Closing apparatus for closing a container with a container closure and method for monitoring a closing apparatus

Abstract

A closing apparatus for closing a container with a container closure, for example for closing a container with a screw cap in a beverage filling plant, includes a gripping mechanism for gripping the container closure with at least one gripping arm pivotable about a bearing, an actuating unit for actuating the gripping mechanism, and a detection unit for detecting a stroke of a stroke element of the actuating unit acting on the gripping mechanism. A corresponding method is also described.

Claims

1. A closing apparatus for closing a container with a container closure, comprising: a gripping mechanism configured to grip the container closure with at least one gripping arm pivotable about a bearing; an actuating unit configured to actuate the gripping mechanism; and a detection unit configured to detect a stroke of a stroke element of the actuating unit acting on the gripping mechanism.

2. The closing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detection unit comprises a contactless measuring sensor.

3. The closing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the contactless measuring sensor comprises a displacement sensor.

4. The closing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuating unit comprises an actuating cylinder and the stroke element comprises a cylinder piston.

5. The closing apparatus of claim 1, wherein a reference element extending perpendicular to a stroke direction of the stroke element is arranged on the stroke element.

6. The closing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a control unit configured to determine at least one state variable of the gripping mechanism based on at least one signal from the detection unit.

7. The closing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one state variable is indicative of wear of the gripping mechanism or corresponds to wear of the gripping mechanism.

8. The closing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the control unit is further configured to initiate an adjustment of at least one operating parameter of the closing apparatus based on at least one signal from the detection unit and/or the at least one determined state variable.

9. The closing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one operating parameter is a control point and/or a switching time for controlling the stroke element.

10. The closing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the control unit is further configured to output a message, based on at least one signal from the detection unit and/or the at least one determined state variable.

11. The closing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gripping mechanism comprises a control element that is displaceable in a direction of the stroke of the stroke element and that is coupled to the at least one gripping arm to control a position of the at least one gripping arm.

12. The closing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a stroke unit configured to raise and lower the gripping mechanism in a displacement direction, wherein the stroke unit comprises a fastening part configured to fasten to a transport unit of a container treatment apparatus and a moving part that is displaceable relative to the fastening part in the displacement direction.

13. The closing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the moving part is connected to or comprises the gripping mechanism and the actuating unit.

14. The closing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the displacement direction and the stroke direction are oriented in parallel, and a central longitudinal axis of the moving part and a central axis of the stroke element are concentric with one another.

15. A method for monitoring a closing apparatus for closing a container with a container closure, in which the closing apparatus comprises a gripping mechanism configured to grip the container closure with at least one gripping arm that is pivotable about a bearing, and an actuating unit configured to actuate the gripping mechanism, the method comprising: detecting a stroke of a stroke element of the actuating unit acting on the gripping mechanism.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining, based on the detected stroke, at least one state variable of the gripping mechanism.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one state variable is indicative of wear of the gripping mechanism or corresponds to wear of the gripping mechanism.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising adjusting, based on the detected stroke and/or the at least one determined state variable, at least one operating parameter of the closing apparatus.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one operating parameter is a control point and/or a switching time for controlling the stroke element.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising outputting, based on the detected stroke and/or the at least one determined state variable, a message.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) Advantageous further embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail by the following description of the figures.

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective side view of a container closing apparatus for closing containers, each with a container closure;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective side view of a closing apparatus of the container closing apparatus from FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a sectional view through a lower part of the closing apparatus;

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective detailed view of the closing apparatus;

(6) FIG. 5 is a further schematic view of the detail from FIG. 4; and

(7) FIG. 6 is a schematic flow diagram of a method for monitoring the closing apparatus according to FIGS. 1 to 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) Advantageous exemplary embodiments are described below with reference to the figures. Identical, similar, or identically acting elements are provided with identical reference signs in the various figures, and a repeated description of these elements is in some cases omitted in order to avoid redundancies.

(9) FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective side view of a container closing apparatus 100 having a rotary construction for closing containers with one container closure in each case.

(10) The container closing apparatus 100 comprises a frame 101 on which a treatment carousel 102 is arranged so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation 103.

(11) The treatment carousel 102 comprises a plurality of closing apparatuses 1 for closing a container with a container closure, which closing apparatuses are arranged evenly spaced from one another on the circumference of the treatment carousel 102.

(12) The container closure apparatus 100 comprises a sealing section 104, which serves as a separation between a treatment room configured as a clean room below the sealing section 104 and a gray room above the sealing section 104.

(13) FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective side view of a closing apparatus 1 of the container closing apparatus 100 from FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a sectional view through a lower part 17 of the closing apparatus 1.

(14) The closing apparatus 1 is configured and set up to close a container with a container closure 110, in the present case to close a container with a screw cap 110, in a beverage filling plant. Said closing apparatus comprises a gripping mechanism 2 for gripping the container closure 110 with, in this case, three gripping arms 3, each of which is pivotable about a bearing 4.

(15) Said closing apparatus further comprises an actuating unit 6 for actuating the gripping mechanism 2.

(16) More precisely, the actuating unit 6 is configured and set up to actuate the gripping arms 3 of the gripping mechanism 2. The actuating unit 6 controls the pivoting of the gripping arms 3.

(17) The closing apparatus 1 further comprises a detection unit 10 for detecting a stroke of a stroke element 7 (see FIG. 3) of the actuating unit 6 acting on the gripping mechanism 2, as explained in more detail below with regard to FIGS. 4 and 5.

(18) The gripping mechanism 2 further comprises a control element 8 or coupling element that can be displaced in the direction of the stroke of the stroke element 7 and that is coupled with the gripping arms 3 to a control element for controlling the position of the gripping arms 3.

(19) The gripping arms 3 are each pivotably mounted about the bearing 4. They are coupled to the stroke element 7 via the control element 8 in such a way that lowering the stroke element 7, i.e. moving the stroke element 7 in the direction of the space provided for receiving the container closure 110 between the gripping arms 3, as indicated by the continuous arrows in FIG. 3, causes the gripping mechanism 2 to open, i.e. causes the gripping arms 3 to pivot into an open position. Raising the stroke element 7, i.e. moving the stroke element 7 away from the space between the gripping arms 3 provided for receiving the container closure 110, as indicated by the dashed arrows in FIG. 3, therefore causes the gripping mechanism 2 to close.

(20) The actuating unit 6 is configured as an actuating cylinder and the stroke element 7 is a cylinder piston.

(21) The closing apparatus 1 comprises a stroke unit 12 for raising and lowering the gripping mechanism 2 in a displacement direction 13. The lifting unit 12 comprises a fastening part 14 for fastening to the treatment carousel 102, which constitutes a transport unit. It further comprises a moving part 15 that is displaceable relative to the fastening part 14 in the displacement direction 13. The moving part 15 is connected to or comprises the gripping mechanism 2 and also comprises the actuating unit 6. The position of the moving part 15 relative to the fastening part 14 is predetermined by a guide 106 on the frame 101, which guide is configured here as a link guide, on which a guide roller 21 arranged on the moving part 15 is guided.

(22) According to this embodiment, the displacement direction 13 (see FIG. 2) corresponds to the stroke direction 16 of the stroke element 7. The stroke direction 16 and the displacement direction 13 are therefore oriented in parallel. In the present case, the displacement direction 13, which in this case constitutes a central longitudinal axis of the moving part 15, and the stroke direction 16, which in this case constitutes a central axis of the stroke element 7, are concentric with one another.

(23) The container closure 110 is held radially by the gripping arms 3. At the front end, it is supported on a stop 5, via which a head pressure required for applying the container closure 110 to a container can also be applied.

(24) As already mentioned above, the closing apparatus 1 is configured to apply a screw cap. Accordingly, a lower part 17 of the moving part 15 is configured to be rotatable about the displacement direction 13. The rotary movement is predetermined by a motor 18, in this case an electric motor, which is coupled to the rotatable part 17 of the moving part 15 via a gearing 19.

(25) When configured to apply a push-on closure, the rotation function is omitted or blocked.

(26) The movements of the stroke element 7 and thus the movements of the gripping arms 3 are controlled via a pneumatic connection 20.

(27) FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective detailed view of the closing apparatus 1. FIG. 5 is a further schematic view of the detail from FIG. 4.

(28) The detection unit 10 already mentioned above comprises a contactlessly measuring sensor 30, which in this case is optionally configured as a displacement sensor, according to this optional embodiment in the form of a Hall sensor.

(29) The sensor 30 is set up to detect a path or distance 32 of the sensor 30 to a reference element 31.

(30) The sensor 30 is arranged on the moving part 15, in which the stroke element 7 is displaceable relative to the moving part 15 (see FIG. 3).

(31) The reference element 31 is arranged on the stroke element 7 oriented perpendicular to the stroke direction 16 of the stroke element 7.

(32) The closing apparatus 1 further comprises a control unit 33, indicated schematically in FIG. 4, which is set up to determine at least one state variable of the gripping mechanism 2 based on at least one signal from the detection unit 10.

(33) Here the state variable is indicative of wear of the gripping mechanism 2.

(34) The control unit 33 is set up to initiate an adjustment of at least one operating parameter of the closing apparatus 1 based on at least one signal from the detection unit 10 and/or at least one determined state variable.

(35) The operating parameter can be a control point and/or a switching time for controlling the stroke element.

(36) The control unit 33 is further set up to output various messages, in this case warning messages, error messages and information messages, for example status messages, on the basis of at least one signal from the detection unit 10 and/or at least one determined state variable.

(37) The control unit 33 or its functionality can alternatively also be at least partially integrated into a central controller 105 of the container treatment apparatus 100.

(38) FIG. 6 shows a method for monitoring the closing apparatus 1 for closing a container with a container closure according to the above-mentioned figures.

(39) The method comprises, in a step S10, detecting the stroke of the stroke element 7 of the actuating unit 6 acting on the gripping mechanism 2.

(40) In step S12, at least one state variable of the gripping mechanism 2 is determined based on the detected stroke.

(41) The state variable is indicative of wear of the gripping mechanism.

(42) In step S14, at least one operating parameter of the closing apparatus is adjusted based on the determined stroke and/or at least one determined state variable.

(43) According to this embodiment, the operating parameters are a control point and a switching time for controlling the stroke element 7.

(44) In step S16, a check is carried out to determine whether a message flag is to be activated on the basis of the determined stroke and/or at least one determined state variable. Depending on the activated message flag, a message, for example a warning message, an error message or an information message, in this case configured as a status message, is issued (S18).

(45) To the extent applicable, any of the individual features set forth in the exemplary embodiments may be combined and/or interchanged, without departing from the scope of the invention.