Apparatus and method for treating containers with ionised air

Abstract

Apparatus for treating plastic preforms, having a transport device which transports the plastic preforms along a predetermined transport path, having a first application device which loads the plastic preforms with a first flowable medium through their mouth during their transport along a first transport path section, wherein the apparatus has a second application device which acts upon the plastic preforms with a second flowable medium during their transport along a second transport path section through their mouth.

Claims

1. An apparatus for treating plastic preforms, said apparatus having a transport device which has a circulating carrier configured to transport the plastic preforms along a predetermined transport path, a first application device configured to act upon the plastic preforms with a first flowable medium through a mouth of the plastic preforms during transport of the plastic preforms along a first section of the transport path, and a second application device configured to act upon the plastic preforms with a second flowable medium during transport of the plastic preforms along a second section of the transport path through the mouth of the plastic preforms, wherein at least one of said first or said second application devices has an ionising device for ionising air, so that the first or second flowable medium is ionised air, wherein said first and said second application devices comprise an application element configured to introduce the first flowable medium and the second flowable medium into the plastic preforms, and wherein said first application device and said second application device are configured to use the application element to act upon the plastic preforms with the first flowable medium and the second flowable medium, further comprising a suction device configured for sucking off air or a substance containing contaminants out of the plastic preforms, wherein the application of the first flowable medium and the suction with regard to a specific one of the plastic preforms take place at the same time, and further comprising a switching device configured to switch over from acting upon the plastic preforms with the first flowable medium to acting upon the plastic preforms with the second flowable medium.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first application device has a compressed air unit configured to provide as the first flowable medium a compressed air to the first application device and/or said second application device has a compressed air unit configured to provide as the second flowable medium a compressed air to the second application device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said first application device comprises a providing unit configured to provide the first flowable medium as a sterilization medium to the first application device and/or said second application device comprises a providing unit configured to provide the second flowable medium as a sterilization medium to the second application device.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the circulating carrier is rotatable with respect to an axis of rotation and on which a plurality of holding devices for holding the plastic preforms is arranged, wherein each of the holding devices has one application element for acting upon the plastic preforms with the first and second flowable medium.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first application device comprises a providing unit configured to provide the first flowable medium as a sterilization medium to the first application device and/or said second application device comprises a providing unit configured to provide the second flowable medium as a sterilization medium to the second application device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circulating carrier is rotatable with respect to an axis of rotation and on which a plurality of holding devices for holding the plastic preforms is arranged, wherein each of the holding devices has one application element for acting upon the plastic preforms with the first and second flowable medium.

7. An arrangement for treating plastic preforms with an apparatus according to claim 1, the arrangement comprising a device configured for sterilising the plastic preforms or plastic containers formed therefrom arranged downstream of the apparatus in the transport direction of the plastic preforms.

8. A method for treating plastic preforms with an apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport device transports the plastic preforms along the predetermined transport path with the first application device acting upon the plastic preforms during their transport along the first transport path section through a mouth of the plastic preforms with the first flowable medium, and with the second application device acting upon the plastic preforms with the second flowable medium during their transport along the second transport path section through the mouth of the plastic preforms.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages and embodiments can be seen in the accompanying drawings.

(2) In the drawings:

(3) FIG. 1 shows a representation of an arrangement for producing containers;

(4) FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of an apparatus according to the invention; and

(5) FIG. 3 shows a further view of an apparatus according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) FIG. 1 shows an illustration of an arrangement 50 for manufacturing containers. This has an oven 52 in which plastic preforms are heated. This oven is followed by a forming device 54 which forms the heated containers to plastic bottles. This forming device 54, which may be a stretch blow-moulding machine, for example, is followed by an optional first sterilisation device 56, which sterilises the containers.

(7) The reference sign 58 indicates an (optionally available) coating device for coating the manufactured containers.

(8) Reference 60 indicates a further sterilisation arrangement for sterilising the containers. This also has a providing device 62 which provides hydrogen peroxide gas instead of the sterilisation medium. The reference sign 66 indicates a vaporiser which is part of this providing device and which produces hydrogen peroxide vapour. This hydrogen peroxide vapour is used on the one hand for the further sterilisation device 60 and also for the apparatus described above.

(9) The reference sign 64 indicates a filling device which fills the manufactured containers with a liquid, such as a beverage. This filling device is followed by a closing device which closes the containers with closures. A sterilisation device for sterilising these closures can also be provided.

(10) The reference sign 1 refers to the apparatus according to the invention described here, which is used for rinsing and pre-sterilising the plastic preforms. This apparatus is connected to a feeding device which feeds the plastic preforms to the oven 52.

(11) FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of the apparatus 1 according to the invention, which has a transport device 2, such as a carrier wheel 20, on which a plurality of treatment stations are arranged. These stations each have holding devices 22 for holding plastic preforms 10.

(12) The reference signs 6, 8 schematically refer to application devices which serve to act upon the plastic preforms 10 with a flowable medium by means of an application element 62. For this purpose, connecting lines 64 are also provided, which lead from a distributor device, for example rotary distributors 12, 14, to the application element. The application element 62 serves both to act upon the plastic preforms with the first flowable medium and to act upon the plastic preforms with the second flowable medium.

(13) The reference sign 4 roughly schematically indicates a switching device by means of which it is possible to switch from acting upon the plastic preforms with the first flowable medium (in particular sterile air) to acting upon the plastic preforms with the second flowable medium.

(14) The reference sign 8 also indicates a component of the providing device for the first flowable medium. This can, for example, have a compressor device 16 which provides compressed air. In addition, an ionisation device 18 can also be provided, which ionises the compressed air and which can thus be supplied to the application elements 62 via (not shown) connection lines.

(15) FIG. 3 shows a top view of the application according to the invention. The reference sign T1 indicates a first transport path section along which the plastic preforms are acted upon with the first flowable medium and the reference sign T2 indicates a second transport path section along which the plastic preforms are acted upon with the second flowable medium. The entire transport path T of the plastic preforms is composed of the two transport path sections T1 and T2.

(16) The applicant reserves the right to claim all features disclosed in the application documents as essential to the invention, provided they are individually or in combination new compared to the prior art. It is further pointed out that the individual figures also describe features which may be advantageous in themselves. The skilled person immediately recognises that a certain feature described in a figure can also be advantageous without adopting further features from this figure. Furthermore, the skilled person recognises that advantages can also result from a combination of several features shown in individual figures or in different figures.