Device for cleaning containers, such as bottles in particular

Abstract

 Device for cleaning containers, such as bottles (2) in particular, in which the bottles are fed to the device by means of a feeding conveyor (1) and discharged from it by means of a discharging conveyor (12), in which the device comprises a cleaning conveyor (5) connecting to said feeding conveyor (1), on which cleaning conveyor (5) a number of bottles (2) can be brought to a standstill and above which cleaning conveyor a number of brushes (19) are situated, which are movable in vertical direction and are rotatingly driven, and can be brought into and out of the bottles (2). There are nozzles (22, 23) for bringing water and/or cleaning liquid into the bottles (2) before the brushes (19) are brought into them. On bringing the brushes (19) into the bottles (2), said brushes are driven with a low speed, said speed being increased when the brushes (19) are substantially within the bottles (2).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for cleaning containers, such as bottles in particular, in which the bottles are fed to the device by means of a feeding conveyor and discharged from it by means of a discharging conveyor.

[0002] With the known devices, spray nozzles are used for spraying water on the inner wall of a bottle, or the bottles are immersed in a bath. Thus, the wall of a bottle is not subjected to any mechanical treatment. Therefore, practice shows that said treatments are not always sufficient for completely removing e.g. caked remains of the product which used to be in the bottle.

[0003] The object of the invention is to remove this difficulty and to that end provides for, that the device comprises a cleaning conveyor connecting to said feeding conveyor on which cleaning conveyor a number of bottles can be brought to a standstill and above which a number of brushes are situated, which are movable in vertical direction and are rotatingly driven, and can be brought into and out of the bottles.

[0004] It has turned out that with the help of such a device all remains caked onto the inner wall of a bottle can be removed without difficulty.

[0005] In order to achieve a satisfactory cleaning action, means for bringing a certain amount of water and/or cleaning liquid into the bottles can be provided.

[0006] In particular, said means can be nozzles connected to feed lines, and be located substantially above the bottles standing still at a certain location.

[0007] Before the bottles end up on the cleaning conveyor, the bottles can be party filled with water, for example. Nozzles will be mounted above the cleaning conveyor in particular, so that cleaning liquid can be supplied to the bottles and the related brushes.

[0008] Obviously, if cleaning liquid is fed to said nozzles, they will be situated closely above the openings of the bottles and be activated upon downward movement of said brushes.

[0009] By spraying the cleaning liquid onto the brushes, it can also be provided for, that the brushes themselves are cleaned while being pulled out of the bottles.

[0010] Further, it is possible that means are provided for bringing a certain amount of water and/or cleaning liquid into the bottles, before the brushes are brought into them. Possibly, mounting the nozzles can then be omitted.

[0011] In particular during bringing the brushes into the bottles said brushes will be driven at a low speed, said speed being increased when the brushes are almost within the bottles.

[0012] For a low speed, an order of magnitude of 100 r./min can be considered, and for the higher speed an order of magnitude of 1500 r./min.

[0013] In particular, each brush will have its lower end provided with a centring head, flexibly connected to it, for guiding the brush into the bottle. At the same time, the centring head will be able to press the bottle into the proper position when the bottle, e.g. due to dimension tolerances, is not accurately standing in its position on the cleaning conveyor.

[0014] In order to be able to quickly replace a brush, e.g. when it is worn or when another type of bottle is to be cleaned, it can be provided for, that through a rapid coupling system, each brush is connected to a rod which is rotatably supported and is in turn connected to a driving member.

[0015] The rods which are connected to the brushes, serving for cleaning a number of bottles, will have been incorporated in a framework being supported by a frame so that it can be moved upward and downward in vertical direction, to which end driving means are situated between the frame and the framework, the framework being provided with at least one motor for driving the rods situated on the framework and provided with the brushes.

[0016] By applying the cleaning conveyor, a number of bottles can be fed to a device by causing said conveyor to move faster than the feeding conveyor.

[0017] Preferably, each cleaning conveyor will be driven intermittently and a stop for bringing the first one of a row of bottles situated on said cleaning conveyor to a standstill will be present, in which said stop can be brought into and out of the path of the bottles before and after cleaning the bottles.

[0018] Thus, during cleaning of the bottles, the cleaning conveyor can be stopped so that there is no risk of tilting of bottles.

[0019] In order to prevent bottles from being pushed onto the cleaning conveyor before the bottles standing on it have been cleaned, it can be provided for, that there is a bottle stop at the beginning of the cleaning conveyor, which bottle stop can be moved into and out of the path of the fed bottles. Said bottle stop can be designed in the same way as the the stop at the end of the cleaning conveyor.

[0020] For the correct positioning of the bottles, a clamping beam extending laterally next to the cleaning conveyor can be provided for, by means of which the row of bottles standing on the cleaning conveyor can be pressed against the guide located at the opposite side of the cleaning conveyor.

[0021] By applying the stop and the clamping beam, the bottles will be at the proper location under the brushes so that these, in moving downward, will not contact the outer walls of the bottles.

[0022] For the ability of an optimum use of the feeding conveyor, it can be provided for, that the device comprises two cleaning conveyors and two sets of brushes and nozzles, with each cleaning conveyor alternately being supplied with a number of bottles.

[0023] Thus, the feeding conveyor is able to supply a continuous stream of bottles and the arriving stream of bottles can then, e.g. by means of a switching unit, be distributed over two continuously moving partial conveyors, each of them connecting to a cleaning conveyor. After cleaning of the bottles, they can be transported onto one single discharging conveyor through two partial conveyors and a switching unit.

[0024] The invention is further explained by way of an embodiment shown in the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows schematically a side view of a device according to the invention;

Fig. 2 shows schematically a plan view of the device of Fig. 1, in which certain parts have been omitted for the sake of clarity; and

Fig. 3 shows schematically a side view of a cleaning conveyor with a bottle standing on it, a brush and some accompanying parts.

[0025] The Figures 1 and 2 show a feeding conveyor 1 for feeding a continuous stream of bottles 2. By means of a switching unit 3, the stream of bottles is divided across two partial conveyors 4, each of them connecting to a cleaning conveyor 5.

[0026] At the end of a cleaning conveyor 5 there is a stop 6 which can be brought into and out of the path of the bottles and is controlled by means not further illustrated. After a bottle has been pressed against the stop 6, the conveyor 5 can be stopped. By means of a clamping beam 7 mounted laterally next to conveyor 5, the row of bottles can be pressed against the guide 8 located at the opposite side of said conveyor 5. Obviously, the other conveyors also have guides next to them, so that the bottles are not able to fall down laterally from the conveyors.

[0027] The clamping beam 7 will be provided with a coating of rubber or a similar resilient material. Control of the clamping beam 7 can take place by means of at least one pressurized medium-operated cylinder 9 extending outwardly. In case one single cylinder is used, it will be situated in the middle of said clamping beam.

[0028] In order to prevent bottles from being pushed onto the conveyor 5 by the conveyor 4 before the bottles standing on it will have been cleaned, a bottle stop 9 at the beginning of the conveyor 5 can be provided. Said bottle stop can operate in the same way as the stop 6.

[0029] After cleaning of a row of bottles, the conveyor 5 is actuated again and the stop 6 is removed from the path of the bottles. The bottles then end up on the partial conveyor 10 and through the combining unit 11 onto a single discharging conveyor 12.

[0030] As appears from the Figures 1 and 3, the cleaning conveyor 5 is supported by a frame 13 extending to above said conveyor 5 for supporting two frameworks 14 arranged next to one another and movable up and down as indicated by arrow P in Fig. 3. To that end, near each framework 14, a motor 15 can be connected to the frame 13, said motor providing for the vertical movement of the framework 14 concerned by means of a crank mechanism 16. It is also possible to provide the motor 15 with a chain wheel across which a chain runs with said chain extending across a chain wheel mounted underneath it. The chain can then be coupled to a framework 14 for vertical movement of it.

[0031] Each framework 14 serves for rotatably supporting a number of rods 17 mounted in a row, each rod 17 being coupled to a brush 19 by means of a rapid coupling system 18. At its lower end, a brush 19 is provided with a centring head 20. Said centring head can consist of somewhat flexible material and can also be flexibly connected to the brush 19. With the help of the centring heads 20 of the various brushes 19, said brushes are led into the bottles 2 and possibly, if necessary, the bottles 2 can be pressed into the proper position before they are clamped by means of the clamping beam 7.

[0032] Rotation of the brushes 19 through the rods 17 can take place e.g. by means of a motor 21 driving a gear wheel through a gear box, said gear wheel engaging a gear wheel mounted on one of the rods 17. This gear wheel can in turn engage a gear wheel on the successive rod 17 and soforth. Obviously, it is also possible that each rod or group of rods has been provided with a motor of its own.

[0033] Above each cleaning conveyor 5, a number of nozzles 22 can be arranged, this in such a way, that a nozzle 22 is present directly above each bottle 2 standing on the conveyor 5.

[0034] When a framework 14 moves downward, each of the accompanying nozzles 22 will be supplied with cleaning liquid, such as by means of opening a valve not further indicated. Therefore, the cleaning liquid ends up on the brushes 19 being slid into the bottles 2. The bristles of the brushes will have been mounted spirally in particular, for achieving a pumping action.

[0035] Fig. 1 further indicates the possibility that nozzles 23 are mounted directly above the conveyor 5, to wit above the part situated in front of the cleaning device, said said nozzles 23 being intended for bringing a certain amount of water and/or cleaning liquid into the bottles before they are brought under the brushes.

[0036] Obviously, means for removing possibly remaining water from the bottles can further be present. For that purpose means known per se can be employed, so that these will not be described further.

[0037] It will be clear, that only one possible embodiment of the invention of a device according to the invention has been illustrated in the drawing and described above and that many changes can be made without parting from the inventive idea as it has been indicated in the claims.

Claims

1. Device for cleaning containers, such as bottles (2) in particular, in which the bottles are fed to the device by means of a feeding conveyor (1) and discharged from it by means of a discharging conveyor (12), characterized in that the device comprises a cleaning conveyor (5) connecting to said feeding conveyor (1), on which cleaning conveyor (5) a number of bottles (2) can be brought to a standstill and above which cleaning conveyor a number of brushes (19) are situated, which are movable in vertical direction and are rotatingly driven, and can be brought into and out of the bottles (2).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means (22, 23) for bringing a certain amount of water and/or cleaning liquid into the bottles (2) before the brushes (19) are brought into them.

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said means for bringing water and/or cleaning liquid into the bottles (2) can be nozzles (22, 23) connected to feed lines, and located substantially above the bottles (2) standing still at a certain location.

4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that nozzles (22) are mounted above the cleaning conveyor (5) so that cleaning liquid can be supplied to the bottles (2) and to the related brushes (19).

5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on bringing the brushes (19) into the bottles (2), said brushes are driven with a low speed, said speed being increased when the brushes (19) are substantially within the bottles (2).

6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the low speed of the brushes (19) is in the order of magnitude of 100 r/min, and the higher speed is in the order of magnitude of 1500 r/min.

7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each brush (19) has its lower end provided with a centring head (20), flexibly connected to it, for guiding the brush into the bottle (2).

8. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that through a rapid coupling system (18), each brush (19) is connected to a rod (17) which is rotatably supported and is in turn connected to a driving member (21).

9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the rods (17) which are connected to the brushes (19), serving for cleaning a number of bottles (2), will have been incorporated in a framework (14) being supported by a frame (13) so that it can be moved upward and downward in vertical direction, to which end driving means (15, 16) are situated between the frame (13) and the framework (14), the framework (14) being provided with at least one motor (21) for driving the rods (17) situated on the framework (14) and provided with the brushes (19).

10. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cleaning conveyor (5) is driven intermittently and that a stop (6) for bringing the first one of a row of bottles situated on said cleaning conveyor (5) to a standstill is present, in which said stop (6) can be brought into and out of the path of the bottles before and after cleaning the bottles.

11. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that there is a bottle stop (9) at the beginning of the cleaning conveyor (5), which bottle stop can be moved into and out of the path of the fed bottles.

12. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a clamping beam (7) extending laterally next to the cleaning conveyor (5) is provided for, by means of which the row of bottles standing on the cleaning conveyor (5) can be pressed against the guide (8) located at the opposite side of the cleaning conveyor.

13. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that there are two cleaning conveyors (5) and two sets of brushes (19) and nozzles (22, 23), with each cleaning conveyor (5) alternately being supplied with a number of bottles.

14. Device according claim 13, characterized in that two continuously moving partial conveyors (4) connect to the feeding conveyor (1), said partial conveyors (4) in turn connecting to a cleaning conveyor (5), while two partial conveyors (10) connect to said two cleaning conveyors (5), said partial conveyors (10) in turn connecting to one single discharging conveyor (12).

Drawing