AT413378B - Joining tail end of flat-wound tubular film to starting end of fresh roll, e.g. for packaging machines, involves slitting sides to form attachment tongues - Google Patents

Abstract

The starting end (3) of a new roll of flat-wound tubular film is joined to the tail end (4) of the previously used film by means of a tongues (7) formed by a slits (8) in the sides. The tongues are tucked in and joined by welds (29) at the folded inner sides (17). The width of the tongue (7) corresponds roughly to the width of the inner folded side (17). An independent claimS are also included for the following: (1) An analogous process where the sides are slit to provide an overlap across the whole width of the film, followed by welding at the sides; (2) A packaging plant supplied by tubular film on a reel that includes a cutting and joining station using this process. The weld (29) can be made ultrasonically, the welding anvil (14) being inserted from the side into the fold. The film can be positioned by suction or electrostatic handling devices.

Description

2

AT 413 378 B

The invention relates to a method for connecting an initial section of a film tube wound on a strip carrier with an end section of a second film tube, in particular for packaging installations, according to the preamble of claim 1 and a packaging installation according to the preamble of claim 8. 5

Foil hoses are usually wound on roller carriers, which are rotatably mounted and from which the film tube is unwound and fed to further processing steps. A wound on a roll carrier film tube is also referred to below as a hose roll. Film hoses are used in packaging systems in a variety of ways, for example in bagging machines for packing goods in bags, or in palletizing systems for re-clamping goods stored on pallets.

In bagging plants, for example, the film tube is unwound from such a hose roll and filled with material in the following plant sections. For this purpose, the initially band-shaped 15 present film tube must be opened to allow its filling. This is done with the help of a dome, which is positioned in the axial direction within the film tube, so that the film tube is opened when passing through the cathedral. Such a configuration is also referred to as a "flying mandrel" because the mandrel inside the film tube must be held in stable storage. As an alternative to such a flying mandrel, wedges or vacuum cups are also used, particularly in the processing of slit pleated bags.

The opening of the film tube created by means of the dome is now available for filling with goods, for example in bagging plants or for wrapping goods, for example in palletizing systems. In bagging plants, the relevant film tube section is formed on both sides of the filled material, e.g. sealed using special welding procedures and the packaged goods can be removed.

In this case, in particular, the problem of roll carrier change with complete consumption of a 30 wound on the roll carrier film tube. In a conventional manner, for this purpose, the packaging system is stopped, removed the roller carrier of the used hose reel and instead provided a new hose reel. The initial section of the new hose reel is subsequently used manually in one of the hose reel immediately following positioning and tensioning station and fed to the other Anlagenab-35 cuts. In particular, the mandrel is manually inserted into the initial section of the new hose reel. Only when the mandrel or wedge has been used, the packaging system can be restarted.

The change of a roller carrier thus requires longer downtime of the entire system. 40 It should be noted that hose reels usually have about 1200 sacks, but the processing speed of bagging plants is about 1800 sacks per hour. Thus, a hose reel is used up in about 40 minutes. The change of the hose reel but takes about 10-20 minutes. The bagging unit is therefore idle for up to one third of its service life during its operation. Increasing processing speeds for film hoses cause an increasing deterioration of the relationship between working time and downtime of the plant.

It is described in EP 1 201 585 A1 to trapezoidally cut the initial section of a new hose reel, to lay the thus formed flaps over the end section of an old hose reel which has not been cut to length, and to connect them together. However, this procedure has disadvantages. If, in fact, the end section of the old hose reel according to EP 1 201 585 A1 is not trapezoidally cut to form hinged flaps, then the creation of a tension-proof connection can only take place by welding, if an abutment is guided within the running film hose. 55 This counter bearing must be within the running film tube but also in position 3

AT 413 378 B, to which the EP 1 201 585 A1 provides guide rollers. Such a method, however, decisively limits the film strip speed, since the heat transfer to the counterblade guided inside the outgoing film tube would otherwise be too great. DE 195 15 718 A1 shows a packaging installation with a separating welding device. This separation welding device is used to cut a film tube after wrapping an object to be packaged, but not to create a tensile connection in the course of a hose reel change. 10

JP 1 285 550 A shows a method in which the ends of the foil tubes are sucked in during welding by means of negative pressure. US 4 490 199 A shows a method for welding foil tubes by means of ultrasound. It is therefore the object of the invention to avoid the disadvantages of conventional methods and in particular to avoid longer downtimes of the entire system when changing the hose reel. In particular, it is the goal that after connecting the old with the new film tube again creates a tube whose opening cross-section is not or only slightly reduced at the junction. This object is achieved by the characterizing features of claims 1 and 8, respectively.

Claim 1 provides, for connecting an initial portion of a wound on a roll carrier tape wound film tube with an end portion of a second, over subsequent processing stations, in particular a packaging system, at least 25 partially band-shaped extending film tube at the beginning and end portions of the two film tubes to be connected Schnittsetzung each at least one hinged flap is formed, the lobes of the beginning and end sections are superimposed and connected to each other tensile strength. This ensures that the film tube of the used hose reel together with the film tube of the new 30 hose reel again forms an approximately continuous film tube which extends over the entire system. For this purpose, it is not necessary that the connecting portion forms a sealed tube section, since the connecting portion does not necessarily have to be used for the filling. But it must be a tensile connection, so that the two connected film tubes can be easily passed through the other sections of equipment 35 and in particular the mandrel from the old film tube in the new film tube can be easily transferred. In particular, the method according to the invention ensures that, after joining the two film tubes, a tube is again formed whose opening cross-section is not or only insignificantly reduced at the connection point. 40 For the creation of such a tensile connection is provided according to claim 1, to form by cutting at least one hinged flap at the beginning and end section. Such an interface can be done in different ways. For example, according to claim 2, the two to be joined beginning and end sections are first cut 45 transverse to the longitudinal extent of the film tubes to then cut off the resulting corner portions of the beginning and end sections at an acute angle to the longitudinal extension of the film tubes, so that at the joining the beginning and end sections each produce two lobes that taper at the end. As can be seen immediately, these flaps are hinged, the end-side taper facilitates the handling of the flaps. In particular, it can be provided according to claim 3 that the cutting takes place transversely to the longitudinal extent of the film tubes at a right angle to the longitudinal extent, so that the lobes taper trapezoidal at the beginning and end portions of the two film tubes. 55 According to claim 4 it is provided that the tensile connection of the beginning and Endab- 4

AT 413 378 B sections of the film hoses is formed by welding. In particular, welding processes based on ultrasound have proved to be advantageous for this purpose.

The generated flaps at the start and end sections must be lifted from the film tubes, held in place and swiveled back again. For this purpose, has proven to be advantageous according to claim 6 that the lobes to be connected to the beginning and end portions of the film tubes are sucked and pivoted by means of vacuum.

As already mentioned, welding methods are preferably used for producing a tension-resistant connection. An advantageous operation is defined in claim 7, the result of welding the initial and final sections of the film tubes a tab of the initial section is placed on a weld anvil and sucked by this by means of negative pressure, and a flap of the end portion placed on the located on the weld anvil and tabs is welded with this.

Claim 8 relates to a bagging system with a roll carrier, on which a film tube is wound, a positioning and tensioning station, which unwinds the film tube from the roll carrier and feeds subsequent sections, a packaging unit for processing a film tube section and a conveyor for transporting packaged goods. According to the invention, it is provided that at least one cutting device for cutting the film tube and a welding station for processing the film tube is arranged between the positioning and tensioning station and the packaging station. The cutting device is used for the cut according to claim 1 and the welding station for the production of a tensile connection. According to claim 9, this is an ultrasonic welding system. In accordance with claim 10 further Saugschwenker between the positioning and tensioning station and the filling station are arranged, which serve to pivot the lobes at the beginning or end portion.

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures. It show here

1a is a schematic representation of a packaging system with flying mandrel according to the sand of the art,

1b is a schematic representation of a packaging system with vacuum cups according to the sand of the art,

1c is a schematic representation of a packing plant with a wedge according to the sand of the art,

2a is a schematic representation of a packaging system according to the invention with roller magazine, cutting and welding unit, clamping and buffer unit and the packaging unit in a process step in which the initial section of a new hose reel is manually inserted into the positioning and tensioning station of the reel magazine and the end of the old role is tailored,

2b is the schematic representation of FIG. 2a seen from above,

FIG. 3a is a schematic representation according to FIG. 2 for that method step in which the starting section of the new roll in the positioning and tensioning station is detected by a suction swivel, FIG.

3b is the schematic representation of FIG. 3a seen from above,

FIG. 4a is a schematic representation according to FIG. 2 for that method step in which the flaps of the end section of the old roll are folded up, FIG.

4b, the schematic representation of FIG. 4a seen from above,

FIG. 5a is a schematic representation according to FIG. 2 for that method step in which the starting section of the new roll is cut, FIG.

5b, the schematic representation of FIG. 5a seen from above,

Fig. 6 is a schematic representation of the beginning and end portion of the two film tubes to be connected seen from above, in which a possible Schnittsetzung is visible, 5

AT 413 378 B

7a is a schematic representation according to FIG. 2 for that method step in which the flaps of the starting section of the new roll are folded up and the welding anvil is inserted, FIG.

7a, the schematic representation according to FIG. 7a seen from above, FIG. 8a, a schematic representation according to FIG. 2, for that method step in which the lobes of the starting section of the new roll are placed on the welding anvil,

8b, the schematic representation of FIG. 8a seen from above,

9a is a schematic view according to FIG. 2 for that method step in which the suction lugs provided for handling the lobes of the starting section of the new roll are pivoted away, FIG.

9b, the schematic representation of FIG. 9a seen from above,

Fig. 10a is a schematic representation of FIG. 2 for that process step in which the lobes of the end portion of the old roll are placed on the lobes of the beginning portion of the new roll and welded to them, Fig. 10b is the schematic diagram of Fig. 10a seen from above,

11a is a schematic representation according to FIG. 2 for that method step in which the welding device and the suction swivels have been folded away from the film tubes, FIG. 11b the schematic representation according to FIG. 11a seen from above,

12a is a schematic representation according to FIG. 2 for that method step in which the welding anvil has been pulled out laterally and the tension-proof connection between the film tubes to be connected is completed, FIG.

12b, the schematic representation of FIG. 12a seen from above, and Fig. 13a-c different embodiments of a roller magazine. Fig. 1a-c shows a schematic representation of a conventional bagging system with a hose reel 16 ', a tensioning and buffering unit 23, a filling unit 20 and a conveyor 21. In the filling unit 20, it is necessary to open the film tube 5 before filling , which is accomplished by means of a dome 25 inserted into the film tube 5. The film tube 5 can now be filled about a hopper 26. On both sides 30 of the filled section of the film tube 5 is cut off and welded the ends. The packaged good can subsequently be transported away from the conveyor 21. The operations in such plants are automated and controlled by plant control systems. Fig. 1b shows a further embodiment variant of a conventional bagging installation, in which instead of the dome 25, vacuum cups 27 are used to open the film tube 5, which is particularly recommended for slit pleated bags. In Fig. 1c, the use of a wedge 28 is shown schematically. In all these embodiments, the problem of roll carrier change with complete consumption of aufgewi on the roll carrier 1 disgusted film tube 5. In a conventional manner this is the packaging system stopped, the roller carrier 1 of the used hose reel 16 'removed and instead provided a new hose reel 16 , The initial section of the new hose reel 16 is subsequently used manually in a hose reel 16 immediately following tensioning and buffer unit 23 and fed to the other sections of the system. In particular, the mandrel 25 or wedge 28 is manually inserted into the initial section of the new hose reel 16. Only when the mandrel 25 or wedge 28 was used, the packaging system can be restarted, which requires longer downtime of the entire system.

These downtime can be avoided according to the invention by arranging a cutting device 7, so 8, 9 and a welding station 12, 13, as will be explained with reference to the following FIGS. 2 to 12.

Fig. 2 shows schematically an overview of the entire system with the new film tube 2, which is wound on the new hose reel 16 strip-shaped, Schneidvorrichtun-55 gen 7, 8, 9, welding station 12, 13, buffer unit 23 and the packaging unit 24. Bei the 6th

AT 413 378 B

Packaging unit 24 may be, for example, a filling unit of a bagging unit, or a packaging unit for wrapping pallets using a film tube 5. In contrast to conventional systems according to FIGS. 1a-c, according to the invention between the tensioning and positioning unit 6a, 6b of the roller magazine 30 and the 5 buffer unit 23 cutting devices 7, 8, 9 and a welding station 12,13 provided.

The new tube roller 16 is brought from a roller magazine 30, for the different variants are conceivable. For example, FIG. 13 a shows a linear roller magazine in which the tube rollers 16 are aligned coaxially and are fed successively to a changer 29. The changer 29 removes a hose reel 16 from the linear reel magazine and positions it relative to the remaining sections of the system 22, 23, 24 so that the starting section 3 of the new hose reel 16 can be fed to the remaining sections 22, 23, 24. As an alternative embodiment of a roller magazine 30, FIG. 13b shows a carousel roller magazine in which the tube rollers 16 are arranged in a circle. According to FIG. 13c, a paternoster elevator can also be provided so that the tube rollers 16 can also be moved in a direction perpendicular to the image plane of FIG. 13c.

The initial section 3 of the new film tube 2 a new hose reel 16 is positioned and fixed in a feeder of the changer 29 so that the initial section 20 3 hangs down in a defined position, being well protected against electromagnetic interference ge. The initial section 3 is subsequently detected by the tension roller 6a and the feed roller 6b (FIG. 2). During this operation, the end portion 4 of the old film tube 5 is pneumatically detected at both ends by means of the suction swivels 10a, 10b and positioned on a first cutting device 9, where the end portion 4 is cut. The cutting process will be chosen so that at least one fold-up flap 4a, 4b is formed at the end portion 4. A preferred cut is that the end portion 4 is first cut transversely to the longitudinal extent L of the film tube 5, preferably at right angles, along a cutting line CL (see also Fig. 6). This cutting process is particularly recommended in the case of bulky end sections 4. Subsequently, the resulting corner regions 15 are cut at an acute angle to the longitudinal extension L of the film tube 5 along the cutting lines Si and S2, so that an upper flap 4a and a lower flap 4b are formed each taper at the ends. It is now on the one hand immediately apparent 35 that the acute angle to the longitudinal extent L in the direction of the film tube 5 must open, otherwise no fold-up tabs 4a, 4b can be formed, and on the other hand, the cutting line Ch can also be omitted if the cutting lines Si and S2 are chosen so that their point of intersection comes to rest within the film tube 5. 40

Alternatively, the film tube 5 could be slit at its initial sections 4 but also only axially, which would also arise hinged tabs 4a, 4b. Depending on the requirements and the respective processing circumstances, it may thus be advantageous to use different interfaces. 45

In Fig. 3, a further step is shown, in which the starting portion 3 of the new film tube 2 is pneumatically detected by a suction swivel 18 and pressed by means of the tension roller 6a against the feed roller 6b. Furthermore, the cutting device 9 is pivoted away, wherein the lobes 4a, 4b of the end portion 4 are kept in a defined position so.

4 shows how the initial section 3 is then fed by means of the suction swivel 18 to the cutting device 7, where the starting section 3 is cut off transversely to the longitudinal extent L of the film tube 2, preferably at right angles, along the section line Q2 (see also FIG. 6) ). This cutting process is particularly recommended for bulky 7

AT 413 378 B

Initial sections 3, wherein the corner regions 19 are formed (Fig. 6). Meanwhile, the lobes 4a and 4b of the end portion 4 of the old film tube 5 are folded up by means of the suction swivels 10a and 10b. According to FIG. 5, the starting section 3 of the new film tube 2 is fed to the cutting device 8, wherein the cutting process will in turn be selected such that at least one flip-up flap 3a, 3b is formed at the beginning section 3. A preferred cut is that the corner regions 19 are cut off at an acute angle to the longitudinal extent L of the film tube 2 along the cutting lines S3 and S4, so that an upper flap 3a and a lower flap 3b arise, which taper at each end. On the one hand, it is immediately apparent that the acute angle to the longitudinal extent L must open in the direction of the film tube 2, since otherwise no fold-up tabs 3a, 3b can be formed and, on the other hand, the section line Q2 can also be omitted if the cutting lines S3 and S3 S4 are chosen so that their intersection point is within the film-15 tube 2.

Now, according to FIG. 7, the lugs 3a and 3b of the film tube 2 can be folded up by means of the suction swivels 11a and 18b. In this positioning of the flaps 4 a, 4 b, 3 a and 3 b, a welding anvil 14 can be inserted laterally in order to enable the following welding of the two film tubes 2 and 5.

As shown in Fig. 8, then the tabs 3a and 3b are placed by means of the suction pivot 11a and 18 on the welding anvil 14 and pneumatically detected by this. According to FIG. 9, the suction swivels 11a and 18 can subsequently be pivoted away. Now, as shown in FIG. 10, by means of the suction swivels 10a and 10b, the flaps 4a and 4b of the end portion 4 of the old film tube 5 can be placed on the flaps 3a and 3b of the starting portion 3 of the new film tube 2. The welding tool 12,13 can now be moved in the direction of the film tubes 2 and 5 in this positioning of the tabs 3a, 3b, 4a and 4b on the welding anvil 14. Preferably, this is a welding device based on ultrasound, wherein the welding tools 12a, 12b and 13a and 13b are also referred to as sonotrodes. These sonotrodes 12a, 12b 13a, 13b are placed with pressure on the tabs 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, which are vibrated by means of ultrasound. The input power of the ultrasonic welding device is selected in particular as a function of the film thickness and the film properties, in order to avoid problems with cooling and sticking. In the areas of contact there is then a relative movement of the tabs 3a and 4a or of the tabs 3b and 4b, which lead to heat development and subsequently to plasticizing, i. for melting the plastic material, leads. The plastic is thus connected by means of mechanical vibrations. 40

In principle, other methods of producing a tension-resistant connection are conceivable, for example via staples or by gluing. For example, it would be conceivable in principle to provide the surface of the initial section 3 of the new film tube 2 with adhesive and to put the end section 4 of the old film tube 5 over it. However, this would require the adhesive to set sufficiently fast, which is not the case with currently available adhesives.

After completion of the welding process, as shown in FIG. 11, the sonotrodes 12a, 12b, 13a and 13b withdrawn and the Saugschwenker 10a and 10b are folded away. As the last method step, the welding anvil 14 can now be pulled out laterally, as a result of which the connection point 17 is released. Although this connection point 17 has in each case in its edge regions a triangular cut-out and is therefore not tight, but provides a tension-resistant connection. The two connected film tubes 2 and 5 can thus be easily passed through the other system sections. In particular, the method according to the invention ensures that after joining the two film tubes 2

Claims (10)

δ ΑΤ 413 378 Β and 5 again a hose is formed. The inventive method also allows an accurate welding of the two film tubes 2 and 5, which is crucial for the prevention of misalignments of the connected film tube. However, the film tube 2, 5 itself has relatively large tolerances, which can be compensated by the inventive method 5 but. The inventive method can be used in systems with flying mandrel 25 as well as systems with wedge 28 or vacuum cups 27. Thus, with the aid of the method according to the invention, longer downtimes of the geo-io system during a change of the hose reel can be avoided. claims; 1. A method for connecting an initial section (3) of a film carrier (2) wound on a roll carrier (1) with an end section (4) of a second film tube (5) extending over subsequent processing stations, in particular a packaging system, at least partially in band form, characterized in that at the beginning and end portions (3, 4) of the two tubular hoses (2, 5) to be joined, at least one hinged flap (3a, 3b, 4a, 4b) is formed by being cut, the tabs forming (3a, 3b, 4a, 4b) of the initial and final sections (3, 4) are superimposed and tensile strength connected to each other. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the Schnittsetzung takes place, 25 that the two to be joined start and end sections (3, 4) each transverse to the longitudinal extent (L) of the film tubes (2, 5) are cut off, and the thus formed corner portions (15) of the beginning and end portions (3, 4) at an acute angle to the longitudinal extent (L) of the film tubes (2, 5) are cut off, so that at the beginning and end portions to be joined (3, 4) respectively two lobes (3a, 3b, 4a, 30 4b) arise, which taper at the end. 3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the cut transverse to the longitudinal extent (L) of the film tubes (2, 5) at a right angle to the longitudinal extent (L), so that the tabs (3a, 3b, 4a, 4b) at the beginning and end portions (3, 4) of the two film tubes (2, 5) taper trapezoidally. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the tension-resistant connection of the beginning and end portions (3, 4) of the film tubes (2, 5) is formed by welding. 40 5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that the welding takes place by means of ultrasound. 6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the tabs 45 (3a, 3b, 4a, 4b) of the beginning and end portions to be joined (3, 4) of the Folienschläu che (2, 5) sucked by means of negative pressure and be swiveled. 7. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that for welding the beginning and end portions (3, 4) of the film tubes (2, 5) a tab so (3a, 3b) of the initial section (3) on a welding anvil (14) is applied and sucked by the latter by means of negative pressure, and a tab (4a, 4b) of the end portion (4) on the welding anvil (14) located flap (3a, 3b) is placed and welded thereto. 8. Packaging system with a roller carrier (1) on which a film tube (2) is opened, a positioning and tensioning station (6a, 6b), which unwinds the film tube (2) from the roller carrier (1) and subsequent system sections, a packaging unit (24) for processing a film tube section and a conveyor for transporting packaged goods, characterized in that between 5 of the positioning and clamping station (6a, 6b) and the packaging unit (24) at least one cutting device (7, 8, 9) for cutting the film tube (2) and a welding station (12, 13) for processing the film tube (2) is arranged. 9. Packaging installation according to claim 8, characterized in that the welding station (12, 13) is an ultrasonic welding installation. 10. Packaging installation according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that between the positioning and clamping station (6a, 6b) and the packaging unit (24) suction swivels (10, 11) are arranged. 15 Including 15 sheets Drawings 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55