# US 12,759,856 B2 · Method for controlling a buffer conveyor of a thermal container treatment device, and filling line > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,759,856 B2 - Document ID: US12759856B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/711,855 - Filed: 2022-11-21 - Published: 2025-01-23 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2021-11-22 - Assignees: Krones AG - Applicants: Krones AG - Inventors: Niels Clausen; Christian Depner; Jens Luecke - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12759856B2 ## CPC - B67C 3/007: {Applications of control, warning or safety devices in filling machinery (flow-control B67C3/28)} - B67C 3/24: Devices for supporting or handling bottles (transport or storing devices in general B65G) - B67C 7/002: {General lay-out of bottle-handling machines} - B65G 43/00: Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting - B67C: CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) ## Abstract The invention relates to a method for controlling a buffer conveyor for buffering containers, which buffer conveyor is comprised by a thermal container treatment device in a filling line as a buffer device. The filling line comprises at least one further device for treating the containers, said device being upstream or downstream of the thermal container treatment device. The method comprises: capturing error data relating to the at least one further device; analyzing the error data and obtaining control data; and controlling a fill level of the buffer conveyor during normal operation of the filling line on the basis of the control data. The invention also relates to a filling line comprising a thermal container treatment device, which comprises a buffer conveyor for buffering containers, wherein: the buffer conveyor is comprised in the filling line as a buffer device; the filling line also comprises at least one further device for treating the containers, which further device is upstream or downstream of the thermal container treatment device; wherein the buffer conveyor is controlled by means of the method according to the invention. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for controlling a buffer conveyor for buffering containers, wherein the buffer conveyor is comprised by a thermal container treatment device in a filling line as a buffer device, the filling line comprising at least one further device for treating the containers, the at least one further device being upstream or downstream of the thermal container treatment device, wherein the method comprises: capturing error data relating to the at least one further device; analyzing the error data and obtaining control data; and controlling a fill level of the buffer conveyor during normal operation of the filling line on a basis of the control data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one further device includes a further device upstream of the thermal container treatment device and a further device downstream of the thermal container treatment device, and wherein, when controlled to a first fill level of 30%, an error in the further device upstream of the thermal container treatment device is buffered by the buffer conveyor for at least 20, 30, 40, 50 or 60 seconds, and an error in the further device downstream of the thermal container treatment device is buffered by the buffer conveyor for at least 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110 or 120 seconds. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein, when controlled to a second fill level which is lower than the first fill level, an error in the further device upstream of the thermal container treatment device is buffered by the buffer conveyor for less than 60 seconds, and an error in the further device downstream of the thermal container treatment device is buffered by the buffer conveyor for more than 120 seconds. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein, when controlled to a third fill level which is higher than the first fill level, an error in the further device upstream of the thermal container treatment device is buffered by the buffer conveyor for more than 60 seconds, and an error in the further device downstream of the thermal container treatment device is buffered by the buffer conveyor for less than 120 seconds. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the fill level of the buffer conveyor controls the fill level of the buffer conveyor to 30%. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one further device includes a further device upstream of the thermal container treatment device, and wherein a buffer time for an error in the further device upstream of the thermal container treatment device is at least 60 seconds. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one further device includes a further device downstream of the thermal container treatment device, and wherein a buffer time for an error in the further device downstream of the thermal container treatment device is at least 120 seconds. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one further device includes a further device downstream of the thermal container treatment device, and wherein a first buffer time for a first error in the further device upstream of the thermal container treatment device is at least 60 seconds, and wherein a second buffer time for a second error in the further device downstream of the thermal container treatment device is at least 60 seconds. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the error data comprise: information that an error has occurred in the at least one further device for treating the containers; information on downtimes, including frequency of errors, error duration and/or reduced output; information on time dependencies of errors during production; information on ambient pressure, ambient temperature, and/or time of day during errors; a number of errors upstream and/or downstream of the buffer conveyor; a number of errors upstream and/or downstream of the buffer conveyor that have caused the buffer conveyor to run completely empty or completely full; accumulated duration of errors; and/or classified error data. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the control data are obtained by automatic analysis including by an analysis program and/or by machine learning. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a setpoint value for the fill level of the buffer conveyor is increased or decreased on the basis of the error data and the increased or decreased setpoint value is used for controlling the fill level. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein capturing the error data relating to the at least one further device, analyzing the error data and obtaining the control data, and controlling the fill level of the buffer conveyor during normal operation of the filling line on the basis of the control data are performed at regular intervals, wherein the regular intervals include: every 10 seconds to 20 seconds; every 5 minutes to 45 minutes; once per hour; once per day; or once per week. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the fill level of the buffer conveyor during normal operation of the filling line on the basis of the control data is performed: after exceeding a first given maximum number of errors upstream and/or downstream of the buffer conveyor; and/or after exceeding a second given maximum number of errors upstream and/or downstream of the buffer conveyor that have caused the buffer conveyor to run completely empty or completely full. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the fill level of the buffer conveyor during normal operation of the filling line on the basis of the control data is performed after exceeding a given maximum number of accumulated error durations of errors upstream and/or downstream of the buffer conveyor. ### Claim 15 A filling line comprising: a thermal container treatment device including a buffer conveyor for buffering containers, wherein the buffer conveyor is comprised in the filling line as a buffer device; at least one further device for treating the containers, wherein the at least one further device is arranged upstream or downstream of the thermal container treatment device, and wherein the buffer conveyor is controlled by: capture of error data relating to the at least one further device; analysis of the error data and obtainment of control data; and control of a fill level of the buffer conveyor during normal operation of the filling line on a basis of the control data. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The filling line of claim 15, wherein the at least one further device includes a further device upstream of the thermal container treatment device and a further device downstream of the thermal container treatment device, and wherein, when controlled to a first fill level of 30%, an error in the further device upstream of the thermal container treatment device is buffered by the buffer conveyor for at least 20, 30, 40, 50 or 60 seconds, and an error in the further device downstream of the thermal container treatment device is buffered by the buffer conveyor for at least 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110 or 120 seconds. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The filling line of claim 16, wherein, when controlled to a second fill level which is lower than the first fill level, an error in the further device upstream of the thermal container treatment device is buffered by the buffer conveyor for less than 60 seconds, and an error in the further device downstream of the thermal container treatment device is buffered by the buffer conveyor for more than 120 seconds. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The filling line of claim 17, wherein, when controlled to a third fill level which is higher than the first fill level, an error in the further device upstream of the thermal container treatment device is buffered by the buffer conveyor for more than 60 seconds, and an error in the further device downstream of the thermal container treatment device is buffered by the buffer conveyor for less than 120 seconds. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The filling line of claim 15, wherein the error data comprise: information that an error has occurred in the at least one further device for treating the containers; information on downtimes, including frequency of errors, error duration and/or reduced output; information on time dependencies of errors during production; information on ambient pressure, ambient temperature, and/or time of day during errors; a number of errors upstream and/or downstream of the buffer conveyor; a number of errors upstream and/or downstream of the buffer conveyor that have caused the buffer conveyor to run completely empty or completely full; accumulated duration of errors; and/or classified error data. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The filling line of claim 15, wherein control of the fill level of the buffer conveyor during normal operation of the filling line on the basis of the control data is performed: after exceeding a first given maximum number of errors upstream and/or downstream of the buffer conveyor; and/or after exceeding a second given maximum number of errors upstream and/or downstream of the buffer conveyor that have caused the buffer conveyor to run completely empty or completely full.