CN110603215B - Packaging for food products - Google Patents

Packaging for food products Download PDF

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Publication number
CN110603215B
CN110603215B CN201880026277.8A CN201880026277A CN110603215B CN 110603215 B CN110603215 B CN 110603215B CN 201880026277 A CN201880026277 A CN 201880026277A CN 110603215 B CN110603215 B CN 110603215B
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China
Prior art keywords
web
packaging material
reel
packaging
shaft
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CN201880026277.8A
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Chinese (zh)
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CN110603215A (en
Inventor
托尔文-布兰德·内德歌德
西蒙·兹德伦卡
索伦·凯杰鲁尔夫
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Tetra Laval Holdings and Finance SA
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Tetra Laval Holdings and Finance SA
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Publication of CN110603215A publication Critical patent/CN110603215A/en
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H26/00—Warning or safety devices, e.g. automatic fault detectors, stop-motions, for web-advancing mechanisms
    • B65H26/02—Warning or safety devices, e.g. automatic fault detectors, stop-motions, for web-advancing mechanisms responsive to presence of irregularities in running webs
    • B65H26/025—Warning or safety devices, e.g. automatic fault detectors, stop-motions, for web-advancing mechanisms responsive to presence of irregularities in running webs responsive to web breakage
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H23/00—Registering, tensioning, smoothing or guiding webs
    • B65H23/04—Registering, tensioning, smoothing or guiding webs longitudinally
    • B65H23/06—Registering, tensioning, smoothing or guiding webs longitudinally by retarding devices, e.g. acting on web-roll spindle
    • B65H23/063—Registering, tensioning, smoothing or guiding webs longitudinally by retarding devices, e.g. acting on web-roll spindle and controlling web tension
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2513/00—Dynamic entities; Timing aspects
    • B65H2513/10—Speed
    • B65H2513/11—Speed angular
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2553/00—Sensing or detecting means
    • B65H2553/51—Encoders, e.g. linear

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  • Controlling Rewinding, Feeding, Winding, Or Abnormalities Of Webs (AREA)
  • Auxiliary Devices For And Details Of Packaging Control (AREA)

Abstract

A machine (1) for packaging food products (P), such as ice cream products, said machine (1) comprising at least one reel holder device (200) for supplying a web (10) of packaging material from a reel (201) of rolled packaging material. The reel holder device (200) comprises: a rotatable reel holder for holding a reel (201) such that the reel holder is driven in rotation by the machine (1) withdrawing the web (10) from the reel (201); and a braking module (202) operable to apply a braking force to the shaft of the spool holder. The control unit (20) is arranged to generate a control signal (C1) based on a measured or otherwise known web feed rate (Sin) of the machine (1) and a measured rotational speed (ω m) of the spool holder, said control signal (C1) being used to operate the brake module (202) to set the braking force in order to control the tension in the web (10). The machine (1) may be a multi-lane packaging machine with a plurality of reel holder arrangements (200).

Description

Packaging for food products
Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to packaging (wrapping) of food products, and in particular to a reel holder arrangement for supplying a web of packaging material to a food packaging machine.
Background
It is common practice to package food products individually or in groups in packages. Such food products include frozen confections such as ice cream bars, popsicles, cones, sandwiches and the like, as well as other solid and semi-solid items that are consumed to provide nutritional support. The package is formed from a packaging material that may be made of plastic, paper, or a combination thereof.
Machines for the automatic production of packaged food products have been used for a long time in the food industry. Examples of packaging machines for ice cream products are found in US3834119, US4489536 and GB 739807. A food packaging machine comprises a packaging station for containing food products and a continuous web of packaging material. The packaging station is configured to perform a predetermined sequence of processing steps, such as cutting, folding and sealing, on the packaging material in order to produce a packaged food product. In order to increase the production, a so-called multi-lane wrapping machine (multi-lane wrapping machine) is usually provided, in which a number of successive webs or strands of wrapping material are conveyed parallel to the wrapping station.
Many food packaging machines pull a continuous web of packaging material from a reel that holds the web of packaging material in a rolled-up form. The reel may be arranged on a freely rotatable mandrel, whereby the mandrel and the reel are co-rotated by feeding the web material to the packaging station. Such a reel holder arrangement with a freely rotating reel is disclosed, for example, in the above-mentioned patent document.
Although such a reel holder arrangement is simple and robust, a freely rotating reel with wound-up packaging material has a large inertia, which may cause an undesired change in the tension of the packaging material web when feeding the web to the packaging station. Such variations in tension may cause interruptions in the packaging process in the packaging station or even web breaks. As in all mass production, the downtime of the food packaging machine is associated with high costs and should avoid malfunctions as far as possible.
Furthermore, it may be desirable to include a printing station between the spool holder arrangement and the packaging station to print information onto the web for visibility on each package. Such information may include production specific data such as a date of production, an expiration date, an identification of the production facility, and the like. Even small variations in web tension as the web passes through such printing stations can result in poor print quality on the package.
Disclosure of Invention
It is an object of the present invention to at least partially overcome one or more limitations of the prior art. In particular, it is an object to provide an improved technique for controlling the tension in a web of packaging material supplied for packaging food products.
Another object is to provide a reel holder arrangement for a food packaging machine, wherein the reel holder arrangement is operable to control tension in a web of packaging material supplied to the food packaging machine.
Another object is to provide such a reel holder device which has a simple and low-cost construction and which is robust and compact.
One or more of these objects, as well as further objects that may be apparent from the following description, are at least partly achieved by a reel holder arrangement, a machine for packaging food products, and a method for packaging ice cream products according to one or more embodiments described herein.
A first aspect of the invention is a reel holder device for supplying a web of packaging material to a food packaging machine which consumes the web of packaging material at a feed rate. The spool holder arrangement comprising: a brake module; a shaft rotatably disposed in the brake module, the brake module operable to apply a braking force on the shaft; and a reel holder coupled to the shaft and configured to hold a reel comprising the web of packaging material in a rolled-up form such that the reel holder is driven to rotate by the consumption of the web of packaging material by the food packaging machine. The spool holder arrangement further comprises: a rotation sensor arranged to sense a parameter indicative of a rotational speed of the shaft; and a control unit configured to receive input signals indicative of the feed rate and the rotational speed and to generate control signals for operating the brake module to set the braking force to control the tension in the web of packaging material supplied to the food packaging machine.
Thus, in a first aspect, the rotation of the spool holder is limited by the braking force applied to the shaft by the braking module, and the amount of the braking force is set by the control unit based on the rotational speed of the shaft and the feed rate of the web. By limiting the rotation in this way it is possible to create a well controlled tension in the web of packaging material. It is thus realised that the first aspect provides a simple and effective way of controlling the tension in the web of packaging material supplied to the food packaging machine. Thus, the first aspect also enables automatic and digital control of the supply of the packaging material to the food product packaging machine.
Furthermore, by applying the braking force to the shaft of the reel holder, a well-controlled limitation of the rotation of the reel holder is achieved in a simple, unambiguous and robust manner.
The brake module operable to apply the braking force to the shaft of the spool holder may be configured as a compact and robust unit of simple construction. In one implementation, an end of the shaft is rotatably disposed in the brake module. Such an implementation enables the shaft to be rotatably anchored in the brake module only, and thus enables the spool holder arrangement to have a cantilever configuration. The cantilevered configuration may facilitate operator access to the reel holder, for example to remove an empty reel and install a new reel with wound packaging material.
In one embodiment, the rotation sensor is arranged in the brake module, for example to measure the rotational speed of the shaft rotatably arranged in the brake module. This embodiment provides a well-defined placement of the rotation sensor and makes it possible to perform a complete functionality test of the brake module with respect to the control unit before mounting in the reel holder arrangement. The brake module with integrated rotation sensor may also facilitate maintenance and repair, thereby reducing downtime of the packaging machine. The operator who identifies a faulty reel-holder arrangement need not investigate the cause of the fault but can simply replace the brake module.
One of the input signals for the control unit is indicative of the rotational speed and is thus directly or indirectly obtained from the rotation sensor. Another of the input signals is indicative of the feed rate at which the web of packaging material is fed from the reel holder arrangement into the food packaging machine. It is to be understood that the feed rate may be a time-varying variable measured in real time by a sensor in the food packaging machine, a fixed value entered by an operator, or a fixed value or a time-varying variable calculated by the control unit or an external unit based on one or more operating parameters of the food packaging machine.
All embodiments disclosed herein are applicable to all types of food products that can be provided in a package, either individually or in groups. As used herein, "food product" includes any solid or semi-solid item that can be consumed by a human or another mammal for nutritional support. In a particular implementation, the food product is an ice cream product. The package may, but need not, completely enclose the food product. The web of packaging material represents a continuous sheet that may comprise one or more plastics, paper or a combination thereof.
In one embodiment, the control unit is configured to generate a control signal to set the tension in the web of packaging material within a predetermined tension interval. For example, the control unit may allow an operator to input a selected tension value falling within the tension interval, whereupon the control unit operates to at least approximately achieve the selected tension value in the web fed into the packaging machine. The tension interval may be predetermined so as to ensure sufficient tension in the web, for example much greater than zero, to prevent slackening of the web between the reel holder arrangement and the packaging machine, and to ensure that the tension is much lower than the breaking tension of the web.
In one embodiment, the control unit is configured to generate control signals in order to maintain a consistent tension in the web of packaging material supplied to the food packaging machine. Such an embodiment will effectively minimize variations in tension, although in practice some variations are unavoidable. As used herein, "consistent tension" allows tension to vary by less than ± 10%, preferably less than ± 5%.
In one embodiment, the control unit is configured to generate the control signal in dependence on a required braking force, the required braking force being calculated as a function of the feed rate, the rotational speed and a desired tension in the web of packaging material. Such a control unit may be implemented as an open-loop controller. The desired tension may be a predetermined value or input by an operator. It should be appreciated that the desired tension may vary depending on the composition and thickness of the wrapper. The function may be given by a predefined model relating the braking force to the feed rate, the rotational speed and the required tension. In one implementation, the desired brake pressure is represented by Pbrake＝K·Sin·Ft/ωmGiven therein, SinIs said feed rate, ω, of said packaging materialmIs the rotational speed of the shaft, FtIs the desired tension in the web of packaging material, and K is a constant.
In one embodiment, the control unit is configured to estimate a diameter of the reel from the rotational speed and the feed rate, and to generate an output signal for controlling the food packaging machine from the diameter. This embodiment provides a simple way of estimating the diameter of the reel by calculation only, based on input data available to the control unit. Thereby, there is no need to install a separate measuring device for measuring the diameter of the reel. The provision of said output signal makes it possible to take precautions in order to minimize the stoppage of the food packaging machine, for example to indicate the imminent need to replace a reel with insufficient packaging material. The output signal may contain information to be presented to the operator, e.g. on a display. Alternatively or additionally, the output signal may contain information that causes an alarm signal to be generated to alert an operator to take action. Alternatively or additionally, the output signal may be generated to enable automatic control of the food packaging machine, for example to stop consumption of the web of packaging material.
In one embodiment, the output signal comprises any one of: an estimated amount of packaging material remaining in the reel, an estimate of a period of time until a predetermined amount of packaging material remains in the reel, and an indication to stop the consumption of the packaging material from the reel holder device. The estimated amount of remaining packaging material may be given, for example, as the number of remaining turns of packaging material on the reel, or the remaining length of packaging material on the reel. The time period may be calculated from the remaining length and the feed rate and may be given as a time period until the reel is considered empty.
In one embodiment, the control unit is configured to detect a break of the web of packaging material based on the rotation speed. This embodiment provides a simple way of automatically detecting a break of the web, i.e. the web is no longer connected to the packaging machine. The detection of a rupture is performed only by calculation, based on input data available to the control unit. Thus, there is no need to install a separate crack detection device. The detection of a break makes it possible to warn an operator to take corrective action and/or to automatically control the packaging machine to stop consuming packaging material from the reel holder arrangement, thereby minimizing the impact of the break on the operation of the packaging machine.
In one embodiment, the control unit is configured to detect the rupture when the rotational speed decreases at a rate exceeding a threshold level. When the web breaks, the driving force for the rotation of the reel is removed and the rotation speed of the reel will start to decrease. By evaluating the rate at which the rotational speed is reduced, it is possible to detect a break at an early stage in a simple, robust and efficient manner. In an alternative embodiment, the control unit is configured to detect the rupture when the rotational speed is below a predetermined threshold level.
In one embodiment, the brake module comprises a friction element arranged to engage with a cylindrical surface portion of the shaft, and an actuator arranged to move the friction element towards the shaft. This embodiment provides a simple and robust way of applying the braking force to the shaft.
In one embodiment, the friction element is arranged in the brake module to move at right angles to the axis of rotation of the shaft. This embodiment ensures a simple construction of the brake module and optimizes the braking action of the shaft.
In one embodiment, the actuator comprises an inflatable element arranged to expand towards the shaft upon inflation, thereby moving the friction element. This embodiment enables pneumatic control of the brake module in a simple, robust and well controlled manner. For example, the actuator may have a minimum of mechanical components. Furthermore, this type of actuator may provide a direct relationship between the pressure supplied to the inflatable element and the force applied by the inflatable element to the friction element.
In one embodiment, the friction element is a cylindrical element having a rear end face arranged to engage with the actuator and a front end face arranged to engage with the cylindrical surface portion of the shaft. This embodiment provides a simple and robust construction for the brake module.
In one embodiment, the brake module comprises: a housing defining a first channel extending from a first opening in the housing, and a second channel extending from a second opening in the housing to the first channel at a right angle to the first channel; one or more bearings are fitted in the first channel; the shaft is arranged to extend through the first opening into the first passage in engagement with the one or more bearings so as to be freely rotatable relative to the housing; the friction element is arranged to move along the second channel; and the actuator is secured at the second opening to engage the friction element. This embodiment provides a compact structure for the brake module. It also enables cantilever mounting of the shaft of the spool holder in the brake module.
In one embodiment, the rotation sensor is an inductive proximity sensor arranged to face a periphery of a wheel on the shaft, the wheel comprising radially protruding elements evenly distributed along the periphery. This embodiment provides a robust rotational speed measurement even for slowly rotating reel holders (e.g. at rotational speeds of 5-50 rpm). This embodiment also allows the rotation sensor to be arranged in the brake module.
A second aspect of the invention is a machine for packaging food products. The machine comprising a plurality of reel holder arrangements according to the first aspect arranged to supply a plurality of webs of packaging material from a plurality of reels containing rolled packaging material; a feeding station arranged to feed the web of packaging material at a feed rate; a supply device arranged to supply the food product; and a packaging station arranged to receive the food product and the web of packaging material and to process the web of packaging material into a package around the food product.
The machine for packaging food products may generate control signals for individually operating each of the brake modules in the reel holder arrangement to set the braking force to individually set the tension in the web of packaging material. The control signals may be generated by a common control unit.
A third aspect of the invention is a method of packaging an ice cream product. The method comprises the following steps: supplying a plurality of rolls of packaging material from a plurality of reel holder arrangements according to the first aspect; feeding the web of packaging material to a packaging station at a feed rate; supplying the ice cream product to the packaging station; and processing the web of packaging material into a package around the ice cream food product at the packaging station.
The second and third aspects have the advantages of the first aspect. Any of the above-identified embodiments of the first aspect may be adapted and implemented as embodiments of the second and third aspects.
Other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.
Drawings
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings.
Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a packaging machine with a reel holder arrangement according to an embodiment.
Fig. 2A is a perspective view of a packaging machine with a plurality of reel holder arrangements, and fig. 2B is an enlarged view of the reel holder arrangement in fig. 2A.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a spool holder apparatus according to one embodiment.
Fig. 4 is an exploded view of a brake module included in the spool holder arrangement of fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view, partially cut away and viewed in direction a of fig. 4, of the brake module of fig. 3.
Fig. 6 is a side view of a reel containing a rolled web of packaging material.
Figure 7 is a flow diagram of a process for packaging ice cream products according to an embodiment.
Detailed Description
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
Fig. 1 schematically shows a food packaging machine 1. The machine 1 comprises a supply device 100 for supplying food products P to a packaging line 1A, said packaging line 1A being operated to supply, feed and process a web 10 of packaging material into packages P' surrounding individual food products P. In the example shown, the production line 1A comprises a reel holder device 200, a feeding station 300 and a packaging station 400. The reel holder device 200 (hereinafter referred to as RHA) comprises a fixed frame or holder 203 configured to rotatably hold a reel 201 of packaging material. The packaging material is in the form of a continuous web 10 that is wound up onto the core of a reel 201. The reel 201 is mounted in the RHA 200 such that the reel 201 is rotated by the tension of the web 10 being fed into the feeding station 300. The brake module 202 is attached to the frame 203 and is operable to selectively restrict rotation of the spool 201. The feeding station 300 comprises a pair of opposite rollers 301, 302, said pair of opposite rollers 301, 302 being driven into engagement with the reel 201 so as to feed the web at a web feed rate SinThe web 10 is pulled from the RHA 200. Typically, one of the rollers 301, 302 is a driven roller and the other is an idler roller (idler roller). The packaging station 400 is arranged to receive the web 10 from the feeding station 300. In the example shown, pairs of opposing rollers 401, 402 operate in engagement with the web 10 to feed the web 10 within the packaging station 400. The packaging station 400 is configured to receive the food products P from the supply 100 and comprises devices (not shown) for processing the web 10 into packages P' on respective food products P. Such equipment and its operation are well known to those skilled in the art, and any suitable and commercially available feed and packaging stations may be used with the RHA 200.
The control unit 20 is configured to generate a control signal C1 for the brake module 202 to control the tension in the web 10 extending from the spool 201 to the feed station 300. The control unit 20 receives two input signals I1, I2, wherein the input signal I1 is indicative of the rotational speed ω of the spool 201mAnd the input signal I2 represents the web feed rate Sin. In the example shown, signal I1 is provided by RHA 200, while signal I2 is provided by feeder station 300. The control unit 20 is also configured to generate an output signal O1, for example to signal that the reel 201 needs to be replaced currently or in the future or that the web 10 breaks.
The control unit 20 may comprise an MMI (man-machine interface), not shown, which is operated to present information to an operator or user about the operation of the machine 1, and to accept input data and control instructions from the operator. The MMI may, for example, include one or more of a display, a touch screen, a mouse, a keyboard, a track pad, buttons, sliders, switches, and knobs.
The control unit 20 may be implemented by hardware components or a combination of hardware components and software instructions. The software instructions may be executed by a processor in conjunction with electronic memory in control unit 20. The software instructions may be provided to the control unit 20 on a computer readable medium, which may be a tangible (non-transitory) product (e.g., magnetic media, optical disks, read-only memories, flash memories, etc.) or a propagated signal. In one embodiment, the control unit 20 is a PLC.
It should be understood that the control unit 20 may also be configured to control other functions of the packaging machine 1, such as at least part of the operation of one or more of the supply device 100, the feeding station 300 and the packaging station 400.
Fig. 2A-2B show a so-called multi-lane packaging machine 1, which implements the principle of the machine in fig. 1 for a plurality of RHAs 200, which RHAs 200 provide respective continuous webs (lanes) 10 of packaging material to a feeding station 300. In the example shown, the machine 1 comprises 24 RHAs and is configured to define 12 lanes of packaging material. Thus, machine 1 is actively operating 12 RHAs, while the remaining 12 are standby RHAs, which may be connected to the feeding station 300 if one or more of the actively operating RHAs fails or the packaging material runs out. It is recognized that the control unit 20 is configured and connected to control 24 RHAs, in particular the brake modules (202 in fig. 1) in the respective RHAs 200. Therefore, it is highly desirable that the control unit 20 and the brake module are simple, cost-effective and robust.
Depending on the configuration of the feeding station 300 and the packaging station 400, the lane 10 may be pulled into the feeding station 300 at the same feeding rate or at different feeding rates.
As shown in fig. 2B, the brake modules 202 are attached in rows to opposite sides of the frame 203. As will be described in detail below, the spool holders (205 in fig. 3-5) are rotatably connected to respective brake modules 202 to define cantilevered holders for the spools 201 of packaging material.
One such RHA 200 is shown in more detail in fig. 3-5. The RHA 200 includes a brake module 202, a spool holder 205, and a spindle or shaft 206. The brake module 202 is defined by a compact metal housing 204. The spool holder 205 defines a mounting surface for the spool 201. The reel 201 comprises a core 201 'of paper or plastic material, on which core 201' the web 10 of packaging material is wound. The mounting surface of the spool holder 205 comprises a plurality of elongated locking elements 207, said locking elements 207 extending in the axial direction of the spool holder 205 and being movable in the radial direction of the spool holder 205. The locking element 207 may be controlled to retract when the spool 201 is to be mounted on the spool holder 205 and pushed out into locking engagement with the core 201' of the mounted spool 201. In the example shown, the locking element 207 is pneumatically controlled and a connector 209 is attached to one end of the spool holder 205 to fluidly connect to a pneumatic pressure source (not shown).
A spindle (shaft) 206 protrudes from the spool holder 205 and is arranged in the spool holder 205 aligned with its geometric centre line, attached to said spool holder 205, integral with said spool holder 205, or otherwise combined with said spool holder 205. Thereby, the spindle 206 forms one unit with the reel holder 205 and defines a rotation axis R1 (fig. 5) of the combination of the spindle 206 and the reel holder 205. In one example, the mandrel 206 is a rod-like member that extends through and is securely connected to the spool holder 205. The spindle 206 includes an end or end hub 208 configured to be disposed in the brake module 202.
The housing 204 defines a first passage 210 (fig. 5) for receiving the end hub 208 of the spindle 206. The first channel 210 is a through-hole that extends between openings 210A, 210B on opposite sides of the housing 204. Two bearings 211 are mounted in the first channel 201 and are configured to closely receive the end hubs 208. Thereby, the spindle 206 is rotatably arranged in the housing 204. The end hub 208 includes a cylindrical engagement surface 212 that is located inside a first channel 210 in the middle of the bearing 211. A sensor wheel 213 with radially projecting teeth 213' is attached to the end face of the end hub 208 by screws 214 engaging in corresponding holes in the end face. The teeth 213' are evenly distributed along the circumference of the wheel 213.
Housing 204 further defines a second channel 221 for receiving a brake pad 223, the brake pad 223 forming a friction element for engaging engagement surface 212 of end hub 208. The second channel 221 extends from an opening 221A in the housing 204 into the first channel 210. The second channel 221 is arranged to extend at right angles (perpendicularly) to the first channel 210 and thus to the axis of rotation R1 of the spindle 206. The brake pad 223 is received in the second channel 221 to be freely movable along the second channel 221. The brake pad 223 has a cylindrical shape and extends between a front end surface 223A and a rear end surface 223B, wherein the front end surface 223A has a shape that conforms to the shape of the engagement surface 212. The actuator 224 is arranged to move the brake pad 223 towards the spindle 206 so as to engage the front face 223A with the engagement surface 212, thereby applying a braking force to the spindle 206. The actuator 224 includes an expandable member 224' for imparting movement. In the example shown, the expandable element 224' comprises an expandable bag realized as a rubber balloon, which is expanded by introducing a gas, i.e. by applying pneumatic pressure. Element 224' may or may not be attached to rear face 223B. The actuator 224 includes a connector 225 for fluidly connecting to a pneumatic pressure source (not shown). A cover plate 226 is attached to the housing 204 by screws 227 that engage in corresponding holes to close the opening 221A and limit movement of the actuator 224 and brake pad 223.
The brake module 202 further comprises a rotation sensor 228 mounted in a dedicated hole aligned with the sensor wheel 213, said rotation sensor 228 being in particular an inductive proximity sensor. The rotation sensor 228 is configured to generate a series of pulses that each represent a tooth 213' beneath the sensor 228And (4) passing. It is recognized that the number of pulses per unit time represents the rotational speed (angular rate) ω of the spindle 206mAnd thus represents the rotational speed (angular rate) ω of the spool 201m. Rotation sensor 228 provides a signal indicative of the rotational speed ω of spool 201mAnd the connector 229 is attached to the sensor 228 to be electrically connected to the control unit 20.
The brake module 202 further includes fasteners 230 (here holes for receiving screws) for mounting the brake module 202 to the frame 203 (fig. 2A-2B).
Hereinafter, the operation of the control unit 20 will be exemplified for the RHA 200 in fig. 3 to 5. As described above, the control unit 20 is configured to operate the brake module 202 via the control signal C1 to control the tension in the web 10. It will be appreciated that the braking force required to maintain substantially uniform tension in the web 10 varies with the diameter of the spool 201. Therefore, the control unit 20 uses a predetermined model to calculate the appropriate braking force F at each point in timebrakeTo obtain a desired tension F in the web 10t. The basis of this model is the current diameter D of the reel 201 (FIG. 6)cMay be based on the rotational speed omegamAnd a feed rate SinAnd (3) calculating:
Dc＝Sin/(π·ωm) (1)
achieving a desired tension F on the mandrel 206tTarget torque T oftCan be given by:
Tt＝Ft·DC/2 (2)
the required braking force may be given by:
Fbrake＝Tt/(μN·rhub) (3)
wherein, muNIs the dynamic coefficient of friction of the brake pad 223, and rhubIs the radius of the end boss 208 at the engagement surface 212. Substituting equations (1) and (2) into equation (3) yields:
Fbrake＝K1·Ft·Sin/ωm (4)
wherein K1Is a predetermined constant of the brake module 202. Other relationships for calculating the required braking force are conceivable, but the required braking force is usually the required tension FtFeed rate SinAnd a rotation speed omegamFunction of (c): fbrake＝f1(Ft，Sin，ωm). Thus, with respect to achieving the desired tension FtThe control unit 20 may implement an open-loop controller based on a function f1The current braking force to be applied by the brake module 202 is calculated.
In the particular example of fig. 3-5, the control unit 20 may supply a control signal C1 to operate a pneumatic pressure source (not shown) to generate a desired braking force F in the expandable element 224brakeTarget pressure P ofbrake. The target pressure may be given by:
Pbrake＝K2·Fbrake/(Aact·Eact) (5)
wherein K2Is a predefined constant (which may be 1), AactIs the contact area between the inflatable element 224' and the brake pad 223, and EactIs an actuator efficiency value that may represent the ratio of theoretical to actual pushing force.
It should be noted that the rotation speed ωmGiven by the input signal I1 at each point in time. In the example of fig. 3 to 5, the input signal I1 comprises a series of pulses, and the control unit may calculate the current rotational speed as:
ωm＝nm/nrev (6)
wherein n ismIs the number of pulses in the input signal I1 per unit time, and nrevIs the number of pulses per revolution of the spindle 206 and is given by the number of teeth 213' on the wheel 213.
Feed rate SinMay be obtained from an input signal I2 generated by a sensor in the feeding station 300 or the packaging station 400. However, if the packaging machine 1 is at a fixed known feed rate SinIn operation, the input signal I2 may be an operator via the aboveThe value of the MMI input. Alternatively, the input signal I2 may be a value calculated on the basis of the current operating parameters of the packaging machine 1. In one example, the feed rate may be calculated as Sin＝nP·LPWherein n isPIs the number of food products P packed from a web 10 supplied from RHA 200 per unit time, and LPIs the length of the package P' for each product.
The control unit 20 is further configured to control the rotational speed ω based on the rotational speed ωmThe state of the RHA 200 is monitored and an output signal O1 (fig. 1) indicative thereof is generated. The state given by the output signal O1 may be presented to an operator, for example, via the MMI described above.
In one embodiment, the control unit 20 monitors the rotational speed ωmTo detect breakage of the coil 10. For example, if the rotational speed ω is foundmRapidly decreases or is zero or close to zero, the control unit 20 can detect and signal a break.
In another embodiment, the control unit 20 calculates a parameter indicative of the filling state of the reel 201. The filling status may be signaled to the operator by an output signal O1 to indicate the need to replace the reel 201, for example by switching to a standby RHA 200 in the packaging machine (see fig. 2A-2B).
The calculation of the various filling state parameters is exemplified below with reference to the input values shown in fig. 6, fig. 6 showing the reel 201 at the current point in time during consumption. Reel 201 and current diameter DcInitial diameter D at full charge (indicated by the dotted line)1And core diameter D at the time of material depletion0And (4) associating.
In a first example, the control unit 20 calculates the current number of turns of the web material 10 left on the reel 201 and sends a signal relating to said current number of turns, given for example by:
Nc＝(Dc-D0)/(2·h) (7)
where h is the actual thickness of the roll 10 when wound onto the reel 201. Generally, this means NcBy a function f2(Sin，ωm) It is given.
The actual thickness h may be predefined or calculated based on design data of the reel 201. It should be noted that the actual thickness h may be different from the nominal or nominal thickness of the web 10. In one example, the actual thickness may be calculated as:
h＝π·(D1 2-D0 2)/(2·(π·D1-π·D0+2·L1)) (8)
wherein L is1Is the length of the web on the spool 201 at full stock.
In a second example, the control unit 20 calculates the remaining web length on the reel 201 and sends a signal about said remaining web length, for example given by:
Lc＝π·Nc·(D0+h·(Nc-1)) (9)
generally, this means LcBy a function f3(Sin，ωm) It is given.
In a third example, the control unit 20 calculates the remaining time until the reel 201 is empty and sends a signal about said remaining time, given for example by:
Δtc＝Lc/Sin (10)
generally, this means Δ tcBy a function f4(Sin，ωm) It is given.
It should be understood that certain input data (e.g., μ) for the control unit 20 may be predefined for the brake module 202N、rhub、K1、K2、Aact、Eact、nrev) And may store the input data in a memory of the control unit 20, as well as other input data (e.g., F)t、nP、LP、D0、D1、L1) May be fixed and input by an operator before starting the packaging machine, and at least the rotational speed ω is setmGiven as measured input variables, possibly in relation to the feed rate SinAre given together.
FIG. 7 illustrates operationsA method 700 of a multi-lane packaging machine 1 for packaging ice cream products as shown in figures 2A-2B. In step 701, a plurality of webs of packaging material 10 are supplied from the RHA 200. In step 702, at a feed rate SinThe web 10 is fed from the RHA 200 to a packaging station 400. In step 703, the ice cream product is supplied to the packaging station 400. In step 704, the web 10 is processed into a package P' around the ice cream product at the packaging station 400. In these steps 701 to 704, the braking module 202 in the RHA 200 is operated by the control unit 20 to control the tension in the web 20 supplied from the RHA 200.

Claims (14)

1. A reel holder arrangement for supplying a web of packaging material (10) to a food packaging machine (1), said food packaging machine (1) consuming said web of packaging material (10) at a feed rate (Sin), said reel holder arrangement comprising:
a braking module (202) for braking the vehicle,
a shaft (206), the shaft (206) being rotatably arranged in the brake module (202), the brake module (202) being operable to exert a braking force on the shaft (206), and
a reel holder (205), the reel holder (205) being combined with the shaft (206) and configured to support a reel (201), the reel (201) comprising the web of packaging material (10) in a rolled-up form, such that the reel holder (205) is driven in rotation by the consumption of the web of packaging material (10) by the food packaging machine (1), wherein
A rotation sensor (228) is arranged to sense a parameter indicative of a rotational speed (ω m) of the shaft (206), and
the reel holder arrangement comprising a control unit (20), the control unit (20) being configured to receive input signals (I1, I2) indicative of the feed rate (Sin) and the rotational speed (ω m), and to generate a control signal (C1), the control signal (C1) being for operating the brake module (202) to set the braking force to control the tension in the web of packaging material (10) supplied to the food packaging machine (1), characterized in that,
the brake module (202) comprising a friction element (223) arranged to engage with a cylindrical surface portion (212) of the shaft (206), and an actuator (224) arranged to move the friction element (223) towards the shaft (206),
the brake module (202) comprising a housing (204), the housing (204) defining a first channel (210) extending from a first opening (210A) in the housing (204), and a second channel (221) extending from a second opening (221A) in the housing (204) to the first channel (210) at right angles to the first channel (210),
one or more bearings (211) are fitted in the first channel (210),
the shaft (206) being arranged to extend through the first opening (210A) into the first channel (210) engaging with the one or more bearings (211) so as to be freely rotatable relative to the housing (204),
the friction element (223) is arranged to move along the second channel (221), an
The actuator (224) is fastened at the second opening (221A) to engage with the friction element (223).
2. The spool holder arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the control unit (20) is configured to generate the control signal (C1) to set the tension in the web of packaging material (10) within a predetermined tension interval.
3. The reel holder arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the control unit (20) is configured to generate the control signal (C1) in dependence on a required braking force (Fbrake) calculated as a function of the feed rate (Sin), the rotational speed (ω m) and a desired tension in the web of packaging material (10).
4. The reel holder arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the control unit (20) is configured to generate the control signal (C1) in dependence on a required braking force (Fbrake) calculated as a function of the feed rate (Sin), the rotational speed (ω m) and a desired tension in the web of packaging material (10).
5. The spool holder arrangement according to any of the claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit (20) is configured to estimate a diameter (D1) of the spool (201) from the rotational speed (ω m) and the feed rate (Sin) and to generate an output signal (O1) for controlling the food packaging machine (1) from the diameter (D1).
6. The spool holder arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the output signal (O1) comprises any of:
an estimated amount of packaging material remaining in the reel (201),
an estimation of the period of time until a predetermined amount of packaging material remains in the reel (201), an
An indication to stop the consumption of the packaging material from the reel holder arrangement.
7. The spool holder arrangement according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the control unit (20) is configured to detect a rupture of the web of packaging material (10) based on the rotational speed (ω m).
8. The spool holder arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the control unit (20) is configured to detect the rupture when the rotational speed (ω m) decreases at a rate exceeding a threshold level.
9. A spool holder arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the friction element (223) is arranged in the brake module (202) to move at right angles to the axis of rotation (R1) of the shaft (206).
10. A spool holder arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the actuator (224) comprises an inflatable element (224'), the inflatable element (224') being arranged to expand towards the shaft (206) when inflated, thereby moving the friction element (223).
11. A spool holder arrangement according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the friction element (223) is a cylindrical element having a rear end face (223B) arranged to engage with the actuator (224) and a front end face (223A) arranged to engage with the cylindrical surface portion (212) of the shaft (206).
12. A reel holder arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rotation sensor (228) is an inductive proximity sensor arranged to face the periphery of a wheel (213) on the shaft (206), the wheel (213) comprising radially protruding elements (213') evenly distributed along the periphery.
13. A machine for packaging food products (P), comprising:
a plurality of reel holder devices (200) according to any of claims 1 to 12, arranged to supply a plurality of packaging material webs (10) from a plurality of reels (201) containing rolled packaging material,
a feeding station (300) arranged to feed the web of packaging material (10) at a feed rate (Sin),
a supply device (100) arranged to supply the food product (P), an
A packaging station (400) arranged to receive the food product (P) and the web of packaging material (10) and to process the web of packaging material (10) into a package (P') surrounding the food product (P).
14. A method of packaging an ice cream product, the method comprising:
supplying (701) a plurality of packaging material webs (10) from a plurality of reel holder arrangements (200) according to any of claims 1-12,
-feeding (702) the web of packaging material (10) to a packaging station (400) at a feed rate (Sin),
supplying (703) the ice cream product to the packaging station (400), and
at the packaging station (400), the web of packaging material (10) is processed (704) into packages (P') surrounding the ice cream products.
CN201880026277.8A 2017-04-20 2018-04-17 Packaging for food products Active CN110603215B (en)

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EP17167411 2017-04-20
EP17167411.2 2017-04-20
PCT/EP2018/059788 WO2018192925A1 (en) 2017-04-20 2018-04-17 Wrapping of food products

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WO2021180568A1 (en) * 2020-03-10 2021-09-16 Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. A multi-lane system for wrapping ice cream products and a method thereof

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GB1452013A (en) * 1973-08-23 1976-10-06 Sig Schweiz Industrieges Apparaus for monitoring web material
US4199118A (en) * 1979-01-10 1980-04-22 The Black Clawson Company Method and apparatus for controlling the braking system for an unwinder
US4286757A (en) * 1980-04-03 1981-09-01 The Black Clawson Company Method and apparatus for controlling the braking system for an unwinder
EP0458465A2 (en) * 1990-04-25 1991-11-27 Shinko Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Magnetic braking apparatus and tension control system using the magnetic braking apparatus
WO1995018762A1 (en) * 1994-01-05 1995-07-13 Wichita Company Limited Web reel brake control system
EP0831048A1 (en) * 1996-09-20 1998-03-25 Kabushiki Kaisha Yuyama Seisakusho Method of adjusting tension applied to web, and device for the same
US20050242224A1 (en) * 2004-04-30 2005-11-03 Komori Corporation Braking force control method and device for strip-shaped material feeding device
CN202988367U (en) * 2012-12-27 2013-06-12 南京鹏力塑料科技有限公司 Automatic tension control device of straw packaging machine
CN104803043A (en) * 2015-03-11 2015-07-29 吴江玲 Low-noise food packaging device and using method thereof

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EP3392173B1 (en) 2020-12-23
WO2018192925A1 (en) 2018-10-25
DK3392173T3 (en) 2021-03-01
CN110603215A (en) 2019-12-20

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