METHOD AND DEVICE USED FOR THE SEPARATE TREATMENT OF INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS OF PACKAGING UNITS FORMED BY PRIMARY, SECONDARY AND TERTIARY PACKAGINGS

Abstract

Disclosed is a treatment device and/or cleaning device (10), with at least three treatment stations and/or cleaning stations (26, 36, 42), as well as a method used for the separate treatment of individual components of packaging units (14) formed in each instance by primary, secondary, and tertiary packagings.

The primary packagings are in each instance gathered together in secondary packagings as groups of two or more individual primary packagings. In addition, at least two such secondary packagings are accommodated in a tertiary packaging.

The device (10) comprises at least one separating station (16, 20, 48) used for the separation of the packaging units (14) into their individual components to be treated, as well as at least three cleaning stations (24, 34, 40) and/or inspection stations used for the separate treatment of the primary, secondary, and tertiary packagings, said cleaning stations (24, 34, 40) and/or inspection stations being arranged downstream of the at least one separating station (16, 20, 48).

The corresponding method provides the separation of the packaging units (14) into their individual components to be treated and the cleaning and/or inspection of at least the primary packagings as well as the cleaning and/or inspection of the secondary packagings performed separately therefrom and/or the cleaning and/or inspection of the tertiary packagings performed separately therefrom.

Claims

1. A device (10), comprising: at least one separating station (16, 20, 48) used for the separation of packaging units (14) into their individual components to be treated, wherein the packaging units (14) are formed of primary, secondary, and tertiary packagings, wherein the primary packagings are containers of the same type that are gathered together as groups of two or more individual primary packagings in secondary packagings, and wherein at least two such secondary packagings are accommodated in a tertiary packaging, and at least three cleaning stations (24, 34, 40) or inspection stations used for the separate treatment of the primary, secondary, and tertiary packagings, the cleaning stations (24, 34, 40) or inspection stations being arranged downstream of the at least one separating station (16, 20, 48).

2. The device of claim 1, comprising a first separating station (16) for the removal of the secondary packagings from the tertiary packagings, and comprising a second separating station (20) for the removal of the primary packagings from the secondary packagings, with the second separating station (20) being arranged downstream of the first separating station (16).

3. The device of claim 1, comprising a third separating station (48) for the removal of the primary packagings from the secondary packagings still located in the tertiary packagings, and comprising a first separating station (16) for the removal of the secondary packagings from the tertiary packagings, with the first separating station (16) being arranged downstream of the third separating station (48).

4. The device of claim 1, comprising a fourth separating station for the simultaneous, or approximately simultaneous, removal of the secondary packagings from the tertiary packagings and for the removal of the primary packagings from the secondary packagings.

5. The device of claim 1, comprising at least one inspection station for the optical checking of the primary packagings or of the secondary packagings or of the tertiary packagings for existing damages, dirt, color blemishes, other optical blemishes, or for the presence of foreign particles.

6. The device of claim 5, further comprising at least one controllable discharge station for the discharge or diversion of primary, secondary, or tertiary packagings if the primary, secondary, or tertiary packagings that have been designated as defective by the inspection station, with the discharge station being arranged downstream of the at least one inspection station.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a filling station (28) for the filling of the cleaned and inspected primary packagings and further comprising a first handling station (44) for the groupwise insertion of the filled primary packagings into cleaned or inspected secondary packagings or for the covering of the primary packagings with the secondary packagings, with the first handling station (44) being arranged downstream of the filling station (28).

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising a second handling station assigned to, or arranged downstream of the first handling station (44), the second handling station being for the groupwise insertion of at least two secondary packagings containing a group of filled primary packagings into a cleaned or inspected tertiary packaging, or the second handling station being for the assembly of the secondary packagings together with such a cleaned or inspected tertiary packaging.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising at least one drying station for drying the primary packagings or of the secondary packagings or of the tertiary packagings after treatment.

10. The device of claim 1 further comprising a microfilter station at least for cleaning fluid used for the cleaning of the primary packagings, wherein the microfilter station retains suspended solids and particles and filters them out of the cleaning fluid.

11. The device of claim 1 further comprising at least one labeling station or printing station to label or print onto the secondary packagings or tertiary packagings after treatment.

12. The device of claim 11, further comprising at least one further labeling station or printing station (30) to label or print onto the primary packagings after treatment or after refill.

13. A method comprising: separating packaging units (14) into their individual components, wherein the packaging units (14) are formed of primary, secondary, and tertiary packagings, wherein the primary packagings are containers of the same type that are gathered together as groups of two or more individual primary packagings in secondary packagings, and wherein at least two such secondary packagings are accommodated in a tertiary packaging, and cleaning or inspecting at least the primary packagings and cleaning or inspecting the secondary packagings performed separately therefrom or cleaning or inspecting the tertiary packagings performed separately therefrom.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising separating the secondary packagings from the tertiary packagings prior to the cleaning or inspecting the secondary packagings, and followed by separating the primary packagings from the secondary packagings prior to the cleaning or inspecting of the primary packagings, wherein the primary, secondary, and tertiary packagings are cleaned or inspected separately from one another.

15. The method of claim 13, comprising separating the primary packagings from the secondary packagings prior to the cleaning or inspecting the primary packagings while the secondary packagings are located in the tertiary packagings, and separating the secondary packagings from the tertiary packagings prior to the cleaning or inspecting the secondary packagings, wherein the primary, secondary, and tertiary packagings are cleaned or inspected separately from one another.

16. The method of claim 13, comprising separating the primary packagings from the secondary packagings while the secondary packagings are located in the tertiary packagings, or separating the primary packagings are taken out of the secondary packagings during the removal of the secondary packagings from the tertiary packagings or during the transfer of the secondary packagings to a subsequent cleaning step or inspection step.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein inspecting the primary or the secondary or the tertiary packagings comprises optical checking for existing damages, dirt, color blemishes, other optical blemishes, or for the presence of foreign particles.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising discharging or diverting primary, secondary, or tertiary packagings that have been designated as defective in the inspection step, such discharging or diverting occurring downstream of the inspection.

19. The method of claim 13 comprising refilling the primary packagings after the cleaning or inspecting step, whereupon inserting the primary packagings groupwise into or covered with a cleaned or inspected secondary packaging.

20. The method of claim 19, assembling or inserting at least two secondary packagings, each containing a group of filled primary packagings, into a cleaned or inspected tertiary packaging.

21. The method of claim 13 each tertiary packaging can accommodate at least two different secondary packagings or secondary packagings with different primary packagings located therein.

22. The method of claim 13 comprising drying the primary packagings or the secondary packagings or the tertiary packagings pass after having undergone the cleaning process.

23. The method of claim 13 comprising passing cleaning fluid, used for the cleaning of the primary packagings, through a microfilter, wherein the microfilter retains suspended solids and particles, in particular plastics and filters them out of the cleaning fluid.

24. The method of claim 13 comprising labeling or printing onto the secondary or tertiary packagings after cleaning or inspection has been performed.

25. The method of claim 13 comprising labeling or printing onto the primary packagings after cleaning or inspection has been performed or after refilling.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0058] In the following passages, the attached figures further illustrate typical embodiments of the invention and their advantages. The size ratios of the individual elements in the figures do not necessarily reflect the real size ratios. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged in relation to other elements to facilitate an understanding of the invention.

[0059] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment variant of a treatment device and/or cleaning device designed according to the invention for packagings and for individual components of more complex packaging units in a schematic flow chart on the basis of function symbols that are related to each other.

[0060] FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment variant of the treatment device and/or cleaning device according to the invention in a further schematic flow chart.

[0061] FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment variant of the treatment device and/or cleaning device according to the invention in a third schematic flow chart.

[0062] The same or equivalent elements of the invention are designated using identical reference characters. Furthermore and for the sake of clarity, only the reference characters relevant for describing the individual figures are provided. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples of the embodiments of the apparatus or of the method according to the invention are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0063] On the basis of function symbols that are related to each other, the schematic flow chart in FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment variant of a treatment device and/or cleaning device 10 designed according to the invention for packagings and for individual components of more complex packaging units 14. A product stream 12 of more complex packaging units 14 is directed to the device 10, where the packaging units 14 are separated into their individual components—which will be explained in more detail below—in order for these individual components to be treated separately from one another.

[0064] In the first variant of the cleaning device and/or treatment device 10 shown in FIG. 1, the product stream 12 with the packaging units 14 still complete leads into a first separating station 16, where the two or more secondary packagings are taken out of the particular tertiary packagings first. The first separating station 16 can in this context also be referred to as first unpacker, where the secondary packagings that are still filled with the primary packagings are removed or unpacked from the tertiary packagings. Arranged downstream of the first separating station 16 as seen in conveying direction 18 of the secondary packagings that have been removed from the tertiary packagings is a second separating station 20, in which the primary packagings are removed from the particular secondary packagings. The second separating station 20 can in this context also be referred to as second unpacker, where the primary packagings that are still located in the secondary primary packagings are removed or unpacked from the secondary packagings.

[0065] The primary packagings taken out of the secondary packagings in the second separating station 20 are fed in conveying direction 22 of the primary packagings to be cleaned to a first cleaning station 24, which in this context can be formed by a bottle washer 26, for example, in particular if the primary packagings take the form of reusable bottles or reusable liquid containers. The bottles or primary packagings cleaned in such a way can subsequently be refilled in a filling station 28 with a liquid or a beverage, whereupon the filled bottles or primary packagings can be provided in a labeling station 30 arranged downstream with appropriate new labels.

[0066] In addition, the secondary packagings that have been freed from the primary packagings in the second separating station 20 are fed in conveying direction 32 of the secondary packagings to be cleaned to a second cleaning station 34, which in this context is formed by a so-called bundle washer 36. Since the secondary packagings are formed in the described exemplary embodiment by reusable outer packagings for the purpose of forming smaller bundle units, the second cleaning station 34 is consequently referred to as bundle washer 36.

[0067] FIG. 1 furthermore illustrates that the tertiary packagings that are freed in the first separating station 16 from the secondary packagings with the primary packagings still located therein are fed in conveying direction 38 of the tertiary packagings to be cleaned to a third cleaning station 40, which in this context is formed by a so-called crate washer 42. Since the tertiary packagings are formed in the described exemplary embodiment in particular by larger reusable outer packagings, for example by beverage crates or the like, which are capable of accommodating a plurality of secondary packagings or of smaller reusable outer packagings, the third cleaning station 40 can consequently be referred to as crate washer 42.

[0068] In a packer 44 arranged downstream of the labeling station 30, of the second cleaning station 34, as well as of the third cleaning station 40, the product streams can be joined again by inserting the cleaned, filled, and labeled containers, bottles, or primary packagings into the secondary packagings or reusable outer packagings cleaned by the bundle washer 36, and the secondary packagings or reusable outer packagings can in turn be inserted into the tertiary packagings or beverage crates cleaned by the crate washer 42. Arranged downstream of the packer 44, there can be further packaging stations and/or palletizing stations 46 or the like, in which larger packaging units can be formed and made ready for shipping.

[0069] On the basis of function symbols that are related to each other, the schematic flow chart in FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment variant of a treatment device and/or cleaning device 10 designed according to the invention for packagings and for individual components of more complex packaging units 14. As in the first variant, a product stream 12 of more complex packaging units 14 is directed to the device 10, where the packaging units 14 are separated into their individual components in order for the individual components to be treated separately from one another.

[0070] In the second variant of the cleaning device and/or treatment device 10 shown in FIG. 2, the product stream 12 with the packaging units 14 still complete leads into an unpacker first, which for reasons of systematic naming and for the purpose of differentiation from the first and second separating stations referred to in the first embodiment variant according to FIG. 1 is in this context referred to as third separating station 48. With the aid of this third separating station 48, the primary packagings formed, for example, by bottles or beverage containers, are taken out of the secondary packagings that are still located in the tertiary packagings first. Arranged downstream of the third separating station 48 as seen in conveying direction 50 of the tertiary packagings that are still loaded with the emptied secondary packagings is a first separating station 16, in which the secondary packagings that have already been freed from the primary packagings by the third separating station 48 are removed from the tertiary packagings.

[0071] The primary packagings taken out of the secondary packagings still located in the tertiary packagings in the third separating station 48 are fed in conveying direction 22 of the primary packagings to be cleaned to a first cleaning station 24, which in this context is formed by a bottle washer 26, as the primary packagings in the exemplary embodiment described in this context and illustrated in FIG. 2 are reusable bottles or reusable liquid containers. The bottles or primary packagings cleaned in such a way can subsequently be refilled in the filling station 28 arranged downstream with a liquid or a beverage, whereupon the filled bottles or primary packagings can be provided in the labeling station 30 arranged downstream with appropriate new labels.

[0072] In addition, the tertiary packagings that have been freed from the secondary packagings in the first separating station 16 are fed in conveying direction 32 of the secondary packagings to be cleaned to a second cleaning station 34, which in this context is again formed by a bundle washer 36.

[0073] FIG. 2 moreover illustrates that the tertiary packagings freed in the first separating station 16 from the secondary packagings with the primary packagings previously removed therefrom are fed in conveying direction 38 of the tertiary packagings to be cleaned to a third cleaning station 40, which in this context is again formed by a crate washer 42.

[0074] In the packer 44 arranged downstream of the labeling station 30, of the second cleaning station 34, as well as of the third cleaning station 40, the product streams are joined again by inserting the cleaned, filled, and labeled containers, bottles, or primary packagings into the secondary packagings or reusable outer packagings cleaned by the bundle washer 36, and the secondary packagings or reusable outer packagings are in turn inserted into the tertiary packagings or beverage crates cleaned by the crate washer 42. Arranged downstream of the packer 44, there can be further packaging stations and/or palletizing stations 46 or the like, in which larger packaging units can be formed and made ready for shipping.

[0075] The further schematic flow chart in FIG. 3 largely corresponds to the first variant shown in FIG. 1, with FIG. 3 showing a third embodiment variant of a treatment device and/or cleaning device 10 designed according to the invention for packagings and for individual components of more complex packaging units 14, the third embodiment variant being enhanced in relation to the first variant. A product stream 12 of more complex packaging units 14 is directed to the device 10, where the packaging units 14 are separated into their individual components—which will be explained in more detail below—in order for these individual components to be treated separately from one another.

[0076] In the third variant of the cleaning device and/or treatment device 10 shown in FIG. 3, the product stream 12 with the packaging units 14 still complete leads into a first separating station 16, where the two or more secondary packagings are taken out of the particular tertiary packagings first. Arranged downstream of the first separating station 16 as seen in conveying direction 18 of the secondary packagings that have been removed from the tertiary packagings is a second separating station 20, in which the primary packagings are removed from the particular secondary packagings.

[0077] The primary packagings taken out of the secondary packagings in the second separating station 20 are fed in conveying direction 22 of the primary packagings to be cleaned to a first cleaning station 24, which in this context is again formed by the bottle washer 26. The bottles or primary packagings cleaned there are refilled in the filling station 28 arranged downstream with a liquid or a beverage, whereupon the filled bottles or primary packagings are provided in the labeling station 30 arranged downstream with appropriate new labels.

[0078] As is discernible in FIG. 3, the secondary packagings that have been freed from the primary packagings in the second separating station 20 are fed in conveying direction 32 of the secondary packagings to be cleaned to the second cleaning station 34, which in this context is again formed by the bundle washer 36. Moreover, the tertiary packagings that have been freed in the first separating station 16 from the secondary packagings with the primary packagings still located therein are fed in conveying direction 38 of the tertiary packagings to be cleaned to a third cleaning station 40, which in this context is formed by the crate washer 42.

[0079] Following the second cleaning station 34 formed by the bundle washer 36, there can be a buffer station 52 for the secondary packagings, where individual or also a greater number of cleaned secondary packagings or reusable bundle packagings can be intermediately stored, in order for the packer 44 arranged downstream to have a sufficient number of secondary packagings available under any circumstances, even if there are temporary blockages in the second cleaning station 34. Like the second cleaning station 34 and the third cleaning station 40, the variably and on an as-needed basis usable buffer station 52 leads into the packer 44 arranged downstream, where the product streams are joined again by inserting the cleaned, filled, and labeled containers, bottles, or primary packagings into the secondary packagings or reusable outer packagings cleaned by the bundle washer 36 and intermediately stored in the buffer station 52, and the secondary packagings or reusable outer packagings are in turn inserted into the tertiary packagings or beverage crates cleaned by the crate washer 42. Arranged downstream of the packer 44, there can be further packaging stations and/or palletizing stations 46 or the like, in which larger packaging units can be formed and made ready for shipping.

[0080] If first, second, and third separating stations 16, 20, 48 are referred to in the above context, these as a rule comprise suitable handling apparatuses or manipulators used for lifting the secondary packagings out of the tertiary packagings, for example, which is, however, not shown in detail here in the schematic illustrations of the FIGS. 1 to 3. The separating station referred to in this context as third separating station 48 and serving for the removal of the primary packagings from the secondary packagings can comprise a gripper head, for example, with a plurality of bottle grippers formed by suction grippers, for example, used for receiving the bottles at their particular head sections, which gripper head can simultaneously seize and lift out all articles or bottles referred to in this context as primary packagings that are located in the secondary packaging.

[0081] Also not shown in the schematic illustrations of the FIGS. 1 to 3 and preferentially to be used in the device 10 according to the invention are inspection stations provided for the optical check of the primary packagings and/or of the secondary packagings and/or of the tertiary packagings for existing damages, dirt, color blemishes or other optical blemishes, and/or for the presence of foreign particles or the like. An expedient configuration variant in this context can provide a plurality of inspection stations, in particular in each of the present treatment sections and/or cleaning sections, that is to say, for the primary packagings that have been separated from the secondary packagings and also for the secondary packagings that have been taken out of the tertiary packagings and freed from the primary packagings and, moreover, for the tertiary packagings that have been freed from the secondary packagings.

[0082] An expedient configuration can provide the inspection devices (not shown here) to be in each instance arranged downstream of the above-mentioned separating stations 16, 20, 48 as seen in conveying direction of the packaging components, and, more specifically, to be arranged in the upstream segments of the particular treatment sections and/or cleaning sections, because it is usually more expedient to first inspect the primary, secondary, or tertiary packagings to be treated and/or to be cleaned before deciding whether the particular packaging needs to be further treated or cleaned, since it is not necessary to first clean or treat a damaged or very dirty or in another way unusable primary, secondary, or tertiary packaging and to subsequently discharge it for not being reusable.

[0083] If at least one such inspection device is present, or if a plurality of such inspection devices are present the data thus acquired on the state of the primary, secondary, and/or tertiary packagings can be used in an advantageous manner to take packagings out of the further treatment process that are too dirty, damaged, or identified as defective in another manner, for example, by at least one controllable discharge station (also not shown here) that is used for the discharge or diversion of primary, secondary, and/or tertiary packagings from the ongoing conveyance process and/or treatment process if the primary, secondary, and/or tertiary packagings are defective or have been identified and/or designated as defective by the inspection station, the discharge station being arranged downstream of the at least one inspection station. If at least one such discharge station is present, it can be expedient to perform the discharges in each instance in transport direction before the further treatment or cleaning of the particular primary, secondary, or tertiary packagings, because such redundant cleaning steps or treatment steps can then be dispensed with for primary, secondary, or tertiary packagings that are no longer recyclable.

[0084] The following notes additionally refer to the above explanations. If the embodiment variants shown in the illustrations and aspects thereof are generally referred to in the context of the figures and the above descriptions as being “schematic”, this is by no means intended to imply that the illustration of the figures and their description are of inferior significance with regard to the disclosure of the invention. The person skilled in the art is fully capable of gathering sufficient information from the schematically and abstractly drawn illustrations for facilitating the understanding of the invention. On the basis of the figures offering more concrete explanations of the realizations of the method according to the invention and more concrete explanations of the structure of the apparatus according to the invention, the person skilled in the art is, as reader, enabled to derive a better understanding of the inventive idea, which is formulated in a more general and/or more abstract manner in the claims and in the general part of the description.

[0085] The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous changes and modifications can be made to the preferred embodiments of the invention and that such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is therefore intended that the appended claims cover all such equivalent variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0086] 10 Device, treatment device, cleaning device, treatment device and/or cleaning device [0087] 12 Product stream [0088] 14 Packaging units, complex packaging units [0089] 16 First separating station, first unpacker [0090] 18 Conveying direction of the secondary packagings, conveying direction of the secondary packagings containing the primary packagings [0091] 20 Second separating station, second unpacker [0092] 22 Conveying direction of the primary packagings, conveying direction of the primary packagings to be cleaned [0093] 24 First cleaning station [0094] 26 Bottle washer [0095] 28 Filling station [0096] 30 Labeling station [0097] 32 Conveying direction of the secondary packagings, conveying direction of the secondary packagings to be cleaned [0098] 34 Second cleaning station [0099] 36 Bundle washer [0100] 38 Conveying direction of the tertiary packagings, conveying direction of the tertiary packagings to be cleaned [0101] 40 Third cleaning station [0102] 42 Crate washer [0103] 44 Packer [0104] 46 Packaging station, palletizing station, further packaging stations and/or palletizing stations [0105] 48 Third separating station [0106] 50 Conveying direction of the tertiary packagings, conveying direction of the tertiary packagings to be freed from secondary packagings [0107] 52 Buffer station