Container-processing Device

Abstract

A filling machine includes a rotor comprising plural container-filling positions, an inflow star upstream from the rotor, and a linear conveyor downstream of the rotor that receives the container from the rotor at an outflow point after the container has been filled but before the container has been closed. An interface having a curved portion receives the container at the outflow point and conveys the container toward the linear conveyor.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. An apparatus comprising a filling machine for filling a container with liquid content as said container moves along a processing path that extends in a processing direction, said filling machine comprising a rotor comprising plural container-filling positions, an inflow star upstream from said rotor, said inflow star being configured to transfer said container to said rotor at an inflow point, a linear conveyor downstream of said rotor that receives said container from said rotor at an outflow point after said container has been filled but before said container has been closed, a processing region defined by a circular arc between said inflow point and said outflow point, said circular arc having an arc length that accommodates some of said container-filling positions, and an interface having a curved portion that receives said container at said outflow point and conveys said container toward said linear conveyor.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said interface connects said outflow point of said rotor with said linear conveyor.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said interface comprises a curved portion and a straight portion that follows said curved portion.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said container, upon being received by said interface, is conveyed along a curved portion of said interface and transferred onto said linear conveyor for transport along a straight line.

17. The apparatus of 13, wherein said curved portion of said interface comprises first, second, and third transition curve portions, said second transition curve portion being between said first and third transition curve portions, wherein said second transition curve section has a curvature that is opposite in sign from said first and third transition curve portions.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said curved portion plural transition-curve portions define an adjustable curve path.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising guide rails that define a channel along which said container moves along said interface, wherein said guide rails extend along at least one transition-curve portion of said interface.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising first guide rails and second guide rails, wherein said first guide rails extend along said interface and said second guide rails extend along said linear conveyor, and wherein said first and second guide rails are flush with each other.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said curved portion of said interface comprises a clothoid.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said curved portion of said interface comprises a Bloss curve.

23. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said curved portion of said interface comprises a curve that is defined by a polynomial.

24. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said curved portion of said interface comprises a curve that is defined by one or more trigonometric functions.

25. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said linear conveyor is disposed along a line that is tangent to a circle defined by said rotor at a tangent point, wherein said circle has first, second, and third radial lines that extend between said circle's center and said inflow point, said tangent point, and said outflow point respectively, and wherein the smaller of two angles defined by said first and third radial lines is less than the smaller of two angles defined by said first and second radial lines.

26. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said linear conveyor is disposed along a line that is tangent to a circle defined by said rotor at a tangent point, wherein said circle has first and second radial lines that extend between said circle's center and said inflow point and said tangent point, respectively, wherein said circular arc's arc length is greater than an arc length defined by said first radial line and said second radial line.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0027] The invention is explained in greater detail hereinafter on the basis of the Figures in relation to exemplary embodiments. The figures show:

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a filling machine and

[0029] FIG. 2 shows certain geometric features of the filling machine shown in FIG. 1.

[0030] Identical reference numbers are used in the figures for elements of the invention which are the same or have the same effect. Moreover, for the sake of easier overview, only reference numbers are represented in the individual figures which are required for the description of the respective figure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a filling machine 1 that pressure fills containers with such liquid contents as beer or soft drinks. The filling machine 1 conveys containers 2 along a container-processing path BS that runs in a processing direction “A.”

[0032] The filling machine 1 includes a rotor 3 that rotates in a rotation direction “B” about a vertical machine axis. Along its circumference, the rotor 3 has processing positions BP that are distributed at equal distances from each other around the rotor's circumference. Filling of containers 2 occurs at these processing positions BP.

[0033] A container 2 that is to be filled is transferred from a first transporter 5 to the rotor 3 at a tangential inflow point EP. In the illustrated embodiments, the first transporter 5 is an inflow star rotating in an inflow rotation-direction “C” that is counter to the rotor's direction-of-rotation.

[0034] The container then travels along a circular arc from the inflow point AP to an outflow point AP. As it does so, it traverses a processing arc during which it is filled.

[0035] At the outflow point AP, containers 2 that have been filled but not yet closed are removed and taken to a closing machine. The angle “a” between the inflow point EP and the outflow point AP governs the extent of the processing arc. In particular, the processing arc's extent is given by subtracting the angle “a” from 360°.

[0036] To reduce the angle “a” and therefore increase the usable processing arc, it is useful to provide a curved interface 50 upstream of a second transporter 6. In the illustrated embodiment, the second transporter 6 comprises a linear conveyor.

[0037] The curved interface 50 receives containers 2 at the outflow point AP and transfers them to the second transporter 6. In the course of being transferred, the container 2 traverses one or more curved sections of the interface 50.

[0038] In the course of being transferred from the rotor 3 to the second transporter 6, a container 2 encounters a change in the curvature of its path. This causes the container 2 to experience centripetal acceleration.

[0039] Upon leaving the outflow point AP, the container 2 traverses a curved portion TSA1 along the container-processing path BS until it reaches a straight portion TSA2. The container 2 then continues to move along the straight portion TSA2.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 2, the interface 50 causes the angle “a” to be smaller than an angle “b” that is between the inflow point EP and a tangential outflow point APS that would otherwise lead to a second transporter 6′ that extends in a straight line with no curved section. The angle “b” therefore exceeds the angle “a” by an amount that subtends the portion of the arc between the inflow point EP and the tangential outflow point APS.

[0041] FIG. 2 shows a first radius R1, which is that of the rotor 3, a second radius R2, which is that of the first transporter 6, and an envelope radius R2*. This envelope radius R2* is the second radius added to the sum of the container diameter, the width of the guide at the first transporter, and the width of the guide at the second transporter.

[0042] Also shown is a first radial line “c” that connects the rotor's machine axis with the inflow point EP and a second radial line “b+a” that connects the machine axis to the outflow point APS.

[0043] The angle “b” is thus given by b=arccos ((R1−R2*)/(R1+R2))

[0044] The second radius R2, the diameter of the containers 2, the width of the guide at the inflow star 5, and the width of the guide at the second transporter 6 determine the envelope radius R2*, and therefore the location of the outflow point APS, which is on a line tangent to the rotor 3.

[0045] The interface 50 permits the location of the outflow point AP to be displaced towards the inflow point EP. This, in turn, reduces the angle “b” by Δc as shown in FIG. 1. This difference angle Δc enlarges the rotor's processing angle. The interface 50 thus increases the usable container-processing angle as the processing arc length of the rotor's processing region from (2π−b) to (2π−a).

[0046] The interface 50 comprises a curved portion TSA1 that comprises one or more transition-curve portions ÜKA1, ÜKA2, ÜKA3. In those cases in which two or more transition-curve portions ÜKA1, ÜKA2, ÜKA3 are present, adjacent transition-curve portions ÜKA1, ÜKA2, ÜKA3 have curvatures of different signs, where a curvature's sign is defined by the cross product of the container's radial vector and velocity vector. As used herein, “left-curvature” and “right-curvature” will refer to curvatures of opposite sign.

[0047] In the illustrated embodiment, the curved portion TSA1 comprises a first transition-curve portion ÜKA1 having a left-curvature, a second transition-curve portion ÜKA2 having a right-curvature, and a third transition-curve portion ÜKA3 having a left-curvature.

[0048] In some embodiments, one or more of the transition-curve portions ÜKA1, ÜKA2, ÜKA3 are adjustable by an adjuster that is controlled by hand or with a motor. In the latter case, a feedback control system regulates such adjustment.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 1, guide rails 4, 4′ guide containers 2 along channels 12, 12′. In a preferred embodiment, guide rails 4, 4′ associated the curved portion TSA1 and a straight portion TSA2 along the linear conveyor 6 are flush with each other, thus forming flush channels 12, 12′. In some embodiments, the guide rails 4 along one or more transition-curve portion ÜKA1, ÜKA2, ÜKA3 are adjustable so as to adjust the curvature of the path along which the containers 2 travel. Among these are embodiments in which the channels formed in different transition-curve portions ÜKA1, ÜKA2 are adjustable independently of one another.

[0050] Among the embodiments are those in which at least one transition-curve portion ÜKA1, ÜKA2, ÜKA3 of the curved portion TSA1 is configured as a clothoid KA1, KA2, KA3, as shown in FIG. 1, or as a Bloss curve.

[0051] In FIG. 1, the second clothoid KA2 connects directly to the first clothoid KA1, and to the third clothoid KA3. The individual clothoid KA1, KA2, KA3 connect to each other at respective turning points WP at which a change in the curvature's sign takes place, for example between point WP, for example from right-curvature and left-curvature.

[0052] Each clothoid portions KA1, KA2, KA3 has its origin at a corresponding turning point WP, where its clothoid radius is infinite. As a result, transfer between clothoid portions KA1, KA2, KA3 takes place where there is effectively no curvature.

[0053] In alternative embodiments, the curved portion TSA1 comprises one or more transport path regions that are straight and that extend between corresponding transition-curve portions ÜKA1, ÜKA2, ÜKA3, each of which forms a portion of a clothoid. The geometry of the curved portion TSA1 is therefore selectable based on specific circumstances, such as the first transporter's diameter or that of the rotor 3.

[0054] Transition curves other than clothoids are usable. Among these are portions of a Bloss curve as well as portions defined by polynomials and portions defined by trigonometric functions. The invention has been described heretofore on the basis of exemplary embodiments. It is understood that a large number of modifications or derivations are possible without thereby departing from the scope of protection of the invention as defined by the claims. The contents of the claims are also declared to be the object of the description.