GB1586858A

GB1586858A - Device for treating packaging components

Info

Publication number: GB1586858A
Application number: GB23380/76A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Unilever PLC
Current assignee: Unilever PLC
Priority date: 1976-06-07
Filing date: 1976-06-07
Publication date: 1981-03-25
Also published as: NL7706185A; IT1083136B; FI771738A; SE7706521L; FI60682C; DE2724721A1; BE855483A; FR2354102A1; FI60682B

Description

(54) DEVICE FOR TREATING PACKAGING COMPONENTS (71) We, UNILEVER LIMITED, a company organised under the laws of Great Britain, of Unilever House, Blackfriars, London E/C 4, England, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to a device for treating packaging components such as containers and lids which have to be intro duced successively into a treatment chamber or a similar space, in which it must be possible for the chamber to be closed at at least one end. These packaging components are particularly pre-formed containers made of plastics, glass or metal, lids thereof, or also small stacks of lids punched from foil.It can be necessary to subject such packaging components to a treatment in which they are cleaned, sterilised, freed of air, absorbed gases and condensates and filled with a protective gas, or, for example, provided with an antistatic agent which is to be sprayed on the surface. For such treatments partial or complete closing of the chamber with respect to the surroundings is necessary.

The treatment can be carried out in chambers which, after the introduction of a certain number of containers, can remain completely closed during the time of treatment. This method, however, is to be considered as disadvantageous because of the space required for such a device.

According to other processes, containers are led continuously with the aid of transport devices through a sterilising gas atmosphere.

With these methods there is no hermetic closing of the treatment chamber. The gas can consequently mix with the surrounding air.

The aim of the present invention is to develop a treatment chamber through which packaging components can be continuously led in succession but which can nevertheless be closed in such a manner that a steam or gas atmosphere present in the chamber cannot penetrate into another chamber or into the surrounding air.

According to the present invention there is provided a device for treating packaging components with a fluid comprising a tubular chamber having closing means at at least one end and through which the components pass, the closing means comprising a pneumatically deformable elastic ring element adapted to co-operate with a packaging component to close that end of the chamber, the elastic ring element being deformable out of the path of travel of the packaging components to allow the packaging components to pass therethrough.

Inflatable ring elements are known per se.

In the present invention such a ring element serves both as stopping means in the transport path of the packaging components and, in conjunction with a packaging component, as closing element for a chamber. The elastic inner circumference of the ring element can press evenly and carefully against the outer circumference of the packaging component or grip around an extending region having, for example, a flanged edge. As the ring elements press elastically against the packaging components they can also be used with packaging components in which deviations in the shape or in the size occur or which may be damaged by mechanically moving elements. To that extent the ring elements are therefore more advantageous than e.g. mechanical destackers.

According to a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention the ring element is constructed and arranged in such a way that in its rest position it bulges into the path of travel of the packaging components and can clasp a packaging component, and, through use of subatmospheric pressure in the interior of the ring element in order to obtain a larger inner circumference, can be contracted in order to clear the path of travel for one packaging component at a time. The ring element is connected to a vacuum system. The connection with the vac- uum system is brought about, via a suitable valve, only when a packaging component has to be released by the ring element.

During an interruption in the vacuum system the interior of the ring element remains full of air and the inner surface of the ring element curves forward into the path of travel of the packaging components.

Preferably the ring element is formed in such a way that at an inner pressure which gives or should give the smallest circumfer ence it can press tightly against a packaging component. If the packaging components are containers which are e.g.

quadrangular the ring element must then be made and mounted in such a way that it can clasp or grip around the container.

For treatments in which complete closing of the chamber is not required, the use of a ring element at the chamber's entrance or outlet can be sufficient. For hermetic closing of the chamber it is advantageous to combine, to one lock, two or more ring elements to be operated alternately.

The ring elements can be mounted in any desired position in keeping with the direction of the supply of the packaging components and their treatment in the chambers. In a preferred embodiment of the device the path of travel of the packaging components runs vertically through the ring elements and the ring elements are mounted horizontally thereto. This has the advantage that the packaging components can pass through the ring elements and the treatment chamber because of their own weight.

So that the ring elements will also close the chamber in the case when no further packaging components are being supplied, it is advantageous to mount in the supply path of the packaging components a scanning device which, in the absence of further packaging components interrupts the oper ation of the ring elements in a position in which there is still a component clasped in a closing ring element or is supported by it.

For practical purposes the ring elements are of rubber or a similar material which is not attacked by the gases present in the chamber with which the treatment is carried out. They are formed by a firm outer ring and a flexible inner ring, the edges of which are attached to the outside of the outer ring.

Between both rings there is an interior which, through a number of holes in the outer ring, can be evacuated or, if necessary, inflated. In the preferred embodiment, namely that which can be evacuated, attaching the inner ring to the outside of the outer ring has the result that without evacuation of the interior the inner ring curves forward into the path of travel of the packaging components.

This curving can be assisted still more by the ring element not only being stretched along its circumference in its housing, but also for example by its being compressed from above and below by projecting parts of the housing.

An example of an embodiment of the device according to the invention is illustrated schematically in the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a part of a device with a small treatment chamber bounded by two locks.

Fig. 2 shows a lock with two ring elements.

In the device illustrated are to be treated, for example, plastic beakers which have a foot and a flange on the upper edge. The beakers can be stacked in each other and are supplied stacked as a column. Fig. 1 can, for example, show the start of a device in which these beakers are first sterilized and later, with the aid of a filling device, filled and closed.

The beakers 1 come from above along a supply path 6 into a first small treatment chamber 7 and from this into a second treatment chamber 8. The treatment chamber 7 can be closed, both at the top and at the bottom, by a lock 11. Each of these locks consists of two ring elements 12 and 13. The ring elements are arranged inside a common housing 21 and can be held in this housing by the rings 22 and 23. In the housing there are air connections 14 and 15 for evacuation of the ring elements 12, 13 or for supplying air to them.

The treatment chamber 7 is surrounded by a wall 18 in which there are an inlet 16 and an outlet 17 for the treating gas. In the chamber 7 the air entering with the container can for example be exchanged for an atmosphere having a certain humidity. It is also possible, by evacuation and/or injection of a protective gas, to remove therefrom a considerable amount of the air brought in with the container.

For the second treatment chamber 8 only the inlet 24 for the treating gas is shown.

The chamber 8 can for example be surrounded by an outer chamber 19 which can be used for heating chamber 8 to a certain temperature. In the drawing only an inlet or outlet line 20 for the chamber 19 is shown.

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged representation of a lock 11 between two treatment chambers 9 and 10. The ring element 12 is filled with air. It curves forward into the tubular path of the beakers and the beaker 2 lies with its greatest circumference, which here is the upper flange, on the inner circumference of the ring element 12. The ring element 13 is contracted to its greatest inner circumference by the evacuation of its interior, so that beaker 3 can fall down until its foot rests on the bottom of beaker 2. The following beakers 4 and 5 have also come down with beaker 3.

The following step in the operation of the device is that of supplying air to ring element 13. This now comes to press against beaker 3, or supports the flange of this beaker, partly clasping it, so that it works both as sealing and stopping means. Thereafter the ring element 12 is evacuated and releases the beaker 2 which can slide into the treatment chamber 10. Hereupon air is again supplied to the ring element 12 and after the following evacuation of the ring element 13 the beaker 3 falls with its flange against the ring element 12 and as a result of air being supplied to ring element 13 the flange of beaker 4 can be held tight by the ring element 13.

As is shown in Fig. 2, each ring element consists of an outer ring 27 and an inner ring 25. The edges of the inner ring 25 are attached to the outside of the outer ring 27.

In the housing 21 annular grooves 29 are provided as air channels, which are connected with the air connections 14 and 15. The outer ring 27 has a number of holes 26 which provide connections with the interior 28 between the outer and the inner ring and through which air can be supplied or discharged via channels 29.

If the greatest cross-section of the containers has the form of a circle, the treatment chamber and the passage through the locks must also be given a circular cross-section. In this case the treatment chamber and the housing parts of the lock can have a diameter a and the diameter of the flange of the beakers can be b. The ring elements, with respect to their inner circumference, must then be constructed and arranged in the housing in such a way that, after evacuation of their interior 28, they have a diameter of at least a, while, when interior 28 is filled with air, the inner ring 25 with the smallest diameter c curves forward into the tubular path of the beakers, for which c must clearly be smaller than b. When the diameter is c or a somewhat smaller diameter, which must, however, be smaller than b, the containers are held tight by a ring element while the chamber is sealed.

As the locks formed by the ring elements can only be closed if a packaging component is inside them, it is advantageous, at least for the first of several locks, to mount therein a scanning device, for example in the form of a photo cell 30, which in the absence of further containers will interrupt the further operation of the valves which are not shown in the drawings.

Instead of letting only one packaging component come through the lock at a time, as in the example illustrated, the lock can also be used for removing from a larger stack a small stack corresponding to the distance between both ring elements. In this manner lids punched from foils, for example, could be divided into separate small stacks of up to 100 lids and brought via locks into-a treatment chamber. While this is being done the foils can be held so carefully by the ring elements that they are not deformed by this operation. When such a separate small stack is allowed to drop, by contraction of a ring element, into the following lock or to another stopping means, a certain loosening occurs in the stack which is sufficient for penetration of the gas with which the treatment is carried out.

Through the division into smaller stacks of at least two articles, it is also possible for flat dishes or deep-drawn lids to be brought into or removed from a treatment chamber via a lock. With packaging components which have a large surface but only a slight height the danger exists that they will tilt in a tubular path as soon as they become spaced apart. The transport of such packaging components in small stacks prevents tilting, but assures sufficient loosening between the components for the penetration of the gases with which the treatment is carried out, even during a fall of relatively short distance.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS 1. Device for treating packaging components with a fluid comprising a tubular chamber having closing means at at least one end and through which the components pass, the closing means comprising a pneumatically deformable elastic ring element adapted to co-operate with a packaging component to close that end of the chamber, the elastic ring element being deformable out of the path of travel of the packaging components to allow the packaging components to pass therethrough.

2. A sevice according to Claim 1 in which the interior of the elastic ring element is subjected to subatmospheric pressure to deform it out of the path of travel.

3. Device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the elastic ring element is adapted to be subjected to an internal pressure above atmospheric for hermetically surrounding a packaging component.

4. Device according to Claim 3 comprising at least two ring elements adapted to be operated alternately to form a lock.

5. Device according to any one of the claims 1 to 4, in which the ring elements are mounted in a horizontal plane and the path of travel passes vertically through the ring elements.

6. Device according to any one of the claims 1 to 5, comprising a scanning device which scans the path of travel to interrupt the operation of the ring elements in the absence of further packaging components to maintain a packaging component clasped in an elastic ring element.

7. Device for treating packaging components substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the attached drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. 13. This now comes to press against beaker 3, or supports the flange of this beaker, partly clasping it, so that it works both as sealing and stopping means. Thereafter the ring element 12 is evacuated and releases the beaker 2 which can slide into the treatment chamber 10. Hereupon air is again supplied to the ring element 12 and after the following evacuation of the ring element 13 the beaker 3 falls with its flange against the ring element 12 and as a result of air being supplied to ring element 13 the flange of beaker 4 can be held tight by the ring element 13. As is shown in Fig. 2, each ring element consists of an outer ring 27 and an inner ring 25. The edges of the inner ring 25 are attached to the outside of the outer ring 27. In the housing 21 annular grooves 29 are provided as air channels, which are connected with the air connections 14 and 15. The outer ring 27 has a number of holes 26 which provide connections with the interior 28 between the outer and the inner ring and through which air can be supplied or discharged via channels 29. If the greatest cross-section of the containers has the form of a circle, the treatment chamber and the passage through the locks must also be given a circular cross-section. In this case the treatment chamber and the housing parts of the lock can have a diameter a and the diameter of the flange of the beakers can be b. The ring elements, with respect to their inner circumference, must then be constructed and arranged in the housing in such a way that, after evacuation of their interior 28, they have a diameter of at least a, while, when interior 28 is filled with air, the inner ring 25 with the smallest diameter c curves forward into the tubular path of the beakers, for which c must clearly be smaller than b. When the diameter is c or a somewhat smaller diameter, which must, however, be smaller than b, the containers are held tight by a ring element while the chamber is sealed. As the locks formed by the ring elements can only be closed if a packaging component is inside them, it is advantageous, at least for the first of several locks, to mount therein a scanning device, for example in the form of a photo cell 30, which in the absence of further containers will interrupt the further operation of the valves which are not shown in the drawings. Instead of letting only one packaging component come through the lock at a time, as in the example illustrated, the lock can also be used for removing from a larger stack a small stack corresponding to the distance between both ring elements. In this manner lids punched from foils, for example, could be divided into separate small stacks of up to 100 lids and brought via locks into-a treatment chamber. While this is being done the foils can be held so carefully by the ring elements that they are not deformed by this operation. When such a separate small stack is allowed to drop, by contraction of a ring element, into the following lock or to another stopping means, a certain loosening occurs in the stack which is sufficient for penetration of the gas with which the treatment is carried out. Through the division into smaller stacks of at least two articles, it is also possible for flat dishes or deep-drawn lids to be brought into or removed from a treatment chamber via a lock. With packaging components which have a large surface but only a slight height the danger exists that they will tilt in a tubular path as soon as they become spaced apart. The transport of such packaging components in small stacks prevents tilting, but assures sufficient loosening between the components for the penetration of the gases with which the treatment is carried out, even during a fall of relatively short distance. WHAT WE CLAIM IS

1. Device for treating packaging components with a fluid comprising a tubular chamber having closing means at at least one end and through which the components pass, the closing means comprising a pneumatically deformable elastic ring element adapted to co-operate with a packaging component to close that end of the chamber, the elastic ring element being deformable out of the path of travel of the packaging components to allow the packaging components to pass therethrough.