Patent Application
20160114915
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing packaging units in a tubular bag forming, filling and sealing machine, in which separated products are transferred to a portioning device by means of a horizontal conveyor in order to manufacture portion units with a defined arrangement and number of products, and the portion units, which are enveloped by a film web, are subsequently conveyed to a separating device with the help of a vertical conveyor in order to separate the packaging units. Moreover, the invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing packaging units in a tubular bag forming, filling and sealing machine, having a horizontal conveyor for transferring separated products to a portioning device in order to manufacture portion units with a defined arrangement and number of products, and having a vertical conveyor for conveying the portion units, which are enveloped by a film web, to a separating device in order to separate the packaging units.
When manufacturing packaging units from a multiplicity of products which are supplied in a separated fashion, and which are provided with a film tube for being enveloped, the products being supplied in a separated fashion are initially united in portion units in a defined relative arrangement. Subsequently, said portion units are provided with the film tube envelope in order to then finally obtain separated packaging units by means of a cut-through of the film tube at defined locations.
Two interfaces result from the procedure outlined hereinbefore, when continuously manufacturing the packaging units, at which interfaces a synchronization between different conveyor installations has to be effected.
For one thing, a synchronization between the horizontal conveyor supplying the products in a separated fashion and the portioning device has to be carried out since, in the portioning device, the relative arrangement of the separated products for manufacturing portion units is altered. For instance, with portion units having the products that have been separated beforehand in a stacking arrangement, both the distances between the individual products and their spatial orientation with respect to one another have to be altered. This, for instance, requires a corresponding deceleration of a portioning device that is operated in a circulating fashion when the separated products are taken over from the horizontal conveyor.
A further synchronization has to be effected when transferring the products being united in portion units in the portioning device to the vertical conveyor, in which the film web is simultaneously conveyed in order to realize the envelope for the portion units.
The present invention is based on the task of procuring a method and an apparatus allowing both for a synchronization between the horizontal conveyor and the portioning device and for a synchronization between the portioning device and the vertical conveyor, with the smallest possible device-related expenditure.
This task is solved by a method having the features of claim 1 and by an apparatus having the features of claim 16.
In the method in accordance with the invention, both the synchronization between the horizontal conveyor and the portioning device and the synchronization between the portioning device and the vertical conveyor are effected by means of the portioning device itself. In the method in accordance with the invention, a special device is hence not envisaged for performing the dual synchronization. Instead, the portioning device that is needed for manufacturing the portion units in any case is simultaneously employed for synchronization.
In accordance with a preferred variant of the method, the synchronization is performed by the portioning device by means of at least one pair of stops including two portioning stops that circulate independently of each other on a circulating conveyor, namely a leading guide stop and a trailing end stop, resting against the products in order to realize a portion unit that is composed of products that rest against one another and being carried over, together with the portion unit being received therebetween, on the circulating conveyor from a take-over position for taking over products from the horizontal conveyor into a transfer position for transferring the products to the vertical conveyor.
The portion unit being received in a sandwich fashion between the guide stop and the end stop allows for transporting the portion unit independently of any gravity effects, such that the portion unit can be transported on the circulating conveyor to the vertical conveyor as a coherent and compact unit with products resting against one another, independently of any gravity effects and, with respect to its conveying speed, only determined by the conveying speed of the pair of stops being formed by the guide stop and the end stop.
By operating the portioning stops independently of each other, it is possible to adapt the speed with which the portioning stops circulate on the circulating conveyor to the respective special synchronization conditions when taking over the products from the horizontal conveyor on the one hand and when transferring the products being united in portion units to the vertical conveyor on the other hand.
If the conveying direction of the circulating conveyor is opposite to the conveying direction of the horizontal conveyor and concordant with the conveying direction of the vertical conveyor, and if the circulating conveyor, starting from a take-over portion that is inclined downwards relative to the horizontal level and up to a transfer portion, has a portioning path being increasingly oriented vertically, a conveying connection that is as direct and as short as possible, between the horizontal conveyor and the vertical conveyor, is possible.
If a product is taken over from the horizontal conveyor in the take-over position by means of a take-over device, which is carried over from an arrangement being aligned with a conveying plane of the horizontal conveyor into an arrangement being aligned with a conveying plane of the circulating conveyor, it is not only possible to establish a speed synchronization between the circulating conveyor and the horizontal conveyor, but balancing differing conveying planes of the horizontal conveyor and the circulating conveyor is also possible.
In order to allow for setting the portioning stops in a fashion being exactly adapted to the size of the products to be portioned, it is advantageous if, in the take-over position, the guide stop is initially positioned in a halt position, and if the end stop is advanced against the product after the product has been taken over from the horizontal conveyor.
Transferring the products being united in portion units from the portioning device to the vertical conveyor in an especially product-friendly fashion becomes possible if the guide stop and the end stop, when attaining the transfer position, move in synchronization with the vertical conveyor and in parallel to the same. Hereby, it is in particular ensured that the film web which is continuously moved with the vertical conveyor, and which serves to realize the envelope for the portion units, has the same speed and is moved forward in the same direction at the time of transferring the products.
If, when the portion unit is transferred to the vertical conveyor, the guide stop is accelerated and the end stop is decelerated, it is ensured that the portioning stops are not able to exert a force that affects the transfer of the products onto the portion unit.
In order to ensure that, when a portion unit in a matrix arrangement including at least two product columns being arranged in a matrix row and each having at least one product is transferred, the portion unit is not exposed to an additional force by the portioning stops, it is advantageous if the guide stop is accelerated after the first product column in the conveying direction has been transferred to the vertical conveyor, and if the end stop is decelerated after the last product column in the conveying direction has been transferred to the vertical conveyor.
In order to manufacture a portion unit in a matrix arrangement including at least two product columns being arranged in a matrix row and each having one product, it is especially advantageous if the end stop, after the product of the first product column has been taken over and after the end stop has been advanced against the first product, is moved forward, together with the guide stop, by a product length in the conveying direction into a second halt position, and if the end stop is subsequently advanced into a third halt position, with a backward movement against the conveying direction, in order to realize a receiving interstice for the second product between the first product and the end stop. Consequently, a portion unit can be manufactured that is product-friendly and that has been adapted especially exactly to a multiplicity of products with respect to its length.
In order to manufacture a portion unit in a matrix arrangement including at least two product columns being arranged in a matrix row and each having at least two products that are arranged so as to lie one above the other in a stacking arrangement, it is especially advantageous if the first product of the first product column is taken over by means of a take-over device, which is carried over from an arrangement being aligned with a conveying plane of the horizontal conveyor into an arrangement being aligned with a conveying plane of the circulating conveyor, and if the second product of the same product column is taken over by depositing the second product onto the first product.
Preferably, the product is taken over by means of the take-over device, in such a manner that the product, while carrying over the take-over device into the conveying plane of the circulating conveyor, is exposed to a compressive force, such that the product can be forced to rest against the take-over device and effects of rebounding can at least be lessened. Especially advantageously, a compressive force can be generated by exposing the upper side of the product to a fluid current preferably being realized as an air current.
If a release end pertaining to the horizontal conveyor and being adjustable in its length is pivoted against the take-over portion of the circulating conveyor in such a manner that a conveying plane of the release end, in the take-over position, is arranged in a common plane with a stacking face of the guide stop, by way of the variability of the horizontal conveyor, the portioning device can still be used to manufacture a portion unit in a matrix arrangement including a product column having at least two products that are arranged so as to lie one above the other in a stacking arrangement.
If a multiplicity of pairs of stops circulates on the circulating conveyor, each including one guide stop and one end stop, wherein the guide stops and the end stops are arranged at conveying means of the circulating conveyor that are independent of one another, it is possible to exploit the entire conveying length of the circulating conveyor for the arrangement of positioning stops, such that in particular also the number of the pairs of stops can selected so as to correspond to the distance to be bridged between the horizontal conveyor and the vertical conveyor. Here, in order to minimize the number of conveying means that are needed for driving the portioning stops, it is advantageous if at least two guide stops and at least two end stops of the multiplicity of pairs of stops are driven by means of one conveying means in each instance.
The inventive apparatus for manufacturing packaging units in a tubular bag forming, filling and sealing machine has a horizontal conveyor for transferring separated products to a portioning device, which serves to manufacture portion units with a defined arrangement and number of products, and a vertical conveyor for conveying the portion units, which are enveloped by a film web, to a separating device, which serves to separate the packaging units, wherein the portioning device both serves to manufacture the portion units and is realized to synchronize the portioning device with the horizontal conveyor and the vertical conveyor.
Preferably, the portioning device has at least one pair of stops including two portioning stops that circulate independently of each other on a circulating conveyor, namely a leading guide stop and a trailing end stop, defining a portion unit and being able to be carried over on the circulating conveyor from a take-over position for taking over products from the horizontal conveyor into a transfer position for transferring the products to the vertical conveyor.
In a preferred embodiment, the circulating conveyor is provided with a driving device, which moves the guide stop and the end stop in the direction opposite to the conveying direction of the horizontal conveyor and in the direction concordant with the conveying direction of the vertical conveyor, and the circulating conveyor, starting from a take-over portion that is inclined downwards relative to the horizontal level and up to a transfer portion, has a portioning path being increasingly oriented vertically.
It is especially advantageous if, for taking over a product from the horizontal conveyor in the take-over position, a take-over device is envisaged at the portioning device, which can be carried over from an arrangement being aligned with a conveying plane of the horizontal conveyor into an arrangement being aligned with a conveying plane of the circulating conveyor.
It is especially advantageous if the take-over device has a bearing face being movable translatorily between the conveying planes for depositing the product and a nozzle installation being arranged above the bearing face for exposing an upper side of a product being arranged on the bearing face to a fluid current.
Preferably, the horizontal conveyor, in order to manufacture a portion unit in a matrix arrangement including a product column having at least two products that are arranged so as to lie one above the other in a stacking arrangement, has a release end being adjustable in its length and being connected to a horizontal conveying portion of the horizontal conveyor via a pivot hinge, said release end being able to be pivoted against the take-over portion of the circulating conveyor in such a manner that a conveying plane of the conveying bracket, in the take-over position, is arranged in a common plane with a stacking face of the guide stop.
Furthermore, it is preferred if a multiplicity of circulating pairs of stops is envisaged on the circulating conveyor, each including one guide stop and one end stop, wherein the guide stops and the end stops are arranged at conveying means of the circulating conveyor that are independent of one another.
Preferably, at least two guide stops and at least two end stops of the multiplicity of pairs of stops are arranged at one conveying means in each instance.
In the following, with the aid of the drawing, preferred embodiments of the method in accordance with the invention as well as apparatuses being employed here are explained in more detail.
In the figures:
The portion unit 21 being illustrated in
As in particular
A film web deflecting installation 31 is situated in the region of the transfer end 28 of the portioning device 20. Via said film web deflecting installation, a film web 34 being conveyed thereto along a film web supply installation 32 of the vertical conveyor 22 and being driven via a film take-off installation that is arranged below the vertical conveyor 22 and that is not illustrated in more detail here is introduced into the conveying channel 30 being realized between the belt conveyors 26 such that the film web 34 surrounds the portion unit 21, enveloping the same, in the region of the draw-in opening 29 of the conveying channel 30 and is moved through the conveying channel 30 together with the portion unit 21.
An overlap region being realized in the process, of film web longitudinal edges, is fixed by means of a longitudinal sealing installation being arranged in the lower region of the conveying channel 30 and not being illustrated in more detail here, such that, following the longitudinal sealing installation, both below and above the portion unit 21, after a transverse sealed seam has been manufactured, in a transverse sealing installation not being illustrated here in more detail, the film web 34 that has been shaped into a film tube may be cut through and packaging units each containing a portion unit 21 may thus be separated.
One guide stops 49 and one end stop 50 of conveying straps 48 being assigned to each other define a portioning frame 65, together with side rails 51 being arranged at the side of the guide track 40, the products 46, 47 moving between said side rails in the circulating direction 45. The portion unit 41 is conveyed in said portioning frame along the guide track 40 from a take-over position 52 (
As
After the product 46 has been taken over from the horizontal conveyor 18, the end stop 50 being driven by a further conveying strap 48 independently of the guide stop 49 is advanced against the product 46 in the conveying direction 45 and the guide stop 49 is moved into a second halt position S2 being illustrated in
Subsequently, as it is illustrated in
After the second product 47 has been arranged in the receiving interstice 70, for arranging the portion unit 41 consequently having the products 46, 47 in a matrix arrangement 42 in a defined fashion, the end stop 50 is advanced against product 47.
At the end of the portioning path 63 of the portioning device 20, along which the portion unit 41 is conveyed by means of a thrusting of the guide stop 49 and of the end stop 50 that is simultaneous for keeping up the portioning frame 65, the portion unit 41 arrives in the transfer portion 55 of the portioning device 20, said portion being arranged so as to be parallel to the conveying channel 30 of the vertical conveyor 22. In the region of the transfer portion 55, the portion unit 41 is transferred to to the belt conveyors 26 pertaining to the vertical conveyor 22 and defining the conveying channel 30, in such a manner that the products 46, 47 are held between the belt conveyors 26 being vertically driven in the conveying direction 71, maintaining the relative arrangement that is defined by the portion unit 41.
As it was explained at the beginning with reference to
For transferring the portion unit 41 to the vertical conveyor 22, the belt conveyors 26 of the vertical conveyor 22 and the conveying straps 48 pertaining to the circulating conveyor 23 and being assigned to the guide stop 49 and to the end stop 50 have the same speed. In order to ensure that the portion unit 41, when being transferred to the vertical conveyor 22, is not influenced by the application of a force by the guide stop 49 or by the end stop 50, after the product 46 being in the front in the conveying direction 45 has been transferred and before a deflection portion 72 being joined to the transfer portion 55 has been attained, which deflection portion carries the conveying straps 48 of the circulating conveyor 23 into a recirculating portion 73, the guide stop 49 is accelerated. Correspondingly, after the product 47 being in the rear in the conveying direction 45 has been transferred to the vertical conveyor 22, the end stop 50 is decelerated.
For manufacturing the stacking arrangement 84, starting from a halt position S1 of the guide stop 49 and of the end stop 50, which are situated in the take-over portion 53 in the take-over position 52, a first product 46 is initially taken over, which is transferred onto the bearing face 67 of the take-over device 66 via the release end 64 of the horizontal conveyor 18, said bearing face being lifted into the conveying plane 68 of the horizontal conveyor 18, and is subsequently lowered onto the guide track 40 as a result of a lowering movement of the bearing face 67.
Subsequently, the pair of stops 57 remains in the halt position S1 and the following product 47 is transferred from the horizontal conveyor 18 via the release end 64 thereof onto the first product 46 that has already been received between the guide stop 49 and the end stop 50, for realizing the stacking arrangement 84.
In the following, the products 46, 47 realizing the first product column 83 of the matrix arrangement 81 are moved forward, by means of a synchronous forward movement of the guide stop 49 and of the end stop 50, by a product length in the conveying direction 45 into a second halt position S2, and, for realizing the second product column 83, the end stop 50 is moved up to a halt position S3, in which a receiving interstice 85 is realized between the products 46, 47 of the first product column 83 being arranged one above the other in a stacking arrangement 84 and the end stop 50, said receiving interstice being filled with two further products 46, 47 in a stacking arrangement 84, wherein, corresponding to fashion in which the first product column 83 is realized, the first product 46 of the second product column 83 is lowered onto the guide track 40 by means of the take-over device 66 and the second product 47 is put onto the first product 46.
In the tangential configuration, the horizontal conveyor 18, as it is illustrated in
The radial configuration of the horizontal conveyor 18 consequently allows for manufacturing portion units 21 in a matrix arrangement including a product column, wherein the stacking face 94 of the guide stop 49 is exploited for a stacking arrangement of products 46, 47 being arranged so as to lie immediately one above the other.
From the remarks hereinbefore with respect to explaining the different variants being illustrated in the drawing figures of manufacturing portion units, it becomes clear that, independently of the respective design of the portion unit, which means independently of whether a portion unit 41, as it is illustrated in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2013 210 633.5 | Jun 2013 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2014/060453 | 5/21/2014 | WO | 00 |
