WO2007029203A2 - Preform transfer system - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for transferring preforms (1), comprising the following elements: routing means (4, 17) for initially moving the preforms (1) in a linear manner, one behind the other, in a pre-defined direction which is parallel to the direction formed by the axis of symmetry of the preforms (1); a system for changing the orientation (6, 20, 22), consisting of a rotary element (6, 20) comprising at least one housing (25, 26) which is intended to receive a preform (1); detection means (8, 15) for detecting the orientation of a preform (1); and means for driving the rotary element (12, 23), which are coupled to the detection means (8, 15) and which can rotate the rotary element (6, 20) in one direction when the orientation of the preforms (1) is to be corrected.

Description

 SYSTEM FOR TRANSFERRING PREFORMS

Field of the invention

The present invention is in the field of blowing preforms.

More specifically, it relates to systems for the transfer of preforms to blowing units.

The invention is particularly intended, but not exclusively, for the transfer of preforms without a collar or with a neck of diameter equal to or less than the diameter of the body of the preforms.

State of the art

Various systems are known for loading and conveying preforms to blowing units.

Such systems are also known which comprise means for changing the orientation of the preforms.

By way of example, mention may be made of the following prior art:

US Patent 5,498,152 describes a system which aims to correct the orientation of the preforms around their main axis.

US Pat. No. 4,846,663 describes an inversion of the "upside down" type of preforms that applies systematically to all preforms.

US Pat. Nos. 4,819,785 and 4,239,475 also disclose devices with systematic inversion of the orientation of the preforms.

The systems of the state of the art do not, however, offer the possibility of selectively correcting the orientation of the preforms. A fortiori, they do not include means for detecting the orientation of the preforms so that later, if necessary, correct the orientation.

Moreover, with the systems of the state of the art, the preforms are arranged vertically next to each other.

Finally, the means for changing orientation of the state of the art can only work with preforms having a collar or other element similar that serves as an input member during the change of orientation of the preforms.

General presentation of the invention

The problem that the present invention proposes to solve lies in:

The impossibility of being able to selectively correct the orientation of the preforms during their transfer to the blowing units;

The impossibility of being able to horizontally align the preforms next to one another, which makes it possible to simplify considerably the process of loading the preforms,

The impossibility of being able to use preforms without a collar or, more generally, preforms whose open end has a diameter smaller than the body.

In the invention, the solution of the aforementioned problem consists in:

initially moving the preforms linearly, one behind the other, in a predefined direction,

introducing the preforms, preferably by gravity, into a rotary element,

detecting the orientation of the preforms after or before their introduction into the rotary element,

- rotate in one direction the rotary element if the orientation of the preforms must be corrected,

- Release the preforms of the rotating element.

The invention particularly relates to a preform transfer device comprising the following elements:

routing means for initially moving preforms in a linear fashion, one behind the other, in a predefined direction which is parallel to the direction formed by the axis of symmetry of the preforms,

an orientation change system comprising a rotary element comprising at least one housing intended to receive a preform, detection means for detecting the orientation of a preform,

- Rotating element driving means, coupled to the detection means, which are adapted to rotate in one direction the rotating element when the orientation of the preforms must be corrected.

Advantageously, the conveying means are inclined so as to use the gravitational force to slide the preforms along the conveying means.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the device comprises recovery means for recovering the preforms after their passage in the rotary element, said recovery means being preferably arranged under the rotary element so as to use the force of gravitation to make out the preforms of the rotating element.

The detection means may be arranged along the conveying means or in the change of orientation system.

According to a preferred variant of the invention, the drive means of the rotary element are adapted to rotate the rotary element in an opposite direction when the orientation of the preforms must not be corrected.

In this variant, the device preferably comprises a fixed cylindrical element disposed around the rotary element, said cylindrical element comprising an inlet passage, disposed on its side wall, for introducing the preforms into the rotary element and a outlet passage for removing the preforms from the rotating member.

Advantageously, the rotary element is of cylindrical shape, the axis of rotation of the rotary element merging with the axis of symmetry of the fixed cylindrical element. The rotary element is preferably arranged in the extension of the conveying means, so that the latter end on the lateral face of the rotary element.

According to another variant of the invention, the device comprises, in addition to the aforementioned basic elements, the following elements:

a wheel, disposed in the extension of the conveying means, said wheel comprising at least one housing for receiving a preform, said housing being disposed in the wheel so that during the rotation of the wheel, the preforms move according to a conical surface,

means for rotating the wheel so as to change the orientation of the preforms, preferably by placing them vertically,

means for authorizing a transfer, preferably by gravity, of the preforms of the wheel to the rotary element,

The invention also relates to a method for transferring preforms, preferably without a collar, comprising the following steps:

linear initial displacement of the preforms linearly, one behind the other, in a predefined direction which is parallel to the direction formed by the axis of symmetry of the preforms,

introduction of the preforms, preferably by gravity, into a rotary element,

detecting the orientation of the preforms, before or after their introduction into the rotary element,

- driving the rotary element in a determined direction if the orientation of the preforms must be corrected,

- Release preforms of the rotating element.

According to a variant of the invention, the method comprises driving the rotary element in an opposite direction if the orientation of the preforms must not be corrected. According to another variant of the invention, the method also comprises the following intermediate steps:

temporary loading of the preforms into the orifices of a wheel following their initial linear displacement,

- Driving the wheel so as to change the orientation of the preforms, preferably by bringing the preforms in a vertical direction,

introduction of the preforms, preferably by gravity, into the rotary element,

The invention can be used with any type of preform. As indicated above, it is particularly suitable for handling preforms without a neck or with preforms having a neck of smaller diameter than the body of the preform.

Preferably, the rotating member is a ball or cylinder but any other rotary element of the same functionality can be used, eg a rotating tube which rotates about an axis perpendicular to the main direction of the tube.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the preforms enter in a vertical direction in the rotary element, the latter can then rotate 180 °.

Alternatively, the preforms enter in an oblique direction into the rotary member.

The initial linear displacement of the preforms can be performed on an open or closed ramp (eg in a tube).

The displacement can be achieved in different ways, eg by gravity if the boom / tube is tilted (e) or vertical (e), by pneumatic means (eg suction) or by mechanical means (e.g. eg conveyor belt). Detailed exposition of the invention

The invention will be better understood hereinafter by means of examples illustrated by the following figures:

Figure 1 shows a type of preform that can be used in the context of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side section of a device according to the invention.

FIG. 3 is a frontal section of the device of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 2.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of another device according to the invention.

Figure 6 is a side section of the device of Figure 5.

The following numerical references are used in the figures:

1. Preform

2. Preform body

3. Preform neck

4. Routing system

5. Housing wheel

6. Rotary element 1 ^st embodiment

7. Recovery system

8. Preform orientation detector

9. Preform passage detector

10. Preform exit detector

11. Wheel drive cylinder

12. Rotating element drive cylinder

13. Stopper cylinder

14. Holding cylinder

15. Preform end detector

16. Shutter 17. Tube

18. Preform retainer

19. Shutter activation system

20. Rotary element 2 ^nd embodiment

21. Fixed cylindrical element inlet

22. Fixed cylindrical element

23. Rotary element motor

24. Rotary Element Detectors

25. Preformed housing 1 ^st rotary element embodiment

26. Preform housing 2 ^nd embodiment rotary element

27. Conical wheel preform housing

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of preform 1 that can be used in the context of the present invention. The diameter at the neck 3 is smaller than the diameter of the body 2.

With the device illustrated in Figures 2 to 4, the preforms 1 slide along a conveying system 4 and enter a housing 27 disposed in a cone-shaped wheel 5, called conical wheel in the present text . The conveyor system 4 illustrated has the form of a tube. Other forms (not shown) may be used, eg a semi-cylindrical shape (gutter). Note that each housing 27 receives a preform 1 at a time.

At the same time, another housing 27 of the conical wheel 5 is occupied by another preform 1 to the vertical position.

By a 180 ° rotating movement by means of a jack 11, the conical wheel 5 orients the preforms 1 vertically.

By gravity, the preforms 1 fall into the housing 25 of a wheel-shaped rotary element 6 which, as a function of the signal detected by an orientation detector 8, rotates 180 ° for any ill-oriented preform 1 (neck down). During the fall of the preforms 1 in the housing 25 of the rotary member 6, the detector 9 informs that this fall is performed correctly to avoid cases of system failure.

The preforms 1 input into the rotary element 6 are retained and then held by a stopper cylinder 13, and a holding cylinder 14 during the detection of the orientation of the preforms and / or the possible rotation of the rotary element 6. The rotating element 6 is rotated by a dedicated cylinder 12.

When an incorrect orientation of a preform 1 has been detected, the following operations are applied:

The preform 1, input into the rotary element 6, is retained in the housing 25 by the stopper cylinder 13.

The holding cylinder 14 then comes to hold the preform 1.

The stopper cylinder 13 withdraws.

The rotary element 6 is rotated 180 ° by its dedicated cylinder 12.

After repositioning vertically, the preform 1 is released by removing the holding cylinder 14.

The preform 1 falls into recovery means 7 and is transferred further into the blower (not shown).

A detector 10 informs the output of the preform 1 of the device.

If a correct orientation has been detected, the preform 1 is allowed to drop and pass through the rotary member 6 without rotating the latter. In this case also, the detector 10 informs the output of the preform 1 of the device. The device illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 has an operating principle similar to that illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4. It also comprises a rotary element 20 which makes it possible to change the direction of a mis-oriented preform but differs in that it does not have a conical wheel.

Thus, in this other device, the preforms 1 slide in a tube 17 along the routing system 4.

They are retained by a shutter 16 which is driven by an activation system 19, the latter being coupled to a retaining member 18 which retains the preform 1. By removing the shutter 16, a preform 1 is inserted into a housing 26 disposed in a rotary member 20 in the form of a moving wheel. During this movement, the preform 1 passes through a passage 21 disposed on the side wall of a fixed cylindrical element 22 in the shape of a wheel. The direction of introduction of the preforms 1 into the rotary element 20 merges with a diameter of this one. this.

Once housed in the rotary element 20, the preform 1 is then retained by the wall of the fixed cylindrical element 22.

According to the orientation of the preform 1 indicated beforehand by a detector 15, a motor 23 rotates the rotary element 20 in one direction or the other until the preform 1 reaches a vertical position. The motor 23 is coupled to detectors 24 which provide information on the position of the rotary element 20.

The preform 1 falls into recovery means 7 and is transferred further into the blower (not shown).

A detector 10 informs the output of the preform 1 of the device. It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. It covers any preform transfer device which can, selectively, change the orientation of the preforms by means of a rotary member, the latter rotating in a given direction according to the preform orientation signal received by a detector.

Claims

claims A preform transfer device (1) comprising the following elements: routing means (4, 17) for initially moving preforms (1) linearly, one behind the other, in a predefined direction which is parallel to the direction formed by the axis of symmetry of the preforms (1), an orientation change system (6, 20, 22) comprising a rotary element (6, 20) comprising at least one housing (25, 26) for receiving a preform (1), detection means (8, 15) for detecting the orientation of a preform (1). - drive means of the rotary element (12,23), coupled to the detection means (8,15), which are adapted to rotate in one direction the rotary element (6,20) when the orientation preforms (1) must be corrected. 2. Device according to claim 1 wherein the conveying means are inclined so as to use the gravitational force to slide the preforms along the conveying means. 3. Device according to claim 1 or 2 comprising recovery means for recovering the preforms after their passage through the rotary element, said recovery means being arranged under the rotating element so as to use the gravitational force to pull out the preforms of the rotating element. 4. Device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the detection means are arranged along the conveying means. 5. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the detection means are arranged in the orientation change system. 6. Device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the drive means of the rotary member are adapted to rotate the rotary member in an opposite direction when the orientation of the preforms must not be corrected. 7. Device according to claim 6 comprising a fixed cylindrical member disposed around the rotary member, said cylindrical member having an inlet passage disposed on its side wall, for the introduction of the preforms into the rotary member and a passage. outlet to remove the preforms from the rotating member. 8. Device according to claim 7 wherein the rotary member is of cylindrical shape, the axis of rotation of the rotary element coinciding with the axis of symmetry of the fixed cylindrical member. 9. Device according to any one of claims 6 to 8 wherein the rotary element is arranged in the extension of the conveying means, 10. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 further comprising: a wheel, disposed in the extension of the conveying means, said wheel comprising at least one housing for receiving a preform, said housing being disposed in the wheel so that during the rotation of the wheel, the preforms move according to a conical surface, means for rotating the wheel so as to change the orientation of the preforms, preferably by placing them vertically, means for authorizing a transfer, preferably by gravity, of preforms from the wheel to the rotating element, 11. Preform transfer method, preferably without neck, comprising the following steps: linear initial displacement of the preforms linearly, one behind the other, in a predefined direction which is parallel to the direction formed by the axis of symmetry of the preforms, introduction of the preforms, preferably by gravity, into a rotary element, detecting the orientation of the preforms, before or after their introduction into the rotary element, - driving the rotary element in a determined direction if the orientation of the preforms must be corrected, - Release preforms of the rotating element. 12. Preform transfer method according to claim 11 comprising driving the rotary element in an opposite direction if the orientation of the preforms is not to be corrected. The preform transfer method of claim 11 further comprising the following intermediate steps: temporary loading of the preforms into the orifices of a wheel following their initial linear displacement, - Driving the wheel so as to change the orientation of the preforms, preferably by bringing the preforms in a vertical direction, introduction of the preforms, preferably by gravity, into the rotary element,