Patents Assigned to Krones AG
  • Patent number: 11420377
    Abstract: Apparatus (1) for forming plastic preforms (10) into plastic containers (20), having at least one blow mould (14) which has at least two blow mould side parts (14a, 14b) and a bottom mould (14c), wherein the blow mould side parts (14a, 14b) and the bottom mould (14c) forming a cavity which corresponds to a negative contour of the plastic container (20) to be formed, wherein between the blow mould side parts (14a, 14b) and the bottom mould (14c) at least a first parting plane (22) and a second parting plane (24) is present, wherein the first parting plane (22) extending between the two side parts (14a, 14b) and the second parting plane (24) extending between the side parts (14a, 14b) and the bottom mould (14c), wherein the blow mould side parts (14a, 14b) and the bottom mould (14c) can be separated from each other by the second parting plane (24) and the bottom mould (14c) can be removed from the blow mould side parts (14a, 14b) by a bottom lift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventor: Florian Geltinger
  • Patent number: 11407627
    Abstract: Provided is a method for controlling at least one of a container treatment machine and a beverage treatment machine, wherein the treatment machine treats at least one of containers and beverages using predeterminable parameters, wherein at least one control device controls the treatment machine at least temporarily taking into account the parameters, and wherein these parameters are input at least temporarily by an input device, and wherein, by an information output device, information is output at least temporarily to a user, the information being characteristic of a status of at least one of the machine and of data input by the user. According to embodiments of the invention, the information is at least partially output in image form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Matthias Seiser, Florian Deisenrieder, Markus Dusch
  • Patent number: 11401058
    Abstract: A device for capping a container with a container cap, for example in a beverage filling plant, includes an isolator for providing a defined atmosphere in the interior thereof; a capper for capping a container with a container cap, which capper is arranged in the isolator; and a cap production device for producing container caps from a hot melt, for example a plastics melt. The cap production device is arranged outside the isolator, and is interconnected with the isolator or is connected to the isolator via a cap transport tunnel in order to feed produced container caps to the capper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventor: Juergen Soellner
  • Patent number: 11383421
    Abstract: ABSTRACT The invention provides a method for leakage detection in a device for shaping container preforms, comprising a compressed air system which is connected to a compressed air source and comprises at least two fluidically connected regions that can be separated from each other and/or from the environment by shut-off elements. The method comprises a leakage test run conducted in an automated manner in which at least one of the blocking elements and/or the compressed air supply into the compressed air system is controlled in such a way that it can be determined separately for each region whether compressed air escapes therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Thomas Philipp, Robert Aust, Thomas Kitzinger, Dieter Finger, Thomas Rauschendorfer
  • Patent number: 11383508
    Abstract: A curing station for curing printing ink of a direct print on containers, comprising a conveyor for conveying the containers preferably in container holders, and further comprising at least one UV light unit for curing the printing ink, characterized in that the at least one UV light unit comprises a 2D arrangement of UV LEDs for generating a UV light field for curing the printing ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventor: Peter Lindner
  • Patent number: 11377368
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for producing and providing sterile water comprising an inlet for process water; a recuperator for preheating process water and for cooling down the sterile water; a heating circuit comprising a pump, a heater for heating preheated process water and a heat retention section for keeping heated process water hot; a temperature sensor for measuring a current temperature of the sterile water leaving the heat retention section; a flow control valve located downstream of the temperature sensor; and a bypass between the flow control valve and the heater. The flow control valve keeps a volume flow in the heating circuit constant, the recuperator cools down the sterile water of a first partial volume flow, when such a first partial volume flow of sterile water is taken from the heating circuit, the bypass returns into the heating circuit a second partial volume flow of sterile water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventor: Christian Vogelsang
  • Patent number: 11377311
    Abstract: The present invention provides a container treatment system with a transport system for transporting containers along a transport conveyor the transport system comprising a plurality of transport elements movably supported on one side on at least one first guide element, and a long-stator linear motor drive arranged on the side of the first guide element, wherein a bearing of the transport elements on the first guide element is formed in such a way, in that the transport elements are held essentially by magnetic interaction on the first guide element, and wherein at least one second guide element is provided in sections along the transport conveyor, which is adapted in such a way that the transport elements are held on the first guide element by a mechanical engagement with the second guide element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Stefan Elsperger, Michael Neubauer
  • Patent number: 11377306
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for grouping containers, comprising: a first conveyor belt for transporting the containers in a first transport direction; a second conveyor belt; a container receiving device; a transfer device, which is designed to transfer at least some of the containers from the first conveyor belt to the second conveyor belt transversely to the first transport direction and to transfer at least some of the containers transferred to the second conveyor belt to the container receiving device transversely to the first transport direction; and a motor device, in particular a long stator motor device, which is designed to move the transfer device for transferring a container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Konrad Senn, Andreas Roithmeier, Helmut Schuesslburner
  • Patent number: 11377335
    Abstract: A method for filling a container with a filling product in a filling-product filling system having a control valve, having the steps: a differential pressure ?pv decreasing across the control valve; and regulating and/or controlling the control valve as a function of the differential pressure ?pv which has been determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Florian Angerer, Cornelia Rupp, Valentin Becher, Josef Doblinger, Tobias Bock
  • Patent number: 11376780
    Abstract: Apparatus (1) for treating plastic preforms (10) with a preform sorting device (2) comprising a sorting device (3) and a damming device (5) which transports the plastic preforms (10) along a first rectilinear transport path (T1), wherein the sorting device (3) is suitable and intended to bring the plastic preforms (10) into a predetermined orientation and the damming device (5) is suitable and intended to feed the plastic preforms (10) in an ordered manner to a heating device (12) arranged downstream of the preform sorting device (2), which heats the plastic preforms (10) to a temperature necessary for blow moulding, wherein the heating device (12) transports the plastic preforms (10) along a substantially second rectilinear transport path (T2) and a plurality of stationary arranged heating elements (14) are arranged along the second rectilinear transport path (T2). According to the invention, the preforms sorting device (2) and the heating device (12) are arranged on a common carrier (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventor: Florian Geltinger
  • Patent number: 11370623
    Abstract: A device for supplying lids to a can seamer includes a destacking screw for conveying lids that are fed in via a lid feed, for transferring the correctly separated lids to a downstream transport and/or treatment device, and for interrupting the supply of the lids to the downstream transport and/or treatment device in the event of an interruption of production. Methods for supplying lids to a can seamer are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Sebastian Langwieser, Michael Trummet
  • Patent number: 11370646
    Abstract: A device for filling a fill product into a container to be filled in a beverage bottling plant. The device includes a fill product reservoir for storing the fill product, a fill product channel, and a filling member in fluid communication with the fill product reservoir via the fill product channel. The filling member is configured to introduce the fill product into the container to be filled and the filling member communicates via media channels to provide media flows for two or more functions: flushing the container with a flushing gas, pre-pressurizing the container before it is filled, returning gas displaced during the filling of the container, relieving a gas overpressure in the container, and circulating a hot fill product through the filling member for controlling a temperature. A single media channel of the media channels is configured to provide the media flows for at least two of the functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Josef Doblinger, Holger Mueller, Franz Braun, Christian Gebauer, Angela Gruenwald, Bruno Landler, Sebastian Passberger
  • Patent number: 11358799
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus (14) for adapting a guide width (B) of a conveying device (12) for conveying containers for a container treatment installation. The apparatus (14) includes a longitudinally movable and pliable adjusting element (24), a guide element (20) for guiding the containers along a conveying direction (F) and a transmission device (26). For the adaptation of the guide width (B), the transmission device (26) is configured to convert a longitudinal movement, preferably a pushing and/or pulling movement, of the adjusting element (24) into a movement of the guide element (20) transversely with respect to the conveying direction (F). The pliability of the adjusting element (24) can make use possible even in curved regions of the conveying device (12). The adjusting element (24) can also be designed in a simple and cost-effective manner, for example in the form of a cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventor: Christian Buchner
  • Patent number: 11358849
    Abstract: A device for distributing fluid media for a rotary machine, in particular a filling machine, including: a rotary distributor having a non-rotatably designed first assembly and a second assembly designed to be rotatable about a machine's axis of rotation, wherein the first assembly comprises one or several supply points for at least one fluid medium, and one or several supply lines for the at least one fluid medium connected with the supply point or supply points, wherein at least one supply line includes two or more lying swivel joints whose axes of rotation are arranged essentially in parallel to the machine's axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Georg Würzbauer, Christopher Wittmann
  • Patent number: 11358077
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a bottle treatment machine including a pump/nozzle protector in the form of a screen. The screen includes an at least partially perforated surface and the screen is provided for passing a liquid of the bottle treatment machine therethrough. The bottle treatment machine further includes at least one scraper which rests at least partially on the at least partially perforated surface of the screen. The screen and the at least one scraper are arranged to be rotatable relative to one another. The present disclosure further relates to a method for cleaning the screen of the bottle treatment machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventors: Jan Muenzer, Michael Schubert
  • Patent number: 11352162
    Abstract: Provided is a plastic container with a bottom area and a main body, which adjoins the bottom area in a longitudinal direction of the plastic container, wherein the main body includes a wall which extends all the way around in a circumferential direction of the plastic container and an opening area which at least indirectly adjoins the main body in the longitudinal direction and has a container opening, wherein the circumferential wall of the main body includes at least one first groove and/or elevation extending in a first direction and at least one second groove and/or elevation extending in a second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Mario Casper, Milena Huber
  • Patent number: 11331846
    Abstract: A forming unit (20) for forming plastic preforms into plastic bottles, wherein the forming unit comprises a blow mould (20) having a first lateral portion (4), a second lateral portion (6) and a bottom portion (2), wherein said lateral portions as well as the bottom portion (2) form a cavity (15), within which the plastic preforms (10) can be formed into the plastic bottles, wherein the bottom portion (2) can be moved relative to the lateral portions (4) in a closed condition of the blow mould, wherein the forming unit (20) comprises a drive unit in order to move the bottom portion (2) relative to the lateral portions (4, 6), wherein the drive unit preferably has a movable piston element (32) which ist movable along a predefined stroke path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Andreas Pense, Thomas Philipp, Gerald Huettner, Dieter Finger, Andreas Steiner
  • Patent number: 11332325
    Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for coating containers having an inlet where containers are handed over to the apparatus, and an outlet where containers leave the apparatus, having at least one vacuum device for producing a vacuum, having at least one treatment station for coating containers with a plasma, wherein the treatment stations are in fluid connection with the vacuum device and wherein the treatment stations have at least one treatment device into which is able to be introduced into a container, wherein the apparatus has a first and a second transport device for transporting containers, wherein the first transport device feeds the containers at least indirectly to a treatment station, wherein the first transport device is able to be switched off at least temporarily, resulting in the feeding of containers to the treatment station being interrupted, and the second transport device being an at least sectionally linear transport device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Martin Kammerl, Michael Neubauer, Klaus Voth
  • Patent number: 11318492
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a hot glue unit for a labeling machine in the beverage processing industry. The hot glue unit includes a housing, a glue roller disposed in an interior of the housing, a glue container, and a filter unit including an extractor connected to the housing. The extractor is to extract gases from the interior of the housing and supply the gases to the filter unit before the gases are to exit the hot glue unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventors: Benjamin Aumer, Elmar Reese, Gabriel Seibold, Konrad Senn, Soeren Meissner, Christian Holzer, Bernd Schroll
  • Patent number: 11312060
    Abstract: A fluid channel of a container processing system for processing containers, such as bottles, is described, the container processing system comprising a blow molding machine and a container processing machine arranged downstream of the blow molding machine in the process direction. The fluid channel is arranged downstream of the blow molding machine and upstream of the downstream container treatment machine in the process direction and comprises at least one component, through which the fluid can flow and which comprises at least one outlet opening through which the fluid can escape from the fluid channel in the direction of a bottom of a container transported in the process direction. The component is produced by a generative manufacturing method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Robert Heilmeier, Markus Glamsch, Thomas Jehl