EP0404272A1

EP0404272A1 - Device for unpacking products arranged in rectangular holders

Info

Publication number: EP0404272A1
Application number: EP90201641A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jacobus Govert Willem Van Ballegooijen
Original assignee: Ea Van Ballegooijen En Zn Bv
Current assignee: Ea Van Ballegooijen En Zn Bv
Priority date: 1989-06-22
Filing date: 1990-06-22
Publication date: 1990-12-27
Also published as: NL8901580A

Abstract

A device for unpacking products (P) arranged in rectangular holders of cuttable material such as butter or like fats arranged in cardboard boxes (P), said device comprising a frame (1), a conveyor belt (2) carried by that frame with transporting means for conveying a holder at a time past a cutting station (7, 8, 9) for cutting through a wall part of the holder, a heating station (42) for softening adhesive at points of adhesion on the holder, as well at least two further cutting stations for arranging cuts in the standing wall parts of a lining in said holder and a removal station for removing the two parts of the lining, in order to considerably increasing the unpacking capacity, whereby the feed of products can be adapted to automatic processes for further processing the content of the holder.

Description

The invention relates to a device for unpacking products arranged in rectangular holders of cuttable material such as butter or like fats arranged in cardboard boxes.
The invention has for its object to provide a device wherewith such products, which to date are unpacked manually, can be unpacked mechanically such that the production capacity is greatly increased whereby the feed of products can be adapted to automatic processes for further processing. The heavy manual labour involved in such unpacking can therein be avoided.
The device according to the invention is distinguished by a frame, a conveyor belt carried by that frame with transporting means for conveying a holder at a time past a cutting station for cutting through a wall part of the holder and a heating station for softening adhesive at points of adhesion on the holder.
As a result of the cutting station and the heating members, cardboard boxes for example which are glued at various locations or held together by tape can be unpacked in simple manner whereby the production rate can be considerably increased.
If the products are also packed in a lining present in the carton then it is recommended also to embody the device with two cutting stations for arranging cuts in the standing wall parts of the lining wherein the device is further provided with a removal station for removing the two parts of the lining.
In a particularly simple embodiment of the device according to the invention the conveyor belt is divided at least between the second and third cutting station into two parts which mutually enclose a right angle. Not only is the arranging of the cuts in the wall parts of the lining considerably simplified herewith, the surface area required for the device is also considerably limited.
The removal of the lining parts takes place preferably with resisting means which consist for example of hook-like members displaying a speed varying from that of the transport movement of the products.
Above-mentioned and other features of the invention will be further elucidated in the figure description hereinbelow of an embodiment. In the drawing:

fig. 1 shows a perspective top view of the device according to the invention,
fig. 2 shows a perspective bottom view of the device along the arrow II in fig. 1,
fig. 3 shows a perspective top view of a part of the device of fig. l along the arrow III,
fig. 4 is a perspective top view of the device of fig. 1 along the arrow IV,
fig. 5 shows a perspective top view of the device from fig. 1 along the arrow V,
fig. 6 shows a standing section of a part of the device from fig. 5 along the arrows VI.

The device shown in the figures consists of a frame 1 which is substantially constructed from a number of standing and lying profiles. Formed on the top of the frame 1 is a conveyor belt 2 upon which the products P which are packed in a packaging V are moved forward in the direction of the arrow P1.
A number of carriers 3 can be moved forwards in the direction of the arrow P1 along the first part of the conveyor belt 2 at bottom left in fig. 1, which carriers are attached at either end to a number of endless elements 4 which are trained around reversing rolls 5 and which are set into rotation by unshown means. The interval between the carriers is such that a determined distance is maintained between the products P.
A number of processing stations are disposed along the conveyor belt. Thus arranged at 6 is a cutting station which consists of a portal of posts 7 and a girder 8 along which a cutting device 9 can be moved up and downward. To this end the cutting device is provided with a horizontal beam 10, see fig. 2, which is fixed at either end to a carriage 11 provided with guide rolls 12 which are slidable in up and downward direction along the two posts 7.
The beam 10 is provided in the middle with a bracket 13 which is coupled to the bottom end of the piston rod 14. The piston rod 14 is part of a cylinder 15 arranged on the girder 8 and which can be energized such that the horizontal beam 10 with cutting station fixed thereto can be moved in up and downward direction.
The cutting member consists of a guiding 16 lying behind the horizontal beam 10 and along which a knife 17 can be moved back and forth transversely of the transport direction P1. The driving of the knife 17 in the guiding 16 take place in random manner and is not further elucidated. An example can be a cylinder with cylinder rod lying in the guiding 16 which is energized by an air medium or the like.
A packet P is observed by sensors 18 on either side of the conveyor belt 2 as well as a sensor 19 which is arranged in front of the bracket 13 above the conveyor belt 2. The sensors or feelers 18, 19 serve to determine whether the packet complies with the conditions of size and position for further processing. A light-sensitive element 20 is radiated with a light-transmitter 21 on either side of the conveyor belt 2 for observing a packet P. When a packet P is present the packet P is stopped by stopping the conveyor means 3, the beam 10 is moved downward onto the packet P for opening and the knife 17 is also moved again by the cylinder 15 in order to cut into a corner of the packet P whereby the join of the upper and standing rear wall of the packet P is broken. Arranged under the beam 10 is an adjustable support, not shown in the drawing, which rests on the packet.
Behind the cutting device 9 is arranged a heating device 42. The heating device consists of a blower 22 for feeding a hot air flow in the direction of tape T present on the sides of the box. By heating the tape T the adhesive thereon will soften and the join between the two standing half wall parts of the packet will be broken.
At the top of the heating device 42 is arranged a sensor wheel 23 which is provided with holes 24 and which coacts with a sensor 25 which observes whether the wheel, which has a knurled periphery 26, is set in rotation by the upper side of the packet P. When the wheel 23 rotates the sensor 25 is constantly reset which generates a signal for setting into operation the burners 22. As soon as the wheel 23 stops moving because of the stopping of the conveyor members 3 the heating device 42 is rendered inoperative to avoid the danger of fire.
When it passes through both the cutting station 9 and the heating device 42 the packet, here consisting of a folded cardboard box, is cut loose, whereby it can be unfolded in the direction of transport, see on the right in fig. 1 and fig. 3. The product in the packaging is therefore released and lies on the bottom portion of the packaging still situated on the conveyor belt 2.
Located at the end of the first part of the conveyor belt 2 at top right in fig. 1 is a cross beam 43 which is provided with a carriage 26 which is connected to a pressure member 27, see also fig. 3. The conveyor belt 2 has here a second part 2′ which lies at a right angle relative to the first part at the bottom of fig. 1. By energizing a cylinder acting upon the carriage 26 the pressure member 27, which grips on the top lengthwise ribs of the packet P, is moved in the direction of the arrow P2 whereby the packet is shifted to the edge of the first part of the conveyor belt 2. Situated along the edge is a threshold 27′ which prevents sliding of the packet P so that as the pressure member 27 moves through the packet is tilted in the direction of the arrow P3. The formerly standing side of the packet P becomes the underside on the second part of the conveyor belt 2′ and can subsequently be carried away for further processing. The packaging V can finally be removed at the end of the first part of the conveyor belt 2 either through being pushed up by following packets or by hand.
The embodiment shown of the unpacking device according to the invention is subsequently provided with a second part which is occupied with the removal of the lining arranged around the product. This lining is of plastic material, for example polypropene, and is entirely closed on all sides by welding. This is with respect to the prevention of leakage if the product, for example butter, melts because of increase in temperature.
The cutting stations are shown in fig. 4. The frame has several posts which protrude above the conveyor belt 2′ and which are provided at a determined height with cutting members 30 which extend parallel to the conveyor belt 2 and this on either side thereof. When the packet P is transported by means of the, in this case, movable threshold 27′ in the direction of the arrow P4 the packet will be cut into on opposite sides by means of the knives 30. The packet is placed in the correct position relative to the belt 2 by guiding rods 31 extending at the correct height above the conveyor belt 2.
Each knife is arranged on a pivotal carrier 32 which can be placed into or out of the active position by means of a cylinder 33 such that the lining can be cut in the correct manner. Use is made herein of air pressure which controls the force exerted by the knives. This pressure is adjustable to adapt the knife force to the product.
Because the conveyor belt 2 passes through a right angle between the first cutting station, below in fig. 4, and the second cutting station, above in fig. 4, and transfers from the belt part 2′ to the belt part 2˝, each packet P can be cut into along the four standing sides whereby the lining arranged therearound is divided into an upper and lower portion V′ and V˝ respectively.
Transport along the belt part 2′ takes place with the movable threshold 27′ while transport along belt part 2˝ takes place with transport members 35 which consist of downward hanging strips which are attached pivotally to an upper frame 36. This upper frame 36 consists of cross beams which are provided at either end with roller bodies 37 which are guidable in a longitudinal rail 38 on either side and above the conveyor belt 2. The cross beams 44 are mutually connected by a longitudinal beam 39. The strips 35 are connected to the cross beams 44 via a hinge 40 which functions such that the strips can fold upwards from a downward-pointing position in the direction of the arrow P8 to a horizontal position.
The longitudinal beam 39 is driven by a cylinder 41, see the top of fig. 1, which sets the longitudinal beam into reciprocal motion according to the arrow P5.
It will be apparent that as they move to the left in fig. 4 the strips 35 will carry along a packet each time over the conveyor belt 2˝ while when they move back the strips 35 can lift up over the top of the packet and slide therealong. Thus brought about is a step-wise forward movement of the packets P along the conveyor belt 2˝.
A description now follows of the device for removing the lining portions V′ and V˝, fig. 5 bottom right. The packet initially passes a member with which the outside of the packet is deformed. This member can for example be formed by infrared radiating means. According to a preferred embodiment sprays are arranged with which heated water is sprayed on the lining. This furthers the release of the lining.
The conveyor belt 2˝ is provided at its end with resisting members 50 located at the upper and lower sides of the conveyor belt 2˝. These resisting members are hook-like, see fig. 6, and consist of arms 53 rotatable relative to the support 51 and the point of rotation 52 respectively, which arms can be respectively turned downward by means of separate ly controllable cylinders 54 or turned upward into the conveyor belt 2 by a draw spring 55. The hooks 50 grip the lining portions V′ and V˝ respectively and as the packet is carried through by means of the strips 35 the lining is pulled from the product P. Transport of the product P takes place over a downward pivotable hatch part of the conveyor belt 2 which is designated by 56. The product arrives in the position according to the dashed line P′ on the right in fig. 6 and can be carried away by an end conveyor 57 which can take a random form.
As soon as the packet P has been transported over the hatch part 56 this is folded downward by means of the cylinder 60 in the direction of the arrow P6 to the position indicated with a dashed line in fig. 6. The lining portions V′ and V˝ fall downward into a discharge chute 61 and are subsequently crushed by means of a set of rollers 62 such that the product adhering to the lining is pressed out and the lining portion V can be carried away in the direction of the arrow P7. A conveyor belt can be employed instead of a discharge chute. The adhering product is collected and processed.
From the above description it will be apparent that with the device shown a particularly simple unpacking of products can be effected, whether or not they are packed in a lining.

Claims

1. Device for unpacking products arranged in rectangular holders of cuttable material, such as butter or like fats arranged in cardboard boxes, characterized by a frame,
a conveyor belt carried by that frame having conveyor means for transporting a holder at a time, a cutting station disposed along the conveyor belt for cutting through a wall part of the holder,
and a heating station disposed along the conveyor belt for softening adhesive at points of adhesion on the holder.

2. Device as claimed in claim 1, particularly suitable for unpacking products which are packed in an extra lining, characterized by two cutting stations arranged along the conveyor belt behind the heating device for arranging cuts in the standing wall portions of the lining wherein a removal station is arranged for removing the two portions of the lining.

3. Device as claimed in claim 1 and/or 2, characterized in that the conveyor belt is divided into two parts at least between the second and the third cutting station, which parts enclose a right angle.

4. Device as claimed in claims 1-3, characterized in that the removal station is embodied with resisting means which have a direction varying from the transport movement direction of the products.

5. Device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the resisting means are embodied as hook-like members.