Turn-bolt device for a transporting star wheel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12304749-B2
Application number	US-202218082171-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2022
Priority date	Dec 16, 2021
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

The invention relates inter alia to a turn-bolt device for a transporting star wheel, preferably a sorting star, for transporting containers. The turn-bolt device has a bearing body and a rotary member having an actuating region for actuating the rotary member, a bolt region for holding a container and a shaft region which integrally interconnects the actuating region and the bolt region and is rotatably mounted in the bearing body. The bearing body and the rotary member are formed from a plurality of adjoining material layers which are preferably manufactured additively.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A turn-bolt device for a transporting star wheel for transporting containers, comprising:
a bearing body; and
a unitary component rotary member, having:
an actuating region for actuating the rotary member;
a bolt region for holding a container; and
a shaft region which integrally inseparably interconnects the actuating region and the bolt region and is rotatably mounted in the bearing body;

wherein the bearing body and the rotary member are formed from a plurality of adjoining material layers, the bearing body has a hole in which the shaft region is rotatably mounted, the bearing body has at least one passage along the shaft region, which interconnects an outer periphery of the bearing body and the hole, and
at least one of:
the at least one passage is in the form of a slot which is oriented parallel to the shaft region; and
the at least one passage has a plurality of passages which are arranged at least one of at a distance from one another with respect to a longitudinal axis of the shaft region and on the same side of the bearing body.

2. The turn-bolt device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of adjoining material layers are manufactured additively.

3. The turn-bolt device according to claim 1 , wherein:
at least one of the bearing body and the rotary member include a plurality of reinforcement parts which are embedded in the adjoining material layers.

4. The turn-bolt device according to claim 3 , wherein at least one of:
the reinforcement parts are ball shaped; and
the reinforcement parts are made of a glass material.

5. The turn-bolt device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the rotary member can be rotated between a locking position for holding a container via the bolt region and a release position for releasing the container; and
the rotary member can be locked in at least one of the locking position and the release position.

6. The turn-bolt device according to claim 5 , wherein at least one of:
the rotary member can be rotated between the locking position for holding the container via the bolt region and the release position for releasing the container by approximately 90°; and
the rotary member can be locked in the at least one of the locking position and the release position magnetically.

7. The turn-bolt device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the bearing body includes a receiving portion in which a magnet which locks the rotary member in one of the locking position and the release position is arranged.

8. The turn-bolt device according to claim 7 , wherein at least one of:
the magnet which locks the rotary member in the one of the locking position and the release position is adhesively bonded; and
the bearing body includes another receiving portion in which another magnet which locks the rotary member in the other of the locking position and the release position is arranged.

9. The turn-bolt device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an additional rotary member which is rotatably mounted in the bearing body and is connected to the rotary member for rotation,

wherein at least one of:
the additional rotary member is formed from a plurality of adjoining material layers;
the additional rotary member has a receiving portion in which a magnet for locking the rotary member is arranged; and
the additional rotary member is connected to the rotary member for rotation so as to mesh with one another.

10. The turn-bolt device according to claim 9 , wherein at least one of:
the additional rotary member has a gear portion which meshes with a gear portion of the actuating region; and
the additional rotary member has a lever arm portion for actuation by a cam or a control curve.

11. The turn-bolt device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the bearing body has a ramp region, on which the rotary member is guided to reduce longitudinal play of the rotary member during the rotation of the rotary member.

12. The turn-bolt device according to claim 11 , wherein at least one of:
the ramp region is an annular-segment-shaped ramp region; and
the bearing body has the ramp region on which the actuating region of the rotary member is guided to reduce the longitudinal play of the rotary member during the rotation of the rotary member.

13. The turn-bolt device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
the actuating region has a lever arm portion for actuation by a cam or a control curve; and
the actuating region has a gear portion for actuation by a gear portion of an additional rotary member of the turn-bolt device.

14. The turn-bolt device according to claim 13 , wherein at least one of:
the lever arm portion is arranged outside the bearing body; and
the gear portion of the actuating region is arranged inside the bearing body.

15. A transporting star wheel for transporting containers, comprising:
a plurality of turn-bolt devices, each including:
a bearing body; and
a unitary component rotary member, having:
an actuating region for actuating the rotary member;
a bolt region for holding a container; and
a shaft region which integrally inseparably interconnects the actuating region and the bolt region and is rotatably mounted in the bearing body;

wherein the bearing body and the rotary member are formed from a plurality of adjoining material layers, and the plurality of turn-bolt devices are arranged around a periphery of the transporting star wheel, the bearing body has a hole in which the shaft region is rotatably mounted, the bearing body has at least one passage along the shaft region, which interconnects an outer periphery of the bearing body and the hole, and

at least one of:
the at least one passage is in the form of a slot which is oriented parallel to the shaft region; and
the at least one passage has a plurality of passages which are arranged at least one of at a distance from one another with respect to a longitudinal axis of the shaft region and on the same side of the bearing body.

16. The transporting star according to claim 15 , further comprising:
at least one star plate which has, on the periphery thereof, a plurality of pockets for receiving the containers, wherein the plurality of turn-bolt devices are arranged for holding the containers in the plurality of pockets.

17. A method for producing a turn-bolt device for a transporting star wheel for transporting containers, comprising:
additively manufacturing the turn-bolt device having a bearing body and a unitary component rotary member having an actuating region for actuating the rotary member, a bolt region for holding a container and a shaft region which integrally inseparably interconnects the actuating region and the bolt region and is rotatably mounted in the bearing body, wherein the bearing body and the rotary member are additively manufactured together; and
at least one of:
removing loose material powder which is arranged between the bearing body and the rotary member through at least one passage in the bearing body after the additive manufacturing, and
positioning at least one magnet in at least one of the bearing body and an additional rotary member of the turn-bolt device.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the bearing body and the rotary member are additively manufactured together at least one of in a powder bed process and with embedding reinforcement parts.

19. The method according to claim 17 , wherein at least one of:
the rotary member is additively manufactured together with the bearing body, in part inside and in part out

Assignees

• Krones Ag

Inventors

• Fischer Thomas

Classifications

• B65G2201/0244

  Bottles · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B65G47/846 Primary

  Star-shaped wheels or wheels equipped with article-engaging elements · CPC title

• B65G47/847 Primary

  the article-engaging elements being grippers · CPC title