Device for sorting out containers which were applied an incorrect print by a direct printing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11045841-B2
Application number	US-201816644944-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2018
Priority date	Sep 8, 2017
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

The invention provides a device for sorting out containers which were applied an incorrect print by a direct printing machine. The device comprises a transport device for transporting pucks, which are adapted to transport containers, along a transport path away from the direct printing machine, where the transport path comprises at least a primary transport path and a secondary transport path, an inspection device for inspecting the print on the containers, a decoupling device, in particular comprising a pusher system or a slider system, for decoupling pucks from the primary transport path to the secondary transport path, and a control device adapted to control the decoupling device such that pucks with containers, for which the inspection device has detected an incorrect print, are decoupled to the secondary transport path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Device for sorting out containers which were applied an incorrect print by a direct printing machine, comprising:
a transport device for transporting pucks, which are adapted to transport containers, along a transport path away from the direct printing machine, where the transport path comprises at least a primary transport path and a secondary transport path,
an inspection device for inspecting a print on the containers,
a decoupling device for decoupling pucks from the primary transport path to the secondary transport path, and
a control device adapted to control the decoupling device such that pucks with containers for which the inspection device has detected an incorrect print are decoupled to the secondary transport path,
where the secondary transport path is adapted to transport the pucks to a merging device, where the merging device is adapted to merge pucks into the primary transport path, in a direction of transport upstream of an inlet of the direct printing machine.

2. Device according to claim 1 , where the decoupling device is arranged in a decoupling section, where a guide and/or at least one puck lock are further arranged in the decoupling section.

3. Device according to claim 2 , where the secondary transport path and/or the primary transport path are adapted to transport pucks to a removal section.

4. Device according to claim 3 , where the primary transport path is adapted to transport pucks to the removal section and where the device comprises a first deflection device, which is configured such that whether pucks are transported from the primary transport path or from the secondary transport path into the removal section is adjustable by means of the first deflection device.

5. Device according to claim 4 , where the control device is adapted to control the first deflection device such that only pucks from the primary transport path or only pucks from the secondary transport path enter the removal section in a predetermined period of time.

6. Device according to claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a second deflection device which is adapted such that whether pucks are transported from a removal section to the merging device or to another system region is adjustable via the second deflection device.

7. Device according to one of the claim 4 , where the first and/or a second deflection device each comprise at least a switch and/or at least a guide and/or at least a puck lock.

8. Device according to claim 1 , where the decoupling device comprises a pusher system, where the pusher system is adapted to push the pucks from a conveyor belt of the primary transport path onto a conveyor belt of the secondary transport path.

9. Method for sorting out containers which were applied an incorrect print by a direct printing machine, comprising:
transporting pucks, which are adapted to transport containers and in which containers which were applied a print are standing, along a transport path away from the direct printing machine, where the transport path comprises at least a primary transport path and a secondary transport path,
inspecting the print on the containers,
decoupling pucks with containers detected to have an incorrect print from the primary transport path to the secondary transport path,
providing a supply of pucks from the secondary transport path and/or from the primary transport path to a removal section, and
removing containers from the pucks manually and/or by machine in the removal section.

10. Method according to claim 9 , where only pucks from the primary transport path or from the secondary transport path are supplied to the removal section in a predetermined period of time.

11. Method according to claim 10 , where with containers which were applied a correct print are supplied to the removal section and pucks with containers which were applied an incorrect print are stored in the secondary transport path until there is no more room for pucks in the secondary transport path, and subsequently the stored pucks, but no pucks from the primary transport path, are transported to the removal section.

12. Method according to claim 11 , where empty pucks from the removal section are merged in a merging section into the primary transport path in the direction of transport upstream of the direct printing machine.

Assignees

• Krones Ag

Inventors

• Bauer Veronika
• Weigl Franz

Classifications

• B41J3/40731

  Holders for objects, e. g. holders specially adapted to the shape of the object to be printed or adapted to hold several objects · CPC title

• B07C5/36

  Sorting apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution {(sorting according to destination B07C3/003, B07C3/02)} · CPC title

• B07C5/3404 Primary

  according to properties of containers or receptacles, e.g. rigidity, leaks, fill-level (control devices for cigarette or cigar packaging B65B19/28; investigation of fluid-tightness of structures G01M3/00) · CPC title

• B65G47/82

  Rotary or reciprocating members for direct action on articles or materials, e.g. pushers, rakes, shovels {(means for pushing glass articles onto a conveyor C03B9/453)} · CPC title

• B65G47/49

  without bodily contact between article or load carrier and automatic control device {, e.g. the destination marks being electrically or electronically detected} · CPC title