The present invention generally relates to apparatus and methods for capping containers and, more specifically, to apparatus and methods of ambient atmosphere capping of high speed, in-line containers having contents that can spoil in the presence of air.
In many applications, containers hold contents that are susceptible to spoilage when exposed to air that may become entrapped in the containers when sealed or capped. These contents may, for example, be foodstuffs such as salad dressings. Specifically, air may be entrapped in the headspace between the upper level of the contents and the container opening. This problem exists for both rotating table machines and straight or in-line capping machines. Rotating machines are generally characterized by having rotating tables that convey containers from one table to another, with each table carrying out a specified function. In-line machines, on the other hand, are generally characterized by having a horizontal moving conveyor which carries filled containers at about 250 containers per minute successively past a cap feeding device, a cap applicator device, and a cap sealing device.
In an effort to address the above problem of entrapped air, early filling and sealing/capping processes have been carried out in a vacuum chamber. Since then, sealing and capping methods have been designed to inject an inert gas into the filled or unfilled containers. This is intended to expel air before the container is sealed or capped. In some methods, a vacuum environment has still been needed for evacuating the containers before the inert gas is injected. In at least one method, the container must be evacuated simultaneously with injecting an inert gas. Also, the process of injecting the inert gas has been designed to occur in an inert gas chamber or other inert type of environment.
Like the many methods of capping, the number of different apparatus employed to inject the inert gas and cap the container has been many. In one design shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,609, a nozzle is provided with a plurality of apertures to inject a liquefied gas into a single container to reduce vaporization of the gas and to reduce the amount of liquefied gas falling into spaces between moving containers. Although the containers are to be immediately sealed, the apparatus for doing so is unclearly described.
A gassing rail is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,696 for injecting an inert gas through a plurality of bores and into the headspace of in-line containers. The gassing rail is described as being mounted to the underside of a chute that seats end units or caps onto passing containers. Nevertheless, it is unclear how the gassing rail works in conjunction with the chute, if at all.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,110 provides a gas-purging rail adjacent to a separate lid placement system. The gas-purging rail extends above the in-line moving containers and includes a plenum having openings to allow an inert gas to flow into the containers. At a line speed of 400 containers per minute, the plenum is approximately 12 feet long. Again, however, it is unclear how the gas-purging rail operates in conjunction with the lid placement system.
Unfortunately, the past methods and apparatus for capping containers in the absence of air in the headspace have disadvantages. The need for expensive vacuum and/or inert gas chambers has made the sealing or capping process expensive. It has also made it slow due to the requirement of moving containers in and out of either a vacuum or inert gas chamber. In fact, even greater time is required when the containers must be stopped to inject an inert gas, conveyed, and then stopped again for applying a cap. Likewise, the apparatus employed has not provided integrated inert gas injection and capping to prevent ambient air from re-entering the containers in an ambient atmosphere. Rather, a non-integrated or discontinuous gas injection and capping has been provided. Also, past apparatus has not provided for increased line speed to consequently reduce manufacturing time and expense.
As can be seen, there is a need for an improved apparatus and method that integrally removes air from the headspace and places caps on in-line moving containers, can be adapted to various sized headspaces, is effective in ambient atmosphere, and allows high in-line speeds of at least about 275 containers per minute.
In one aspect of the present invention, a cap chute end subassembly for capping a plurality of in-line containers in an ambient atmosphere comprises a fluid manifold having a plurality of first manifold apertures for injecting a first fluid into the plurality of containers; a fluid shoe operatively adjacent the fluid manifold; the fluid shoe having a plurality of shoe apertures for dispensing a second fluid into the plurality of caps and plurality of containers; a frame that supports the fluid shoe; the frame being configured to receive a plurality of caps at a receiving end of the frame; a wiper supported at a dispensing end of the frame; a pair of arms operatively adjacent the fluid shoe; and the pair of arms being configured to orient the plurality of caps to the plurality of containers.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method of capping a plurality of in-line containers in an ambient atmosphere comprises injecting a first fluid into the plurality of containers; injecting a second fluid into the plurality of containers after injecting the first fluid; orienting a plurality of caps to the plurality of containers; injecting the second fluid into the plurality of caps after orienting the plurality of caps; and placing the plurality of caps onto the plurality of containers after injecting the second fluid into the plurality of caps.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.
a is a partial perspective top view of a capping assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;
b is an exploded perspective view of a chute end subassembly of the capping assembly shown in
a partial perspective bottom view of a chute end subassembly that can be employed in the capping assembly of the present invention, with a container approaching a cap to be placed on the container;
b is a partial perspective bottom view of the chute end subassembly of
a is a perspective view of a fluid manifold that can be employed in the chute end subassembly of the present invention;
b is a schematic side view of the fluid manifold in
a is a partial perspective view of one embodiment of a cover portion of the fluid shoe shown in
b is a partial perspective view of a second embodiment of a cover portion of the fluid shoe shown in
c is a partial perspective view of a third embodiment of a cover portion of the fluid shoe shown in
d is a partial perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a cover portion of the fluid shoe shown in
e is a partial perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a cover portion of the fluid shoe shown in
a–9f are schematic side views of various embodiments of a nozzle that can be employed in a fluid manifold and/or fluid shoe of the chute end subassembly of the present invention.
An improved apparatus and method is provided by the present invention that integrally removes air from the headspace of and places caps on in-line moving containers. In doing so, air that may otherwise become entrapped in the containers when sealed or capped is prevented. So prevented, spoilage to container contents, for example, foodstuffs such as salad dressings, is minimized. The present invention can be adapted to various sized headspaces, container configurations, and cap sizes. Importantly, the present invention is effective in an ambient atmosphere, and allows high in-line speeds of at least about 275 containers per minute.
The present invention generally provides a capping assembly that may include a chute end subassembly that can integrally provide a continuous injection of a non-oxygen bearing (i.e., less than about 8–12% oxygen) fluid (e.g., liquid or gas), such as an inert fluid or gas like nitrogen and hydrogen into the headspace of in-line moving containers, as well as orienting and then placing the caps on the moving containers. Thereby, the flow of non-oxygen bearing fluid from the chute end subassembly is continuously injected into the containers until the caps are placed on the containers for subsequent tightening. This is unlike the prior art of discontinuous or non-integrated gas injection and capping. The chute end subassembly of the present invention may also inject a non-oxygen bearing fluid not only directly into the containers but also indirectly into the containers. This indirect injection may be achieved by injecting the fluid into the caps, and then deflecting the fluid from the caps and into the containers.
In referring to
In
As better seen in
The continuous injection of at least one non-oxygen bearing fluid stream into each container is provided by the chute end subassembly 12 that can include a fluid manifold 15. Although the manifold 15 may be of various configurations, it generally extends longitudinally along and parallel to the path of the in-line moving containers 13a–13c. The fluid manifold 15 may receive a first fluid via a fluid inlet 24 disposed, in this embodiment, at an end of the manifold 15 opposite the dispensing end of the chute end subassembly 12. The first fluid into the manifold 15 may be in the form of a non-oxygen bearing fluid.
As better seen in
What is meant by “continuous injection” into the containers vis-à-vis the manifold 15 is that, for each container 13a–13c, at least one first fluid stream 29 is always flowing into each container as each container passes along the manifold 15. As an example, in
The manner of providing continuous fluid injection from the manifold 15 is further depicted in
In this embodiment, the first fluid streams 29 may also be in a “continuous flow” in that the first fluid streams 29 are always flowing out of the manifold 15, as opposed to first streams 29 only flowing out of the manifold 15 at intervals. Nevertheless, the present invention contemplates that the first fluid streams 29 may be provided non-continuously, or at intervals, such as when the total amount of the first fluid may be reduced for purposes of savings. Further, the first fluid streams 29 may not be provided on “continuous injection” basis into the containers such as when containers are not present or when the container conveyor is stopped.
As better seen in
A pair of arms or jaws 22 may also be provided by the chute end subassembly 12 and located at the dispensing end 17b of the frame 17. One end of each arm 22 may be rotatably affixed at each side of the frame 17 and intermediate the receiving end 17a and the dispensing end 17b. The other or free end of each arm 22 may then be disposed immediately adjacent the dispensing end 17b. Thereby, the arms 22 may rotate about an axis such that the free ends of the arms 22 may come towards and away from one another. The amount of rotation or movement of the free ends of the arms 22 may be controlled by a tension spring 25 interposed between the arms 22.
Consequently, and due to their configuration and dimension, the free ends of the arms 22 can receive the caps 14 from the frame 17. Upon receiving the caps 14, the free ends of the arms 22 can hold the caps 14 in an orientation whereby the open sides of the caps 14 face the third fluid streams 31, as shown in
A wiper 19 can be disposed and supported at the dispensing end 17b of the frame to place a cap end 19a of the wiper 19 operatively adjacent the arms 22. The wiper 19 may be supported by the frame 17 by being affixed to the guide 18. A compression spring 28 can be provided proximate the end of the wiper 19 that is opposite the cap end 19a. The compression spring 28 may control the amount of compression at the cap end 19a, and which compression is placed on a cap 14. In operation, after a container 13 has pulled or picked the cap 14 out the arms 22, the cap 14 may not be parallel to a plane of the opening of the container 13. If not parallel, the downstream roller subassembly 11 may not be able to tighten the cap 14 onto the container 13. To prevent such occurrences, the cap end 19a of the wiper 19 places and/or depresses the cap 14 onto the opening such that the cap 14 is oriented parallel to the plane of the container 14 opening.
As mentioned above, and shown in
In referring back to
In
For example,
Furthermore, the configurations of the shoe nozzles 26 themselves in the shoe 23 may vary and, consequently, the pattern of the stream exiting therefrom may vary and be in the form of a cylinder or cone, as an example. Similarly, the configurations of the manifold nozzles 16 may vary, as well as their numbers, rows, and orientations. Some exemplary configurations for the nozzles 16 and 26 are depicted in
Despite the above variations, there are useful characteristics of the nozzles 16 and 26. In referring to
As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the present invention provides an improved apparatus and method of integrally removing air from the headspace of in line containers and capping the containers. By such integration, the present invention can provide continuous injection of an inert gas into the containers to expel the unwanted air up to the point where the caps are placed on the containers. Thus, the need for a vacuum or inert environment is eliminated. Further, by the integration of the inert gas injection and capping, in-line containers can be processed at speeds of at least 275 containers per minute and up to about 600 containers per minute. Higher (and even lower) in-line speeds may be achieved depending upon the configuration of the containers.
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to preferred embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
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