Apparatus for transporting containers with sensor for position monitoring

Abstract

The apparatus for transporting containers with a movable and in particular rotatable carrier which has a plurality of changeable holding devices for holding the containers during transport, wherein the apparatus has at least one sensor device which detects and/or monitors a position of the holding device, in particular after a change of the holding devices. According to the invention, the apparatus has an assignment device which assigns at least one measured value detected by the at least one sensor device to at least one and preferably to each holding device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transporting containers with a movable carrier, which comprises a plurality of changeable holding devices for holding the containers during transport, wherein the apparatus has at least one sensor device configured to detect and/or monitor a position of the holding device, wherein the apparatus has an assignment device configured to assign at least one measured value detected by the at least one sensor device to at least one holding device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a plurality of sensor devices.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a control device which is configured to readjust the position of the holding devices in dependence on the detected measured value.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control device has a memory device in which a plurality of target values is saved.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the memory device is a cloud.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control device has a comparison device configured to compare the detected measured values with the target values saved in the memory device.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the apparatus has an output device configured to output an error message when there is a deviation between the detected measured values and the saved target values determined by the comparison device.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor device is configured to detect and/or monitor the position of the holding devices during production.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor device is fixedly arranged on the apparatus.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor devices are mobile sensor devices which are detachably arranged on the apparatus for the purpose of installation.

11. A method for transporting containers along a predetermined transport path, wherein the containers are held on holding devices during transport, and a position of the holding device is detected and/or monitored by at least one sensor device, wherein at least one holding device is assigned at least one measured value detected by the at least one sensor device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the detected measured values are compared with target values.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein an error message is output in the event of a deviation in the comparison.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0054] In the drawings:

[0055] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an apparatus according to the invention; and

[0056] FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the apparatus according to the invention shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0057] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an apparatus 1 according to the invention. Here the apparatus 1 has a carrier 4 which is rotatable about the axis of rotation D and on which a plurality of holding devices 6 are arranged which hold containers (not shown) during transport.

[0058] The reference number 30 designates a carrier on which one or more sensor devices 8 are arranged, which monitor or detect the position of the holding devices 6 when they are passing the sensor devices 8. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the sensor devices 8 are arranged in a stationary manner. As described above, however, it would also be conceivable for each holding device to be assigned an own sensor device and for these sensor devices to move accordingly with the holding devices. In this case, the carrier 30 would extend below or above the entire circumference of the apparatus 1.

[0059] The apparatus 1 according to the invention is therefore not limited to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

[0060] The reference number 20 designates schematically the control device which has a memory device 22 for saving target values and detected measured values and a comparison device 24 for comparing the measured values with the saved target values. The reference number 26 relates to an assignment device which assigns the measured values detected by the sensor devices 6 to the corresponding holding devices 8, and the reference number 28 relates to an output device which outputs or displays error messages or generally the measured values.

[0061] FIG. 2 shows a detail view of the apparatus according to the invention shown in FIG. 1. The sensor device 6 arranged below the holding device 8 can be seen in this illustration. This sensor device 6 can be a stationary or movable sensor device.

[0062] The applicant reserves the right to claim all features disclosed in the application documents as essential to the invention, provided that they are novel over the prior art individually or in combination. It is also pointed out that features which can be advantageous in themselves are also described in the individual figures. The person skilled in the art will immediately recognize that a particular feature described in a figure can be advantageous even without the adoption of further features from this figure. Furthermore, the person skilled in the art will recognize that advantages can also result from a combination of several features shown in individual or in different figures.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0063] 1 apparatus [0064] 4 carrier [0065] 6 holding devices [0066] 8 sensor device [0067] 20 control device [0068] 22 memory device [0069] 24 comparison device [0070] 26 assignment device [0071] 28 output device [0072] 30 carrier [0073] D axis of rotation