Patent Application
20120324840
The invention relates to a packaging arrangement or packaging assembly comprising a transport device for transporting products according to the preamble of claim 1, and to a method according to claim 11.
For cut bacon slices constituting portions, which are placed on a so-called L-board and then packaged in a packaging machine in an airtight way, there are regionally differing markets. These markets differ in the portion of the cut bacon being arranged in different orientations on the L-board. The L-board serves as a stable support for the product and the subsequent production process, and it also serves for a stabilization of the later packaging. The L-board can be a coated plate of cardboard, which comprises a bending line in order to fold back the portion, which is not covered by the product, back onto the product itself. Thereby, a portion of the product is covered. In a first position, the short side of the L-board is folded onto the portion of the product with the higher fat content, and in a second position of the portion, the L-board is folded onto the fatless portion, in order to visualize the portion with the high fat content. Slicing machines can often only produce portions with a single stacking orientation. When combining the portion of the bacon with the L-board during which the portion is placed onto the L-board, it is common to provide the L-board in different orientations, or to rotate the portion of bacon by means of a robot system by 180° prior to placing same onto the L-board. Compared to belt systems, however, robots are less efficient and very expensive. The L-board with the portion is then commonly forwarded to a deep drawing packaging machine and packaged in an airtight manner.
The object of the invention is to provide a constructively simple possibility for changing a direction of the product portions.
This object is solved by a packaging arrangement comprising a transport device with the features of claim 1, or by a method according to claim 11, respectively. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are referred to in the dependent claims.
The packaging arrangement according to the invention comprises a transport device for transporting products, which is located upstream relative to a production direction in front of a sealing or closing station of a packaging machine, e.g. a deep drawing packaging machine. The transport device is adapted to selectively transport the products in a first orientation in the production direction, and for rotating the products into a second orientation opposite the production direction. This allows a packaging with different orientation of a portion, e.g. with stacked (shingled), cut slices of bacon, onto an L-board with subsequent airtight packaging on the packaging machine. The orientation of the L-board relative to the production direction and the mechanical devices for supplying the L-board and for folding a leg of the L-board can be maintained irrespective of the orientation of the product portion, and no rebuilding or retooling of the packaging arrangement are necessary.
Preferably, the transport device is adapted for rotating the products or portions by 45°, 90°, or 180°, preferably around a vertical axis. Thereby, a substantially horizontal transport plane is maintained, and a product is rotated into the transport direction or opposite the transport direction, respectively.
In a preferred embodiment, the transport device comprises at least three transport belts, preferably four transport belts.
Preferably, the transport device comprises two transport belts orthogonally to two further transport belts, all arranged in a common transport plane. Here, the two further transport belts are provided for transporting products in the production direction without any rotation. All transport belts can support one or several products and transport these products further in the production direction after a rotation by 45°, 90°, or 180° by means of the transport device. After rotation, the orientation of the product differs from the original orientation.
In a preferred embodiment, the transport device comprises two first transport belts and two additional transport belts orthogonal to the first transport belts, and arranged one belt to either side of the first transport belts. The first two transport belts transport the products without any change in the orientation along the production direction. Each transport belt can accommodate products delivered from a delivering transport means, and supply the products after a rotation by means of the transport device to a subsequent transport means in a rather simple manner.
The transport belts of the transport device are preferably reversible in their transport direction. This allows them to accept products on one end of the respective transport belt, and to deliver the products on the same end, but after a rotation by means of the transport device. To this effect, the transport belts are preferably drivable by servo motors, because these drives have a high dynamic range and allow a precise positioning of the products on the transport belts.
All belts are preferably located within a circle or within a circumference of a circle, in order to allow a similar position of all ends of the transport belts distal from the symmetry axis in their relation to preceding and subsequent transport means for a transfer of the products, wherein the transport belts should have a minimized distance to the other transport means.
Preferably, the transport belts are commonly rotatable by 45°, 90°, and/or 180°, in order to allow the use of simple positioning means such as pneumatic cylinders, or to be able to use a limit stop arrangement with 45° or 90° increments. Alternatively, a servo motor can be used as the drive for the rotary movement, this servo motor having a high dynamic range.
It is particularly advantageous if the transport device comprises a rotary disc, a rotary cross, or a rotary polygon with a vertical rotary axis, which is a symmetry axis of the rotary disc, the rotary cross, or the rotary polygon, respectively. For the rotation, this would lead to substantially equally distributed masses, which would be advantageous for a dynamic rotation. The rotary disc, the rotary cross, or the rotary polygon, respectively, could support the transport belts of the transport device and effect their rotation.
A method for operating a packaging assembly according to the invention is characterized in that a rotary disc of a transport device is rotatable between at least four positions, in order to selectively transport products along the transport device with or without a change in the orientation of the product relative to the production direction. This brings along the advantage of a flexibly usable transport device for selectively transporting products without a change of the orientation of the product, or selectively with a change of the orientation, preferably by 180°. A variant is conceivable in which an intermediate belt is e.g. orthogonally arranged relative to a supply belt, and the rotating disc merely performs a 90° rotation, in order to transfer the product onto the intermediate belt.
Preferably, a transport belt accepts products from a supply belt, while simultaneously another transport belt delivers products onto the intermediate belt, in order to avoid an unnecessary reduction of productivity of the packaging assembly.
In a preferred embodiment, the transport device performs a rotation by 90° after each exception of at least one product by the transport belt, if a change of the orientation of the product opposite the production direction is desired.
In a different embodiment with eight transport belts, a rotation by 45° is provided.
In the following, advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in more detail by reference to a drawing.
a shows a schematic top view onto a packaging arrangement according to the invention with a transport device in a first position,
b shows a schematical top view on a packaging arrangement according to the invention with the transport device in a second position,
a is similar to
b is similar to
Similar components are referred to throughout the figures with identical reference numerals.
a shows a packaging arrangement or packaging assembly 1 according to the invention with a schematically represented packaging machine 2, an intermediate belt 3, a transport device 4 and a supply belt 5. The transport device 4 comprises a transport belt 6 and reaches from the supply belt 5 to the intermediate belt 3. The transport device 4 is shown in
Products 10, shown in the figures as a portion of four cut and stacked, shingled slices of food, are produced on a slicing machine (not shown) and guided on the supply belt 5 to the transport device 4 in regular or irregular mutual intervals. In the first position of the transport device 4, the products 10 are transferred from the supply belt 5 onto the first transport belt 6, and the transport belt 6 transfers the products in their identical orientation onto the intermediate belt 3. Subsequent to the intermediate belt 3, the products 10 can be brought together with L-boards, preferably before both are commonly supplied to a packaging machine 2.
b shows the transport belt 6 with the products arranged on this belt, after the belt has been rotated by 180°, such that the products can be delivered onto the intermediate belt 3 in opposing orientation.
Products 10 are supplied on the supply belt 5 to the transport device 4 in regular or irregular mutual distances or intervals. In the first position of the transport device 4 in
a shows the transport device 4 of
After completing the transfer, the rotary disk 15 of the transport device 4 repeatedly rotates by 90°, preferably in a clockwise direction (see the arrow around the rotary axis 12) into a third position, such that the portion 10, as indicated in
Thereby, products 10 can be transported by the transport device 4 (see
Alternatively to a rotary disk 15,
While a transport belt 7, 17 accepts products 10 from the supply belt 5, the other transport belt delivers products to the intermediate belt 3, which itself is positionable between two positions. The intermediate belt 3 pivots about a horizontal axis, which is arranged downstream, in order to ensure that the upstream end of the intermediate belt 3 can accept products from the transport belt 7 (upward arrow, upper position), or to accept products from the transport belt 17 (downward arrow, lower position), respectively.
In an analogous way, transport belts arranged above each other as in
