EP1562715A1

EP1562715A1 - Machine for rinsing and/or sterilizing bottles made of plastics or glass

Info

Publication number: EP1562715A1
Application number: EP03767535A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Antonio Rigano'; Salvatore Rigano'
Original assignee: Jetmatic Srl
Current assignee: Jetmatic Srl
Priority date: 2002-11-18
Filing date: 2003-11-13
Publication date: 2005-08-17
Also published as: ITPR20020066A1; WO2004045784A1; AU2003292012A1

Abstract

The invention refers to the field of bottle-filling plants and more precisely it refers to a machine for rinsing and /or sterilizing bottles made of plastic or glass. The machine is of the turntable-type on which spraying nozzles (4) and grippers (7) are assembled for taking and overturning the bottles. The machine provides for a detection device (15) of the bottle on the nozzle; a first angular position sensing device (16) of the bottles for opening solenoid valves (17) that supply the nozzles and a second angular position sensor (20) for closing said solenoid valves.

Description

Title: MACHINE FOR RINSING AND/OR STERILIZING BOTTLES MADE OF PLASTICS OR GLASS

D E S C R I P T I O N Object of the present invention is a machine for rinsing and/or sterilizing bottles made of plastics or glass.

Different types of rinsing and/or sterilizing machines are known, among which the most common ones are composed of a platform rotating around a vertical axis, technically defined as turntable, on the peripheral area of which a plurality of nozzles are assembled, said nozzles facing upwards and being connected with a rotating manifold, central to the turntable, that contains rinsing and/or sterilizing liquid.

In order to take the bottles to their overturned position, namely with their neck facing downwards so that the nozzles can spray liquid inside the bottles, grippers are provided, always supported by the turntable, that grip a bottle by its neck and rotate it .

For such purpose every gripper is equipped with a fork-shaped appendix that engages a fixed annular cam that surrounds the turntable and, when rotating, makes the gripper, and therefore the bottle, perform an oscillating movement.

Bottles are supplied to the rinsing machine by a star conveyor that arranges them in their correct angular position to be taken by the grippers carried by the turntable. A similar star conveyor is placed at its outlet in the position in which the grippers, after having put back the bottles in their vertical position with their neck upwards, are released by the grippers themselves.

Some machines are provided, on the inlet star conveyor, with bottle-detecting means of the photocell type in order to inhibit the nozzle supply in case there are no bottles. This system has been proven unsafe since if the possible drop of a bottle occurs in the passing area from star conveyor to gripper (a rather frequent case), its absence is not detected and therefore there will be a nozzle that sprays washing liquid uselessly. In other machines, whether bottles are detected or not mechanically occurs through limit switches, placed next to the nozzles, that then operate on nozzle supplying valves through rods and transmissions that make the machine highly complex.

Object of the present invention is removing the above inconveniences, by providing a rinsing machine that is far simpler than the known machines and is absolutely reliable when detecting the absence of a bottle from a gripper and therefore when inhibiting the related nozzle.

These and other objects are fully reached by the rinsing machines for bottles made of plastics or glass, object of the present invention, that is characterised in what is included in the below-listed claims and particularly in that it provides: a bottle detecting sensor when a bottle has already been taken by a gripper and placed above a nozzle; a first device for sensing the bottle angular position, composed of an emitter in a fixed position and of a plurality of receivers assembled on the turntable, one for each nozzle, each receiver being adapted to allow energising for opening a related solenoid valve placed on a nozzle supplying duct when emitter and receiver are aligned on an axis and the bottle presence has been detected by the detecting sensor; a second device for sensing the bottle angular position composed of an emitter in an adjustable position and of a plurality of receivers assembled on the turntable, one for each nozzle, each receiver being adapted to allow de-energising the solenoid valve for its related closure.

These and other features will be better pointed out by the following description of a preferred embodiment, shown, merely as a non-limiting example, in the enclosed tables of drawing, in which: - figure 1 schematically shows, in a top plan view, a rinsing machine of the so- called turntable type;

- figure 2 schematically shows, in a top view, the rinsing machine of the present invention; - figure 3 is an elevation view of half the rinsing machine;

- figure 4 is an elevation view of half the rinsing machine according to a possible embodiment variation.

With reference to the figures, 1 designates as a whole a rinsing machine comprising a platform 2 or turntable rotatingly placed around a vertical axis 3 through known means that are not shown.

On the turntable, along a circumference, a plurality of nozzles 4 are uniformly arranged, such nozzles 4 being supplied through a corresponding plurality of ducts 5 by a central manifold 6 containing a washing liquid.

A plurality of grippers 7 of a known type are also assembled on the turntable, such grippers 7 comprising two moving jaws 8 whose opening is controlled by a small roller 9 that, in some positions, engages a fixed cam, not shown.

Each gripper is equipped with a fork-shaped appendix 10 that engages a fixed annular cam 11 that surrounds the turntable.

The machine is equipped with a known device for supplying the bottles 13 to be rinsed, designated as a whole with 12, and with a discharging device of the star type, designated with 14 for rinsed bottles.

With particular reference to figure 3, 15 designates a sensor for detecting the presence of a bottle on a nozzle: in fact, the sensor, that could be a photocell or another type of sensor, is placed along the external circumference of the turntable in a position in which the grippers have already overturned the bottles on the nozzles. The sensor for detecting the presence of a bottle transmits its own signal to a plurality of solenoid valves 17, each one of which is inserted on one of the liquid supplying ducts 5 in order to allow its related control only when a first device for sensing the bottle angular position, designated as a whole with 16, will be energised. Every solenoid valve is equipped with an electronic circuit adapted to manage bottle-present signals and angular position signals and to decide, if both signals are present, to open the spraying valve or, if one of the two signals is absent, to keep such valve closed.

Each angular position sensing device 16 is composed of an emitter 18 in a fixed position and of a plurality of receivers 19 assembled on the turntable, one for each nozzle and adapted to allow energising the related solenoid valve, in order to open it, when emitter and receivers are coaxial.

20 designates a second position sensing device that is composed of an emitter 21 that is assembled on a bar 22 that can have different angular positions with respect to the emitter 18, and of a plurality of receivers 23 assembled on the turntable, having the operating mode like the previous ones, but in order to close the solenoid valves.

Emitters and receivers can for example be of the magnetic type, that well operate in a humid or wet environment, since they are placed next to the nozzles and in a tank 30 for collecting the washing water that is discharged through a pipe 29. The detecting sensor 15 of bottles 13 is assembled on a rod 25 that can be vertically translated for adjustments.

The detecting sensor 15 can be oriented in order to take the photocell radius substantially axial with the emitter 18 for calibrating the start of spraying.

The machine thereby operates as follows: the detecting sensor 15 detects whether or not a bottle 13 is present next to a nozzle placed before the washing cycle starts. If there are no bottles, no signals are sent to the solenoid valve, so that they will not be opened.

If the presence of a bottle is detected, a signal will be sent to all solenoid valves, but only the one whose detector 19 passes above the emitter 18 will be energised, starting its washing that will end only when the receiver 23 passes above the emitter 21.

The washing cycle therefore will always start in a precise angular position, but the cycle end could be adjusted at will by simply moving the rod 22.

Movement of the rod 22 can be manual or motored, in order to keep the spraying time constant when the turntable angular speed changes.

Motoring allows being able to change the angular position even with a moving machine, without any risk for personnel and to keep the plant possibly aseptic.

Magnetic emitters and detectors could however be replaced by other types of emitters and detectors, such as for example of the optical or infrared types, etc. With reference to figure 4, as a variation always falling within the scope of the below-listed claims, an electromagnetic emitter device 31 has been inserted, directly connected with the bottle detecting sensor 15.

The above-described machine has several advantages, among which the main ones are: - direct reading of the presence of a bottle on a nozzle and presence signal directly transmitted to all solenoid valves placed on the turntable;

- spraying by the nozzle only if a bottle is present and when this latter one is in a precise angular position or phase;

- adjustable treatment times and possibly a second treatment could be provided by inserting another detecting sensor and other position sensing devices for opening and closing the solenoid valves;

- absence of wears, there not being any moving part that has been replaced with very simple sensors with a safe and long operation;

- digital transmission of the photocell signal; - accurate bottle-present reading even at very high speeds;

- extremely simple machine requiring scarce maintenance, also because it does not need a programming and therefore a software;

- in case a member breaks, such as for example a solenoid valve, its replacement is very simple; - it is adapted to any bottle format.

The description specifically refers to a machine of the turntable type, but the idea for solving the technical problem could be applied to a machine of the rectilinear type without therefore departing from the scope of the present patent.

The description specifically refers to a machine equipped with a bottle-detecting photocell, but such photocell could also be removed and in such case the nozzle will always spray, also when a bottle is missing.

The description always refers to rinsing the bottles, but it is apparent that the machine could be used for treating any type of vessel, such as for example small pots.

Claims

1. Machine for rinsing and/or sterilizing bottles made of plastics or glass of a type comprising a turntable on which a plurality of nozzles are assembled, each one of said nozzles being equipped with its own solenoid valve for opening and closing a supply to said nozzles with rinsing and/or sterilizing liquid and a corresponding plurality of grippers adapted to grip a neck of the bottles to be overturned by 180° in order to take the bottles above the nozzles, characterised in that it comprises:

- a first device (16) for sensing a bottle angular position composed of an emitter (18) in a fixed position and of a plurality of receivers (19) assembled on a turntable, one for each nozzle, each receiver being adapted to allow energising its related solenoid valve when emitter and receiver are on a same axis;

- a second device (20) for sensing a bottle angular position composed of an emitter (21) in an adjustable position and of a plurality of receivers (23) assembled on the turntable, one for each nozzle, each receiver being adapted to allow de- energising the solenoid valve for its closure.

2. Machine for rinsing and/or sterilizing bottles made of plastics or glass of a type comprising a turntable carrying a plurality of nozzles, each one of said nozzles being equipped with its own solenoid valve for opening and closing a supply to said nozzles with rinsing and/or sterilizing liquid and a corresponding plurality of grippers adapted to grip a neck of the bottles in order to overturn them by 180° in order to take the bottles above the nozzles, characterised in that it comprises:

- a sensor (15) for detecting a bottle when this latter one has already been gripped by a gripper and is placed above a nozzle; - a first device (16) for sensing a bottle angular position composed of an emitter in a fixed position and of a plurality of receivers assembled on a turntable, one for each nozzle, each receiver being adapted to allow an energising for opening its related solenoid valve when emitter and receiver are on a same axis and a presence of a bottle has been detected by the detecting sensor; - a second device (20) for sensing a bottle angular position composed of an emitter in an adjustable position and of a plurality of receivers assembled on the turntable, one for each nozzle, each receiver being adapted to allow de-energising the solenoid valve for its closure.

3. Machine according to claim 2, characterised in that it provides a bottle detecting sensor (15) of a photocell type.

4. Machine according to claim 1 and/or 2, characterised in that the first and second position sensing devices (16, 20) are composed of sensors of an electromagnetic type. ,

5. Machine according to claim 1 and/or 2, characterised in that it comprises a motoring for adjusting the adjustable emitter position in order to keep a spraying time constant when the turntable angular speed changes.

6. Machine according to claim 1 and/or 2, characterised in that every solenoid valve is equipped with an electronic circuit adapted to manage bottle-present signals and angular position signals and to decide, in case both signals are present, to open the spraying or, when one of the two signals is absent, to keep the valve closed.