Device and method for performing special functions of a transport apparatus in a container processing installation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10040638-B2
Application number	US-201414917153-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2014
Priority date	Sep 13, 2013
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

A transport apparatus for transporting containers in a container-processing installation. The transport apparatus includes a transport track, a plurality of transport elements for transporting one or more containers, wherein the plurality of transport elements is movably arranged on the transport track, at least one special element, which is movably arranged on the transport track and is different from the plurality of transport elements, and an open-loop and/or closed-loop control unit. The transport track, the plurality of transport elements, and the special element are designed in such a way that the plurality of transport elements and the special element can be guided along the transport track in such a way that the plurality of transport elements and the special element are individually controllable by the open-loop and/or closed-loop control unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A transport apparatus for transporting containers in a container processing installation comprising a transport track,
a plurality of transport elements for transporting one or more containers, where said plurality of transport elements is movably arranged on said transport track,
at least one special element which is movably arranged on said transport track and is different from said plurality of transport elements, and an open-loop and/or closed-loop control unit, where said transport track, said plurality of transport elements, and said special element are designed in such a way that said plurality of transport elements and said special element can be guided along said transport track in such a way that said plurality of transport elements and said special element are individually controllable by means of said open-loop and/or closed-loop control unit.

2. The transport apparatus according to claim 1 , where said plurality of transport elements, said special element and at least a section of said transport track are formed such that said plurality of transport elements and said special element can in the area of said section of said transport track be moved by way of magnetic force.

3. The transport apparatus according to claim 1 , where said plurality of transport elements and said special element are supported on the support track one of fully magnetically, in part magnetically and in part mechanically, or fully mechanically.

4. The transport apparatus according to claim 1 , where said special element comprises an inspection device being adapted to determine a condition of said transport track at a predetermined location of said transport track.

5. The transport apparatus according to claim 4 ,
where said special element further comprises a transmitter unit,
where said open-loop and/or closed-loop control unit comprises a receiver unit, and
where said inspection device is further configured to transmit a signal describing the condition determined to said open-loop and/or closed-loop control unit.

6. The transport apparatus according to claim 5 , the signal describing the condition determined being in a form of a condition parameter of the transport track.

7. The transport apparatus according to claim 4 ,
where said plurality of transport elements and said special element are at least in part mechanically supported on said transport track, and
where said inspection device is adapted to determine a friction coefficient of at least one bearing element of said special element on said transport track.

8. The transport apparatus according to claim 1 , where said special element comprises a cleaning device which is configured to clean at least a portion of said transport track at a predetermined location of said transport track.

9. The transport apparatus according to claim 8 , where the cleaning device is configured to clean a guide rail of the transport track at the predetermined location.

10. The transport apparatus according to claim 1 , where said special element comprises a lubricating device which is configured to apply lubricant at least to a portion of said transport track on which said plurality of transport elements and said special element are supported at a predetermined location of the transport track.

11. The transport apparatus according to claim 10 , where the special element further comprises a reservoir for the lubricant.

12. The transport apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the lubricating device is configured to apply lubricant at least to a guide rail of the transport track.

13. The transport apparatus according to claim 1 ,
where the special element comprises a device for transporting tooling parts and/or supply parts for supplying media to the container processing installation and/or the transport apparatus.

14. The transport apparatus according to claim 13 ,
where the special element further comprises a mounting device which is adapted to position and/or attach a tooling part and/or supply part carried along at a location of the container processing installation and/or the transport apparatus.

15. A method for performing at least one function of a group of functions comprising inspecting, cleaning, converting, and repairing a container processing installation having a transport apparatus including a plurality of individually controllable transport elements for transporting containers in the container processing installation along a transport track, by way of a special element which is different from said plurality of transport elements, where said plurality of transport elements and said special element are movably disposed on said transport track, said method comprising:
moving said special element to a predetermined location of said transport track, and
performing the at least one function of the group of functions at the predetermined location by use of said special element, and
where moving is controlled by an open-loop and/or closed-loop control unit of said transport apparatus.

16. The method according to claim 15 , where performing at least one function of the group of functions comprises inspecting the condition of the transport track at a predetermined location.

17. The method according to claim 16 ,
where the special element comprises a first and a second partial element,
where the first partial element is connected to the second one via a drag device,
where the first partial element comprises a measuring device, and
where inspecting the condition of the transport track comprises:
actively moving the first partial element along the transport track,
dragging the second partial element by use of the drag device, and
measuring the force upon said drag device during the dragging process by use of the measuring device.

18. The method according to claim 15 ,
where the special element comprises a first and a second partial element,
where performing at least one function of the group of functions comprises cleaning at least a portion of the transport track, in particular a guide rail of the transport track, at the predetermined location and/or positioning and/or attaching a tooling part and/or a supply part for supplying media to the container processing installation and/or the transport apparatus at a location of said container processing installation and/or the transport apparatus, and
where the at least one function of the group of functions is effected by a relative motion of the first and the second partial element.

19. The method according to claim 18 , where performing at least one function of the group of functions comprises cleaning a guide rail of the transport track at the predetermined location.

Assignees

• Krones Ag

Inventors

• Senn Konrad

Classifications

• B65G45/18

  comprising brushes · CPC title

• B65G54/02

  electrostatic, electric, or magnetic · CPC title

• B65G2811/0673

  Control of conveying operations · CPC title

• B65G45/10

  Cleaning devices (adaptations of roller sleeves for cleaning belts B65G39/073) · CPC title

• B65G43/00 Primary

  Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting · CPC title