Patent Description:
This disclosure is directed to container rinsing systems and, more particularly, to air rinsing apparatus and systems for rinsing containers.

In food packaging and other types of packaging plants, containers or packaging may require cleaning prior to having food items or other products introduced to the packaging. Conventional packaging cleaning systems required inversion of the packaging to enable removal of any particulate matter from the packaging via gravity. <CIT> discloses a container rinsing system with a nozzle that directs an air supply to a container, and a vacuum member positioned around the nozzle to vacuum particles away from the container. <CIT> discloses a dust remover with a flow passage between a small container and a big container. Air is supplied to the small container through an aperture, and dust is sucked out of the big container through a suction opening.

Methods and systems are provided for providing a consistent electrode state for welding, substantially as illustrated by and described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims.

Limitations and disadvantages of conventional approaches to providing terminal inputs and outputs for industrial devices will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such approaches with some aspects of the present apparatus and system set forth in the remainder of this disclosure with reference to the drawings.

Disclosed example air rinsing apparatus and container rinsing systems provide improved elimination of particulate matter from packaging such as containers, while being capable of elimination of the particulate matter in any orientation of the packaging, including orientations in which an opening of the packaging is facing upwards. Disclosed example air rinsing apparatus may be used with a single air mover to provide both blowing of air (or other gas) into the container and suction for removal of the air and particulate matter from the container.

Disclosed is an air rinsing apparatus with the features described in appended independent claim <NUM>.

In some examples, the plurality of first inlet ports and the plurality of second output ports are arranged in a single row. In some examples, the plurality of first inlet ports and the plurality of second output ports are arranged in two rows.

In some example air rinsing apparatus, the first inlet port includes a frustum-shaped opening configured to accelerate the second air entering the first inlet port. In some examples, the second output port includes a nozzle extending through a smaller base of the frustum-shaped opening of the first inlet port. In some examples, the first enclosure includes a first face, in which the first inlet port and the second output port are on the first face, and the air rinsing apparatus further includes an extension plate positioned co-planar with the first face. In some examples, the second output port includes an air knife.

Some example air rinsing apparatus further include an ionizer disposed within the second enclosure and configured to generate positive and negative ions, in which the second enclosure is configured to direct the first air from the second inlet port to the second output port such that the first air entrains the positive and negative ions. In some examples, the one or more air movers are configured to urge the first air by providing positive air pressure to the second inlet port. In some examples, the one or more air movers are configured to pull the second air by providing negative air pressure to the first output port.

Disclosed is a container rinsing systems with the features described in appended independent claim <NUM>.

In some examples, the first inlet ports and the second output ports are arranged in a single row. In some examples, the first inlet ports and the second output ports are arranged in two rows.

In some example container rinsing systems, each of the first inlet ports includes a frustum-shaped opening configured to accelerate the second air entering the first inlet port. In some example container rinsing systems, each of the second output ports includes a nozzle extending through a smaller base of the frustum-shaped opening of a respective one of the first inlet ports. In some examples, the first enclosure comprises a first face, the first inlet ports and the second output ports being on the first face, and the air rinsing apparatus further comprising an extension plate positioned co-planar with the first face.

<FIG> is a block diagram of an example container rinsing system <NUM>. The system <NUM> includes a conveyor or feed line <NUM> which conveys applications <NUM> of the system <NUM> in a direction of travel <NUM>. Example applications <NUM> include containers having a single opening (e.g., cans, cups, boxes, etc.) and/or any other type of packaging. The applications <NUM> may be conveyed multiple feed lines positioned transverse to the direction of travel <NUM>. The examples described below with reference to <FIG> are configured to remove particulate matter from four parallel feed lines, though any number of parallel feed lines may be used.

The system <NUM> includes an air rinser <NUM> positioned adjacent a path of travel of the applications <NUM> as the applications <NUM> are moved along the feed line <NUM>. The air rinser <NUM> blows air into the applications <NUM> while simultaneously providing suction adjacent the application <NUM>. The suction removes particulate matter from the applications <NUM>, which is loosened from the interior surfaces of the applications <NUM> and entrained within the air stream created in the applications <NUM> by the blown air from the air rinser <NUM>.

In some examples, the air rinser <NUM> generates and directs positive and negative ions at the applications <NUM> via the blown air. To this end, the example system <NUM> may include a high voltage power supply <NUM> electrically coupled to the air rinser <NUM> to enable generation of positive and negative ions, as described in more detail below.

An air mover <NUM> provides positive air pressure to the air rinser <NUM> for blowing the air at the applications <NUM> and provides negative air pressure to the air rinser <NUM> for removing the air containing particulate matter from the applications <NUM>. By using a single air mover <NUM>, the complexity and maintenance costs of the system <NUM> are reduced. Additionally, using the single air mover <NUM> enables the flow rates of the air blown at the applications <NUM> and the air removed from the applications <NUM> to be consistently equal. One or more filters <NUM> are provided between the air rinser <NUM> and the negative pressure source in the air mover <NUM> to filter the particulate matter removed from the applications <NUM>.

In other examples, a first air mover may be used to provide the positive pressure to the air rinser <NUM> and a second air mover may be used to provide the negative pressure to the air rinser <NUM>.

<FIG> is a perspective view of an example air rinser <NUM> that may be used to implement the air rinser <NUM> of <FIG>. <FIG> is a section elevation view of the example air rinser <NUM> and <FIG> is a bottom plan view of the example air rinser <NUM>. The air rinser <NUM> includes a first enclosure <NUM>, within which a second enclosure <NUM> is mounted. <FIG> is a perspective view of the example second enclosure <NUM>.

The first enclosure <NUM> is connected to a negative air pressure source (e.g., the air mover <NUM> of <FIG>) via a first output port <NUM> (e.g., a particulate output port). Due to the negative air pressure, the first enclosure <NUM> draws in air (and particulate matter entrained in the air) via first inlet ports <NUM>. The example inlet ports <NUM> are numbered based on a number of parallel feed lines conveying the application to be rinsed via the air rinser <NUM> (e.g., four). In the illustrated example, the first inlet ports <NUM> have a conical frustum shape, in which air is drawn from the larger base to the smaller base of the conical frustum. The frustum shape of the first inlet ports <NUM> results in an increasing air speed as the air flow approaches the interior of the first enclosure <NUM>. The larger base of the frustum may be matched to the opening of the applications <NUM> (e.g., an opening of the container) to improve particulate collection from the applications <NUM>. Compared with a simple opening, the frustum shape also reduces the surface area from which particulate matter can fall back out of the first enclosure <NUM>. However, the first inlet ports <NUM> may have other shapes, such as a simple opening.

The example second enclosure <NUM> is connected to a positive air pressure source (e.g., the air mover <NUM> of <FIG>) via a second inlet port <NUM> and outputs air via second output ports <NUM>. For example, the second enclosure <NUM> may be a manifold that receives the positive air pressure via the second inlet port <NUM> and distributes the received air via the second output ports <NUM>.

The second output ports <NUM> include nozzles <NUM> that protrude at least partially through respective ones of the first inlet ports <NUM>. Accordingly, the first inlet ports <NUM> and the second output ports <NUM> are disposed on a same face <NUM> of the first enclosure <NUM>. For example, as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the nozzles <NUM> extend from the interior of the first enclosure <NUM> through the smaller base of the frustum but do not extend beyond the larger base of the frustum or the face <NUM> of the first enclosure <NUM>.

The example second enclosure <NUM> of <FIG> further includes an ionizer <NUM>. The ionizer <NUM> is coupled to the high voltage power supply <NUM> of <FIG>. In operation, the ionizer <NUM> generates positive and negative ions. The ions move into the air stream moving from the second inlet port <NUM> to the second output ports <NUM>, where the ions are blown at the applications <NUM>. The ions may neutralize any static charge present on the particulate matter and/or on the applications <NUM> which may cause the particulate matter to stick to the applications <NUM> instead of being removed by the airflow. The ionizer <NUM> may be implemented using a corona wire, individual ion emitters, and/or any other method.

As shown in <FIG>, the ionizer <NUM> is with high voltage via a high voltage wire <NUM>, a reference voltage via a reference voltage wire <NUM>, and a ground reference by a ground wire <NUM>. The wires <NUM>-<NUM> extend through the first enclosure <NUM>. Wire plugs <NUM> provide an air seal to the first enclosure <NUM> at the locations where the wires <NUM>-<NUM> penetrate the first enclosure <NUM>.

While the example second enclosure <NUM> of <FIG> include discrete output ports <NUM>, in other examples the output ports <NUM> may be replaced by an air knife. In such examples, the first inlet ports <NUM> may also be replaced by a single first inlet port configured to provide suction in the same manner as the first inlet ports <NUM>. For example, the single first inlet port may taper into the first enclosure <NUM> to provide similar benefits as the frustum shape of the first inlet ports <NUM>.

While the example air rinser <NUM> of <FIG> includes a single row of first inlet ports <NUM> and second output ports <NUM>, in other examples a second row of inlet ports and output ports, identical to the first inlet ports <NUM> and second output ports <NUM>, may be included. The second row of inlet ports and output ports may further improve the rinsing and collection of particulates from the applications <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates an example of operation of the example air rinser <NUM> of <FIG>. The air rinser <NUM> is illustrated in <FIG> adjacent four upright containers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, which are conveyed on parallel feed lines <NUM> of <FIG>. The example air rinser <NUM> may be run continually, while the containers <NUM>-<NUM> are moved into and out of fluid communication with the air rinser <NUM>. As illustrated in <FIG>, the clearance distance between the top of the applications <NUM> (e.g., the containers <NUM>-<NUM>) may be limited to improve the fluid coupling between the second output ports <NUM>, the first inlet ports <NUM>, and the containers <NUM>-<NUM>, thereby improving the proportion of particulate that is captured by the air rinser <NUM> and reducing the amount of particulate that may be spilled into the environment surrounding the air rinser <NUM> and/or the system <NUM>.

A first airflow <NUM> is generated by positive pressure from the air mover <NUM> of <FIG>, and enters the second enclosure <NUM> via the second inlet port <NUM>. The first airflow <NUM> entrains positive and negative ions generated by the ionizer <NUM> (represented by + symbols and - symbols in <FIG>) and exits the nozzles <NUM> into the containers <NUM>-<NUM> with the ions. The example first airflow <NUM> exits the nozzles <NUM> with sufficient velocity to reach the opposite ends of the containers <NUM>-<NUM> and/or to create substantial turbulence within the containers <NUM>-<NUM> such that particulate matter <NUM> within the containers <NUM>-<NUM> is loosened from the containers <NUM>-<NUM>.

A second airflow <NUM> is generated by negative pressure from the air mover <NUM> via the first output port <NUM>. The second airflow <NUM> contains substantially the same air as the first airflow <NUM>, and has entrained loosened particulate matter <NUM>. The second airflow <NUM> flows from the containers <NUM>-<NUM> and through the first inlet ports <NUM> into the first enclosure <NUM>. From the first enclosure <NUM>, the negative pressure causes the second airflow <NUM> to flow from the first enclosure <NUM> through the first output port <NUM> to the air mover <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates the example air rinser <NUM> of <FIG> including extension plates <NUM>, <NUM>. The extension plates <NUM>, <NUM> cover the applications <NUM> for a distance prior to and/or after the rinsing performed by the air rinser <NUM>. In particular, the extension plates <NUM>, <NUM> reduce or prevent an air path from forming between the nozzles <NUM>, the applications <NUM>, and an environment outside of the air rinser <NUM>. For example, when the application <NUM> first comes into fluid communication with the nozzle <NUM>, the airflow (and particulates) may escape from being suctioned into the first enclosure <NUM> by the nozzle <NUM> being in fluid communication with the external environment by way of the application <NUM>. The extension plates <NUM>, <NUM> may be integrated, permanently affixed, or detachable using any appropriate attachment technique.

As an alternative to the extension plates <NUM>, <NUM>, the dimensions of the first enclosure <NUM> may be adjusted to extend the face <NUM> of the first enclosure <NUM> to cover a similar area as the extension plates <NUM>, <NUM>.

As utilized herein, "and/or" means any one or more of the items in the list joined by "and/or. " As an example, "x and/or y" means any element of the three-element set {(x), (y), (x, y)}.

Claim 1:
An air rinsing apparatus (<NUM>), comprising:
a first enclosure (<NUM>) having a plurality of first inlet ports (<NUM>) and a first output port (<NUM>);
a second enclosure (<NUM>) extending within the first enclosure (<NUM>), the second enclosure (<NUM>) comprising a second inlet port (<NUM>) and a plurality of second output ports (<NUM>), the second output ports (<NUM>) disposed on a same face of the first enclosure (<NUM>) as the first inlet ports (<NUM>), wherein the number of second output ports (<NUM>) is equal to the number of first inlet ports (<NUM>), and wherein the second output ports (<NUM>) include corresponding nozzles (<NUM>) that extend through respective ones of the plurality of first inlet ports (<NUM>), wherein the plurality of first inlet ports (<NUM>) and the plurality of second output ports (<NUM>) are aligned;
one or more air movers (<NUM>) configured to:
urge first air (<NUM>) into the second inlet port (<NUM>), the second enclosure (<NUM>) configured to direct the first air (<NUM>) from the second inlet port (<NUM>) to the second output port (<NUM>); and
pull second air (<NUM>) from the first output port (<NUM>), the first enclosure (<NUM>) configured to direct the second air (<NUM>) from the first inlet port (<NUM>) to the first output port (<NUM>); and
an ionizer (<NUM>) disposed within the second enclosure (<NUM>), the ionizer (<NUM>) comprising a high voltage wire (<NUM>), a ground wire (<NUM>), and a reference wire (<NUM>) each extending through the first enclosure (<NUM>), and configured to generate positive and negative ions, the second enclosure (<NUM>) configured to direct the first air (<NUM>) from the second inlet port (<NUM>) to the second output port (<NUM>) such that the first air (<NUM>) entrains the positive and negative ions.