Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6637174
-
Patent Number
6,637,174
-
Date Filed
Monday, November 5, 200122 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, October 28, 200320 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Rada; Rinaldi I.
- Desai; Hemant M.
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 053 250
- 053 251
- 053 252
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
An apparatus (10) for inserting blister packs (1) into collapsible cardboard boxes (2) has an inserter (40) and a covering tab (58). During a stationary phase of a first conveyor device (15) that supplies the blister packs (1), the inserter (40) and covering tab (58) transfer the blister packs (1) into the collapsible cardboard box (2) supplied by a second conveyor device (11). In order to be able to execute a format change without replacement of the inserter (40) or adaptation of the covering tab (58), the invention proposes driving the inserter (40) and the covering tab (58) by means of servomotors (32 to 34).
Description
PRIOR ART
The invention relates to an apparatus for inserting items, in particular blister packs, into collapsible cardboard boxes, according to the preamble to claim 1. In a known apparatus of this type, the movements of the insertion plunger and the covering tab for the blister packs are derived from the rotation of the main shaft of the apparatus, which is embodied as a cartoning machine. This occurs in a mechanical fashion, through the conversion of the rotary motion of the main shaft by means of radial cams and levers into the corresponding horizontal and vertical movements of the insertion plunger and the covering tab. A format change in an apparatus of this kind takes place with a change in length of the collapsible cardboard box or the blister packs through replacement of the insertion plunger. If the number of blister packs to be inserted into the collapsible cardboard boxes changes, then the covering tab height must be readjusted. If a packager processes various collapsible cardboard box formats, then it has to keep in store an insert plunger set for each format and the covering tab must be readjusted each time there is a format change. The known apparatus thus requires a relatively high implementation cost with correspondingly long times during which the machine is off-line during the conversion, particularly if the apparatus has a number of insertion plungers and covering tabs for filling several collapsible cardboard boxes simultaneously. Furthermore, the movement sequences of the insertion plungers and the covering tabs are determined by the transmission mechanics and cannot be adapted to various products, or can only be adapted to them at a high cost. For example, the contacting location and the contacting speed of the covering tab against the uppermost blister pack should be adjustable in the event of a sensitive product or for a particular blister format.
ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
The apparatus according to the invention for inserting items, in particular blister packs, into collapsible cardboard boxes, with the characterizing features of claim 1, has the advantage over the prior art that a format change can take place without changing components on the device. This is achieved by virtue of the fact that by mechanically decoupling the insertion plunger and the covering tab from the main shaft of the cartoning machine and coupling them to at least one servomotor, this servomotor adapts the movements and the adjustment path of the insertion plunger and the covering tab to the format to be processed.
Other advantageous modifications of the apparatus according to the invention for inserting items, in particular blister packs, into collapsible cardboard boxes ensue from the dependent claims. It is particularly advantageous to control each movement of the insertion plunger and the covering tab by means of a separate servomotor. In this case, the movements of the insertion plunger and the covering tab can be variously and optimally adapted to each format.
DRAWINGS
An exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and will be explained in detail subsequently.
FIG. 1
is a side view of an apparatus for inserting blister packs into collapsible cardboard boxes, in a partially cut-away depiction,
FIG. 2
shows part of the apparatus according to
FIG. 1
, in a partially simplified perspective view, and
FIGS. 3
to
5
show simplified top views of the apparatus according to
FIG. 2
during different operating phases.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT
The apparatus
10
shown in the Figs. is part of a cartoning machine and is used for inserting blister packs
1
into collapsible cardboard boxes
2
. The apparatus
10
has a first, cyclically driven conveyor device
11
for the collapsible cardboard boxes
2
, which are disposed between drivers
13
,
14
, which belong to the first conveyor device
11
and whose distance from each other can be adjusted. Parallel to and spaced apart from the first conveyor device, a second, cyclically driven conveyor device
15
for the blister packs
1
revolves in the same direction as the first conveyor device
11
. At its end, the second conveyor device
15
has a cup
17
that is open on its end faces, which respectively contains at least one blister pack
1
, but in the exemplary embodiment shown, several blister packs
1
are disposed on top of one another, forming a blister stack
3
. The heights of the cup walls
18
and the drivers
13
,
14
are adapted to the height of the maximal blister stack
3
to be packaged and/or the height of the highest collapsible cardboard box
2
.
An insertion assisting device
20
is fixed in a stationary fashion between the two conveyor devices
11
,
15
and is only shown in
FIGS. 1 and 3
to
5
. It has two plates
24
,
25
, which are disposed vertically on a transfer plate
21
and can be pivoted around axes
22
,
23
. When the plates
24
,
25
are aligned parallel to each other, they have a distance from each other which approximately corresponds to the distance of the cup walls
18
of a cup
17
. Furthermore, the width b and disposition of the plates
24
,
25
is such that when the plates
24
,
25
are aligned parallel to each other, they engage in the side tabs
4
of the collapsible cardboard boxes
2
. Between the insertion assisting device
20
and the second conveyor device
15
, there is also an intrinsically known package insert conveyor device that is not shown since it is not essential to the invention, which has a package insert gripper, which readies a package insert
5
for each collapsible cardboard box
2
.
On the side of the second conveyor device
15
oriented toward the first conveyor device
11
, the apparatus
10
has a bracket
28
, which is fastened to the support wall
29
on the side opposite from the conveyor devices
11
,
15
. Above the bracket
28
, the support wall
29
has an opening
31
. Three servomotors
32
,
33
,
34
are fastened to the bracket
28
.
The first servomotor
32
drives a toothed belt
35
, which turns around three rolls
36
,
37
,
38
supported on the bracket
28
. Between the two rolls
37
,
38
that are supported in an upper plane, the toothed belt
35
has a driver
39
attached to it, which can be slid on a horizontally aligned rod
30
and is connected to an inserter
40
that functions as an insertion plunger. The inserter
40
has an essentially horizontal, cross sectionally U-shaped section
41
, which passes through the opening
31
of the support wall
29
. On the end of the section
41
oriented toward the conveyor devices
11
,
15
, the vertical wall sections
42
of the section
41
are embodied as raised rectangular strips
43
. The height of the strips
43
is adapted to the height of the highest blister stack
3
to be packaged. The length of the section
41
and of the inserter
40
is matched to the adjustment path of the toothed belt
35
between the two rolls
37
,
38
in such a way that during the supply phase of the conveyor devices
11
,
15
, the front end or the strips
43
of the inserter
40
are disposed between the conveyor device
15
for the blister packs
1
and the support wall
29
. In the stationary phase of the conveyor devices
11
,
15
, the front end of the inserter
40
and of the strips
43
just reaches the opening cross section of the collapsible cardboard box
2
in order to insert the blister packs
1
into the collapsible cardboard box
2
. This means that the inserter
40
has a width which permits it to be inserted between the cup walls
18
and the two plates
24
,
25
.
A lever
45
is attached to the drive shaft
44
of the second servomotor
33
. The shaft
45
is coupled to a retaining block
48
with a longitudinal bore by means of a first rod
47
. A vertically aligned, stationary column
49
is disposed in the longitudinal bore so that the retaining block
48
is guided on the column
49
so that it can move vertically in accordance with the angular position of the lever
45
. A horizontally aligned rail
50
is fastened to the retaining block
48
and is encompassed by a carriage
52
. The carriage
52
is connected to the drive shaft
55
of the third servomotor
34
by means of a second rod
53
and a pivot lever
54
. A tab support
57
, which passes through the opening
31
of the support wall
29
, is fastened to the carriage
52
and supports a strip-shaped covering tab
58
on its end remote from the carriage
52
. The width of the covering tab
58
is such that it can be inserted between the strips
43
of the inserter
40
, between the side walls
18
of the cup
17
, and between the plates
24
,
25
.
The three servomotors
32
to
34
can be separately controlled by a control device
60
which is also responsible for controlling the two conveyor devices
11
,
15
. Among other things, the speed and/or the cycle rate t of the two cyclically operating conveyor devices
11
,
15
, which determines the output of the cartoning machine
10
, the height h of the blister stack
3
, and its length l, can be preset in this the control device
60
, for example by means of an input keypad. Based on the input values t, h, l, the control unit
60
calculates the necessary movements of the inserter
40
and the covering tabs
58
or their servomotors
32
to
34
. Naturally, the movements of the servomotors
32
to
34
can also be already stored in the control device
60
as preset function sequences that can be retrieved depending on the input values t, h, l. These function sequences would therefore have been previously established in the context of trials.
The apparatus
10
operates as follows: the two cyclically driven conveyor devices
11
,
15
respectively supply a blister stack
3
and a collapsible cardboard box
2
to the apparatus
10
, which come to a stop aligned with the inserter
40
and the covering tab
58
. At this point, the inserter
40
is disposed in its retracted end position outside the cup
17
and the covering tab
58
is disposed above the cup walls
18
of the conveyor device
15
. Furthermore, the two plates
24
,
25
, on their ends oriented toward the collapsible cardboard box
2
, are pivoted in such a way that when the collapsible cardboard box
2
is supplied, its side tabs
4
at the front in the feed direction of the collapsible cardboard box
2
do not touch the two plates
24
,
25
. When the conveyor device
11
with the collapsible cardboard box
2
has come to a stop, the two plates
24
,
25
are aligned parallel to each other so that the two side tabs
4
of the collapsible cardboard box
2
do not block the opening cross section for the insertion of the blister stack
3
. At the same time, the covering tab
58
is lowered onto the top of the blister stack
3
through a corresponding triggering of the second servomotor
33
and the inserter
40
is moved toward the cup
17
through a triggering of the first servomotor
32
(FIG.
3
). As soon as the inserter
40
contacts the blister stack
3
and slides it out of the cup
17
toward the collapsible cardboard box
2
, the covering tab
58
is also moved horizontally, synchronously with the inserter
40
, through a triggering of the third servomotor
34
. The synchronous horizontal motion of the inserter
40
and covering tab
58
is required so that there is no relative movement between the individual blister packs
1
in the blister stack
3
. When the blister stack
3
is slid out of the cup
17
, the front end of the blister stack
3
oriented toward the collapsible cardboard box
2
comes into contact with the package insert
5
readied by the insert gripper. It is essential in this connection that the blister stack
3
always come into contact with the package insert
5
at the same time in relation to the supplying of the package insert, no mater what format is being used. As a result, as shown in
FIG. 2
, the blister stack
3
always catches the package insert
5
, which is supplied perpendicular to the insert direction, at the same point, particularly in the center, so that the package insert is also pushed into the collapsible cardboard box
2
. Then, as the transfer of the blister stack
3
continues, it slides along on the transfer plate
21
and is inserted into the opened opening cross section of the collapsible cardboard box
2
(FIG.
4
).
In the insertion end position, the covering tab
58
is disposed inside the collapsible cardboard box
2
and the inserter
40
is disposed immediately in front of the open end of the collapsible cardboard box
2
(FIG.
1
). No later than when it reaches the insertion end position, the covering tab
58
is first withdrawn horizontally from the interior of the collapsible cardboard box
2
by means of the third servomotor
34
. The time for starting to withdraw the covering tab
58
from the collapsible cardboard box
2
can be set depending on the format, where an it must be assured that the covering tab
58
be disposed above the collapsible cardboard box
2
as soon as the conveyor device
11
moves the filled collapsible cardboard box
2
further along its way. The different times for the starting the withdrawal from the collapsible cardboard box
2
result from the different desired cycle rates t and the different set lengths l of the blister packs
1
or of the collapsible cardboard box
2
. Generally speaking, the covering tab
58
must be withdrawn from the collapsible cardboard box
2
earlier and/or faster the higher the cycle rate t is (since the stationary time of the conveyor device
11
is then relatively short) and the longer the collapsible cardboard box
2
or the length l of the blister packs
1
is (since the covering tab
58
then protrudes relatively far into the collapsible cardboard box
2
). With regard to the inserter
40
, with the retraction into its original position by means of the first servomotor
32
, it can be advantageous to wait until the covering tab
58
is outside the carton
2
. As a result, the possibility of the covering tab
58
pulling blister packs
1
out of the collapsible cardboard box
2
is prevented since the strips
43
of the inserter
40
act as a countersupport.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, when it is withdrawn from the collapsible cardboard box
2
, the covering tab
58
is disposed below the level of the cup walls
18
of the conveyor device
15
. Furthermore, the ejector
40
extends through the cup
17
. Since the conveyor device
15
, in order to prepare the next blister stack
3
, can only be moved further when the covering tab
58
is disposed above the cup
17
and the ejector
40
is disposed outside the cup
17
, after emerging from the opening cross section of the collapsible cardboard box
2
, the covering tab
58
is simultaneously raised to a level above the cup walls
18
by means of the second servomotor
33
. By way of explanation, the movement path of the covering tab
58
in
FIG. 1
is labeled with the reference numeral
61
.
No later than when the inserter
40
and the covering tab
58
are disposed outside the side tabs
4
of the collapsible cardboard box
2
, the conveyor device
11
can move the filled collapsible cardboard box
2
onward for further processing. Furthermore, the two plates
24
,
25
are then pivoted inward again on the side oriented toward the conveyor device
11
in order to receive the next unfilled collapsible cardboard box
2
(FIG.
5
).
As soon as the covering tab
58
is disposed on the level of the cup walls
18
and the inserter
40
is once again disposed outside the cup
17
, the conveyor device
15
can also be advanced further in order to supply the next blister stack
3
. It is clear from the movement sequences described above that the decisive criterion for the output of the apparatus
10
is that the conveyor device
15
can be advanced further as early as possible in order to supply the next blister stack
3
, i.e. that in particular, the inserter
40
is once again disposed outside the cup
17
.
With a predetermined collapsible cardboard box format and a desired output, the control device
61
can trigger the servomotors
32
to
34
in such a way that the insertion of the blister stack
3
takes place relatively slowly and therefore gently whereas in particular the retraction of the inserter
40
takes place at a relatively high speed. Consequently, format- and output-dependent speed courses of the inserter
40
and the covering tab
58
are also conceivable, which cannot be achieved with conventional, rigidly mechanical embodiments.
By means of the above described apparatus
10
, it is possible to process collapsible cardboard box formats in a range from approximately 50 mm to 150 mm in length and a height of up to approx. 100 mm, without changing or adapting the inserter
40
or covering tab
58
, solely through an appropriate triggering of the servomotors
32
to
34
.
It should also be noted that in order to increase output, it is naturally also conceivable to provide a number of inserters
40
and covering tabs
58
parallel and rigidly coupled to one another so that a respective number of blister stacks
3
can be inserted simultaneously. In simpler applications, it is also conceivable to use only one or two servomotors instead of three separate servomotors
32
to
34
. In this instance, for example, one servomotor is responsible for the entire movement of the covering tab, while its horizontal or vertical motion is then mechanically derived from the respective other motion.
Claims
- 1. Apparatus (10) for inserting items into collapsible cardboard boxes (2), the apparatus comprising a cyclically revolving first conveyor device (15) for conveying items to be packaged in a supply direction, a cyclically revolving second conveyor device (11) for conveying collapsible cardboard boxes (2) for receiving the items to be packaged, said second conveyor device disposed parallel to said first conveyer device (15) and operable to convey boxes in said supply direction, an insertion plunger (40) mounted for movement lateral to said supply direction, a covering tab (58) supported for movement up and down and lateral to said supply direction for insertion into and withdrawal from an opening of the collapsible cardboard boxes (2), said insertion plunger (40) and said covering tab (58) being operable to slide the items out of said first conveyor device (15) into the collapsible cardboard box (2) during a stationary phase of said conveyor devices (11, 15) and to be retracted into end positions that do not inhibit the motion of said conveyor devices (11, 15), said insertion plunger (40) being coupled to a first servomotor (32), and said covering tab (58) being coupled to a second servomotor (33) for vertical motion thereby and a third servomotor (34) for horizontal motion thereby, and a control means (60) for storing or calculating format-dependent movement sequences of said insertion plunger (40) and said covering tab (58), said first, second and third servomotors being controlled by said control means (60).
- 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first servomotor (32) drives a toothed belt (35) connected to a carriage (39), said carriage being movable back and forth on at least one guide rod (30) and being connected to the insertion plunger (40).
- 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the covering tab (58) is fastened to a carriage (52), which can be moved back and forth on a guide (50) by means of a lever (54) coupled to said third servomotor (34), said guide (50) being supported for movement vertically by means of a support (48) on a column (49), wherein the support (48) is connected to said second servomotor (33) by means of a lever (45).
- 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first, second and third servomotors (32, 33, 34) and said moving mechanism for said insertion plunger (40) and said covering tab (58) are disposed on a common plate (28), said common plate being fastened to a frame (29) of the apparatus (10).
- 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the covering tab (58) is fastened to a carriage (52), which can be moved back and forth on a guide (50) by means of a lever (54) coupled to said third servomotor (34), said guide (50) being supported for movement vertically by means of a support (48) on a column (49), wherein the support (48) is connected to said second servomotor (33) by means of a lever (45).
- 6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first, second and third servomotors (32, 33, 34) and said moving mechanism for said insertion plunger (40) and said covering tab (58) are disposed on a common plate (28), said common plate being fastened to a frame (29) of the apparatus (10).
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
199 02 453 |
Jan 1999 |
DE |
|
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
PCT/DE00/00080 |
|
WO |
00 |
Publishing Document |
Publishing Date |
Country |
Kind |
WO00/43269 |
7/27/2000 |
WO |
A |
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Amaranti |
Jun 1994 |
A |
6047527 |
Pazdernik et al. |
Apr 2000 |
A |
6339910 |
Hahnel et al. |
Jan 2002 |
B1 |
6453649 |
Kammler et al. |
Sep 2002 |
B1 |
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
1584162 |
Feb 1981 |
GB |