CA2295360A1 - Machine for folding a downwardly directed bottom section of a packing box beneath a product being packaged - Google Patents
Machine for folding a downwardly directed bottom section of a packing box beneath a product being packaged Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2295360A1 CA2295360A1 CA 2295360 CA2295360A CA2295360A1 CA 2295360 A1 CA2295360 A1 CA 2295360A1 CA 2295360 CA2295360 CA 2295360 CA 2295360 A CA2295360 A CA 2295360A CA 2295360 A1 CA2295360 A1 CA 2295360A1
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- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- section
- packing box
- product
- conveying
- bottom section
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B11/00—Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
- B65B11/004—Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material in blanks, e.g. sheets precut and creased for folding
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B11/00—Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
- B65B11/06—Wrapping articles, or quantities of material, by conveying wrapper and contents in common defined paths
- B65B11/08—Wrapping articles, or quantities of material, by conveying wrapper and contents in common defined paths in a single straight path
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B49/00—Devices for folding or bending wrappers around contents
- B65B49/14—Folders forming part of, or attached to, conveyors for partially-wrapped articles
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B5/00—Packaging individual articles in containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, jars
- B65B5/02—Machines characterised by incorporation of means for making the containers or receptacles
- B65B5/024—Machines characterised by incorporation of means for making the containers or receptacles for making containers from preformed blanks
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Closing Of Containers (AREA)
Abstract
The invention relates to a machine for folding a downwardly directed bottom section (17) of a packing box beneath a product (3) being packaged. A device holds the packing box and carries it along it the conveying direction (4). A conveyor device receives the product. The conveyor device has a rear conveying section (11) and a front conveying section (12). An interspace (13) is formed between these two. A device (13) for folding the bottom section (17) of the packing box beneath the product to be packed is disposed in the region of the interspace, below the conveying plane of the product and at an inclined angle to the conveying direction. A folding machine of this sort makes it possible for the downwardly directed bottom section of the packing box to be folded beneath the product being packaged, at the same time as the product and packing box are being continuously conveyed along.
Description
Herr Helmut Seidel Fliederstrasse 19 65396 Walluf Machine for folding a downwardly directed bottom section of a packing box beneath a product being packaged D a s c r i p t i o n There are a number of different ways of packing a product in a packing box, more particularly in a folding carton.
On the one hand it is possible to first produce the folding carton and to place the product therein before proceeding to seal the packing box. Another method is to use the wrap-around process to enclose the product in the packing.
Setting the bottom section in position beneath a product being carried along by a conveyor device and which accordingly is resting on the conveyor device presents a special difficulty. Problems arise in particular in guiding and conveying the packing box in the defined manner and in folding the bottom section of the packing box, which in the initial situation is downwardly directed, beneath the product being packaged.
On the one hand it is possible to first produce the folding carton and to place the product therein before proceeding to seal the packing box. Another method is to use the wrap-around process to enclose the product in the packing.
Setting the bottom section in position beneath a product being carried along by a conveyor device and which accordingly is resting on the conveyor device presents a special difficulty. Problems arise in particular in guiding and conveying the packing box in the defined manner and in folding the bottom section of the packing box, which in the initial situation is downwardly directed, beneath the product being packaged.
2 For example the product is packed directly into the box or else it is contained in a separate packaging, for instance a bag, which is put into the folding carton. An example of a directly packed product is a pizza, or several pizzas arranged one above the other. An example of a product in a bag is cornflakes, where the cardboard packing box is formed around the bag filled with the cornflakes.
From unexamined German patent application DE-OS 21 58 540 a machine for forming a carrier pack is known, more particularly one for glasses. Here the packing blank is placed from above symmetrically around the article to be packed, with folding rails of different shapes being provided on both sides to pivot two associated bottom section elements of the blank against the base of the article. A driving dog is simultaneously applied against the blank and against the article. The conveying sections of the machine do not incorporate functional interspaces, and instead a feeder belt for the articles is directly followed by a bracing strut therefor, subordinated directly to which are the folding rails which are now at the lower level there.
Against this background it is the object of the present invention to indicate a folding machine which allows the downwardly directed bottom section of the packing box to be folded beneath the product being packed, as the product and the packing box are being continuously carried along.
The machine is intended to be of a particularly straightforward constructional design and to allow continuous packaging of products at a high rate of throughput. What is meant by a high rate of throughput is a packaging and product conveying speed that enables at least 150 packing boxes to be handled per minute. What is meant by continuous conveying of the product and the packing box is uninterrupted conveying thereof. The conveying speeds of the product and the packing box are
From unexamined German patent application DE-OS 21 58 540 a machine for forming a carrier pack is known, more particularly one for glasses. Here the packing blank is placed from above symmetrically around the article to be packed, with folding rails of different shapes being provided on both sides to pivot two associated bottom section elements of the blank against the base of the article. A driving dog is simultaneously applied against the blank and against the article. The conveying sections of the machine do not incorporate functional interspaces, and instead a feeder belt for the articles is directly followed by a bracing strut therefor, subordinated directly to which are the folding rails which are now at the lower level there.
Against this background it is the object of the present invention to indicate a folding machine which allows the downwardly directed bottom section of the packing box to be folded beneath the product being packed, as the product and the packing box are being continuously carried along.
The machine is intended to be of a particularly straightforward constructional design and to allow continuous packaging of products at a high rate of throughput. What is meant by a high rate of throughput is a packaging and product conveying speed that enables at least 150 packing boxes to be handled per minute. What is meant by continuous conveying of the product and the packing box is uninterrupted conveying thereof. The conveying speeds of the product and the packing box are
3 preferably identical, and thus the product and packing box move along in synchronism.
The invention proposes a machine for folding a downwardly directed bottom section of a packing box beneath a product being packaged, with a device holding the packing box and carrying it along in the conveying direction and a conveyor device receiving the product, the machine incorporating the following additional features:
- the conveyor device incorporates a rear and a front conveyor section, - there is an interspace disposed between the conveyor sections, - in the area of the interspace, beneath the product conveying plane and at an inclined angle to the conveying direction, there is disposed a device for folding the bottom section of the packing box underneath the product being packed.
The invention is based on recognition of the fact that it is sufficient for only discrete areas of the product to be carried by the conveyor device. This state of affairs can be utilised to fold the bottom section beneath the product being packed. This is achieved by means of the device for folding the bottom section, which functions more or less like a set of points. This means that the downwardly directed bottom section passes into the zone of the device for folding the bottom section and on account of the points function the bottom section is folded inwards by its leading zone and in one direction beneath the product being packed. As the product and packing box are conveyed onward, first that zone of the bottom section which is folded inwards comes into contact with the front conveying section, with the result that this packing box zone and the product are supported there, while as a result of the product and packing box being conveyed onward, trailing
The invention proposes a machine for folding a downwardly directed bottom section of a packing box beneath a product being packaged, with a device holding the packing box and carrying it along in the conveying direction and a conveyor device receiving the product, the machine incorporating the following additional features:
- the conveyor device incorporates a rear and a front conveyor section, - there is an interspace disposed between the conveyor sections, - in the area of the interspace, beneath the product conveying plane and at an inclined angle to the conveying direction, there is disposed a device for folding the bottom section of the packing box underneath the product being packed.
The invention is based on recognition of the fact that it is sufficient for only discrete areas of the product to be carried by the conveyor device. This state of affairs can be utilised to fold the bottom section beneath the product being packed. This is achieved by means of the device for folding the bottom section, which functions more or less like a set of points. This means that the downwardly directed bottom section passes into the zone of the device for folding the bottom section and on account of the points function the bottom section is folded inwards by its leading zone and in one direction beneath the product being packed. As the product and packing box are conveyed onward, first that zone of the bottom section which is folded inwards comes into contact with the front conveying section, with the result that this packing box zone and the product are supported there, while as a result of the product and packing box being conveyed onward, trailing
4 sections of the product and packing box are no longer supported by the conveyor device, thereby enabling the bottom section to be folded beneath the product in this zone.
In accordance with one preferred embodiment of the machine, the front and/or rear conveying section of the conveyor device are configured as conveyor belts, more particularly in the manner of toroidal belts. In particular the front and rear conveying sections are configured as conveyor belts. It is helpful if each conveying section has a plurality of conveyor belts, more particularly toroidal belts.
The interspace provided under the invention can be formed in a particularly straightforward fashion if the conveyor belts of the rear conveying section of the conveyor device and the conveyor belts of the front conveying section of the conveyor device have different lengths, notably in such a manner that the interspace formed between the conveying sections is orientated at an inclined angle to the conveying direction. In particular it is provided that the interspace has the shape of a parallelogram, more particularly the corner of the parallelogram that lies to the front in the conveying direction encloses an angle of 30 to 60°, preferably 40°, with the conveying direction.
Particularly in the case of such an acute angle of 40 ° , the configuration of the interspace is such that the extension thereof in the conveying direction is very large, thereby enabling the downwardly directed bottom section to be folded beneath the product over a great conveying length of the product and packing box.
In order to achieve accurate folding of the downwardly directed bottom section of the packing box beneath the product being packed, it is essential that the packing box is held in a precise manner and moved in a precise manner relative to the product. In this context the packing box is provided to have a lid section and two side wall sections folded downwards perpendicularly to said lid section, with the bottom section being hinged to one of the side wall sections and the device for holding the packing box adequately gripping the latter in the region of the opposing end edges of the respective side wall section. The packing box is consequently held in position in the region of the side wall sections so that, regardless of the fact that the packing box is being continuously carried along, the packing box blank is guaranteed to be retained in an exact manner, separate from the bottom section that is to be folded. One special design variant provides for the device to incorporate driving dogs for holding the packing box.
Each side wall is held in position in the region of the opposing end faces by means of driving dogs which are held in different conveyor chains.
The device for folding the bottom section of the packing box may be configured in various ways. The essential thing is that this device operates like a set of points.
One particularly simple design in constructional terms provides for the device for folding the bottom section to be in the form of a strut which juts out into the path of the bottom section. This folding device is basically competent to fold the bottom section so far towards the product that is being packed that, as the leading edge ( in the conveying direction ) of the bottom section strikes the front conveying section of the conveyor device, this conveying section causes the bottom section to swing right up beneath the product being packed, thereby enabling the bottom section to be glued by, for example, a tab portion disposed on the opposite side wall section. To help to fold up the bottom section, one refinement of the invention provides for a device for folding up the bottom section of the packing box to be disposed in the region of the interspace below the conveying plane of the product.
The device for folding up the bottom section is for example configured as a revolving belt orientated in the conveying direction, whose rear section is disposed ahead of the front line of the front conveying section and converges in the conveying direction towards the conveying plane of the conveying device for the product. In this way the bottom section that is folded at least partly upwards by means of the strut is obliged to run up against the revolving belt, which, due to the fact that its conveying plane is inclined to the conveying plane of the product, causes the bottom section of the packing box to be folded right up against the product being packed, as the product and the packing box continue to be carried along.
The above-mentioned device for folding up the bottom section of the packing box is preferably configured as a device that accelerates the bottom section. In particular this is the above-mentioned revolving belt, which in particular is configured as an accelerating belt. The accelerating device is used for the purpose of accelerating the bottom section in order to prevent crooked packing boxes and to ensure that one or more driving dogs used to convey the packing box onward can be placed accurately against the packing box. The forwardly accelerated bottom section should thus spring back against the driving dog or dogs.
Further features of the invention are described in the Claims, the Description of the Figures, and in the Figures themselves, it being noted that all the features and individual features are essential to the invention.
The invention is represented by means of an exemplifying embodiment, though without being confined thereto, in the Figures, wherein:
Fig. shows a side view of a packaging machine equipped with the folding apparatus according to the invention, with the individual stations of the folding machine being represented in a highly simplified form;
Fig. shows a plan view of the packaging machine represented in Fig. 1, with the folding apparatus according to the invention essentially depicted in a schematised form;
Fig. shows an unfolded blank at the incoming end of the packaging machine, at the same time as illustrating the product to be packed, in this case a pizza;
Fig. shows the blank seen in Fig. 1 in a partly folded state, as it appears before it enters the folding apparatus of the invention;
Fig. shows the blank in the folding apparatus according to the invention, between the rear and the front conveying sections;
Fig. shows the blank after the conclusion of the folding operation carried out in the region of the folding station;
Fig. shows the folding station in a side view as ?
seen in excerpt VII in Fig. 1; and Fig. shows a plan view of the folding station in the arrowed direction VIII in Fig. 7.
The packaging machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2 has a double incoming chain 1 with driving dogs 2 which engage between mounting rails disposed parallel to one another, upon which rest pizzas 3. The respective pizza 3 is shifted in the conveying direction 4 by means of two driving dogs 2 which form a pair. Provided in the entrance zone of the double incoming chain 1 is a height guard 5, and downstream of the latter is an explusion unit 6 which is activated whenever the double incoming chain 1 is loaded with too high a pizza 3. Arranged above the entrance zone of the double chain 1 is a magazine 7 which is used to accommodate a large number of blanks 8, with one blank 8 in each case being used to package a pizza 3. Based on its longitudinal extension, the respective blank 8 is orientated perpendicularly to the plane of the drawing, with the pizzas being fed through under the lid section of the blank 8. Positioned ahead of the magazine 7 in the conveying direction is a rotary placement device 9 equipped with suckers, which enables whichever blank 8 is at the front to be removed from the magazine 7 and deposited over the respective pizza 3. Not shown, but sufficiently well-known from the prior art, are lateral supports for the respective blank 8 which extend in the conveying direction of the pizzas 3 in the region of the opposing narrow sides of the blank 8. The respective blank 8 is carried along in the conveying direction by means of a conveyor 10 consisting of a plurality of circular belts which are in contact with the upper side of the blank 8. The conveying speed of the blank 8 and the associated pizza 3 is selected so as to enable the pizza 3 to be moved at the same speed, that is to say in synchronism. The blank 8 does not rest on the pizza 3, but is positioned a short distance therefrom. The double incoming chain 1 is followed in the conveying direction 4 by the folding apparatus according to the invention, which apparatus has a rear conveying section 11 and a front conveying section 12 and an interspace 13 disposed therebetween. In the region of the folding apparatus according to the invention the blank 8 is no longer conveyed by means of the circular belt conveyor 10, but driving dogs (which will be detailed below) are provided which hold the already partly folded blank 8. Provided in the packaging machine so as to follow on from the folding station according to the invention is a rotation device 14 by means of which the packing box, which by now is only open in the area of the opposing end faces, and which is loaded with the pizza 3, is rotated through 90° in order in the next zone 15 of the packaging machine to close the packing box in these areas too. This is followed by a discharging conveyor 16 which conveys the packaged pizza out of the packaging machine.
Fig. 3 shows the unfolded blank 8 in the state in which it is removed by the rotary placement device 9. The blank 8 incorporates a bottom section 17, a lid section 18, and a first side wall section 19 which is joined to the bottom section 17 and lid section 18 via fold lines 20. On the side furthest from the side wall section 19 the lid section 18 has an additional side wall section 21 which is configured in corresponding manner to side wall section 19 and is joined to the lid section 16 via a fold line 22.
On the side furthest from the lid section 18 a tab portion 23 is joined to the side wall section 21 via a fold line 24. In the region of the narrow sides the two side wall sections 19 and 21 are joined via fold lines 25 to dust flaps 26. In the region of the sides joined to the dust flaps 26 the bottom section 17 and the lid section 18 are lastly joined via fold lines 27 to end wall sections 28.
The blank 8, in a form as shown in Fig. 3, is placed by means of the rotary placement device 9 onto the longitudinal guides (not shown) of the packaging machine and conveyed onward by means of the circular belt conveyor 10, the dimensions of the blank 8 in the conveying direction being such that with the blank 8 correspondingly positioned the pair of end wall sections 28 associated with the lid section 18 is positioned above adjacent transverse dividers 2 of the double incoming chain 1. The centre of the pizza 3 being transported by the double incoming chain 1 thus coincides with the diagonal point of intersection of the lid section 18, with its square surface. The bottom section 17 has a matching square surface, just as the side wall sections 19 and 21 and the end wall sections 28 are identical in their construction.
In the region of the circular belt conveyor 10, lateral applicators (which are known from the prior art and therefore not illustrated) firstly fold tab portion 23 downwards through 90° along the fold line 24, following which side wall section 21 is folded downwards through 90 °
around the fold line 22 and side wall section 19 around the fold line 20 of the lid section 18. Except for the position of the dust flaps 26, this therefore results in the blank 8 being folded as shown in Fig. 4. Via the front and rear driving dog 29, 30 shown in Fig. 8, which will described in more detail below, the blank 8 as seen in Fig. 4 is conveyed onward, with the front driving dogs 29 respectively locking the side wall sections 19 and 21 between them in the region of the fold lines 25 thereof, and the rear driving dogs 30 locking these side walls 19 and 21 between them in the region of the fold lines 25 thereof. The pizza 3 is carried along in this zone by means of the rear and front conveying sections 11 and 12.
The principle of this detail and hence of the folding apparatus in accordance with the invention is clearly shown in Fig. 5. It is shown that the rear section 11 of the conveyor belt consists of three toroidal belts lla, llb and llc and the front conveyor section 12 of three toroidal belts 12a, 12b and 12c. Toroidal belt llb extends further in the conveying direction than toroidal belt lla, and toroidal belt llc further than toroidal belt llb. Correspondingly, toroidal belt 12a extends further away from the conveying direction than toroidal belt 12b, and the latter in turn extends further than toroidal belt 12c. This arrangement means that the interspace 13 is configured in the shape of a parallelogram, and the corner of the parallelogram lying at the front in the conveying direction encloses an angle a of around 30° with the conveying direction 4. From the view shown in Fig. 5 it can be seen that the long toroidal belts llc and 12a do not overlap and when the perpendicularly projected circular surface of the pizza 3 is virtually in contact with toroidal belt 12a, said surface is arranged exclusively in the region of the front section of toroidal belt 11c. A strut 31 is provided beneath the conveying plane of the toroidal belts lla to llc, 12a to 12c, at an inclined angle to the conveying direction, for folding the downwardly directed bottom section 17 up under the pizza 3 from the position shown in Fig. 4. The extension of the strut 31 transversely to the conveying direction is greater than the distance between the outer toroidal belts lla and llc, and 12a and 12c, respectively, which means that in particular the zone 31a of the strut that is directed away from the conveying direction stretches externally out beyond the plane of the downwardly directed bottom section 17 of the blank 8. If the blank 8 is transported by means of driving dogs 29 and 30, and the pizza by means of the rear conveying section 11 of the conveyor device, the leading end wall section 28 of the botom section 17 makes contact with the strut 31 and the bottom section 17 is folded in accordance with the inclined arrangement of the strut 31 towards the underneath of the pizza 3 along the fold line 20 situated between the bottom section 17 and the side wall section 19. During this operation the strut 31 supports the bottom section 17, with the result that the pizza 3 cannot fall down even though the bottom section 17 is not yet resting on the toroidal belt 12a of the front conveying section 12. The rear deflection point of the toroidal belt 12a ensures that the bottom section 17, which as Fig.
makes evident is largely folded up and which in the region of its fold line 20 is positioned very close to the pizza 3, is able to roll up onto toroidal belt 12a. Along with the strut 31, the latter causes bottom section 17 to continue to be folded up, thereby readily enabling the bottom section 17 to proceed to be fully folded up so that it rests against the tab portion 23 in the region of its front end by the action of the strut 31 and of the other toroidal belts 12b and 12c. However, to complete the picture it should be noted that between the toroidal belts 12b and 12c there is provided a further toroidal belt 32, inter alia accelerating the bottom section 17, as seen in Figs. 7 and 8, the rear deflection roller 33 of which is disposed ahead of the front line 34 of the front conveying section 12, and the conveying plane 35 of the toroidal belt 32 which extends perpendicularly to the plane of the sheet converges in the conveying direction with the conveying plane of the pizza 3. In consequence of this, the front end wall section 28 which is associated with the bottom section 17 comes into contact with the toroidal belt 32 before the middle toroidal belt 12b of the front conveying section 12 of the conveyor device becomes operative and toroidal belt 32 accelerates the end wall section 28 and the bottom section 17 upwards, thereby enabling the fully upwardly folded bottom section 17, i.e.
folded through 90°, to also be grasped in a trouble-free manner from below by toroidal belt 12c. Before the bottom section 17 is placed against the tab portion 23, glue is applied to the underside thereof, with the result that once the folding operation has finished, as depicted in Fig. 6, it now only remains to close the end wall sections located in the region of the opposing sides of the packing box.
Fig. 2 shows conveyor chains 32 disposed on either side of the folding station according to the invention, which are used to receive the driving dogs 29 and 30. Fig. 2 and Fig. 8 do not show that the driving dogs 29 and 30 are held in different conveyor chains 36. Thanks to a special method of mounting the respective trailing driving dog 30 in the conveyor chain associated therewith, it is possible to introduce and fix in position the side wall sections 19 and 21 of the respective blank 8 between the driving dogs 29 and 30.
In accordance with one preferred embodiment of the machine, the front and/or rear conveying section of the conveyor device are configured as conveyor belts, more particularly in the manner of toroidal belts. In particular the front and rear conveying sections are configured as conveyor belts. It is helpful if each conveying section has a plurality of conveyor belts, more particularly toroidal belts.
The interspace provided under the invention can be formed in a particularly straightforward fashion if the conveyor belts of the rear conveying section of the conveyor device and the conveyor belts of the front conveying section of the conveyor device have different lengths, notably in such a manner that the interspace formed between the conveying sections is orientated at an inclined angle to the conveying direction. In particular it is provided that the interspace has the shape of a parallelogram, more particularly the corner of the parallelogram that lies to the front in the conveying direction encloses an angle of 30 to 60°, preferably 40°, with the conveying direction.
Particularly in the case of such an acute angle of 40 ° , the configuration of the interspace is such that the extension thereof in the conveying direction is very large, thereby enabling the downwardly directed bottom section to be folded beneath the product over a great conveying length of the product and packing box.
In order to achieve accurate folding of the downwardly directed bottom section of the packing box beneath the product being packed, it is essential that the packing box is held in a precise manner and moved in a precise manner relative to the product. In this context the packing box is provided to have a lid section and two side wall sections folded downwards perpendicularly to said lid section, with the bottom section being hinged to one of the side wall sections and the device for holding the packing box adequately gripping the latter in the region of the opposing end edges of the respective side wall section. The packing box is consequently held in position in the region of the side wall sections so that, regardless of the fact that the packing box is being continuously carried along, the packing box blank is guaranteed to be retained in an exact manner, separate from the bottom section that is to be folded. One special design variant provides for the device to incorporate driving dogs for holding the packing box.
Each side wall is held in position in the region of the opposing end faces by means of driving dogs which are held in different conveyor chains.
The device for folding the bottom section of the packing box may be configured in various ways. The essential thing is that this device operates like a set of points.
One particularly simple design in constructional terms provides for the device for folding the bottom section to be in the form of a strut which juts out into the path of the bottom section. This folding device is basically competent to fold the bottom section so far towards the product that is being packed that, as the leading edge ( in the conveying direction ) of the bottom section strikes the front conveying section of the conveyor device, this conveying section causes the bottom section to swing right up beneath the product being packed, thereby enabling the bottom section to be glued by, for example, a tab portion disposed on the opposite side wall section. To help to fold up the bottom section, one refinement of the invention provides for a device for folding up the bottom section of the packing box to be disposed in the region of the interspace below the conveying plane of the product.
The device for folding up the bottom section is for example configured as a revolving belt orientated in the conveying direction, whose rear section is disposed ahead of the front line of the front conveying section and converges in the conveying direction towards the conveying plane of the conveying device for the product. In this way the bottom section that is folded at least partly upwards by means of the strut is obliged to run up against the revolving belt, which, due to the fact that its conveying plane is inclined to the conveying plane of the product, causes the bottom section of the packing box to be folded right up against the product being packed, as the product and the packing box continue to be carried along.
The above-mentioned device for folding up the bottom section of the packing box is preferably configured as a device that accelerates the bottom section. In particular this is the above-mentioned revolving belt, which in particular is configured as an accelerating belt. The accelerating device is used for the purpose of accelerating the bottom section in order to prevent crooked packing boxes and to ensure that one or more driving dogs used to convey the packing box onward can be placed accurately against the packing box. The forwardly accelerated bottom section should thus spring back against the driving dog or dogs.
Further features of the invention are described in the Claims, the Description of the Figures, and in the Figures themselves, it being noted that all the features and individual features are essential to the invention.
The invention is represented by means of an exemplifying embodiment, though without being confined thereto, in the Figures, wherein:
Fig. shows a side view of a packaging machine equipped with the folding apparatus according to the invention, with the individual stations of the folding machine being represented in a highly simplified form;
Fig. shows a plan view of the packaging machine represented in Fig. 1, with the folding apparatus according to the invention essentially depicted in a schematised form;
Fig. shows an unfolded blank at the incoming end of the packaging machine, at the same time as illustrating the product to be packed, in this case a pizza;
Fig. shows the blank seen in Fig. 1 in a partly folded state, as it appears before it enters the folding apparatus of the invention;
Fig. shows the blank in the folding apparatus according to the invention, between the rear and the front conveying sections;
Fig. shows the blank after the conclusion of the folding operation carried out in the region of the folding station;
Fig. shows the folding station in a side view as ?
seen in excerpt VII in Fig. 1; and Fig. shows a plan view of the folding station in the arrowed direction VIII in Fig. 7.
The packaging machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2 has a double incoming chain 1 with driving dogs 2 which engage between mounting rails disposed parallel to one another, upon which rest pizzas 3. The respective pizza 3 is shifted in the conveying direction 4 by means of two driving dogs 2 which form a pair. Provided in the entrance zone of the double incoming chain 1 is a height guard 5, and downstream of the latter is an explusion unit 6 which is activated whenever the double incoming chain 1 is loaded with too high a pizza 3. Arranged above the entrance zone of the double chain 1 is a magazine 7 which is used to accommodate a large number of blanks 8, with one blank 8 in each case being used to package a pizza 3. Based on its longitudinal extension, the respective blank 8 is orientated perpendicularly to the plane of the drawing, with the pizzas being fed through under the lid section of the blank 8. Positioned ahead of the magazine 7 in the conveying direction is a rotary placement device 9 equipped with suckers, which enables whichever blank 8 is at the front to be removed from the magazine 7 and deposited over the respective pizza 3. Not shown, but sufficiently well-known from the prior art, are lateral supports for the respective blank 8 which extend in the conveying direction of the pizzas 3 in the region of the opposing narrow sides of the blank 8. The respective blank 8 is carried along in the conveying direction by means of a conveyor 10 consisting of a plurality of circular belts which are in contact with the upper side of the blank 8. The conveying speed of the blank 8 and the associated pizza 3 is selected so as to enable the pizza 3 to be moved at the same speed, that is to say in synchronism. The blank 8 does not rest on the pizza 3, but is positioned a short distance therefrom. The double incoming chain 1 is followed in the conveying direction 4 by the folding apparatus according to the invention, which apparatus has a rear conveying section 11 and a front conveying section 12 and an interspace 13 disposed therebetween. In the region of the folding apparatus according to the invention the blank 8 is no longer conveyed by means of the circular belt conveyor 10, but driving dogs (which will be detailed below) are provided which hold the already partly folded blank 8. Provided in the packaging machine so as to follow on from the folding station according to the invention is a rotation device 14 by means of which the packing box, which by now is only open in the area of the opposing end faces, and which is loaded with the pizza 3, is rotated through 90° in order in the next zone 15 of the packaging machine to close the packing box in these areas too. This is followed by a discharging conveyor 16 which conveys the packaged pizza out of the packaging machine.
Fig. 3 shows the unfolded blank 8 in the state in which it is removed by the rotary placement device 9. The blank 8 incorporates a bottom section 17, a lid section 18, and a first side wall section 19 which is joined to the bottom section 17 and lid section 18 via fold lines 20. On the side furthest from the side wall section 19 the lid section 18 has an additional side wall section 21 which is configured in corresponding manner to side wall section 19 and is joined to the lid section 16 via a fold line 22.
On the side furthest from the lid section 18 a tab portion 23 is joined to the side wall section 21 via a fold line 24. In the region of the narrow sides the two side wall sections 19 and 21 are joined via fold lines 25 to dust flaps 26. In the region of the sides joined to the dust flaps 26 the bottom section 17 and the lid section 18 are lastly joined via fold lines 27 to end wall sections 28.
The blank 8, in a form as shown in Fig. 3, is placed by means of the rotary placement device 9 onto the longitudinal guides (not shown) of the packaging machine and conveyed onward by means of the circular belt conveyor 10, the dimensions of the blank 8 in the conveying direction being such that with the blank 8 correspondingly positioned the pair of end wall sections 28 associated with the lid section 18 is positioned above adjacent transverse dividers 2 of the double incoming chain 1. The centre of the pizza 3 being transported by the double incoming chain 1 thus coincides with the diagonal point of intersection of the lid section 18, with its square surface. The bottom section 17 has a matching square surface, just as the side wall sections 19 and 21 and the end wall sections 28 are identical in their construction.
In the region of the circular belt conveyor 10, lateral applicators (which are known from the prior art and therefore not illustrated) firstly fold tab portion 23 downwards through 90° along the fold line 24, following which side wall section 21 is folded downwards through 90 °
around the fold line 22 and side wall section 19 around the fold line 20 of the lid section 18. Except for the position of the dust flaps 26, this therefore results in the blank 8 being folded as shown in Fig. 4. Via the front and rear driving dog 29, 30 shown in Fig. 8, which will described in more detail below, the blank 8 as seen in Fig. 4 is conveyed onward, with the front driving dogs 29 respectively locking the side wall sections 19 and 21 between them in the region of the fold lines 25 thereof, and the rear driving dogs 30 locking these side walls 19 and 21 between them in the region of the fold lines 25 thereof. The pizza 3 is carried along in this zone by means of the rear and front conveying sections 11 and 12.
The principle of this detail and hence of the folding apparatus in accordance with the invention is clearly shown in Fig. 5. It is shown that the rear section 11 of the conveyor belt consists of three toroidal belts lla, llb and llc and the front conveyor section 12 of three toroidal belts 12a, 12b and 12c. Toroidal belt llb extends further in the conveying direction than toroidal belt lla, and toroidal belt llc further than toroidal belt llb. Correspondingly, toroidal belt 12a extends further away from the conveying direction than toroidal belt 12b, and the latter in turn extends further than toroidal belt 12c. This arrangement means that the interspace 13 is configured in the shape of a parallelogram, and the corner of the parallelogram lying at the front in the conveying direction encloses an angle a of around 30° with the conveying direction 4. From the view shown in Fig. 5 it can be seen that the long toroidal belts llc and 12a do not overlap and when the perpendicularly projected circular surface of the pizza 3 is virtually in contact with toroidal belt 12a, said surface is arranged exclusively in the region of the front section of toroidal belt 11c. A strut 31 is provided beneath the conveying plane of the toroidal belts lla to llc, 12a to 12c, at an inclined angle to the conveying direction, for folding the downwardly directed bottom section 17 up under the pizza 3 from the position shown in Fig. 4. The extension of the strut 31 transversely to the conveying direction is greater than the distance between the outer toroidal belts lla and llc, and 12a and 12c, respectively, which means that in particular the zone 31a of the strut that is directed away from the conveying direction stretches externally out beyond the plane of the downwardly directed bottom section 17 of the blank 8. If the blank 8 is transported by means of driving dogs 29 and 30, and the pizza by means of the rear conveying section 11 of the conveyor device, the leading end wall section 28 of the botom section 17 makes contact with the strut 31 and the bottom section 17 is folded in accordance with the inclined arrangement of the strut 31 towards the underneath of the pizza 3 along the fold line 20 situated between the bottom section 17 and the side wall section 19. During this operation the strut 31 supports the bottom section 17, with the result that the pizza 3 cannot fall down even though the bottom section 17 is not yet resting on the toroidal belt 12a of the front conveying section 12. The rear deflection point of the toroidal belt 12a ensures that the bottom section 17, which as Fig.
makes evident is largely folded up and which in the region of its fold line 20 is positioned very close to the pizza 3, is able to roll up onto toroidal belt 12a. Along with the strut 31, the latter causes bottom section 17 to continue to be folded up, thereby readily enabling the bottom section 17 to proceed to be fully folded up so that it rests against the tab portion 23 in the region of its front end by the action of the strut 31 and of the other toroidal belts 12b and 12c. However, to complete the picture it should be noted that between the toroidal belts 12b and 12c there is provided a further toroidal belt 32, inter alia accelerating the bottom section 17, as seen in Figs. 7 and 8, the rear deflection roller 33 of which is disposed ahead of the front line 34 of the front conveying section 12, and the conveying plane 35 of the toroidal belt 32 which extends perpendicularly to the plane of the sheet converges in the conveying direction with the conveying plane of the pizza 3. In consequence of this, the front end wall section 28 which is associated with the bottom section 17 comes into contact with the toroidal belt 32 before the middle toroidal belt 12b of the front conveying section 12 of the conveyor device becomes operative and toroidal belt 32 accelerates the end wall section 28 and the bottom section 17 upwards, thereby enabling the fully upwardly folded bottom section 17, i.e.
folded through 90°, to also be grasped in a trouble-free manner from below by toroidal belt 12c. Before the bottom section 17 is placed against the tab portion 23, glue is applied to the underside thereof, with the result that once the folding operation has finished, as depicted in Fig. 6, it now only remains to close the end wall sections located in the region of the opposing sides of the packing box.
Fig. 2 shows conveyor chains 32 disposed on either side of the folding station according to the invention, which are used to receive the driving dogs 29 and 30. Fig. 2 and Fig. 8 do not show that the driving dogs 29 and 30 are held in different conveyor chains 36. Thanks to a special method of mounting the respective trailing driving dog 30 in the conveyor chain associated therewith, it is possible to introduce and fix in position the side wall sections 19 and 21 of the respective blank 8 between the driving dogs 29 and 30.
Claims (12)
1. Machine for folding a downwardly directed bottom section (17) of a packing box underneath a product (3) to be packaged, with a device (29, 30) holding and transporting the packing box in the conveying direction (4) and a conveyor device (11, 12) receiving the product (3), said machine having the following additional features:
- the conveyor device incorporates a rear and a front conveyor section (11, 12), - an interspace (13) is disposed between the conveyor sections (11, 12), - in the area of the interspace (13), beneath the product (3) conveying plane and at an angle to the conveying direction (4), there is disposed a device (31) for folding the bottom section (17) of the packing box underneath the product (3) being packed.
- the conveyor device incorporates a rear and a front conveyor section (11, 12), - an interspace (13) is disposed between the conveyor sections (11, 12), - in the area of the interspace (13), beneath the product (3) conveying plane and at an angle to the conveying direction (4), there is disposed a device (31) for folding the bottom section (17) of the packing box underneath the product (3) being packed.
2. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor device (11, 12) for the product (3) is moved in synchronism with the device (29, 30) that carries along the packing box.
3. Machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the front (12) and/or the rear (11) conveying section of the conveyor device are configured as conveyor belts, more particularly in the manner of toroidal belts (12a, 12b, 12c, 11a, 11b, 11c).
4. Machine according to claim 2 or 3, wherein each conveying section (11, 12) of the conveyor device incorporates a plurality of conveyor belts (11a, 11b, 11c, 12a, 12b, 12c).
5. Machine according to claim 4, wherein the conveyor belts (11a, 11b, 11c) of the rear conveying section (11) and the conveyor belts (12a, 12b, 12c) of the front conveying section (12) of the conveyor device are of different lengths, in such a manner that an interspace (13) orientated at an inclined angle to the conveying direction (4) is formed between the conveying sections (11, 12).
6. Machine according to claim 5, wherein the interspace (13) has the shape of a parallelogram, in particular the corner of the parallelogram that lies at the front in the conveying direction encloses an angle (.alpha.) of 20 to 50°, preferably 30°, with the conveying direction (4).
7. Machine according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the packing box has a lid section (18) and two side wall sections (19, 21) folded downwards perpendicularly thereto, the bottom section (17) being hinged to one of the side wall sections (19), and the device (29, 30) for holding the packing box grips the latter in the region of the opposing end edges (25) of the respective side wall section (19, 21).
8. Machine according to claim 7, wherein the device (29, 30) for holding the packing box has driving dogs (29, 30) for holding the side wall sections (19, 21) and the two driving dogs (29, 30) associated with each side wall section (19, 21) are held in different conveyor chains (36).
9. Machine according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the device (31) for folding the bottom section (17) is configured as a strut (31) which juts out into the path of the bottom section (17).
10. Machine according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein a device (32) for folding up the bottom section (17) of the packing box is arranged in the region of the interspace (13) below the conveying plane of the product (3).
11. Machine according to claim 10, wherein the device (32) for folding up the bottom section (17) is configured as a revolving belt (32) orientated in the conveying direction (4), the rear section (33) of which belt is disposed ahead of the front line (34) of the front conveying section (12) and in the conveying direction converges to the conveying plane of the conveyor device (11, 12) for the product (3).
12. Machine according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the device (32) for folding up the bottom section (17) of the packing box is configured as a device (32) accelerating the bottom section (17).
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE19901239.3 | 1999-01-14 | ||
| DE1999101239 DE19901239B4 (en) | 1999-01-14 | 1999-01-14 | Device for folding a downward bottom portion of a package under a product to be packaged |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2295360A1 true CA2295360A1 (en) | 2000-07-14 |
Family
ID=7894270
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2295360 Abandoned CA2295360A1 (en) | 1999-01-14 | 2000-01-13 | Machine for folding a downwardly directed bottom section of a packing box beneath a product being packaged |
Country Status (3)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP1020354A1 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2295360A1 (en) |
| DE (1) | DE19901239B4 (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN104773314B (en) * | 2015-03-31 | 2016-11-02 | 成都三可实业有限公司 | Chewing gum overwrapping machine |
Family Cites Families (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US3393494A (en) * | 1964-08-26 | 1968-07-23 | Wolff Book Mfg Co Inc H | Packaging machine |
| US3323275A (en) * | 1964-12-08 | 1967-06-06 | Emhart Corp | Case packing machine and wrap-around method of case packing |
| US3507088A (en) * | 1967-06-21 | 1970-04-21 | Brown & Williamson Tobacco | Cartoner |
| US3751872A (en) * | 1971-09-27 | 1973-08-14 | Container Corp | Apparatus and method for enclosing of container groups |
| DE2158540A1 (en) * | 1971-11-25 | 1973-05-30 | Heinrich Nicolaus Gmbh | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING A CARRYING PACK |
| IT1257645B (en) * | 1992-02-13 | 1996-02-01 | Gd Spa | OVER-WRAPPING MACHINE FOR CONTINUOUS PACKAGING OF PRODUCTS IN TUBULAR WRAPS |
| JPH08217013A (en) * | 1995-02-14 | 1996-08-27 | Tokyo Autom Mach Works Ltd | Cartoning device |
-
1999
- 1999-01-14 DE DE1999101239 patent/DE19901239B4/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2000
- 2000-01-04 EP EP00100037A patent/EP1020354A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2000-01-13 CA CA 2295360 patent/CA2295360A1/en not_active Abandoned
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| DE19901239A1 (en) | 2000-07-20 |
| EP1020354A1 (en) | 2000-07-19 |
| DE19901239B4 (en) | 2004-10-28 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
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| FZDE | Dead |