IP Library › Granted Patent US 12709491

Granted Patent B2

US 12709491 · App. 18/757,126 · Granted Aug 18, 2026

Apparatus and method for treating and in particular sterilizing containers

Inventors: Harald Effenberger (Schierling, DE); Alexander Feigl (Mintraching, DE); Florian Fuchs (Mehring, DE); Florian Hoffmann (Burglengenfeld, DE); Andreas Eichenseher (Deuerling, DE); Stefan Kornprobst (Dietfurt a.d. Altmühl, DE); Viktor Gette (Wörth an der Donau, DE); Wolfgang Schoenberger (Brennberg, DE); Andreas Vornehm (Offenberg, DE); Konrad Senn (Alteglofsheim, DE); Martin Kammerl (Hemau, DE); Michael Neubauer (Grassau, DE); Andreas Pense (Obertraubling, DE); Josef Knott (Schierling, DE); Thomas Kiendl (Maxhütte-Haidhof, DE)

Assignee: KRONES AG

B65G47/846 A61L2/08 A61L2103/23 A61L2202/122 B65G2201/0235

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12709491
App. No.: 18/757,126
Granted: Aug 18, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

A container treatment apparatus for transporting plastic preforms along a predetermined transport path includes several transport devices, each of which has at least one holding element for holding a plastic container and guiding the plastic container along a portion of the transport path, wherein a second transport device immediately follows a first transport device along the transport path, and containers are transferred from a holding device of the first transport device to a holding device of the second transport device. The transport path along which the containers can be guided by the first transport device is arranged at least in portions outside a clean room, and the transport path along which the containers can be guided by the first transport device is surrounded at least in part by a radiation shielding device.

Claims (62)

1 . A container treatment apparatus for transporting plastic containers along a predetermined transport path, wherein the container treatment apparatus has several transport devices, each of which has at least one holding element configured for holding a plastic container and guiding the plastic container on a portion of the transport path, wherein a second transport device immediately follows a first transport device along the transport path, and containers can be transferred from a holding device of the first transport device to a holding device of the second transport device,

wherein

the transport path along which the containers can be guided by the first transport device is arranged at least in portions outside a clean room, and the transport path along which the containers can be guided by the first transport device is surrounded at least in portions by a radiation shielding device, and

wherein the radiation shielding device is not a clean room boundary.

2 . The container treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein

the transport path along which the containers can be guided by the second transport device is arranged within a clean room, at least in portions.

3 . The container treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein

the first transport device and/or the second transport device is a pitch varying starwheel.

4 . The container treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein

the transport path along which the containers can be guided by the second transport device extends at least in portions in a region of influence of a container outer surface treatment device for treating outer surfaces of the plastic containers.

5 . The container treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein

6 . The container treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein

the radiation shielding device encloses, at least in portions, a path on which a holding device of the first transport device is movable, and/or the radiation shielding device has a cross-section which essentially has the shape of the letter omega.

7 . The container treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein

the radiation shielding device is designed in at least two parts.

8 . The container treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein

the radiation shielding device, in a first radiation shielding region which is arranged along the transport path upstream of a transfer point or transfer region at which containers can be transferred from a holding device of the first transport device to a holding device of the second transport device, has a larger cross-section in at least one direction arranged perpendicularly to the transport path than in a second radiation shielding region in which the holding device of the first transport device is movable after the transfer of a container to a holding device of the second transport device.

9 . The container treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein

a path on which a holding element of the first transport device can be guided changes its radius of curvature at least once, wherein this change in the radius of curvature includes a change from a large radius of curvature to a small radius of curvature and vice versa, and/or includes at least a one-time change in a direction of the radius of curvature.

10 . A method for transporting plastic containers along a predetermined transport path, wherein the plastic containers are transported by several transport devices, wherein in each case at least one holding element holds a plastic container and guides said plastic container along a portion of the transport path, wherein a plastic container is transferred from a holding device of a first transport device to a holding device of a second transport device,

wherein

the containers are guided by the first transport device on a transport path which is arranged at least in portions outside a clean room, and the containers are guided by the first transport device on a transport path which is surrounded at least in part by a radiation shielding device, and

wherein the radiation shielding device is not a clean room boundary.

11 . The container treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein

the radiation shielding device extends, proceeding from a transfer point or transfer region at which containers can be transferred from a holding device of the first transport device to a holding device of the second transport device, in portions along the transport path on which the containers can be guided by the first transport device, and also along a direction in which the holding device of the first transport device can be moved after the transfer of a container to a holding device of the second transport device.

12 . The container treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein

the radiation shielding device has a cross-section which essentially has the shape of the letter omega.

13 . The container treatment apparatus according to claim 7 ,

wherein

the at least two radiation shielding device parts are separable from one another.

14 . The container treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein

the radiation shielding device does not form a clean room boundary, at least in a region in which the radiation shielding device extends along a path on which a holding device of the first transport device is movable.

15 . The container treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein

the radiation shielding device does not form a clean room boundary at least in a region in which the radiation shielding device extends along a path on which a holding device of the first transport device is movable.

16 . The container treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein

the second transport device is part of a container surface sterilization device, in particular a container outer surface sterilization device.

17 . The container treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein

the radiation shielding device has, in a first radiation shielding region which is arranged along the transport path upstream of a transfer point or transfer region at which containers can be transferred from a holding device of the first transport device to a holding device of the second transport device, a larger cross-section in at least one direction arranged perpendicularly to the transport path than in a second radiation shielding region in which the holding device of the first transport device is movable after the transfer of a container to a holding device of the second transport device.

18 . The container treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein

the radiation shielding device is formed in two parts and comprises an upper radiation shielding device part and a lower radiation shielding device part.

19 . The container treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein

an opening is provided in the upper radiation shielding device part, through which a fluid can be guided into the transfer region.

20 . The container treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein

the container treatment apparatus is in turn a sterilization device, having a container outer sterilization by the radiation source and a container inner sterilization in the region of the transport device.