Patents Assigned to Krones AG
  • Patent number: 11541589
    Abstract: Apparatus (1) for reshaping plastic preforms (10) into plastic containers (20) has a blow moulding device (14) which has at least two side parts (14a, 14b) and a base mould (14c) which form a hollow space inside which the plastic preforms (10) are reshaped into the plastic containers (20), wherein the apparatus has a changing device (40) which is suitable and intended either to remove the complete blow moulding device (14) or only parts (14a, 14b, 14c) of the blow moulding device (14) from the blow mould supports (16) thereof and/or to arrange them on the blow mould supports (16), wherein the base mould (14c) is arranged on a base mounting (19), and in a changing mode, through a lifting movement (H) and in particular a lifting and/or lowering of the base mounting (19), the base mould (14c) can be connected to the base mounting (19) or can be disconnected from the base mounting (19), and between the base mounting (19) and the base mould (14c) at least one first disconnectable media connection (21) is provided,
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Andreas Hack, Florian Geltinger
  • Patent number: 11535503
    Abstract: Method and filling device for filling a container with a filling product, in a beverage filling system, wherein the method comprises: determining one or more changeable influence variables which influence a target variable of the filling process, a filling level and/or a filling volume; receiving the influence variables by means of a control apparatus; calculating at least one output variable from the received influence variables by means of a calculation model of the control apparatus; and filling the container as a function of the at least one output variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Andreas Kursawe, Florian Habersetzer
  • Patent number: 11535459
    Abstract: A method and a device for buffering containers in a container treatment system are disclosed. The containers enter into storage on an infeed conveyor belt in the infeed direction, are moved in a single row onto a transversely adjoining buffer area by rail-guided and individually driven shuttles with row pushers in a buffering direction running transverse to the infeed direction, and are removed from storage on an outfeed conveyor belt transversely adjoining in the buffering direction. The shuttles and the infeed/outfeed conveyor belts are controlled in dependence of target positions, target speeds and/or target accelerations stored specifically for the container type, and/or the shuttles are controlled in dependence of target positions, target distances and/or target speeds stored specifically for modes of operation for initializing and reading out the shuttles, for following preceding shuttles, and for moving to route positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Franz Lautenschlager, Thekla Osswald, Martin Seger, Torsten Kilgenstein, Peter Muehlstein
  • Patent number: 11534955
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for processing plastic preforms (10) and/or plastic containers (20) by means of at least one first processing apparatus (2), which processes the plastic containers (10, 20) in a first specified manner, and by means of at least one second processing apparatus (4), which processes the plastic containers (10, 20) in a second specified manner and which is arranged before or after the first processing apparatus (2), wherein the plastic containers (10, 20) are transported from one processing apparatus (2, 4) to the other processing apparatus (2, 4) by means of a transport apparatus (5) and the at least first processing apparatus (2) and the at least second processing apparatus (4) are coupled to each other, the first treatment apparatus (2) is a blow-molding machine (25) for shaping plastic preforms (10) to form plastic containers (20), and the process speed of the blow-molding machine (25) is defined by means of a specification, which contains a plurality of process parameters tha
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Erik Blochmann, Jochen Forsthoevel
  • Patent number: 11530098
    Abstract: The invention relates to a spacing star wheel for transporting and transferring containers, comprising a plurality of gripping elements for gripping one container each and a curve guide, where the spacing star wheel is configured such that, during operation, the gripping elements, guided by the curve guide, revolve around the axis of rotation of the spacing star wheel along a curved path. By activating at least one curve guide segment, the shape of the curve guide can be adjusted such that the spacing distance between two adjacent gripping elements in the region of the curve guide segment changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventor: Thomas Hoellriegl
  • Patent number: 11511951
    Abstract: A rotor for a long-stator linear motor system comprises at least three rollers for mounting the rotor on one or more guide rails of the long-stator linear motor system, the at least three rollers comprising a first roller that engages with an upper part of a first guide rail of the one or more guide rails, a second roller that engages with a lower part of the first guide rail, and a third roller that a) is rotatably mounted to at least one rotatable bolster of the rotor or b) comprises a steering rotational axis with an integrated castor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventors: Alexander Hartung, Heiner Schaefer, Peter Zeiner, Konrad Senn, Torsten Kilgenstein, Stefan Elsperger, Michael Neubauer, Manfred Kieslinger
  • Patent number: 11505352
    Abstract: Provided is a device for processing containers, in particular plastic containers, including at least one container-processing apparatus, which has at least one changeover access entry, at which at least one of format parts and tools can be exchanged during changeover operation, and including a transport system, by means of which the at least one of format parts and tools can be brought to the at least one container-processing apparatus. The transport system is a driverless transport system, by which the format parts and/or tools can be automatically brought to at least one container-processing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Hahn, Thomas Mildner, Stefan Raith, Markus Zoelfl
  • Patent number: 11505441
    Abstract: A method and a device are described for displacing air from bottles of carbonated beverages. Sound waves may be emitted from at least one sound source and propagate through the ambient air, penetrate through the mouths into the beverage and/or make the walls of the bottles vibrate so that CO2 is expelled from the beverage and the beverage foams in the headspace such that air contained therein is displaced through the mouth. The oxygen content in the beverage can thus be reduced flexibly and in an adjustable manner with comparatively little expenditure on equipment and for different bottle formats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventor: Simon Gebendorfer
  • Patent number: 11498772
    Abstract: A method and a device for buffering containers in a container treatment plant are disclosed. The containers are stored in single rows by at least one inlet conveyor belt in an inlet direction, are shifted in single rows on a buffer surface transversely adjacent by shuttles with row pushers guided on rails and driven individually into a buffer direction extending transversely to the inlet direction in single rows, and are withdrawn by at least one outlet conveyor belt adjacent to the buffer surface in the buffer direction in an outlet direction extending transversely to the buffer direction, or by at least one planar motor armature that can be driven towards the buffer surface and that is in particular driven two-dimensionally. Thus, the containers can be decelerated/accelerated with respect to the inlet/outlet conveyor belt in a controlled manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Michael Beyer, Stefan Elsperger, Konrad Senn, Helmut Schuesslburner
  • Patent number: 11492207
    Abstract: The present invention provides a device for grouping containers, comprising a plurality of transfer pallets for conveying containers upright on a pallet surface and a first transfer device comprising a first transfer platform and an infeed manipulator, wherein the pallet surface of each transfer pallet has a plurality of ridge-like elevations forming a support surface for the containers, and wherein the first transfer platform has a comb-shaped outlet area configured for allowing the ridge-like elevations of the pallet surface to pass through the intermediate spaces of the comb-shaped outlet area for taking over the at least one container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventor: Helmut Schuesslburner
  • Patent number: 11472639
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a mover for a longitudinal stator system, comprising a primary part with elements for movably arranging the mover on a longitudinal stator and an accommodating area, in which a sensor for position-dependent measurement of at least one system parameter is arranged, the sensor being releasably connected to the accommodating area, and to a corresponding method for determining a system parameter of a longitudinal stator system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Stefan Elsperger, Hartmut Davidson, Manfred Kieslinger
  • Patent number: 11472092
    Abstract: An apparatus for forming plastic preforms into plastic containers, with a movable carrier on which at least one forming station is arranged for forming the plastic preforms, wherein the forming station is transported along a predefined transport path, and wherein the apparatus has a clean room inside which the plastic preforms are formed, wherein this clean room is isolated from a non-sterile environment by at least one wall, with a sterilisation device for sterilising the plastic preforms and/or plastic containers, which device acts upon the plastic preforms and/or plastic containers to be sterilised with a flowable sterilisation medium for their sterilisation. According to the invention, the apparatus comprises an ejection device for ejecting containers from the clean room, and this ejection device has a lock chamber from which the ejected containers can be removed, wherein this lock chamber can be acted upon with an atmosphere containing a sterilisation medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Holger Mueller, Juergen Soellner
  • Patent number: 11465859
    Abstract: The invention relates to a switch (1) of a transport system for a movable transport element (T), where the switch (1) comprises a main track (3) and a secondary track (4) branching off, where the movable transport element (T) can be guided from a transition region (2), in which the secondary track (4) branches off from the main track (3), optionally along the main track (3) or transferred into the secondary track (4), where one or more linear motor sections (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) are respectively provided at the main track (3) and the secondary track (4) for moving the movable transport element (T), where a normal force is present between the movable transport element (T) and the adjacent linear motor section or the adjacent linear motor sections (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d), characterized in that devices for altering the normal force are provided in the transition region. The invention also relates to a transport system comprising such a switch and a transport element for such a transport system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventors: Hartmut Davidson, Thomas Kiendl, Stefan Poeschl, Michael Neubauer, Martin Kammerl
  • Patent number: 11460199
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a device for climate control of an interior of a machine in a food and beverage industry. The device includes an air discharge system for discharging air from the interior of the machine. The air discharge system includes a first air extraction duct configured for first selective extraction of contaminated air or second selective extraction of high-temperature air or at least two separate air extraction ducts including a first air extraction duct configured for the first selective extraction of the contaminated air and a second air extraction duct configured for the second selective extraction of the high-temperature air. The device further includes an air supply system for supplying air to the interior of the machine. The supplied air includes at least one of fresh air or purified extracted air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventors: August Peutl, Franz Weigl, Valentin Becher
  • Patent number: 11453523
    Abstract: Provided is a method for labelling first packagings, including at least the following steps: transporting labels to a labelling zone, wherein an adhesive side of the labels is directed upward during the transport; removing the primary packagings to be labelled from a magazine device, wherein the packagings are provided in the magazine device as packaging blanks which are at least in sections flat, and are preferably removed individually from the magazine device; placing the primary packagings onto the labels and adhering the labels to the packagings, wherein the packagings are preferably pressed from above onto the labels; inserting the first labelled packagings into secondary packagings; and introducing several containers into the primary and secondary packagings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventor: Alban Hutter
  • Patent number: 11453560
    Abstract: A device for holding a container in a container treatment device, for example for holding a bottle at the bottle neck thereof, includes a first clasp arm, which is arranged on a clasp carrier so as to be pivotable about a first pivot axis, and a second clasp arm, which is arranged on the clasp carrier so as to be pivotable about a second pivot axis. The first clasp arm is of longer design than the second clasp arm. The first clasp arm and the second clasp arm are pivotally coupled to one another via a coupling arrangement, wherein the clasp arms are magnetically preloaded into a closed position, and the clasp arms can be opened to receive a container passively by inserting the container. A treatment device for treating a container is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventor: Bruno Landler
  • Patent number: 11453522
    Abstract: A method is described for shaping the bottom of hot-filled containers, in which the bottoms of the containers are forced inwardly from a state bulged outwardly, in particular as they cool down. Complex mechanisms for forcing the bottom inwardly are dispensable for the reason that the bottoms are forced inwardly by at least one fluid jet and/or fluid pressure wave. In addition, shaping the bottom can advantageously be carried out in a production region immediately downstream of a closer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Bastian Tissmer, Ulrich Lappe, Arno Haner, Jochen Hirdina, Andreas Wutz, Gerald Huettner
  • Patent number: 11440236
    Abstract: A system for processing containers with a transport device which transports the containers along a predetermined transport path, wherein a plurality of holding devices for holding the containers is arranged on the transport device, wherein the system has at least one rotating device which rotates the plastic parisons with regard to a rotational position with respect to the longitudinal directions thereof. According to the invention the rotating device has an electrically operated driving device for producing the rotary movement of the plastic parisons with respect to the longitudinal directions thereof as well as at least one measuring device, which at least at times determines at least an electrical characteristic quantity of this driving device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Dieter Finger, Thomas Kitzinger
  • Patent number: 11426920
    Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for expanding plastics material parisons into plastics material containers by a liquid medium with at least two transforming stations which fill and expand the plastics material parisons with the liquid medium with at least one common delivery device, which delivers the liquid medium to both transforming stations, wherein the transforming stations in each case have filling devices which fill the liquid medium into the plastics material parisons. According to the embodiments these transforming stations and/or filling devices in each case have a throttle device which are suitable and intended for changing the volume flow of the liquid entering the plastics material parisons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Thomas Kitzinger, Cora Hanesch, Dieter Finger, Dominik Meier, Andreas Pense, Andreas Vornehm, Christian Betz
  • Patent number: D970342
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventor: Laura Wittmann