Method of ionized air-rinsing of containers and apparatus therefor

A method of air rinsing containers passing through a waterless, brushless air rinsing system comprising:

• a) providing an air rinsing apparatus having a first set of ionizing air nozzles and a second set of high velocity air nozzles, both sets of nozzles emitting a gas stream toward the containers, and a vacuum source extending underneath the plurality of air nozzles for evacuating the air around the containers;
• b) passing, at a high rate of speed, plural containers having a downwardly facing open side over the air streams emitted from the nozzles;
• and
• c) evacuating the air and any entrained foreign particles from the immediate environment of the containers by the suction provided by the vacuum source.

Apparatus for removing unwanted foreign particles from empty containers while they move forwardly, in a line, along a predetermined container flow path, each container having at least one open side, the open side facing in a generally common direction with the open side of each of the containers contiguous with said container, comprising:

• (a) an open-ended housing defining an enclosure, the predetermined container flow path traversing the enclosure longitudinally in the direction of forward movement in the container flow path;
• (b) a plurality of air nozzles mounted within the housing, the air nozzles adapted for directing compressed air toward the container flow path, the nozzles being oriented to direct air flow generally perpendicularly to the direction of forward motion of the containers along the predetermined container flow path, so that compressed air directed from at least one of the nozzles flows into the open side of each container as it passes the nozzle;
• and
• (c) a nozzle guard interposed between the container flow path and the plurality of nozzles, the nozzle guard further providing egress for the air stream emitted by each nozzle in an upward direction toward the container flow path wherein the nozzle guard provides egress for the air stream through an aperture in the nozzle guard for each nozzle, the aperture corresponding to the shape of the air stream emitted from the nozzle.

An apparatus for removing unwanted foreign particles from empty containers while they move forwardly, in a line, along a predetermined container flow path, each container having at least one open side, the open side facing in a generally common direction with the open side of each of the containers contiguous with said container, comprising:

• an open-ended housing defining an enclosure, the predetermined container flow path traversing the enclosure longitudinally in the direction of forward movement in the container flow path;
• a plurality of air nozzles mounted within the housing, the air nozzles adapted for directing compressed air toward the container flow path, the nozzles being oriented to direct air flow generally perpendicularly to the direction of forward motion of the containers along the predetermined container flow path, so that compressed air directed from at least one of the nozzles flows into the open side of each container as it passes the nozzle;
• and a nozzle guard interposed between the container flow path and the plurality of nozzles, the guard further providing egress for the air stream emitted by each nozzle in an upward direction toward the container flow path, wherein the nozzle guard comprises an elongated plate that has been folded along a fold line parallel to a longitudinal centerline whereby creating two lateral ends which are perpendicular to each other;
• and
• wherein, the elongated plate is positioned directly over the plurality of nozzles.