawing through a middle longitudinal axis of the device represented in FIG. 1a,

[0059] FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a spindle of the device represented in FIG. 1,

[0060] FIG. 3a is a sectional view along the middle longitudinal axis of the spindle shown in FIG. 2, at the level of a ring arranged between two collar sleeves, and

[0061] FIG. 3b is a sectional view along the middle longitudinal axis of the spindle-shaft unit represented in FIG. 3a, at the level of an inner and outer ring of a rolling bearing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] As shown in FIG. 1a, a spindle-shaft unit 1 for rotary closing of containers with a screw closure includes a spindle 3 that is movable along a middle longitudinal axis and also rotatable about that axis. The spindle 3 is arranged inside a housing 2 in such a way that its distal projects beyond a distal end of the housing 2.

[0063] Referring now to FIG. 1b, the spindle 3 comprises a distal section 31 and a proximal section 32, both of which are coaxial with a middle longitudinal axis. A rotation bearing 17 connects the proximal section 32 to the distal section 31. As a result of the rotation bearing 17, the distal section 31 and the proximal section 32 rotate independently of each other. In a typical embodiment, the rotation bearing 17 is a roller bearing.

[0064] A closure head 11 arranged at the distal end of the distal section 31 projects out of the housing 2. This closure head 11 engages a screw cover that is to be screwed onto a screw thread of a container.

[0065] A toothed wheel 13 having straight teeth surrounds the spindle's distal section 31 in the region of the rotation bearing 17. The toothed wheel 13 extends along the spindle 3 to an extent that corresponds to about 120% of the shaft's maximum axial displacement relative to the housing 2.

[0066] An opening 14 in the housing 2, which is also in the region of the toothed wheel 13, extends along the housing's length such that, no matter how much the spindle 3 is displaced, at least some part of the toothed wheel 13 is accessible through the opening 14. This makes it possible to drive the distal section's rotation using a further toothed wheel that interacts with the toothed wheel 13 through the opening 14.

[0067] The proximal section 32 connects via the rotation bearing 17 to the distal section 31. At its opposite end, the proximal section 32 comprises a guide 16 that controls the shaft's linear displacement. A sliding bearing 15 secured to the housing 2 permits the proximal section 32 to slide up and down. In a typical embodiment, the sliding bearing 15 is a plastic sliding bushing.

[0068] The guide 16 comprises a running wheel 18 whose rotation axis is perpendicular to the middle longitudinal axis. The running wheel 18 rolls along a control curve that runs up and down. As a result, the running wheel's movement along the control curve causes the proximal section 32, and hence the spindle 3, to move up and down in a corresponding manner. The proximal section 32 only carries out a stroke movement. It does not rotate.

[0069] A bearing unit 4 secures the distal section 31 to the housing 2 in such a way as to permit the distal section 31 to both rotate and to move axially.

[0070] Within the bearing unit, a pair of plastic collar bushings 7a, 7b that are stacked on above one another along the distal section 31 forms a sliding bearing 5a, 5b that guides the distal section 31 as it slides past. A collar 19 connects the collar bushings 7a, 7b to a ring 20 arranged between the two collar bushings 7a, 7b. This prevents the collar bushings 7a, 7b from rotating with the distal section 31 of the spindle 3.

[0071] Referring now to FIG. 3a, the ring 20 comprises two rectangular noses 8 arranged on opposing sides of the ring's interior. These noses 8 engage corresponding slots 9 on the spindle's surface in such a way as to permit the ring 20 to be displaced along the middle longitudinal axis but without rotating about the spindle 3. The ring 20 thus provides a way to secure the collar bushings 7a, 7b to the spindle 3 without having them rotate. The slots 9 extend parallel to the middle longitudinal axis of the spindle 3 over a length that is at least enough to accommodate the maximum linear displacement of the spindle 3 relative to the housing 2.

[0072] To promote ease of installation, and in particular, insertion of the noses 8 into the slots 9, it is useful to form the ring 21 from equal-sized ring parts 21, 22 that together surround the spindle's entire circumference. The ring parts 21, 22 engage each other in either a positive fit or a non-positive fit.

[0073] The bearing unit 4 also features roller bearings 6a, 6b to permit the spindle's distal section 31 to rotate relative to the housing 2. Referring back to FIG. 2, each roller bearing 6a, 6b corresponds to one of the collar bushings 7a, 7b. In particular, each roller bearing 6a, 6b features an inner ring 62 that is arranged at a corresponding one of the collar bushings 7a, 7b. Each roller bearing 6a, 6b also features an outer ring 61 that is arranged against the housing 3, as shown in FIG. 3B. The roller bearing's balls 63, which can be seen in FIG. 2, are disposed between the inner and outer rings 62, 61. As a result, only a rotation within it of the collar bushings 7a, 7b is possible in common with the spindle 3 about the middle longitudinal axis. There is no displacement along the middle longitudinal axis.

[0074] A bore hole 10 in the housing 2 provides a place to secure the bearing unit 4 in a positive fit. Preferably, the hole 10 is on a side of the housing 2 that faces the closure head 11. A closure ring screwed to the housing 2 in a region of the opening secures the bearing unit 4, and in particular, the rolling bearing 6a, 6b, against slipping out of the borehole 10. The resulting bearing arrangement thus permits rotation and sliding in a way that avoids excessive wear.