Patent Application
20170361953
The present invention relates to a method for producing packaging units in a bag forming, filling and sealing machine, products combined into an amount of products being transferred from a portion container of a device defining the product mass into a product transfer device for transferring the amount of products to a product filling device serving to fill the amount of products into a bag forming, filling and sealing machine, the product transfer device having a product carrier, which is guided on a movement path, and a product guiding device, such that the product guiding device and the product carrier form a product space for receiving the amount of products, the product space being closed by the product carrier opposite the direction of movement of the product carrier, the product carrier, once the amount of products has been transferred from the portion container into the product guiding device, performing an accelerated movement out of a product pick-up position of the product carrier so as to compress the amount of products between the product pick-up position and a product transfer position for transferring the amount of products into the product filling device.
Furthermore, the invention relates to a device for producing packaging units in a bag forming, filling and sealing machine, comprising a product transfer device having a product carrier, which is guided on a movement path, and a product guiding device, the product guiding device and the product carrier forming a product space which is closed by the product carrier opposite the direction of movement of the product carrier, the product carrier being guided along the movement path by means of a drive device in such a manner that the product carrier is moved in an accelerated manner from a product pick-up position, where an amount of products is transferred from a portion container of a device defining the product mass into the product guiding device, into a product transfer position, where the amount of products is transferred into a product filling device serving to fill the amount of products into a tubular bag packaging.
From WO 2011/050354 A1, a method and a device of the kind mentioned above are known, the device having a product transfer device arranged between a portion container of a weighing device and a product filling device serving to fill an amount of products into a tubular bag packaging.
The known product transfer device has a plurality of product receivers that rotate about a horizontal axis of rotation of the product transfer device. The individual product receivers simultaneously form a product carrier and a product guiding device for the amounts of products received and are substantially cup-shaped, the product carriers being moved in the direction of rotation on a concentric movement path about the axis of rotation. As a result of the clocked rotating movement of the product transfer device after receiving an amount of products from the portion container, the amounts of products received in the product receivers undergo a radially outward acceleration because of the circular acceleration during a clock movement, the amounts of products being compressed against a product hatch closing the product receivers. To transfer an amount of products into the product filling device, the product hatch is opened in a standstill phase of product reception so that a product swarm forms during discharge of the amount of products, the product swarm entering the tubular bag to be filled through the product filling device.
The known device does allow temporary compression of an amount of products placed in the product receivers of the product transfer device owing to the clocked movement; however, a swarm is formed when the amount of products is transferred into the product filling device, the amount of products thus entering the tubular bag to be filled as an uncompressed product swarm. As a result, a corresponding amount of packaging space is required for the amount of products, the tubular bags used having to be big enough to accommodate the insufficiently compressed amount of products. This leads to a correspondingly high consumption of material during production of tubular bag packages on the one hand and to a correspondingly large amount of space required during shipping or storage of the filled tubular bag packages on the other hand.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a method and a device that allow a package-space-saving packaging of products prone to swarm formation in tubular bags.
To solve this object, the method according to the invention has the features of claim 1.
According to the invention, the products are continuously moved on a movement path and are transferred into the product filling device in the direction of acceleration of the product carrier. The method according to the invention allows transferring an amount of products that is picked up from a portion container and forms a product swarm to a product filling device while simultaneously compressing the product swarm, the compressed amount of products transferred into the product filling device thus entering the tubular bag packaging.
According to the invention, this is achieved in that the amount of products is continuously moved on the movement path between the product pick-up position and the product transfer position of the product carrier and is transferred into the product filling device in the direction of the acceleration of the product carrier accelerated starting from the pick-up position.
In contrast to the known method, the products of the amount of products picked up from the portion container in the method according to the invention are continuously moved and accelerated by the product carrier, the mass inertia of the products causing the amount of products to be compressed. The products are transferred in the direction of the acceleration of the product carrier, the compression having taken place during continuous movement due to the acceleration of the product carrier thus being preserved during transfer into the product filling device. In contrast thereto, the amount of products in the known method loosens into a product swarm again during transfer of the product swarm into the product filling device.
In a preferred embodiment of the method, the movement path of the product carrier is realized as a circulating path in such a manner that the product carrier is moved on the circulating path in a conveying direction, the product carrier undergoing a first acceleration followed by a deceleration on a product conveying stretch of the circulating path between the product pick-up position and the product transfer position and undergoing a second acceleration followed by a deceleration on a return conveying stretch between the product transfer position and the product pick-up position.
Decelerating the product carrier allows separating the amount of products from the product carrier in the product transfer position of the product carrier because the products maintain the speed imparted to them by the product carrier owing to their mass inertia, the decelerated product carrier thus falling behind the products in the direction of movement and the amount of products being transferred into the product filling device without being acted upon by the product carrier. Decelerating the product carrier in the pick-up position allows discharging an amount of products from the portion container into an area of the product transfer device located ahead of the product carrier, followed by a subsequent application of the accelerated product carrier to the amount of products, the product carrier thus compressing the amount of products over the further course of the product conveying stretch.
In an advantageous variation of the method, the product carrier is moved along the circulating path together with the product guiding device, into which the product swarm has previously been introduced from the portion container.
Preferably, the product guiding device extends between the product pick-up position and the product transfer position of the product carrier along the product conveying stretch and is stationary between the portion container and the product filling device, the product carrier being moved through the product guiding device on its movement path. This advantageous decoupling between the product guiding device and the product carrier leads to a significant reduction of the mass to be accelerated in order to perform the method because it thus only comprises the mass of the product carrier and the product mass to be accelerated by means of the product carrier.
If according to an advantageous embodiment a product space limiter is associated with the product carrier, said product space limiter being arranged ahead of the product carrier in the direction of movement and being moved through the product guiding device together with the product carrier in such a manner that a product space for receiving the amount of products is formed within the product guiding device, said product space being closed both opposite the direction of movement and in the direction of movement of the product carrier, it is possible to use the product space limiter to accumulate the amount of products when picking up the amount of products from the portion container, a first compression of the amount of products thus taking place as early as during pick-up of the amount of products from the portion container. Another compression of the amount of products received between the product space limiter and the product carrier is then caused by the acceleration of the product carrier in such a manner that the amount of products is compressed against the accelerated product carrier.
Preferably, the product carrier and the product space limiter are moved on different circulating paths arranged parallel to each other so that the product carrier and the product space limiter can also be accelerated independently of each other.
Preferably, the product carrier and the product space limiter are moved synchronously within the product guiding device, i.e. after having picked up the product swarm from the portion container.
Preferably, the product space limiter is accelerated out of the product pick-up position together with the product carrier in a first phase of movement along the product conveying stretch from a speed smaller than the product discharge speed of the amount of products discharged from the portion container to a speed greater than the product discharge speed, and subsequently the product speed limiter is decelerated together with the product carrier in a second phase of movement to a product transfer speed at which the amount of products is transferred to the product filling device, and thereafter the product limiter is accelerated in relation to the product carrier starting from the product transfer position in a third phase of movement.
Another compressing effect during movement of the amount of products between the product pick-up position and the product transfer position can preferably be achieved by subjecting the product guiding device to vibrations during guiding of the amount of products within the product guiding device.
Preferably, the product filling device or a filling end of the product filling device adjacent to the product guiding device can also be subjected to vibrations during filling of the amount of products so as to allow further compression of the amount of products in this area as well.
To solve the object of the invention, the device according to the invention has the features of claim 11.
According to the invention, the drive device by means of which the product carrier is guided along the movement path is provided with a decelerating device which cooperates with the product carrier in such a manner that the accelerated product carrier is decelerated far enough before reaching the product transfer position for the speed of the amount of products to be greater than the speed of the product carrier. Decelerating the product carrier before it reaches the product transfer position thus allows the amount of products to detach itself from the product carrier and to be transferred into the product filling device while maintaining the speed imparted to the product swarm by the product carrier, without there being the risk of the amount of products loosening and forming a product swarm when being transferred into the product filling device.
In a preferred embodiment of the device, the movement path of the product carrier is realized as a circulating path and the product carrier and the product guiding device form a structural unit, the circulating path having a first accelerating stretch along a product conveying stretch of the circulating path connecting the product pick-up position with the product transfer position and a second accelerating stretch along a return conveying stretch of the circulating path connecting the product transfer position with the product pick-up position.
Preferably, the product carrier and the product guiding device form a cup vessel, the product carrier being formed by a cup bottom and the product guiding device being formed by a cup wall.
It is advantageous if the product conveying stretch has a first conveying section, which is arranged above the product filling device and is substantially vertical, and if the return conveying stretch has a second vertical conveying section, which is arranged below the portion container and is substantially vertical, the first vertical conveying section and the second vertical conveying section being horizontally offset from each other. Such an embodiment of the device makes it possible to guide the product carrier toward the portion container and to guide the product carrier toward the product filling device, both, with a vertical movement of the product carrier even though the product carrier moves on a circulating path, making the product transfer device particularly suitable for combination with a vertical bag forming, filling and sealing machine.
If the product filling device is provided with a recess in such a manner that the cup vessel can be moved through the recess when transitioning from the product transfer position into a horizontal conveying section, the drop height of the amount of products transferred from the cup vessel into the product filling device in the product transfer position is substantially reduced, this reduced drop height, too, counteracting a loosening of the amount of products and the formation of a product swarm before it has entered the tubular bag.
In another embodiment of the device, the movement path of the product carrier is realized as a circulating path and the product guiding device is arranged along a product conveying stretch of the circulating path between the portion container and the product filling device, the product carrier being movable through the product guiding device on its movement path.
If a product space limiter arranged ahead of the product carrier in the direction of movement and movable through the product guiding device together with the product carrier is associated with the product carrier, the product carrier and the product space limiter forming a product space for receiving the product swarm within the product guiding device together with a wall of the product guiding device, the product space being closed opposite the direction of movement and in the direction of movement, the amount of products can be compressed on both sides with respect to the direction of movement, i.e., it can be compressed by means of the product carrier on one side and it can be compressed by means of the product space limiter on the other side.
Preferably, the product carrier and the product space limiter are driven by mutually independent drive devices, allowing differentiated compression of the product swarm.
Preferably, the drive devices are realized as circulating conveyors, wherein the circulating conveyors can be realized in particular as belt conveyors having conveying belts running parallel to each other.
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail with the aid of the drawing.
In the drawing:
The product transfer device 10 forms a component of a bag forming, filling and sealing machine serving to produce packaging units in which products 18 combined into an amount of products 16 are portioned and packaged into tubular bags. The product transfer device 10 is located between a portion container 17 of a device defining the product mass, which may be a multi-head sub-quantity scale, for example, and a product filling device 19 for filling the products 18 into a product tube 20, which is also often called a forming tube and over which a film or foil used to produce the tubular bag is guided so as to form the tubular bag.
In the embodiment example illustrated in
As can be seen from the configuration illustrated in
During transfer of the product swarm 27 into the cup vessel 11, the cup vessel 11 is in an idle position or is moving at low speed, leaving enough time for the entire product swarm 27 to enter the cup vessel 11. The amount of products 16 will settle or arrange itself on the cup bottom, the cup wall forming a guiding device containing the amount of products 16, the cup bottom subsequently serving as a product carrier 21 and the cup wall serving as a product guiding device 22 as described above.
Starting from the product pick-up position P1, the cup vessel 11 is moved along the product conveying stretch 23 into the product transfer position P2, and the cup vessel 12 is simultaneously moved along the return conveying stretch 24 from the product transfer position P2 into the product pick-up position P1. First, the cup vessel 11 is accelerated along the product conveying stretch 23 and is subsequently decelerated through corresponding control of the drive device before reaching the product transfer position P2, the deceleration potentially taking place until the cup vessel 11 stands still in the product transfer position P2 or until the speed of the cup vessel 11 is reduced far enough in the product transfer position P2 for enough time to remain in which the amount of products 16 can be transferred from the cup vessel 11 into the product filling device 19.
Owing to the acceleration of the cup vessel 11 taking place in the course between the product pick-up position P1 and the product transfer position P2, the amount of products 16 conveyed by the product carrier 21 in the product guiding device 22 along the circulating path is compressed. Owing to the mass inertia of the products 18 held in the cup vessel 11, the products 18 substantially maintain the speed acquired during acceleration of the coup vessel 11 when the cup vessel 11 is decelerated, potentially to standstill, in the product transfer position P2, said speed being at least greater than the speed of the product carrier 21 decelerated in the product transfer position P2, the products 18 thus leaving the product carrier 21 and the product guiding device 22 as a compressed amount of products 16 and entering the product filling device 19.
Once the transfer of the amount of products 16 to the product filling device 19 is complete, the cup vessels 11, 12 are accelerated again and, as described above, decelerated potentially to standstill before reaching the product pick-up position P1 and the product transfer position P2, respectively.
Moreover, as indicated by the double-headed arrow of movement in
The horizontal conveying section 32 of the translation conveyor 31 is adjacent to the conveying section 26 of the belt conveyor 13 and ends in the vertical conveying section 33, which connects to the lower horizontal conveying section 36. Owing to the immediate change of direction of the cup vessels 11, 12 from a vertical movement along the vertical conveying section 26 into a horizontal movement along the horizontal conveying section 32 of the translation conveying stretch 31, a drop distance F2 between the product carrier 21 and the product tube 20 can be significantly shortened without needing to provide a product filling device 28 as the one described with reference to
If the product transfer device 30 illustrated in
In correspondence with belt conveyor 13, belt conveyor 44 forming the circulating path has a product conveying stretch 46 and a return conveying stretch 47, the product conveying stretch 46 being formed solely by a vertical conveying section 48 and the return conveying stretch 47 being formed by a vertical conveying section 35 and two horizontal conveying sections 49, 50 adjacent thereto in the case at hand.
As can be seen in particular from a combined view of
As can be seen in particular in
In the product pick-up position P1, the product space limiter 52 stands still or is moving at a speed smaller than the drop speed of the amount of products 16 discharged from the portion container 56. Once the entire amount of products 16 has been discharged from the portion container 56, a product carrier 41 associated with the product space limiter 52 is pivoted into the vertical conveying section 48 via the carrier belt 43 so that the product space limiter 52 and the product carrier 51 form the product space 54 in cooperation with the tube wall 53 as described above, the product space 54 moving in the vertical direction downward in the direction toward the product transfer position P2 in a manner comparable to a transport cabin moving through an elevator shaft. The product space limiter 52 and the product carrier 41 are synchronously accelerated so that the products 18 held in the product space 54 are compressed against the product carrier 41 during movement on the vertical conveying stretch.
Before reaching the product transfer position P2, the product space limiter 52 and the product carrier 41 are decelerated until they reach a product transfer speed at which the products 18 are transferred to the product filling device 55. The product space limiter 52 can be accelerated to hurry ahead of the product carrier 41 so as to not hinder a transfer of the products 18 into the product filling device 55. Subsequent to the transfer of the products, the product carrier 41, too, is accelerated again so as to arrive at the position of the product carrier 41 illustrated in
In contrast to the illustrations in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2014 219 448.2 | Sep 2014 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2015/070573 | 9/9/2015 | WO | 00 |
