Patents by Inventor Erwin Knieling

Erwin Knieling has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240151651
    Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting containers, having a transport device which transports the containers along a predefined transport path and an inspection device which inspects a bottom region of the containers, wherein a coating of the bottom region of the containers can be inspected by the inspection device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2023
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Inventors: Erwin KNIELING, Michael DOSTALEK
  • Patent number: 10865088
    Abstract: A device for filling a container with a filling product in a beverage filling plant is provided. A transporting device for transporting a container to be filled during the filling process is provided, wherein the transporting device transports the container to be filled along a transporting path, and wherein at least one determining unit for determining the fill level of the filling product in the container is provided, wherein at least one of the determining units can be displaced synchronously with the transporting device at least in a sub-section of the transporting path of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventor: Erwin Knieling
  • Publication number: 20180334373
    Abstract: A device for filling a container with a filling product in a beverage filling plant is provided. A transporting device for transporting a container to be filled during the filling process is provided, wherein the transporting device transports the container to be filled along a transporting path, and wherein at least one determining unit for determining the fill level of the filling product in the container is provided, wherein at least one of the determining units can be displaced synchronously with the transporting device at least in a sub-section of the transporting path of the container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Inventor: Erwin KNIELING
  • Publication number: 20180000975
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and a method for cleaning and sterilizing a filling valve of a beverage filling system for filling a container with a filling product. The device includes a cap for closing a filling product outlet of the filling valve during the cleaning and sterilization, and a valve for opening and closing the through-opening. The cap has a through-opening for discharging sterilization medium during the sterilization. The valve includes a shape-memory material for switching the valve between an open and closed position at a predetermined temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Inventor: Erwin Knieling
  • Patent number: 9708168
    Abstract: A distributor for distributing free-flowing media has a distributor shaft with a distributor head, which is rotatable relative to the distributor shaft with respect to a predetermined axis of rotation D. The distributor head has at least one inlet opening for delivering the free-flowing medium and a plurality of outlet openings for discharging the free-flowing medium. A flow connection exists between this inlet opening and the outlet openings. The distributor shaft has at least one first distributor shaft segment and a second distributor shaft segment. The second distributor shaft is releasably disposed on the first distributor shaft segment closer to the distributor head than the first distributor shaft segment, and has a surface facing the free-flowing medium. The first distributor shaft segment and the second distributor shaft segment differ with regard to their materials and/or their surface coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Erwin Knieling, Ludwig Berner, Markus Schoenfelder
  • Patent number: 9340310
    Abstract: An apparatus for treating containers includes a housing, inside which a sterile chamber is formed. A treatment element is arranged inside the housing and is rotatable about a predefined axis. The treatment element is arranged on a carrier inside the housing, and has a drive device for driving the treatment element. The drive device is arranged at least partially outside the sterile chamber and includes at least a first drive element arranged outside the sterile chamber for generating rotational movements, and a second drive element arranged inside the sterile chamber. The first drive element and the second drive element cooperate in a contactless manner to generate rotational movement of the treatment element. The drive elements in each case have at least one magnetisable element and preferably at least the second drive element is displaceable in the direction of its axis of rotation relative to the sterile chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Erwin Knieling, Markus Schoenfelder, Andreas Dewert, Manfred Ziegler, Guenter Frankenberger, Volker Stammel
  • Publication number: 20150375981
    Abstract: A distributor for distributing free-flowing media has a distributor shaft with a distributor head, which is rotatable relative to the distributor shaft with respect to a predetermined axis of rotation D. The distributor head has at least one inlet opening for delivering the free-flowing medium and a plurality of outlet openings for discharging the free-flowing medium. A flow connection exists between this inlet opening and the outlet openings. The distributor shaft has at least one first distributor shaft segment and a second distributor shaft segment. The second distributor shaft is releasably disposed on the first distributor shaft segment closer to the distributor head than the first distributor shaft segment, and has a surface facing the free-flowing medium. The first distributor shaft segment and the second distributor shaft segment differ with regard to their materials and/or their surface coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Inventors: Erwin Knieling, Ludwig Berner, Markus Schoenfelder
  • Patent number: 8794275
    Abstract: A filling device for filling containers with a liquid, including several filling elements, each of the filling elements having a filling valve, a filling tube and a return gas tube, where the filling tubes of the filling elements are arranged at a first common support and the return gas tubes of the filling elements are arranged at a second common support, and where the position of the second common support can be adjusted relative to the position of the first common support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Gruber, Walter Neumayer, Erwin Knieling
  • Patent number: 8757225
    Abstract: An apparatus for filling containers with liquids and in particular with beverages may include a filling device, which fills the liquid into the container. The filling device has a valve device for controlling the liquid flow into the container including a first supply line for supplying a first liquid to the filling device and comprising a second supply line for supplying a second liquid to the filling device, wherein the first supply line and the second supply line are separate from one another at least in some sections. The apparatus may have a control device configured in such a way that, at the start and at the end of a filling process for a container, this container is filled only with the first liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventor: Erwin Knieling
  • Patent number: 8465070
    Abstract: Container clamp grip for a container transport system having two grip arms that can be swiveled about one or about two axles between a grip position and a release position, the two grip arms being applied with springiness in the direction toward the grip or toward the release position by a force storing unit presenting at least one pair of mutually repelling permanent magnets. The container clamp grip is controlled by a control cam. In the container grip position, a first air gap is provided between the permanent magnets, and in an extreme closed position of the clamp grip, if there is no container, a second, smaller air gap is provided between the permanent magnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventors: Erwin Knieling, Walter Neumayer
  • Patent number: 8375683
    Abstract: An apparatus for treating containers includes a housing, inside which a sterile chamber is formed. A treatment element is arranged inside the housing and is rotatable about a predefined axis. The treatment element is arranged on a carrier inside the housing, and has a drive device for driving the treatment element. The drive device is arranged at least partially outside the sterile chamber and includes at least a first drive element arranged outside the sterile chamber for generating rotational movements, and a second drive element arranged inside the sterile chamber. The first drive element and the second drive element cooperate in a contactless manner to generate rotational movement of the treatment element. The drive elements in each case have at least one magnetisable element and preferably at least the second drive element is displaceable in the direction of its axis of rotation relative to the sterile chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventors: Erwin Knieling, Markus Schoenfelder, Andreas Dewert, Manfred Ziegler, Guenter Frankenberger, Volker Stammel
  • Publication number: 20120326460
    Abstract: A clamp grip for a container transport system including rare earth permanent magnets encapsulated in non-magnetic material such as high quality steel. Flexible positioning of the magnets allow for adapting to varied design specifications. A rotatable control cam or cams may be used to adjust grip arms between a grip and a release position. Air gap distances between permanent magnets may be designed to maximize repelling force to assist in the functioning of clamp grip mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Erwin Knieling, Walter Neumayer
  • Patent number: 8297671
    Abstract: A clamp grip for a container transport system including rare earth permanent magnets encapsulated in non-magnetic material such as high quality steel. Flexible positioning of the magnets allow for adapting to varied design specifications. A rotatable control cam or cams may be used to adjust grip arms between a grip and a release position. Air gap distances between permanent magnets may be designed to maximize repelling force to assist in the functioning of clamp grip mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventors: Erwin Knieling, Walter Neumayer
  • Patent number: 8091591
    Abstract: A device for the filling of vessels, with a container for liquid and pressurized gas and at least one filling pipe connected with this, which filling pipe comprises a liquid valve and a return gas pipe, whereby a gas pipe discharges into the filling pipe outside the return gas pipe, which gas pipe is connected with the container by means of a pre-stressing valve, so that the pre-stressing valve is positioned on the upper side of the container and the gas pipe discharges into the container from above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventor: Erwin Knieling
  • Publication number: 20110277881
    Abstract: A filling device for filling containers with a liquid, including several filling elements, each of the filling elements having a filling valve, a filling tube and a return gas tube, where the filling tubes of the filling elements are arranged at a first common support and the return gas tubes of the filling elements are arranged at a second common support, and where the position of the second common support can be adjusted relative to the position of the first common support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2011
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Applicant: KRONES AG
    Inventors: WOLFGANG GRUBER, Walter Neumayer, Erwin Knieling
  • Publication number: 20110005635
    Abstract: An apparatus for filling containers with liquids and in particular with beverages may include a filling device, which fills the liquid into the container. The filling device has a valve device for controlling the liquid flow into the container including a first supply line for supplying a first liquid to the filling device and comprising a second supply line for supplying a second liquid to the filling device, wherein the first supply line and the second supply line are separate from one another at least in some sections. The apparatus may have a control device configured in such a way that, at the start and at the end of a filling process for a container, this container is filled only with the first liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: KRONES AG
    Inventor: Erwin Knieling
  • Publication number: 20100212259
    Abstract: An apparatus (1) for treating containers (10), comprising a housing (2), inside which a sterile chamber (4) is formed, comprising a treatment element (6, 7) which is arranged inside the housing (2) and which is rotatable about a predefined axis (X), wherein the treatment element is arranged on a carrier (8) provided inside the housing (2), and comprising a drive device for driving the treatment element (6), wherein this drive device is arranged at least partially outside the sterile chamber (4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Inventors: Erwin Knieling, Markus Schoenfelder, Andreas Dewert
  • Patent number: 7748518
    Abstract: A method and a device for transporting containers, which present a support ring or similar part, where the containers to be transported move through at least one transfer area, in which they are held by gripping elements alternately on different sides of the support ring, and the gripping elements present an identical direction of movement at least in the transfer area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventors: Thomas Höllriegl, Bernhard Düzinger, Erwin Knieling, Heinrich Deyerl
  • Publication number: 20090071566
    Abstract: A device for the filling of vessels, with a container for liquid and pressurized gas and at least one filling pipe connected with this, which filling pipe comprises a liquid valve and a return gas pipe, whereby a gas pipe discharges into the filling pipe outside the return gas pipe, which gas pipe is connected with the container by means of a pre-stressing valve, so that the pre-stressing valve is positioned on the upper side of the container and the gas pipe discharges into the container from above.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2006
    Publication date: March 19, 2009
    Applicant: KRONES AG
    Inventor: Erwin Knieling
  • Publication number: 20090000909
    Abstract: A method and a device for transporting containers, which present a support ring or similar part, where the containers to be transported move through at least one transfer area, in which they are held by gripping elements alternately on different sides of the support ring, and the gripping elements present an identical direction of movement at least in the transfer area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2005
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Thomas Hollriegl, Bernhard Duzinger, Erwin Knieling, Heinrich Deyerl