Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7726106?dq=6,272,646
Timestamp: 2016-09-25 16:20:02
Document Index: 57850431

Matched Legal Cases: ['application No. 60', 'application No. 60', 'Application No. 545528', 'Application No. 545528', 'Application No. 569422', 'Application No. 569422', 'Application No. 550336', 'Application No. 563134', 'Application No. 2006236674', 'Application No. 2006236674', 'Application No. 200680012360', 'Application No. 2006800380748', 'Application No. 07752979', 'Application No. 2006']

Patent US7726106 - Container handling system - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inPatentsA system for processing a simplified plastic container (C) that is to be filled with a hot product includes the step of blow-molding parison to form a container body, where the container body has a neck, a base, a side surface relatively free of structural geometry that surrounds an interior of the container...http://www.google.com/patents/US7726106?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7726106 - Container handling systemAdvanced Patent SearchTry the new Google Patents, with machine-classified Google Scholar results, and Japanese and South Korean patents.Publication numberUS7726106 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 10/566,294PCT numberPCT/US2004/024581Publication dateJun 1, 2010Filing dateJul 30, 2004Priority dateJul 30, 2003Fee statusPaidAlso published asCA2534266A1, CA2534266C, CA2707701A1, CA2707701C, CA2707749A1, CA2707749C, DE602004012753D1, DE602004012753T2, EP1651554A2, EP1651554B1, US7735304, US8671653, US9090363, US20070051073, US20090120530, US20090126323, US20120152964, US20150284128, WO2005012091A2, WO2005012091A3Publication number10566294, 566294, PCT/2004/24581, PCT/US/2004/024581, PCT/US/2004/24581, PCT/US/4/024581, PCT/US/4/24581, PCT/US2004/024581, PCT/US2004/24581, PCT/US2004024581, PCT/US200424581, PCT/US4/024581, PCT/US4/24581, PCT/US4024581, PCT/US424581, US 7726106 B2, US 7726106B2, US-B2-7726106, US7726106 B2, US7726106B2InventorsPaul Kelley, Kent Goss, Philip Sheets, Ted Lyon, Charles A. Ryl-KucharOriginal AssigneeGraham Packaging CoExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (178), Non-Patent Citations (36), Referenced by (21), Classifications (34), Legal Events (6) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetContainer handling system
US 7726106 B2Abstract
1. A system for processing a pre-formed plastic container filled with a hot product, comprising:
hot filling means for filling a rigid container body of the pre-formed plastic container with the hot product in a production line, the rigid container body having a surface surrounding an interior of the rigid container body and having a projection extending from the rigid container body;
means for capping a neck of the filled rigid container body with a cap in the next operation of the production line;
means for transporting through the production line the pre-formed plastic container having the projection extending from the rigid container body;
means for supporting, during the transporting, the rigid container body having the projection extending from the rigid container body;
means for cooling the rigid container body of the pre-formed plastic container filled with the hot product; and
means for pushing the projection extending from the cooled rigid container body into the interior of the rigid container body so that the resultant, filled and cooled rigid container body is relatively free of structural geometry over a substantial portion of the surface.
2. The system for processing a pre-formed plastic container according to claim 1, wherein, when the rigid container body is cooled by said means for cooling, the cooling produces a vacuum within the rigid container body, and substantially all of the vacuum is taken up by the pushing.
3. The system for processing a pre-formed plastic container according to claim 1, further comprising means for blow-molding a parison to form the rigid container body, where the rigid container body has the neck, a shoulder area, a base, and a smooth side surface surrounding the interior of the rigid container body, and the projection extends from the base of the rigid container body before the filling begins.
4. The system for processing a pre-formed plastic container according to claim 3, further comprising:
means for inverting the projection extending from the rigid container body into the interior of the rigid container body in the next operation of the production line after the parison is blow-molded; and
means for repositioning the projection of the rigid container body with a force prior to the filling by said filling means for filling so that the projection moves outside of the rigid container body and extends from the rigid container body.
5. The system for processing a pre-formed plastic container according to claim 1, wherein the rigid container body with the projection extending from the rigid container body is conveyed by its neck during the filling and capping.
6. The system for processing a pre-formed plastic container according to claim 1, wherein the means for pushing the projection extending from the cooled rigid container body into the interior of the rigid container body is configured to position an actuator panel with projections extending therefrom underneath a container holding device where the projections of the actuator panel correspond with container body projections through a respective opening of the container holding device;
further comprising means for moving the actuator panel so that the actuator panel projections push against the container body projections thereby forcing the container body projections inside respective rigid container bodies.
7. The system for processing a pre-formed plastic container according to claim 1, wherein the rigid container body has a grip portion in addition to the substantial portion of the surface that is relatively free of structural geometry.
8. The system for processing a pre-formed plastic container according to claim 1, further comprising at least a mini vacuum panel, wherein the pushing of the projection takes up a majority of a resultant vacuum caused by the cooling, and the mini vacuum panel takes up the remainder of the vacuum.
9. The system for processing a pre-formed plastic container according to claim 1, wherein, during the transporting, said means for supporting does not support the plastic container by the projection.
10. The system for processing a pre-formed plastic container according to claim 1, wherein said means for supporting supports the rigid container body having the projection extending therefrom by a standing surface thereof, the standing surface being distinct from the projection.
11. The system for processing a pre-formed plastic container according to claim 10, wherein said means for supporting supports the rigid container body having the projection extending therefrom by the standing surface thereof prior to said means for pushing the projection into the interior of the rigid container body.
12. The system for processing a pre-formed plastic container according to claim 11, wherein the container body with the projection extending from the container body is conveyed by its neck during the filling and capping.
13. The system for processing a pre-formed plastic container according to claim 11, wherein the means for pushing the projection extending from the cooled container body into the interior of the container body is configured to position an actuator panel with projections extending therefrom underneath a container holding device where the projections of the actuator panel correspond with container body projections through a respective opening of the container holding device;
further comprising means for moving the actuator panel so that the actuator panel projections push against the container body projections thereby forcing the container body projections inside respective container bodies.
14. The system for processing a pre-formed plastic container according to claim 1, wherein, during the transporting a portion of the projection extends from the rigid container body below a standing ring.
15. A system for processing a pre-formed plastic container filled with a hot product, comprising:
hot filling means for filling a container body of the pre-formed plastic container with the hot product in a production line, the container body having a surface surrounding an interior of the container body and having a projection extending from the container body;
means for capping a neck of the filled container body with a cap in the next operation of the production line;
means for transporting through the production line the pre-formed plastic container having the projection extending from the container body;
means for supporting, during the transporting, the container body having the projection extending from the container body;
means for cooling the container body of the pre-formed plastic container filled with the hot product; and
means for pushing the projection extending from the cooled container body into the interior of the container body so that the resultant, filled and cooled container body is relatively free of structural geometry over a substantial portion of the surface.
16. The system for processing a pre-formed plastic container according to claim 15, wherein, when the container body is cooled by said means for cooling, the cooling produces a vacuum within the container body, and substantially all of the vacuum is taken up by the pushing.
17. The system for processing a pre-formed plastic container according to claim 16, further comprising:
means for inverting the projection extending from the container body into the interior of the container body in the next operation of the production line after the parison is blow-molded; and
means for repositioning the projection of the container body with a force prior to the filling by said filling means for filling so that the projection moves outside of the container body and extends from the container body.
18. The system for processing a pre-formed plastic container according to claim 15, further comprising means for blow-molding a parison to form the container body, where the container body has the neck, a shoulder area, a base, and a smooth side surface surrounding the interior of the container body, and the projection extends from the base of the container body before the filling begins.
19. The system for processing a pre-formed plastic container according to claim 15, wherein the container body has a grip portion in addition to the substantial portion of the surface that is relatively free of structural geometry.
20. The system for processing a pre-formed plastic container according to claim 15, further comprising at least a mini vacuum panel, wherein the pushing of the projection takes up a majority of a resultant vacuum caused by the cooling, and the mini vacuum panel takes up the remainder of the vacuum.
21. The system for processing a pre-formed plastic container according to claim 15, wherein, during the transporting, said means for supporting does not support the plastic container by the projection.
22. The system for processing a pre-formed plastic container according to claim 15, wherein said means for supporting supports the container body having the projection extending therefrom by a standing surface thereof, the standing surface being distinct from the projection.
23. The system for processing a pre-formed plastic container according to claim 22, wherein said means for supporting supports the container body having the projection extending therefrom by the standing surface thereof prior to said means for pushing the projection into the interior of the container body.
24. The system for processing a pre-formed plastic container according to claim 15, wherein, during the transporting a portion of the projection extends from the container body below a standing surface.
25. The system for processing a pre-formed plastic container according to claim 15, wherein the container body is rigid. Description
This application is a 371 of PCT international application no. PCT/US04/24581 filed on Jul. 30, 2004, which claims priority to Provisional application No. 60/491,179 filed Jul. 30, 2003 and Provisional application No. 60/551,771 filed Mar. 11, 2004. The contents of the aforementioned applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety into this application.
In order to obtain the necessary strength associated with glass containers, known hot-filled containers made out of plastic tend to be formed with protruding rib structures that surround panels forming the container. While the protruding rib structures improve the strength of the container that is blow-molded out of plastic, the resultant, lightweight, blow-molded containers with panels and protruding rib structure detract from the desired smooth, sleek look of a glass container. Accordingly, a hot-fillable, blow-molded container and process of filing, capping and cooling the same is needed that more closely simulates a glass container and achieves the smooth outward appearance associated with glass containers.
FIGS. 5A-C schematically illustrate one embodiment of an activation operation according to the invention;
In order to provide extra volume and accomodation of pressure changes needed when the containers are filled with a hot product, such as a hot liquid or a partly solid product, the inverted projection of the blow-molded containers should be pushed back out of the container (deactivated). For example, a mechanical operation employing a rod that enters the neck of the blow-molded container and pushes against the inverted projection of the blow-molded container causing the inverted projection to move out and project from the bottom of the base, as shown in FIGS. 1B, 5C and 12-13. Alternatively, other methods of deploying the inverted projection disposed inside a blow-molded container, such as injecting pressurized air into the blow-molded container, may be used to force the inverted projection outside of the container. Thus, in this embodiment, the blow-molded projection is initially inverted inside the container and then, a repositioning operation pushes the inverted projection so that it projects out of the container.
Referring again to FIGS. 8 and 9, main turret assembly 30 includes an
upper cam assembly 50 and a lower cam assembly 52. Cam assemblies 50 and 52 comprise annular cam plates that encircle shaft 30 a and actuator assemblies 34 and 36. The cam plates provide cam surfaces to actuate the actuator assemblies, as will be more fully described below. Upper cam assembly 50 includes upper cam plate 54 and a lower cam plate 56, which define there between a cam surface or groove 58 for guiding the respective extendable rods 38 of actuator assemblies 34. Similarly, lower cam assembly 52 includes a lower cam plate 60 and an upper cam plate 62 which define there between a cam surface or groove 64 for guiding extendable rods 40 of actuator assemblies 36. Mounted to extendable rod 38 may be a guide member or cam follower, which engages cam groove or surface 58 of upper cam assembly 50. As noted previously, actuator assemblies 34 are mounted in a radial arrangement on main turret system 30 and, further, are rotatably mounted such that actuator assemblies 34 rotate with shaft 30 a and container holder wheel 32. In addition, actuator assemblies 34 may rotate in a manner to be synchronized with the in-feed of containers C. As each of the respective actuator assemblies 34 is rotated about main turret system 30 with a respective container, the cam follower is guided by groove 58 of cam assembly 50, thereby raising and lowering extendable member 38 to deactivate the containers, as previously noted, after the containers are loaded into the container holding devices.
In an exemplary embodiment, the activation step would occur at the end of the cooling cycle and would absorb or counter the vacuum created during the cooling of the hot product. Once the base projections have been re-inverted so that each base surface is relatively flat, the containers may be unloaded from the basket or racks that shuttle the containers through the cooler. As schematically shown in FIG. 6, at the cooling exit, a robotic arm RA may lift the containers at their capped neck vertically upwards and then out of the basket B or rack. The containers with the inverted bases would then be released from the robotic arm and sent down another conveying line like a normally filled bottle or container. The conveying line could be an in-line rail belt or could be an in-line conveying system using air to control the movement of the containers. The conveying line may feed the containers to a labeling operation and then to a packaging operation where the containers are loaded into cases for shipping to a grocery store or the like.
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