Patent Application
20120199685
This application claims foreign priority benefits under 35 U.S.C. §119(a)-(d) to German patent application number DE 10 2011 010 378.3, filed Feb. 4, 2011, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The disclosure relates to a winder for winding film trims, i.e., remains of a film or foil, for packaging machines.
A winder of a thermoform packaging machine for winding waste trims, such as edge trims and middle trims, is disclosed by DE 1922848. The winder is provided with a shaft which is driven by a cutting unit and on which one or a plurality of tubular winding formers rest with their inner diameter. During winding, slip occurs between the winding formers and the driven shaft. This slip may be different for the respective winding formers, e.g., in view of differently wound-up waste trims. This known winder is disadvantageous insofar as the slip is undefined and varies substantially during winding and insofar as the winding formers must be disposed of together with the wound-up waste trims.
In addition, thermoform packaging machines are known, which, in an area in which a web feed releases a web to be conveyed, are provided with a respective edge trim winder on either side. Each edge trim winder is driven by a separate motor and activated for a certain period of time for the purpose of winding. Likewise, tray sealers are known, which wind up a residual film grid of the lidding web by means of a winder.
It is an object of the present disclosure to improve a winder for a packaging machine with respect to its use for winding waste trims and/or residual film grids.
A winder according to the present disclosure which is used for winding film trims for packaging machines, preferably for thermoform packaging machines, comprises a drive, a winding mandrel and at least two winding rolls, and it is provided with an adjustment device for adjusting a torque threshold above which slip occurs between the respective winding rolls and the winding mandrel and/or between the individual winding rolls. The adjustment device comprises coupling elements via which the winding mandrel transmits a torque to the winding rolls, and offers a machine operator the possibility of raising or lowering the torque threshold in accordance with the present disclosure.
An advantage resides here, on the one hand, in the fact that a common drive is provided for a plurality of winding rolls, said drive transmitting its torque to the winding mandrel and the winding mandrel transmitting the torque to the winding rolls via coupling elements. Above the adjusted torque limit, slip may occur on the winding rolls independently of one another. The torque limit limits the maximum tension force acting on a waste trim or a residual film grid. When the drive of the packaging machine is running and the feed thereof is standing still, winding up of the waste trims or the residual film grid cannot be continued and the winding rolls can stop, even at different moments in time, since the torque threshold is exceeded and the desired slip occurs, without the necessity of switching off the drive at this moment. The winding rolls may rotate at different speeds also during the winding operation. The adjustment of the torque threshold and, consequently, of the tension force acting on the waste trims or the residual film grid allows an adaptation to the characteristics of the material of said waste trims or said residual film grid and leads to an improved process reliability during winding up.
Preferably, the adjustment device comprises a plurality of coupling rings arranged laterally and/or between the winding rolls. This allows a simple and low-cost structural design.
The coupling rings are preferably made of POM (polyoxymethylene), which is allowed to be used in the foodstuff industry.
According to a preferred embodiment, an adjustment wheel for axially compressing the coupling rings and the winding rolls is provided on the winding mandrel so that the slip can be adjusted continuously and easily by an operator of the packaging machine.
According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the adjustment wheel is arranged on an end of the winding mandrel that is located opposite the drive, since it is then provided on the side from which the packaging machine is operated, and is therefore very easily accessible.
Preferably, a spring element is provided on the winding mandrel between the drive and the winding rolls, the adjustment wheel being movable against the spring element so as to raise the torque threshold. This allows a very exact adjustment of the torque threshold which the winding rolls have in common; said torque threshold can nevertheless lead to a slip on the winding rolls at different moments in time.
Also an adjustment device comprising at least two cooperating permanent magnets is of advantage. Such a magnetic coupling works free from wear even if the drive is operating continuously. Another advantage resides in the fact that permanent magnets need not be supplied with energy.
According to a preferred embodiment, the permanent magnets are adapted to be adjusted relative to one another in the axial direction of the winding mandrel so as to adjust the torque threshold of the winding rolls to the winding mandrel.
It is also advantageous when the winding roll is provided with a bevel on the outer diameter thereof so as to allow a user-friendly removal of the wound-up film trim.
The winding rolls preferably comprise a plurality of roll elements, which can be forced apart radially to the winding mandrel by means of laterally arranged and axially displaceable tensioning elements. It is thus possible to adjust, prior to the winding operation, the roll elements to a maximum outer diameter of the winding roll and to reduce, after winding, the roll elements to a smaller outer diameter so that the film trims can be removed easily.
According to a particularly suitable embodiment, the tensioning element which is most remote from the drive is adapted to be removed from the winding mandrel so that a wound-up film trim can be removed axially from the unit.
Preferably, the drive can be switched off temporarily by means of a controller of the packaging machine so as to save power and, in cases in which coupling rings are used, minimize wear.
In the following an advantageous embodiment of the disclosure will be explained in more detail with reference to the below drawings.
Similar components are designated with like reference numerals throughout the drawings.
On the input side, a supply roll 7 is provided on the machine frame 6, from which a first web-shaped material 8 is unwound. In the area of the sealing station 3, a material storage unit 9 is provided, from which a second web-shaped material 10 is unwound as a lidding web. On the output side, a discharge device 13 in the form of a conveyor belt is provided at the packaging machine, with which finished, singulated packages are transported away. Furthermore, the packaging machine 1 comprises a feeding device which is not shown, said feeding device gripping the first web-shaped material 8 and transporting it cyclically in a main work cycle in the working direction R. The feeding device can be realized, for example, by laterally arranged transport chains.
In the embodiment shown, the forming station 2 is configured as a thermoforming station in which containers 14 are formed in the first web-shaped material 8 by thermoforming. The forming station 2 can be configured such that in the direction perpendicular to the working direction R several containers are formed side by side. An infeed line 15, along which the containers 14 formed in the first web-shaped material 8 are filled with a product 16, is arranged downstream of the forming station 2 in the working direction R.
The sealing station 3 is provided with a closable chamber 17 in which the atmosphere in the container 14 can, prior to sealing, be substituted by a substitute gas or a substitute gas mixture, e.g., by means of gas flushing.
The cross cutting unit 4 is implemented as a punch which cuts through the first web-shaped material 8 and the second web-shaped material 10 between neighbouring containers 14 in a direction transversely to the working direction R. In so doing, the cross cutting unit 4 works such that the first web-shaped material 8 is not cut through across the whole width thereof, but remains uncut at least in a boundary area thereof. This allows controlled further conveyance by the feeding device.
In the embodiment shown, the longitudinal cutting unit 5 is implemented as a knife unit by means of which the first web-shaped material 8 and the second web-shaped material 10 are cut through between neighbouring containers 14 and at the lateral boundary of the first web-shaped material 8 so that singulated packages 21 are obtained downstream of the longitudinal cutting unit 5. The film trims released by the feeding device on either side are wound up as edge trims 23 by a winder 22 according to the present disclosure.
The packaging machine 1 is additionally provided with a controller 18. This controller 18 has the function to control and monitor the processes taking place in the packaging machine 1. A display device 19 with control elements 20 is used for visualizing for and influencing by an operator the sequences of processes taking place in the packaging machine 1.
In the following, the mode of operation is described in detail. The adjustment wheel 28 can be screwed onto the winding mandrel 29 and forces the outer drive bushing 31 via the outer coupling ring 30 against the outer tensioning element 27 and then against the roll elements 32a of the outer winding roll 25a and the additional tensioning element 27. This has the effect that the roll elements 32a are displaced radially outwards until they are stopped by a stop 34. Analogously, this also happens with the roll elements 32b of the inner winding roll 25b. When the roll elements 32a and 32b have been stopped by stops 34, the adjustment wheel 28 acts via the outer coupling ring 30 and via the winding roll 25a on the central coupling ring 30 and via the winding roll 25b on the inner coupling ring 30 and via an inner drive bushing 31 onto a spring 33 which is compressed in this way. By further displacing the adjustment wheel 28 in the direction of the drive 24, the spring 33 is compressed still further and the force, which equally acts on the coupling rings 30, is increased, which has the effect that the torque threshold is raised and the maximum tension force applied to the film trim 23 is increased.
If edge trims 23 should be wound differently on the respective winding rolls 25a, 25b, the existing slip guarantees that the winding rolls 25a, 25b can rotate differently in relation to the winding mandrel 29 and the drive 24, respectively.
The coupling rings 30 may be made of POM, which is allowed to be used in the foodstuff industry, or of any other suitable material, such as a material which is suitable to vary, by varying the axially applied pressure, the frictional force proportionally to the greatest possible extent.
The embodiment of the winder 22 is not limited to two winding rolls 25a, 25b. If the packaging machine in question is ,e.g., a 3-track thermoform packaging machine 1 with additional middle trim cuts between the tracks, two edge trims 23 and two middle trims will have to be wound up, and the winder 22 will therefore preferably comprise four winding rolls 25a, 25b. The individual winding rolls 25a, 25b may have different widths.
Irrespectively of the number of winding rolls 25a, 25b, a residual film grid can be wound up instead of a plurality of edge trims 23, without retooling of the winder 22 being necessary.
In order to be able to adjust the overlap S, any suitable arrangement or mechanism may be utilized. For example, fixing members such as fixing screws 51 may be provided, each inserted into an oblong hole 52 with an axial direction in the respective bushing 39a, 39b, and being screwed with a suitable thread into a hole in the respective countermagnet 38a, 38b. When the fixing screw 51 is loosened, it may be displaced manually within the oblong hole 52 in the axial direction, taking along with it the corresponding countermagnet 38a, 38b and thereby adjusting the overlap S. At a desired position, the screw 51 may be tightened again.
Optionally, a variable number of stop or limiting members, such as intermediate disks 53, may be interposed in the axial space between the inner magnet 37a, 37b and the corresponding countermagnet 38a, 38b, in order to limit the maximum achievable overlap S. Alternatively, this space may be empty.
In another embodiment, a drive, for example a servo motor, is provided for adjusting the axial position of the countermagnet 38a, 38b, and with it the overlap S.
For removing a wound-up film trim 23 from the winder 35, the winding roll 25a can be removed axially from the winding mandrel 29 with a stop disc 41 and a handle 40, when a locking pin 43 has been released. This applies analogously to the winding roll 25b. The film trim 23 can easily be pulled off via a bevel 44 on the outer diameter of the winding roll 25a, 25b.
The permanent magnets 37a, 37b, 38a, 38b may alternatively also be implemented as electromagnets, at least partially.
The disclosure relates not only to the variants shown in the figures, but, e.g., also to the combination of magnets 37a, 37b, 38a, 38b in a winder 22 with two winding rolls 25a, 25b of the type shown in
While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2011 010 378.3 | Feb 2011 | DE | national |
