Valve wear monitoring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12208562-B2
Application number	US-202318106731-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2023
Priority date	Mar 8, 2022
Publication date	Jan 28, 2025
Grant date	Jan 28, 2025

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus and a method for treating containers with a transport device for transporting a container along a predetermined transport path, wherein the apparatus includes at least one container treatment device and preferably a plurality of container treatment devices, wherein the at least one container treatment device has at least one wear element, wherein the at least one container treatment device has a wear detection device for detecting wear data relating to wear of the at least one wear element. The wear detection device includes at least one sensor device for detecting the wear data relating to the wear of the at least one wear element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for treating containers with a transport device for transporting a container along a predetermined transport path, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one container treatment device, wherein the at least one container treatment device comprises at least one wear element, wherein the at least one container treatment device comprises a wear detection device configured for detecting wear data relating to wear of the at least one wear element,
wherein
the wear detection device comprises at least one sensor device configured for detecting the wear data relating to wear of the at least one wear element, wherein the at least one wear element is a valve and/or a valve piston of a valve for supplying and/or discharging a flowable medium.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the apparatus comprises a communication device for transmitting wear data relating to the wear of the at least one wear element to a non-volatile memory device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
a surface of the valve piston and an associated contact surface of the at least one container treatment device, has an electrically conductive material at least in regions.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein
the surface of the valve piston is at an angle >1° and <179° to a vector of a direction of movement of the valve piston along which the valve piston is moved when the valve is opened or closed.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3 , comprising
an electric circuit configured to be closed by a contact between the surface of the valve piston and the associated contact surface of the container treatment device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein
the at least one sensor device is configured to detect a current flow in the closed electric circuit.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the at least one container treatment device comprises a metallic switch configured to close an electric circuit upon contact with the surface of the valve piston.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the at least one sensor device comprises an induction sensor configured to detect the distance between the surface of the valve piston and the induction sensor.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the wear detection device is set up for monitoring the wear behavior of the wear element, wherein the wear behavior of the wear element comprises a wear of a movable component.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein
the sensor device records wear data in relation to the wear behavior as a function of a condition of the wear element.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein
the wear behavior depends on the operating conditions.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
at least one valve can be activated and/or deactivated depending on the detected wear data.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein
the sensor device only acquires wear data when a certain degree of wear of the wear element has been reached.

14. An apparatus for treating containers with a transport device for transporting a container along a predetermined transport path, wherein the apparatus has at least one container treatment device, wherein the at least one container treatment device has at least two valves via which a flowable medium can be supplied to a container and/or discharged from the container,
wherein the at
least one container treatment device is operable in a first and in a second operating mode,
wherein in a first operating mode at least one valve is active and at least one valve is not active, and in a second operating mode all valves are active and/or the apparatus comprises a wear detection device configured for detecting wear data with respect to wear of one of the at least two valves, wherein an active valve is configured to be activated and/or switched by a machine control within the scope of its intended functions, and wherein a deactivated valve is configured to not be activated and/or switched by the machine control.

15. The apparatus for treating containers according to claim 14 ,
wherein
the at least one container treatment device has at least three valves and a valve block on which at least two valves are arranged.

16. A method for treating containers with a transport device which transports a container along a predetermined transport path, with at least one container treatment device, wherein the at least one container treatment device has at least one wear element, wherein the at least one container treatment device has a wear detection device configured for detecting wear data relating to wear of the at least one wear element, wherein the wear detection device has a sensor device, and with a communication device for transmitting wear data relating to wear of the at least one wear element,
wherein
the sensor device directly detects the wear data relating to wear of the at least one wear element.

17. The method for treating containers according to claim 16 ,
wherein the
at least one wear element is a valve piston of a valve configured for supplying and/or discharging a flowable medium and/or the at least one valve is configured to be activated and/or deactivated as a function of the detected wear data.

18. A method for treating containers with a transport device which transports a container along a predetermined transport path, with at least one container treatment device, wherein the at least one container treatment device has at least two valves configured to feed a flowable medium to a container and/or discharge it therefrom,
wherein
the at least one container treatment device is operable in a first operating mode in which at least one valve is deactivated and at least one valve is activated and/or is operable in a second operating mode in which all valves are activated.

19. The method for treating containers according to claim 18 ,
wherein
in the first operating mode the at least one deactivated valve is a recycling valve and/or a change between the first operating mode and the second operating mode can be performed without stopping the at least one container treatment device.

Assignees

• Krones Ag

Inventors

• Winzinger Frank

Classifications

• F16K37/0041

  for measuring valve parameters (F16K37/0033 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C49/58

  Blowing means · CPC title

• B29C2049/7832

  Blowing with two or more pressure levels · CPC title

• B29L2031/7158

  Bottles · CPC title

• B29K2067/003

  PET, i.e. poylethylene terephthalate · CPC title