Container handling plant and method for a container handling plant with signals for planned states

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10981685-B2
Application number	US-201716310482-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2017
Priority date	Aug 24, 2016
Publication date	Apr 20, 2021
Grant date	Apr 20, 2021

Abstract

A container handling plant and a method for a container handling plant are shown. The container handling plant comprises at least one container handling machine for handling containers, wherein at least one container handling machine comprises a type preselection memory in which different types are preselectable for a handling to be performed by the container handling machine, at least one output device positioned at the at least one container handling machine for outputting an audio signal and/or an optical signal, and a control device configured to control the at least one output device such that the output device acoustically outputs a predetermined audio signal made of tone sequences comprising at least two different tones and/or optically outputs an optical signal, if due to the type preselected in the type preselection memory a change of a type or a refilling for the preselected type at the container handling machine is scheduled in the future at the end of a predetermined time period.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A container handling plant ( 1 ; 2 ; 3 ), comprising:
at least one container handling machine ( 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 ) for handling containers ( 5 ), wherein at least one container handling machine ( 10 , 30 , 40 ) comprises a handling type preselection memory ( 11 , 31 , 41 ) in which different types of handling ( 111 , 112 ; 311 , 312 313 ; 411 , 412 ) are preselectable for a handling to be performed by the container handling machine ( 10 , 30 , 40 );
at least one output device ( 15 , 35 , 45 ; 16 , 36 , 46 ) positioned at the at least one container handling machine ( 10 , 30 , 40 ) for outputting an audio signal (TS 1 , TS 2 , TS 3 ) and/or an optical signal (OS 1 , OS 2 , OS 3 ); and
a control device ( 60 ) configured to control the at least one output device ( 15 , 35 , 45 , 16 , 36 , 46 ) such that the output device acoustically outputs a predetermined audio signal (TS 1 , TS 2 , TS 3 ) made of tone sequences comprising at least two different tones and/or optically outputs an optical signal (OS 1 , OS 2 , OS 3 ), if due to the type of handling ( 111 , 112 ; 311 , 312 , 313 ; 411 , 412 ) preselected in the handling type preselection memory ( 11 , 31 , 41 ) a change of a type of handling ( 111 , 112 ; 311 , 312 , 313 ; 411 , 412 ) or a refilling for the preselected type of handling ( 111 , 112 ; 311 , 312 , 313 ; 411 , 412 ) at the container handling machine ( 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 ) is scheduled in the future at the end of a predetermined time period.

2. The container handling plant ( 1 ; 2 ; 3 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said predetermined audio signal (TS 1 , TS 2 , TS 3 ) is a melody, or wherein said predetermined audio signal (TS 1 , TS 2 , TS 3 ) is a melody combined with a speech sequence, and/or wherein the optical signal (OS 1 , OS 2 , OS 3 ) is a constant light or a flashing or turning off of the output device ( 15 , 35 , 45 , 16 , 36 , 46 ).

3. The container handling plant ( 1 ; 2 ; 3 ) according to claim 2 , wherein the speech sequence is a spoken speech sequence.

4. The container handling plant ( 1 ; 2 ; 3 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined audio signal (TS 1 , TS 2 , TS 3 ) and/or the optical signal (OS 1 , OS 2 , OS 3 ) are/is different for each planned state of a change of a type of handling ( 111 , 112 , 311 , 312 , 313 , 411 , 412 ) or refilling or an operator intervention/setup operation for the preselected type of handling ( 111 , 112 , 311 , 312 , 313 , 411 , 412 ) of the container handling plant ( 1 ), and/or wherein the output device ( 15 , 35 , 45 ; 16 , 36 , 46 ) is configured to periodically repeat the predetermined audio signal (TS 1 , TS 2 , TS 3 ) and/or the optical signal (OS 1 , 5 OS 2 , OS 3 ), wherein the output of the predetermined audio signal (TS 1 , TS 2 , TS 3 ) and/or the optical signal comprises a code comprising the progressing time with respect to the change of a type of handling ( 111 , 112 ; 311 , 312 , 311 , 411 , 412 ) or refilling for the preselected type of handling ( 111 , 112 , 311 , 312 , 313 , 411 , 412 ).

5. The container handling plant ( 1 ; 2 ) according to claim 1 , wherein an output device ( 15 , 35 , 45 , 16 , 36 , 46 ) is allocated to each container handling machine ( 10 , 30 , 40 ) having a handling type preselection memory ( 11 , 31 , 41 ); and
wherein the output device ( 15 , 35 , 45 ; 16 , 36 , 46 ) of a container handling machine ( 10 , 30 , 40 ) is operable independent of an output device ( 15 , 35 , 45 ) of another container handling machine ( 10 , 30 , 40 ).

6. The container handling plant ( 1 ; 2 ; 3 ) according to claim 5 ,
wherein the container handling plant ( 1 ; 2 ; 3 ) comprises a first container handling machine ( 10 ) and another container handling machine ( 30 ) positioned downstream of the first container handling machine ( 10 ) in a conveying direction of the containers ( 5 ); and
wherein the control device ( 60 ) is configured to controlling an output device ( 35 ) positioned at another container handling machine ( 30 ) such that the output device ( 35 ) outputs the predetermined audio signal (TS 1 ) and/or the optical signal (OS 2 ) when, due to the type of handling ( 111 , 112 ) preselected in the handling type preselection memory ( 11 ), a change of the type of handling ( 111 , 112 ) or a refill of the preselected type of handling ( 111 , 112 ) on the first container handling machine ( 10 ) is scheduled in the future at the end of a predetermined time period.

7. The container handling plant ( 1 ; 2 ) according to claim 1 , further comprising a detecting device ( 70 ) configured and positioned to detect at least one actual state of an operating variable in operation of the at least one container handling machine ( 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 ), wherein the actual state of the operating variable is a measurement for a time period or a residual amount still to be filled, at the end of which time period is scheduled a start or the end of a predetermined operation of the at least one container handling machine ( 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 ),
wherein the control device ( 60 ) is configured to controlling the at least one output device ( 15 , 35 , 45 ; 16 , 36 , 46 ) such that the output device ( 15 , 35 , 45 ; 16 , 36 , 46 ) outputs an audio signal (TS 1 , TS 2 , TS 3 ) from tone sequences comprising at least two different tones and/or the optical signal (OS 1 , OS 2 , OS 3 ), when the detecting device ( 70 ) detects a predetermined actual state of the at least one actual state.

8. The container handling plant ( 1 ; 2 ) according to claim 7 ,
wherein the start or the end of a predetermined operation of the at least one container handling machine ( 10 , 30 , 40 ) is the start or the end of production with the container handling plant ( 1 ); or
wherein the start or the end of a predetermined operation of the at least one container handling machine ( 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 ) is the start or the end of a conversion of the at least one container handling machine ( 10 , 30 , 40 ) from the production of a first product to a second product; or
wherein the start or the end of a predetermined operation of the at least one container handling machine ( 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 ) is the start or the end of a cleaning process performed with the at least one container handling machine ( 20 ).

9. The container handling plant ( 1 ; 2 ) according to claim 1 , further comprising a conveying device ( 50 ) for conveying containers ( 5 ) to the at least one container handling machine ( 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 ) or away from the at least one container handling machine ( 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 ); and/or
further comprising a conveying device ( 50 ) for conveying containers ( 5 ) from a first container handling machine ( 10 ) to a third container handling machine ( 30 ), bypassing a second container handling machine ( 20 ) which is positioned between the first and third container handling machines ( 10 , 30 ), if a type of handling ( 111 , 112 ; 311 , 312 , 313 , 411 , 412 ) associated with the bypassing is preselected in the type preselection memory ( 11 ) of the first container handling machine ( 10 ); and/or
wherein the at least one container handling machine ( 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 ) comprises a blow molding machine and/or a cleaning machine and/or a heat handling machine and/or a filling machine and/or an equipment machine and/or a packaging machine and/or a palletizing machine.

10. A method for a container handling plant ( 1 ; 2 ; 3 ) comprising at least one container handling machine ( 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 ) for handling containers ( 5 ), at least one output device ( 15 , 35 , 45 ; 16 , 36 ,

Assignees

• Krones Ag

Inventors

• Klein Robert
• Hahn Wolfgang
• Pronold Timo
• Zoelfl Markus

Classifications

• B65B59/001

  Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the product to be packaged · CPC title

• Y02P90/02

  Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] · CPC title

• G06Q10/00

  Administration; Management · CPC title

• G05B19/41865

  characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow · CPC title

• B67C2003/227

  Additional apparatus related to blow-moulding of the containers, e.g. a complete production line forming filled containers from preforms · CPC title