Abstract:
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&#39;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.

Description:
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&#39;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. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  shows in schematic perspective view an inventive buffer store for containers in the form of bottles; 
         FIG. 2  shows in perspective view a section through the rotor of the buffer store in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIGS. 3 and 4  show in enlarged perspective partial view the transfer region between the rotor or storing units there located, and a transport star wheel; 
         FIG. 5  shows in enlarged perspective partial view the rotor, together with the storing units provided around the periphery of the rotor. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The buffer store generally indicated in the figures by  1  serves for storing or buffering a plurality of containers in the form of bottles  2  which 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 store  1  comprises a rotor  3  that 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 units  4  which in turn each exhibit a plurality of receptacles or holders in the form of bottle or container grippers  5  with which bottles  2  stored in buffer store  1  are 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 rotor  3 /storing units  4  are associated two bottle transport star wheels  6  and  7  each of which can be driven about a vertical axis synchronously with rotor  3  but counter to direction of rotation A of rotor  3 , as indicated by arrows B and C for transport star wheels  6  and  7  respectively. About their periphery, transport star wheels  6  and  7  each exhibit a plurality of bottle receptacles in the form of bottle or container grippers  8 , specifically at an angular distance or pitch which corresponds to the pitch of storing units  4  on rotor  3  and such that in the manner described more fully below, through the synchronising of the drives, whenever a container gripper  8  is present at container transfer position  9  between transport star wheel  6  and rotor  3 , a container gripper  5  of a storing unit  4  is 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 rotor  3  and transport star wheel  7 . 
     In the case of the depicted embodiment, rotor  3  consists in essence of a lower ring-like rotor element  3 . 1  which encloses a machine element  10  arranged on the same axis as machine axis MA and not rotating with rotor  3 , as well as an upper disc-like rotor element  3 . 2 . The two rotor elements  3 . 1  and  3 . 2  whose surface sides are oriented at right angles to machine axis MA are interconnected by a plurality of internal guide bars  11  oriented with their longitudinal extension parallel to machine axis MA to form a cage-like structure of rotor  3 . Rotor  3  is mounted by bearings (not shown) on machine part  10  which is depicted column-like only very schematically in the figures. 
     With each storing unit  4  is associated, in the case of the depicted embodiment, a guide rod  11  on which in the case of the depicted embodiment a controllable driver  12  is guided in the guide rod&#39;s longitudinal direction, driver  12  being provided on its end that projects radially inward from respective guide rod  11  relative to machine axis MA with a cam roller  13  which engages freely rotatably about an axis radial to machine axis MA in a cam  14 . The latter is configured on a section  10 . 1  of machine part  10  that is not moved with rotor  5 , and in such a way that self-contained cam  14  exhibits two horizontal, i.e. each running in planes perpendicular to machine axis MA, circular-arc-shaped sections  14 . 1  and  14 . 2  on different height levels and two sections  14 . 3  and  14 . 4  which interconnect respectively sections  14 . 1  and  14 . 2  at an angle, i.e. helically, as indicated by the broken line in  FIG. 2 . 
     In the case of the depicted embodiment, each driver  12  associated with one storing unit  4  consists of a pneumatically operable detent cylinder whose cylinder housing  15  is guided in the manner of a carriage on the associated guide rod  11  and which in the activated condition interacts by its piston  16  with the associated storing unit  4  in the manner described below. Each storing unit  4  comprises a belt  17  which 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 pulley  18  and a lower pulley  19  in such a way that each belt  17  forms a loop. The loop sections or belt lengths  17 . 1  and  17 . 2  running between pulleys  18  and  19  are oriented vertically, i.e. parallel to machine axis MA. In the case of the depicted embodiment the loop of each storing unit  4 , which (loop) is formed by belts  17 , is also arranged in a plane common with the guide rod  11  that 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 belt  17  is radially spaced apart from associated guide rod  11  and offset radially outwards relative to guide rod  11 . Pulleys  18  and  19  are 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 pulleys  18  and  19  exhibit the same radial distance from machine axis MA. 
     For mounting upper pulleys  18  there are provided on the periphery of the circular-disc-shaped rotor element  3 . 2  support arms  20  which project beyond the periphery and beyond the top of rotor element  3 . 2  and on whose upper free end the bearing is configured for the associated pulley  18 . 
     Lower pulleys  18  are each mounted between two platen-like bearing elements  21  provided on the top of annular rotor part  3 . 1 . 
     In the case of the depicted embodiment, container grippers  5  and  8  exhibit the configuration known to the skilled person of container or bottle grippers, each comprising two gripper-tong-like gripper elements  5 . 1  (container gripper  5 ) and  8 . 1  (container gripper  8 ) which, preloaded pivotably relative to one another by spring means in a gripping state, hold respective bottle  2  by its bottle neck forming the bottle mouth, preferably under a neck ring  2 . 1  which is there provided and which is usual especially in the case of PET bottles, as is shown particularly distinctly in  FIG. 4 . 
     On each belt  17 , a plurality of holding elements  22  are fixed at equal intervals on a partial length and lying on the outside relative to the loop; said holding elements  22  project away from belt  17  concerned in an axial direction that lies in the loop plane of this belt and they each exhibit at their free end facing away from belt  17  a container gripper  5 . 
     The number of holding elements  22  with container grippers  5  provided on each belt  17  is selected so that in an extreme state of each storing unit  4 , all container grippers  5  are disposed on belt length  17 . 2  extending between pulleys  18  and  19  and lying radially inside relative to machine axis MA, and specifically with the exception of one container gripper  5  that is arranged in the pickup and dispensing position and which in that position beneath the lower deflection region or return point of belt  17  projects radially relative to machine axis MA out beyond the periphery of rotor  3  and in particular also of rotor part  3 . 1  for the pickup or dispensing of a bottle  2 . In a second extreme state of storing unit  4 , all container grippers  5  are located on belt length  17 . 1  which lies radially on the outside relative to machine axis MA, and again specifically with the exception of one container gripper  5  which has adopted the pickup and dispensing position and projects radially out beyond rotor  3  relative to machine axis MA. It goes without saying that by appropriate movement of respective belt  17 , other states can be adopted between these extremes, in each state however with a container gripper  5  being present at the pickup and dispensing position whose height level also corresponds to the level of transfer position  9 . 
     In the case of the depicted embodiment, container grippers  5  each project away from their holding elements  22  in one and the same peripheral direction of the loop formed by belt  17 , i.e. in such a way that container grippers  5  project downwards away from associated holding element  22  on the radially inside belt length parallel to that belt length  17 . 2  and on the radially outside belt length  17 . 1  relative to machine axis MA are again oriented parallel to that belt length but projecting upwards away from associated holding element  22 . 
     Buffer store  1  may assume different operating modes: 
     Storing of Bottles  2  in Buffer Store  1   
     For introducing and/or storing bottles  2  in buffer store  1  or in storing units  4 , as rotor  3  and transport star wheels  6  and  7  rotate, bottles  2  initially held suspended by their bottle neck from container grippers  8  of for example the transport star wheel and with their bottle axes FA vertically oriented are successively transferred at container transfer  9  to a container gripper  5 —located at the lowest position—of a storing unit  4  at which particular bottle  2  is then raised by a controlled moving of associated belt  17  into the storing region to a first storing level on which bottles  2  are arranged with their bottle axes FA oriented horizontally or radially to machine axis MA and with base  2 . 2  lying outward, a container gripper  5  now being again in position at each storing unit  4  for picking up a further bottle  2  at the pickup and dispensing position on the exit level. 
     The controlled moving of respective belt  17  and hence the controlled raising of respective bottle  2  to the storing level is effected by activation of associated driver  12  which when in the activated state is in working engagement with the radially inward belt length  17 . 2  of the storing unit  4  concerned or with a local holding element  22  and which, following falling section  14 . 3  of cam  14 , draws the radially inward belt length  17 . 2  downwards, thereby effecting an upward movement of radially outward belt length  17 . 1  with container grippers  5  thereon by a storage stroke that is equal to the axial pitch of cam sections  14 . 1  and  14 . 2 . The possibility therefore exists that with each complete revolution of rotor  3 , a bottle  2  is picked up from each storing unit  4  at 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 store  1 . 
     In the case of the depicted embodiment, as well as the exit level buffer store  1  also exhibits seven storing planes each with a different storing level. In order to achieve the greatest possible storage capacity for buffer store  1  and its storing regions with the smallest possible overall height and/or shortest possible centres between pulleys  18  and  19  of storing units  4 , container grippers  5  are provided in closest possible succession on belt  17 , with however the centres of container grippers  5  being at any rate somewhat greater than the diameter of bottles  2 . 
     Retrieving Bottles  2  From Buffer Store  1   
     The retrieving of bottles  2  from buffer store  1  is effected in reverse manner, starting with bottles  2  on the lowest storage plane of the storage regions such that by appropriate triggering of belts  17  of storing units  4 , container grippers  5  of this lowest storage plane are lowered, together with bottles  2  which they are holding, to the pickup and dispensing position, for example before container transfer  9  is reached and by appropriate activating of drivers  12  which, following the rising section  14 . 4  of cam  14 , move the respectively inner belt length  17 . 2  upwards and so move container grippers  5  provided on outer belt length  17 . 1  back by the storage stroke to the pickup and dispensing position or to the exit level on which bottles  2  are then forwarded in normal position, i.e. with their bottle axis FA vertically oriented, for example to transport star wheel  6  at container transfer  9  or to transport star wheel  7  at the container transfer which corresponds to container transfer  9 . 
     Continuous Mode 
     If a storing of bottles  2  in buffer store  1  is not required, then bottle  2  can be fed, for example by way of transport star wheel  6 , at container transfer  9  individually to a container gripper  5  of storing units  4  which (container gripper) is present in the pickup and dispensing position on the exit level, and forwarded to transport star wheel  7  with container grippers  5  remaining on the exit level and with rotor  3  rotating. 
     Drivers  12  or their detent cylinders can be controlled for example so that drivers  12  are always activated in the horizontal section  14 . 1  and  14 . 2  of cam  14 , but in sections  14 . 3  and  14 . 4  of cam  14  only when bottles  2  are introduced into the respective storing region or for dispensing bottles  2  from the storage region. 
     In this operating mode (continuous mode) container grippers  5  which are arranged in the pickup and dispensing position or on the exit level and thus at the lower return point of belt  17  therefore facilitate an uninterrupted transport of bottles  2  from transport star wheel  6  to transport star wheel  7 , i.e. from a container take-up to a container issue. 
     In the case of the depicted embodiment, belts  17  form a transport system in which, during storing, fed bottles  2  are 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 bottles  2  are issued from buffer store  1 , bottles  2  which 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 bottles  2  are turned through 90° on an axis tangential to the direction of rotation A of rotor  3 . Through its simplified design execution, buffer store  1  facilitates a storing of a plurality of bottles  2  or 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 bottles  2  or other containers is necessary or expedient. In particular but not exclusively, buffer store  1  is suitable as a plant component between a blower machine for producing bottles  2  from preforms by blow forming and a filling machine for filling bottles  2  with 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), bottles  2  still being produced by the blower machine can be buffered in buffer store  1  at 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 store  1  suitable 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 grippers  5  of each storing unit  4  which are not required or not occupied with bottles  2  are located on the belt lengths  17 . 2  which 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 
     
         
           1  Buffer store 
           2  Bottle 
           2 . 1  Mouth flange 
           2 . 2  Bottle base 
           3  Rotor 
           3 . 1 ,  3 . 2  Rotor element 
           4  Storing unit 
           5  Container gripper 
           5 . 1  Gripper element 
           6 , 7  Transport star wheel 
           8  Container gripper 
           8 . 1  Gripper element 
           9  Container transfer 
           10  Machine part 
           10 . 1  Section of machine part  10   
           11  Guide rod 
           12  Controlled driver 
           13  Cam roller 
           14  Cam 
           14 . 1 - 14 . 4  Cam section 
           15  Cylinder housing 
           16  Piston 
           17  Belt 
           17 . 1 ,  17 . 2  Belt length 
           18 ,  19  Pulley 
           20  Support arm 
           21  Bearing element 
           22  Holding element 
         A, B,C Direction of rotation of rotor  3  and of transport star wheels  6  and  7   
         FA Bottle axis 
         MA Vertical machine axis