1. A method for configuring a controlling device to command the operation of an appliance, comprising:
receiving into the controlling device data that functions to identify the appliance;
transferring the data that functions to identify the appliance from the controlling device to a device having Internet connectivity;
transferring the data that functions to identify the appliance from the device having Internet connectivity via a wide area communication link to an Internet server having access to a database of control codes for commanding the operation of a plurality of appliances of different types and different manufacturers;
receiving from the Internet server at the device having Internet connectivity via the wide area communication link control codes that were selected from the database of control codes as a function of the data that functions to identify the appliance;
transferring the control codes received from the Internet server from the device having Internet connectivity to the controlling device; and
storing the control codes received from the Internet server in the controlling device whereby the control codes are available for use in commanding the operation of the appliance.
2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the device having Internet connectivity comprises a personal computer and wherein the step of transferring the data from the controlling device to a device having Internet connectivity is performed in response to the controlling device being placed into communication with the personal computer.
3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the step of transferring the data from the controlling device to a device having Internet connectivity is performed in response to the controlling device being synchronized with the personal computer.
4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the device having Internet connectivity comprises a personal computer and wherein the step of transferring the control codes received from the Internet server from the device having Internet connectivity to the controlling device is performed in response to the controlling device being placed into communication with the personal computer.
5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the step of transferring the control codes received from the Internet server from the device having Internet connectivity into the controlling device is performed in response to the controlling device being synchronized with the personal computer.
6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data that functions to identify the appliance is received into the controlling device via a transmission originating from the appliance.
7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data that functions to identify the appliance is received into the controlling device by being manually entered into the controlling device.
8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data the functions to identify the appliance is received into the controlling device by reading a bar code label with the controlling device.
9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data that functions to identify the appliance is received into the controlling device via a transmission originating from a personal computer.
10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data that functions to identify the appliance is received into the controlling device via a transmission originating from a cable converter box.
11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data that identifies the appliance comprises a serial number for the appliance.
12. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising receiving from the Internet server at the device having Internet connectivity via the wide area network a macro command sequence and transferring the received macro command sequence from the device having Internet connectivity to the controlling device to thereby allow the controlling device to command at least one operation of the appliance in conjunction with at least one operation of another appliance.
13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the device having Internet connectivity comprises a set top box.
14. A method for configuring a controlling device to command the operation of a first appliance and a second appliances, comprising:
receiving into the controlling device first data that functions to identify the first appliance;
receiving into the controlling device second data that functions to identify the second appliance;
transferring the first data and the second data from the controlling device to a device having Internet connectivity;
transferring the first data and the second data from the device having Internet connectivity via a wide area communication link to an Internet server having access to a database of control codes for commanding the operation of a plurality of appliances of different types and different manufacturers;
receiving from the Internet server at the device having Internet connectivity via the wide area communication link first control codes that were selected from the database of control codes as a function of the data that functions to identify the first appliance, second control codes that were selected from the database of control codes as function of the data that functions to identify the second appliance, and a macro sequence for commanding at least one operation of the first appliance in conjunction with at least one operation of the second appliance;
transferring the first control codes, the second control codes, and the macro sequence from the device having Internet connectivity to the controlling device; and
storing the first control codes, the second control codes, and the macro sequence in the controlling device whereby the first control codes, the second control codes, and the macro sequence are available for use in commanding the operation of the first appliance and the second appliance.
15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the first data and the second data is received into the controlling device via a transmission originating from the first appliance and the second appliance, respectively.
16. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the first data and the second data is received into the controlling device by being manually entered into the controlling device.
17. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the device having Internet connectivity comprises a set top box.
18. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the device having Internet connectivity comprises a personal computer.
19. A system, comprising:
a controlling device; and
a device having internet connectivity adapted to exchange communications with the controlling device, wherein the device having internet connectivity comprises a processing device and an associated memory device on which is stored instructions which, when executed by the processing device, cause the device having internet connectivity to perform steps comprising:
receiving from the controlling device data that functions to identify an appliance;
transferring the data that functions to identify the appliance via a wide area communication link to an Internet server having access to a database of control codes for commanding the operation of a plurality of appliances of different types and different manufacturers;
receiving from the Internet server via the wide area communication link control codes that were selected from the database of control codes as a function of the data that functions to identify the appliance; and
transferring the control codes received from the Internet server to the controlling device whereby the control codes are available for use by the controlling device to command the operation of the appliance.
20. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the device having Internet connectivity comprises a personal computer.
21. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the device having Internet connectivity comprises a set top box.
22. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the instructions cause the device having Internet connectivity to receive the data from the controlling device in response to the controlling device being placed into communication with the device having Internet connectivity.
23. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the instructions cause the device having Internet connectivity to receive the data from the controlling device in response to the controlling device being synchronized with the device having Internet connectivity.
24. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the instructions receive from the Internet server via the wide area network a macro command sequence and transfer the received macro command sequence to the controlling device to thereby allow the controlling device to command at least one operation of the appliance in conjunction with at least one operation of another appliance.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A capping apparatus for a bottle filling device, comprising:
a capping head main body 30,
a first slide body 41 which is slidable up and down with respect to the capping head main body 30, and
a capping door mechanism M, which includes a door structure 39, a connecting rod 40, and a movable door 37, is hinged with the capping head main body 30 and the first slide body 41;
a cap sucking head 43, which is slidable up and down and which is connected to a mechanism driving the cap sucking head 43 to move up and down, the cap sucking head 43 being adapted to move downwards to apply bottle caps 94 onto containers via the capping head main body 30;
a middle slide body 48 arranged in a radial direction between the cap sucking head 43 and the first slide body 41, the middle slide body 48 being capable of sliding up and down, and to move downwards to act on the first slide body 41 in order to drive the first slide body 41 to move downwards,
a spare distance disposed at upper and lower directions of the middle slide body 48 and the first slide body 41, so that the middle slide body 48 will not be able to act on the first slide body 41 while moving downwards at an initial stage of a bottle capping process;
wherein the capping apparatus also includes a second spring 44 and a first spring 49, in which the second spring 44 is compressed to act on the middle slide body 48 along with the downward movement with the cap sucking head 43, and meanwhile, the first spring 49 is located between the capping head main body 30 and the first slide body 41, and supports the first slide body 41; and
the capping apparatus is also provided with one or more cap inlet chutes 300,
wherein a section of each of the inlet chutes 300 is located within the capping head main body 30.
2. The capping apparatus for bottle filling device according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of a cap slideway 104 is connected to the capping head main body 30.
3. The capping apparatus for bottle filling device according to claim 1, wherein the first spring 49 is located adjacent a lower end of the middle slide body 48 and the first slide body 41.
4. The capping apparatus for bottle filling device according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of a cap slideway 104 is connected to the capping head main body 30.
5. The capping apparatus for bottle filling device according to claim 1, wherein the spare distance is equal to a movement distance that the cap sucking head 43 travels downwards in order to suck up the caps 94 during the bottle capping process.
6. The capping apparatus for bottle filling device according to claim 1, wherein the first slide body 41 includes a slide sleeve on an internal cylindrical surface thereof extending from top to bottom of the first slide body 41,
the middle slide body 48 is arranged in the slide sleeve of the first slide body 41, and
the cap sucking head 43 is disposed in the slide sleeve of the first slide body 41.
7. The capping apparatus for bottle filling device according to claim 6, wherein the capping head main body 30 has an open-mouthed front end that is disposed with the movable door 37.
8. The capping apparatus for bottle filling device according to claim 6, wherein the capping head main body 30 includes a capping orifice 301, and
the door structure 39 of the capping door mechanism M is a cap pallet adjacent to the capping orifice 301.
9. The capping apparatus for bottle filling device according to claim 6, wherein the first slide body 41 is connected with a cap inlet door 42 which functions to block the cap inlet chutes 300, and
a closing position of the cap inlet door 42 is located away from a central portion of the cap inlet chutes 300.
10. The capping apparatus for bottle filling device according to claim 6, wherein the cap sucking head 43 has a step surface 430 at a lowermost end thereof that is able to raise the middle slide body 48 and the first slide body 41 when the cap sucking head 43 moves upwards, and
the middle slide body 48 has a lower end portion 481 which is raised by the step surface 430 before the first slide body 41 is raised during the bottle capping process.
11. The capping apparatus for bottle filling device according to claim 1, wherein the cap sucking head 43 has a step surface 430 at a lowermost end thereof that is able raise the middle slide body 48 and the first slide body 44 when the cap sucking head 43 moves upwards, and
the middle slide body 48 has a lower end portion 481 which is raised by the step surface 430 before the first slide body 41 is raised during the bottle capping process.
12. The capping apparatus for bottle filling device according to claim 1, wherein the first slide body 41 is connected with a cap inlet door 42 which functions to block the cap inlet chutes 300, and
a closing position of the cap inlet door 42 is located away from a central portion of the cap inlet chutes 300.
13. The capping apparatus for bottle filling device according to claim 1, wherein the capping head main body 30 includes a capping orifice 301, and
the door structure 39 of said capping door mechanism M is a cap pallet adjacent to the capping orifice 301.
14. The capping apparatus for bottle filling device according to claim 1, wherein the capping head main body 30 has an open-mouthed front end that is provided with the movable door 37.
15. The capping apparatus for bottle filling device according to claim 1,
wherein the capping apparatus is part of a capping system that includes multiple capping apparatuses equal to a number of rows of bottles,
the cap sucking heads 43 of each of the capping apparatuses are connected together via a connecting plate and then are connected to the capping door mechanism M of the system which drives the cap sucking heads 43 to move up and down.
16. The capping apparatus for bottle filling device according to claim 1, wherein the middle slide body 48 has a length that is longer than a length of the first slide body 41.
17. The capping apparatus for bottle filling device according to claim 1, wherein the door structure 39 includes upper members attached to the apparatus at locations adjacent to an outer side of the first slide body 41, and lower members extending under the movable door 37.
18. A capping apparatus for a bottle filling device, comprising:
a capping head main body 30,
a first slide body 41 which is slidable up and down with respect to the capping head main body 30, and
a capping door mechanism M, which includes a door structure 39, a connecting rod 40, and a movable door 37, is hinged with the capping head main body 30 and the first slide body 41;
a cap sucking head 43, which is slidable up and down and which is connected to a mechanism driving the cap sucking head 43 to move up and down, the cap sucking head 43 being adapted to move downwards to apply bottle caps 94 onto containers via the capping head main body 30;
a middle slide body 48 arranged in a radial direction between the cap sucking head 43 and the first slide body 41, the middle slide body 48 being capable of sliding up and down, and to move downwards to act on the first slide body 41 in order to drive the first slide body 41 to move downwards,
a spare distance disposed at upper and lower directions of the middle slide body 48 and the first slide body 41, so that the middle slide body 48 will not be able to act on the first slide body 41 while moving downwards at an initial stage of a bottle capping process;
wherein the capping apparatus also includes a second spring 44 and a first spring 49, in which the second spring 44 is compressed to act on the middle slide body 48 along with the downward movement with the cap sucking head 43, and meanwhile, the first spring 49 is located between the capping head main body 30 and the first slide body 41, and supports the first slide body 41; and
the capping apparatus is also provided with one or more cap inlet chutes 300, wherein a lower end of a cap slideway 104 is connected to the capping head main body 30.
19. A capping apparatus for a bottle filling device, comprising:
a capping head main body 30,
a first slide body 41 which is slidable up and down with respect to the capping head main body 30, and
a capping door mechanism M, which includes a door structure 39, a connecting rod 40, and a movable door 37, is hinged with the capping head main body 30 and the first slide body 41;
a cap sucking head 43, which is slidable up and down and which is connected to a mechanism driving the cap sucking head 43 to move up and down, the cap sucking head 43 being adapted to move downwards to apply bottle caps 94 onto containers via the capping head main body 30;
a middle slide body 48 arranged in a radial direction between the cap sucking head 43 and the first slide body 41, the middle slide body 48 being capable of sliding up and down, and to move downwards to act on the first slide body 41 in order to drive the first slide body 41 to move downwards,
a spare distance disposed at upper and lower directions of the middle slide body 48 and the first slide body 41, so that the middle slide body 48 will not be able to act on the first slide body 41 while moving downwards at an initial stage of a bottle capping process;
wherein the capping apparatus also includes a second spring 44 and a first spring 49, in which the second spring 44 is compressed to act on the middle slide body 48 along with the downward movement with the cap sucking head 43, and meanwhile, the first spring 49 is located between the capping head main body 30 and the first slide body 41, and supports the first slide body 41; and
the capping apparatus is also provided with one or more cap inlet chutes 300,
wherein the cap sucking head 43 has a step surface 430 at a lowermost end thereof that is able raise the middle slide body 48 and the first slide body 44 when the cap sucking head 43 moves upwards, and
the middle slide body 48 has a lower end portion 481 which is raised by the step surface 430 before the first slide body 41 is raised during the bottle capping process.