EP3546381B1 - Container treatment station and method for the treatment and controlling of the temperature of containers - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a container treatment station, which is in particular a component of a container treatment device or forms a section of such, and which comprises a shrink tunnel for temperature control of containers. The invention also relates to a method for the treatment and temperature control of containers within a shrink tunnel.

Containers that are produced and then filled with a content immediately afterwards are usually marked in such a way that the content can be recognized without opening the container, or that clear indications of the contents are attached to the container. For this purpose, labels are applied to the outside of the container, for example, which name the contents in the container and, if necessary, provide further information. The labels traditionally used are those made of paper or a comparable flat material, which are attached to the outside of the container by means of an adhesive.

It is also known to print the information directly on the outside of the container, which can be done with what are known as direct printing processes. Another way of labeling containers is to apply shrink labels, each designed as a wrap-around label. Here, the container is positioned within the shrink label by placing the shrink labels shaped as shrink sleeves over the container. The containers prepared in this way then pass through a shrink tunnel in which the film of the shrink sleeve contracts under the action of heat and rests around the outer surface of the container.

The disclosure document DE 10 2012 207 538 A1 describes a method and an apparatus for attaching shrink sleeves to containers. The shrink sleeves placed on the containers are anchored on the containers during the transport of the containers by selective shrinking in a shrink-on area of the shrink sleeves with at least one heated band that moves in contact with each other. Under a Attaching the shrink sleeves is to be understood as anchoring them to the respective containers in such a way that the shrink sleeves can be completely shrunk on in a separate production step downstream of the heated belt. Correspondingly, selective shrinking is to be understood as meaning that only a partial area of the shrink sleeves is shrunk onto the respective container. The anchoring has the effect that the shrink sleeves can at least no longer fall off the containers. The shrink-on area of the shrink sleeves is preferably already fixed in its final position on the containers by the anchoring. The energy input into the shrink sleeves can be reduced compared to a complete shrink fit and, in the event of production disruptions, can be easily, quickly and reliably interrupted by breaking the contact and interrupting the heat conduction. In this way, overheating of the shrink sleeves can be avoided both in normal operation and in the event of production disruptions.

The utility model DE 91 16 105 U1 describes a device for continuously applying shrink sleeves to the closure ends of vessels. So that the function of the shrink sleeve is guaranteed in every case, it must be ensured that the film sleeve maintains its predetermined position on the way from the placement station to the passage through the shrink device, ie does not slip on the associated vessel. The known device comprises a placement station for placing the shrink sleeves on the closure ends and a transport device for transporting the vessels from the placement station to a shrink station in which the shrink sleeves are shrunk on the closure ends. Supporting means that engage the shrink sleeves from below and extend along the transport device are provided for guiding the shrink sleeves in a predetermined height position, so that the vessels on the way from the placement station to the shrinking station are laterally applied by a guide means with a force directed transversely to the transport direction Support means are acted upon. The support means have support elements which, during the transport of the vessels, continuously at least partially rest against the circumferential contour of the vessels in order to prevent the shrink sleeves from slipping off.

The disclosure document DE 10 2013 208 589 A1 discloses an apparatus for labeling containers and for applying shrink sleeves to containers. The device comprises a labeling machine with a first pitch, the labeling machine being designed to apply labels to the containers. In addition the device comprises a conveyor belt arranged after the labeling machine, which is designed to transport containers located thereon at one speed. A dividing screw arranged after the labeling machine is designed to bring the containers transported by the conveyor belt to a second pitch of a subsequent shrink sleeve unit, the shrink sleeve unit being designed to transfer shrink sleeves to the container. The device can include a positioning device for positioning shrink sleeves following the shrink sleeve unit, the positioning device comprising at least two transport belts which can be driven at the downstream speed and which are designed to grip opposite sides of containers and move the shrink sleeves from an initial position to an end position. Depending on the position and height at which a shrink sleeve is to be arranged on a container (end position) and the position and height at which the shrink sleeve unit has applied the shrink sleeve (starting position), the two transport belts run in a corresponding orientation, which is why they are designed for this purpose are to bring the shrink sleeves in a desired position. By applying hot air to the positioned shrink sleeve from a hot air nozzle, the shrink sleeve is pre-fixed in the desired position. The final shrinking of the shrink sleeve onto the container takes place within a subsequent heating tunnel or steam tunnel.

the DE 10 2011 054 463 A1 discloses a sleeving process and a continuous steam tunnel with a steam chamber. To feed steam into the steam chamber, a live steam line is provided, which is fluidically coupled to a steam feed unit. The steam supply unit comprises steam nozzles, by means of which live steam is distributed into the steam chamber. The steam supply unit can be pivoted at least partially.

the US 2014/0053515 A1 discloses an apparatus and method for heat shrinking a film to enclose an object. The device comprises a shrink oven with a heat treatment chamber in the form of a tunnel, a transport device in the form of a conveyor belt being provided in the tunnel. In order to feed steam into the tunnel, a steam feed unit is arranged, which opens into steam outlet devices via a feed line. The steam outlet devices each include outlets for introducing steam into the interior of the tunnel.

the WO 2014/208155 A1 discloses a heat-shrinking device, wherein an object wrapped with a film is acted upon in a first partial shrinkage zone with a first steam and in an overall shrinkage zone with a second steam. The steam is introduced into the steam chamber via steam bars, the steam bars being pivotable and / or height-adjustable via a corresponding adjustment system.

the US 2017/0129634 A1 discloses another heat shrink device for shrinking labels onto containers. In this case, a steam dispensing unit with a steam dispensing nozzle is provided in a heat treatment chamber, so that the label is shrunk onto the container via the steam. In addition, a steam condensation device is provided in order to collect the excess steam in the form of condensed water.

the US 8 235 712 B1 discloses another heat shrink device for shrinking heat shrinkable container casing material. In a processing zone, the container with the container jacket material is subjected to steam by a first heat source. The temperature of the previously emitted steam is maintained by a second heat source in the form of heating plates.

the US 2012/0199290 A1 discloses a further heat shrink device for shrinking labels onto a container, in which the heating chamber is divided into a preheating zone, main heating zone and coupling zone. While the label and the container are heated by means of a heating unit in the preheating zone, the label is shrunk onto the container in the main heating zone. The preheating zone and the main heating zone are coupled to one another via the coupling zone.

the JP H07329933 A and the JP 2000326934 A each disclose further heat shrink devices for shrinking labels onto a container. Steam nozzles are arranged within a steam chamber. The position or height of the steam nozzles can be individually adjusted to the container to be treated.

the EP 2 835 317 A1 discloses an apparatus and a method for shrinking materials onto articles by means of a gaseous medium within a defined space. Here, thermal energy of the gaseous shrinking medium is supplied by waste heat from at least one internal combustion engine and / or heating energy from an electrically operated auxiliary heater.

In view of the devices and methods known from the prior art, it can be seen as a primary object of the invention to provide a container treatment station for fixing equipment elements such as shrink sleeves or the like on containers, in particular for subsequent container treatment, in connection with or during such, which can mean, for example, a heat and / or steam shrinking process, to be further improved.

The above object is achieved by a container treatment station according to claim 1 and a method for treating and controlling the temperature of containers according to claim 12. Further advantageous refinements are described by the subclaims.

The invention relates to a container treatment station according to claim 1, which is in particular part of a container treatment device and / or machine or forms a section of such. The container treatment station comprises a Shrink tunnel for temperature control of containers, which are each provided with equipment elements attached to the respective container outer sides and / or container outer jacket surface.

The containers can be, for example, bottles, cans or the like, which are either made of glass, plastic, metal or some other suitable material. In particular, the containers have a bottom side and a top side. As a rule, the containers have a filling opening on the top or in an upper area. The container outer side and / or the container outer jacket surface to be subsequently provided with an equipment element is located between the bottom side and the top side. The supplied containers can, for example, be empty and only be filled and closed in a subsequent process step. Alternatively, already filled and closed containers can be added.

The equipment elements are preferably so-called shrink labels, which consist of so-called shrink film. This refers to films that contract strongly under the action of heat and / or steam. In this context, a strong contraction is understood to mean at least a reduction in length which enables the shrink sleeves initially loosely pushed over the container to adhere firmly to the container jacket surfaces. Such shrink films are particularly efficient because they nestle tightly around the packaged goods, for example the containers, and adapt to their outer contour. Biaxial and monoaxial shrink films, which differ in the direction in which the films are deformed, are commercially available. Monoaxial films shrink on one side, i.e. in one material direction, while biaxial films shrink on both sides or in different directions of shrinkage or extension of the material. The shrink labels used can in this case be arranged on the containers partially reaching around the outer side of the container and / or the outer surface of the container, or they can fully encompass the outer surface of the container.

The shrink labels are preferably provided in the form of thin-walled and / or made of tubular film sections or shrink sleeves, which are slipped onto the container from above and enclose the outside of the container and / or the outside surface of the container at least in some areas, all or part of the circumference. The shrink sleeves can be designed as so-called full sleeves that extend from the bottom side of the container or almost the bottom side of the Extend the container in the direction of the top of the container all around the outer sides of the container and / or outer surface of the container. In particular, the full sleeves can extend slightly over a shoulder area of the container.

The equipment elements can in particular be in the form of so-called partial sleeves, which only partially surround the outer sides of the container and / or the outer surface of the container in the finished product; in particular with respect to a longitudinal axis of the container, the outer sides of the container and / or the respective outer surface of the container are only partially encompassed or covered by the partial sleeve. When a partial sleeve is used, the containers are preferably not covered by the partial sleeve in a lower area of the outer sides of the container and / or the outer surface of the container and / or in an upper area of the outer side of the container and / or the outer surface of the container. In particular, such a partial sleeve usually does not end flush with the floor with the respective container.

In a first step, which does not belong to the present invention, the containers are fed to an application module which is used to provide and / or equip the respective container exterior and / or container exterior jacket surfaces at least in some areas with equipment elements. For example, hose sleeves are slipped or shot over the container from above. The equipment elements are then preferably held and / or fixed and / or stabilized in a desired position on the container, in particular while the containers with the positioned equipment elements are transported to a shrink tunnel arranged downstream in the transport direction. It can be provided that the containers go through a pre-fixing. For example, by means of electrical heating means, preferably formed by a hot air blower or the like, an at least selective pre-fixation before the entry of the container into the shrink tunnel is achieved in that the area of the respective equipment element exposed to hot air or a similar hot medium adheres to the container at least at certain points is connected. This prevents the final shrinking and / or fixing of the equipment elements on the containers from slipping relative to the containers during the final shrinking and / or fixing of the equipment elements to be carried out in the shrink tunnel.

Within the shrink tunnel, the containers together with the equipment elements attached and / or attached to them are acted upon with a shrinking agent, in particular with steam, whereby the adhesive force of the under the action of steam is applied to the Reinforced containers and / or at least in the circumferential direction around the container shrinking equipment elements are fixed on the containers and / or mechanically secured. Steam is the preferred shrinking agent or shrinking medium, since the steam, which functions and acts as a heat carrier, is a very good heat exchanger and brings about a homogeneous transfer of energy, which leads to particularly reproducible and uniform shrinkage results.

The shrink tunnel comprises a shrink tunnel housing with at least one housing interior, an entry area for the containers, an exit area for the containers and at least one transport section running between the entry area and the exit area and in the housing interior. In particular, the containers provided with equipment elements are conveyed in a transport direction from the entry area to the exit area through the shrink tunnel and a shrinking agent is applied in the process. The transport section can, for example, comprise a suitable horizontal conveyor device for transporting the containers through the shrink tunnel and / or through the housing interior of the shrink tunnel housing.

In particular, steam, preferably water vapor, in particular wet steam, serves as the shrink agent. For certain applications, however, it may be necessary to use dry steam with a liquid content of less than ten percent by weight of water as the shrinking medium. For certain applications it may also be necessary that no steam is used, but another suitable steam.

To feed the shrink medium, in particular the steam, into the shrink tunnel, at least one feed line running at least in sections outside and / or inside the shrink tunnel housing is provided for feeding temperature-controlled steam into the housing interior. The at least one feed line is in fluidic connection with at least one steam distributor or is part of such a steam distributor.

Steam outlets are provided within the shrink tunnel, in particular in the interior of the housing, which are in fluidic connection with the at least one steam distributor. Via the steam outlets, the interior of the housing and / or the containers equipped with equipment elements located inside the shrink tunnel housing and / or conveyed on the transport section through the shrink tunnel housing are acted upon with the correspondingly tempered steam. At least some of the Steam outlets are arranged at at least one variable and / or adjustable height level in relation to the containers transported within the shrink tunnel housing. In particular, the height level is matched to an area of the container in which the respective equipment elements are located.

The steam manifold is arranged on an upper side of the shrink tunnel housing. This is particularly advantageous because when the shrink tunnel is paused and cooled down, a certain amount of condensate normally arises, which would collect in the supply lines to the steam outlets in the case of a steam distributor arranged in the lower region of the shrink tunnel. This could lead to corrosion of components of the shrink tunnel. Condensate formed inside the shrink tunnel is caught in a lower collecting pan and collected or automatically removed from the interior of the shrink tunnel via a suitable drain.

The invention further relates to a method for the treatment and temperature control of containers within a shrink tunnel according to claim 12.

The features described below can alternatively also be implemented independently of one another and can therefore be viewed individually as independent inventive aspects.

According to one embodiment it is provided that the at least one steam distributor has at least one distributor channel running on or attached to an upper side of the shrink tunnel housing or is formed by such a distributor channel. The distribution channel preferably extends essentially along the entire length of the shrink tunnel and has direct connections along the entire length of the shrink tunnel to the steam outlets, which are also arranged essentially along the entire length of the shrink tunnel. To control the application of steam to the steam outlets from the steam distributor or the distributor channel, the latter is preferably equipped with controllable valves and / or with controllable or adjustable shut-off devices for the variable application of at least some of the steam outlets.

According to one embodiment of the method according to the invention, it is provided that the shrink tunnel with which the method is carried out has a modular structure. In particular, the shrink tunnel housing is formed by at least two housing parts which adjoin one another in the transport direction and follow one another in the transport direction of the containers. At least two housing modules of the same or different size and / or length that can be connected to one another or, if necessary, separated from one another, are used. For example, provision can be made to design housing modules in two different lengths, so that customer-specific different desired shrink tunnel lengths can be put together simply by selecting appropriate housing modules or shrink module units.

Here, the housing modules or shrink module units are preferably put together in such a way that as few housing modules as possible are used and thus fewer transition areas are formed. The individual housing modules or shrink-fit module units are essentially designed in the same way. Depending on the products to be processed, the last housing module in the transport direction of the entire shrink tunnel can be designed, for example, as a drying device in order to remove condensate from the containers or to at least partially remove the condensate adhering to the containers. In this case, the steam distributor and / or the distributor channel only extends as far as this last housing module, but in particular is not part of the same.

According to a further embodiment, the shrink tunnel has at least one housing opening which, if necessary, by means of a closure element can be closed. The housing parts of the housing modules preferably each include at least one housing opening, via which access to components in the housing interior of the shrink tunnel is possible. The at least one housing opening of the shrink tunnel can be closed by a suitable closure element, in particular for ongoing production operations. The closure element can be designed, for example, as a door or a swivel flap which makes the interior of the housing accessible from the outside.

The door or swivel flap that is in the closed and / or locked position covers, in particular, a rectangular housing opening. In the open position, the closure element can in particular be in an upwardly pivoted position, with an in particular horizontal pivot axis being located on or in the vicinity of an upper horizontal longitudinal side or edge of the housing opening. The opening of the closure element, in particular the upward pivoting of the closure element, can preferably be assisted by means of gas pressure springs or the like.

The at least one closure element can also be equipped with a viewing window in order to provide a view of the interior of the housing of the shrink tunnel even during operation. In particular, the closure element of a housing module designed as a drying device can be equipped with a viewing window in order to enable the user to easily visually check the shrinkage result. According to one embodiment it is provided that each of the at least two housing modules is each equipped with a closure element in the form of a door or a swivel flap.

The mentioned valves and / or shut-off devices of the steam distributor and / or distribution channel can in particular be operated jointly or separately and / or influenced in their different opening states by means of at least one control device arranged remotely from the valves and / or shut-off devices. According to one embodiment, the housing interior is subdivided into at least two shrinking sections or shrinking tunnel sections arranged one after the other in the direction of transport, each with a different application of steam temperature. In particular, it can be provided that the steam supply in individual sections of the shrink tunnel, in particular in sections each formed by a housing module, can be regulated and adjusted separately via the valves and / or shut-off devices.

The steam outlets or a part or some of the steam outlets can, for example, be arranged in a row which extends through the shrink tunnel parallel to the transport direction of the container. For example, it can be provided that at least some of the steam outlets arranged within the shrink tunnel housing are formed by nozzles or by bores on one side of a channel or steam bar equipped with several nozzles or bores of the same type or bores arranged next to one another. The channel or steam bar is connected to the steam distributor and / or distributor channel in such a way that it is supplied with steam by this. In particular, it is provided that at least two channels or steam bars are arranged on opposite sides of the transport path for the containers through the shrink tunnel and extend essentially over the entire length of the shrink tunnel parallel to the transport direction of the containers. The steam outlets are each formed on the side surface of the channels or steam bars directed towards the transport path.

It can also be provided here that at least some of the steam outlets are adjustable within the housing interior, in particular by means of an adjustable channel or steam bar. The adjustment takes place in particular in the vertical direction and / or in the horizontal direction (or with horizontal and / or vertical directional or adjustment components) and is used to adapt the arrangement of the steam outlets within the shrink tunnel in a product-specific manner. In particular, the size and / or shape of the containers and the arrangement of the equipment elements on the containers play a role here.

It is preferably provided that the adjustment of channels or steam bars which are opposite to one another in relation to the transport path takes place synchronously. In particular, the adjustment mechanisms are coupled in such a way that, during vertical adjustment, the at least two coupled channels or steam bars are arranged and adjusted at the same height levels in relation to a transport surface for the containers or in relation to the equipment elements attached to the containers. During the vertical adjustment, there is a rectified movement of the ducts or steam bars that are coupled in terms of movement. In the case of horizontal adjustment, on the other hand, there is an oppositely directed movement of the ducts or steam bars coupled in terms of movement technology, in particular an advancing movement in which the distance between the two channels or steam bars is reduced or a movement away from each other, in which the distance between the two channels or steam bars is increased.

In order to enable vertical and / or horizontal adjustment, the steam outlets, in particular the duct or steam bar with steam outlets, are assigned adjusting elements that can be operated manually or by motor and / or by means of actuating devices and / or adjusting elements accessible and / or drivable from outside the shrink tunnel housing are. Here, for example, there are first adjustment elements for horizontal adjustment and second adjustment elements for horizontal adjustment. For example, the adjusting elements for the respectively adjustable steam outlets have spindle drives that can be adjusted by motor or by means of manual actuation or are formed by such spindle drives. Other adjusting elements known to those skilled in the art can also be used accordingly. For example, horizontal adjustment using a lifting column or chain drive is possible. In any case, it is important that the adjustment elements are accessible and adjustable from outside the shrink tunnel housing so that the operator or plant operator of the shrink tunnel does not have to reach into the shrink tunnel for the adjustment. It is therefore not necessary to wait for an adjustment until the shrink tunnel has cooled down accordingly in order to be able to work safely.

Furthermore, it is preferably provided that a suction device leading out of the interior space of the housing is connected to the shrink tunnel housing for suctioning off steam that is used and / or cooled after treatment of the containers and / or no longer required for treatment of the containers. The extraction of steam while production is running is also particularly important in order to avoid overheating of the shrink tunnel. According to one embodiment, the suction device is assigned at least one suction opening leading out from the housing interior of the shrink tunnel. This can be assigned, for example, a manually or motor-operated and / or remotely controllable shut-off valve or a manually or motor-operated and / or remotely controllable shut-off valve with a variable valve opening cross-section in order to be able to control the discharge of condensate in a targeted manner. The suction device can in particular be assigned a suction fan or several suction fans whose suction volume flow can preferably be variably controlled in order to be able to influence and control the heat output from the shrink tunnel as required.

A further aspect is a lighting device that illuminates the interior of the shrink tunnel at least in sections and / or with variable or adjustable illuminance Light emitting diodes or other light sources formed. The lighting device is preferably arranged in an upper area of the shrink tunnel housing, in particular in an area above the containers conveyed through the shrink tunnel, and preferably extends through the entire length of the shrink tunnel. An LED strip, for example, is arranged within such a transparent line. This is a flexible printed circuit board that is equipped with surface-mounted light-emitting diodes and other components, which are usually provided with an adhesive backing.

In particular, in such LED strips a plurality of LEDs (light emitting diodes) are arranged in a row one behind the other, which can mean in particular an arrangement parallel to the transport direction leading through the shrink tunnel. The lighting means and the associated electrics, in particular cables, etc., are protected from the steam by the arrangement of the lighting means within the profile. The profile is made of a suitable material that withstands high humidity, especially in connection with high temperatures, for example polycarbonate or the like of steam from the inside of the housing of the shrink tunnel. The connection to the suction takes place in such a way that ambient air is sucked in to cool the lighting means of the lighting device.

Due to the application of steam to the containers provided with equipment elements, condensate can form on the containers, which can interfere with the further processing of the containers within the container treatment device and / or container treatment machine. For this reason, it can be provided that the shrink tunnel housing is assigned a blower device which acts on the housing interior and / or the containers conveyed therein at least in sections with blown air and / or drying air.

Alternatively and / or additionally, the shrink tunnel housing can be assigned a heating and / or drying device which acts on the housing interior and / or the containers conveyed therein at least in sections with electromagnetic radiation of an infrared wavelength range. In particular, the section of the shrink tunnel in which a fan or another heating and / or drying device is arranged is not connected to the steam distribution. The respective heating and / or drying device is in particular arranged at a height relative to the container at which condensate preferably forms and / or collects, for example at a height that corresponds to the position of the equipment elements on the container. In this case, too, it can be provided that at least two opposing heating and / or drying devices are provided, between which the containers are passed.

Analogous to the adjustment of the channels or steam bars, it can be provided that the position of the heating and / or drying devices can also be variably adjusted depending on the product, whereby the adjustment can preferably also be made from outside the housing interior of the shrink tunnel, for example by means of adjustment mechanisms as described in Connection with the adjustment of the channels or steam bars have been described. When using electromagnetic radiators (i.e. radiators that emit electromagnetic waves), care must be taken to choose a wavelength that does not damage the material of the container and equipment and, in particular, does not heat it too much or impair it in any other way. Electromagnetic radiators with a power of approx. 7.2 kW / m have proven to be particularly suitable for the purposes mentioned, since condensate adhering to the containers evaporates particularly well when infrared radiation with a wavelength of approx. 3 μm is used .

According to one embodiment, it is provided, as already described, that the housing interior of the shrink tunnel is divided into at least two shrink sections arranged one after the other in the transport direction, each with different steam temperature exposure. In particular, the housing interior is divided into at least one first shrinkage section and at least one second shrinkage section. In the first shrinkage section, the the respective outer sides of the container and / or the outer surface of the container are subjected to a pre-shrinking process.

In particular, the containers with the equipment elements are heated in the first shrinking section by applying steam to the interior of the housing of the shrink tunnel so that a chamber temperature between approximately 60 ° C and approximately 85 ° C is present or prevails in the interior of the housing of the first shrinking section. The containers are then subjected to final shrinkage in the at least one second shrinking section, the containers with the equipment elements being heated in the second shrinking section by applying steam to the interior of the housing of the shrink tunnel, so that a chamber temperature between approximately 85 ° C and about 105 ° C is present or prevails.

The different chamber temperatures are achieved, for example, in that the first shrinkage section is supplied with steam from the second shrinkage section via a feed line. This has a lower pressure than the steam that is introduced from the pressure station directly into the second shrinkage section. In addition, the steam conveyed on from the first shrinkage section into the second shrinkage section typically has a reduced temperature, since it has already given off part of its thermal energy to the container and to housing parts that have come into contact with the steam.

Furthermore, it can be provided that the containers inside the shrink tunnel or on the shrink tunnel then pass through a third shrinking section and / or drying section, where the containers together with the equipment elements located thereon are exposed to temperature-controlled blown air and / or electromagnetic radiation of an infrared wavelength range in order to remove condensate to remove on the containers and / or equipment elements.

It should be expressly mentioned at this point that all aspects and design variants that have been or will be explained in connection with the device according to the invention, equally relate to or can be partial aspects of the method according to the invention. If, therefore, at one point in the description or in the definition of claims for the device according to the invention, certain aspects and / or contexts and / or effects this applies equally to the method according to the invention. The same applies in reverse, so that all aspects and design variants which have been explained in connection with the method according to the invention or will be discussed in the following section equally relate to or can be partial aspects of the device according to the invention. If, therefore, at one point in the description or in the definition of claims for the method according to the invention, certain aspects and / or interrelationships and / or effects are mentioned, this applies equally to the device according to the invention.

The following remarks summarize some aspects of the invention, which has already been explained in different design variants, specify some aspects, but should not be seen as a contradiction to the explanations already given, but rather in synopsis, in case of doubt, possibly as more specific design variants and / or modifications. Thus, as already mentioned several times above, the method according to the invention for equipping containers with equipment elements can obey the sequence described below. A container treatment station which is suitable and equipped for preparing the containers for the subsequent implementation of the method according to the invention can in particular comprise an application module and a fixing module arranged downstream of the containers in a transport direction. The containers are preferably transported through the container treatment station in the transport direction via a suitable transport device, for example an endless conveyor or the like.

The containers are then fed to the fixing module at a defined distance on the transport device from the upstream application module. The containers are secured laterally against tilting or effectively prevented from tilting, in particular by means of guide struts or other suitable guide elements, and are thus guided through the fixing module. The guide struts are attached to or adjacent to the transport device, for example by means of clamp connections. In particular, it is provided that parallel guide struts, which limit the transport width of the transport device, can be advanced against one another depending on the size of the respective containers used or processed, in order to be able to adapt the transport width of the transport device to the respective products as required.

The containers have a bottom surface, a top and a container closure. Under the term of the container outer sides and / or Container outer jacket surfaces are to be understood in particular as the areas or sections between the bottom surface and the upper side which, in most container shapes, have a vertical extension. The application module is used to provide containers and to equip the provided containers with equipment elements on their respective outer sides of the container and / or outer surface of the container. The equipment elements so designated here are, for example, shrink sleeves, which are formed in particular by thin-walled sleeves and / or sleeves consisting of tubular film sections that are applied to the container or slipped over the container. For example, the shrink sleeves are preferably fed in from above and slipped over the container.

The shrink sleeves, which can form the equipment elements here, can be designed, for example, as so-called full sleeves, with a so-called full sleeve preferably extending from the lateral boundary of the bottom surface of the container at least largely to the lateral boundary of the top of the container and thus the lateral boundary Surrounds the outer sides of the container and / or the outer surface of the container completely and flush with the floor. Furthermore, the shrink sleeves can also be designed as a partial sleeve, the partial sleeve only partially surrounding the container in the finished product in the area of the lateral outer sides of the container and / or outer surface of the container and in particular not covering the container in a lower area and / or in an upper area. A partial sleeve can in particular be characterized by the fact that it surrounds the container circumferentially, but is not flush with the floor with the respective container.

The shrink tunnel through which the containers provided with the partial or full sleeves or with other equipment elements pass through, is used in particular to control the temperature of the containers provided with equipment elements on the respective outer sides of the container and / or outer surface of the container in order to shrink the equipment elements onto the container. The shrink tunnel comprises a shrink tunnel housing which surrounds a housing interior. Furthermore, there is at least one entry area for the containers and at least one exit area for the containers and at least one transport section running between the entry area and the exit area for conveying the containers through the shrink tunnel in a transport direction from the entry area to the exit area.

A shrink tunnel preferably consists of a plurality of shrink module units which are essentially of identical design. Provision can be made for the shrink module units to be provided in two different lengths so that different customer-specific desired shrink tunnel lengths can be put together simply by selecting appropriate shrink module units.

Under certain circumstances, it can be provided that a differently designed shrink module unit is arranged immediately in front of the exit area, which, for example, can include a drying device.

The shrink tunnel housing, in particular each shrink module unit, comprises at least one housing opening, via which access to components in the housing interior of the shrink tunnel is possible. The at least one housing opening of the shrink tunnel can be closed by a door or another suitable closure element, in particular for ongoing production operations, this door preferably being able to be opened upwards by means of gas pressure springs or the like. The doors can also be equipped with a viewing window to allow a view of the interior of the housing of the shrink tunnel during operation. In particular, the door of the last shrink module unit in the transport direction can be equipped with a viewing window in order to allow the user a simple visual check of the shrinking result.

At least in sections outside and / or inside the shrink tunnel housing, at least one feed line for feeding temperature-controlled or temperature-controlled steam into the housing interior of the shrink tunnel runs. The feed line is in fluidic connection with at least one steam distributor in the interior of the housing and / or is part of the same. Furthermore, in the interior of the housing with the at least one steam distributor and / or with the at least one supply line in fluid connection, steam outlets arranged in the interior of the housing are provided in order to circulate the interior of the housing and / or in particular those located on the transport section within the shrink tunnel housing and / or through the shrink tunnel housing to apply temperature-controlled or temperature-controlled steam to the transported container. The steam is preferably water steam, in particular wet steam. For certain applications, however, it may be necessary to use dry steam with a Use a liquid content of less than ten percent by weight of water. For certain applications it may also be necessary not to use pure water vapor, but rather another suitable vapor, which can be formed, for example, by a mixture of gaseous water with other mixture components.

It is provided here that at least some of the steam outlets are arranged in at least one variable and / or adjustable height level in relation to the containers transported within the shrink tunnel housing. Here, the height of the steam outlets can in particular be matched to an area of the container in which the respective equipment elements are located.

The steam distributor preferably comprises at least one distributor channel. This distribution channel is preferably assigned to an upper side of the shrink tunnel housing or arranged there. A pressure station for measuring and / or setting the necessary steam pressure can also be arranged in an upper area of the shrink tunnel. However, it is also possible to arrange a printing station in a lower area of the shrink tunnel.

With an adjusting wheel on the pressure station, the customer's usable pressure can be reduced to the required operating pressure. Furthermore, a manometer can be provided at the pressure station, in particular a digital manometer with feedback function, which sends a signal to a control device of the shrink tunnel when a predefined maximum pressure is exceeded, whereby an emergency stop can be triggered if necessary. In this context, it can be particularly useful to record in writing or in some other way the limit values that are sensible and / or determined through tests and / or through observation of previous process phases and make them accessible to other people. For this purpose, it can be useful, for example, to attach a note field outside the steam tunnel on which results and / or operating parameters are recorded. It is also possible to attach a notebook or similar note field, book, etc. outside the steam tunnel (this means, for example, an easily accessible outer wall) in which all kinds of parameters can be recorded, whereby the reproducibility of the results depends on the container or whose operating characteristics can be facilitated or guaranteed. According to the invention, it is provided that the steam pressure within the individual shrink module unit can be regulated individually and, if necessary, can also be switched off completely.

The steam bars functioning as channels are preferably each essentially a tubular profile with an angular cross-section, the free ends of the tubular profile being sealed vapor-tight on both sides via suitable cover plates or the like, for example welded to the tubular profile. The steam bar has a steam inlet opening via which the steam bar is connected to the at least one distributor channel and / or the at least one supply line and is thus in fluidic connection with this / this / these. Pointing into the interior of the shrink tunnel and in particular directed towards the transport device of the transport section for the containers, the steam bar comprises several steam outlets. These can be formed as bores within a side surface of the pipe profile directed towards the transport lane, or else they can be formed by special nozzles which are in fluidic connection with the interior of the steam bar delimited by the pipe profile.

Preferably, at least two steam bars are arranged within a shrink tunnel parallel and on both sides of the transport path for the containers in order to be able to apply steam evenly to them from two sides.

The arrangement of the distribution channel above the steam bars with the steam outlets prevents undesired accumulation of condensate in the distribution channel and / or the at least one feed line when the shrink tunnel is paused and cooled. Since the steam bars each form the lowest point, the condensate cannot accumulate in the distributor channel and / or the at least one feed line to the steam bar. Instead, the condensate can drain into the casing of the shrink tunnel. This housing trough is preferably equipped with a discharge line via which the condensate can be discharged from the shrink tunnel. This protects the components inside the housing from corrosion.

With a suitable choice of steam bars, less thermal energy is required for the shrinking process. Various parameters such as container size, its wall thickness, temperature of the liquid filled there, film thickness of the equipment elements or sleeves and possibly other container and / or product and / or equipment properties can influence the choice of these parameters. The diameter of the steam outlets, for example the bore diameter, and the length of the respective steam bar can be optimized for the respective product. The steam bars can optionally be adjusted via an external adjustment; by means of the external adjustment, the steam bars Adjust both vertically and horizontally via spindle mechanisms or other suitable adjustment means from outside the shrink tunnel. With two bearing points per steam bar, the steam bar can also be tilted and thus an inclined arrangement can be implemented.

Optionally, such an adjustment mechanism can comprise two horizontal frame elements on which a vertical adjustment mechanism can be arranged in order to realize a combined movement. The horizontal frame elements run, for example, on sliding bearings over two shafts. Two slide bearings are preferably provided for each frame element and shaft, so that the horizontal adjustment mechanism can comprise a total of eight slide bearings. The shafts can be connected to the shrink tunnel housing at their free ends. For example, the shafts each have threaded bores at their free ends, via which a screw connection on the shrink tunnel housing can take place.

The maximum travel path is preferably limited in a meaningful way. For this purpose, the horizontal adjustment mechanism has, for example, four adjusting rings, in particular two adjusting rings per shaft. The adjusting rings can be attached to the shafts, for example, by means of a set screw with a hexagon socket or similar. The implementation of an oppositely directed movement of both frame elements takes place via a threaded spindle with a right-hand thread and a left-hand thread. By turning a hand crank and thus the threaded spindle, there is a linear movement of the frame elements in the horizontal direction due to the threaded nuts arranged and fastened on the threaded spindle, which in turn are fastened to the frame elements. Since a first of the threaded nuts, which is assigned to a first frame element, is seated on the right-hand thread, and a second of the threaded nuts, which is assigned to a second frame element, is seated on the left-hand thread, the frame elements move towards or away from one another. By means of a revolution counter mounted on the threaded spindle, it is possible, in particular, to make reproducible settings of the horizontal adjustment mechanism. The transport track for the containers is located in the middle between the two frame elements.

A vertical adjustment of a vertical adjustment mechanism that can be operated from outside the shrink tunnel can, for example, consist of a housing and a hood which protect the built-in components and at the same time serve to move a lower sprocket. The hood is at the bottom by means of a spring, which is in a Frame element of the horizontal adjustment mechanism is inserted, fixed. In the upper area, the hood and the housing have devices for fastening fixing means, for example formed by suitably positioned and dimensioned bores, in each corresponding position. For example, a blind rivet nut, which is arranged on the housing, can be screwed onto a suitably dimensioned hexagon screw via the bores. At least one of the bores on the housing and / or on the hood can preferably be designed as an elongated hole in order to compensate for any tolerances. The housing also has at least one further device on the underside for fastening fixing means and can be screwed onto a respective frame element of the horizontal adjustment mechanism according to the same principle, for example with two blind rivet nuts and one hexagon screw each.

So that the blind rivet nuts cannot turn, they preferably have an external hexagon. The cutouts for these are adjusted accordingly. A slide rail for roller chains with fastening option is attached to the housing, which is also preferably fastened to the housing with hexagonal screws and corresponding nuts. A suitable slide rail is advantageously made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), as this material is very suitable for use in environments with steam up to 150 ° C. A roller chain can also be used instead of a slide rail. In particular, this is a commercially available roller chain, for example of the 08 B-1 type, in which drivers are attached to some of the outer links. The bracket for the respective steam bar can be attached to the drivers, for example by means of hexagonal screws and corresponding nuts. The chain of the slide rail or the roller chain is driven by the lower sprocket. This has a hub on both sides, which must be dimensioned in such a way that the housing together with the hood and the sprocket can be pushed in both directions over a shaft of the vertical adjustment mechanism in the case of horizontal adjustment.

So that the chain wheel can still be driven, a suitable shaft-hub connection can be used, for example. So that the chain wheel can be moved horizontally, the use of a sliding spring on the shaft of the vertical adjustment mechanism is provided. The sliding spring is fixed in the sliding spring and shaft, for example, by means of three set screws with hexagon socket and corresponding threads. The shaft is on plain bearings, which are attached to guide struts that extend the width limit the transport path and are screwed, for example, using suitably dimensioned hexagon screws or the like, stored. The roller chain of the slide rail or the roller chain is still guided over an upper sprocket. The upper sprocket is positioned on an axle via a plain bearing bush. The plain bearing bush is fixed on one side with a locking ring and on the other side with an adjusting ring. As the name suggests, the axis is a stationary part. The axis is ground square at one end so that it can be positioned vertically in an elongated hole in a non-rotating manner on the housing. The anti-rotation device is required because the axis is fixed to the housing via an internal thread in the axis using a screw or similar. It may be necessary to use a washer to reduce the surface pressure. The elongated hole in the housing, in which the axis can be repositioned vertically by loosening the screw or the like, is required in order to get the looseness from the roller chain of the slide rail or the looseness from the roller chain.

Suction by means of a suitably arranged and dimensioned suction channel may be necessary to prevent the shrink tunnel from heating up too much. In particular, saturated steam is discharged from the interior of the housing of the shrink tunnel via the optional suction channel. For this purpose, a suction fan is connected to the suction channel. A suction system provided by the customer can optionally be connected to the suction duct. For this purpose, a corresponding shut-off valve can be provided in the suction line. The suction channel preferably extends over the entire length of the shrink tunnel. The suction channel is preferably arranged in an upper region of the shrink tunnel, above the transport path for the containers and preferably within the shrink tunnel housing or directly on the shrink tunnel housing.

The suction strength is set, for example, by means of simple sheet metal flaps that can be manufactured and installed at low cost. These sheet metal flaps are preferably set manually. The sheet metal flaps can be opened or closed using a crank. In particular, a clockwise rotary movement of the crank leads to the opening of the sheet metal flap and a counterclockwise rotary movement to the closing of the sheet metal flap (or, alternatively, vice versa, if this is desired). The person skilled in the art, based on his specialist knowledge, is familiar with using flaps or valves that can be adjusted electronically and / or automatically for this purpose. In order to use the waste heat of the steam extracted from the shrink tunnel, a heat exchanger can be assigned to the extraction, for example.

Furthermore, a lighting device can be arranged within the shrink tunnel. If such a lighting device is available, a transparent and / or largely translucent profile, for example a pipe or the like, can be provided in an upper area of the shrink tunnel, in particular in an area which is located above the containers conveyed through the shrink tunnel. to arrange. The profile or tube preferably extends through the entire length of the shrink tunnel. A plurality of suitable lighting means is located within the profile. For example, an LED strip can be arranged within the profile. This is a flexible printed circuit board that is equipped with surface-mounted light-emitting diodes and other components that are usually provided with an adhesive backing. In particular, in such LED strips, a plurality of LEDs (light emitting diodes) are arranged in a row one behind the other. The lighting means and the associated electrics, in particular cables, etc., are protected from the steam by the arrangement within the profile. The profile is made of a suitable material that withstands high humidity in conjunction with high temperatures, for example polycarbonate or the like.

In order not to exceed the maximum temperature tolerance of the lighting means, in particular the LED strip, this can be connected, for example, to the suction device described or configured in some other way. The connection to the suction takes place in such a way that ambient air is sucked in to cool the lamps.

The optional upper cover of the shrink tunnel can in particular be designed in three parts, wherein an upper cover hood can be designed to be removable. For example, the cover, in particular the upper cover hood, is attached to the shrink tunnel housing via latching or clip connections, whereby the connection between the cover and the shrink tunnel housing can be easily released so that components in the housing interior of the shrink tunnel are now more easily accessible.

For an opening mechanism of the shrink tunnel, the shrink tunnel housing can comprise at least one housing opening, via which access to components in the housing interior is possible. The at least one housing opening of the shrink tunnel can, in particular for ongoing production operations, be closed by a closure element in the form of a door, a swivel flap or the like, this preferably by means of gas pressure springs or the like. can be opened upwards in a supportive manner. As a result, the space required for the container treatment station can be reduced. The doors can also be equipped with a viewing window to allow a view of the interior of the housing of the shrink tunnel during operation.

Furthermore, the shrink tunnel can comprise a drying device, which can optionally be equipped with a heating device or with a heating means. Due to the application of steam to the containers within the shrink tunnel to shrink the equipment elements onto the containers, there is usually condensate on the containers, especially in the area of the equipment elements when they leave the shrink tunnel. For this reason it can be provided that the containers provided with an equipment element then pass through a drying device directly in the transport direction to the shrink tunnel.

Alternatively, it can be provided that a corresponding drying module is formed within the shrink tunnel essentially directly in front of the exit area of the shrink tunnel. It is preferably provided here that the area of the drying module is preferably not connected to the steam distribution. Within the drying device or the drying module, the containers with the moistened equipment elements are dried, for example with the aid of a fan.

Alternatively or additionally, for example, infrared radiators can be used as heating and / or drying means. The fans and / or infrared radiators or other suitable heating and / or drying means are preferably arranged at a height relative to the container which corresponds to the height of the equipment elements on the container. Analogous to the setting of the steam bar, the position of the blower, infrared heater or the like can be set depending on the product, whereby the setting can preferably also be made from outside the interior of the housing of the shrink tunnel, for example by means of adjustment mechanisms, as described in connection with the adjustment of the steam bar are.

When using infrared heaters, care should be taken to choose a wavelength that does not damage the material of the container and equipment. Infrared radiators with a power of approx. 7.2 kW / m are particularly preferred. Condensate evaporates particularly well when using infrared radiation with a wavelength of approx. 3 µm.

To meet safety standards, an emergency stop button is preferably provided, by means of which production can be stopped immediately. In order to protect the operator from burns and the risk of crushing, the housing openings are monitored accordingly by sensors and hot components of the shrink tunnel are insulated in a suitable manner. To avoid bumps and cuts, the shrink tunnel is preferably designed without open, sharp-edged corners and edges and hoods or similar devices are provided which keep the operator at a distance. The shrink tunnel can be positioned on a frame to create a comfortable working height. Furthermore, it can be provided that for the transport of the shrink tunnel, cross struts are welded between the frame, which serve as a receptacle for forklift tines. Alternatively, it can be provided that eyelets are attached to the sides of the shrink tunnel housing.

Open contacts are isolated to reduce the risk of electric shock. In order to protect the components of the shrink tunnel from heat damage, the vapor pressure is reduced at a defined temperature.

In order to reduce the waste heat from the shrink tunnel, all necessary components, such as the shrink tunnel housing and fittings, are preferably insulated.

• Fig. 1 zeigt schematisch einen Verfahrensverlauf zum Ausstatten von Behältern mit Ausstattungselementen.
• Fig. 2 zeigt eine perspektivische Darstellung eines Schrumpftunnels.
• Fig. 3 zeigt die Dampfzuleitung in einen Schrumpftunnel.
• Fig. 4 zeigt einen Dampfbalken.
• Fig. 5 zeigt die Anordnung und Verstellung von Dampfbalken innerhalb eines Schrumpftunnels.
• Fig. 6 zeigt eine Ausführungsform eines horizontalen Verstellmechanismus.
• Fig. 7 zeigt eine Ausführungsform eines vertikalen Verstellmechanismus.
• Fig. 8A zeigt eine Gleitschiene.
• Fig. 8b zeigt eine Rollenkette.
• Fig. 9 zeigt eine Welle-Nabe-Verbindung.
• Fig. 10 zeigt die Ausbildung und Anordnung eines Absaugkanals.
• Figuren 11 und 12 zeigen Absperrklappen zur Regulierung der zuzuführenden Dampfmenge.
• Fig. 13 zeigt eine Ausführungsform einer Beleuchtung innerhalb des Schrumpftunnels.
• Fig. 14 zeigt eine Ausführungsform einer oberen Abdeckung des Schrumpftunnels.
• Fig. 15 zeigt eine Ausführungsform eines Verschlusselements einer Gehäuseöffnung des Schrumpftunnels.
• Fig. 16 zeigt eine Trocknungseinrichtung.
• Fig. 17 zeigt eine Ausführungsform eines Heizmittels einer Trocknungseinrichtung gemäß Fig. 16.
• Figuren 18 bis 20 zeigen jeweils Details einer weiteren Ausführungsform eines von außerhalb des Schrumpftunnels bedienbaren Verstellmechanismus für die Dampfbalken.

In the following, exemplary embodiments are intended to explain the invention and its advantages in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures. The proportions of the individual elements to one another in the figures do not always correspond to the real proportions, since some forms are simplified and other forms are shown enlarged in relation to other elements for better illustration.

• Fig. 1 shows schematically a process sequence for equipping containers with equipment elements.
• Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a shrink tunnel.
• Fig. 3 shows the steam supply in a shrink tunnel.
• Fig. 4 shows a steam bar.
• Fig. 5 shows the arrangement and adjustment of steam bars within a shrink tunnel.
• Fig. 6 shows an embodiment of a horizontal adjustment mechanism.
• Fig. 7 shows an embodiment of a vertical adjustment mechanism.
• Figure 8A shows a slide rail.
• Figure 8b shows a roller chain.
• Fig. 9 shows a shaft-hub connection.
• Fig. 10 shows the design and arrangement of a suction channel.
• Figures 11 and 12 show butterfly valves for regulating the amount of steam to be supplied.
• Fig. 13 shows an embodiment of lighting within the shrink tunnel.
• Fig. 14 Figure 3 shows an embodiment of a top cover of the shrink tunnel.
• Fig. 15 shows an embodiment of a closure element of a housing opening of the shrink tunnel.
• Fig. 16 shows a drying device.
• Fig. 17 shows an embodiment of a heating means of a drying device according to Fig. 16 .
• Figures 18 to 20 each show details of a further embodiment of an adjusting mechanism for the steam bars that can be operated from outside the shrink tunnel.

Identical reference symbols are used for identical or identically acting elements of the invention. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, only reference symbols are shown in the individual figures which are necessary for the description of the respective figure. The illustrated embodiments merely represent examples of how the device according to the invention or the method according to the invention can be designed and do not represent a final limitation.

The side view of the Fig. 1 shows schematically the course of the method for equipping containers 10 with equipment elements 11. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the container treatment station 1 comprises an application module 2 and a fixing module 3 arranged downstream of the containers 10 in a transport direction TR. The containers 10 are transported through the container treatment station 1 in the transport direction TR via a transport device 5, for example an endless conveyor or the like. The containers 10 are fed to the fixing module 3 at a defined distance on the transport device 5 from the upstream application module 2. The containers 10 are secured laterally against tilting by means of guide struts or other suitable guide elements and are thus guided through the fixing module 3. The guide struts are fastened to or adjacent to the transport device 5, for example via clamp connections. In particular, it is provided that parallel guide struts 103 delimiting the transport width of the transport device 5 (see also FIG Fig. 9 ) depending on the size of the container 10 used in each case can be advanced against one another in order to adapt the transport width of the transport device 5 accordingly to the respective products.

The containers 10 have a bottom surface 40, a top 41 and a container closure 42. The designation of the outer sides of the container and / or the outer surface of the container 45 is to be understood as meaning, in particular, the areas between the bottom surface 40 and the upper side 41. The application module 2 is used to provide containers 10 and to equip the provided containers 10 on their respective outer sides of the container and / or outer surface 45 of the container with equipment elements 11 that are applied to the container 10 or slipped over the container 10. For example, the shrink sleeves 12 are preferably fed in from above and slipped over the container 10.

The shrink sleeves 12 can be designed as so-called full sleeves (not shown), a so-called full sleeve preferably extending from the lateral boundary of the bottom surface 40 of the container 10 at least largely to the lateral boundary of the top 41 of the container 10 and thus the lateral container outsides and / or surrounds the outer surface of the container 45 of the container 10 over the entire circumference and flush with the floor. Furthermore, the shrink sleeves 12 can also be designed as a partial sleeve 13, the partial sleeve 13 only partially surrounding the container 10 in the finished product 15 in the area of the lateral container outer sides and / or container outer jacket surfaces 45 and in particular the container 10 in one does not cover the lower area 16 and / or in an upper area 17, in particular wherein a partial sleeve 13 is not flush with the floor with the respective container 10.

the Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a fixing module 3 designed as a shrink tunnel 4, and Fig. 3 shows a steam feed line into the shrink tunnel 4. For this purpose, in Fig. 3 an upper cover 30 or cover hood 31 of the shrink tunnel 4 is removed. The shrink tunnel 4 is used in particular to control the temperature of the containers 10, which are provided with equipment elements 11 on the respective outer sides of the container and / or outer container surfaces 45, for shrinking the equipment elements 11 onto the containers (see FIG Fig. 1 ). The shrink tunnel 4 comprises a shrink tunnel housing 20 which surrounds a housing interior. Furthermore, there is at least one entry area 24 for the containers 10 and at least one exit area 25 for the containers 10 and at least one transport section 26 running between the entry area 24 and the exit area 25 for conveying the containers 10 through the shrink tunnel 4 in one from the entry area 24 to the exit area 25 directed transport direction TR available.

A shrink tunnel 4 preferably consists of a plurality of shrink module units 4 * which are essentially of identical design. Provision can be made for the shrink module units 4 * to be provided in two different lengths so that customer-specific different desired shrink tunnel lengths can be put together simply by selecting appropriate shrink module units 4 *.

Under certain circumstances, provision can be made for a differently designed shrink module unit 4 ** to be arranged immediately in front of the outlet region 25, which, for example, has a drying device according to FIG Fig. 16 or similar.

The shrink tunnel housing 20, in particular each shrink module unit 4 *, 4 **, comprises at least one housing opening 145, via which access to components in the housing interior of the shrink tunnel 4 is possible. The at least one housing opening 145 of the shrink tunnel 4 can be closed, in particular for ongoing production, by a door 141 or another suitable closure element, which can preferably be opened upwards by means of gas pressure springs or the like. The doors 141 can also be equipped with a viewing window 143 (cf. Fig. 3 ) be equipped to provide a To allow insight into the housing interior 22 of the shrink tunnel 4 (cf. Fig. 10 ). In particular, the door 141 of the last shrink module unit 4 *, 4 ** in the transport direction TR can be equipped with a viewing window 143 in order to allow the user a simple visual check of the shrinking result.

At least in sections outside and / or inside the shrink tunnel housing 20 runs at least one feed line 50 for feeding temperature-controlled steam into the housing interior 22. The feed line 50 is in fluidic connection with at least one steam distributor in the housing interior 22 and / or is part of the same. Furthermore, in the housing interior 22 with the at least one steam distributor in fluid communication, steam outlets arranged in the housing interior are provided in order to convey the housing interior and / or in particular the containers 10 located within the shrink tunnel housing 20 and / or conveyed through the shrink tunnel housing 20 on the transport section 7 to apply tempered or tempered steam. The steam is preferably water steam, in particular wet steam. For certain applications, however, it may be necessary to use dry steam with a liquid content of less than ten percent by weight water. For certain applications it may also be necessary that no pure steam is used, but another suitable steam, which can be formed, for example, by a mixture of gaseous water with other mixture components.

It is provided here that at least some of the steam outlets are arranged in at least one variable and / or adjustable height level with respect to the containers transported within the shrink tunnel housing. Here, the height of the steam outlets can in particular be matched to an area of the container 10 in which the respective equipment elements 11 are located.

The steam distributor preferably comprises a distributor channel 52. This is preferred - as in particular in FIG Fig. 3 clearly recognizable - assigned to an upper side of the shrink tunnel housing 20 or arranged there. A pressure station for measuring and / or setting the necessary steam pressure can also be arranged in an upper region of the shrink tunnel 4. However, the arrangement of a printing station in a lower area of the shrink tunnel 4 is also possible. With an adjusting wheel on the pressure station, the customer's usable pressure can be reduced to the required operating pressure. Furthermore, a Manometer can be provided, in particular a digital manometer with a feedback function that, when a predefined maximum pressure is exceeded, sends a signal to a control device of the shrink tunnel, whereby an emergency stop can be triggered if necessary. In this context, it can be particularly useful to record in writing or in some other way the limit values that are sensible and / or determined through tests and / or through observation of previous process phases and make them accessible to other people. For this purpose, it can be useful, for example, to attach a note field outside the steam tunnel on which results and / or operating parameters are recorded. It is also possible to attach a notebook or similar note field, book, etc. outside the steam tunnel (this means, for example, an easily accessible outer wall) in which all kinds of parameters can be recorded, whereby the reproducibility of the results depends on the container or whose operating characteristics can be facilitated or guaranteed. According to the invention, it is provided that the steam pressure within the individual shrink module unit 4 * can be regulated individually and, if necessary, can also be switched off completely.

The perspective view of the Fig. 4 illustrates by way of example the arrangement of steam outlets 56 on a so-called steam bar 55, and Fig. 5 shows the arrangement and adjustment of steam bars 55 within a shrink tunnel 4. The steam bars 55 are essentially each a tubular profile 57 with an angular cross-section, the free ends of the tubular profile 57 on both sides via suitable cover plates 58 or the like are welded, for example, to the tubular profile 57, are closed in a vapor-tight manner. The steam bar 55 has a steam inlet opening 59, via which the steam bar 55 is connected to the at least one distributor channel 52 and / or the at least one supply line 50 and is thus in fluidic connection with this / these. Pointing into the interior of the shrink tunnel and in particular directed towards the transport device 5 of the transport section 7 for the containers (not shown), the steam bar 55 comprises steam outlets 56. These can be designed as bores within a side surface of the tubular profile 57 directed towards the transport lane, or else are formed by special nozzles (not shown) which are in fluidic connection with the interior space of the steam bar 55, which is delimited by the tubular profile 57.

Preferably, within a shrink tunnel 4, at least two steam bars 55 are arranged parallel and on both sides of the transport path for the containers in order to be able to apply steam evenly to them from two sides.

The particular in Fig. 3 The arrangement of the distribution channel 52 above the steam bar 55 with the steam outlets 56 prevents an undesired accumulation of condensate in the distribution channel 52 and / or the at least one supply line 50 when the shrink tunnel 4 is paused and cooled down the condensate does not accumulate in the distributor channel 52 and / or the at least one feed line 50 to the steam bar 55. Instead, the condensate can drain into the housing pan of the shrink tunnel 4. This is preferably equipped with a discharge line (not shown), via which the condensate can be discharged from the shrink tunnel 4. As a result, the components in the housing interior 22 are protected from corrosion.

A suitable choice of the steam bars 55 means that less thermal energy is required for the shrinking process. Various parameters such as container size, its wall thickness, temperature of the liquid filled there, film thickness of the equipment elements or sleeves and possibly other container and / or product and / or equipment properties can influence the choice of these parameters. The diameter of the steam outlets 56, for example the bore diameter, and the length of the respective steam bar 55 can be optimally matched to the respective product. The steam bars 55 can optionally be adjusted via an external adjustment, which is particularly in the Figures 5 to 8 is shown. By means of the external adjustment, the steam bars 55 can be adjusted both vertically and horizontally via spindle mechanisms or other suitable adjustment means from outside the shrink tunnel 4. By means of two bearing points 60-1, 60-2 per steam bar 55, the steam bar 55 can also be tilted and thus an inclined arrangement can be implemented.

the Figures 6 to 9 each show details of various adjustment mechanisms for setting the steam bars 55, in particular for setting the steam bars 55 as a function of the product Fig. 6 in particular one embodiment of a horizontal adjustment mechanism 70 which can be operated from outside the shrink tunnel 4. The embodiment is shown in such a way that the underside of the adjustment mechanism 70 points upwards in order to be able to show the mechanics better. The adjustment mechanism 70 comprises two horizontal frame elements 71 on which the vertical adjustment mechanism 90 described below can be arranged in order to realize a combined movement. The horizontal frame elements 71 run over two slide bearings 72 Shafts 73, 74. Two slide bearings 72 are preferably provided for each frame element 71 and shaft 73, 74, so that the horizontal adjustment mechanism 70 comprises a total of eight slide bearings 72. The free ends of the shafts 73, 74 can be connected to the shrink tunnel housing 20 (cf. Fig. 2 ) get connected. For example, the shafts 73, 74 each have threaded bores 75 at their free ends, via which a screw connection on the shrink tunnel housing 20 (cf. Fig. 2 ) can be done.

The maximum travel is preferably limited. For this purpose, the horizontal adjustment mechanism 70 has, for example, four adjusting rings 76, in particular two adjusting rings 76 per shaft 73, 74. The adjusting rings 76 can be fastened to the shafts 73, 74, for example, by means of a set screw with a hexagon socket or the like. The implementation of an oppositely directed movement of the two frame elements 71 takes place via a threaded spindle 77 with a right-hand thread 78 and a left-hand thread 79 the frame members 71 are attached, a linear movement of the frame members 71 in the horizontal direction. Since a first of the threaded nuts 81-1, which is assigned to a first frame element 71-1, sits on the right-hand thread 78 and a second of the threaded nuts 81-2, which is assigned to a second frame element 71-2, sits on the left-hand thread 79, move the frame elements 71, 71-1, 71-2 towards one another or away from one another. By means of a revolution counter 82 mounted on the threaded spindle 77, it is possible, in particular, to make reproducible settings of the horizontal adjustment mechanism 70. The transport path (not shown) for the containers is located centrally between the two frame elements 71, 71-1, 71-2.

The perspective detailed view of the Fig. 7 shows in particular an embodiment of a vertical adjustment mechanism 90 which can be operated from outside the shrink tunnel 4. The vertical adjustment consists of a housing 91 and a hood 92, which protect the installed components and at the same time serve to move a lower chain wheel 93. The hood 92 is fixed at the bottom by means of a spring which is inserted into a frame element 71 of the horizontal adjustment mechanism 70 (cf. Fig. 9 ). In the upper area, the hood 92 and the housing 91 have devices 94, 95 for fastening fixing means, for example bores 96, at a corresponding position be screwed. At least one of the bores 96 on the housing 91 and / or on the hood 92 can preferably be designed as an elongated hole in order to compensate for any tolerances. The housing 91 also has at least one further device 97 on the underside for fastening fixing means and can be screwed onto a respective frame element 71 of the horizontal adjustment mechanism 70 according to the same principle, for example with two blind rivet nuts and one M6 hexagon screw each.

So that the blind rivet nuts cannot turn, they preferably have an external hexagon. The cutouts for these are adjusted accordingly. A slide rail 98 for roller chains with fastening option is attached to the housing 91, which is also preferably fastened to the housing 91 with hexagonal screws and corresponding nuts. A suitable slide rail 98 is shown in FIG Figure 8A shown and is advantageously made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), as this material is very well suited for use in environments with steam up to 150 ° C. Instead of a slide rail 98, an in Figure 8B roller chain 99 shown by way of example can be used. In particular, it is a commercially available roller chain 99, for example of the type 08 B-1, in which drivers 100 are attached to some of the outer links. The holder for the respective steam bar 55 (cf. Figures 4 and 5 ) can be attached, for example, by means of M4 hexagonal screws and corresponding nuts. The chain of the slide rail 98 or the roller chain 99 is driven via the lower sprocket 93. This has a hub on both sides, which must be dimensioned in such a way that the housing 91, together with the hood 92, the chain wheel 93 can be pushed in both directions over a shaft 101 of the vertical adjustment mechanism 90 during horizontal adjustment.

So that the chain wheel 93 can still be driven, for example a shaft-hub connection can be used (not shown). So that the sprocket 93 can be moved horizontally, the use of a sliding spring is provided on the shaft of the vertical adjustment mechanism. The sliding spring is fixed in the sliding spring and shaft 101, for example, by means of three set screws with hexagon socket and corresponding threads. The shaft 101 is supported by sliding bearings which are screwed to guide struts which limit the width of the transport path, for example by means of M4 hexagon screws or the like. The roller chain of the slide rail 98 according to Figure 8A or the roller chain 99 according to Figure 8B is still about an upper one Chain sprocket 110 out. The upper sprocket 110 is positioned on an axle 107 via a plain bearing bush 111. The plain bearing bush 111 is fixed on one side by a locking ring and on the other side by an adjusting ring. The axis 107 is, as the name suggests, a stationary part. The axis 107 is ground square at one end so that it can be positioned vertically in an elongated hole on the housing 91 so that it cannot rotate. The anti-twist device is required because the axle 107 is fixed to the housing 91 via an internal thread in the axle 107 by means of a screw or the like. It may be necessary to use a washer to reduce the surface pressure. The elongated hole in the housing 91, in which the axis 107 can be repositioned vertically by loosening the screw or the like, is required in order to get the looseness from the roller chain of the slide rail 98 or the looseness from the roller chain 99.

The perspective view of the Fig. 10 shows the design and arrangement of a suction channel 120. Suction is necessary to prevent the shrink tunnel 4 from heating up too much. In particular, saturated steam is discharged from the housing interior 22 of the shrink tunnel 4 via the suction channel 120. For this purpose, a suction fan 122 is connected to the suction channel 120. A suction system provided by the customer can optionally be connected to the suction duct 120. For this purpose, a corresponding shut-off valve can be provided in the suction line. The suction channel 120 preferably extends over the entire length of the shrink tunnel 4. The suction channel 120 is preferably arranged in an upper area of the shrink tunnel 4, above the transport path for the containers 10 and preferably within the shrink tunnel housing 20 or directly on the shrink tunnel housing 20. The suction strength is set by means of simple sheet-metal flaps 124, which can be manufactured and installed at low cost, as shown in FIG Figures 11 and 12 are shown. The sheet metal flaps 124 are preferably adjusted manually. The sheet metal flaps 124 can be opened or closed using a crank 125. In particular, a clockwise rotation of the crank 125 leads to the opening of the sheet metal flap 125 and a counterclockwise rotation to the closing of the sheet metal flap 125. To use the waste heat of the steam extracted from the shrink tunnel 4, a heat exchanger can be assigned to the extraction, for example.

The perspective detailed view of the Fig. 13 shows an embodiment of a lighting device 130 within the shrink tunnel 4. Here, a transparent and / or largely translucent profile 132 is provided in an upper area of the shrink tunnel 4, in particular in an area above the container 10 conveyed through the shrink tunnel 4 , for example, to arrange a pipe 133 or the like. The profile 132 preferably extends through the entire length of the shrink tunnel 4. A plurality of suitable lighting means 134 are located within the profile 132, for example an LED strip 135 is arranged within the profile 132. This is a flexible printed circuit board that is equipped with surface-mounted light-emitting diodes and other components that are usually provided with an adhesive backing. In particular, in such LED strips 135, a plurality of LEDs (light emitting diodes) are arranged in a row one behind the other. The lighting means 134 and the associated electrical system, in particular lines, etc., are protected from the steam by the arrangement within the profile 132. The profile is made of a suitable material that withstands high humidity in conjunction with high temperatures, for example polycarbonate or the like.

In order not to exceed the maximum temperature tolerance of the lighting means 134, in particular of the LED strip 135, this can, for example, be sent to the in connection with Fig. 10 described or otherwise configured suction can be connected. The connection to the suction takes place in such a way that ambient air is sucked in to cool the lighting means 134.

The detailed representation of the Fig. 14 shows an embodiment of an upper cover 30 of the shrink tunnel 4. In particular, it is provided that it is designed in three parts, with an upper cover hood 31 being designed to be removable. For example, the cover 30, in particular the upper cover hood 31, is fastened to the shrink tunnel housing 20 via latching or clip connections, whereby the connection between the cover 30 and the shrink tunnel housing 20 can be easily released so that components in the housing interior of the shrink tunnel 4 are now more easily accessible .

The detailed representation of the Fig. 15 shows an embodiment of an opening mechanism 140 of the shrink tunnel 4. The shrink tunnel housing 20 comprises at least one housing opening 145, via which access to components in the housing interior 22 is possible. The at least one housing opening 145 of the shrink tunnel 4 can, in particular for ongoing production operations, through a Closure element in the form of a door 141, a swivel flap or the like can be closed, which can preferably be opened upwards with support by means of gas pressure springs 142 or the like. As a result, the required installation area for the container treatment station 1 can be reduced. As in particular in the Figures 2 and 3 As can be seen, the doors 141 can additionally be equipped with a viewing window 143 in order to allow a view into the housing interior 22 of the shrink tunnel 4 even during operation.

The perspective view of the Fig. 16 FIG. 14 shows an embodiment of a drying device 150, and FIG Fig. 17 shows an embodiment of a heating means of a drying device 150 according to FIG Fig. 16 . Due to the application of steam to the container 10 within the shrink tunnel to shrink the equipment elements 11 onto the container 10, there is usually condensate on the containers 10, especially in the area of the equipment elements 11 when they leave the shrink tunnel. For this reason, it can be provided that the containers 10 provided with an equipment element 11 then pass through a drying device 150 directly in the transport direction TR to the shrink tunnel. Alternatively, it can be provided that essentially directly in front of the exit area 25 of the shrink tunnel 4 (cf. Figures 1 and 2 ) a corresponding drying module 151 is formed within the shrink tunnel 4. It is preferably provided here that the area of the drying module 151 is preferably not connected to the steam distribution. Within the drying device 150 or the drying module 151, the containers 10 with the moistened equipment elements 11 are dried, for example with the aid of a fan 152.

Alternatively and / or additionally, for example, infrared radiators 153 can be used as heating and / or drying means, as for example in FIG Fig. 17 shown. The fans 152 and / or infrared radiators 153 or other suitable heating and / or drying means are preferably arranged at a height relative to the container 10 which corresponds to the height of the equipment elements 11 on the container 10. Analogously to the setting of the steam bar 55, the position of the blower 152, infrared radiator 153 or the like can be set depending on the product, the setting preferably also being able to be made from outside the housing interior 22 of the shrink tunnel 4, for example by means of adjusting mechanisms as described in connection with the Adjustment of the steam bar 55 have been described. When using infrared emitters 153, care must be taken to choose a wavelength that suits the material the container 10 and equipment elements 11 are not damaged. Infrared radiators with a power of approx. 7.2 kW / m are particularly preferred. Condensate evaporates particularly well when using infrared radiation with a wavelength of approx. 3 µm.

the Figures 18 to 20 each show details of a further embodiment of an adjusting mechanism 160 for the steam bars 55 that can be operated from outside the shrink tunnel 4 Fig. 18 in particular the connection between the horizontal and the vertical adjustment mechanism. The adjustment mechanism 160 comprises trapezoidal spindles 161, pins 162 and slide bearings 163 for the vertical adjustment. The horizontal adjustment takes place essentially analogously to the variant of FIG Fig. 6 by means of frame elements 71 guided by shafts 73, 74. The connection between horizontal adjustment and vertical adjustment is via bevel gears 164, a first bevel gear 164-1 being the trapezoidal spindles 161 of the vertical adjusting mechanism and a second bevel gear 164-2 of a shaft 73, 74 of the horizontal Adjusting mechanism is assigned. The position of the bevel gears 164 is determined in particular by feather keys 165 and a locking ring 166.

The perspective detailed representation of the Fig. 19 shows the fastening of the steam bar 55 by means of a steam bar holder 170 to the trapezoidal spindle 161 of the vertical adjustment mechanism via trapezoidal spindle nuts 168. The fastening of the steam bar holder 170 of the upper trapezoidal spindle nut 168 can, for example, be a floating bearing according to FIG Fig. 20 and fixed bearings on the other side of the steam bar 55 can be implemented. With a floating bearing according to Fig. 20 In particular, a flange bearing 171 is provided. The fastening to the trapezoidal spindle nut 168 takes place in particular via a holding plate 173 by means of blind rivet nuts 172 or other suitable fastening means.

Due to safety standards, an emergency stop button is provided by means of which production can be stopped immediately. In order to protect the operator from burns and the risk of crushing, the housing openings 145 are monitored accordingly by sensors and hot components of the shrink tunnel 4 are insulated in a suitable manner. To avoid bumps and cuts, the shrink tunnel 4 is preferably designed without open, sharp-edged corners and edges and hoods or similar devices are provided which keep the operator at a distance. In order to create a comfortable working height, the shrink tunnel 4 can be positioned on a frame. Furthermore, it can be provided that for the transport of the shrink tunnel 4 cross struts between the frame are welded, which serve as a receptacle for forklift tines. Alternatively, it can be provided that 20 eyelets are attached to the sides of the shrink tunnel housing.

Open contacts are isolated to reduce the risk of electric shock. In order to protect the components of the shrink tunnel 4 from heat damage, the vapor pressure is reduced at a defined temperature.

In order to reduce the waste heat from the shrink tunnel 4, all necessary components, such as the shrink tunnel housing 20 and fittings, are preferably insulated.

List of reference symbols

1

Container treatment station

2

Application module

3

Fixing module

4th

Shrink tunnel

4 *, 4 **

Shrink module unit

5

Transport device

7th

Transport section

10

container

11

Equipment elements

12th

Shrink sleeve

13th

Partial sleeve

15th

finished product

16

lower area

17th

upper area

20th

Shrink tunnel housing

22nd

Housing interior

24

Entry area

25th

Exit area

26th

Transport section

30th

top cover

31

Cover hood

40

Floor area

41

Top

42

Container closure

45

Container outside and / or container outer jacket surface

50

Supply line

52

Distribution channel

55

Steam bar

56

Steam outlet, steam outlets

57

Tubular profile

58

Cover plate

59

Steam inlet opening

60-1, 60-2

Bearing point, bearing points

70

horizontal adjustment mechanism

71, 71-1, 71-2

horizontal frame element

72

bearings

73

wave

74

wave

75

Threaded hole

76

Adjusting ring

77

Threaded spindle

78

Right-hand thread

79

Left-hand thread

80

Hand crank

81, 81-1, 81-2

Threaded nut

82

Revolution counter

90

vertical adjustment mechanism

91

casing

92

Hood

93

lower sprocket

94

Device for attaching fixation means

95

Device for attaching fixation means

96

drilling

97

Device for attaching fixation means

98

Slide rail

99

Roller chain

100

Carrier

101

wave

107

axis

110

upper sprocket

111

Plain bearing bush

120

Suction duct

122

Exhaust fan

124

Sheet metal cap

125

crank

130

Lighting device

132

profile

133

pipe

134

Bulbs

135

LED strips

140

Opening mechanism

141

door

142

Gas spring

143

Viewing window

145

Housing opening

150

Drying device

151

Drying module

152

fan

153

Infrared heater

160

Adjustment mechanism

161

Trapezoidal spindle

162

Cones

163

bearings

164, 164-1, 164-2

Bevel gear

165

Adjusting spring

166

Circlip

168

Trapezoidal spindle nut

170

Steam bar holder

171

Flange bearing

172

Blind rivet nut

173

Retaining plate

TR

Transport direction

Claims (15)

1. A container treatment station (1), which is, in particular, a component of a container treatment device or forms a partial section of such a container treatment device, and which comprises a shrink tunnel (4) used for the temperature regulation of containers (10), which are in each instance provided with equipment elements (11) applied onto the particular container outer cover surfaces (45), the container treatment station (1) comprising at least:

   - a shrink tunnel housing (20) with at least a housing interior (22) and an entry area (24) for containers (10), with at least an exit area (25) for the containers (10), as well as with at least one transport section (26) extending between entry area (24) and exit area (25) and inside the housing interior (22), said transport section (26) being used for the conveying of containers (10) in a transport direction (TR) directed from the entry area (24) to the exit area (25), said containers intended to be treated inside the shrink tunnel housing (20),

   - wherein the shrink tunnel (4) consists of at least two interconnectable shrink module units (4*, 4**),

   - at least one feed line (50) for the infeed of temperature-regulated steam into the housing interior (22), said feed line (50) extending at least in some sections outside and/or inside the shrink tunnel housing (20), which feed line (50) is in fluidic communication with at least one steam distributor (52),

   - steam outlets (56) for the application of temperature-regulated steam to the housing interior (22) and/or to the containers (10) located inside the shrink tunnel housing (20) and/or being conveyed through the shrink tunnel housing (20) on the transport section (26), said steam outlets (56) being arranged in the housing interior (22) in fluidic communication with the at least one steam distributor (52),

   wherein at least some of the steam outlets (56) are arranged on at least one height level that is variable and/or adjustable in relation to the containers (10) being transported inside the shrink tunnel housing (20), and wherein the height level is adapted to an area of the containers (10) in which area the particular equipment elements (11) are located,

   and wherein the at least one steam distributor (52) in fluidic connection with the at least one feed line (50) and/or with the steam outlets (56) arranged in the housing interior (22) is arranged at an upper side of the shrink tunnel housing (20),

   - wherein the steam pressure within the individual shrink module units (4*, 4**) is in each instance individually regulable, and

   - wherein the steam pressure within the individual shrink module units (4*, 4**) can be shut off completely, as required.
2. The container treatment station (1) according to claim 1, in which the at least one steam distributor (52) has at least one distribution channel extending or arranged on an upper side of the shrink tunnel housing (20) or in which the at least one steam distributor (52) is formed by such a distribution channel.
3. The container treatment station (1) according to claim 1 or 2, in which the at least one steam distributor (52) is equipped with controllable valves and/or shut-off devices for the variable steam application to at least some of the steam outlets (56), in particular, wherein the valves and/or shut-off devices are actuable together or separately and/or are influenceable in their different opening states by means of at least one control device arranged remote from the valves and/or shut-off devices.
4. The container treatment station (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 3, in which at least some of the steam outlets (56) arranged inside the shrink tunnel housing (20) are formed by nozzles or by boreholes on one side of a channel or of a steam bar (55) that is equipped with a plurality of adjacently arranged nozzles or boreholes of the same type.
5. The container treatment station (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 4, in which at least some of the steam outlets (56) within the housing interior (22) are designed to be adjustable, in particular, by means of an adjustably designed channel or steam bar (55), in particular, wherein adjustment elements are assigned to the in each instance adjustable steam outlets (56), which adjustment elements are manually operable or motor-operable and/or actuable by means of actuation devices and/or adjustment elements that are drivable and/or accessible from outside of the shrink tunnel housing (20), in particular, wherein the adjustment elements have spindle drives for the in each instance adjustable steam outlets (56), with the spindle drives being adjustable by means of motor or manual actuation, or wherein the adjustment elements are formed by such spindle drives.
6. The container treatment station (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 5, in which an evacuation device that leads out of the housing interior (22) is connected to the shrink tunnel housing (20) for the evacuation of waste steam and/or of steam that has cooled after the treatment of the containers (10) and/or of steam that is no longer required for the treatment of the containers (10), in particular, wherein at least one evacuation opening that leads out of the housing interior (22) is assigned to the evacuation device, with a manually actuable or motor-actuable and/or remote-controllable shut-off flap or a manually actuable or motor-actuable and/or remote-controllable shut-off valve with a variable valve opening cross section being assigned to the at least one evacuation opening.
7. The container treatment station (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 6, in which the shrink tunnel housing (20) is equipped with at least one closing element (141) that makes the housing interior (22) accessible from outside, in particular, wherein the closing element (141), which in a closed and/or locked position covers an in particular rectangular housing opening (145), is swivelled in particular upward in an opened position, wherein an in particular horizontal swivel axis is located on or near a top horizontal longitudinal side or longitudinal edge of the housing opening (145).
8. The container treatment station (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 7, in which an illumination device (130), which illuminates the housing interior (22) at least in some sections and/or with a variable or, as applicable, with an adjustable illumination intensity, is assigned to the shrink tunnel housing (20), in particular, wherein the illumination device (130) comprises at least one transparent and/or largely light-transmissive profile with light emitting diodes or other lighting means accommodated therein, with said profile being laid inside the shrink tunnel housing (20).
9. The container treatment station (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 8, in which an air blower device (152), which applies blow air and/or drying air at least in some sections to the housing interior (22) and/or onto the containers (10) being conveyed therein, is assigned to the shrink tunnel housing (20).
10. The container treatment station (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 9, in which a heating device and/or drying device (153), which applies electromagnetic radiation of an infrared wavelength range at least in some sections to the housing interior (22) and/or onto the containers (10) being conveyed therein, is assigned to the shrink tunnel housing (20).
11. The container treatment station (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 10, in which the shrink tunnel housing (20) is formed by at least two housing parts abutting on each other in transport direction (TR) or immediately following each other in transport direction (TR), in particular, formed by at least two housing modules (4*) that are interconnectable or separable from each other, said at least two housing modules being of the same size and/or length or of different sizes and/or lengths, in particular, wherein each of the at least two housing modules (4*) is in each instance equipped with a closing element (141).
12. A method used for the treatment and for the temperature regulation of containers (10) inside a shrink tunnel (4), which consists of at least two interconnectable shrink module units (4*, 4**), in particular, inside a container treatment device and/or container treatment machine, wherein the method comprises at least the following method steps:

    - supplying of containers (10), which are in each instance provided with equipment elements (11) applied onto the particular container outer cover surfaces (45),

    - placing of the containers (10) with the equipment elements (11) applied thereon into a housing interior (22) inside a shrink tunnel housing (20) of the shrink tunnel (4) and conveying of the containers (10) in a transport direction (TR) through the housing interior (22),

    - applying of temperature-regulated steam, which has been fed into the housing interior (22), to the housing interior (22) and/or onto the containers (10) being conveyed therethrough,

    wherein the temperature-regulated steam is emitted through steam outlets (56) arranged in the housing interior (22), said steam outlets (56) in each instance being in fluidic communication with a steam distributor (52) arranged on an upper side of the shrink tunnel housing (20),

    and wherein at least some of the steam outlets (56) are arranged at at least one height level that is variably adjustable in relation to a position of the containers (10) being in each instance transported through the shrink tunnel housing (20), and wherein the height level is adapted to an area of the containers (10) in which area the particular equipment elements (11) are located,

    - wherein the steam pressure within the individual shrink module units (4*, 4**) is in each instance individually regulated, and

    - wherein the steam pressure within the individual shrink module units (4*, 4**) is shut off completely, as required.
13. The method according to claim 12, in which the housing interior (22) is subdivided into at least two shrink sections with in each instance different or in each instance differently adjustable chamber temperatures, said shrink sections being arranged consecutively in transport direction (TR), in particular, wherein the containers (10) that are being conveyed in transport direction (TR) through the shrink tunnel housing (20) first pass a first shrink section, where the equipment elements (11) that are applicable or applied onto the particular container outer cover surfaces (45) undergo a pre-shrinkage, in particular, by the application of steam, wherein a chamber temperature in the first shrink section is between approximately 60°C and about 85°C, and wherein the containers (10) that are being conveyed in transport direction (TR) through the shrink tunnel housing (20) pass a second shrink section after having passed the first shrink section, in which second shrink section the equipment elements (11) that are applicable or applied onto the particular container outer cover surfaces (45) undergo a final shrinkage, in particular, by the application of steam, wherein a chamber temperature in the second shrink section is between approximately 85°C and about 105°C.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the containers (10) that are being conveyed in transport direction (TR) through the shrink tunnel housing (20) pass a third shrink section and/or drying section after having passed the second shrink section, in which third shrink section and/or drying section temperature-regulated blow air and/or electromagnetic radiation of an infrared wavelength range is applied to the containers (10) together with the equipment elements (11) arranged thereon or adhering thereto.
15. The method according to one of the claims 12 to 14, in which the equipment elements (11) are formed by shrink sleeves (12) or comprise such shrink sleeves (12), wherein the equipment elements (11) or the shrink sleeves (12) substantially or completely consist of a film material that is shrinkable under heat.

Images