Method and device for buffering containers in a container treatment plant

Method for buffering containers in a filling system, where containers are entered into storage grouped in a single row on at least one infeed conveyor belt, moved in a single row onto a buffer area adjoining in a transverse manner by rail-guided and individually driven shuttles with row pushers in a buffering direction running transverse to an infeed direction, and are removed from storage on at least one outfeed conveyor belt adjoining in the transverse manner in said buffering direction wherein, by way of branching conveyor belts integrated into said buffer area, containers are furthermore removed from storage from said buffer area and/or entered into storage on said buffer area, transverse to the buffering direction and independently of said infeed conveyor belt and said outfeed conveyor belt, where first containers with a first filling material and/or of a first container format are transported on said buffer area and second containers with a second filling material and/or of a second container format are removed from storage from a secondary buffer device by way of at least one of said branching conveyor belts and entered into storage in said row pushers, and where said first and said second containers are advanced as a mixed sequence, in row pushers loaded with either said first or said second containers, to an outfeed region and are guided there into transport aisles assigned either to said first or to said second containers, thus producing mixed container formats, so-called mixed packs.

Device for buffering containers grouped in a single row without back pressure in a filling system comprising a buffer area and a transport system arranged thereabove for moving said containers on said buffer area in a buffering direction from an infeed region with at least one infeed conveyor belt running transverse to said buffering direction to an outfeed region with at least one outfeed conveyor belt running transverse to said buffering direction, where said transport system comprises shuttles that are guided on rails and are driven independently of one another with row pushers aligned to be transverse to said buffering direction for moving said containers grouped in single rows, comprising first and second branching conveyor belts integrated into said buffer area which run transverse to said buffering direction and are driven independently of said infeed conveyor belt and of said outfeed conveyor belt for removing containers from storage from said buffer area in a single row and/or for entering them into storage in a single row thereon, where:

• the first branching conveyor belt is arranged anterior, when seen in the buffering direction, and is configured to remove containers from the buffer area, and the second branching conveyor belt is arranged posterior, when seen in the buffering direction, and is configured to enter containers onto the buffer area;
• or
• the first and second branching conveyor belts are configured to be driven with a reversible branching direction for selectively entering or removing containers into or from storage.