Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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CENTRIPETAL CONTAINER PROCESSING APPARATUS
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This patent application claims the benefit of the filing date of United States
patent
application 60/938,329 filed May 16, 2007, entitled "Centripetal Container
Processing
Apparatus", and United States patent application 60/948,368 filed July 6,
2007, entitled
"Centripetal Container Processing Apparatus", the contents of which are
incorporated
herein by reference.
FIELD
This disclosure relates to an apparatus that uses centripetal forces to clean
and/or fill
containers.
BACKGROUND
US Patent 3,994,117 describes a method and apparatus for filling containers.
US Patent 4,109,336 describes an apparatus for filling and crowning bottles.
US Patent 4,296,882 describes a centrifugal fluid processing device.
US Patent 4,731,979 describes a capsule filling apparatus.
US Patent 5,050,369 describes a method and apparatus for filling and capping
containers.
US Patent 7,010,900 describes a beverage bottling plant.
SUMMARY
The invention described herein makes use of centripetal force to move fluid
within a
container for the purpose of cleaning and/or filling containers, and/or
maintaining fluid
within the container during filling and/or sealing.
In one aspect, this disclosure provides a centripetal container processing
apparatus that
comprises a rotor, and a rotor support which is mechanically coupled to the
rotor. The
rotor support configured to facilitate rotation of the rotor around the rotor
support.
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The rotor comprises at least one container processing station. The container
processing
station is configured to releasably capture a container, to exert, via the
rotation,
centripetal force on the container, and to move fluid within the container via
the
centripetal force.
In a second aspect, this disclosure provides a rotor for mounting to a rotor
support of a
centripetal container processing apparatus. The rotor comprises a plurality of
arms that
extend radially outwards from a central hub, and a container filling head that
is mounted
to at least one of the arms. The container filling head is configured to
introduce material
into a container, and to maintain the introduced material in the container via
a centripetal
force that is exerted against the material during a rotation of the rotor
about the rotor
support.
In a third aspect, this disclosure provides a rotor for mounting to a rotor
support of a
centripetal container processing apparatus. The rotor comprises a plurality of
arms that
extend radially outwards from a central hub, and a container sealing head that
is mounted
to at least one of the arms. The container sealing head is configured to
maintain material
in the container via a centripetal force that is exerted against the material
during a
rotation of the rotor about the rotor support. The container sealing head is
also
configured to seal the container as the material is maintained in the
container via the
centripetal force.
In a fourth aspect, this disclosure provides a rotor for mounting to a rotor
support of a
centripetal container processing apparatus. The rotor comprises a plurality of
arms that
extend radially outwards from a central hub, and a container filling head that
is mounted
to at least one of the arms. The container filling head is configured to
maintain material
in the container via a centripetal force that is exerted against the fluid
during a rotation of
the rotor about the rotor support. The container filling head is pivotable
between a
substantially horizontal orientation and a substantially vertical orientation.
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Typically the material introduced into the container is a liquid (foodstuff or
non-
foodstuff), such as water, juice or soda. However, the material may also be
granular,
shredded, particulate or paste-like material.
In one implementation, each container processing station comprises a container
cleansing
head, the container filling head, and a container capping head. The container
cleansing
head is configured to clean the container by injecting fluid into the
container, and to
remove the injected fluid from the container via the centripetal force. The
container
filling head is configured to introduce the fluid into the container, and to
maintain the
introduced fluid in the container via the centripetal force. The container
capping head is
configured to maintain the fluid in the container, via the centripetal force,
while capping
the container.
In another implementation, centripetal force is used to open pouches while
filling the
pouches with fluid.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiments of a centripetal processing apparatus will be described, with
reference to
the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of a centripetal container
processing apparatus for filling rigid containers;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the centripetal container processing apparatus
of
Fig. 1, depicting only a portion of the container processing stations;
Fig. 3 is a schematic view of the base of the centripetal container processing
apparatus;
Fig. 4 is an isometric view of a pair of head assemblies of the container
processing rotor of the centripetal container processing apparatus;
Fig. 5 is a magnified view of the cleansing station, the filling station, and
the
capping station of one of the head assemblies;
Fig. 6 is a schematic view of the base, configured to receive multiple
independent
fluid feeds;
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Fig. 7 is a side view of the centripetal container processing apparatus,
depicting
the cap bin and container intake station;
Fig. 8 is a magnified view of the cap magazines of the capping stations;
Fig. 9 is an isometric view of the cleansing station, the filling station, and
the
capping station of one of the head assemblies;
Fig. 10 is a magnified view of the cleansing station;
Fig. 11 is a top plan view of the container intake station;
Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the container intake station;
Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the star wheel of the container intake
station;
Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the rinsing module of a cleansing station;
Fig. 15 is an opposite perspective view of the rinsing module;
Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the rinsing module in a declined position;
Fig. 17 is a magnified view of the cleansing station and the filling station;
Fig. 18 is an isometric view of a head assembly having a pivoting container
processing station;
Fig. 19 is a magnified view of the filling nozzle of the filling station;
Fig. 20 is a magnified view of the filling nozzle partially inside a
container;
Fig. 21 is an isometric view of nozzle tube of the filling nozzle;
Fig. 22 is a perspective view of a head assembly, with a cleaned container
being
rotated from the cleansing station to the filling station, and a filled
container being rotated
from the filling station to the capping station;
Fig. 23 is a perspective view of a head assembly, after the cleaned container
is
rotated to the filling station;
Fig. 24 is a magnified view of the filling nozzle fully inside a container;
Fig. 25 is a perspective view of a head assembly, with a filled cleaned
container
being rotated to the capping station;
Fig. 26 is a perspective view of the capping station at the end of the
container
sealing step;
Fig. 27 is a top isometric view of a capped container being released to the
container removal station;
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Fig. 28 is a perspective view of a capped container being released to the
container
removal station;
Fig. 29 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a centripetal container
processing apparatus for filling rigid-necked pouches, depicting only a
portion of the
container processing stations;
Fig. 30 is a front side elevation of a pair of the head assemblies of one of
the
container processing stations of Fig. 29;
Fig. 31 is a rear side elevation of the pair of head assemblies;
Fig. 32 is a perspective view of the filling station and capping station of
the head
assemblies;
Fig. 33 is a perspective view of a rigid-necked pouch captured by the filling
station;
Fig. 34 is an end elevation of the filling station at the end of the filling
step;
Fig. 35 is an end elevation of the filling station, as the filled container is
being
rotated to the capping station;
Fig. 36 is a perspective view of head assemblies after the filled container is
transferred to the capping station;
Fig. 37 is a perspective view of a capped container being released to the
container
removal station;
Fig. 38 is a perspective view of the base, configured to receive multiple
independent fluid feeds;
Fig. 39 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a centripetal container
processing apparatus for filling neckless pouches;
Fig. 40 is a perspective view of the centripetal container processing
apparatus of
Fig. 39, depicting only a portion of the container processing stations;
Fig. 41 is a front elevation of one of the container processing stations of
Fig. 39;
Fig. 42 is a rear elevation of the container processing station;
Fig. 43 is an end elevation of a pair of the head assemblies of one of the
container
processing stations;
Fig. 44 is a rear elevation of the head assemblies;
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Fig. 45 is a perspective view of a pouch captured in the sealing/welding anvil
jaws of the head assembly;
Fig. 46 is a perspective view of the pouch as the sealing/welding anvil jaws
begin
to open;
Fig. 47 is a perspective view of the pouch as the pouch is filled by the
nozzle
sleeve of the head assembly; and
Fig. 48 is an end elevation of a sealed pouch being released to the container
removal station.
DETAILS
1. Centripetal container processing apparatus - Overview
Turning to Fig. 1, the centripetal container processing apparatus, denoted
generally by
reference numeral 100, is shown comprising a container processing rotor 102, a
container
intake station 104, and a container removal station 106. The container intake
station 104
feeds empty containers 108 to the rotor 102, and the container removal station
106
accepts filled containers 108 from the rotor 102. As shown, the container
intake and
removal stations 104, 106 are disposed proximate the outer radius of the
container
processing rotor 102.
Typically, the containers 108 are rigid polymeric, metal or glass containers
or bottles.
However, the containers 108 may comprise other forms of rigid fluid retaining
vessels,
including water cooler bottles. Further, typically the fill material is a
liquid (foodstuff or
non-foodstuff), such as water, juice or soda. However, the centripetal
container
processing apparatus 100 is not so limited, and may be used to fill the
containers 108
with granular, shredded, particulate or paste-like material.
As best shown in Fig. 2, the container processing rotor 102 comprises a base
112, a turret
114 that is rotatably mounted to the base 112, a hub 116 that is secured to
the turret 114,
and at least one container processing station 200 that is connected to the hub
116 and
extends radially outwards from the base 112. As shown in Fig. 3, the rotor 102
also
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includes a base controller 118 (e.g. computer) that is mounted within the base
112 and is
configured to control and monitor the operation of the container processing
stations 200.
As shown in Fig. 4, each container processing station 200 comprises a
substantially
straight arm 202 that is secured at its inner end to the rotating hub 116, and
one or more
head assemblies 212, which are secured to the outer end of the arm 202 and
serve to
clean, fill and cap the containers 108. Preferably, each arm 202 carries a
pair of the head
assemblies 212, which are disposed radially adjacent to each other around a
common
radius of the container processing rotor 102. However, each arm 202 need not
support
only two head assemblies 212 but may comprise any number of the head
assemblies 212.
As shown in Fig. 5, typically each head assembly 212 comprises a container
cleansing
station 300, a container filling station 400, and a container capping station
500. Further,
in each head assembly 212 preferably the container cleansing station 300,
container
filling station 400, and container capping station 500 are disposed vertically
above one
another. However, each head assembly 212 need not comprise all three of these
stations
300, 400, 500, but might instead comprise only one or two of these stations.
For
instance, the containers 108 might be pre-cleaned, in which case each head
assembly 212
might include only a container filling station 400 and a container capping
station 500.
Alternately, each head assembly 212 might include only a container filling
station 400 to
allow the containers 108 to be capped by conventional means.
The arm 202 of each container processing station 200 carries a fluid delivery
pipe 204, a
cleanser delivery pipe 206, a vacuum pipe 208 and a pressurized air pipe 210
which are
all connected to the head assembly/assemblies 212 of the associated container
processing
station 200. Further, each arm 202 also carries associated electrical wiring,
sensors and
control valves that are coupled to the base controller 118 for controlling the
operation of
the head assemblies 212.
As shown in Fig. 2, typically the arms 202 extend substantially horizontally
outwards
from the hub 116, and the hub 116 rotates the arms 202 about a substantially
vertical X-
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axis that is perpendicular to the plane occupied by the arms 202. However, the
arms 202
may also extend vertically outwards from the hub 116, with the hub 116 and
arms 202
rotating about a substantially horizontal X-axis that is again perpendicular
to the plane
occupied by the arms 202. Further, the hub 116 and arms 202 may be configured
to
rotate about an axis between these two extremes.
As shown in Fig. 3, the base 112 includes a fluid delivery line 120, one or
more cleanser
delivery lines 122, a vacuum line 124, a fluid delivery manifold (not shown),
a cleanser
delivery manifold (not shown), and a fluid return manifold (not shown). The
fluid
delivery manifold, the cleanser delivery manifold and the fluid return
manifold are all
disposed within the base 112. The fluid delivery line 120 extends through the
turret 114
into the base 112, and is connected to the fluid delivery manifold within the
base 112.
The cleanser delivery line/lines 122 extend through the turret 114 into the
base 112, and
are connected to the cleanser delivery manifold within the base 112. The
vacuum line
124 enters the base 112 through the bottom thereof, and is connected to the
fluid return
manifold within the base 112.
The fluid delivery pipes 204 of all of the container processing stations 200
are connected
to the fluid delivery manifold. The cleanser delivery pipes 206 of all of the
container
processing stations 200 are connected to the cleanser delivery manifold. The
vacuum
pipes 208 of all of the container processing station 200 are connected to the
fluid return
manifold. As a result, as the hub 116 rotates, the fluid delivery line 120 is
able to supply
fluid (liquid or granular material) to the head assemblies 212, the cleanser
delivery
line/lines 122 is/are able to supply cleaning agents (e.g. water, steam, dry
air) to the head
assemblies 212, and the vacuum line 124 is able to receive return fluid
(resulting from the
supply of the cleaning agents to the containers 108) from the head assemblies
212, via the
respective manifolds,,.
Typically the centripetal container processing apparatus 100 will fill all of
the containers
108 with the same fluid. However, as shown in Fig. 6, the base 112 may be fed
with a
plurality of fluid delivery lines 120, each connected to a respective fluid
supply and a
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respective fluid delivery manifold. Each fluid delivery manifold may be
coupled to a
respective portion of the head assemblies 212. In this variation, the
centripetal container
processing apparatus 100 would fill each container 108 with one of a number of
different
fluids, depending upon the contents of the respective fluid supplies. Further,
although the
fluid delivery lines 120 are shown in the drawings supplying fluid from the
top of the
base 112, the fluid delivery lines 120 may instead supply fluid from the
bottom of the
base 112, or both the top and bottom of the base 112.
As shown in Fig. 7, the centripetal container processing apparatus 100 also
comprises a
stationary cap bin 132 which is disposed above the rotor 102. The cap bin 132
carries
unused container caps 110, and supplies the unused container caps 110 to the
container
capping stations 500. Each container capping station 500 includes a cap
magazine 502
(see Fig. 8) that captures the unused caps 110 from the cap bin 132. As will
be explained
in further detail below, preferably the cap bin 132 includes a centrifugal or
vibrating cap
sorter (not shown) that loads the cap magazines 502 with the unused caps 110
as the rotor
102 rotates about its axis (X-axis).
2. Container Cleansing Station
As shown in Figs. 5 and 9, each container cleansing station 300 includes a Y-
axis indexer
302, and an associated rinsing module 304. The Y-axis indexer 302 comprises a
substantially flat plate 306, and a pair of U-shaped grippers 308 which are
disposed at the
opposite ends of the flat plate 306. The U-shaped grippers 308 have
substantially parallel
sides which are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the flat plate 306.
Preferably, the Y-axis indexer 302 also includes an indexer motor 310 (e.g.
servo motor)
that is mounted on the arm 202, and an actuator 312 (e.g. servo motor) that is
mounted to
the indexer motor 310 and the flat plate 306. As will be explained below, the
actuator
312 moves the flat plate 306 in a vertical direction, and the indexer motor
310 rotates the
flat plate 306 about the Y-axis (tangential to the circumference of the rotor)
of the
centripetal container processing apparatus 100, both under control of the base
controller
118.
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Further, as will be explained, in operation the rotor 102 continuously rotates
about its axis
(X-axis) of rotation. As shown in Figs. 7, 10 and 11, as the rotor 102
rotates, the Y-axis
indexer 302 of each container cleansing station 300 picks up an empty
container 108
from the container intake station 104 via the neck of the container 108.
Preferably, the
width of the U-shaped grippers 308 is slightly less than the diameter of the
neck of the
container 108, to thereby allow the Y-axis indexer 302 to hold the empty
container 108
without a separate mechanical actuator. Alternately, the Y-axis indexer 302
may include
alternate gripping means to grip the container 108. For example, the U-shaped
grippers
308 may include mechanical jaws (not shown) that grip the container 108 under
control
of the base controller 118. Further, the container 108 need not be gripped
only from the
container neck, but may instead be gripped from the body portion and/or the
bottom
thereof, either by mechanical or vacuum gripping means.
Preferably, the empty containers 108 are delivered substantially horizontally
from the
container intake station 104 to the cleansing stations 300. The empty
containers 108 may
be delivered at a different angle (e.g. vertically) to the cleansing stations
300. However,
in this variation, preferably the cleansing stations 300 re-orient the
containers 108 to the
plane of the arms 202 of the rotor 102 upon receipt from the container intake
station 104.
As shown in Figs. 7, 12 and 13, the container intake station 104 may include a
conveyor
belt 134 that carries the empty containers 108, and a star-wheel 136 that
includes a
plurality of outwardly-extending gripping channels 138 for lifting the empty
containers
108 from the conveyor belt 134 to the cleansing stations 300 via the neck of
each
container 108. The pitch of the star-wheel 136 may be selected to deliver an
empty
container 108 to each radially-adjacent cleansing station 300. However, the
centripetal
container processing apparatus 100 is not so limited but may include an odd
number of
head assemblies 212, with the pitch of the star-wheel 136 being selected to
deliver an
empty container 108 to each alternate head assembly 212. This latter variation
is
advantageous where the speed of the intake conveyor 134 is limited, or where
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time is required to complete the cleansing or filling operations, since it
doubles the
number of rotor cycles that are required to load and unload the head
assemblies 212.
As shown in Figs. 14 and 15, the rinsing module 304 of each cleansing station
300
includes a vacuum cup 314, a telescoping vacuum pipe 316, a fixed vacuum pipe
318, a
rodless cylinder 320, a rinsing nozzle 322, a valve bank 324, a servo motor
(not shown),
and an indexing motor 328. The vacuum cup 314 includes a conical collar 330, a
centrally-positioned inlet that extends from the narrow end through to the
wide end of the
conical collar 330, and an outlet 332 that opens into the side of the collar
330 and is in
fluid communication with the wide end of the collar 330. The vacuum cup 314 is
secured
to the free end 334 of the rodless cylinder 320. The vacuum cup outlet 332
extends
through the free end 334 of the rodless cylinder 320, and is in fluid
communication with
one end of the telescoping vacuum pipe 316. The opposite end of the
telescoping
vacuum pipe 316 is slidably disposed within the fixed vacuum pipe 318 which,
in turn, is
coupled to the vacuum pipe 316 of the associated container processing station
200.
The rodless cylinder 320 includes an internal piston that is coupled to the
base of the
valve bank 324. The free end 334 of the rodless cylinder 320 is fitted with a
pressure
regulator (not shown), while the opposite end of the rodless cylinder 320 is
connected to
the pressurized air pipe 210 of the container processing station 200. The
pressure
regulator allows the pressurized air escape from the rodless cylinder 320 at a
rate that is
determined by the pressure regulator.
The valve bank 324 typically comprises a plurality of valves, each of which is
connected
at its inlet to a respective cleanser delivery pipe 206 of the associated
container
processing station 200. Each valve of the valve bank 324 is also connected at
its outlet to
the telescoping rinsing nozzle 322 which, in turn, is slidably received within
the central
inlet of the vacuum cup 314. The base of the valve bank 324 is carried by a
carriage 336
that is slidably mounted on the arm 202 of the associated container processing
station
200. The servo motor is coupled to the carriage 336 and to the arm 202, and
moves the
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carriage 336 and the valve bank 324 along a line that is parallel to the arm
202, under
control of the base controller 118.
As shown in Fig. 16, the indexing motor 328 is connected to the carriage 336
and the
base of the valve bank 324, and serves to rotate the vacuum pipes 316, 318,
the rodless
cylinder 320, the rinsing nozzle 322 (together with the valve bank 324)
between a
substantially horizontal position to a declined position, under control of the
base
controller 118.
3. Container Filling Station
As shown in Figs. 5 and 16, each container filling station 400 is disposed
above the
associated container rinsing station 300, and includes a Z-axis indexer 402
and an
associated filling nozzle 404. The Z-axis indexer 402 comprises a
substantially flat plate
406, and a pair of C-shaped grippers 408 which are disposed at the opposite
ends of the
flat plate 406. Preferably, the Z-axis indexer 402 also includes an indexer
motor 410
(e.g. servo motor) which is mounted on the arm. As will be explained, the
indexer motor
410 rotates the flat plate 406 of the Z-axis indexer 402 about the Z-axis
(parallel to the
axis of the arm 202 of the associated container processing station 200) of the
centripetal
container processing apparatus 100, under control of the base controller 118.
As shown, the C-shaped grippers 408 have substantially parallel sides which
are
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the flat plate 406 of the Z-axis
indexer 402.
Further, to allow the C-shaped grippers 408 to easily grab an empty (cleaned)
container
108 from the container cleansing station 300, and to release the container 108
after the
filled container 108 is capped, the C-shaped grippers 408 may include
mechanical jaws
(not shown) that grip the empty container 108 under control of the base
controller 118.
As shown in Figs. 16 and 17, the filling nozzle 404 of each container filling
station 400 is
connected to a telescoping filling nozzle holder 412, and includes a valve
spoo1414, a
nozzle tube 416, a servo motor 418, and a valve spool stop 420. The
telescoping filling
nozzle holder 412 is connected at one end to the fluid delivery pipe 204 of
the associated
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container processing station 200, and supplies fluid to the nozzle tube 416.
Alternately,
as shown in Fig. 18, the telescoping filling nozzle holder 412 may be replaced
with a
flexible fluid supply tube that supplies the fluid to the nozzle tube 416.
The valve spool 414 is tubular in configuration, and the inner surface thereof
seals
against the outer surface of the nozzle tube 416 near the radially inner end
of the valve
spoo1414. The valve spoo1414 is open at the radially outer end 422 thereof,
and
includes a laterally-extending valve spool flange 424 intermediate the two
ends.
The nozzle tube 416 is tubular in configuration, and is slidably received
within the valve
spoo1414. The nozzle tube 416 is connected at the radially inner end thereof
to the
telescoping filling nozzle holder 412 (or flexible fluid supply tube). The
nozzle tube 416
includes a stopper 426 at the opposite end thereof that engages the open end
422 of the
valve spoo1414 when the nozzle tube 416 is fully withdrawn into the valve
spoo1414.
The nozzle tube 416 includes a nozzle diffuser 428 that is proximate to the
stopper 426,
and includes a plurality of radially-extending apertures for delivering fluid
from the fluid
delivery pipe 204 when the nozzle diffuser 428 extends from the open end 422
of the
valve spool 414. Preferably, the nozzle diffuser 428 includes a cone
deflector, disposed
inside the nozzle tube 416, which maintains the pressure of the fluid exiting
the apertures
substantially uniform along the length of the nozzle diffuser 428.
As shown in Figs. 16 and 21, the servo motor 418 is connected between the
telescoping
filling nozzle holder 412, and the arm 202 of the associated container
processing station
200, and moves the valve spoo1414 and the nozzle diffuser 428 parallel to the
arm 202 of
the container processing station 200, under control of the base controller
118.
As shown in Fig. 19, the valve spool stop 420 is coupled to the arm 202 of the
associated
container processing station 200, and includes a spring-loaded stopper 430 and
a valve
spool travel limiter 432. The valve spool stop 420 also includes a magnet that
allows the
spring-loaded stopper 430 to be displaced from its home position (Fig. 20) as
the valve
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spool flange 424 engages the spring-loaded stopper 430, and urges the stopper
430 back
to the home position as the valve spool flange 424 moves past the stopper 430
(Fig. 21).
4. Container Capping Station
As shown in Fig. 5, each container capping station 500 is disposed vertically
above the
associated container filling station 400, and comprises the aforementioned
container cap
magazine 502, a capping head 504, and a capping motor 506. As discussed above,
the
container cap magazine 502 receives unused container caps 110 from the
container cap
bin 132, and supplies the unused container caps 110 to the capping heads 504
as the rotor
102 rotates about its axis.
The capping motor 506 is coupled to the capping head 504. The capping motor
506
rotates the capping head 504, and advances the capping head 504 towards and
away from
the filled containers 108, under control of the base controller 118. The
capping head 504
is configured to receive the unused container caps 110 from the container cap
magazine
502, and to screw the container caps 110 onto the mouths of the filled
containers 108 that
are received from the container filling station 400.
As shown, preferably the cleaning, filling and capping stations 300, 400, 500
maintain
the container 108 substantially horizontal during the cleaning, filling and
capping steps,
respectively. However, to ensure that the fluid in the container 108 remains
substantially
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container 108 during these
steps, preferably
the stations 300, 400, 500 are pivotable, relative to the arms 202, about the
Y-axis, to
thereby change the angle of incline of container 108. As shown in Fig. 18, the
angle of
the stations 300, 400, 500 relative to the arms 202 may be adjusted by a servo
motor, to
thereby adjust the incline angle of the containers 108 under control of the
base controller
118. Alternately, the angle of the stations 300, 400, 500 may be self-
adjusting, to thereby
allow the incline angle of the containers 108 to self-adjust as the volume of
fluid in the
containers 108 changes.
5. Method of Operation
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(i) Container Cleaning Step
The base controller 118 causes the container processing rotor 102 to
continuously rotate
around its axis (X-axis) of rotation. Further, the star-wheel 136 of the
container intake
station 104 rotates in synchronism with the conveyor belt 134 and the
container
processing rotor 102. Since the conveyor belt 134 is populated with empty
containers
108, the star-wheel 136 continuously transfers the empty containers 108 from
the
conveyor belt 134 to the container processing stations 200 (via the gripping
channels
138) as each container processing station 200 moves past the container intake
station 104.
Similarly, as will be explained, after the empty containers 108 are cleaned,
filled and
capped, the filled containers 108 are transferred from the container
processing stations
200 to the container removal station 106 as each container processing station
200 moves
past the container removal station 106.
Prior to receipt of an empty container 108 at the cleansing station 300 of one
of the
container processing stations 200, the base controller 118 causes the actuator
312 of the
container cleansing station 300 to orient the Y-axis indexer 302 substantially
parallel to
the X-axis (vertical orientation if the rotor 102 is substantially
horizontal), and causes the
indexing motor 328 to orient the vacuum pipes 316, 318, the rodless cylinder
320, and the
rinsing nozzle 322 of the rinsing module 304 substantially parallel to the Z-
axis
(horizontal orientation if the rotor 102 is substantially horizontal). The
base controller
118 also causes the rodless cylinder 320 to position the vacuum cup 314 a
sufficient
distance away from the flat plate 306 of the Y-axis indexer 302 to allow the U-
shaped
grippers 308 thereof to receive the neck of an empty container 108.
Preferably, the mouth of each container 108 is directed radially outwards from
the centre
of the base 112 of the rotor 102. Therefore, upon receipt of an empty
container 108 at a
cleansing station 300, the flat plate 306 of the Y-axis indexer 302 grips the
neck of the
container 108 via the U-shaped grippers 308, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10. As
discussed
above, the U-shaped grippers 308 may include mechanical jaws, in which case
the base
controller 118 may cause the mechanical jaws to close around the neck of the
container
108 and thereby grip the container 108.
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The base controller 118 causes vacuum to be applied to the vacuum cup 314 via
the
vacuum pipes 316, 318, and also causes the servo motor of the rinsing module
304 to
move the carriage 336 towards the mouth of the empty container 108 until the
vacuum
cup 314 engages the flat plate 306 of the Y-axis indexer 302, as shown in Fig.
14.
Preferably, the vacuum cup 314 does not actually touch the mouth of the empty
container
108.
The base controller 118 also causes pressurized air to be applied to the
rodless cylinder
320 via the pressurized air pipe 210. The pressure that is maintained inside
the rodless
cylinder 320 by the pressure regulator allows the rodless cylinder 320 to act
as a spring
that seals the vacuum cup 314 against the flat plate 306 of the Y-axis indexer
302.
Preferably, the base controller 118 also causes the rinsing nozzle 322 to
extend through
the central inlet of the vacuum cup 314 and into the container 108, and to
stop proximate
the base of the container 108, as shown in Fig. 5. Alternately, the rinsing
nozzle 322 may
stop proximate the neck of the container 108.
The base controller 118 then opens one of the valves of the valve bank 324,
causing the
rinsing nozzle 322 to inject one of the cleaning agents (e.g. water, steam or
peroxide) into
the empty container 108 from the associated cleanser delivery pipe 206.
Preferably, the
cleaning agents are injected into the container 108 under pressure. Since the
rotor 102 is
continuously rotating, the resulting centripetal force tends to eject the
cleaning agents
from the container 108 into the vacuum cup 314. Alternately, the mouth of the
container
108 may be oriented towards the centre of the base 112 of the rotor 102, in
which case
the resulting centripetal force would tend to maintain the cleaning agents in
the container
108.
The cleaning agent is injected into the container 108 with sufficient force
and/or kept in
the container 108 for a sufficient period of time to clean the interior of the
container 108.
At the end of the cleaning cycle, the base controller 118 closes the open
valve of the
valve bank 324. The base controller 118 then opens another valve of the valve
bank 324
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which causes the rinsing nozzle 322 to inject dry air into the empty container
108 from
the associated cleanser delivery pipe 206 to thereby dry the interior of the
container 108.
Since the resulting moist air is removed from the container 108 under vacuum
via the
vacuum cup 314, misting around the container 108 is less than conventional
filling
machines.
The dry air is injected into the container 108 for a predetermined period of
time that is
sufficient to dry the interior of the container 108. At the end of this time
period, the base
controller 118 closes the open valve of the valve bank 324, and then causes
the servo
motor to move the carriage 336 (and therefore the vacuum cup 314) away from
the mouth
of the empty container 108, as shown in Figs. 15 and 17. As shown in Fig. 16,
preferably
the base controller 118 then causes the indexing motor 328 to rotate the
rinsing module
304 to a declined position in which the vacuum pipes 316, 318, the rodless
cylinder 320,
and the rinsing nozzle 322 are oriented at an angle below the Y-Z plane, and
the vacuum
cup 314 is displaced from the empty container 108. This position constitutes
the end of
the container cleaning step.
During the container cleaning step, to reduce cycle time preferably the linear
actuator 312
maintains the centre of the flat plate 306 of the Y-axis indexer 302 below the
axis of
rotation of the indexer motor 310, thereby aligning the container 108 with the
rinsing
nozzle 322, as shown in Fig. 17. After the end of the container cleaning step,
but prior to
the start of the container filling step, the base controller 118 causes the
linear actuator 312
to move the flat plate 306 upwards, in a direction parallel to the X-axis,
until the centre of
the flat plate 306 coincides with the axis of rotation of the indexer motor
310, and then
causes the indexer motor 310 to rotate the empty container 108 about the Y-
axis, up to
the filling station 400, as shown in Fig. 21. Alternately, the indexing motor
328 of the
rinsing module 304 may be eliminated, with the servo motor being configured to
move
the carriage 336 and the vacuum cup 314 a sufficient distance away from the
mouth of
the empty container 108 to allow the empty container 108 to be rotated up to
the filling
station 400.
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(ii) Container Filling Step
Before the container filling and capping stations 400, 500 are populated with
containers
108, the base controller 118 causes the indexer motor 410 of the Z-axis
indexer 402 to
incline the longitudinal axis of the flat plate 406 relative to the X-axis, as
shown in Figs.
9 and 16. Preferably, the indexer motor 410 orients the longitudinal axis of
the flat plate
406 at approximately a 30 angle relative to the X-axis.
Upon receipt of the next cleaned empty container 108 at the container filling
station 400,
the base controller 118 causes the indexer motor 410 to rotate the flat plate
406 about the
Z-axis such that the longitudinal axis of the flat plate 406 is parallel to
the X-axis. As a
result, one of the C-shaped grippers 408 grips the neck of the empty cleaned
container
108, behind the U-shaped gripper 308 of the Y-axis indexer 302, as shown in
Fig. 19. As
discussed above, the C-shaped grippers 408 may include mechanical jaws, in
which case
the base controller 118 may cause the mechanical jaws to close around the neck
of the
container 108 and thereby grip the container 108.
In subsequent iterations, after the container filling and capping stations
400, 500 are
populated with containers 108, the base controller 118 causes the indexer
motor 410 to
rotate the flat plate 406 of the Z-axis indexer 402 180 about the Z-axis, and
also causes
the servo motor to rotate the flat plate 306 of the Y-axis indexer 302 180
degrees about
the Y-axis, as shown in Fig. 22. Preferably, the base controller 118 causes
the flat plate
406 to rotate in synchronism with the flat plate 306, so that the next empty
cleaned
container 108 is transferred from the container cleansing station 300 to the
container
filling station 400 as the filled container 108 is transferred from the
container filling
station 400 to the container capping station 500.
After one of the C-shaped grippers 408 has captured the neck of the empty
container 108,
the base controller 118 causes the linear actuator 312 of the Y-axis indexer
302 to move
the flat plate 306 downwards, in a direction parallel to the X-axis, to the
cleaning
position, in which the centre of the flat plate 306 is below the axis of
rotation of the
indexer motor 310, as shown in Fig. 23. The downwards movement of the flat
plate 306
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causes the container 108 that was previously rotated from the cleaning station
300 to the
filling station 400 to be released from the U-shaped grippers 308 of the Y-
axis indexer
302. The Y-axis indexer 302 then awaits for receipt of the next empty
container 108
from the container intake station 104.
The base controller 118 then causes the servo motor of the filling nozzle 404
to move the
telescoping filling nozzle holder 412 thereof towards the mouth of the empty
container
108, as shown in Fig. 19. Since the rotor 102 is continuously rotating, the
resulting
centripetal force on the filling nozzle 404 causes the valve spool 414 to move
in unison
with the nozzle tube 416. Further, the centripetal force urges the open end
422 of the
valve spool 414 against the stopper 426 of the nozzle tube 416, thereby
preventing fluid
leaking from the nozzle tube 416. Additional sealing force is provided by
friction
between the stopper 426 and the inner surface of the valve spoo1414.
After the valve spool 414 enters the empty container 108, the valve spool
flange 424
engages the spring-loaded stopper 430, as shown in Fig. 20, thereby forcing
the spring-
loaded stopper 430 to move away from the valve spool flange 424. As the valve
spool
414 moves past the spring-loaded stopper 430, the spring-loaded stopper 430
returns to
its original position, and the valve spool flange 424 engages the valve spool
travel limiter
432, thereby preventing further movement of the valve spool 414.
As the base controller 118 continues to cause the telescoping filling nozzle
holder 412 to
move towards the base of the empty container 108, the stopper 426 of the
nozzle tube 416
leaves the open end 422 of the valve spoo1414 (Figs. 17 and 24). As a result,
fluid from
the fluid delivery pipe 204 enters the container 108 through the nozzle
diffuser 428. The
fluid may be injected into the container 108 under pressure, or may be
introduced into the
container 108 via the centripetal force acting on the fluid in the nozzle tube
416. The
radially-extending apertures of the nozzle diffuser 428 reduce the amount of
foaming and
turbulence introduced into the container 108 as the container 108 is filled
from the filling
nozzle 404. Further, since the rotor 102 is continuously rotating, the
resulting centripetal
force on the fluid urges the fluid to remain in the container 108. As a
result, the time
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required to fill the container 108 is less than state of the art gravity-fed
container filling
machines.
The base controller 118 then causes the servo motor 418 to withdraw the nozzle
tube 416
from the container 108, thereby withdrawing the nozzle diffuser 428 from the
container
108. As the nozzle diffuser 428 is withdrawn from the container 108, the valve
spool
flange 424 engages the spring-loaded stopper 430, thereby preventing the valve
spoo1414
from moving with the nozzle diffuser 428. The base controller 118 continues to
withdraw the nozzle tube 416 from the container 108 until the stopper 426
seals against
the open end of the valve spoo1414, thereby terminating fluid delivery into
the container
108 (Fig. 20).
At this point, the force applied by the servo motor 418 to the telescoping
filling nozzle
holder 412 exceeds the magnetic force of the valve spool stop 420. As a
result, the
spring-loaded stopper 430 is forced to move away from the valve spool flange
424,
thereby allowing the valve spoo1414 to move past the spring-loaded stopper 430
(Fig.
19). The spring-loaded stopper 430 then returns to its original position. This
position
constitutes the end of the container filling step.
After the end of the container filling step, the base controller 118 causes
the indexer
motor 410 to rotate the flat plate 406 of the Z-axis indexer 402 180 about
the Z-axis, as
shown in Fig. 25. As a result, the filled container 108 is transferred from
the container
filling station 400 to the container capping station 500 as the next cleaned
empty
container 108 is transferred from the container cleansing station 300 to the
container
filling station 400. Since the rotor 102 is continuously rotating, the
resulting centripetal
force on the fluid urges the fluid to remain in the container 108 as the
filled container 108
is transferred from the container filling station 400 to the container capping
station 500.
(iii) Container Capping Step
As mentioned, before the container filling and capping stations 400, 500 are
populated
with containers 108, the base controller 118 causes the indexer motor 410 of
the Z-axis
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indexer 402 to incline the longitudinal axis of the flat plate 406 relative to
the X-axis, as
shown in Fig. 25. Upon receipt of the next cleaned empty container 108 at the
container
filling station 400, the base controller 118 causes the indexer motor 410 to
rotate the flat
plate 406 about the Z-axis until the longitudinal axis of the flat plate 406
is substantially
parallel to the X-axis. As a result, one of the C-shaped grippers 408 grips
the neck of the
next empty container 108, while the C-shaped grippers 408 at the opposite end
of the flat
plate 406 transfers the just-filled container 108 from the container filling
station 400 to
the container capping station 500, as shown in Fig. 23.
In subsequent iterations after the container filling and capping stations 400,
500 are
populated with containers 108, the base controller 118 causes the indexer
motor 410 to
rotate the flat plate 406 of the Z-axis indexer 402 180 about the Z-axis, and
also causes
the servo motor to rotate the flat plate 306 of the Y-axis indexer 302 180
about the Y-
axis. Preferably, the base controller 118 causes the flat plate 406 to rotate
in synchronism
with the flat plate 306, as shown in Fig. 22. As a result, the next empty
container 108 is
transferred from the container cleansing station 300 to the container filling
station 400 as
the just-filled container 108 is transferred from the container filling
station 400 to the
container capping station 500, as shown in Fig. 22.
Once a filled container 108 is transferred to the container capping station
500, the base
controller 118 causes the capping motor 506 to advance the capping head 504
towards the
cap magazine 502. The capping head 504 grabs the next container cap 110 from
the cap
magazine 502, and screws or pressure fits the container cap 110 onto the mouth
of the
filled container 108, as shown in Fig. 5. The face of the flat plate 406 of
the Z-axis
indexer 402 may include an anti-rotation mechanism that limits rotation of the
container
108 during the container sealing step. Suitable anti-rotation means includes a
textured
surface on the flat plate 406, or retractable needles which extend from the
face of the flat
plate 406.
The base controller 118 then causes the capping motor 506 to move the capping
head 504
away from the cap magazine 502, leaving the container cap 110 on the filled
container
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108. The capped container 108 is then released from the capping station 500,
as shown in
Fig. 26.
As discussed above, the C-shaped grippers 408 may include mechanical jaws, in
which
case the base controller 118 may cause the mechanical jaws to move apart to
thereby
facilitate release of the capped container 108 from the capping station 500.
Alternately,
the capping station 500 may be fitted with a solenoid (not shown) that presses
against the
neck of the capped container 108, under control of the base controller 118, to
thereby
force the capped container 108 out of the C-shaped grippers 408.
Since the rotor 102 is continuously rotating, the resulting centripetal force
acting on the
container 108 causes the released container 108 to land on the container
removal station
106, as shown in Fig. 27 and 28. As shown in Fig. 26 and 28, the container
removal
station 106 may include a conveyor belt 140 that receives the capped
containers 108 as
they are delivered from the container capping stations 500. Further, as shown,
the filled
containers 108 may be delivered to the container removal station 106
substantially
horizontally. Therefore, the container removal station 106 may include a
horizontal
supporting surface (not shown) that supports the capped containers 108.
Alternately, or
additionally, the container removal station 106 may include a mechanism (not
shown) to
re-orient the containers 108 to a substantially vertical orientation upon
receipt from the
container capping stations 500.
As will be apparent, the processing rate of the centripetal container
processing apparatus
100 will vary with the number of container processing stations 200 and
container
cleansing/filling/capping stations 300, 400, 500. For instance, if the
diameter of the
container processing rotor 102 of Fig. 1 is 17 feet, and the rotor 102 is
rotated at a speed
of 30 rpm, the following yields may be realized:
= 34 container processing stations 200, and 68 cleansing/filling/capping
stations:
122,400 containers/hour
= 17 container processing stations 200, and 34 cleansing/filling/capping
stations:
61,200 containers/hour
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= 8 container processing stations 200, and 16 cleansing/filling/capping
stations:
28,800 containers/hour
Further, although the containers 108 are typically all of the same size, the
containers 108
can be of different sizes with appropriate adjustments to the length of the
cleaning and
filling steps.
6. Variation #1: Container Processing Station for Rigid Necked Pouches
Thus far, this disclosure has focused on the processing of rigid containers.
However, the
centripetal container processing apparatus is not so limited. For instance, as
will be
discussed below, one variation of the centripetal container processing
apparatus may be
used to fill flexible pouches that have a rigid filler neck.
6.1. Centripetal container processing apparatus - Overview
Fig. 29 depicts a centripetal container processing apparatus, denoted
generally by
reference numeral 1100. The centripetal container processing apparatus 1100 is
substantially similar to the centripetal container processing apparatus 100
and, therefore,
like reference numerals will be used to denote like components.
As shown, the centripetal container processing apparatus 1100 comprises a
container
processing rotor 1102, a container intake station 1104, and the container
removal station
106. The container intake station 1104 feeds empty containers 1108 to the
rotor 1102,
and the container removal station 106 accepts filled containers 1108 from the
rotor 1102.
The container intake and removal stations 1104, 106 are disposed proximate the
outer
radius of the container processing rotor 1102.
Typically, the containers 1108 are flexible pouches that have a rigid filler
neck. As
above, typically the fill material is a liquid (foodstuff or non-foodstuff),
such as water,
juice or soda. However, the centripetal container processing apparatus 1100
may be used
to fill the containers 1108 with granular, shredded, particulate or paste-like
material.
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The container processing rotor 1102 comprises a base 1112, the turret 114, the
hub 116,
and at least one container processing station 1200 that is connected to the
hub 116 and
extends radially outwards from the base 1112. The rotor 1102 also includes the
base
controller 118 that is mounted within the base 1112 and is configured to
control and
monitor the operation of the container processing stations 1200.
As shown in Fig. 29, each container processing station 1200 comprises a
substantially
straight arm 202 that is secured at its inner end to the rotating hub 116, and
one or more
head assemblies 1212, that are secured to the outer end of the arm 202 and
serve to fill
and cap the containers 1108. As shown in Figs. 30 and 31, preferably each arm
202
carries a pair of the head assemblies 1212, which are disposed radially
adjacent to each
other around a common radius of the container processing rotor 1102. However,
each
arm 202 need not support only two head assemblies 1212 but may comprise any
number
of the head assemblies 1212.
Since the containers 1108 are typically received at the container processing
stations 1200
already cleaned, the container processing stations 1200 do not include a
container
cleansing station. Instead, as shown in Fig. 32, typically each head assembly
1212
comprises a container filling station 1400, and the container capping station
500. Further,
in each head assembly 1212 preferably the container filling station 400 and
container
capping station 500 are disposed vertically above one another.
The arm 202 of each container processing station 1200 carries the fluid
delivery pipe 204
and the vacuum pipe 208 which are connected to the head assembly/assemblies
1212 of
the associated container processing station 1200. Further, each arm 202
carries
associated electrical wiring, sensors and control valves that are coupled to
the base
controller 118 for controlling the operation of the head assemblies 1212.
The base 1112 includes the fluid delivery line 120, the vacuum line 124, the
fluid
delivery manifold, and a vacuum delivery manifold (not shown). The fluid
delivery line
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120 is connected to the fluid delivery manifold within the base 1112. The
vacuum line
124 is connected to the vacuum delivery manifold within the base 1112.
The fluid delivery pipes 204 of all of the container processing stations 1200
are
connected to the fluid delivery manifold. The vacuum pipes 208 of all of the
container
processing stations 1200 are connected to the vacuum delivery manifold. As a
result, as
the hub 116 rotates, the fluid delivery line 120 is able to supply fluid
(liquid or granular
material) to the head assemblies 1212, and the vacuum line 124 is able to
apply vacuum
to the head assemblies 212, via the respective manifolds.
Typically the centripetal container processing apparatus 1100 will fill all of
the containers
1108 with the same fluid. However, as shown in Fig. 38, the base 1112 may be
fed with
a plurality of fluid delivery lines 120, each connected to a respective fluid
supply and a
respective fluid delivery manifold. Each fluid delivery manifold may be
coupled to a
respective portion of the head assemblies 1212. In this variation, the
centripetal container
processing apparatus 1100 would fill each container 1108 with one of a number
of
different fluids, depending upon the contents of the respective fluid
supplies.
6.2. Z-axis Indexer of Container Filling Station
As shown in Fig. 32, each container filling station 1400 and includes a Z-axis
indexer
1402 and an associated filling nozzle 1404. The Z-axis indexer 1402 comprises
a
substantially flat plate 1406, a pair of gripper arms 1434 which are displaced
along the Z-
axis (parallel to the axis of the arm 202 of the associated container
processing station
1200) from the flat plate 1406, and a tubular member 1436 that is connected to
the flat
plate 1406 and the gripper arms 1434.
The flat plate 1406 includes a pair of U-shaped grippers 1408 that are
disposed at the
opposite ends of the flat plate 1406. As shown, the U-shaped grippers 1408
have
substantially parallel sides which are parallel to the longitudinal axis of
the flat plate 1406
of the Z-axis indexer 1402.
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Further, as will be explained, in operation the rotor 1102 continuously
rotates about its
axis (X-axis) of rotation. As shown in Fig. 29, as the rotor 1102 rotates, the
Z-axis
indexer 1402 of each container filling station 1400 picks up an empty
container 1108
from the container intake station 1104 via the filler neck of the container
1108.
Preferably, the width of the U-shaped grippers 1408 is slightly less than the
diameter of
the filler neck of the container 1108, to thereby allow the Z-axis indexer
1402 to hold the
empty container 1108 without a separate mechanical actuator. Alternately, the
Z-axis
indexer 1402 may include alternate gripping means to grip the container 1108.
For
example, the U-shaped grippers 1408 may include mechanical jaws (not shown)
that grip
the filler neck of the container 1108 under control of the base controller
118.
As shown in Fig. 32, the gripper arms 1434 are disposed 180 apart, and extend
radially
outwards from one end of the tubular member 1436. The tubular member 1436
extends
from the gripper arms 1434, through the centre of the flat plate 1406, and is
coupled at its
opposite end to the vacuum pipe 208 of the container processing station 1200.
Each
gripper arm 1434 includes a plurality of apertures (not shown) that are
connected to the
vacuum pipe 208 via the tubular member 1436, and grip the base portion of the
empty
container 1108 by vacuum when the U-shaped grippers 1408 grip the filler neck
of the
container 1108.
The Z-axis indexer 1402 also includes an indexer motor (not shown) which is
mounted
on the arm 202. As will be explained, the indexer motor rotates the flat plate
1406,
together with the tubular member 1436 and the gripper arms 1438 about the Z-
axis of the
centripetal container processing apparatus 1100, under control of the base
controller 118.
Preferably, the empty containers 1108 are delivered substantially horizontally
from the
container intake station 1104 to the container filling stations 1400. The
empty containers
1108 may be delivered at a different angle (e.g. vertically) to the filling
stations 1400.
However, in this variation, preferably the filling stations 1400 re-orient the
containers
1108 to the plane of the arms 202 of the rotor 1102 upon receipt from the
container intake
station 1104.
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As shown in Fig. 29, the container intake station 1104 may include a conveyor
belt 134
that carries the empty containers 1108, and a star-wheel 1136 that includes a
plurality of
outwardly-extending gripping channels 138 for lifting the empty containers
1108 from
the conveyor belt 134 to the filling stations 1400 via the neck of each
container 1108.
The star-wheel 1136 also includes a plurality of lift arms 1438 that are
displaced (along
an axis that is parallel to the axis of rotation of the star-wheel 1136) from
the gripping
channels 138, and extend radially outwards from the centre of rotation of the
star-wheel
1136. The lift arms 1438 are positioned below the Z-axis indexers 1402, in
substantial
vertical alignment with the gripper arms 1434 thereof. Each lift arm 1438
includes a
plurality of apertures (not shown) that are connected to a common vacuum line,
and grip
the base portion of the pouch by vacuum while the gripping channels 138 of the
star-
wheel 1136 grip the filler neck of the container 1108.
As above, the pitch of the star-wheel 136 may be selected to deliver an empty
container
1108 to each radially-adjacent filling station 1400. However, the centripetal
container
processing apparatus 1100 is not so limited but may include an odd number of
head
assemblies 1212, with the pitch of the star-wheel 1136 being selected to
deliver an empty
container 1108 to each alternate head assembly 1212.
6.3. Filling Nozzle of Container Filling Station
Since the containers 1108 are typically supplied to the container filling
station 1400
substantially flat and devoid of air, the filling nozzle 1404 does not include
a valve spool
or a sliding nozzle tube. Instead, as shown in Figs. 31 and 32, the filling
nozzle 1404
comprises a nozzle tube 1416 and an in-line valve (not shown). The nozzle tube
1416 is
fixed relative to the respective arm 202 and terminates at one end in close
proximity to
the flat plate 1406 of the Z-axis indexer 1402. The other end of the nozzle
tube 1416 is
coupled to the fluid delivery pipe 204 of the associated container processing
station 1200.
The in-line valve is disposed between the fluid delivery pipe 204 and the
nozzle tube
1416, and controls the movement of fluid from the fluid delivery pipe 204
through the
filling nozzle 404.
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6.4. Method of Operation
The base controller 118 causes the container processing rotor 1102 to
continuously rotate
around its axis (X-axis) of rotation. Further, the star-wheel 1136 of the
container intake
station 1104 rotates in synchronism with the conveyor belt 134 and the
container
processing rotor 1102. Since the conveyor belt 134 is populated with empty
containers
1108, the star-wheel 136 continuously transfers the empty containers 1108 from
the
conveyor belt 134 to the container processing stations 1200 (via the gripping
channels
138 and the lift arms 1438) as each container processing station 1200 moves
past the
container intake station 104. Similarly, as will be explained, after the empty
containers
1108 are filled and capped, the filled containers 1108 are transferred from
the container
processing stations 1200 to the container removal station 106 as each
container
processing station 1200 moves past the container removal station 106.
Prior to receipt of an empty container 1108 at a filling station 1400, the
base controller
118 causes the indexer motor of the filling station 1400 to orient the Z-axis
indexer 402
substantially parallel to the X-axis (vertical orientation if the rotor 1102
is substantially
horizontal) to allow the U-shaped grippers 1408 to receive the neck of an
empty container
1108, as shown in Fig. 32.
Preferably, the mouth of the container 1108 is directed inwards towards the
centre of
rotation of the rotor 1102. Therefore, upon receipt of an empty container 1108
at a filling
station 1400, the flat plate 1406 of the Z-axis indexer 1402 grips the neck of
the container
1108 via the U-shaped grippers 1408, as shown in Fig. 33. As discussed above,
the U-
shaped grippers 1408 may include mechanical jaws, in which case the base
controller 118
may cause the mechanical jaws to close around the filler neck of the container
1108 and
thereby grip the container 1108. At the same time, preferably the base
controller 118
causes vacuum to be applied to the gripper arm 1434 of the filling station
1400, thereby
gripping the base portion of the container 1108.
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The base controller 118 then opens the in-line valve, causing fluid to be
delivered from
the fluid delivery pipe 204 into the filler neck of the empty container 1108
via the nozzle
tube 1416. Since the nozzle tube 1416 terminates in close proximity to the
flat plate 1406
of the Z-axis indexer 1402, the fluid is directed from the nozzle tube 1416
into the
container 1108 without significant loss and without the nozzle tube 1416
touching the
mouth of the container 1108. Again, since the rotor 1102 is continuously
rotating, the
resulting centripetal force on the fluid reduces filling times while also
urging the fluid to
remain in the container 1108. After a predetermined period of time which is
sufficient to
fill the container 1108, the base controller 118 closes the in-line valve.
This position
constitutes the end of the container filling step.
After the end of the container filling step, the base controller 118 causes
the indexer
motor of the filling station 1400 to rotate the flat plate 1406 180 about the
Z-axis, as
shown in Figs. 34 and 35. As a result, the filled container 1108 is
transferred from the
container filling station 400 to the container capping station 500 as the next
empty
container 1108 is transferred from the container intake station 1104 to the
container
filling station 400, as shown in Fig. 36. Since the rotor 1102 is continuously
rotating, the
resulting centripetal force on the fluid urges the fluid to remain in the
container 1108 as
the filled container 108 is transferred from the container filling station 400
to the
container capping station 500.
Once a filled container 1108 is transferred to the container capping station
500, the base
controller 118 causes the capping motor 506 to advance the capping head 504
towards the
container cap magazine 502. The capping head 504 grabs the next container cap
110
from the container cap magazine 502, and screws or pressure fits the container
cap 110
onto the mouth of the filled container 1108. The base controller 118 then
causes the
capping motor 506 to pull the capping head 504 away from the container cap
magazine
502, leaving the container cap on the filled container 1108. The capped
container 1108 is
then released from the capping station 500.
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As discussed above, the U-shaped grippers 1408 of the Z-axis indexer 1402 may
include
mechanical jaws, in which case the base controller 118 may cause the
mechanical jaws to
move apart to thereby facilitate release of the capped container 1108 from the
capping
station 500. Since the rotor 1102 is continuously rotating, the resulting
centripetal force
on the container 1108 causes the released container 108 to land on the
container removal
station 106, as shown in Fig. 37.
7. Variation #2: Container Processing Station for Neckless Pouches
Thus far, this disclosure has focused on the processing of containers having
rigid filler
necks. However, the centripetal container processing apparatus is not so
limited. For
instance, as will be discussed below, another variation of the centripetal
container
processing apparatus may be used to fill flexible pouches that do not have
rigid filler
necks.
Typically the centripetal container processing apparatus 1100 will fill all of
the containers
1108 with the same fluid. However, the base 112 may be fed with a plurality of
fluid
delivery lines 120, each connected to a respective fluid supply and a
respective fluid
delivery manifold, to fill each container 1108 with one of a number of
different fluids,
depending upon the contents of the respective fluid supplies.
7.1. Centripetal container processing apparatus - Overview
Figs. 39 and 40 depict a centripetal container processing apparatus, denoted
generally by
reference numera12100. The centripetal container processing apparatus 2100 is
substantially similar to the centripetal container processing apparatus 1100.
Therefore, as
shown, the centripetal container processing apparatus 2100 comprises a
container
processing rotor 2102, a container intake station 2104, and the container
removal station
106. The container intake station 2104 feeds empty containers 2108 to the
rotor 2102,
and the container removal station 106 accepts filled containers 2108 from the
rotor 2102.
The container intake and removal stations 2104, 106 are disposed proximate the
outer
radius of the container processing rotor 2102.
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Typically, the containers 2108 are flexible neckless pouches (i.e. without
rigid filler
necks). Preferably, each container 2108 has an internal polymeric layer, which
is at least
proximate the mouth of the container 2108 and allows the mouth of the
container 2108 to
be sealed by ultrasonic, heat or laser welding, or other suitable sealing
technique. As
above, typically the fill material is a liquid (foodstuff or non-foodstuff),
such as water,
juice or soda. However, the centripetal container processing apparatus 2100
may be used
to fill the containers 2108 with granular, shredded, particulate or paste-like
material.
The container processing rotor 2102 comprises the base 1112, the turret 114,
the hub 116,
and at least one container processing station 2200 that is connected to the
hub 116 and
extends radially outwards from the base 1112. The rotor 2102 also includes the
base
controller 118 that is mounted within the base 1112 and is configured to
control and
monitor the operation of the container processing stations 2200.
As shown in Figs. 41 and 42, each container processing station 2200 comprises
a
substantially straight arm 202 that is secured at its inner end to the
rotating hub 116, and
one or more head assemblies 2212, that are secured to the outer end of the arm
202 and
serve to fill and cap the containers 2108. As shown in Fig. 40, preferably
each arm 202
supports a pair of the head assemblies 2212, which are disposed radially
adjacent to each
other around a common radius of the container processing rotor 2102. However,
each
arm 202 need not support only two head assemblies 2212 but may comprise any
number
of the head assemblies 2212.
As above, since the containers 2108 are typically received at the container
processing
stations 2200 already cleaned, the container processing stations 2200 do not
include a
container cleansing station. However, in contrast to the previous variation,
typically each
head assembly 2212 comprises an integrated container filling/sealing station,
as opposed
to separate filling and sealing stations.
The arm 202 of each container processing station 2200 carries the fluid
delivery pipe 204
and the vacuum pipe 208 which are connected to the head assembly/assemblies
2212 of
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the associated container processing station 2200. Further, each arm 202
carries
associated electrical wiring, sensors and control valves that are coupled to
the base
controller 118 for controlling the operation of the head assemblies 2212.
Typically the centripetal container processing apparatus 1100 will fill all of
the containers
2108 with the same fluid. However, as above, the base 1112 may be fed with a
plurality
of fluid delivery lines 120, each connected to a respective fluid supply and a
respective
fluid delivery manifold to fill each container 2108 with one of a number of
different
fluids.
7.2. Integrated Container Fillin /Sg ealing Station
As shown in Figs. 43 and 44, each container filling/sealing station (head
assembly) 2212
comprises a container filling/sealing head 2402 and an associated filling
nozzle 2404.
The container filling/sealing station 2402 comprises a support frame 2406, a
sealing anvil
2408, and a welding anvil (not shown).
The support frame 2406 is secured to the respective arm 202, and carries the
sealing anvil
2408 and the welding anvil. The sealing anvil 2408 comprises a mounting plate
2410, a
pair of opposing reciprocating jaws 2412, an anvil rotation servo motor 2414,
and a
sealing anvil servo motor 2416. The mounting plate 2410 is rotatably coupled
to the
support frame 2406, and houses the reciprocating jaws 2412. The anvil rotation
servo
motor 2414 is coupled to the support frame 2406 and the mounting plate 2410,
and serves
to rotate the mounting plate 2410 about the Z-axis under control of the base
controller
118, as shown in Fig. 41.
The sealing anvil servo motor 2416 is coupled to the reciprocating jaws 2412
via a linear
screw (not shown) that is disposed within the mounting plate 2410 to thereby
move the
jaws 2412 between a closed position and an opened position under control of
the base
controller 118. Preferably, the sealing anvil jaws 2412 include a plurality of
apertures
(not shown) through which vacuum can be applied (from the associated vacuum
pipe
208) to thereby temporarily secure the upper and lower surfaces of the
container 2108, at
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the mouth thereof, to a respective one of the sealing anvil jaws 2412, when
the sealing
anvil jaws 2412 are opened.
The welding anvil is secured to the mounting plate 2410 of the sealing anvil
2408, and
comprises a pair of opposing reciprocating jaws 2418 that are disposed
radially inwards
from the sealing anvil jaws 2412. The welding anvil jaws 2418 are coupled to
the linear
screw of the sealing anvil 2408 to thereby move the welding anvil jaws 2418
between a
closed position and an opened position in unison with the sealing anvil jaws
2412. At
least one of the welding anvil jaws 2418 is configured with an ultrasonic,
heat or laser
welder to seal the mouth of the container 2108 after the container 2108 has
been filled.
As above, in operation the rotor 2102 continuously rotates about its axis (X-
axis) of
rotation. As the rotor 2102 rotates, each container filling/sealing station
2212 picks up an
empty container 2108 from the container intake station 2104. Preferably, the
empty
containers 2108 are delivered substantially horizontally from the container
intake station
2104 to the container filling/sealing station 2212. Therefore, as shown in
Fig. 39, the
container intake station 2104 may comprise a conveyor belt that carries the
horizontal
empty containers 2108. Alternately, the container intake station 2104 may
comprise an
automatic stack dispenser that delivers empty containers 2108 to the container
filling/sealing station 2212 substantially horizontally. Alternately still,
the container
intake station 2104 may comprise a conveyor belt and a star wheel for
transferring empty
containers 2108 to the container filling/sealing stations 2212.
As shown in Figs. 41 and 43, preferably the sealing anvi12408 also comprises a
stop arm
2418 that extends in the X-Z plane from the outer surface of the sealing anvil
jaws 2412.
Alternately, or additionally, the sealing anvil 2408 may include a support
plate 2420 that
extends in the Y-Z plane from the outer surface of the sealing anvil jaws
2412. As will
be explained, the support plate 2420 serves to lift an empty container 2108
from the
container intake station 2104, and to support the container 2108 during the
filling step.
The stop arm 2418 serves to align the mouth of the container 2108 with the
sealing anvil
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jaws 2412 after the head assembly 2212 receives an empty container 2108 from
the
container intake station 2104.
7.4. Filling Nozzle of Container Filling Station
Since the containers 2108 are typically supplied to the head assembly 2212
substantially
flat and devoid of air, the filling nozzle 2404 does not include a valve spool
or a sliding
nozzle tube. Instead, as shown in Figs. 42 and 44, the filling nozzle 2404
comprises a
flexible nozzle sleeve 2424, a primary nozzle valve 2426, a secondary nozzle
valve 2428,
and a plurality of servo motors (not shown). As will become apparent, the
nozzle sleeve
2424 delivers fluid from the fluid delivery pipe 204 to the container 2108,
and the
primary and secondary nozzle valves 2426, 2428 control the movement of fluid
from the
fluid delivery pipe 204 through the filling nozzle 2404.
Preferably, the nozzle sleeve 2424 is fabricated from a flexible polymeric
material, and
comprises an inlet end and an outlet end. The nozzle sleeve 2424 is coupled at
the inlet
end thereof to the fluid delivery pipe 204 of the associated head assembly
2212, and is
open at the outlet end of the nozzle sleeve 2424. The nozzle sleeve 2424
extends from
the fluid delivery pipe 204 to the outlet end of the nozzle sleeve 2424, and
terminates at
the outlet end in close proximity to the welding anvil jaws, radially inwards
of the
welding anvil jaws.
The primary nozzle valve 2426 is fixed to the support frame 2406, and
comprises a pair
of opposing reciprocating jaws that are disposed in close proximity to the
welding anvil
jaws, radially inwards of the welding anvil jaws. At the outlet end of the
nozzle sleeve
2424, the upper outer surface of the nozzle sleeve 2424 is secured (typically
by adhesive
or welding) to the upper jaw of the primary nozzle valve 2426. Similarly, at
the outlet
end of the nozzle sleeve 2424, the lower outer surface of the nozzle sleeve
2424 is
secured to the lower jaw of the primary nozzle valve 2426. One of the filling
nozzle
servo motors is configured to move the jaws of the primary nozzle valve 2426
between a
closed position and an opened position, under control of the base controller
118, and
thereby control the delivery of fluid from the nozzle sleeve 2424 into the
container 2108.
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Preferably, the outlet end of the nozzle sleeve 2424 terminates in close
proximity to the
radially outer face of the primary nozzle valve 2426 (i.e. the face that is
adjacent the
sealing anvil 2408). Further, preferably the outlet end of the nozzle sleeve
2424 is
positioned on the primary nozzle valve 2426 so to align with the mouth of the
container
2108 (when the mouth of a container 2108 is secured via vacuum to the sealing
anvil
jaws 2412), and the diameter of the outlet end of the nozzle sleeve 2424 is
similar to that
of the mouth of the container 2108 to thereby allow fluid to be delivered from
the nozzle
sleeve 2424 into the container 2108 when the sealing anvil jaws 2412 and the
primary
nozzle valve 2426 are both opened.
The secondary nozzle valve 2428 comprises a pair of opposing reciprocating
jaws that
are disposed radially inwards of the open end of the nozzle sleeve 2424,
between the
primary nozzle valve 2426 and the opposite end of the nozzle sleeve 2424. One
of the
filling nozzle servo motors is configured to move the jaws of the secondary
nozzle valve
2428 between a closed position and an opened position, under control of the
base
controller 118, and thereby control the delivery of fluid from the fluid
delivery pipe 204
into the nozzle sleeve 2424.
The volume of the filling nozzle is defined by the distance between the
primary nozzle
valve and the secondary nozzle valve. Therefore, the secondary nozzle valve
2428 is
axially movable along the support frame 2406 between the outlet of the fluid
delivery
pipe 204 and the primary nozzle valve 2426. A servo motor is coupled to the
secondary
nozzle valve 2428 via a linear screw (not shown) that is disposed within the
support
frame 2406, and is configured to move the secondary nozzle valve 2428 axially
along the
support frame 2406, under control of the base controller 118. Preferably, the
axial
position of the secondary nozzle valve is adjusted by the base controller 118
so that the
maximum volume of fluid that can be maintained in the nozzle sleeve 2424
corresponds
to the desired fluid volume of the container 2108 to be filled.
7.3. Method of Operation
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As the rotor 2102 rotates, each head assembly 2212 cyclically approaches and
departs
from the container intake station 2104 and the container removal station 106.
After a
head assembly 2212 departs from the container removal station 106, the base
controller
118 opens the secondary nozzle valve 2428 of the head assembly 2212, while
maintaining the primary nozzle valve 2426 closed, thereby causing the filling
nozzle
2404 to fill with fluid from the associated fluid delivery pipe 204. The base
controller
118 then closes the secondary nozzle valve 2428 after a predetermined period
of time
which is sufficient to fill the filling nozzle 2404 with fluid.
Typically, the base controller 118 maintains the support plate 2420 of the
sealing anvil
2408 substantially horizontal, above the height of the conveyor belt of the
container
intake station 2104. However, as the head assembly 2212 approaches the
container
intake station 2104, the controller 118 causes the sealing anvil jaws 2412 and
the welding
anvil jaws 2418 of the head assembly 2212 to separate enough to capture an
empty
container 2108 between the sealing and welding anvil jaws 2412, 2418. Further,
as
shown in Fig. 41, preferably the base controller 118 also rotates the sealing
anvi12408
and the welding anvil clockwise so as to cause the leading edge of the support
plate 2420
to drop and engage the upper surface of the conveyor belt of the container
intake station
2104.
As the rotor 2102 continues to rotate, the leading edge of the support plate
2420 engages
the trailing side of the next empty container 2108, causing the container 2108
to move
from the conveyor belt along the support plate 2420 until the trailing side of
the container
2108 engages the stop arm 2420 of the sealing anvil 2408. At this stage, the
mouth of the
container 2108 will be disposed between the sealing and welding anvil jaws
2412, 2418.
The base controller 118 then returns the sealing and welding anvils 2412, 2418
to the
substantially horizontal position, and closes the sealing and welding anvil
jaws 2412,
2418, thereby capturing the mouth of the container 2108 between the sealing
and welding
anvil jaws 2412, 2418, as shown in Fig. 45.
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After a container 2108 has been captured between the sealing and welding anvil
jaws
2412, 2418 of the head assembly 2212, and the head assembly 22121eaves the
container
intake station 2104, the base controller 118 applies vacuum to the apertures
of the sealing
anvil 2408, thereby securing the upper and lower surfaces of the container
2108, at the
mouth thereof, to the sealing anvil jaws 2412. As shown in Fig. 46, the base
controller
118 then opens the primary nozzle valve 2426 and the sealing and welding anvil
jaws
2412, 2418, thereby causing the mouth of the container 2108 and the outlet end
of the
nozzle sleeve 2424 to open, and the fluid stored in the nozzle sleeve 2424 to
be ejected
out of the outlet end of the nozzle sleeve 2424 from the centripetal force
acting on the
stored fluid.
Since the diameter of the outlet end is similar to that of the mouth of the
container 2108,
and since the outlet end of the nozzle sleeve 2424 will be aligned with the
mouth of the
container 2108, the fluid that is ejected from the nozzle sleeve 2424 will be
directed into
the mouth of the container 2108. Again, since the rotor 2102 is continuously
rotating, the
resulting centripetal force reduces the time required to fill the container
2108. Further, as
shown in Fig. 47, the centripetal force acting on the ejected fluid causes the
side walls of
the container 2108 to separate to accommodate the delivery of the fluid into
the container
2108. At the same time, the centripetal force urges the fluid to remain in the
container
2108.
After a predetermined period of time which is sufficient to fill the container
2108 with all
the fluid in the filling nozzle 2404, the base controller 118 closes the
primary nozzle
valve 2426 and the sealing and welding anvil jaws 2412, 2418, and then
activates the
ultrasonic welder to thereby seal the mouth of the container 2108 at the
welding anvil
jaws 2418.
As the sealed pouch approaches the container removal station 106, the base
controller
118 removes the vacuum from the sealing anvil apertures, and opens the sealing
and
welding anvil jaws 2412, 2418 to thereby allow the filled container 2108 to be
ejected
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from the sealing anvil 2408 and the welding anvil, onto the container removal
station
106, by the centripetal force acting on the container 2108, as shown in Fig.
48.
Although each of the foregoing variations of the centripetal container
processing
apparatus are shown in the attached drawings as comprising only a single
container
processing rotor, it should be understood that the centripetal container
processing
apparatus can comprise a plurality of container processing rotors which are
stacked
vertically over each other. In this latter variation, the container processing
rotors would
be supported on the same base 112, with each rotor being in communication with
a
respective set of container intake and container removal stations.
Further, in another variation, the base 112 supports two rotors, with the
upper rotor being
inverted relative to the lower rotor. In this latter variation, the container
intake station for
the upper rotor is disposed above the upper rotor, while the container intake
station for
the lower rotor is disposed below the lower rotor. The container processor
stations would
be disposed between the upper and lower rotors.
38
