Patents by Inventor Markus Schönfelder

Markus Schönfelder 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).

  • Patent number: 11912553
    Abstract: An apparatus for closing a container with a container closure, for example for closing a drinks container with a roll-on closure, a screw type closure, a press-on closure, a crown cap and/or a press-in closure, comprising a lifting unit which can be displaced in a longitudinal direction and which has a guide unit for predetermining a position of the lifting unit in the longitudinal direction and a closure receiving member which is connected to the lifting unit via a pretensioning device for retaining a container closure and for applying the container closure to a container opening of a container which is intended to be closed with a head pressure which is predetermined by the pretensioning device, and an adjustment apparatus for automatically adjusting the head pressure which is predetermined by the pretensioning device; it further relates to a closure member which comprises an above-mentioned apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventor: Markus Schoenfelder
  • Patent number: 11772949
    Abstract: A device for holding a container in a container handling machine, for example for holding a support-ring-free bottle for the application of a screw closure, includes a carrier and a holding arrangement arranged on the carrier. The holding arrangement is movable relative to the carrier between a closed position for holding the container and an open position for releasing the container. The holding arrangement includes a collar-shaped support projection for supporting the container on a retaining ring of the container. The collar-shaped support projection includes a support projection region of a first holding arm and a support projection region of a second holding arm. The first holding arm and the second holding arm are arranged on the carrier so as to be pivotable in relation to one another for moving between the open position and the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Bruno Landler, Markus Schoenfelder
  • Publication number: 20230174361
    Abstract: An apparatus for closing a container with a container closure, for example for closing a drinks container with a roll-on closure, a screw type closure, a press-on closure, a crown cap and/or a press-in closure, comprising a lifting unit which can be displaced in a longitudinal direction and which has a guide unit for predetermining a position of the lifting unit in the longitudinal direction and a closure receiving member which is connected to the lifting unit via a pretensioning device for retaining a container closure and for applying the container closure to a container opening of a container which is intended to be closed with a head pressure which is predetermined by the pretensioning device, and an adjustment apparatus for automatically adjusting the head pressure which is predetermined by the pretensioning device; it further relates to a closure member which comprises an above-mentioned apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2022
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventor: Markus SCHOENFELDER
  • Publication number: 20230167850
    Abstract: A bearing arrangement for the mounting of a container processing carousel with respect to a base frame of a container processing apparatus in a beverage filling installation, comprising including a bearing shaft which extends along a longitudinal axis, a bearing cup which is rotatable relative to the bearing shaft, an adjusted bearing assembly, arranged between the bearing shaft and the bearing cup, for the mounting of the bearing cup with respect to the bearing shaft, and a ring-shaped preload unit for imparting a specified preload to the adjusted bearing assembly, wherein the ring-shaped preload unit includes a multiplicity of spring assemblies, which are distributed uniformly in a circumferential direction about the longitudinal axis, for applying the preload to the adjusted bearing assembly. A container processing apparatus including the bearing arrangement, and a method for preloading an adjusted bearing assembly of the bearing arrangement are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventors: Albert ECHTENACHER, Markus SCHOENFELDER
  • Patent number: 11577948
    Abstract: A device for treating container closures, for example for disinfecting container closures in a beverage bottling plant, includes a transport disk, rotatable about a vertical rotational axis, for transporting the container closures, and a helical closure guide, arranged above the transport disk, for laterally guiding the container closures, wherein the closure guide has a ceiling guide for guiding the container closures from above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Markus Schoenfelder, Klaus Buchhauser, Angela Grünwald, Sebastian Klepatz
  • Patent number: 11208309
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a device for holding a bottle to be closed, comprising a holding element for holding, in a rotationally fixed manner with respect to the holding element, a neck ring of the bottle to be closed, and a fastening element for fastening the holding element to a bottle closing device or to a bottle transport device, and having a torque sensor for detecting a torque acting between the holding element and the fastening element. Furthermore, the present disclosure discloses a device for closing a bottle and a method for closing a bottle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventors: Tobias Ehrismann, Markus Schoenfelder
  • Publication number: 20210379733
    Abstract: A device for holding a container in a container treatment device, for example for holding a beverage container in a neck portion or in a trunk portion, includes two gripping arms which are pivotable relative to one another in a pivoting plane and which in each case have a holding portion for holding the container to be held, and a lifting rod which is coupled to the gripping arms such that the holding portions are pivotable relative to one another by a displacement of the lifting rod perpendicular to the pivoting plane of the gripping arms. A container treatment device, provided with such a device, is also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventors: Tobias EHRISMANN, Bruno LANDLER, Markus SCHOENFELDER
  • Patent number: 11136231
    Abstract: A device for treating at least one container, for example a beverage filling system for filling and/or closing a container is described. The device includes a treatment carousel rotating about an axis of rotation with at least one treatment unit, arranged in the peripheral region of the treatment carousel, for treating the container that is to be treated, and a container holder arranged on the treatment carousel and assigned to the treatment unit, for holding the container during treatment with the treatment unit. A container transfer receptacle which is assigned to the container holder and is radially displaceable with respect to the axis of rotation is provided for receiving the container to be treated from an upstream treatment carousel and/or for transferring the now treated container to a downstream treatment carousel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventor: Markus Schoenfelder
  • Publication number: 20200369503
    Abstract: A device for holding a container in a container handling machine, for example for holding a support-ring-free bottle for the application of a screw closure, includes a carrier and a holding arrangement arranged on the carrier. The holding arrangement is movable relative to the carrier between a closed position for holding the container and an open position for releasing the container. The holding arrangement includes a collar-shaped support projection for supporting the container on a retaining ring of the container. The collar-shaped support projection includes a support projection region of a first holding arm and a support projection region of a second holding arm. The first holding arm and the second holding arm are arranged on the carrier so as to be pivotable in relation to one another for moving between the open position and the closed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Bruno LANDLER, Markus SCHOENFELDER
  • Patent number: 10787353
    Abstract: A closure head for closing a container with a container closure, for example for closing a container with a screw closure in a beverage filling system is described. The closure head includes a gripping mechanism for gripping the container closure with at least one gripping arm that can be pivoted about a bearing, and a holding jaw disposed on the gripping arm for holding the container closure. The holding jaw is locked on the gripping arm by means of a pre-tensioned pressure pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventor: Markus Schoenfelder
  • Publication number: 20200299119
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device (1) for treating container closures (11), preferably for disinfecting container closures (11) in a beverage bottling plant, comprising a transport disk (2), rotatable about a vertical rotational axis (24), for transporting the container closures (11), and a helical closure guide (3), arranged above the transport disk (2), for laterally guiding the container closures (11), wherein the closure guide (3) has a ceiling guide (4) for guiding the container closures (11) from above.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2018
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: Markus SCHOENFELDER, Klaus BUCHHAUSER, Angela GRÜNWALD, Sebastian KLEPATZ
  • Publication number: 20200180927
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a device for holding a bottle to be closed, comprising a holding element for holding, in a rotationally fixed manner with respect to the holding element, a neck ring of the bottle to be closed, and a fastening element for fastening the holding element to a bottle closing device or to a bottle transport device, and having a torque sensor for detecting a torque acting between the holding element and the fastening element. Furthermore, the present disclosure discloses a device for closing a bottle and a method for closing a bottle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventors: Tobias EHRISMANN, Markus SCHOENFELDER
  • Patent number: 10399836
    Abstract: A device for closing a filled container with a screw cap, for example, for closing support ring-less bottles with a screw cap, is described. The device includes a neck guide with at least one torsion protection element for accommodation of a neck section of the filled container in a torsion-protected manner during the closing with the screw cap, and a discharge element for discharging the closed container from the neck guide. The neck guide and the discharge element are displaceable relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventors: Bruno Landler, Markus Schönfelder
  • Publication number: 20190071296
    Abstract: A device for treating at least one container, for example a beverage filling system for filling and/or closing a container is described. The device includes a treatment carousel rotating about an axis of rotation with at least one treatment unit, arranged in the peripheral region of the treatment carousel, for treating the container that is to be treated, and a container holder arranged on the treatment carousel and assigned to the treatment unit, for holding the container during treatment with the treatment unit. A container transfer receptacle which is assigned to the container holder and is radially displaceable with respect to the axis of rotation is provided for receiving the container to be treated from an upstream treatment carousel and/or for transferring the now treated container to a downstream treatment carousel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Inventor: Markus SCHOENFELDER
  • Patent number: 10155626
    Abstract: A guiding device for contacting and guiding objects and in particular containers with a contacting device which is suitable and intended for contacting an outside surface of the object to be guided by means of a contact surface, wherein this contacting device comprises a support extending along a predetermined extension direction. According to the invention, a plurality of contact elements is arranged on the support, wherein these contact elements are each rotatable relative to the extension direction of the support such that a spacing between at least a portion of the contact surface and the extension direction can be varied by means of this rotational motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventor: Markus Schoenfelder
  • Publication number: 20180354765
    Abstract: A closure head for closing a container with a container closure, for example for closing a container with a screw closure in a beverage filling system is described. The closure head includes a gripping mechanism for gripping the container closure with at least one gripping arm that can be pivoted about a bearing, and a holding jaw disposed on the gripping arm for holding the container closure. The holding jaw is locked on the gripping arm by means of a pre-tensioned pressure pin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventor: Markus SCHOENFELDER
  • Publication number: 20180186575
    Abstract: A guiding device for contacting and guiding objects and in particular containers with a contacting device which is suitable and intended for contacting an outside surface of the object to be guided by means of a contact surface, wherein this contacting device comprises a support extending along a predetermined extension direction. According to the invention, a plurality of contact elements is arranged on the support, wherein these contact elements are each rotatable relative to the extension direction of the support such that a spacing between at least a portion of the contact surface and the extension direction can be varied by means of this rotational motion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Inventor: MARKUS SCHOENFELDERß
  • 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: 9694923
    Abstract: A closer for containers, in particular bottles, with a closing head acting in a clean room and with an electric motor comprising at least one rotor and at least one stator, with the closing head connected with the rotor, and an element for clean room separation is formed between the rotor and the stator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Markus Schoenfelder, Stefan Poeschl
  • Patent number: 9643791
    Abstract: Device and a corresponding method for orienting containers having a noncircular cross-section, in particular bottles, which are transported along a transport path by way of neck handling, the device including at least one rotary device arranged along the transport path, the rotary device being stationary and including one or more stationary resilient rotary elements which are suitable for orienting a container in a specified direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: KRONES AG
    Inventors: Bruno Landler, Markus Schönfelder, Fabian Kolbinger, Sebastian Baumgartner, Reiner Glötzl