APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING PLASTIC BOTTLES

Abstract

Apparatus and method for producing plastic bottles. An apparatus for producing plastic bottles includes a blow molding machine to receive and to stretch blow mold preforms into bottles. The apparatus includes a modular machine to receive the bottles from the blow molding machine and to at least one of label or print on the bottles. The modular machine includes a first unit to perform a first task. The first unit is replaceable with a second unit. The second unit is to perform a second task different from the first task. The blow molding machine is bloc-synchronized with the modular machine to space the blow molding machine a distance from the modular machine.

Claims

1. An apparatus for producing plastic bottles, the apparatus comprising: a blow molding machine to receive and to stretch blow mold preforms into bottles; and a modular machine to receive the bottles from the blow molding machine and to at least one of label or print on the bottles, the modular machine including a first unit to perform a first task, the first unit being replaceable with a second unit, the second unit to perform a second task different from the first task, the blow molding machine being bloc-synchronized with the modular machine to space the blow molding machine a distance from the modular machine.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first unit is a printing unit and the second unit is a labeling unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distance is a first distance, and the apparatus further including a filler to fill the bottles, wherein the modular machine and the filler are bloc-synchronized to space the modular machine a second distance from the filler.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further including a cover between the modular machine and the filler, the cover to cover the bottles as they are transferred between the modular machine and the filler.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the cover is vapor impermeable, thereby preventing glue-containing air from diffusing to the filler.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, further including transfer starwheels interposed between the modular machine and the filler, a container bottom cooler being positioned adjacent the transfer starwheels to actively cool the bottles to enable a temperature of the bottles to satisfy a threshold temperature to deter the bottles from being damaged when being filled by the filler.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further including an inspection module at the machine or carried by at least one of the transfer starwheels, the inspection module to inspect the bottles for defects.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein at least one of the transfer starwheels is to circumferentially align the bottles according to a feature of the bottles to enable the labeling or the printing.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further including a heating module to heat the preforms to a threshold temperature for the stretch blow molding.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the blow molding machine includes an infeed starwheel, a blow molding carousel, and an outfeed starwheel, the infeed starwheel being bloc-synchronized with the heating module, the blow molding carousel to receive the preforms from the infeed starwheel, and the outfeed starwheel to receive the bottles from the blow molding carousel.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the modular machine and the filler are bloc-synchronized via the transfer starwheels.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein no buffers are positioned between the blow molding machine and the modular machine to space the blow molding machine the first distance from the modular machine and no buffers are positioned between the modular machine and the filler to space the modular machine the second distance from the filler.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the transfer starwheels are first transfer starwheels, further including second transfer starwheels interposed between the blow molding machine and the modular machine to: 1) transfer the bottles from the blow molding machine to the modular machine; and 2) enable decoupling of the blow molding machine and the modular machine.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein at least one of the second transfer starwheels is structured to change a pitch of the bottles from the blow molding machine to the modular machine.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein at least one of the second transfer starwheels is independently driven.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the blow molding machine includes an infeed starwheel, a blow molding carousel, and an outfeed starwheel, the infeed starwheel being bloc-synchronized with one of a molding machine or a heating module, the blow molding carousel to receive the preforms from the infeed starwheel, and the outfeed starwheel to receive the bottles from the blow molding carousel.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a third unit, the third unit to at least one of 1) replace the first unit and the second unit; or 2) provide additional functionality to the modular machine, the third unit being one or more of a printing unit or a labeling unit.

18. A method of producing plastic bottles, the method comprising: receiving preforms and stretch blow molding the preforms into bottles using a blow molding machine, the bottles including first bottles and second bottles; receiving the first bottles from the blow molding machine and performing a first task on the first bottles using a first unit of a modular machine; replacing the first unit with a second unit, the first unit to perform the first task and the second unit to perform a second task different from the first task; and receiving the second bottles from the blow molding machine and performing the second task on the second bottles using the second unit of the modular machine, the blow molding machine being bloc-synchronized with the modular labeling machine to space the blow molding machine a distance from the modular machine.

19. The method of claim 18, further including covering the first and second bottles as they are transferred between the modular machine and a filler.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein covering the bottles includes preventing glue-containing air from diffusing into the filler using a vapor-impermeable cover.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the distance is a first distance, further including filling the bottles using a filler, wherein the modular machine and the filler are bloc-synchronized to space the modular machine a second distance from the filler.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The present disclosure shall now be explained and described in more detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, in which:

[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic top view on an apparatus of the disclosure according to a first embodiment;

[0020] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view on a second embodiment; and

[0021] FIG. 3 is a schematic top view on a third embodiment of an apparatus according to the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0022] The apparatus according to the disclosure comprises various machines for producing, labeling and, in the illustrated example, for filling and capping plastic bottles. In detail, the illustrated apparatus comprisesin the sequence of the individual treatment stagesa preform supply 60, a heater 50, the blow molding machine 10, the labeler 20 and the filler/capper combination 30, 40 as well as a downstream controlled distribution starwheel 46 that transfers the bottles arriving at the discharge belt 45 in a single row to the multi-track discharger 53. The discharger 53 may already be part of a subsequent packer 54, which is e.g. designed for the groupwise packing of bottle packs in shrink film and/or a carton blank. The packer may e.g. be designed in conformity with DE 42 07 725 A1 and/or DE 44 41 700 A1, i.e. preferably with neck guides for the at least sectionwise suspended transportation of bottles. However, conventional packing machines with bottom-supported bottle transportation via conveyor belts are also useable.

[0023] As can be seen in the figure, the individual machines are closely interconnected or bloc-synchronized at short distances and are only separated from one another by interposed transfer starwheels. In detail, the preforms/bottles pass through the stations described hereinafter in the following way:

[0024] First of all, the preforms are separated in the preform separator 60 and supplied via an infeed path 61 to the heating module 50. At said place they pass along the heating or conditioning path with heating devices 51 and are thereby heated to the temperature needed for blow molding. The heating device is directly bloc-synchronized with the blow molding machine 10 and transfers the preforms via the infeed starwheel 11 into the blow molding carousel 13. The plastic containers then blown into bottles pass from there via the outfeed starwheel 12 to the two transfer starwheels 21 and 22 interposed between blow molding machine 11 and labeler 20.

[0025] In these transfer starwheels the bottles can optionally be given a pitch possibly different in the labeler and can optionally already be inspected and/or circumferentially aligned according to a specific feature for labeling to as to detect and/or sort out defective bottles. The transfer starwheels have their own drives (not shown in more detail) and can thus interrupt the bottle stream between the blow molding machine 10 and the labeler 20.

[0026] The illustrated labeler comprises the infeed starwheel 23, the labeling carousel 24 and the outfeed starwheel 26. A labeling unit 25 adjoins the carousel 24. In this area the bottles passing therethrough are labeled and/or printed (possibly also the labels themselves). The labels can be removed from a container in a precut form or made from a label strip by separation. However, it is also possible to process self-adhesive labels or sleeves, and the sleeves may here be stretch or shrink sleeves. In the case of conventional labels it is also possible to process shrinkable film material which after conventional winding onto a bottle, e.g. in combination with an initial and final gluing process, can be fitted by heat treatment to the bottle contour. Combined equipment variants are also feasible. In the labeling carousel a bottom support can preferably be implemented by way of a contour-matched bottom piece so as to avoid any bulging of the bottle bottom, which is still in a soft state and is loaded by internal pressurization during labeling; advantageously, the bottom is cooled and solidified at the same time.

[0027] The outfeed starwheel 26 of the labeler will then again hand over the bottles to two transfer starwheels 31 and 32, on which an inspection and/or pitch change can be carried out again. Preferably, it is checked in the area of these transfer starwheels whether the labels are correctly positioned and are free from damage, and a new pitch, as is needed for the downstream filler, is effected if necessary.

[0028] The transfer starwheel 32 then transfers the bottles to the infeed starwheel 33 of the filler 30, in which the bottles are filled. The bottles will then pass via the outfeed starwheel 34 into the capper 40 from where they are further transported to the discharger path 50. The bottles arriving there at the distance of the pitch of the capper 40 can then be removed from the discharger belt 45, e.g. by a controlled gripping starwheel 46, and handed over to a multi-track discharger 53. Said dischargers may e.g. be chains or belts with grippers (not shown in more detail) for the suspended and possibly completely bottom-free transportation of the bottles.

[0029] Since the blow molding machine is bloc-synchronized with the labeler and the filler/capper combination 30, 40 just via a few transfer starwheels, a very compact design is accomplished on the whole together with enhanced flexibility because at the functional separation points formed by the transfer starwheels 21, 22 and 31, 32, respectively, a decoupling between the machines is possible both during operation and for maintenance purposes.

[0030] In the variant shown in FIG. 2, the basic components and the fundamental structure are the same as in the variant shown in FIG. 1. That is why the same reference signs are also used. What is here not shown is the preform supply 60. The heating module 50 is of a slightly different construction without any functional differences ensuing from this.

[0031] The labeler 20 is configured as a modular machine in the case of which separate units 27 and 28 that are freely standing on the periphery of the carousel 24 are docked in specific positions. These units 27 and 28 can be changed or easily exchanged and replaced by other units, so that very different labeling tasks can be performed without difficulty. The units may have assigned thereto supply stations (not shown in more detail) possibly with fully automatic splicing and with a plurality of label supply rolls so as to ensure a labeling operation that is as uninterrupted as possible.

[0032] As another difference with respect to the variant shown in FIG. 1, four further transfer starwheels 36 to 39 are arranged between the two transfer starwheels 31 and 32. In the area of said transfer starwheels, particularly the bottoms of the bottles, which are normally still hot and have left the blow molding machine just shortly before, are actively cooled, which ensures that the bottles are adequately cooled prior to their infeed into the filler and are thus stable. This is particularly important in cases where CO2-containing beverages are filled under pressure in the filler. In the case of hot bottle bottoms the bottom area might then get damaged and the bottoms might detach during biasing if the bottles were still too hot and instable.

[0033] As a further difference with respect to the variant shown in FIG. 1, a protective housing 70 is arranged around the whole system, the housing enclosing the system components such that possibly even different pressure and atmosphere ranges and sometimes even different cleanroom classes can be generated in the area of the blow molding machine, labeling unit and/or filler if e.g. a sterile processing/environment should be required. Especially in the area of the transfer starwheels 31 and 32, a kind of air separation preferably takes place through arrangement of a corresponding cover 75, so that possibly glue-containing ambient air from the area of the labeler cannot diffuse in the direction towards the filler and wet air can also not escape out of the area of the filler into the other direction. This airlock helps to keep the filler area clean by preventing external contamination.

[0034] The protective sheath 70 can be configured on the whole such that a real housing is created that surrounds the whole apparatus over the whole circumference and then gives access to the individual machines and assemblies via doors and openings (not shown in more detail).

[0035] Very compact, closed and operative compact systems are created with the assembly according to the disclosure, said systems being highly flexibly while requiring little space and providing modular construction options.

[0036] Of course, in the variant shown in FIG. 2, a bloc-synchronized controlled distributor starwheel may also be arranged on the outfeed of the filler, the distributor starwheel transferring the bottles exiting in a row to a multi-track discharger/packer.

[0037] FIG. 3 shows a further development of the variant shown in FIG. 1 with a blow molding machine in a single-stage operating mode, i.e. directly upstream manufacture of the preforms for plastic bottles. The individual components of the apparatus V are of modular construction and arranged close to one another and comprise an injection rotor 100, which is preferably combined with an extruder 200 co-rotating at least in part and cooperates with an adjoining conditioning path 30, here configured as a conditioning circle, which has several cooling and/or heating stations 400 assigned thereto. The conditioning path 300 cooperates with a transfer starwheel 11, which in turn cooperates with the blow molding rotor for stretch blow molding the bottles. Many injection molds 100 are arranged on the injection rotor 100 for instance in the peripheral area. In the conditioning path 300 transfer spread mandrels 400 are provided as transfer elements on movable arms of a pitch changing starwheel 430. The transfer starwheel 11 also comprises transportation or transfer elements that hand over preforms issuing from the injection rotor 100 to the blow molds of the blow molding rotor 13. Further details of a suitable single-stage machine can be gathered from the document WO 2009/049848 A2, which is here explicitly included.