Patent Description:
The present invention relates to a washing machine for containers, i.e. bottles, small bottles, flasks, vials, carpules etc. of various formats, in particular for products of the pharmaceutical industry.

The present invention finds advantageous application in the cleaning of bottles for products of the pharmaceutical industry, to which the following disclosure will make explicit reference without thereby losing its generality.

In the industry of bottle filling machines for products of the pharmaceutical industry it is known to have a washing machine for bottles upstream of the filling station of a bottle filling machine to clean each container before filling it with a given quantity of product of the pharmaceutical industry, in liquid or powder form.

A known washing machine for containers for products of the pharmaceutical industry comprises: a linear input conveyor for moving a plurality of bottles along a segment of a processing path; a screw transporter arranged immediately downstream of the linear feeding conveyor to receive the bottles coming from the linear input conveyor and to move the bottles along another segment of the processing path; a cleaning unit arranged downstream of the screw transporter and designed for cleaning the bottles while moving along a cleaning conveyor carried by the cleaning unit; a further screw transporter arranged downstream of the cleaning unit to receive the cleaned bottles leaving the cleaning unit and to move the bottles towards an output conveyor, through which the cleaned bottles will be directed towards a further station of the bottle filling machine, typically towards the weighing station or towards the filling station. A known washing machine comprises, furthermore, a feeding conveyor arranged immediately upstream of the cleaning unit to feed the bottles towards the cleaning unit and a pick-up conveyor arranged at the exit of the cleaning unit to receive the bottles leaving the cleaning unit.

The cleaning conveyor carries in a cantilevered manner a plurality of gripping devices (typically pliers or forks), which are designed to take the bottles, by grasping them at the neck, rotate them so that the dispensing opening of each bottle is oriented towards the bottom, move them rotated (i.e. "upside down" with the bottom facing up and with the neck ending in the dispensing opening oriented downwards) along a plurality of cleaning stations, and then rotate them again (i.e. bring them back with the bottom facing down and with the neck ending in the dispensing opening oriented upwards) before conveying them out of the cleaning unit.

A known cleaning unit comprises, furthermore, a plurality of vertically oriented dispensing ducts which are connected to a system for feeding an operating fluid (which can be, for example, demineralized water, purified water, recycled water, water added with silicone, dry air, ionized air) and ending with a dispensing nozzle from which the more or less pressurized operating fluid flows, when necessary. Through a cleaning unit thus made, each bottle is moved by the gripping devices with the dispensing opening oriented downwards, and is stopped above a dispensing duct arranged in a transport position or in a rest position (in which the dispensing duct is spaced from the bottle so as not to hinder the movement of the bottle along the cleaning conveyor). Once the bottle has been stopped over the dispensing duct, the dispensing duct is lifted from the transport or rest position to a raised position or working position, wherein the top (end) of the dispensing duct provided with the dispensing nozzle is arranged inside the bottle. At this point, the feeding system pumps an operating fluid under pressure (which can be, for example, demineralized water, purified water, recycled water, water added with silicone, dry air, ionized air) towards the dispensing duct so as to let out (spray) the operating fluid from the dispensing nozzle directly into the bottle for sufficient time to complete the cleaning step. At the end of the cleaning step, the dispensing duct is lowered to exit the bottle and place itself again in the transport or rest position, the freshly treated bottle is then moved towards the exit of the cleaning unit or towards another dispensing duct to start a new step of the cleaning cycle.

In particular, during a cleaning cycle each bottle, moving along the cleaning conveyor, is subjected to the action of several operating fluids, the various dispensing ducts are, in fact, typically arranged to dispense at least two different operating fluids, for example a cleaning liquid (typically water, possibly demineralized, and/or purified and/or recycled and/or water added with silicone) to wash the bottles, and dry air (typically heated) to dry the bottles. The feeding system suited to feed the dispensing ducts comprises, in fact, a plurality of feeding collectors, each dedicated to feed a particular operating fluid, and each connected to one or more dispensing ducts to introduce the operating fluid into the dispensing duct.

The washing machine described above has some drawbacks.

In the first place, a washing machine thus made allows only one cleaning cycle to be carried out, which is repeated and is always the same since the various dispensing ducts are each connected to a particular feeding collector. Therefore if, for any reason (e.g. when the customer and/or the material with which the bottles are made and/or the type of product to be inserted inside is changed) the cleaning cycle of the bottles needs to be changed (i.e. the sequence with which the different operating fluids acting upon each bottle needs to be changed), it is necessary to use a different washing machine, in which the dispensing ducts that follow one another along the cleaning conveyor (and therefore along which each bottle is moved in succession) are connected to the feeding collectors of the feeding system in order to carry out the desired cleaning cycle.

Another problem encountered with the washing machine described above is linked to the fact that the gripping devices carried by the cleaning conveyor are designed to take the bottles by grasping them from a precise gripping section generally arranged near a dispensing opening of the bottle (typically at the neck of the bottle). In fact, considering that each bottle arrives at a corresponding gripping device moving on the input conveyor (i.e. resting in an upright position on the input conveyor) as the size of the bottle changes, the vertical height of the gripping section will also change, so it will be necessary to consequently change the vertical height of the gripping device to ensure the correct gripping of the bottle. Therefore, to date, as the format of the containers entering the washing machine changes, it is necessary to adjust the position of the gripping devices and/or replace the gripping devices and/or replace, or at least adjust, the connecting means with which the gripping devices are bound to the cleaning conveyor. Said operations are very laborious, require skilled workers and cannot be performed while the washing machine is mounted, therefore they require machine downtime (at least for the time necessary to complete the aforementioned replacement and/or adjustment operations) with obvious disadvantages in terms of costs and production time.

A further problem of known washing machines such as the one proposed is linked to the fact that in order for the washing machine to work at its best, i.e. at maximum efficiency, it is necessary that each pitch of the helical ridge of the screw transporter receives a bottle; however, as the format (i.e. shape and size) of the bottles varies, the amount of thrust with which the bottles arrive at the screw transporter varies, so that for given bottle formats a not optimal loading of the screw transporter could occur (i.e. some pitches of the helical ridge of the screw transporter could remain unused). To try to remedy this problem, some washing machines are designed to change the movement speed of the input conveyor arranged upstream of the screw transporter as the size of the bottles entering the washing machine changes. However, the increase in the forward speed of the input conveyor arranged upstream of the screw transporter also determines a considerable slipping of the bottles on the input conveyor. The slipping of the bottles on the input conveyor causes an increase in the wear of the feeding conveyor with a consequent reduction in the useful life of the feeding conveyor and also could cause an irregular movement of the bottles, which in the worst case would make the solution ineffective.

Patent application <CIT> describes a conveyor which moves the bottles in a bottle treatment machine; in particular, the conveyor has a transport surface adjustable in height according to the size of the bottles.

The object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine for products of the pharmaceutical industry, which washing machine is free from at least part of the above-mentioned drawbacks and is, at the same time, easy and inexpensive to manufacture.

According to the present invention, a washing machine for containers is provided, in particular for products of the pharmaceutical industry, according to what is claimed in the attached claims.

The claims describe embodiments of the present invention forming an integral part of the present description.

The present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, which illustrate some non-limiting examples of embodiments, wherein:.

In <FIG>, number <NUM> denotes as a whole a bottle (small bottle, flask, vial, carpule, syringe or container of various formats) for example, a single-use one (i.e. disposable which is therefore used only once and is then replaced) of a type known to contain a product <NUM> of the pharmaceutical industry (typically liquid or powder). The bottle <NUM> is closed by means of a cap <NUM>, possibly covered with a plastic coating <NUM> which must be removed in order to remove the cap <NUM>, and is provided with (at least) one label <NUM> which is glued to an external surface of the bottle <NUM>.

In <FIG>, number <NUM> denotes as a whole a washing machine designed for cleaning (washing, blowing) each bottle <NUM> before said bottle <NUM> is filled with a given quantity of product <NUM> in a filling station of a filling machine for bottles <NUM>. In particular, inside the washing machine <NUM> the bottles <NUM> are moved along a processing path by means of a succession of conveyors described in the following.

The washing machine <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> comprises an input conveyor <NUM> which is designed to move a succession of bottles <NUM> along a linear segment A of the processing path towards a screw transporter <NUM>, which is arranged upstream of a cleaning unit <NUM> and is designed to move the succession of bottles <NUM> along a further linear segment B of the processing path, substantially perpendicular to the segment A, towards the cleaning unit <NUM>, passing through a star-like feeding conveyor <NUM> interposed between the screw transporter <NUM> and cleaning unit <NUM>. The washing machine <NUM> comprises, furthermore, a screw transporter <NUM> designed to receive the clean bottles <NUM> which, from the cleaning unit <NUM>, are conveyed outwards by means of a star-like pick-up conveyor <NUM> arranged immediately downstream of the cleaning unit <NUM> for guiding the bottles <NUM> from the cleaning unit <NUM> towards the screw transporter <NUM>, which is designed to move the bottles <NUM> along a further linear segment C of the processing path which ends at an output conveyor <NUM>, through which the bottles <NUM> moving along the linear segment D of the processing path, substantially perpendicular to the segment C, exiting the washing machine <NUM>. The input conveyor <NUM> and the output conveyor <NUM> can either be linear or rotary and in the attached Figures are linear conveyors.

The cleaning unit <NUM> in turn comprises a cleaning conveyor <NUM> which moves the bottles <NUM> along a further circular segment E of the processing path, along which each bottle <NUM> is subjected to a cleaning cycle.

The cleaning conveyor <NUM> illustrated in Figures from <NUM> to <NUM> is a rotary conveyor which rotates around a vertical rotation axis Z and which carries in a cantilevered manner a plurality of gripping devices <NUM> (typically pliers or forks). In detail, the gripping devices <NUM> are mounted rotatably on a plurality of reticular beams <NUM> and can be moved forward by the cleaning conveyor <NUM> along the segment E of the processing path; in particular, in the embodiment illustrated in the attached Figures, each beam <NUM> supports an assembly of six gripping devices <NUM> side by side to one another; consequently, the rotation of each beam <NUM> determines the simultaneous rotation of all six gripping devices <NUM> carried by the beam <NUM>. Each gripping device <NUM> is designed to pick-up a bottle <NUM> at the entering of the cleaning conveyor <NUM> by grasping it with a gripping section arranged near a dispensing opening of the bottles <NUM> (typically at the neck of the bottles <NUM>), rotating the bottle <NUM> by <NUM>° until it is placed with the dispensing opening arranged downwards, and to feed the bottle <NUM> rotated (i.e. "upside down" with the bottom facing upwards and with the neck ending in the dispensing opening oriented downwards) through successive cleaning stations and then rotating the bottle <NUM> again before leading it out of the cleaning unit <NUM>. In other words, the bottles <NUM> enter the cleaning conveyor <NUM> oriented upwards (i.e. with the dispensing opening facing upwards), are overturned (i.e. arranged with the dispensing opening facing downwards) by means of a <NUM>° rotation and are finally overturned again (i.e. arranged again with the dispensing opening facing upwards) before exiting the cleaning conveyor <NUM>.

The cleaning unit <NUM> illustrated in Figures from <NUM> to <NUM> comprises, furthermore, a plurality of dispensing ducts <NUM> carried by a circular support <NUM> which is arranged in a fixed position (i.e. it does not rotate), is coaxial to the rotation axis Z of the cleaning conveyor <NUM> and is arranged below the cleaning conveyor <NUM>. The circular support <NUM> carries in a cantilever manner a plurality of shelves <NUM> (which, in the illustrated embodiment, are integral one with the other as they are made in a single body) on which the dispensing ducts <NUM> are arranged, each of which is designed for dispensing an operating fluid (not illustrated) inside a bottle <NUM>, when the bottle <NUM> is with the dispensing opening oriented downwards above the corresponding dispensing duct <NUM>.

As illustrated in Figures from <NUM> to <NUM>, the cleaning unit <NUM> comprises, furthermore, a plurality of feeding collectors 20a, 20b, 20c, in the present case three feeding collectors 20a, 20b, 20c, each designed for feeding a different operating fluid (which can be demineralized, purified, recycled water, water added with silicone, water added with sterilizing agents, dry air, or ionized air, depending on the operations that the operating fluid must carry out) and each connectable to at least one dispensing duct <NUM>.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the dispensing ducts <NUM> are assembled in a plurality of dispensing assemblies <NUM> which are independent of and separate from one another and are arranged in succession one after the other along the processing path. Each dispensing assembly <NUM> is formed by four dispensing ducts <NUM> and is provided with a single distributing device <NUM> connectable to each of the feeding collectors 20a, 20b, 20c to receive an operating fluid and distribute the same to the dispensing ducts <NUM> of the dispensing assembly <NUM> (in the present case to the four dispensing ducts <NUM> of each dispensing assembly <NUM>); in other words, each dispensing assembly <NUM> is potentially connectable to all the feeding collectors 20a, 20b, 20c and is effectively connected to a single feeding collector 20a or 20b or 20c at a time.

Furthermore, each feeding collector 20a, 20b, 20c has a plurality of outputs <NUM> which can be used by a distributing device <NUM> (i.e. connected to a distributing device <NUM>), or unused (i.e. disconnected from all distributing devices <NUM> and therefore from all the dispensing assemblies <NUM>) and typically closed by means of a respective screwed cap (not illustrated) and/or by means of a valve which is integrated with the feeding collector 20a or 20b or 20c and can be manually or electrically operated.

In particular, the connection between the outputs <NUM> of the feeding collectors 20a, 20b, 20c and the distributing devices <NUM> of the various dispensing assemblies <NUM> takes place by means of a plurality of flexible pipes <NUM>, each arranged to connect a single output <NUM> of a feeding collector 20a or 20b or 20c to an input <NUM> of a distributing device <NUM> of a single dispensing assembly <NUM>, independently of the remaining dispensing assemblies <NUM>, so that by adding a new pipe <NUM>, or by moving an existing pipe <NUM>, it is possible to selectively connect the inputs <NUM> of the various distributing devices <NUM> to respective feeding collectors <NUM>. In this way, by connecting at will the inputs <NUM> of the various distributing devices <NUM> with the outputs <NUM> of the various collectors 20a, 20b, 20c, it will be possible to modify at will the cleaning cycle to which each bottle <NUM> is subjected while moving along the cleaning conveyor <NUM> through the various dispensing assemblies <NUM> (i.e. through at least one dispensing duct <NUM> of each of the dispensing assemblies <NUM>). An example of the extreme flexibility of the system is illustrated in <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, from comparison thereof it is evident that simply by changing the configuration (i.e. the number and/or the arrangement) of the pipes <NUM> it is possible to modify the number and arrangement of the dispensing assemblies <NUM>, which feed a given operating fluid thus changing the cleaning cycle to which each bottle <NUM> is subjected. For example, supposing to dispense water to the feeding collector 20a and dry air to the feeding collector 20b, in the embodiment illustrated in <FIG> six consecutive dispensing assemblies <NUM> are provided, which dispense water followed by four dispensing assemblies <NUM> (not all consecutive) that dispense dry air, while the embodiment illustrated in <FIG> five consecutive dispensing assemblies <NUM> are provided, which dispense water followed by two consecutive dispensing assemblies <NUM> which dispense dry air. On the other hand, supposing to feed water added with sterilizing additives to the feeding collector 20a, pure water to the feeding collector 20b and dry air to the feeding collector 20c, in the embodiment illustrated in <FIG> one single dispensing assembly <NUM> is provided, which dispense pure water, followed by three consecutive dispensing assemblies <NUM> which dispense water added with sterilizing additives, followed by two consecutive dispensing assemblies <NUM> which dispense pure water, and finally followed by five consecutive dispensing assemblies <NUM> which dispense dry air.

With particular reference to <FIG>, the dispensing ducts <NUM> of each dispensing assembly <NUM> are mounted on the corresponding distributing device <NUM>, so as to be oriented with the dispensing opening facing upwards (i.e. so as to dispense the operating fluid upwards) and comprise threaded pipes <NUM> that protrude from the distributing device <NUM> and on which the corresponding dispensing ducts <NUM> are screwed, provided with respective dispensing nozzles <NUM>.

Furthermore, in order to allow the cleaning cycle to be carried out, the circular support <NUM> which carries the shelves <NUM> and therefore the various cleaning assemblies <NUM> is movable close to or away from the cleaning conveyor <NUM> in a vertical direction (parallel to the rotation axis Z of the cleaning conveyor <NUM>) under the action of an actuating device (schematically illustrated in <FIG>) between an operating position, in which each dispensing duct <NUM> is partially arranged inside a corresponding bottle <NUM> carried with the dispensing opening facing downwards by a gripping device <NUM>, and a transport position in which each dispensing duct <NUM> is completely on the outside relative to the bottles <NUM> carried by the cleaning conveyor <NUM> so as not to hinder the bottles <NUM> during their movement from one cleaning station to the next (i.e. from a dispensing assembly <NUM> which dispenses a given operating fluid to another dispensing assembly <NUM>, which dispenses an operating fluid that can be different from the previous one).

In detail, during a cleaning cycle, each bottle <NUM> is moved by the cleaning conveyor <NUM> with the dispensing opening oriented downwards and is stopped, by the cleaning conveyor <NUM>, at a cleaning station and above a dispensing duct <NUM> of a dispensing assembly <NUM> arranged in a lowered or rest position in which the dispensing duct <NUM> is spaced from the bottle <NUM> so as not to hinder the movement of the bottle <NUM>. Once each bottle <NUM> is above a dispensing duct <NUM>, the circular support <NUM>, under the action of the actuating device, is lifted from the transport position or lowered position towards an operating or raised position in which the upper (terminal) part of each dispensing duct <NUM>, provided with the dispensing nozzle <NUM>, is inside the bottle <NUM>. At this point, each feeding collector 20a, 20b, 20c dispenses, preferably by means of a dispensing pump (not illustrated), the operating fluid through the pipes <NUM> to each distributing device <NUM> connected to one of the outputs <NUM> of the feeding collector 20a, 20b, 20c, which distributing device <NUM> will distribute the operating fluid to the various dispensing ducts <NUM> of each dispensing assembly <NUM> to let the operating fluid out (spray) from the dispensing nozzles <NUM> directly into the respective bottles <NUM> for a time sufficient to complete the cleaning step. At the end of each cleaning step the dispensing assemblies <NUM> are lowered to make each dispensing duct <NUM> exit from the corresponding bottle <NUM> and are placed again in the transport or rest position. It should be noted that during the cleaning step both the bottles <NUM> and the dispensing ducts <NUM> are moving along the processing path: the bottles <NUM> are carried by the gripping devices <NUM> (which are in turn carried by the cleaning conveyor <NUM>) while the dispensing ducts <NUM> are set into rotation by the shelves <NUM> which rotate coaxial to the rotation axis Z of the cleaning conveyor <NUM>.

In detail, during the cleaning step the dispensing ducts <NUM> are in the operating position inside the bottles <NUM> and rotate in the same direction with the cleaning conveyor <NUM>. Once the cleaning step is over, the dispensing ducts <NUM> are brought to the rest position and rotate in a direction different from the rotation direction of the cleaning conveyor <NUM>. Therefore, this alternating movement of the dispensing ducts <NUM> allows to perform the internal cleaning cycle without stopping the bottles <NUM>.

According to an alternative embodiment, the bottles <NUM> could be moved forward step by step corresponding to the various cleaning stations; in this case, each bottle <NUM> which has just been treated is then moved towards a new cleaning station (i.e. towards another dispensing assembly <NUM> which dispenses a given operating fluid that may be different from the previous one) until the cleaning cycle is completed (i.e. until each bottle <NUM> has been moved in the area of a dispensing duct <NUM> of each active dispensing assembly <NUM>).

Basically, for the purpose of cleaning the bottles <NUM>, the latter and the dispensing ducts <NUM> are moved mutually in order for the dispensing nozzles <NUM> of the dispensing ducts <NUM> to be inside the respective bottles <NUM> during the various cleaning steps so that the operating fluid directly and optimally contacts the inner walls of the bottles <NUM>.

According to a possible embodiment, the operating fluid is let out of the dispensing duct <NUM> during a single dispensing operation without interruption (i.e. during the single dispensing operation the flow of the operating fluid is never interrupted). According to a different embodiment, the operating fluid is let out of the dispensing duct <NUM> during two (or more) successive dispensing operations between which a pause is provided (i.e. a lack of dispensing of the operating fluid).

Preferably, the movement at step of the cleaning conveyor <NUM> during its rotation around the axis Z is such as to make sure that a number of bottles <NUM> equal to the number of dispensing ducts <NUM> which form each dispensing assembly <NUM> is moved at each feeding step (i.e. at each rotation step around the rotation axis Z) from a cleaning station to the next cleaning station, therefore from a position in the area of a dispensing assembly <NUM> to the next dispensing assembly <NUM>.

In the embodiment illustrated in the attached Figures, the cleaning unit <NUM> comprises eleven dispensing assemblies <NUM>, each comprising four dispensing ducts <NUM>; whereby each bottle <NUM> during a cleaning cycle undergoes a maximum of eleven cleaning steps, which can be different from one another, since each of these dispensing assemblies <NUM> can be selectively and independently connected to any of the various feeding collectors 20a, 20b, 20c.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the cleaning unit <NUM> comprises three different feeding collectors 20a, 20b and 20c which are arranged inside the circular support <NUM>; each feeding collector 20a, 20b or 20c has twelve outputs <NUM> in order to be connectable to all eleven dispensing assemblies <NUM>, i.e. a single feeding collector 20a, 20b or 20c could be connected to all eleven dispensing assemblies <NUM> (in fact there is a twelfth output <NUM> which is in excess since there are only eleven dispensing assemblies <NUM> and which is in reserve). Each feeding collector 20a, 20b or 20c is connected to a respective operating fluid feeding system 29a or 29b or 29c, which can for example provide a tank (not illustrated) that contains an operating fluid and which is connected, possibly by means of a pump, to the respective feeding collector 20a or 20b or 20c. The operating fluid can be, for example, demineralized water, purified water, recycled water, water added with silicone, dry air, or ionized air.

As previously mentioned, Figures from <NUM> to <NUM> show some of the different configurations that the cleaning unit <NUM> of the invention can assume, which corresponds to as many different cleaning cycles. In particular in <FIG> and <FIG>, the feeding collector 20a is connected to the distributing devices <NUM> of dispensing assemblies <NUM> arranged in the initial part of the segment E of the processing path and could, for example, feed a cleaning liquid (typically water), the feeding collector 20b, which is connected to distributing devices <NUM> of dispensing assemblies <NUM> arranged in the final part of the segment E of the processing path could feed dry (preferably heated) air so as to perform a drying step subsequent to the washing step; while the collector 20c is unused. Whereas, In <FIG> some of the outputs <NUM> of the feeding collector 20c are also used: in detail, in <FIG> the distributing devices <NUM> of a dispensing assembly <NUM> arranged in the initial part of the segment E of the processing path is connected to the feeding collector 20b, the distributing devices <NUM> of three consecutive dispensing assemblies <NUM> are connected to the feeding collector 20a and the distributing devices <NUM> of the remaining dispensing assemblies <NUM> arranged in the final part of the segment E of the processing path are connected in part to the feeding collector 20b and the remaining part to the feeding collector 20c, therefore this configuration could represent, for example, a cleaning cycle which envisages three distinct washing steps followed by a drying step, in the event that the collectors 20a and 20b are designed for feeding fluids cleaning agents, for example water and ionized air, and the collector 20c is designed for feeding dry air (preferably hot).

According to an embodiment not illustrated, the unused dispensing assemblies <NUM> could be provided with plugs (not illustrate) mounted on the threaded pipe <NUM> of the distributing device <NUM> of each of the dispensing ducts <NUM> of the dispensing assembly <NUM> so as to prevent unwanted leaks of the operating fluid in the event of connection errors and, at the same time, protect the dispensing ducts <NUM> and prevent the same from being damaged or blocked during their non-use, for example due to external agents such as dust, production waste, etc..

Alternatively, or in combination, valves, preferably electric ones, could be provided which can be operated to prevent the flow towards the unused dispensing assemblies <NUM>, said valves could for example be arranged at the entering of each distributing device <NUM>.

It is understood that as the number of feeding collectors 20a, 20b, 20c increases the number of different operating fluids that can be used and, therefore, increases the number of possible cleaning cycles that can be performed with the washing machine <NUM> simply by arranging in a different way the pipes <NUM> and thus modifying the connections between the distributing devices <NUM> and the outputs <NUM> of the various feeding collectors 20a, 20b, 20c.

It is also understood that each dispensing assembly <NUM> could be formed by any number of dispensing ducts <NUM>, in particular as the number of dispensing ducts <NUM>, which forms a single dispensing assembly <NUM>, increases, the number of distributing devices to be connected to the various feeding collectors 20a, 20b, 20c and, consequently, the number of outputs <NUM> of each feeding collector 20a, 20b, 20c will decrease, thus simplifying the washing unit <NUM>, but at the same time the number of different cleaning steps at which every single bottle <NUM> along a cleaning cycle can be subjected will decrease. On the contrary, as the number of dispensing ducts <NUM>, which form each single dispensing assembly <NUM>, decreases, the freedom with which the cleaning cycle can be varied will increase, i.e. the possible cleaning steps to which each individual bottle <NUM> moving along the cleaning conveyor <NUM> will increase.

The cleaning unit <NUM> can also comprise a collecting tank (not illustrated) which collects the water following cleaning and is arranged in a fixed position below the dispensing assembly <NUM>.

In the event that one of the feeding collectors 20a, 20b and 20c is suited to feed ionized air, a suction source (situation not illustrated) can also be provided to suck the ionized air so that it does not disperse into the surrounding environment.

It is understood that the feeding conveyor <NUM> could support any other seat (not illustrated), in place of the gripping devices <NUM>, designed for housing a container <NUM> and for moving the container <NUM> suitably oriented along the segment E of the processing path (i.e. along the succession of dispensing ducts <NUM>).

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the cleaning conveyor <NUM> is mounted on a frame <NUM> of the washing machine <NUM> so as to be movable along a vertical adjustment direction, which is preferably coaxial to the rotation axis Z of the cleaning conveyor <NUM>.

In said regard, the washing machine <NUM> comprises adjustment means <NUM> designed to move the cleaning conveyor <NUM> along the adjustment direction to change a vertical height of the gripping devices <NUM> with respect to the feeding conveyor <NUM>, which moves the bottles <NUM> towards the gripping devices <NUM>. In particular, the adjustment means <NUM> are arranged to change a vertical portion of the cleaning conveyor <NUM> so that the vertical portion of the gripping devices <NUM> coincides with a vertical portion of the gripping section of the bottles <NUM> entering the cleaning conveyor <NUM>; as previously said, the gripping section of a bottle <NUM> is typically arranged near the opening of the bottle <NUM>, preferably at the neck of the bottle <NUM>. In this way it will be possible, by suitably operating the adjustment means <NUM>, to lift or lower the cleaning conveyor <NUM> according to the size of the bottles <NUM> entering the washing machine <NUM> so as to make sure that each gripping device <NUM> grasps the gripping section of a corresponding bottle <NUM> while said bottle <NUM> moves along the feeding conveyor <NUM> arranged upstream of the cleaning conveyor <NUM>.

According to what is illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the bottles <NUM> enter the cleaning conveyor <NUM> carried by the feeding conveyor <NUM> interposed between the screw transporter <NUM> and the cleaning unit <NUM>; in the embodiment illustrated in the attached Figures, the feeding conveyor <NUM> is a rotating star-like conveyor, while according to other embodiments not illustrated, the feeding conveyor <NUM> could be replaced by any other linear or rotating conveyor which moves the bottles <NUM> in an upright position towards the cleaning conveyor <NUM>.

In <FIG> and <FIG>, the drum <NUM> of the cleaning conveyor <NUM> is mounted on a shaft <NUM> which is rotatable around the rotation axis Z and is also axially slidable along the rotation axis Z so as to allow the lowering or lifting of the cleaning conveyor <NUM> by suitably operating the adjustment means <NUM>.

With particular reference to <FIG>, the adjustment means <NUM> comprise a vertical support rod <NUM> (in this case a screw) which supports the shaft <NUM> with the interposition of an oblique ball bearing <NUM> and is connected to an actuating device <NUM> designed to actuate the rod <NUM> in motion along the rotation axis Z.

According to the embodiment illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the actuating device <NUM> comprises a nut <NUM> internally threaded and coupled to the rod <NUM> and an electric motor (schematically illustrated in <FIG>) designed to rotate the nut <NUM> so that the rotation of the nut <NUM> determines the screwing of the rod <NUM> and consequently a movement of the shaft <NUM>, and therefore of the entire cleaning conveyor <NUM>, along the rotation axis Z.

Further bearings <NUM> are also arranged between the shaft <NUM> and the frame <NUM> of the washing machine <NUM> above the oblique ball bearing <NUM> and are both shaped to allow rotation of the shaft <NUM> around the rotation axis Z, and to allow the movement of the shaft <NUM> along the rotation axis Z.

The adjustment means <NUM> are preferably connected to a control unit <NUM> (schematically illustrated in <FIG>) configured to determine the format of the bottles <NUM> entering the washing machine <NUM> and therefore to change the vertical height of the gripping devices <NUM> accordingly, so as to ensure that each gripping device <NUM> grips the gripping section of a corresponding bottle <NUM>. For this purpose, the control unit <NUM> comprises at least one memory unit designed for storing a program associating each format of the containers <NUM> with a corresponding vertical portion of the gripping devices <NUM>. For this reason, once the data about the format of the containers <NUM> has been entered, the control unit <NUM>, based on the programming contained in the memory unit, will activate the adjustment means <NUM> to ensure the correct gripping of the containers <NUM> by means of the gripping devices <NUM>.

In particular, the format of the containers <NUM> can be entered manually by the operators before starting to use the washing machine <NUM> by using a user interface (not illustrated) which is connected to the control unit <NUM>. As an alternative or in combination with the user interface, the washing machine <NUM> can comprise detection means (for example optical sensors) capable of scanning the containers <NUM> moving along the processing path and sending the corresponding data to the control unit <NUM>, which, by comparing the data with those contained in the memory unit, will be able to identify the format of the containers <NUM> and consequently, again on the basis of the data contained in the programming, to operate the adjustment means <NUM>.

It is understood that the actuating device <NUM> described above and shown in <FIG> and <FIG> could be replaced with any other actuating device with the same function. For example, the rod <NUM> could be connected directly to a linear actuating device that can be operated to lift or lower the rod <NUM> and therefore to change the vertical height of the gripping devices <NUM>.

According to a further preferred embodiment and with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, the washing machine <NUM> comprises further adjustment means <NUM> designed to adjust the inclination of the input conveyor <NUM> relative to the horizontal direction, and therefore the pressure with which the bottles <NUM> arrive at the screw transporter <NUM>, to ensure that each pitch of the helical ridge of the screw transporter <NUM> receives a bottle <NUM> coming from the input conveyor <NUM>, in order to optimize the efficiency of the washing machine <NUM> in terms of speed and feed regularity of the bottles <NUM>.

According to said embodiment illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the input conveyor <NUM> is carried by a support frame <NUM> which is mounted rotatably around a horizontal rotation axis Y so that, when suitably operated by the adjustment means <NUM>, can rotate around the axis Y consequently changing the inclination of the input conveyor <NUM> relative to the horizontal direction.

According to what is illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the adjustment means <NUM> are arranged to act on the support frame <NUM> so as to change the vertical height of an input end <NUM> of the input conveyor <NUM> and keep the vertical height at an output end <NUM> of the input conveyor <NUM> constant, since at the output end <NUM> the input conveyor <NUM> is coupled to the screw transporter <NUM> so that said section cannot be moved in order not to lose contact with the screw transporter <NUM>; in other words, the output end <NUM> of the input conveyor <NUM> represents the fixed point around which the support frame <NUM> and therefore the input conveyor <NUM> can rotate.

According to what is illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the adjustment means <NUM> comprise a linear actuating device <NUM> (for example a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder) which is connected to the end of the support frame <NUM> opposite the screw transporter <NUM> and is designed to lift or lower said end.

Preferably the rotation axis Y around which the support frame <NUM> rotates in order to change the inclination of the input conveyor <NUM> is parallel, and even more preferably coaxial, to the screw transporter <NUM>.

The control unit <NUM> of the washing machine <NUM> is configured to determine a format of the containers <NUM> entering the washing machine <NUM> and therefore to change the inclination of the input conveyor <NUM> relative to the horizontal direction so as to ensure that each pitch of the helical ridge of the screw transporter <NUM> receives a container <NUM> coming from the input conveyor <NUM>.

The control unit <NUM> comprises at least one memory unit designed for containing a program associating each format of the containers <NUM> with a corresponding inclination of the input conveyor <NUM> relative to the horizontal direction. Therefore, once the data about the format of the containers <NUM> has been entered, the control unit <NUM>, based on the programming contained in the memory unit, will activate the adjustment means <NUM> to ensure that the containers <NUM> arrive at the screw transporter <NUM> with a pressure such as to ensure that each pitch of the helical ridge of the screw transporter <NUM> is occupied by a container <NUM>.

In particular, the format of the containers <NUM> can be entered manually by the operators before starting to use the washing machine <NUM> by using a user interface (not illustrated) which is connected to the control unit <NUM>. Alternatively or in combination with the user interface, the washing machine <NUM> can comprise detection means similar to those already described, which can coincide with those already described, and which are arranged to detect the format of the containers <NUM> moving along the processing path and sending the corresponding data to the control unit <NUM> which, by comparing the data with those contained in the memory unit, will be able to identify the format of the container <NUM> and consequently always on the basis of the format of the containers <NUM> will actuate the adjustment means <NUM>.

It is understood that the actuating device <NUM> could be replaced with any other actuating device having the same function.

The embodiments described herein can be combined with one another without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The washing machine <NUM> described above has numerous advantages.

Firstly, due to the subdivision of the dispensing ducts <NUM> into separate and independent dispensing assemblies <NUM> each provided with its own distributing device <NUM> and each connectable to any of the feeding collectors 20a, 20b, 20c, the washing machine <NUM> allows to change the cleaning cycle performed by the washing machine <NUM> in a simple and quick manner by simply moving the pipes <NUM> to connect each distributing device <NUM> to an output <NUM> of a feeding collector 20a, 20b, 20c and/or by adding new pipes <NUM> to connect previously disconnected distributing devices <NUM>. Therefore, the washing machine <NUM> thus obtained is extremely flexible and is capable of performing various cleaning cycles, without having to make a special washing machine <NUM> for each possible cleaning cycle. Furthermore, a washing machine <NUM> thus made allows the possibility to change the cleaning cycle even during the useful life of the washing machine <NUM> itself, simply by changing the various connections between the outputs <NUM> of each feeding collector 20a, 20b, 20c and the distributing devices <NUM>, by moving and/or adding pipes <NUM>.

Furthermore, the washing machine <NUM> described above, due to the presence of the adjustment means <NUM> designed to change the vertical height of the cleaning conveyor <NUM> and therefore of the gripping devices <NUM> depending on the format of the containers <NUM>, ensures that each container <NUM> is grasped by a corresponding gripping device <NUM> in a correct manner (i.e. at the gripping section). In other words, the washing machine <NUM> thus made can be adapted in a simple a quick manner to containers <NUM> of any format, by adjusting the vertical height of the cleaning conveyor <NUM> according to the vertical height of the gripping section of the containers <NUM> entering the washing machine <NUM>.

Furthermore, the washing machine <NUM>, due to the presence of the adjustment means <NUM> designed to adjust the inclination of the input conveyor <NUM>, ensures that each pitch of the helical ridge of the screw transporter <NUM> receives a container <NUM> coming from the input conveyor <NUM>, improving in this way the performance of the washing machine <NUM> in terms of feed speed, and therefore of the productivity of the washing machine <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A washing machine (<NUM>) for containers (<NUM>), in particular of the pharmaceutical industry, comprising:
an input conveyor (<NUM>) designed to move a plurality of containers (<NUM>) along a first segment (A) of a processing path;
a screw transporter (<NUM>), which is designed to move the containers (<NUM>) along a second segment (B) of the processing path and is arranged immediately downstream of the input conveyor (<NUM>) so as to receive the containers (<NUM>) coming directly from the input conveyor (<NUM>); and
a cleaning unit (<NUM>), which is arranged along a third segment (E) of the processing path downstream of the screw transporter (<NUM>) and is designed to wash each container (<NUM>);
wherein:
the input conveyor (<NUM>) is movable so as to change the inclination of the first segment (A) of the processing path relative to the horizontal direction; and
adjustment means (<NUM>) are provided, which are designed to adjust the inclination of the first segment (A) of the processing path relative to the horizontal direction;
the washing machine is characterized in that the first segment (A) of the processing path defined by the input conveyor (<NUM>) is perpendicular to the second segment (B) of the processing path defined by the screw transporter (<NUM>).