Package making – Methods
Patent
1992-10-16
1995-04-04
Johnson, Linda B.
Package making
Methods
53488, 53167, 53347, B65B 6500, B65B 728
Patent
active
054026210
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
SPECIFICATION
The invention relates to a process for the cleaning of closing heads in a device for the closing of vessels with crown caps and a device suited for its implementation.
Devices for the closing of vessels such as bottles with crown caps or similar flanged caps are used in particular in the beverage industry, where they are connected downstream of filling devices. The closing devices mostly have several closing heads, which are disposed revolvingly in the style of a carrousel and are fed with crown caps during the revolution. The closing of the bottles with crown caps is effected when the closing heads are aligned to the openings of the bottles which are conveyed on a path corresponding to the circular path of the closing heads.
During the course of the operation of the closing device it is inevitable that liquid and foam residues get onto and into the closing heads and form there nutritive media for harmful germs or putrefaction foci. Thus, there is the danger that the beverage in the bottles or the like is contaminated by putrefaction products, bacteria, fungi, germs, etc., which may have a very detrimental effect on the taste, the wholesomeness and in particular on the keeping quality of the filled beverage. Accordingly, it is customary to clean the closing heads of a closing device continuously or at certain intervals. It is desirable that the expenditure necessary for cleaning is as small as possible and that no dismounting of the closing device is necessary for this.
It is known from DE-AS 27 40 440 to spray the closing heads at their end surfaces facing the vessel opening for cleaning them.
A process of the type mentioned at the beginning is disclosed in DE-PS 32 27 244, in which a flushing liquid is allowed to enter the gap space between die and guide bore through flow openings opening into this space, which is drained downwardly out of the gap space and flushes the same at least partly.
It is an object of the invention to provide a process of the type mentioned at the beginning for the cleaning of closing heads which is improved as compared with the prior art and a device suited for its implementation.
A contamination of the filled liquid by detrimental germs in the closing head can be avoided to the greatest extent with the process according to the invention, since all inner areas of the closing head in which putrefaction foci or nutrient media can be formed are covered by the flushing. So far, there was the danger of contamination by germs which were formed in the inner spaces of the closing heads with the spring means on a long-term basis.
In an embodiment of the invention the flushing agent can be allowed to enter the inner space through the flow opening and then flow out of the closing head through the gap space between the die and the wall of the guide bore.
In another embodiment a reverse flow path may be provided, for which purpose a cap is placed onto the end of the closing head, which faces the vessel opening, a hollow space being formed between the inner wall of the cap and the end of the closing head, into which the gap space between the die and the wall of the guide bore opens. In this embodiment there is the advantage that the end surfaces of the die, the closing cone, etc. facing the vessel opening are thoroughly flushed and cleaned.
According to another development of the invention it may be provided that the gap space between the die and the wall of the guide bore is enlarged at the end of the die facing the vessel opening, and a flow duct is provided between the gap space and the inner space. This embodiment has the advantage that the lower end portion of the closing head, which is subjected to the greatest risk of soiling, is subjected to an especially effective cleaning, since a settling of dirt is prevented, on the one hand, by an enlargement of the gap space and, on the other, by a thorough flushing of this gap space.
Four examples of embodiment of the invention will be explained in the following by means of the drawing.
FIG. 1 is a vertical section, taken along t
REFERENCES:
patent: 4389833 (1983-06-01), Knabe
patent: 4527377 (1985-07-01), Hayashi et al.
patent: 5040354 (1991-08-01), Ahlers et al.
patent: 5150558 (1992-09-01), Bernhard
Johnson Linda B.
Krones AG Hermann Kronseder Maschinenfabrik
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