The present disclosure relates to a method for portion packaging of flat products and to a device for portion packaging of flat products.
For packaging potato chips in packaging units, it is known for the potato chips to be transferred to a plurality of discharge conveying sections in the discharge area of a deep fryer, said discharge conveying sections being disposed adjacent to each other and taking diverging paths in a track spreading portion for enlarging the spacing between the discharge conveyor sections and ending in product conveying sections which are spaced apart from each other, adjacent next to each other and preferably parallel. Along the product conveying sections, product portions are formed out of the continuously conveyed potato chips, said product portions ultimately being transferred into separate packaging containers in a product packaging area, said packaging containers being transported out of the product packaging area along packaging container conveying section assigned to each of the individual product conveying sections.
In particular with small-sized packaging containers, which can hold only a relatively small quantity of potato chips, the output of a packaging installation that can be achieved at maximum in terms of the amount of product per packaging conveying section is relatively low. Overall, small packaging amounts thus require a disproportionate degree of installation complexity due to the large number of packaging conveying sections.
Hence, the object of the present disclosure is to propose a method and a device for portion packaging of flat products in such a manner that the degree of installation complexity in connection with portion packaging of flat products is reduced.
In the method according to the disclosure, between a product conveying section and two transfer conveyors of a product transfer device, which are disposed adjacent next to each other, the product portions delivered via the product conveying section are distributed to the transfer conveyors by means of a redistributing device in such a manner that during occurrence of a conveying gap between two product portions conveyed on the product conveying section, the redistributing device is switched from a first connection configuration for establishing a conveying connection between the product conveying section and the first transfer conveyor and a second connection configuration for establishing a conveying connection between the product conveying section and the second transfer conveyor, a synchronizer influencing the speeds of the product portions on conveying sections of different lengths of the transfer conveyors in such a manner that at the end of a feed cycle of a packaging unit, which comprises packaging containers disposed in columns and rows of a packaging container matrix of the packaging unit and is moved forward in a clocked manner along a packaging conveying section perpendicular to the product conveying sections, the product portions are transferred from a transfer position into the packaging containers.
Hence, as a result of the distribution of product portions conveyed via the product conveying sections onto a plurality of transfer conveyors in combination with the provision of a packaging unit comprising a plurality of packaging containers disposed in a matrix array, the packaging output related to the packaging unit and to the packaging conveying section substantially increases according to the disclosure while there is only one packaging conveying section. Instead of a plurality of packaging conveying sections, which each serve to convey packaging units having little product holding capacity, as little as one packaging conveying section is sufficient when implementing the method according to the disclosure, which means that implementation of the method requires a correspondingly lower degree of installation complexity.
Preferably, the feed motion carried out in the feed cycle along the packaging conveying section corresponds to the product of the column spacing of the packaging container matrix and the number of columns of the packaging container matrix.
Particularly advantageous integration of the packaging container production into the packaging process is possible if packaging units are produced in a packaging container production portion of the packaging conveying section while the product portions are being conveyed on the transfer conveyors.
In the packaging container production portion of the packaging conveying section, packaging units comprising packaging containers disposed in a packaging container matrix are preferably produced out of plastic film in a thermoforming process, and once a packaging container unit has been produced, it is moved forward in a clocked manner into a product transfer area of the product transfer device with a feed motion corresponding to the product of the column spacing and the number of columns.
According to the disclosure, the device has a product transfer device for transferring the product portions into packaging containers, a redistributing device being provided between each product conveying section and two transfer conveyors, which are disposed adjacent next to each other, said redistributing device being switchable between a first connection configuration for establishing a conveying connection between the product conveying section and the first transfer conveyor and a second connection configuration for establishing a conveying connection between the product conveying section and the second transfer conveyor, the transfer conveyors of the product transfer device, which have conveying sections of different lengths, each being provided with a synchronizer for synchronized arrival of the product portions in a transfer position at a transfer end of the transfer conveyors, and a packaging conveyor for clocked conveying of packaging units, which comprise packaging containers disposed in a packaging container matrix, along a packaging conveying section disposed perpendicular to the product conveying sections.
Preferably, a thermoforming unit for producing packaging units which comprise the packaging containers disposed in a packaging container matrix out of plastic film is provided in a packaging container production portion of the packaging conveying section.
If the product transfer device has at least one transfer unit comprising a plurality of transfer conveyors forming conveying sections of different lengths in such a manner that the transfer ends of the transfer conveyors are disposed on a transfer line inclined at a transfer angle relative to the conveying direction of the packaging conveyor, packaging containers of the packaging unit which are located in different rows and columns of the matrix array of the packaging unit can be filled simultaneously.
Preferably, the foremost transfer conveyor of a transfer unit in the conveying direction forms the shortest conveying section of the transfer unit and the rearmost transfer conveyor in the conveying direction forms the longest conveying section of the transfer unit.
Preferably, a number of product conveyors that corresponds to half of the number of transfer conveyors is assigned to each transfer unit.
If the number of transfer units of the product transfer device corresponds to the number of forming stamps of a forming tool of the thermoforming unit comprising forming stamps disposed in the form of a matrix which are disposed in columns oriented perpendicular to the conveying direction and the number of transfer conveyors of transfer units corresponds to the number of rows of forming stamps oriented in the conveying direction, the device can be ideally adapted to the matrix of the packaging unit.
The redistributing device can be realized as a conveying device which can be pivoted in the horizontal plane and which is preferably realized as a conveyor belt device.
The synchronizer of the transfer conveyors of the product transfer device can be realized as a stop device that can be pivoted about a horizontal axis in the conveying direction of the transfer conveyors.
Another advantageous embodiment of the synchronizer is realized as a conveyor belt device which is disposed above the transfer conveyors and which circulates in the conveying direction and which has at least two stop devices whose mutual distance can be changed and which can be moved independently of each other, which means that the synchronizer can selectively accelerate or decelerate the product portions intended for packaging along the conveying section of the transfer conveyors.
Preferably, an introducing element is provided for filling product portions from the transfer end of the transfer conveyors into a packaging container of the packaging unit.
If the introducing element can be pivoted about a horizontal axis, the position of the introducing element can be adapted to the position of the packaging container.
It is particularly advantageous if the introducing element is disposed between a transfer end of the transfer conveyor and a move-along element, which extends the conveying section of the transfer conveyor, in such a manner that the introducing element can be pivoted between a filling position for filling the product portions into the packaging container and a move-along position for moving the product portions along, which means that in the event of errors during production of the packaging units, for example, the product portions conveyed from the transfer conveyors into the product transfer area can be removed from the packaging process.
Hereinafter, a preferred variation of the method and an advantageous embodiment of the device used in said method will be explained in more detail based on the drawing.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of the interface between the method for portion packaging of flat products and a plurality of discharge conveyor sections disposed parallel to each other in the discharge area of a deep fryer;
FIG. 2 shows a device for portion packaging of flat products configured using the example of a product conveying section;
FIG. 3 shows the device as illustrated in FIG. 2 in an isometric illustration with a first embodiment of a synchronizer disposed above transfer conveyors of a product transfer device;
FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of the synchronizer illustrated in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 shows an enlarged illustration of a redistributing device disposed between the product conveying section and the product transfer device of the device illustrated in FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the device as illustrated in FIG. 3 with another embodiment of a redistributing device;
FIG. 7 shows an enlarged illustration of the redistributing device illustrated in FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 shows a product packaging device formed on a product transfer device in a product transfer area with guiding elements assigned to the individual transfer conveyors of the product transfer device;
FIG. 9 shows a guiding element in a filling position;
FIG. 10 shows the guiding element as illustrated in FIG. 9 in a move-along position;
FIG. 11 shows a schematic illustration of the product transfer device formed adjacent to a plurality of product conveying sections, including an illustration of how product portions conveyed along product conveying sections are redistributed to two transfer conveyors of the product transfer device from each of three product conveying sections;
FIG. 12 shows the portion packaging into a packaging unit having a packaging container matrix comprising 3×6 packaging containers immediately prior to packaging of the first product portions;
FIG. 13 shows the packaging process immediately after packaging of the first product portions;
FIG. 14 shows a transition phase of the packaging process;
FIG. 15 shows an end phase of the filling of the packaging unit;
FIG. 16 shows a transition phase after completed filling of a first packaging unit;
FIG. 17 shows a redistribution of product portions conveyed along two product conveying sections for filling a packaging unit having a packaging container matrix comprising 1×4 packaging containers;
FIG. 18 shows a redistribution of product portions conveyed along four product conveying sections for filing a packaging unit having a packaging container matrix comprising 2×4 packaging containers;
FIG. 19 shows a redistribution of product portions conveyed along six product conveying sections for filling a packaging unit having a packaging container matrix comprising 3×4 packaging containers;
FIG. 20 shows a redistribution of product portions conveyed along three product conveying sections for filling a packaging unit having a packaging container matrix comprising 1×6 packaging containers;
FIG. 21 shows a redistribution of product portions conveyed along six product conveying sections for filling a packaging unit having a packaging container matrix comprising 2×6 packaging containers.
FIG. 1 shows a discharge area 30 of a deep fryer (not shown) comprising a plurality of discharge conveyor sections 31 which are disposed parallel to each other and which end, downstream of a track spreading portion 32, in product conveying sections which are disposed adjacent to and at a distance from each other, said product conveying sections 33 leading to a product transfer device 34, which is illustrated only schematically in FIG. 1 and which allows product portions 47 to be filled into packaging containers 35 of a packaging unit 36 that comprises packaging containers 35 in a matrix array.
FIG. 2 shows a product transfer device 34 which is formed adjacent to product conveying section 33 in the conveying direction, said product transfer device 34 comprising a redistributing device 37 disposed between product conveying section 33 and product transfer device 34, said redistributing device 37, as can be gathered in particular from a combined view of FIGS. 3 and 5, comprising a conveyor belt device 39 that can be pivoted in a horizontal plane. As shown in FIG. 5 in particular, conveyor belt device 39 can be pivoted between two connection configurations about a vertical pivot axis 43, which enables the connection configuration shown in FIG. 5 on the one hand, in which conveyor belt device 39 enables a conveying connection between a product conveying device 40 forming conveying section 33 and a first transfer conveyor 41 of product transfer device 34, and, in the second connection configuration (not shown), enables a conveying connection between product conveying device 40 and a second transfer conveyor 42, which is disposed adjacent to and at a distance from first transfer conveyor 41.
In the case at hand, as shown in FIG. 3, product conveying device 40 is composed of two vibration conveyor chutes 44 and 45, which are disposed in series one behind the other, and of a conveyor belt device which is configured as a weighing device 46, first vibration conveyor chute 44 ensuring a substantially even distribution of potato chips conveyed in a continuous line, and vibration conveyor chute 45 disposed downstream allowing, by means of a clocked operation divided into ON and OFF times, the formation of product portions 47, which are conveyed onward on weighing device 46 while being weighed in order to change the number of potato chips forming product portions 47 by changing the clocked operation of vibration conveyor chute 45 if a portion weight deviates from a target weight. Redistributing device 37, which is explained above and by means of which, alternately, one product portion 47 is distributed to transfer conveyor 41, which is disposed on the left in the conveying direction in FIG. 5, and, after pivoting of redistributing device 37, the following product portion 47 is distributed to transfer conveyor 42, located on the right in FIG. 5, and conveyed onward on transfer conveyor 42, is located between weighing device 46 and product transfer device 34. In the case at hand, both transfer conveyors 41 and 42 are realized as vibration conveyor chutes.
Transfer conveyors 41 and 42 are each provided with a synchronizer 50 that has a stop 49 which can be pivoted about a horizontal pivot axis 48 as illustrated in FIG. 2, or with a synchronizer 52 that is realized as a conveyor belt device 51 disposed above respective transfer conveyors 41 and 42 and circulating in the conveying direction, wherein, as illustrated in the schematic illustration of FIG. 4, a plurality of stop devices 53 each connected to a conveyor belt of conveyor belt device 51 are disposed on conveyor belt device 51, said stop devices 53 being moveable independently of each other, wherein each two stop devices 53 can accommodate a product portion 47 between them and can delay or accelerate its conveying on transfer conveyors 41 and 42 so as to be able to influence the time of arrival of product portions 47 at a transfer end 54 of transfer conveyors 41 and 42. In contrast, synchronizer 50 illustrated in FIG. 2 and comprising stop 49, which is pivotable about a spatially fixed pivot axis 48, can merely delay the conveying of product portions 47 on transfer conveyors 41 and 42.
As further illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, an introducing element 55 is provided at each transfer end 54 of transfer conveyors 41 and 42, said introducing element 55 allowing targeted filling of product portions 47 dropping from transfer end 54 into packaging containers 35 provided in a transfer area 56.
In FIGS. 6 and 7, a redistributing device 34 is provided between product conveying section 33 and transfer conveyors 41 and 42 of product transfer device 34, said redistributing device 58 having a track switch 59 comprising a conveyor belt device 60 which is constantly disposed in its position and on which a switching element 61 horizontally pivotable about a vertical pivot axis 38 allows alternating distribution of product portions 47 delivered along product conveying section 33 onto guide rails 62 and 63 which are disposed in a V shape relative to each other and which each enable a conveying connection to downstream transfer conveyors 41 and 42, respectively.
In a schematic illustration, FIG. 11 shows three product conveying sections 33 disposed adjacent and parallel to each other at a product conveying section spacing 4a, each product conveying section 33 being alternately connected to a transfer conveyor 66 or 67 and 68 or 69 and 70 or 71, respectively, via a redistributing device 37, transfer conveyors 66 to 71 together forming product transfer device 65. Transfer conveyors 66 to 71 have different lengths and end with their transfer ends 72 in a transfer area 73 which, in the case at hand, is disposed above a packaging containers strand 74 having a plurality of integrally interconnected packaging containers 75 disposed in the form of a matrix. For the sake of simplified illustration, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 11, a direct transfer of product portions 47 conveyed along transfer conveyors 66 to 71 into packaging containers 75 each disposed below transfer ends 72 is illustrated without disposition of an introducing element 55, such as the one provided in FIG. 6, for example, at transfer end 72.
As shown in FIG. 11, transfer conveyors 66 to 71 are each located at a distance 2a from each other, i.e. at twice the spacing a of columns S of the matrix array of packaging containers 75. Furthermore, FIG. 11 shows that transfer ends 72 of adjacent transfer conveyors 66 to 71 each have a spacing b from each other, which corresponds to row spacing b of packaging containers 75, which are disposed in rows. Transfer ends 72 are located on a transfer line which is inclined at a transfer angle α relative to a conveying direction V of packaging containers 75. Transfer conveyor 66, which is foremost in the conveying direction V, has the shortest conveying length l, and transfer conveyor 71, which is rearmost in the conveying direction V, has the longest conveying length l.
As becomes clear from spacing p formed between individual product portions 47, the portion spacing basically increases because of alternating distribution of product portions 47 conveyed on redistributing devices 37 to respectively assigned transfer conveyors 66, 67 and 68, 69 and 70, 71, respectively. Moreover, it can also be seen that the spacing between product portions 47, starting with a spacing p1 on transfer conveyor 66 up to a portion spacing p6 on transfer conveyor 71, becomes gradually larger, the increase in portion spacing p being brought about by means of synchronizer 50 with the aim that product portions 47 conveyed on respective transfer conveyors 66 to 77 arrive at transfer ends 72 of transfer conveyors 66 to 71 at substantially the same time so that product portions 47 disposed at transfer end 72 can be transferred into packaging containers 75 simultaneously.
FIGS. 12 to 16 show, by way of example, a filling of packaging containers 75 with product portions 47, said packaging containers 75 being produced in a matrix array by means of a forming tool 79 in such a manner that in a packaging container production portion 76 of a packaging conveying section 77, packaging containers 75 moved forward in a clocked manner along packaging conveying direction V are each filled by means of a product transfer device 78 having three transfer units 64 each comprising six transfer conveyors 66 to 71.
In FIG. 12, forming tool 79 of a thermoforming unit is illustrated schematically in packaging container production portion 76, said thermoforming unit allowing packaging containers 75 to be enclosed into film web (not shown) conveyed along packaging conveying section 77. In the embodiment example shown in FIGS. 12 to 16, forming tool 79 comprises eighteen forming stamps 80, which are disposed in a matrix array and allow simultaneous production of packaging containers 75 disposed in a corresponding matrix array as a packaging unit 81. Each time a packaging unit 81 has been produced, it is moved forward by a feed cycle along packaging conveying section 77, the feed motion thus carried out corresponding to the product of column spacing a of the matrix array and the number of columns of the matrix array. In the case of the illustrated embodiment example, this means that each time a packaging unit 81 has been produced, a feed motion which is three times column spacing a, i.e. 3a, is carried out.
In FIGS. 12 to 16, the cycle progress is shown based on exemplarily illustrated filling levels, achieved during the cycle progress, of a packaging container strand 82 produced in a clocked manner, the respective cycle progress being illustrated by feed mark 83 formed on packaging container strand 82. In this regard, FIG. 12 shows a packaging container strand 82, produced in a clocked manner by means of forming tool 79 in packaging container production portion 76, at the start of a filling process in which all packaging containers 75 are still empty. As the clocked feed progresses, packaging containers 75 formed in packaging container strand 82 are gradually filled until finally, after a start-up phase whose end is illustrated in FIG. 16, a continuous complete filling of all packaging containers 75 of packaging containers strand 82 is achieved.
In FIGS. 17 to 21, alternative embodiments of product transfer devices 84 to 88 are illustrated, which serve to fill packaging container strands 89 to 93, which each have packaging units 99 to 103 with different matrix forms produced in a packaging container production portion 76 of packaging conveying section 77 using different forming tools 94 to 98, which means that, accordingly, different feed motions that correspond to the product of column spacing a and the number of columns of the packaging container matrix are carried out during the feed cycles. For instance, in packaging container strands 89 and 92 illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 20, a feed motion corresponding to one time column spacing a is carried out during one feed cycle, and in packaging container strands 90 and 93 illustrated in FIGS. 18 and 21, a feed motion corresponding to two times column spacing a is carried out during one feed cycle, whereas in packaging container strand 91 illustrated in FIG. 19, a feed motion corresponding to three times column spacing a is carried out during one feed cycle.
In addition to the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 6, FIGS. 8 to 10 show how introducing elements 55 are disposed between transfer ends 72 of transfer conveyors 41 and 42 and move-along elements 104 extending the conveying sections of transfer conveyors 41 and 42 in such a manner that introducing elements 55 can be pivoted between a filling position for filling product portions 47 into packaging containers 35 and a move-along position for moving product portions 47 along.
Patent Application
20200017244
