Abstract:
The invention relates to a device for transporting bottles or similar containers between a transfer position and a discharge position, comprising a transport element that may be driven in a rotating manner about at least one vertical machine axis and several container receptacles provided on the transport element and having, for example, a gripper-like design for picking up and holding in each case one container during the transport thereof from the transfer position to the discharge position.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is the national stage application of PCT/EP2010/007311, filed Dec. 2, 2010, which claims priority to German application no. 10 2010 008 387.9, filed Feb. 17, 2010. The contents of the foregoing applications are incorporated herein in their entirety. 
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The invention relates to devices for transporting containers, and in particular, to devices that turn containers upside-down during transport thereof. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A known device for transporting bottles or other containers is a transport-star having container receptacles on a periphery of a rotor that can be driven to rotate about a vertical machine axis. The containers are each individually transferred to these container receptacles at a transfer position from an upstream machine or an upstream plant component. As the rotor rotates, the containers are then transported, while being held at the respective container receptacles, to a discharge position where they are passed to a further machine or plant component. 
     In the course of being transported on the transport path between a first machine or plant component and a second machine or plant component, the containers sometimes have to be turned. For example, containers that are treated in a rinser in an inverted position or inverted orientation must be turned back to their normal attitude and transferred in that normal attitude to a filling machine. 
     SUMMARY 
     The object of the invention is a device that, while simplified in design and compact in overall size, enables not only the transporting of the containers from a transfer position to a discharge position but that, at the same time, and on a transport path, also facilitates a swinging of the containers about an axis that is perpendicular to the container axis. 
     As used herein, “container axis” means the vertical axis of the containers and is also usually the axis of the container opening of the respective container. 
     As used herein, “inverted position” or “inverted orientation” mean a container orientation in which the opening of the container points downward. 
     As used herein, “normal attitude” or “normal orientation” is a container orientation in which the container opening points upward. 
     Preferably, the inventive device is configured in such a way that the container receptacles, which are preferably formed of container grippers, are pivoted from an initial position through 180° in a first direction on the transport path, which is the direction between the transfer position and the discharge position, and then are pivoted back through 180° on the remainder of the transport path, which is the portion that is between the discharge position and the transfer position, i.e. the container receptacles are pivoted in an opposite second direction so that each container receptacle is back in its initial position at the transfer position. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the lifting and pivoting movements are each controlled by curves, and hence positively controlled synchronously with the motion of the container receptacles. 
     The extents of the lifting movements are preferably equal or essentially equal to the size of the containers along their container axis. The lifting and pivoting movements are preferably coordinated with one another so that each container is pivoted about an axis that intersects the container axis at, or essentially at, its center. 
     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. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention is explained in detail below through the use of an exemplary embodiment and with reference to the figures, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows in a simplified perspective functional representation a rinser and a filling machine for containers in the form of bottles, together with a conveyor of the transport star wheel type arranged between these machines or plant components for transferring the bottles from the rinser to the filling machine; 
         FIG. 2  shows the rinser, the filling machine and the conveyor of  FIG. 1  in plan view; and 
         FIGS. 3 and 4  show respectively an enlarged side view and a plan view of the conveyor of the transport star wheel type shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a rotary rinser  1 , for example a wet and/or dry rinser, for treating or for rinsing, cleaning and/or disinfecting the interior of bottles  2  using a liquid and/or dry treatment medium. The rotary rinser  1  has a rinser rotor  3  that can be driven to rotate about a vertical rinser axis MA 1  in the direction of arrow A. Treatment stations  6  are disposed on a periphery of the rinser rotor  3 . The treatment stations  6  are mutually spaced apart from each other at equal angular distances. Each treatment station  6  has a gripper-like bottle holder  4  and a treatment nozzle  5  for discharging liquid or gaseous and/or vaporous treatment medium into a bottle  2 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , at the treatment positions  6 , bottles  2  are oriented in an inverted position, i.e. with the container axis or bottle axis orientated vertically and therefore parallel to the rinser axis MA 1  of the rotary rinser  1  with the bottle&#39;s opening  2 . 1  pointing downward and its base  2 . 2  pointing upward. Bottles  2  are transferred in this orientation to the individual treatment positions  6  via a container or bottle entry (not shown). The turning of bottles  2  from their original normal attitude into the inverted position takes place, for example, in the region of the bottle or container entry. 
     After bottles  2  have been treated, the rinser rotor  3  passes them on to a transfer position  7 . 
     At the transfer position  7 , a bottle gripper  8  of a transport star conveyor  9  picks up and grips the bottle  2 . The transport star conveyor  9  transports the bottle towards a discharge position  10  where the bottle  2  is transferred to a treatment position  11  of a filling machine  12 . As the transport star conveyor  9  transports the bottle, it also restores the bottle  2  to its normal attitude. 
     The filling machine  12  has a filling-machine rotor  13  that can be driven to rotate about a vertical filling- machine axis MA 2  of the filling machine  12  in the direction of arrow B. Treatment positions  11  are disposed on a periphery of the filling-machine rotor  13 . The treatment positions  11  are spaced apart from each other at equal angular distances. Each treatment position  11  includes a container carrier  14 . 1  for suspending a bottle  2  under a filling element  14  by its mouth flange  2 . 3 , which is beneath bottle mouth  2 . 1 , for the controlled filling of the bottle  2  with a liquid filling material. 
     The transport star conveyor  9  includes a conveyor rotor  15  that can be driven to rotate about a vertical conveyor axis MA 3  in the direction of arrow C and hence opposite to the direction of rotation of the rinser rotor  3  and the filling-machine rotor  13  (arrows A and B respectively). Bottle grippers  8  are provided on a periphery of the conveyor rotor  15 . These bottle grippers  8  are configured, for example, like tongs having two gripping or clamping jaws that are movable relative to one another and that are pre-tensioned by a spring into a closed position. 
     At the transfer position  7 , a bottle gripper  8  clamps a bottle  2  between the bottle&#39;s neck and mouth flange  2 . 3 . 
     The gripper  8  maintains its grip as the bottle swings into its normal attitude during rotation of the conveyor rotor  15  until the bottle  2  reaches discharge position  10  where it is transferred to a container carrier  14  of a treatment position  11  of the filling machine  12 . A controller (not shown) opens the bottle gripper at the transfer position  7  to receive a bottle  2  from the rotary rinser  1  and then opens it again at the discharge position  10  to transfer the bottle  2  to the filling machine  12 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , in the depicted embodiment of a transport star conveyor  9 , the bottle grippers  8  are provided in pairs. The bottle grippers  8  in each pair are on a common plate  8 . 1 , or auxiliary carrier. Each pair of bottle grippers  8  is pivotable with the common plate  8 . 1  on a bottle-gripper carrier  16  about a common axis that is formed by the axis a pivot pin  17 . This pivoting axis is oriented tangentially to the periphery or direction of rotation of the conveyor rotor  15  or to a notional circular cylinder concentrically surrounding the conveyor axis MA 3  of the conveyor rotor  15 . 
     Each bottle gripper carrier  16  is provided on a guide bar  18 , best seen in  FIG. 3 . The guide bar  18  guides the bottle-gripper carrier  16  during its vertical displacement, i.e. its displacement in a direction parallel to the conveyor axis MA 3 , on the periphery of the conveyor rotor  15 . 
     Each guide bar  18  is offset radially inwards from its corresponding gripper carrier  16 . Each guide bar  18  extends between an upper rotor element  15 . 1  and a lower rotor element  15 . 2  of the conveyor rotor  15 . As a result, the conveyor rotor  15  is in the form of a circular cage that offers high strength or stability despite its relatively lightweight construction. 
     The guide bars  18  are also provided in pairs and with one guide bar  18  of a pair being radially offset relative to the other guide bar  18  of the pair. Thus, two guide bars  18  cooperate to guide one bottle-gripper carrier  16 . Each bottle-gripper carrier  16  can therefore be moved vertically on the guide formed by the two guide bars  18  without twisting as it does so. 
     As the figures show, in the case of the depicted embodiment, the bottle gripper carriers  16  are arm-like in configuration so that, relative to the conveyor axis MA 3 , they project with their longitudinal extension radially outward from the two guide bars  18 . An articulating joint provides engagement between the bottle grippers  8 , with their auxiliary carriers or plates  8 . 1 , and the distal end of the arm formed by a bottle gripper carrier  16 . This enables the bottles to pivot, as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     A static first control curve  19 , i.e. one that does not rotate with the conveyor rotor  15 , and curve rollers  20  that engage the first control curve  19  and that are mounted on bottle gripper carriers  16  so as to be able to rotate freely, cooperate to compel the bottle gripper carriers  16  to move vertically up and down along their respective guide bars  18  as the conveyor rotor  15  rotates. 
     In the case of the depicted embodiment, the first control curve  19  is shaped in a way such that a bottle gripper carrier  16  is in its lowest travel position at the transfer position  7  and climbs to its highest travel position at the discharge position  10  as the conveyor rotor  15  rotates. Consequently a bottle gripper carrier  16  climbs as it traverses the angular range of rotor motion between the transfer position  7  and the discharge position  10 . On its way back to the transfer position  7 , as it traverses the angular range from the discharge position  10  back to the transfer position  7 , the first control curve  19  compels the bottle gripper carrier  16  to descend back to its lowest travel position. To this end, the first control curve  19  has a rising profile on the path between the transfer position  7  and the discharge position  10  and a falling profile on the path between the discharge position  10  and the transfer position  7 . 
     The static first control curve  19  is disposed within the area of movement in which guide bars  18  move as the rotor rotates. It is also attached to a central pillar  21 , which does not rotate with the rotor and which is also disposed within the area of movement of guide bars  18  and on the same axis as the conveyor axis MA 3 . This is made possible because the lower rotor element  15 . 2  is configured as a ring that concentrically surrounds the conveyor axis MA 3  and that is connected, by guide bars  18 , to the upper spoked-wheel-like rotor section  15 . 1 . 
     Curve rollers  20  are each located at the radially inner end of bottle gripper carriers  16  at a short distance from guide bars  18  and hence at a short distance from sliding bushes by which bottle gripper carriers  16  are guided on the guide bars, thus creating optimum drive conditions. The two bottle grippers  8  of each bottle gripper pair are provided on the common plate  8 . 1  by which the two bottle grippers  8  of each bottle gripper pair are provided so as to be able to pivot on bottle gripper carrier  16  about the common horizontal pivoting axis that is orientated tangentially to the rotation direction (arrow C) of the conveyor rotor  15  and that is constituted essentially by a pivot pin  17 . 
     A control arm  22  is attached by one end to each plate  8 . 1  between the two bottle grippers  8  such that this control arm is oriented with its longitudinal extension radial to the respective pivoting axis (which is formed by the pivot pin  17 ) of the plate  8 . 1 . At its end lying away from its associated plate  8 . 1 , each control arm  22  is configured with a guide piece  23  that engages over a second control curve  24  like a fork. This second control curve  24  is static, i.e. it does not rotate with the conveyor rotor  15 . 
     The second control curve  24  is formed in the depicted embodiment by a tubular section, with the guide piece being guided during its displacement on the second control curve  24 . In order to ensure a secure engagement of the respective guide piece in second control curve  24 , each control arm  22  in the depicted embodiment is configured telescopically with an axially acting spring assembly that urges the associated guide piece  23  against second control curve  24 . 
     The path followed by second control curve  24  defines a spiral that encloses the trajectory of the pivot pin  17  at a distance therefrom. The spiral has a half turn, or a 180° turn, between the transfer position  7  and the discharge position  10  and another half turn, or 180° turn, in the opposite direction between the discharge position  10  and the transfer position  7 . The distance between the second control curve  24  and the trajectory of the pivot pin  17  is equal to the length of the control arms  22 . 
     The second control curve  24  is further configured so that, on the transport path between the transfer position  7  and the discharge position  10 , the containers are first swung outward with their container base and then are swung back inward again relative to the conveyor axis MA 3 , preferentially in such a way that, half-way along the transport path or angular range of the rotational motion of the conveyor rotor  15  between transfer position  7  and discharge position  10 , each bottle  2  is oriented with its bottle axis radial or approximately radial to the conveyor axis MA 3 . 
     As the conveyor rotor  15  rotates, interaction between the control arms  22  and the second control curve  24  forces the bottle grippers  8  to pivot 180° about the pivoting axis of the associated pivot pin  17 . As a result, the bottles  2 , which at transfer position  7  are initially received by the bottle grippers  8  in the inverted position, are swung back to their normal attitude as they move toward the discharge position  10 . 
     The first and second control curves  19  and  24  are preferably coordinated with one another so that the lifting motion, which is controlled by the first control curve  19 , and the pivoting motion of the bottle grippers  8  about their pivoting axes or pivot pins  17 , which is controlled by the second control curve  24 , produce a resulting motion such that, during the transport from the transfer position  7  to the discharge position  10 , i.e. over the corresponding angular range of the rotational movement of the conveyor rotor  15 , each bottle  2  is effectively pivoted about its bottle center, i.e. about an axis that intersects the respective bottle axis at its center. In addition to the general advantage of a compact design and the swinging of bottles  2  back to their normal attitude, another advantage of this configuration is that there is practically no height offset between the bottles  2  at the rotary rinser  1  and bottles  2  at the filling machine  12 . 
     In the depicted embodiment, the second control curve  24  specifically follows a path such that the longitudinal extension of each control arm  22  is radially oriented to the conveyor axis MA 3  at the transfer position  7  and the discharge position  10 . In the depicted embodiment, the second control curve  24  is moreover configured such that it has a different vertical height level at the transfer position  7  and at the discharge position  10 . In particular, the second control curve  24  is configured such that, at the transfer position  7 , it has a lower height level, and at the discharge position  10 , it is a higher height level. The lower height level at the transfer position  7  corresponds roughly to the lower level or initial position of the bottle grippers  8  at the transfer position  7 . The higher height level at the discharge position  10  roughly corresponds to the higher level of bottle grippers  8  at the discharge position  10 . 
     In the direction of rotation C of the conveyor rotor  15 , the height level of the second control curve  24  first rises vertically from the transfer position  7  to the discharge position  10  and then falls back from the discharge position  10  to the transfer position  7  to the lower height level. The second control curve  24  also follows a path such that the radial distance from the conveyor axis MA 3  at the transfer position  7  is greater than that at the discharge position  10  by twice the length of control arms  22 . 
     The rinser rotor  3 , the filling-machine rotor  13 , and the conveyor rotor  15  are driven synchronously in such a way that whenever a treatment position  6  of the rotary rinser  1  has reached the transfer position  7 , a bottle gripper  8  also stands ready there, and whenever a bottle gripper  8  has reached the discharge position  10 , a container carrier  14 . 1  also stands ready there to receive the bottle  2 . 
     The invention has been described hereinbefore by reference to one embodiment. Numerous variations as well as additions are possible without departing from the inventive concept underlying the invention. 
     LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
     
         
           1  Rotary rinser 
           2  Bottle 
           2 . 1  Bottle opening 
           2 . 2  Bottle base 
           2 . 3  Mouth flange 
           3  Rinser rotor 
           4  Bottle holder or bottle gripper on rinser  1   
           5  Treatment nozzle 
           6  Treatment position at rinser  1   
           7  Transfer position between rinser and conveyor  9   
           8  Bottle gripper 
           8 . 1  Plate for two bottle grippers  8   
           9  Conveyor 
           10  Discharge position 
           11  Treatment position at filling machine  12   
           12  Filling machine 
           13  Filling machine rotor 
           14  Filling element 
           14 . 1  Container carrier 
           15  Conveyor rotor 
           15 . 1  Upper rotor element 
           15 . 2  Lower rotor element 
           16  Bottle gripper carrier 
           17  Pivot pin 
           18  Guide bar 
           19  First control curve 
           20  Curve roller 
           21  Central pillar 
           22  Control arm 
           23  Guide piece 
           24  Second control curve 
         A A Direction of rotation of rotor  3   
         B Direction of rotation of rotor  13   
         C Direction of rotation of rotor  15   
         MA 1  Vertical rinser axis  1   
         MA 2  Vertical filling machine axis 
         MA 3  Vertical conveyor axis