SPRAY PIPE SYSTEM

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus consists of a pipe conduit (10) which is reduced or expanded by the provision of several groove-like recesses (21) and/or outwardly bulged portions (22). Boreholes (26, 26') are provided on the flanks (25, 25') of the groove-like recesses or the outwardly bulged portions, wherein the longitudinal axes (27) of the bores form a right angle with the curved side surfaces of the pipe wall so that the cleaning medium can exit obliquely from the pipe conduit in bundled cleaning streams. The angle over which the cleaning streams extend is determined by the position of the boreholes in the curved side surfaces and the slope of the flanks. By adjusting the angle of incline and through a variable positioning of the boreholes, it is possible to obtain different spray patterns, which allow an optimal distribution of the spray medium and a uniform wetting of the surfaces to be cleaned. Since the longitudinal axes of the bores are located at right angles to the pipe wall, it is a simple matter to create the bore profile utilizing a laser. The cleaning apparatus is preferably used in a transport apparatus for bottles. In this case, the pipe conduits are arranged as exchangeable units and are positioned between the two reaches of the transport bands.

Description: SPRAY PIPE SYSTEM FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a cleaning apparatus with feed conduits for feeding a cleaning medium, and, in fluid communication with the feed conduits, at least one spraying device for spraying the cleaning medium. The invention further relates to a transport apparatus equipped with such a cleaning apparatus, for containers filled with or to be filled with food, and in particular bottles. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Contamination can become lodged in pores, cracks and other cavities. In particular in the area of the food industry, use is made of automatic cleaning installations which remove the contamination particles from the food-industry installations during or after the filling process, without having to decompose the particles or to cause them to change significantly. In the known cleaning installations, the cleaning solutions are moved by pumps and sprayed against the surfaces to be cleaned. Generally, fixedly mounted and non-rotating spray heads are used for the spraying of the cleaning solutions. In one known transport apparatus for bottles, that is also known as a transporter, the cleaning apparatus includes, in the region of the transport belt, spraying heads which are secured to an L-shaped, bent pipe conduit. The pipe conduits are welded to feed conduits that communicate with a common manifold. In order to obtain an even spraying and avoid the creation of spray shadows, the spray heads must be arranged at relatively small intervals along the pipe conduit. It is a disadvantage that spray systems equipped with several spray heads are relatively costly to manufacture. The manufacturing costs are of particular significance, since the complete cleaning installation consist of a plurality of such spray devices, arranged along the transport bands. It is an object of an aspect of the invention to provide a cleaning apparatus which can be manufactured without great cost, and which permits a uniform cleaning medium feed without spray shadows and dead corners, while using a relatively small amount of cleaning medium. It is a further object of an aspect of the invention to provide a transport apparatus for containers filled with or to be filled with food, in particular bottles, having a cleaning apparatus of economical construction, which allows a uniform distribution of the cleaning medium in the region of the drive means, without spray shadows and dead corners, and with a relatively low consumption of cleaning medium. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a cleaning apparatus with a feed conduit for feeding a cleaning medium and at least one spray apparatus in fluid connection with the feed conduit in order to spray the cleaning medium, characterized in that, the spray apparatus consists of a pipe conduit which has curved sections, wherein bore holes are provided, the longitudinal axes of the bore holes being perpendicular to the outer surface of the pipe wall. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a transport apparatus for the transport of containers filled or to be filled with food, especially bottles, with several parallel-running transport means arranged on an above-lying transport plane, and a cleaning apparatus in accordance with the above aspect of the invention. The spray assemblies of the cleaning apparatus in accordance with the invention do not have any separate spray heads. They consist simply of pipe conduits which, by the formation of several groove-like channels and/or, bulge-like expansions, are restricted or enlarged as the case may be. Bores are provided on the flanks of the groove-like channels or the bulge-like expansions, the longitudinal axes of the bores being at right angles to the sloping side surfaces of the pipe wall, so that the cleaning medium is ejected at an angle out of the pipe conduit as a bundled cleaning spray. The angle at which the cleaning spray exits the pipe conduit is determined by the position of the bore holes in the curved side surfaces and the inclination of the flanks. For example, if the bore holes are located close to the bottom of the groove or in region of the outer edges of the groove, i.e., in an area where the curved side surfaces are at a small angulation, the spray is ejected at a relatively large angle with respect to the pipe conduit, whereas the exit angle decreases toward the middle of the flanks. By altering the angle of the slope and by varying the location of the bore holes, various spray patterns can be created which allow a desired distribution of the spray material with respect to the actual conditions, and a uniform wetting of the surfaces to be cleaned. Since the cleaning medium is optimally distributed, the quantity of sprayed cleaning medium can be kept relatively small. A particular advantage of the spray apparatus lies in the fact that the bore profile in the pipe conduit is easily created using a laser. Since the longitudinal axes of the bores are perpendicular to the pipe wall, i.e., they are normal to the surface of the pipe wall, the laser beam does not have to burn the bores at an angle with respect to the workpiece, but rather can be directed at right angles to the pipe conduit surface. There is no risk that bore holes will "fray" at their ends, as would be the case if the laser beam did not strike the workpiece at a right angle. The reductions or expansions can be at uniform spacing along the pipe conduit, or can have various spacings. Depending upon the conditions of use and the position of the pipe conduit, it is possible to provide both reductions and expansions on the conduit, in order to create various spray patterns. Advantageously, the bore holes are arranged in the pipe conduit so as to cover a particular angulation, whereby the cleaning medium is sprayed in different directions. To the extent that a greater quantity of cleaning medium is required, the closeness of the bore holes in particular regions of the reduction or expansion can be increased. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, two groove-like reductions are arranged adjacent to one another along the pipe conduit, thus forming a double groove. The bore holes are preferably provided on the mutually facing inner flanks of the grooves. This avoids having the laterally exiting spray streams cross each other, thereby achieving a cleaning spray without atomization. The cleaning apparatus in accordance with the invention has basically a very broad range of use. Preferably it is employed in a transport apparatus for containers intended to be filled with food, especially bottles. It is preferred that the pipe conduits of the spray apparatus be bended in a L-shape, wherein the long arm provided, with groove-like channels and/or outwardly bulged portions, is located in the area of the transport means for carrying the bottles. In order to quickly dismantle the spray apparatus for maintenance or repair, the short arm of the pipe conduit, in a preferred embodiment of the transport apparatus is realisably connected with the feed conduit for the cleaning medium, while the closed end of the long arm sits loosely in a mounting support. After separating the pipe conduit from the feed conduit, the spray apparatus can be withdrawn laterally out of the mounting support, and then later replaced thereon. Thus, the belts or chains serving as the transport media of the transport apparatus do not need to be removed for the installation or disassembly of the spray apparatus. Thus the mounting or removal of the spray apparatus is also possible while the transport apparatus is in operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Several embodiments of the invention are described more specifically below, with reference to the drawings. They show: In Figure 1 the forward portion of the transport apparatus for containers which are filled or to be filled with food, especially bottles, in a simplified partly sectioned perspective view. In Figure 2 a section through the transport apparatus taken along the line II-II, In Figure 3 the portion "X" in Figure 2, shown to a larger scale, In Figure 4 a pipe conduit with a groove-like recess, In Figure 5(a) the portion "X" in Figure 4, shown to a larger scale, In Figure 5(b) a section through the pipe conduit portion of Figure 5(a), taken along the line A-A, In Figure 5(c) a section through the pipe conduit portion of Figure 5(a), taken along the line B-B, In Figure 5(d) the pipe conduit portion of Figure 5(a), seen in the direction of arrow "C", In Figure 5(e) a section through the wall of the pipe conduit of Figure 4 in the region of the groove-like recess, to a larger scale, In Figure 6 a second embodiment of the pipe conduit which includes groove-like recesses disposed in adjacent pairs, In Figure 7(a) the portion "X" of Figure 6, shown to a larger scale, In Figure 7(b) a section through the pipe conduit portion of Figure 7(a), taken along the line A-A, In Figure 7(c) a section through the pipe conduit portion of Figure 7(a), taken along the line B-B, In Figure 7(d) the pipe conduit portion of Figure 7(a) as seen in the direction of arrow " C " , In Figure 8 a further embodiment of the pipe conduit, which includes outwardly bulged portions, In Figure 9(a) the portion "X" of Figure 8, shown to a larger scale, In Figure 9(b) a section through the pipe conduit portion of Figure 9(a), taken along the line A-A, In Figure 9(c) a section through the pipe conduit portion of Figure 9(a), taken along the line B-B, In Figure 9(d) the pipe conduit portion of Figure 9(a), as seen in the direction of arrow "C", In Figure 10 a further embodiment of the pipe conduit with outwardly bulged portions, In Figure 11(a) the portion "X" of Figure 10, shown to a larger scale, In Figure 11(b) a section through the pipe conduit portion of Figure 11(a), taken along the line A-A, In Figure l l(c)a section through the pipe conduit portion of Figure 11(a), taken along the line B-B, In Figure 11(d) the pipe conduit portion of Figure 11(a), as seen in the direction of arrow "C" . DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Figure 1 shows the transport apparatus for containers filled or to be filled with food, especially bottles, in a simplified perspective view. For better illustration, the forward section of the transport apparatus is cut away. The transport apparatus includes a support 1 which carries a downwardly open frame provided with reinforcement means. The frame incorporates, as transport means for the bottles, four parallel-running transport bands, 3', 3", 3'", 3"", each of which is entrained around two drive means at the forward and rearward ends of the transport apparatus (not illustrated). The bottles transported on the transport bands are indicated in Figure 1 with the numeral 4. The automatic cleaning takes place during or after operation of the installation, utilizing a cleaning apparatus 5 which will be described in greater detail below. The cleaning apparatus 5 includes a central conduit 6 extending in the longitudinal direction of the support 1, the conduit 6 being connected through valves 7 with feed conduits 8, to each of which a group of four spray apparatuses 9 is connected. However, it is possible to provide more than four spray apparatuses 9. Each spray apparatus 9 includes a basically L-shaped bent pipe conduit 10 made of metal (Figure 2). In principle, however, it is also possible to make the pipe conduit from plastic. The long arm 11 of the pipe conduit 10 extends through a lateral opening 13 in the side portion 14 of the frame 2, and then extends in the horizontal direction between transport bands, 3', 3", 3'", and 3"". The short arm 12 of the pipe conduit extends downwardly and is realisably connected to a pipe support 15 provided adjacent the feed conduit 8. Figure 3 shows the flexible connection of the short arm 12 of the pipe conduit 10 with the pipe support 15 of the feed conduit 8, to a larger scale. At the ends of the pipe conduit 10 and the pipe support 15 is located a PVC hose-coupling 16, as a leak-tight sleeve which is tightened by a pipe clamp 17. Whereas the end of the short arm 12 of the pipe conduit 10 is in fluid connection with the feed conduit 8, the end of the long arm 11 is closed. Secured to the closed pipe conduit end is a round member 18 which projects into an opening 19 with a round cross section, formed as a mounting support, the opening 19 being provided in the opposite side portion 20 of the frame 2. The round profile is secured in place by a peg. To dismantle the spray apparatus 9, the pipe clamp 17 is removed, the hose-coupling 16 is withdrawn, and the pipe conduit 10 is withdrawn in the horizontal direction out of the openings 13, 19 of the frame side portions 14, 20. The horizontal long arm 11 of the pipe conduit 10 is reduced or expanded as the case maybe, by the provision of a plurality of groove-like reductions or bulged portions 21, 22. In the bulged sloping surfaces there are provided bore holes through which the cleaning medium exits in bundled spray streams 23 at different angles, and in particular against the lateral or above-lying guides 24 of the transport bands 3. The cleaning medium can drain away through the downwardly open frame 2 of the transport apparatus. In the material to follow, four different embodiments of the spray apparatus 9 will be described in detail, wherein for each embodiment there is illustrated the complete pipe conduit 10, a side view and a top plan view of a portion of the pipe conduit, and two sections through the pipe conduit. Arrows show the direction of the spray streams in the figures. Figure 4 shows a pipe conduit 10 of which the longer arm 11 is provided with four groove-shaped recesses 21 located at equal intervals. The restrictions can be created with appropriate tools. On the flanks 25, 25', of the groove-like recesses there are provided, in the region of the upper side of the pipe conduit within an angular range of about 90° to 180°, peripherally distributed bore holes 26, 26', of which the longitudinal axes 27 extend perpendicular to the sloping surfaces of the pipe wall, i.e. they extend normal to the surface. Figure 5(a) shows a section through the pipe conduit taken at one row of holes whereas Figure 5(b) shows a section through the pipe conduit along the other row of holes. (These figure designations appear incorrect - Translator). The longitudinal axes 27 of the bore holes are illustrated with broken lines in Figures 5(a) and 5(b). The bore holes 26 of the one row of holes are displaced with respect to the bore holes 26' of the other row of holes in such a way that the bundled spray streams that exit through the bores of the pipe conduit 10 do not cross each other. This avoids atomization. Furthermore, the bore holes are distributed in such a way that the spray streams are directed towards those locations of the transport apparatus, located above the pipe conduit, which are exposed to a particularly large degree of contamination. In Figure 5(d) the spray streams are illustrated with arrows. Figure 5(e) shows a longitudinal section through the pipe wall in the region of the groove-like recess 21. The pipe conduit is deformed in such way that the thickness of the pipe wall in the region of the groove is essentially unchanged. The longitudinal axis 27 of the bore, which indicates the direction of the spray stream, is disposed perpendicularly to the curved, angulated surface, such that the spray stream exits laterally from the pipe conduit. The exit angle is determined by the angulation of the flanks and the positions of the bore holes. Adjacent the two rows of holes there is additionally a laterally displaced bore hole indicated with the numeral 26", in the edge region of the groove-like recess. The spray stream exits from this bore hole 26" at a relatively large angle. Figures 6 and 7(a) to 7(d) show a second embodiment of the spray apparatus. This embodiment is distinguished from the first example embodiment primarily in that, on a horizontal arm of the pipe conduit 10, there are provided two pairs of closely adjacent groove-like recesses with the same spacing (Figure 6). The two rows of holes are positioned on the flanks of the two recesses which are towards each other, so that the spray streams project in different directions and cannot influence each other (Figure 7(d)). A further embodiment is shown in Figures 8 and 9(a) to 9(d). Instead of the groove-like recesses, the horizontal arm 11 of the pipe conduit 10 has a plurality of bulged portions 22 distributed along its length, and which the bore holes 26, 26' are provided on the side flanks 25, 25' of the bulged portions (Figures 9(a) and 9(d)). In this embodiment, the bulged expansion has a uniform radius of curvature. Since the spray streams exit from the pipe conduit 10 at both sides of the bulged portions, the bore holes are not displaced with respect to each other, as is the case with the pipe conduit with the individual groove- like recesses, The pipe conduit shown in Figure 10 and 11(a) to 11(d) differs from the previous described conduit which likewise has bulged portions 22, by the fact that the bulged portions are smaller and have a smooth lateral transition (Figure 11(a) and 11(d)). All embodiments have in common the fact that the longitudinal axes 27 of the bore holes 26, 26' extend perpendicularly with respect to the pipe wall. Because of this, the bore profile is easily created with a laser. The bores, due to the orientation, can also be created with an appropriate drill press without the danger that the drill will slip on the workpiece when applied.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A cleaning apparatus with a feed conduit for feeding a cleaning medium and at least one spray apparatus in fluid connection with the feed conduit in order to spray the cleaning medium, characterized in that, the spray apparatus consists of a pipe conduit which has a curved section, wherein bore holes are provided, the longitudinal axes of the bore holes being perpendicular to the outer surface of the pipe wall. 2. A cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that said curved section is a reduced section in the pipe conduit formed by the provision of a groove-like recess where the bore holes are provided on the flanks of the groove-like recess. 3. A cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that said curved section is an expanded section in the pipe conduit formed by the provision of an outwardly bulged portion where the bore holes are provided on the outwardly bulged portion. 4. A cleaning apparatus according to Claim 1, characterized in that the bore holes in the flanks of the groove-like recesses are distributed circumferentially over an angle of 90° to 120°. 5. A cleaning apparatus according to Claim 1, characterized in that the bore holes in the outwardly bulged portions are distributed circumferentially over an angle of 90° to 120°. 6. A cleaning apparatus according to Claim 2 or 4, characterized in that the groove-like recesses are provided in adjacent pairs. 7. A cleaning apparatus according to Claim 6, characterized in that the bore holes are provided on the adjacent inner flanks on the pairs of closely adjacent groove-like recesses. 8. A transport apparatus for the transport of containers filled or to be filled with food, especially bottles, with several parallel-running transport means arranged on an above-lying transport plane, and a cleaning apparatus in accordance with any one of Claims 1 through 7, in the region of the transport means. 9. A transport apparatus according to Claim 8, characterized in that each pipe conduit of the cleaning apparatus is bent essentially into a L-shape, wherein the long arm is provided with the groove-shaped recesses and/or outwardly bulged portions and is arranged parallel to the transport plane, and in that the end of the long pipe conduit arm is closed and the end of the short pipe conduit arm is removably connected to the feed conduit. 10. A transport apparatus according to Claim 9, characterized in that the end of the long arm of the pipe conduit is removably installed in a holder. 11. A transport apparatus according to Claim 9 or 10, characterized in that there is provided a hose-coupling into which are inserted, on the one hand the end of the short pipe conduit arm and on the other hand a branch of the feed conduit, and in that a pipe clamp is provided to tightened the hose-coupling.

Inventors: FERBER KLAUS, JUHNKE ANDREAS, SCHMIDT MICHAEL, FERBER, KLAUS, JUHNKE, ANDREAS, SCHMIDT, MICHAEL
Applicants: FERBER KLAUS, JUHNKE ANDREAS, SCHMIDT MICHAEL, UNILEVER NV, FERBER, KLAUS, JUHNKE, ANDREAS, SCHMIDT, MICHAEL, UNILEVER N.V.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: B08B9
IPC codes: B05B1, B08B9