Rotor of a device for forming and/or filling containers made from preforms

Abstract

The present invention relates to a rotor of an apparatus for forming and/or filling containers made from preforms. The object of the invention is to propose a rotor of such an apparatus, that allows the preforms or the filled containers to be transferred with reduced forces to a processing station downstream. This object is achieved by a rotor 100 of such an apparatus having a rotational axis A and having processing stations that rotate about the rotational axis for receiving preforms or containers, wherein the processing stations move along a closed path 1 about the rotational axis A, which is characterized in that the distance of path 1 from the rotational axis A varies depending upon the position on path 1, and the radius of curvature of path 1 in at least one section 12 is greater than the greatest distance of path 1 from the rotational axis A.

Claims

1. A rotor of an apparatus for forming containers from preforms or for filling containers made from preforms, having a rotational axis and processing stations rotating about the rotational axis for receiving preforms to be formed into containers or containers to be filled, wherein the processing stations move along a closed path around the rotational axis of the rotor, wherein a distance of the closed path from the rotational axis varies at different positions along the closed path, wherein a radius of curvature of at least one section of the closed path is greater than a greatest distance between the closed path and the rotational axis, and wherein the closed path defines an orbiform curve.

2. The rotor according to claim 1, wherein the rotor is equipped with telescopic, pivotable or bendable supporting arms for supporting the processing stations.

3. The rotor according to claim 1, wherein the processing stations are equipped with a processing device selected from the group consisting of a forming head, a filling head, a combined forming and filling head and a sealing device.

4. The rotor according to claim 1, wherein the orbiform curve is a Reuleaux triangle or a Reuleaux polygon.

5. The rotor according to claim 1, wherein the rotor has an even number of processing stations.

6. The rotor according to claim 1, wherein the rotor has mutually opposing processing stations, and wherein a distance between the mutually opposing processing stations is unchanged at every position on the closed path.

7. The rotor according to claim 1, wherein the rotor is equipped with rigid arms that are displaceable perpendicular to the rotational axis.

8. The rotor according to claim 1, wherein the rotor is equipped with arms that have joints at which the arms are bendable opposite a direction of rotation of the rotor.

Description

(1) In the following, various exemplary embodiments of the invention will be explained in greater detail, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 schematically shows a rotor according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 schematically shows a forming and filling station and a sealing station of a machine for producing filled containers made from preforms, both of which have rotors according to the invention;

(4) FIG. 3 schematically shows a rotor according to the invention, the path of which is similar to a Reuleaux triangle;

(5) FIG. 4 schematically shows a rotor according to the invention with 18 processing stations and telescopic arms;

(6) FIG. 5 schematically shows a rotor according to the invention with 18 processing stations and bendable arms.

(7) It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that the drawings shown here are intended merely to illustrate the principle of the invention and are rendered only schematically and not to scale. In particular, the illustrated dimensions and proportions of the elements are for illustrative purposes only. The number of processing stations in the figures is likewise decreased in the interest of clarity. The actual dimensions and proportions can be freely determined by a person skilled in the art based on his knowledge in the art.

(8) FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the path 1 of a rotor 100 according to the invention. Shown is rotational axis A of rotor 100, about which processing stations 30, 31, 32 located on telescopic arms 4 rotate. The exemplary embodiment illustrated includes four processing stations 30, 31, 32. Of course, any number of processing stations can be arranged on the rotor.

(9) In this exemplary embodiment, path 1 has essentially four different sections 10, 11, 12, which are delimited from one another in the diagram by markings. Section 10 extends substantially in a circle around rotational axis A, and thus has the radius r. Section 11 has a substantially smaller curvature than section 10 and thus has a significantly larger radius of curvature R. The two sections 12 represent the transition between areas 10 and 11 and have a greater curvature, that is to say, smaller radii of curvature than the other two sections.

(10) In section 10, path 1 has a constant distance from rotational axis A. The distance from rotational axis A decreases continuously in sections 12 and 11 up to the center M of section 11 and then increases again.

(11) The maximum distance of path 1 from rotational axis A of rotor 100 lies in area 10 and corresponds to the radius of curvature r in this area. The radius of curvature in area 11 is R and is substantially greater than the greatest distance r of the path from rotational axis A.

(12) The centrifugal force acting on a container located in processing station 31 when rotor 100 is rotating is therefore substantially lower than the force acting on a container located in processing station 30.

(13) Path 1 of the rotor is achieved by means of cam-controlled, telescopic arms 4.

(14) FIG. 2 shows two rotors according to the invention, as shown in FIG. 1, in a section of a bottle filling system. The section shown comprises a rotor 100 of a filling station, where the containers are filled, and a second rotor 200 of a sealing station, where the filled containers are sealed. An input star wheel 300 is used to infeed empty containers. An output star wheel 400 is used to output the filled and sealed containers. The system typically comprises additional components upstream of input star wheel 300 and output star wheel 400, which are not shown here for the sake of simplicity.

(15) The empty containers that are formed in a conventional manner, for example, in a blow molding process, and are input by input star wheel 300 are transferred to a processing station 130 at rotor 100 of a filling station in area 110.

(16) The filling head of the filling station is attached to the container mouth and the container is filled. The forming and filling head remains on the filled container during the rotation of the rotor up to the end of path section 112. Despite the increased forces acting on the container in area 112, no filling material is able to spill out since the filling head is still attached to the container. In path section 111, due to the large radius of curvature of this section, the forces that are exerted are substantially lower than in areas 110 and 112. The filling head can be removed from the container mouth.

(17) The container is then transferred to rotor 200 of the sealing station near the end of area 111. Rotor 200 is also embodied according to the invention, so that its path 20 has an area 211 with a large radius of curvature in the area where the container is transferred. As compared with conventional process wheels with circular paths, significantly reduced forces act on the container even during a change in the direction of curvature during the transfer between the filling station and the sealing station.

(18) To prevent filling material from spilling out, the sealing device seals the mouth of a filled container before it reaches path section 212, where a greater acceleration is applied at least temporarily to the container.

(19) FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a rotor 100, the path 1 of which has the shape of a so-called orbiform curve, here modeled as a so-called Reuleaux triangle, the corners of which are slightly rounded. An orbiform curve has the same diameter at every point. If opposing processing stations 3a, 3b are arranged on rotor 100, the total length of supporting arms 4a and 4b of two opposing processing stations 3a, 3b always remains unchanged. This simplifies the design of a process rotor, in particular a rotor with forming and/or filling stations, since the supply lines that lead to opposing processing stations 3a, 3b, such as, for example, compressed air or filling material lines, have a constant overall length.

(20) In this assembly, arms 4a, 4b can be telescopic, or opposing arms 4a, 4b can be embodied together as rigid and displaceable via rotational axis A.

(21) Path 1 has sections 10 that have a large radius of curvature, and sections 12 that have a small radius of curvature. In a section 10 having a large radius of curvature, the transfer to the next rotor can advantageously take place, whereas in sections 12 that have a small radius of curvature, containers that have already been filled, in particular, should be appropriately secured to prevent filling material from spilling out. This can be accomplished, for example, by leaving the filling head attached to the container in this section, or by other suitable measures.

(22) FIG. 4 shows a rotor 100 according to the invention with 18 processing stations 3 at the end of telescopic supporting arms 4. Path 1 of the rotor is circular, with a section 12 in which the circle is flattened and has a smaller radius of curvature. In the flattened section 12, the circular path is indicated by a dashed line.

(23) FIG. 5 shows a rotor 100 as in FIG. 4, in which the deviation from the circular path is not achieved by shortening the arm length of supporting arms 4. Rather, supporting arms 4 have joints 5 on which the arms can be bent opposite the direction of rotation of the rotor. Upon entering section 12, the arms are bent slightly, so that the processing stations 3 will follow the flattened course of the path. In this area, a container located in a processing stations can then be transferred to the next rotor within the apparatus. The empty supporting arms 4 can then fold back to their original position, and can return to following the circular path in section 10. The advantage of this configuration is that the overall length of each arm 4 remains unchanged. Supply lines for compressed air or filling material, for example, which are routed along arm 4, remain connected to the arm and do not temporarily have an excess length when the arm is telescopically shortened, as in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 4.