Device and method for moving transport elements in a container treatment system

A method for adapting motion profiles of a plurality of individually controllable transport elements for transporting containers in a container treatment system along a transport path, wherein the plurality of transport elements are movably arranged on the transport path, comprising:

• determining a treatment state of at least one container carried along by a first transport element among the plurality of transport elements,
• wherein the first transport element is moved by means of at least one of an open- or closed-loop control unit of the container treatment system as part of a stream of transport elements,
• wherein a motion profile of the first transport element is adapted by means of at least one of the open- or closed-loop control unit in response to the determined treatment state, the motion profile being one of the motion profiles of the plurality of individually controllable transport elements,
• wherein determining the treatment state of the container carried along by the first transport element comprises comparing the determined treatment state with a predetermined desired treatment state,
• wherein adapting the motion profile of the first transport element upon deviation of the determined treatment state from the predetermined desired treatment state comprises ejecting the first transport element out of the stream of transport elements, and
• wherein the method further comprises adapting a motion profile of at least one of a second transport element directly preceding the first transport element in the stream before ejection of the first transport element, and a third transport element directly succeeding the first transport element in the stream before ejection of the first transport element, in such a manner that a distance of the third transport element from the second transport element is reduced to a predetermined distance.

A method for adapting motion profiles of a plurality of individually controllable transport elements for transporting containers in a container treatment system along a transport path, wherein the plurality of transport elements are movably arranged on the transport path, comprising:

• determining a treatment state of at least one container carried along by a first transport element among the plurality of transport elements,
• wherein the first transport element is moved by means of at least one of an open- or closed-loop control unit of the container treatment system as part of a stream of transport elements,
• wherein a motion profile of the first transport element is adapted by means of the open- or closed-loop control unit in response to the determined treatment state, the motion profile being one of the motion profiles of the plurality of individually controllable transport elements, and
• further comprising:
• determining a treatment state of at least one container carried along by a second transport element among the plurality of transport elements,
• adapting at least one of the motion profile of the first transport element or a motion profile of the second transport element in response to the determined treatment states of the entrained containers of the first and second transport element such that a distance of the second transport element from the first transport element is reduced to a predetermined distance,
• wherein the first and the second transport element are directly adjacent along the transport path, and
• wherein the first transport element is coupled directly to the second transport element when the predetermined distance is reached.

A transport element for transporting at least one container along a transport path, comprising:

• at least one support element which is configured such that the transport element can be movably supported on the transport path,
• a holding device for holding one or plural containers,
• a reaction element which comprises at least one permanent magnet and/or at least one electromagnet, wherein the reaction element is configured such that the transport element can be moved along the transport path by magnetic interaction with the transport path, and
• a first coupling element which is configured such that the transport element can be coupled by means of the first coupling element to a first further transport element,
• wherein the first coupling element comprises a switchable mechanical coupling element, or
• wherein the first coupling element comprises at least one of a permanent magnet, the permanent magnet rotatably supported on the transport element, or an electromagnet, the polarity of which can be reversed by means of an electrical circuit of the transport element.

A transport device for transporting containers in a container treatment system, which comprises at least one first container treatment unit for a first process step, comprising

• a transport path,
• at least one transport element for transporting one or a plurality of containers, which is movably arranged on the transport path, and
• at least one of an open- or closed-loop control unit which is configured to move the transport element according to a predetermined motion profile along at least a part of the transport path as a part of a stream of transport elements,
• wherein the transport path and the transport element are configured such that the transport element can be guided in an individually controllable manner along at least the part of the transport path,
• wherein the transport path comprises:
• a process section on which at least the first container treatment unit is arranged,
• a bypass section which is connected to the process section such that the bypass section forms a detour at least of the first container treatment unit, and
• wherein the bypass section is configured such that the transport element can be guided in both directions.