Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor for changing attitude of item relative to conveyed... – For inverting successive items
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-18
2001-04-03
Valenza, Jospeh E. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor for changing attitude of item relative to conveyed...
For inverting successive items
C015S304000, C134S062000, C134S16600C
Reexamination Certificate
active
06209705
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates in general to a container cleaning apparatus and more particularly to a cleaning apparatus that can be installed alongside a conveyor belt system. The apparatus is particularly well suited for cleaning empty containers of different sizes and shapes, and it can be installed at a selected location alongside an existing conveyor system or material-handling device designed to transport such containers. The container cleaning apparatus can be put in use with few if not any modifications to the existing conveyor belt.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the container industry, particularly where drugs or other edible materials are stored in bottle-like containers, it is necessary to subject the container to a cleaning process to remove any particulate contaminants such as dust that may be electrostatically attracted to the inner walls of the container.
To remove those contaminants, it is common practice to subject the containers to a cleaning operation. Typically, the containers transported on a conveyor belt are directed to a cleaning station that injects in the interior of the container an ionized high-velocity air stream to neutralize the electrostatic field that may exist on the walls of the container and place the contaminants attracted to it in suspension. Next a powerful negative pressure zone is created near the container mouth to suck away the suspended contaminants.
Existing container cleaning stations are fixed devices designed to be an integral part of the container processing line. Sometimes, a production run may not need to have containers cleaned, rendering the cleaning station not necessary. In those cases the presence of the cleaning station may be detrimental to operation of the processing line, as it may reduce the processing speed of the containers. Such a drawback, however, is unavoidable as the cleaning station can not be readily removed from the conveyor system.
Thus, there is a need in the industry to provide a cleaning station that is portable and can easily be incorporated into a conveyor system on which containers are transported.
OBJECTIVES AND STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved cleaning apparatus for removing particulate contaminants from the interior of a container.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a container cleaning apparatus that is portable and may be readily installed alongside an existing conveyor system.
It is another object of the invention to provide a cleaning apparatus that can adjust to accommodate containers of different sizes without having to change pieces.
It is another object of the invention to provide a cleaning apparatus with an improved internal container transport system.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a cleaning apparatus that inverts the containers upside down (the mouth of the container facing down) to perform the cleaning operation.
As embodied and broadly described herein, the invention provides a portable container cleaning apparatus, that can be installed alongside a conveyor belt said apparatus comprising:
a container pick-up station capable of cooperating with a conveyor belt on which containers to be cleaned are transported to remove containers from the conveyor belt, said container pick-up station including a guide panel that can be extended across the conveyor belt and a rotating support surface to cause a container removed from the conveyor belt to travel along a sector of a circle;
a container transport system including an entry zone in the vicinity of said rotating support surface, said container transport system being capable of taking-up a container transported by said rotating surface along said sector of a circle and carrying the container along a predetermined path of travel, said container transport system also including an exit zone where a container is released;
a first station located for introducing in the container a high velocity gas stream for placing contaminants present in the container in suspension;
a second station located downstream from said first station with relation to a direction of movement of the container along said path of travel, said second station being capable of establishing a negative pressure zone to cause contaminants placed in suspension in the container to be removed by suction; and
a container return station located in the vicinity of said exit zone, said container return station including a guide panel that can be extended across the conveyor belt and a rotating surface capable of subjecting a container delivered from said exit zone to a movement along a path of travel along a sector of a circle, said container return station being capable of cooperating with the conveyor belt to return the container to the conveyor belt.
In a preferred embodiment, the container pick-up station includes a guide panel positioned to extend across the conveyor belt to direct oncoming containers onto a rotating table of the cleaning apparatus. The rotating table reverses the movement of the container so it is caused to travel in a direction opposite to that on the conveyor belt. An internal transport system grasps the container and transports it along a semi-circular path to invert it so its mouth faces down. A spray jet is located beneath the container and ejects a continuous powerful air stream that enters the mouth of the container to place in suspension any contaminants adhered to the inner walls of the container. A vacuum port immediately beneath the container sucks the suspended particulate material out from within the container. The internal transport system then directs the container to a return station that contains a rotating table orienting the container so it moves along the same direction as that of the conveyor. A guide panel assists in the transfer of the container from the cleaning apparatus to the conveyor belt.
In a most preferred embodiment, the internal transport system comprises two adjustable resilient belts that run alongside one another, one container width apart. The distance between the belts can be adjusted to accommodate containers of different sizes. The belts possess some degree of resiliency to insure a tight fit, and have a high coefficient of friction to prevent slippage between the belts' surfaces and the containers. Besides transporting the containers, the belts are designed to impart rotary movement to the rotating tables. The belts are driven by an electrical motor or any other suitable power source.
Advantageously, the gas injected into the container is ionized so that it will neutralize electrostatic charges on the inner surface of the container to prevent particles from electrostatically clinging to the container's walls.
As embodied and broadly described herein the invention further provides a container cleaning apparatus, said apparatus comprising:
a container pick-up station capable of cooperating with a conveyor belt on which containers to be cleaned are transported in a mouth-facing-up condition, to remove a container from the conveyor belt,
a container transport system including an entry zone in a vicinity of said container pick-up station, said container transport system being capable of taking-up at said entry zone a container transported by said container pick-up station and carrying the container along a predetermined path of travel, said container transport system also including an exit zone where a container is released, said predetermined path of travel including:
a first run for orienting the container such that the mouth of the container faces down;
a second run downstream of said first run for transporting the container with the mouth of the container facing down;
a third run downstream of said second run for orienting the container such that the mouth of the container faces up;
a first station located along said path of travel for introducing in the container a high velocity gas stream for placing contaminants present in the container in suspension;
a second station located along said
Kalish Canada Inc.
Ratner & Prestia
Valenza Jospeh E.
LandOfFree
Container transport system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Container transport system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Container transport system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2540481