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CN-121986061-A - Coupling device between elements driven by relative rotational movement

CN121986061ACN 121986061 ACN121986061 ACN 121986061ACN-121986061-A

Abstract

The invention provides a device (1) for coupling a rotating element (10) and at least one first non-rotating element (11) to each other, comprising a plurality of rollers (12), the axes of which are oriented radially with respect to the axis of rotation of the rotating element (10) and lie in the same plane, and which are fixed to the rotating element (10) or to the at least one first non-rotating element (11) and are arranged to rest on the other of the rotating element (10) or the at least one first non-rotating element (11) so as to roll thereon when the rotating element (10) rotates. The device is further provided with actuating means (15, 16) acting only on the non-rotating element (11) to carry out a translational movement of the two elements (10, 11) along the rotation axis of the rotating element (10) while maintaining the relative position between the two elements unchanged.

Inventors

  • Mark Kaffa
  • Francisco Palo
  • Massimiliano Skaglione

Assignees

  • AROL公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20250410
Priority Date
20240410

Claims (9)

  1. 1. Device (1) for coupling a rotating element (10) with at least one first non-rotating element (11) intended to operate in an environment with high hygienic and safety requirements, characterized in that the device (1) comprises a plurality of rollers (12) whose axes are oriented radially with respect to the rotation axis of the rotating element (10) and lie in the same plane, and in that the rollers are fixed to the rotating element (10) or to the at least one first non-rotating element (11) and are arranged to rest on the other of the rotating element (10) and the at least one first non-rotating element (11) so as to roll thereon when the rotating element (10) rotates.
  2. 2. Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said rollers (12) are distributed in a substantially uniform manner circumferentially on the surface of the element (10, 11) carrying them.
  3. 3. Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one first non-rotating element (11) is coaxially arranged with respect to said rotating element (10) and extends along all or part thereof.
  4. 4. Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rotating element (10) and the at least one first non-rotating element (11) are also subjected to a translational movement along the rotation axis of the rotating element (10) while maintaining their relative position, and in that the device (1) further comprises actuating means (15, 16) arranged to cause said translational movement without acting on the rotating element (10).
  5. 5. Device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the roller (12) is fixed to the rotating element (10) and arranged between the first non-rotating element (11) and a second non-rotating element (11 ') parallel to the first non-rotating element (11), and that the roller also rests on and rolls on a surface of the second non-rotating element (11') facing the first non-rotating element (11), wherein the actuating elements (15, 16) are associated with the two non-rotating elements (11, 11 ') such that the roller (12) can translate in a first direction under the action of the first non-rotating element (11) and in a second direction opposite to the first direction under the action of the second non-rotating element (11').
  6. 6. Device (1) for a filling plant according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said rotating element (10, S) carries and supports a plurality of containers (B) to be treated, said device (1) being intended to adjust the vertical position of said rotating element (10) according to the specifications of said containers (B) during the commissioning step.
  7. 7. Device (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that said roller (12) is fixed to said rotating element (10) and in that said first non-rotating element (11) has a cam which effects the engagement and disengagement between said guiding and stabilizing member and said container by engagement with a mechanism arranged to cause a vertical translation of said guiding and stabilizing member (2; 8, 8a; 22) for said container during each rotation of said rotating element (10).
  8. 8. Device intended to operate in an environment with high hygienic and safety requirements, comprising a rotating element (10) located in said environment, at least one first non-rotating element (11) and means for coupling said elements, characterized in that said coupling means comprise a coupling means (1) according to any of the preceding claims.
  9. 9. The device according to claim 8, which belongs to a filling device, wherein the coupling means (1) are arranged to adjust the vertical position of the rotating element (10) in accordance with the specifications of the container (B) carried and supported by the rotating element (10, S) during the commissioning step.

Description

Coupling device between elements driven by relative rotational movement Technical Field The present invention relates to a coupling device for interconnecting two elements driven by relative rotational movement, in particular for connecting a rotating element and a non-rotating element (hereinafter referred to as stationary element for simplicity), which device is suitable for use in environments with high hygienic and safety requirements, such as packaging of food or food grade beverages, pharmaceutical products and the like. Preferably, the present invention relates to an apparatus intended for use in a capping device (e.g., for food grade beverages) operating in one of these environments, and the following detailed description will be primarily set forth for use in a capping machine belonging to one of such devices. The invention also relates to a device using the device. Background In the field of mechanical technology, it is often necessary to couple elements driven by relative rotational movements, i.e. stationary elements, with rotating elements. A common way to solve this problem is to insert a rolling bearing between the two elements or, if the size and load are large, a swivel ring. The latter is contemplated in the preferred application of the present invention. The use of swivel rings is a widely accepted and fully effective solution from a mechanical point of view, but if used in environments where hygiene and safety requirements are high, the following drawbacks are present: 1. Due to its geometry, the swivel ring presents a large number of cavities and grooves that are difficult to clean, and may grow bacterial colonies. 2. Unlike some types of rolling bearings, the slewing ring cannot be permanently lubricated, but rather requires periodic grease addition. The sliding seal is also not able to withstand external flushing. Eventually, over time, the waste grease is squeezed out by the newly injected grease, often leaking out through the sliding seal, which can cause the waste grease to spread into the packaging area and possibly contaminate the product. It is also generally necessary to achieve relative translational movement between the two elements. In this case, in applications requiring high hygiene and safety requirements like the present invention, it is generally preferable to keep the two elements to be coupled out of contact with each other and to achieve translation of each element independently. For example, EP2684805A1 and WO2014/198824A1 disclose a device for guiding and stabilizing containers in a filling plant, the opposite surfaces of the inner rotating disc and of the outer fixed guide being shaped as recesses capable of receiving the containers. The rotating disc and the fixed guide translate vertically so as to be able to accommodate containers of different sizes. The height adjustment is achieved by means of separate actuators on the stationary and rotating parts. Such actuators complicate mechanical devices because they require a rotating electrical manifold for transmitting signals and power, as well as an electric motor. Disclosure of Invention The object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art by providing a device for coupling a stationary element and at least one first rotating element to each other, which device is suitable for environments with high hygienic and safety requirements. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a coupling device of the above type which enables a synchronous translational movement of the two elements along the rotation axis of the rotating element, while keeping the relative position of the two elements unchanged. To achieve these objects, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a device comprising a plurality of rollers, the axes of which are positioned radially with respect to the axis of rotation of the rotating element and lie in the same plane, and which are fixed to the rotating element or to at least one first fixed element and are arranged to rest on the other of said rotating element and at least one first fixed element in order to roll thereon when the rotating element rotates. Preferably, the rollers are distributed in a substantially uniform manner circumferentially on the surface of the element carrying them, and the first fixed element is coaxially arranged with respect to the rotating element and extends along all or part thereof. In a preferred application of the invention, the two elements are capable of translational movement synchronously along the axis of rotation of the rotating element, while maintaining their relative position, and the device further comprises an actuating element arranged to cause said translational movement without acting on the rotating element. In this preferred application, at least in the case of rotation of the rotating element about a rotation axis other than the vertical axis, the roller is fixed to the rotating elemen