Apparatus and method for treating and in particular sterilising containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12515936-B2
Application number	US-202218088161-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2022
Priority date	Dec 23, 2021
Publication date	Jan 6, 2026
Grant date	Jan 6, 2026

Abstract

Disclosed is a container treatment apparatus, in particular a container sterilisation apparatus, having a plurality of transport devices for transporting a container along a predetermined transport path, at least one of the transport devices having at least one holding device for holding at least one container during container treatment and/or transport along the transport path, the transport device having a rotatable carrier and a plurality of holding elements arranged on this carrier, wherein a holding element in a first sector, in which a container is received, having a height with respect to a perpendicular projection of the transport path which is different from that in a second sector in which a container is dispensed, and wherein a sector in which an at least partial compensation of the height difference of the holding elements takes place lies along a direction of rotation of the carrier after the second sector and before the first sector. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for the treatment, in particular the sterilisation, of containers.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A container treatment apparatus for transporting plastic containers along a predetermined transport path, wherein the container treatment device has at least one first transport device which has a plurality of outer holding clamps configured for holding the plastic containers during transport, and a second transport device which has a plurality of inner holding mandrels which are configured to be inserted into the containers and to be held against an inner wall of the containers, and the plastic containers are transferred from the first transport device to the second transport device, so that the containers are transferred from one of the plurality of the outer holding clamps of the first transport device to one of the plurality of inner holding mandrels of the second transport device for external treatment,
wherein the first transport device and the second transport device are each a pitch distribution starwheel, so that the plastic containers are directly transferred from a pitch distribution starwheel to a further pitch distribution starwheel, and wherein the container treatment device has a container outer surface treatment device configured for treating outer surfaces of the plastic containers and a container inner surface treatment device configured for treating inner surfaces of the plastic containers, and the container outer surface treatment device is arranged on the second transport device, which is a pitch distribution starwheel.

2 . The container treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the container treatment device comprises a housing, wherein the transport path lies at least partially within the housing.

3 . The container treatment apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the housing has a transfer window for introducing and/or transferring the plastic containers from the first transport device, which is arranged outside the housing, to the second transport device, which is arranged inside the housing.

4 . The container treatment apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the transfer window has a width which is between 250 mm and 320 mm.

5 . The container treatment apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein a shielding device is arranged at least in sections in the region of the transfer window, which shields the surroundings of the housing from the interior of the housing.

6 . The container treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second transport device comprises a lifting and rotating device which allows a movement of the inner holding mandrels in vertical and/or horizontal direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the plastic container and a rotational movement of the plastic container along the longitudinal axis.

7 . The container treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first transport device and/or the outer holding clamps of the first transport device follow the transport path of the second transport device and/or the inner holding mandrels of the second transport devices at least partially or in sections during the transfer of the plastic containers to the second transport device and accompany them.

8 . A method for transporting plastic containers along a predetermined transport path, wherein the plastic containers being transported by at least a first transport device, which has a plurality of outer holding clamps configured for holding the plastic containers during transport, and a second transport device, which has a plurality of inner holding mandrels which are inserted into the containers and held against an inner wall of the containers, and are transferred from the first transport device to the second transport device, so that the containers are transferred from one of the plurality outer holding clamps of the first transport device to one of the plurality of inner holding mandrels of the second transport device for external treatment,
wherein the first transport device and the second transport device are each a pitch distribution starwheel, so that the plastic containers are directly transferred from a pitch distribution starwheel to a further pitch distribution starwheel, so that the plastic containers are transferred from a pitch distribution starwheel to a subsequent pitch distribution starwheel, and wherein the container treatment device has a container outer surface treatment device configured for treating outer surfaces of the plastic containers and a container inner surface treatment device configured for treating inner surfaces of the plastic containers, and the treatment of the outer surfaces of the plastic containers is carried out on the second transport device which is a pitch distribution starwheel.

9 . The method according to claim 8 ,
wherein the second transport device is suitable and intended to move the inner holding mandrels relative to a longitudinal axis of the plastic containers along a vertical and/or horizontal direction and to rotate the plastic containers about their longitudinal axis.

Assignees

• Krones Ag

Inventors

• Neubauer Michael
• Kiendl Thomas
• Kammerl Martin
• Hoffmann Florian
• Pense Andreas
• Fuchs Florian
• Feigl Alexander
• Schoenberger Wolfgang
• Kornprobst Stefan
• Eichenseher Andreas
• Gette Viktor
• Vornehm Andreas
• Senn Konrad
• Knott Josef
• Effenberger Harald

Classifications

• B29C49/42095

  Rotating wheels or stars · CPC title

• B29C49/42418

  for sterilizing · CPC title

• B29C49/42065

  Means specially adapted for transporting preforms · CPC title

• B67C3/2642

  specially adapted for sterilising prior to filling · CPC title

• A61L2103/23

  Containers other than laboratory or medical, e.g. bottles or mail · CPC title