DE20102782U1 - Centering cap for bottles - Google Patents

Description

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ripTec

Technical Products GmbH
Munich Street 18
83075 Bad Feilnbach

Phone: 08066/906 941
Fax.: 08066/ 906 942

Title of the invention: 13.02.2001

Centering cap for bottles

Description:

The invention relates to a device for gripping and moving bottles with at least one vertically movable gripping head according to the preamble of claim 1. Devices of this type are used, for example, in beverage production to mechanically lift filled bottles from the bottle table and place them in carriers or boxes. In the same way, empty bottles can be removed from carriers, for example, using such devices. Known devices of this type have several gripping heads lying next to one another in order to be able to grip a corresponding number of bottles at the same time. The gripping heads are placed from above on the vertically standing bottles and have holding devices, for example in the form of ring-shaped cuffs or gripping fingers, which enclose the bottle neck and can be contracted by the action of an external energy source in order to clamp the bottle neck. After this clamping, the bottles can be lifted vertically and placed at the predetermined location.

A disadvantage of these known devices is that the gripped, lifted and filled bottles move from their vertical clamping position to an inclined clamping position during horizontal transfer to the predetermined location due to the horizontal acceleration and the resulting transverse forces or centrifugal forces and do not move back to the vertical clamping position after reaching the predetermined location.

This inevitably leads to considerable disruptions and damage to the bottles and carriers when the filled bottles are inserted into carriers, for example.

In the same way, such disadvantageous inclined clamping positions also occur with empty bottles that have been removed from the carriers.

After reaching the predetermined location, the empty bottles inevitably fall over and cause extensive machine downtime because the further transport of the bottles for further processing is disrupted.

The invention is based on the object of creating a device according to the preamble of claim 1, which is simply constructed and reliably holds the vertically clamped bottles in the intended vertical position independently of external influences.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the features of claim 1. The advantageous embodiment of the invention is described in the further claims.

In the device according to the invention, a plunger in the gripping head is firmly connected to a _bottle centering cap, which can be moved axially when the gripping head is lowered onto the bottle cap in order to bring the bottle centering cap into centering engagement with the bottle cap. Due to the very simple construction of the bottle centering cap in conjunction with the plunger, a large number of possible malfunctions when jamming filled or empty bottles can be avoided.

Basically, the device according to the invention also functions with empty bottles that no longer have a closure cap (claim 3, A).

For weight reasons, the bottle centering cap, which is cylindrical on the inside, is made of plastic and has a sufficient chamfer or rounding at the end of the cylindrical shape to ensure secure centering.

It is also conceivable to form the centering cap exclusively conical on the inside. The invention is explained in more detail below using the drawings as an example. In these:

Figure 1: a schematic representation of a bottle

arranged gripping head of the device according to the invention, and

Figure 2: a representation of a movement cycle of the gripping head of Figure 1 with

the sub-steps a to d when gripping and moving a bottle

Figure 3: a representation of a clamped bottle in an inclined clamping position

in the known and disadvantageous device

Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a gripping head 1 of a bottle gripping and transfer device, the gripping head 1 being located vertically above an upright bottle. The gripping head 1 is essentially cylindrical and has a lower ^{: ::} ".:..&udigr; .!. Ü .:!Seiie lvort'5 ^: .. ^: ·:·

Area has a cavity 3 with a lower central opening 4. The cavity 3 is surrounded by a gripping head casing 5. Furthermore, the central opening 4 is dimensioned such that the gripping head 1 can be lowered so far that the bottle neck protrudes into the cavity 3 and is surrounded by the gripping head casing 5.

In the lower area of the cavity 3, a retaining device 6 is provided, which is only shown schematically and which consists, for example, of two

arranged clamping jaws 6a, 6b. In the open position shown in Figure 1, the clamping jaws 6a, 6b are far enough apart from each other that the bottle neck can be guided between the clamping jaws 6a, 6b when the gripping head 1 is lowered.

In the middle area of the gripping head 1 there is a plunger 8 which is firmly connected to the bottle centering cap 9. The plunger 8 consists of two sleeves 8a, 8b which are vertically aligned against the force of a compression spring 7, arranged centrally and mounted in the gripping head 1 so that they can be moved axially and telescopically.

Furthermore, the plunger 8 and the bottle centering cap 9 connected thereto are arranged such that the bottle centering cap 9 is brought into centering engagement with the closure cap 2a of the bottle 2 when the gripping head 1 is lowered.

The catching area 5a of the gripping head casing and the rounding or bevel 9a at the end of the cylindrical shape of the bottle centering cap 9 are designed in such a way that a secure centering engagement with the closure cap 2a of the bottle 2 is ensured.

The design of the plunger 8 and the bottle centering cap 9 connected to it prevent a radial movement to the axis of symmetry of the gripping head 1, so that an oblique clamping position (Figure 3) is excluded.

It is also conceivable to design the clamping jaws or the annular sleeves in such a way that, while the bottle 2 is clamped, they additionally center the bottle centering cap 9.

The holding device 6 clamps the neck of the bottle 2 . During the clamping process, an oblique clamping position (Figure 3) can be ruled out. Even with slight defects in the holding device 6, an exact vertical clamping position is achieved. Such defects can be small breakages in the clamping jaws or, for example, damage to the sleeve.

In step a of Figure 2, the gripping head 1 is first lowered onto the bottle 2 to be moved, so that the plunger 8 and the bottle centering cap 9 connected to it come into centering engagement with the closure cap 2a.djsr.bottle 2. If the gripping head 1 is further

lowered, as shown in step b, the plunger 8 and the bottle centering cap 9 connected to it are pushed vertically upwards against the force of a compression spring 7. During the further lowering until the clamping position is reached, the horizontal transfer and the unclamping of the bottle 2, the centering engagement is maintained.

In particular, it should be noted that after the bottle 2 has been unclamped at the predetermined location, especially in the case of empty bottles 2, and the gripping head 1 has been subsequently lifted, the plunger 8 and the centering cap 9 connected to it are still in centering engagement with the closure cap 2a. In addition, the bottle 2 is pressed down until the bottle centering cap 9 is finally lifted off the closure cap 2a, and the stability of the bottle at the predetermined location is significantly increased.

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Claims (4)

1. The invention relates to a device for gripping and moving bottles ( 2 ) with at least one vertically movable gripping head ( 1 ) which has a holding device ( 6 ) which can be brought into holding engagement with the bottle ( 2 ), wherein a plunger ( 7 ) formed from one or more sleeves ( 8a , 8b ) which can be displaced vertically and telescopically against the force of a compression spring ( 7 ) is held in the gripping head ( 1 ), characterized in that a vertically movable plunger ( 7 ) is connected to a bottle centering cap ( 9 ) in order to bring the bottle centering cap ( 9 ) into centering engagement with the closure cap ( 2a ) of the bottle ( 2 ). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that a vertically movable bottle centering cap ( 9 ) is to be brought into centering engagement with the closure cap ( 2a ) of the bottle ( 2 ). 3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that a vertically movable plunger ( 7 ) is connected to a bottle centering cap ( 9 ) in order to bring the bottle centering cap ( 9 ) into centering engagement with the mouth opening of the bottle ( 2 ). 4. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that a vertically movable bottle centering cap ( 9 ) can be brought into centering engagement with the mouth opening of the bottle ( 2 ).