Store, in particular buffer store for storing bottles or similar containers

A buffer store for storing containers having a container axis has rotor that can be driven to rotate about a vertical machine axis. The rotor includes storing units distributed around the machine axis. Each one forms a storage region extending extends along an axial direction thereof in the rotor's longitudinal direction to accommodate containers in a storage position. Each container is oriented with its axis in either square or radial to the machine axis. A transport system introduces containers into and causes them to issue from the storage regions. The transport system swivels a container into storage position upon introduction of the container from a normal container position in which its container axis extends in a vertical direction. It also swivels a container out of storage position and into the normal position as the container is issued from a storage region.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is the national phase under 35 USC 371 of international application no. PCT/EP2011/001695, filed Apr. 6, 2011, which claims the benefit of the priority date of German application no. 10 2010 023 757.4, filed Jun. 15, 2010. The contents of the aforementioned applications are incorporated herein in their entirety.

FIELD OF DISCLOSURE

The invention relates to a store for storing containers.

BACKGROUND

In container treatment plants, in particular also in plants of the beverages industry used for filling containers with a liquid filling material, for example with drink, it is frequently necessary to provide buffer stores in which containers which are not needed are buffered for example in the event of plant breakdowns. Such buffer stores are required in particular in the kind of plant which exhibits upstream of a filling machine a machine for producing the containers, for example a blower machine for producing the plastic (PET) containers from preforms by blow forming. In the event of breakdowns in the filling machine or in a machine downstream of the filling machine in the plant, it is necessary to buffer the containers (e.g. PET bottles) still being produced by the blower machine in a buffer store to prevent the discarding of surplus containers and in particular also of already preheated preforms.

A disadvantage of known buffer stores is their relatively large space requirement and installation space for sufficient storage capacity (maximum number of containers to be stored). In particular, known buffer stores are also unsuitable for integrated machine parts or plant parts, i.e. for plant parts which exhibit a plurality of machines, for example the blower machine, the filling machine, a sealing machine and a labelling machine, in a tight design and with no additional conveyor belts interconnecting the said machines.

A buffer store for storing bottles (U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,027) is known which consists essentially of a rotor that can be driven to rotate about a horizontal machine axis and on whose periphery is formed a plurality of storing units each extending in the rotor's longitudinal direction and specifically parallel to the machine axis and each having a storing region for receiving a plurality of bottles. The latter are oriented with their bottle axis radially to the machine axis in the respective storage region. The bottles can be moved by conveyor air from a charging position into the storing region of the respective storing unit, along the storing region as well as out of the storing region to a discharge position for discharging out of the store. This known buffer store too has at least the disadvantage of a relatively large space requirement.

SUMMARY

The object of the invention is to disclose a buffer store which is characterised by a small space requirement and compact design while being simplified in layout. A buffer store as described herein is configured to resolve this task.

Further embodiments, advantages and possible applications of the invention arise out of the following description of embodiments and out of the figures. All of the described and/or pictorially represented attributes whether alone or in any desired combination are fundamentally the subject matter of the invention independently of their synopsis in the claims or a retroactive application thereof. The content of the claims is also made an integral part of the description.

For the purpose of the invention the expression “essentially” means variations from the respective exact value by +/−10%, preferably by +/−5%.

The invention is explained in detail below through the use of an embodiment example with reference to the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The buffer store generally indicated in the figures by1serves for storing or buffering a plurality of containers in the form of bottles2which are depicted in the figures as PET bottles, and specifically in a plurality of levels that are arranged vertically above one another within a tight space.

To this end, buffer store1comprises a rotor3that can be driven to rotate about a vertical machine axis MA and on whose periphery there are formed, distributed at even angular distances about machine axis MA, a plurality of storing units4which in turn each exhibit a plurality of receptacles or holders in the form of bottle or container grippers5with which bottles2stored in buffer store1are held in storing regions in a plurality of annular levels arranged vertically above one another and with their bottle axis FA oriented radially to machine axis MA, in the manner described more fully below.

With rotor3/storing units4are associated two bottle transport star wheels6and7each of which can be driven about a vertical axis synchronously with rotor3but counter to direction of rotation A of rotor3, as indicated by arrows B and C for transport star wheels6and7respectively. About their periphery, transport star wheels6and7each exhibit a plurality of bottle receptacles in the form of bottle or container grippers8, specifically at an angular distance or pitch which corresponds to the pitch of storing units4on rotor3and such that in the manner described more fully below, through the synchronising of the drives, whenever a container gripper8is present at container transfer position9between transport star wheel6and rotor3, a container gripper5of a storing unit4is also present there in its pickup and dispensing position on a lower exit level. The same applies by analogy to the container transfer position between rotor3and transport star wheel7.

In the case of the depicted embodiment, rotor3consists in essence of a lower ring-like rotor element3.1which encloses a machine element10arranged on the same axis as machine axis MA and not rotating with rotor3, as well as an upper disc-like rotor element3.2. The two rotor elements3.1and3.2whose surface sides are oriented at right angles to machine axis MA are interconnected by a plurality of internal guide bars11oriented with their longitudinal extension parallel to machine axis MA to form a cage-like structure of rotor3. Rotor3is mounted by bearings (not shown) on machine part10which is depicted column-like only very schematically in the figures.

With each storing unit4is associated, in the case of the depicted embodiment, a guide rod11on which in the case of the depicted embodiment a controllable driver12is guided in the guide rod's longitudinal direction, driver12being provided on its end that projects radially inward from respective guide rod11relative to machine axis MA with a cam roller13which engages freely rotatably about an axis radial to machine axis MA in a cam14. The latter is configured on a section10.1of machine part10that is not moved with rotor5, and in such a way that self-contained cam14exhibits two horizontal, i.e. each running in planes perpendicular to machine axis MA, circular-arc-shaped sections14.1and14.2on different height levels and two sections14.3and14.4which interconnect respectively sections14.1and14.2at an angle, i.e. helically, as indicated by the broken line inFIG. 2.

In the case of the depicted embodiment, each driver12associated with one storing unit4consists of a pneumatically operable detent cylinder whose cylinder housing15is guided in the manner of a carriage on the associated guide rod11and which in the activated condition interacts by its piston16with the associated storing unit4in the manner described below. Each storing unit4comprises a belt17which forms a closed loop and which in the case of the depicted embodiment is configured as a toothed belt and is guided over both an upper pulley18and a lower pulley19in such a way that each belt17forms a loop. The loop sections or belt lengths17.1and17.2running between pulleys18and19are oriented vertically, i.e. parallel to machine axis MA. In the case of the depicted embodiment the loop of each storing unit4, which (loop) is formed by belts17, is also arranged in a plane common with the guide rod11that is associated with that storing unit, said plane being oriented radially or essentially radially to machine axis MA, but said loop being arranged in such a way that relative to machine axis MA the loop formed by belt17is radially spaced apart from associated guide rod11and offset radially outwards relative to guide rod11. Pulleys18and19are each mounted rotatably about axes tangential to a notional circular line concentrically enclosing machine axis MA, specifically in the case of the depicted embodiment in such a way that the axes of all pulleys18and19exhibit the same radial distance from machine axis MA.

For mounting upper pulleys18there are provided on the periphery of the circular-disc-shaped rotor element3.2support arms20which project beyond the periphery and beyond the top of rotor element3.2and on whose upper free end the bearing is configured for the associated pulley18.

Lower pulleys18are each mounted between two platen-like bearing elements21provided on the top of annular rotor part3.1.

In the case of the depicted embodiment, container grippers5and8exhibit the configuration known to the skilled person of container or bottle grippers, each comprising two gripper-tong-like gripper elements5.1(container gripper5) and8.1(container gripper8) which, preloaded pivotably relative to one another by spring means in a gripping state, hold respective bottle2by its bottle neck forming the bottle mouth, preferably under a neck ring2.1which is there provided and which is usual especially in the case of PET bottles, as is shown particularly distinctly inFIG. 4.

On each belt17, a plurality of holding elements22are fixed at equal intervals on a partial length and lying on the outside relative to the loop; said holding elements22project away from belt17concerned in an axial direction that lies in the loop plane of this belt and they each exhibit at their free end facing away from belt17a container gripper5.

The number of holding elements22with container grippers5provided on each belt17is selected so that in an extreme state of each storing unit4, all container grippers5are disposed on belt length17.2extending between pulleys18and19and lying radially inside relative to machine axis MA, and specifically with the exception of one container gripper5that is arranged in the pickup and dispensing position and which in that position beneath the lower deflection region or return point of belt17projects radially relative to machine axis MA out beyond the periphery of rotor3and in particular also of rotor part3.1for the pickup or dispensing of a bottle2. In a second extreme state of storing unit4, all container grippers5are located on belt length17.1which lies radially on the outside relative to machine axis MA, and again specifically with the exception of one container gripper5which has adopted the pickup and dispensing position and projects radially out beyond rotor3relative to machine axis MA. It goes without saying that by appropriate movement of respective belt17, other states can be adopted between these extremes, in each state however with a container gripper5being present at the pickup and dispensing position whose height level also corresponds to the level of transfer position9.

In the case of the depicted embodiment, container grippers5each project away from their holding elements22in one and the same peripheral direction of the loop formed by belt17, i.e. in such a way that container grippers5project downwards away from associated holding element22on the radially inside belt length parallel to that belt length17.2and on the radially outside belt length17.1relative to machine axis MA are again oriented parallel to that belt length but projecting upwards away from associated holding element22.

Buffer store1may assume different operating modes:

Storing of Bottles2in Buffer Store1

For introducing and/or storing bottles2in buffer store1or in storing units4, as rotor3and transport star wheels6and7rotate, bottles2initially held suspended by their bottle neck from container grippers8of for example the transport star wheel and with their bottle axes FA vertically oriented are successively transferred at container transfer9to a container gripper5—located at the lowest position—of a storing unit4at which particular bottle2is then raised by a controlled moving of associated belt17into the storing region to a first storing level on which bottles2are arranged with their bottle axes FA oriented horizontally or radially to machine axis MA and with base2.2lying outward, a container gripper5now being again in position at each storing unit4for picking up a further bottle2at the pickup and dispensing position on the exit level.

The controlled moving of respective belt17and hence the controlled raising of respective bottle2to the storing level is effected by activation of associated driver12which when in the activated state is in working engagement with the radially inward belt length17.2of the storing unit4concerned or with a local holding element22and which, following falling section14.3of cam14, draws the radially inward belt length17.2downwards, thereby effecting an upward movement of radially outward belt length17.1with container grippers5thereon by a storage stroke that is equal to the axial pitch of cam sections14.1and14.2. The possibility therefore exists that with each complete revolution of rotor3, a bottle2is picked up from each storing unit4at the pickup and dispensing position and then moved upwards by the storage stroke so that ultimately a plurality bottles with their bottle axes FA oriented radially to machine axis MA are received in a plurality of storage levels arranged vertically one above the other in buffer store1.

In the case of the depicted embodiment, as well as the exit level buffer store1also exhibits seven storing planes each with a different storing level. In order to achieve the greatest possible storage capacity for buffer store1and its storing regions with the smallest possible overall height and/or shortest possible centres between pulleys18and19of storing units4, container grippers5are provided in closest possible succession on belt17, with however the centres of container grippers5being at any rate somewhat greater than the diameter of bottles2.

The retrieving of bottles2from buffer store1is effected in reverse manner, starting with bottles2on the lowest storage plane of the storage regions such that by appropriate triggering of belts17of storing units4, container grippers5of this lowest storage plane are lowered, together with bottles2which they are holding, to the pickup and dispensing position, for example before container transfer9is reached and by appropriate activating of drivers12which, following the rising section14.4of cam14, move the respectively inner belt length17.2upwards and so move container grippers5provided on outer belt length17.1back by the storage stroke to the pickup and dispensing position or to the exit level on which bottles2are then forwarded in normal position, i.e. with their bottle axis FA vertically oriented, for example to transport star wheel6at container transfer9or to transport star wheel7at the container transfer which corresponds to container transfer9.

Continuous Mode

If a storing of bottles2in buffer store1is not required, then bottle2can be fed, for example by way of transport star wheel6, at container transfer9individually to a container gripper5of storing units4which (container gripper) is present in the pickup and dispensing position on the exit level, and forwarded to transport star wheel7with container grippers5remaining on the exit level and with rotor3rotating.

Drivers12or their detent cylinders can be controlled for example so that drivers12are always activated in the horizontal section14.1and14.2of cam14, but in sections14.3and14.4of cam14only when bottles2are introduced into the respective storing region or for dispensing bottles2from the storage region.

In this operating mode (continuous mode) container grippers5which are arranged in the pickup and dispensing position or on the exit level and thus at the lower return point of belt17therefore facilitate an uninterrupted transport of bottles2from transport star wheel6to transport star wheel7, i.e. from a container take-up to a container issue.

In the case of the depicted embodiment, belts17form a transport system in which, during storing, fed bottles2are raised up from the pickup and dispensing position or from the exit level there located to the first storing level of the respective storage region, or when bottles2are issued from buffer store1, bottles2which are located on the first storing level are lowered down to the pickup and dispensing position or to the exit level, in both cases as bottles2are turned through 90° on an axis tangential to the direction of rotation A of rotor3. Through its simplified design execution, buffer store1facilitates a storing of a plurality of bottles2or other containers that requires a small built volume or space and that can be used for a wide diversity of installations in which a buffering of bottles2or other containers is necessary or expedient. In particular but not exclusively, buffer store1is suitable as a plant component between a blower machine for producing bottles2from preforms by blow forming and a filling machine for filling bottles2with a liquid filling material, so that in the event of a breakdown of the filling machine or a subsequent machine (e.g. sealing machine or labelling machine), bottles2still being produced by the blower machine can be buffered in buffer store1at least until the breakdown is cleared and so there is no need to discard these bottles or preheated preforms as unusable.

The compact design also makes the buffer store1suitable in particular for integrated plants or machines, i.e. for machines which for the optimal utilisation of an available space are closely interconnected or combined to form a machine group or plant part and between which no additional transport elements or conveyor belts are required, for example to form an integral machine or plant group comprising blower machine, filling machine, sealing machine and labelling machine.

The fact that the container grippers5of each storing unit4which are not required or not occupied with bottles2are located on the belt lengths17.2which lie radially on the inside contributes to the compact design.

The invention has been described hereinbefore by reference to one embodiment. It goes without saying that numerous variations as well as modifications are possible without departing from the inventive concept underlying the invention.

REFERENCE LIST