Apparatus for the removal of bottles or containers from a bottle or container cleaning arrangement in a bottle or container filling plant

1. A removal apparatus for the removal of containers from a stream of containers, said apparatus comprising:

a suction arrangement being mounted on a movement arrangement, and being connected to a vacuum source;

a detection arrangement being configured to detect if a container is in an undesired orientation; and

a control arrangement being configured, upon detection of a container in an undesired orientation, to activate said movement arrangement and thus move said suction arrangement adjacent the container to permit said suction arrangement to remove the container from a stream of containers.

2. The removal apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said movement arrangement is configured to move containers removed from a stream of containers to a discharge area.

3. The removal apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said detection arrangement comprises at least one of: an optical detection system, a camera system, and a mechanical sensor system.

4. The removal apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

said movement arrangement comprises a slide and a slidable element on which said handling element is mounted; and

said control arrangement is configured to control the movement of said slidable element to essentially any position on said slide.

5. The removal apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

said movement arrangement comprises an elongated slide and a slidable element on which said suction arrangement is mounted;

said elongated slide is disposed to extend transverse to the movement of containers; and

said control arrangement is configured to control the movement of said slidable element to essentially any position on said slide to permit removal of a container adjacent essentially any position on said slide.

6. The removal apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said movement arrangement comprises a slide that is configured to be disposed to extend transversely across an inlet area adjacent a plurality of inlet guides which guide containers into individual paths of a container treatment machine or container rinsing machine.

7. The removal apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said suction arrangement comprises a movable handling element and a suction cup disposed on said handling element.

8. The removal apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein:

said handling element comprises an elongated element and said suction cup is disposed at one end thereof;

said handling element is axially adjustable to permit movement of said suction cup away from and toward said movement arrangement.

9. The removal apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said control arrangement is configured to activate said handling element to move said suction cup and thus lift a container held by said suction cup out of a stream of containers, and is configured to break the at least partial vacuum to thereby release the container from said suction cup and into a discharge area.

10. The removal apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein:

said control arrangement is configured to activate said handling element to move said suction cup toward and into engagement with a container in an undesired orientation; and

said control arrangement is configured to activate said vacuum source to apply at least a partial vacuum to said suction cup.

11. The removal apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein:

said handling element comprises an elongated element and said suction cup is disposed at one end thereof;

said handling element is axially adjustable to permit movement of said suction cup away from and toward said movement arrangement.

12. The removal apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein:

said movement arrangement comprises a slide and a slidable element on which said handling element is mounted; and

said control arrangement is configured to control the movement of said slidable element to essentially any position on said slide.

13. The removal apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein said movement arrangement is configured to move containers removed from a stream of containers to a discharge area.

14. The removal apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein said control arrangement is configured to activate said handling element to move said suction cup and thus lift a container held by said suction cup out of a stream of containers, and is configured to break the at least partial vacuum to thereby release the container from said suction cup and into a discharge area.

15. The removal apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein said detection arrangement comprises at least one of: an optical detection system, a camera system, and a mechanical sensor system.

16. The removal apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein said slide is configured to be disposed to extend transversely across an inlet area adjacent a plurality of inlet guides which guide containers into individual paths of a container treatment machine or container rinsing machine.

17. A method of removing containers from a stream of containers, said method comprising:

detecting with a detection arrangement if a container is in an undesired orientation;

receiving with a control arrangement an indication from said detection arrangement of detection of a container in an undesired orientation; and

activating a movement arrangement with said control arrangement and thus moving a suction arrangement to a position adjacent the container to permit said suction arrangement to remove the container from a stream of containers.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein said step of detecting if a container is in an undesired orientation comprises detecting if a container has fallen over from an upright position at an inlet area adjacent a plurality of inlet guides which guide containers into individual paths of a container treatment machine or container rinsing machine.

19. The method of removing containers according to claim 17 , wherein said method further comprises:

upon moving said suction arrangement to a position adjacent the container, moving a movable handling element of said suction arrangement, and thereby moving a suction cup disposed on said handling element toward and into engagement with the container;

applying an at least partial vacuum to said suction cup to thereby hold the container; and

moving said handling element and said suction cup, and thereby lifting the container held by said suction cup out of a stream of containers.

20. The method of removing containers according to claim 19 , wherein:

said step of moving a suction arrangement comprises moving a slidable element, on which said suction arrangement is mounted, on a slide of said movement arrangement to a position adjacent the container, and then, upon lifting of the container, moving said slidable element and said container to a discharge area; and

said method further comprises breaking the at least partial vacuum to thereby release the container from said suction cup and into said discharge area.