Rotary cleaning nozzle, and cleaning system for cleaning surfaces in a beverage bottling installation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11279605-B2
Application number	US-201916657628-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2019
Priority date	Oct 18, 2018
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

A rotary cleaning nozzle for cleaning surfaces of a beverage bottling installation using a fluid, comprising a nozzle assembly which has a feed duct for the fluid, and a nozzle head which is mounted rotatably on the nozzle assembly and has at least one nozzle outlet opening from which, during operation, fluid flowing through the feed duct and the nozzle head emerges in the form of a cleaning jet. The rotary cleaning nozzle furthermore comprises an electrical generator for the induction of electrical energy by way of rotation of the nozzle head, and a control unit for indicating a rotation of the nozzle head in dependence on the induced electrical energy.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A rotary cleaning nozzle for cleaning surfaces of a beverage bottling installation, comprising:
a nozzle assembly that has a feed duct configured for fluid;
a nozzle head that is mounted rotatably on the nozzle assembly and that includes at least one nozzle outlet opening from which, during operation, the fluid flowing through the feed duct and the nozzle head emerges in form of a cleaning jet;
an electrical generator configured for induction of electrical energy by way of rotation of the nozzle head; and
a control unit configured to indicate a rotation of the nozzle head in dependence on the induced electrical energy.

2. The rotary cleaning nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid to be fed to the nozzle head during operation via the feed duct, and to flow therethrough, rotationally actuates the nozzle head.

3. The rotary cleaning nozzle according to claim 1 , further comprising a rotary drive configured to rotationally actuate the nozzle head.

4. The rotary cleaning nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein, upon rotational actuation, the nozzle head is configured to expel the cleaning jet from the nozzle outlet opening in a direction facing away from a rotation direction of the nozzle head.

5. The rotary cleaning nozzle according to claim 4 , wherein the direction in which the cleaning jet is expelled is opposite the rotation direction.

6. The rotary cleaning nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the nozzle head includes at least one feed section configured to divert into a direction of the nozzle outlet opening the fluid flowing to the nozzle head via the feed duct.

7. The rotary cleaning nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the nozzle assembly includes at least one feed opening that connects the feed duct to a feed section of the nozzle head in a fluid-communicating manner.

8. The rotary cleaning nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the generator comprises:
a rotor that is arranged on or in the nozzle head; and
a stator that is aligned with the rotor and is arranged on or in the nozzle assembly.

9. The rotary cleaning nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the generator is connected in an electrically conductive manner to the control unit in order to feed the electrical energy induced by the generator to the control unit.

10. The rotary cleaning nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary cleaning nozzle comprises an energy store configured to be charged by the electrical energy induced by the generator and configured to feed the energy stored therein to the control unit.

11. The rotary cleaning nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured such that, in response to the electrical energy induced by the generator, the control unit emits a signal indicating the rotation of the nozzle head, wherein the signal is an electromagnetic signal or an electrical signal.

12. The rotary cleaning nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit comprises a light source configured to emit light using electrical energy provided by the generator, wherein the light source is configured to emit light in the visible wavelength range and/or light in the non-visible wavelength range.

13. The rotary cleaning nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the generator comprises:
a rotor that is arranged on or in the nozzle head; and
a stator that is aligned with the rotor and is arranged on or in the nozzle assembly, wherein the rotor includes at least one magnet and the stator includes at least one induction coil or the rotor includes the at least one induction coil and the stator includes the at least one magnet.

14. The rotary cleaning nozzle according to claim 13 , wherein the magnet is part of a magnet ring constructed from permanent magnets comprising a multiplicity of magnetic poles arranged adjacent to one another in a circumferential manner.

15. The rotary cleaning nozzle according to claim 14 , wherein the induction coil is an annular coil embedded in a ferromagnetic cage that is provided on a side facing the magnet ring, the ferromagnetic cage includes a multiplicity of areal sections that are spaced apart from one another in a circumferential direction and the areal sections are matched in number and position to number and position of the magnetic poles of the magnet which face the areal sections.

16. The rotary cleaning nozzle according to claim 15 , wherein the nozzle assembly includes at least one feed opening that connects the feed duct to a feed section of the nozzle head in a fluid-communicating manner and the nozzle assembly is of sleeve-like form and the feed duct is in form of a cutout in the nozzle assembly, the cutout opens on one side and the at least one feed opening opens into the cutout.

17. The rotary cleaning nozzle according to claim 16 , wherein the control unit is configured such that, in response to the electrical energy induced by the generator, the control unit emits an electromagnetic signal indicating the rotation of the nozzle head.

18. The rotary cleaning nozzle according to claim 17 , wherein the control unit is connected to the induction coil and is arranged together with the induction coil in or on the nozzle head or the nozzle assembly, wherein the nozzle head or the nozzle assembly is produced from a material which is able to be passed through by the electromagnetic signal emitted by the control unit.

19. The rotary cleaning nozzle according to claim 18 , wherein the control unit is arranged in a further cutout in the nozzle assembly, which the further cutout is closed off so as to be impermeable to the fluid via a closure cap, wherein the closure cap is produced from a material that is able to be passed through by the electromagnetic signal emitted by the control unit.

20. A cleaning system for cleaning surfaces in a beverage bottling installation, comprising:
a rotary cleaning nozzle comprising:
a nozzle assembly that has a feed duct configured for fluid;
a nozzle head that is mounted rotatably on the nozzle assembly and that include at least one nozzle outlet opening from which, during operation, the fluid flowing through the feed duct and the nozzle head emerges in form of a cleaning jet;
an electrical generator configured for induction of electrical energy by way of rotation of the nozzle head; and
a control unit configured to output a signal indicating a rotation of the nozzle head in dependence on the induced electrical energy; and

a stationary monitoring unit configured to:
receive the signal that is emitted by the control unit of the rotary cleaning nozzle and that indicates the rotation of the nozzle head; and
output information relating to the rotation in response to the signal received.

Assignees

• Krones Ag

Inventors

• Soellner Juergen
• Stubenhofer Matthias
• Mueller Holger

Classifications

• H02K11/049

  Rectifiers associated with stationary parts, e.g. stator cores · CPC title

• B65B2210/06

  Sterilising or cleaning machinery or conduits · CPC title

• H02K1/26

  Rotor cores with slots for windings · CPC title

• B08B3/02 Primary

  Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays · CPC title

• B05B1/002

  designed to reduce the generation or the transmission of noise or to produce a particular sound; associated with noise monitoring means · CPC title