Apparatus and method for treating containers and packages with flying machine for monitoring

Abstract

A device for handling containers and/or packagings, includes a first handling unit which handles the containers and/or packagings in a first predetermined manner, and a second handling unit which handles the containers and/or packagings in a second predetermined manner, a transport unit for transporting the containers and/or packagings, and a monitoring unit for monitoring the device. The monitoring unit includes an unmanned and remote-controlled flying device and a control unit for wirelessly controlling the flying device, wherein the flying device has an image capturing unit, and wherein the device has a delimiting unit which delimits a flying region of the flying device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for treating containers and/or packages, with a first treatment device which treats the containers and/or packages in a first predefined fashion, with a second treatment device which treats the containers and/or packages in a second predefined fashion, and with a transport device for transporting the containers and/or packages, and with a monitoring device for monitoring the apparatus, wherein the monitoring device comprises an unmanned remote-controlled flying machine and a control device for wireless control of this flying machine, wherein the flying machine has an image-recording device and wherein the apparatus has a limiting device which limits a flying range of the flying machine, wherein the apparatus has a rest terminal to which the flying machine can fly in a rest position of the flying machine, and wherein the apparatus comprises a fault detector which is configured for detecting faults in the treatment devices, and the control device controls the flying machine as a function of a fault detected by the fault detection device and instructs the flying machine to fly to the areas of the faults.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the limiting device comprises at least one first signal transmitter configured to emit signals to a first receiving device arranged on the flying machine.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flying machine has a signal transmitter configured to emit signals and in particular signals which are characteristic of the images recorded by the image recording device.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus has an image outputter configured to output images recorded by the image recording device.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rest terminal comprises a charger configured for electrically charging the flying machine.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a collision avoider configured to prevent a collision of the flying machine with movable or immovable objects.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a clean room within which containers are treated, and the flying machine is configured for flying inside the clean room.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein rest positions are provided inside the dean room at which the flying machine can clock in order to allow a stationary inspection with an image recorder.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flying machine has a gripper and/or a holder configured for gripping and holding objects.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the gripper is interchangeable with other grippers.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the holders are tools or screw elements.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flying machine is configured to navigate without GPS signals, wherein the apparatus includes receiving units configured to cooperate with beacons to allow navigation of the flying machine, wherein the beacons are signal transmitters and/or receivers which are arranged stationarily and which emit and/ or receive signals serving for navigation and/or location of the flying machine.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein flying height and extension direction in a plane perpendicular to a vertical direction of the flying machine are limited.

14. A method for operating a device for treating containers and/or packages, wherein the containers and/or packages are treated by a first treatment device in a first predefined fashion and by a second treatment device in a second predefined fashion, and transported with a transport device, wherein for at least part of the time the apparatus is monitored by a monitoring device, wherein as part of monitoring by the monitoring device, an unmanned remote-controlled flying machine comprising an image recording device flies to predefined areas of the apparatus and records at least one image of the predefined area, wherein a flying range of the flying machine is limited by the limiting device, and the apparatus has a rest terminal to which the flying machine can fly in a rest position of the flying machine, and wherein faults in the treatment devices are detected by a fault detector, and the flying machine is controlled depending on such detected faults and instructed to fly to the areas of said faults.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the flying machine flies to the predefined area following predefined flight paths.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the flying machine for at least part of the time transports objects using a holder and or gripper.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages and embodiments arise from the enclosed drawing. The drawing shows:

(2) FIG. 1 A diagram depicting an apparatus according to the invention for treating containers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(3) FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic depiction of an apparatus 1 according to the invention for treating containers 10. This exemplary arrangement has a plurality of treatment units 2, 4, 6, 12, 14, 16 which treat containers 10 in a predefined fashion. The treatment unit 2 may thus for example be a heating unit or an oven for heating plastic preforms. The treatment unit 4 may for example be a forming device for forming plastic preforms into plastic containers. Reference sign 6 may refer for example to a sterilisation unit for sterilising containers, reference sign 12 to a filling device for filling containers, reference sign 14 to a closing machine and reference sign 16 to a unit which combines several containers into packages. Between these individual treatment units, transport devices 8 are provided. These are indicated merely roughly diagrammatically in FIG. 1. In practice, these may in particular be transport stars which transport the containers from one treatment unit to the next treatment unit. In some cases, these may be so-called pitch delay stars which change, for example enlarge, the pitch between individual containers.

(4) Each of these treatment units here preferably has a transmission device 55, a so-called beacon, which serves to orient a remote-controlled flying machine.

(5) Preferably, the apparatus has however at least three such transmission devices.

(6) Reference sign 13 refers to a room in which the apparatus is arranged, such as a machine room. Inside this room, preferably a limiting device 30 is provided, for example in the form of a peripheral conductor or a plurality of electrical conductors arranged at various height positions. This limiting device 30 ensures that the flying machine 20 cannot leave the region enclosed by this limiting device. In this way, for example, collisions with walls delimiting the room can be avoided.

(7) The limiting device thus preferably comprises both said transmission devices and the receiving device of the flying machine 20. A GPS-based system would also be conceivable which limits the flying area of the flying machine. Here again, the limiting device 30 can predefine positions or flying areas, in particular flight corridors through which the flying machine can pass.

(8) The flying machine 20 here has four propeller drives 25 and a carrier 22 on which an image recording device 24 is arranged. This image recording device 24 is here arranged pivotably on the carrier 22, so that for example it can rotate relative to the carrier 22 about an axis standing vertically to the drawing plane, and also for example swivel in a plane standing vertically to the drawing plane. In this way, it is possible that the image recording device 24 can detect complete peripheral images. With a corresponding design, it would be possible for the image recording device to record images above the individual rotors 25. In this way, the flying machine 20 can fly for example to a region below a fault point and the image recording device 24 could look up.

(9) Reference sign 34 designates an illumination device which is here arranged on the image recording device. This illumination device could for example illuminate dark areas if required, so that these can be recorded favourably by the image recording device 24.

(10) Reference sign 26 designates a receiver device which is suitable and intended for receiving radio signals output by the individual transmission devices 51, 52 and 55. Reference sign 32 in turn designates a transmission device which can transmit data, in particular data for images recorded by the image recording device 34. In addition, the flying machine 20 may also have a further control device 50 for controlling the flight mode. This further control device 50 may for example allow an automatic flight of the flying machine to certain target coordinates.

(11) Reference sign 40 designates one such (stationary) control device for controlling the flying machine. For example, the control device may control the flying machine such that it flies in and/or into the area of a treatment unit 2, 4, 6, 12, 14, 16. The flying machine 20 may here be controlled by the user himself, but however automatic control of the flying machine is also possible, such as by an instruction to fly to an area in which a fault has occurred.

(12) Reference sign 42 designates an input device via which for example the user can give instructions to the flying machine. Reference sign 44 designates an image display device such as a screen, via which the images and/or video sequences recorded by the image recording device 24 of the flying machine 20 can be output to the user. The latter can thus inspect the plant remotely. The control device 40 and/or the image display device 44 may also here be configured so as to be mobile. For example, smart phones may be used which can display the images recorded by the image recording device.

(13) Reference sign 54 designates fault detection devices which serve to detect faults occurring at the individual treatment devices 2, 4, 6, 12, 14, 16. These fault detection devices may report faults to the control device 40. In this way, the corresponding fault site can be inspected in a targeted fashion.

(14) Furthermore, it would also be possible that inside a housing, a clean room is formed within which the containers are transported. This clean room could then surround the treatment devices shown here, but it would also be possible for a clean room to be made smaller and contain only one machine, for example a blow-moulding machine, or also a transport path of the containers. In this case, it would be conceivable for the flying machine 20 to fly inside such a clean room. This embodiment offers the advantage that a clean room need not be opened for inspection purposes. Also, in many applications, for example with sterilisation devices, the user may be prevented from coming into contact with hazardous media.

(15) Reference sign 36 designates a rest terminal to which the flying machine 20 (depicted greatly enlarged) may return after use. This rest terminal may also have charging elements 37 which serve to charge the flying machine 20.

(16) Reference sign 38 designates a further rest terminal which is here however arranged on a treatment device 14. In case of need, rest terminals could be provided at which the flying machine docks or lands, in particular if images are to be recorded at these points with a stationary flying machine.

(17) Reference sign 51 designates a transmission device (in particular stationary) which serves in particular for controlling the position of the flying machine 20. The flying machine may orient itself using this transmission device (which in particular is configured as a beacon). Reference sign 52 designates a transmission device which is however elongated. Using these individual transmission devices, as stated, the flying machine 20 can orient itself very precisely and thus fly to the desired flight positions. Furthermore, the flying machine 20 may also comprise a distance measurement device (not shown) which for example allows measurement of a distance from a ceiling of a room in which the apparatus 1 is located. In this way, a height position of a flying machine can be determined very precisely. As stated above, this height determination may also serve for navigation of the flying machine. Thus flight corridors may be provided at a specific height of an apparatus in which no obstacles are situated. This flight corridors could be used to allow the flying machine to fly quickly to desired positions.

(18) The applicant reserves the right to claim as essential to the invention all features disclosed in the application documents insofar as these are novel individually or in combination relative to the prior art. It is furthermore pointed out that in the individual figures, features are described which may be advantageous taken in themselves. The person skilled in the art will immediately appreciate that a specific feature described in one figure may also be advantageous without the use of further features of this figure. The person skilled in the art will furthermore recognise that advantages may result from a combination of several features shown in individual or in different figures.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(19) 1 Apparatus

(20) 2, 4, 6, 12, 14, 16 Treatment devices

(21) 8 Transport device

(22) 10 Containers

(23) 13 Room

(24) 20 Flying machine

(25) 22 Propeller

(26) 24 image recording device

(27) 25 Rotors

(28) 26 Transmission device (for image transmission)

(29) 30 Limiting device

(30) 32 Transmission device

(31) 34 illumination device

(32) 36 Rest terminal

(33) 37 Charging elements

(34) 40 Control device

(35) 42 input device

(36) 44 image display device

(37) 50 Further control device

(38) 54 Fault detection device

(39) 51, 52, 55 Transmission devices