EP0429318B1 - Method and apparatus for transferring lids, covers or similar in a machine for sterile packaging of containers - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention concerns a method and apparatus for transferring lids in a machine for sterile packaging of containers. <??>The apparatus of this invention essentially comprises two elongated clamp-holder units substantially parallel (5, 8) and penetrating by one end into a sterile enclosure (E) for the packaging of containers, one (5) of these two units being able to be driven, in its longitudinal direction, with an alternating motion with respect to the other clamp-holder unit (8) which remains fixed in translation. <??>This device allows, in particular, the transfer, positioning and temporary fixing of lids of any shape and size on containers or goblets filled with any produce. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention essentially relates to a method for transferring any lids or lids in a sterile packaging machine for containers and such as for example cups.

It also relates to a device for the execution of this process. Such a method and such a device are known from document US Pat. No. 3,687,261 corresponding to the preamble of claims 1 and 3.

There are already known, in general, methods of transferring lids or lids in a container packaging machine, which essentially consist of gripping the lids so that they can then be conveyed to the machine in a sterile enclosure where they are deposited then heat-sealed on said containers which may contain any product or foodstuff.

However, these methods have drawbacks in that in particular the mechanical means ensuring the gripping and the transfer of the lids necessarily effect a certain path between the non-sterile external atmosphere and the sterile enclosure of the machine where the containers are conditioned, so that, finally, the sterility of the enclosure is destroyed or at the very least altered, which, as we understand, is detrimental to the quality of the packaged products.

It was therefore appropriate to propose a method and a device for transferring lids which overcomes the above drawbacks, that is to say which resolves the problem of maintaining the sterility of the container packaging enclosure in the case of conveying of lids from the outside to the inside of this sterile enclosure.

To this end, the invention relates to a method according to claim 1.

It is therefore already understood that the transfer from one gripper to the other of the lids will allow a progressive and mechanically safe and reliable routing of the lids to the machine, not to mention the fact that these lids can have any dimensions and shapes without any disadvantage. , that is to say without harming the reliability of the process.

According to another characteristic of this process, each cover is deposited in the packaging machine on a receptacle under which a container is pushed to be closed, and a preliminary and punctual welding of the cover on the container is carried out while releasing this cover from the receptacle by pushing on the top of the cover, after which the seal is carried out on the container.

The invention also relates to a device for implementing the method corresponding to the above characteristics, and characterized in that it comprises at least two elongated gripper-carrying members which are substantially parallel and penetrate at one end into a sterile packaging enclosure. of receptacles, one of these members being able to be driven, in its longitudinal direction, with a reciprocating movement relative to the other clamp-holding member which remains fixed in translation.

It will already be observed here that the end of the fixed clamp holder and of the movable clamp holder member entering the sterile enclosure of the machine, remains in this sterile enclosure, so that the sterility of this enclosure is preserved, which would not be the case if the transfer of the lids was carried out by mechanical means passing from the outside to the inside of the sterile enclosure for packaging the containers.

The device according to this invention is further characterized in that each clamp-holder member is constituted by two parallel and rotary rods each comprising a succession of plates or the like which are opposite one another between the two clamp-holder members.

According to another characteristic of this device, the end of the aforesaid clamps or rods members, opposite to that entering the packaging enclosure, is connected to a frame comprising a magazine for lids, a transfer system by suction cups or analogs of the lids of the store towards the movable gripper-carrying member and of means for actuating said transfer system and said movable gripper-holding member.

It will also be specified here that the two clamp-carrying members form, between the aforementioned frame and the container packaging enclosure, a gateway under which is arranged a system for sterilizing the lids during their journey, and which is surrounded by a tunnel connecting waterproof the frame to the conditioning enclosure.

In the packaging enclosure, and below the end of the two clamp-carrying members entering this enclosure, at least one bar is provided supporting at least one receptacle for the lids and actuated vertically by a carriage carrying the support member - mobile clamps.

According to yet another characteristic, the aforementioned bar can be actuated by means of at least one lever or the like and is interposed between means for pushing the containers and a head for prior and punctual welding of the lids on the containers.

However, other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear better in the detailed description which follows and refers to the appended drawings, given solely by way of example, and in which:

Figure 1 is a very schematic and partial side view of a device according to the principles of the invention.

Figure 2 is a top view, also schematic and partial, of this device.

Figure 3 is an end view, along arrow III of Figure 1 of two clamp holder members.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view in elevation, along arrow IV of FIG. 2, of the end of the clamp-carrying members entering the sterile enclosure of the machine for packaging the containers and associated means allowing the removal of the lids on the containers by means of receptacles.

Figure 5 is an enlarged view in axial section of a receptacle with the essential elements associated with it.

Figure 6 is a schematic view illustrating the sequence of clamping operations allowing the routing of the lids in the sterile container packaging machine.

Referring in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, it can be seen that a device according to this invention essentially consists of a frame 1 with horizontal beams 2 supporting a plurality of clamp-carrying members, capable of conveying lids O to a machine for packaging containers or cups R comprising in particular means for conveying, filling and heat-sealing these containers which have not been shown since they are not part of the present invention, and which operate in a sterile enclosure E.

The horizontal frame 1 with its clamp-carrying members forms a sort of gateway for the lids O, this gateway being supported at one end by a frame 3 resting on the ground, and at its other end by the machine or enclosure E for conditioning sterile R containers.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 to 3, the chassis 1 supports, by means of crosspieces 4 connecting the beams 2, several pairs of clamp-carrying members, three according to the example shown, and which are identified respectively and generally in P₁, P₂ and P₃. These pairs of clamp holder members have an identical structure and, for simplicity, their structure will be described below with reference only to the pair of clamp holder members P₁ which is clearly visible in FIG. 3.

One 5 of the two clip-holding members of the pair P₁ is constituted by two parallel and rotary rods 6 which each comprise a succession of plates 7. It is understood that the rotation in one direction or the other of the rods 6 may cause the opening or closing of the clamp constituted by two facing plates 7, that is to say the gripping or the loosening of a cover O.

The other clamp-carrying member 8 of the pair P₁ also consists of two parallel and rotating rods 9 each comprising a succession of plates 10 opposite the plates 7, as can be seen in FIG. 3. We therefore already understand that the lids can be transferred from one clamp 5 to the other 8 or vice versa by actuating these clamps.

The clamp holder 5, constituted by the two rods 6, is secured to a carriage marked at 11 in FIG. 4, and mounted to slide on the crosspieces 4 of the chassis 1. Thus, the clamp holder 5 may be animated, in its longitudinal direction, with an alternating movement which will be described in detail below with regard to operation.

On the other hand, the other clamp-carrying member 8 is integral with the crosspieces 4 and remains fixed in translation. In other words, the clamp holder 5 is movable relative to the other clamp holder 8 fixed on the frame 1, it being understood that the two rods 6, 9 constituting each clamp holder can be rotated in one direction or the other.

The three pairs of clamp-holding members P₁, P₂, P₃ operate in the same way and penetrate at one end into the sterile enclosure E of the packaging machine, as seen on the right-hand side of FIGS. 1 and 2. The other end of these clamp-carrying members is functionally connected to the frame 3 which will now be described.

First of all, it will be observed that the two rods 6 of the clamp-carrying member 5 can be driven in rotation by a jack shown diagrammatically in V1 in FIG. 2, and which is integral with the chassis 1, while the two rods 9 of the other clamp holder 8, which are, as said above, fixed in translation can be controlled in rotation by another jack V2. In short, the cylinders V1 and V2 respectively control the opening and closing of the clamps 5 and 8.

The frame 3 essentially comprises a store 12 of stacked lids O, a slide 13 the displacement of which allows rotation in one direction or the other of suction cups 14 capable of gripping the lids O in the magazine 12 and of transferring them to the gripper-carrying members, and a motorcycle group -reducer M allowing the actuation of the slide 13, and also the reciprocating and synchronous movement of the gripper holder member 5, and obviously also of the movable gripper holder member of the other pairs of gripper holder members P₂ and P₃.

More precisely, and as can be seen in FIG. 1, the geared motor group M controls the rotation of an annular cam track 15 which, by means of a succession of articulated links L, allows horizontal translation and in a reciprocating movement, of the carriage 11, that is to say of the clamp-holder member 5 consisting of two parallel and rotary rods 6. Also, the geared motor group M controls, via an eccentric marked at 16 in FIG. 1, a set of levers Q capable of causing the vertical and reciprocating movement of the slide 13 carrying the suction cups 14.

We have shown schematically, by arrows G in FIG. 1, a system for sterilizing the lids O retained by the clamp-holding members, this system possibly being constituted for example by a source of ultraviolet radiation or by a spraying of peroxide. of hydrogen in a tunnel identified in T surrounding the gateway for the lids O and sealingly connecting the frame 3 to the sterile enclosure E.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, we see at 16 a receptacle capable of receiving, by gravity the lids O, when at the end of the journey, they are released by the plates 7 of the clamp holder 5.

The or rather the receptacles 16 are supported by a bar or the like 17 actuated vertically by the carriage 11 supporting the clamp-carrying member 5 and which, as said above, can be subjected to an alternating movement by virtue of the path cam 15 driven by the gear motor group M.

More specifically, the vertical displacement of the bar 17 supporting the receptacles 16 can be achieved by levers 18 articulated at 18a on the frame 1 and at 18b on said bar, the end of these levers being able to be actuated by cams or the like 19 integral with the carriage 11.

Under the bar 17 carrying the receptacles 16, pushers 20a are provided for pushing the containers R above the bar 20 of the conveyor which transports them into the sterile enclosure E.

Above the bar 17 supporting the receptacles 16, there is provided a head 21 for prior and punctual welding of the lids O on the containers R, before these are definitively closed later by a heat-sealing head (not shown).

As can be seen in FIG. 5, each receptacle 16 has a substantially cylindrical shape and comprises on the one hand two opposite slots 22 allowing the passage of the welding head 21, and on the other hand lugs 23 of temporary retention d 'a cover O released by the end of the clamp holder member 5 remaining in the sterile enclosure E of the container packaging machine.

However, for a better understanding of the invention, the operation of the device which has just been described will be described below with particular reference to the diagram in FIG. 6.

According to the exemplary embodiment shown, the magazine 12 comprises two lines of three stacks of lids each stacked, so that the movable clamp-holder member 5 can simultaneously grasp two lids such as A (FIG. 6), and therein will be the same for the other pairs P₂, P₃ of clip-holding members. It will be observed here, with reference to FIG. 2, that the pairs of clamp-holding members P₁, P₂, P₃ penetrate the sterile enclosure E along an increasing length, so as to deposit lids O in pairs (which lids have have been sterilized during their journey in the tunnel T to the sterile enclosure E) as the support plates 20 of the containers R advance in the sterile enclosure E.

But, as for the description above of the structure of the device of the invention, the operation will be described below by considering only the two clamp-holding members 5 and 8, since the other clamp-holding members belonging to the pairs P₂ and P₃ are structurally the same and work in the same way.

The suction cups 14 firstly enter two lids O in the magazine 12 and then present them in front of two clamps of the clamp holder member 5 (each clamp being constituted by two plates 7 facing each other), which clamps will grip these two lids as seen in A in Figure 6. Of course, the gripping of the lids can only be done after movement of the clamp holder member 5 along arrow F, towards the frame 3, so that it is thus possible to grasp the lids released by the suction cups 14.

Then, the clip-holding member 5 is moved along the arrow H, as can still be seen in FIG. 6, so that after the two caps A have been released by the clips of the device 5, these two caps can be again pinched or taken up by two clamps of the member 8 which is fixed in translation.

Then, the member 5 moves back or returns to its initial position along the arrow I to grasp from the suction cups 14 two other lids identified at B. It should be noted here that by pinching the two lids B, the following two clamps of the member 5 will simultaneously pinch the two lids A waiting and already gripped by the clamps of member 8.

The clips of the member 8 retaining the lids A are then opened, and the member 5 can then be translated to the right of FIG. 6 according to the arrow J as shown in FIG. 6.

The clamps of the member 8 are then closed to retain the four lids A, B, while the clamps of the member 5 are open.

Thus, the member 5 can again move back or return to the frame 3 along the arrow K to enter from the suction cups 4 two other lids such as C and the sequence of operations above begins again.

It is therefore understood that by passing the lids from one clamp-carrying member to the other and by reciprocating movement of the member 5 relative to the member 8 which remains stationary in translation, we will obtain a step-by-step routing of the lids towards the sterile enclosure E where they will be deposited in pairs, by gravity and by the end of the clamp-holding member 5 in two receptacles such as 16 to 1 'inside which they will be retained by the pins 23, as can be seen clearly in FIG. 5.

At this stage, there will be a simultaneous downward movement of the welding head 21 which will cause the cover O to pass beyond the pins 23, and an upward movement of the containers R, by means of the pushers 20a, so that we will perform a preliminary and punctual welding of said lid on the upper edge of container R.

Then, the lid O provisionally fixed on the container, will pass under a heat-sealing head (not shown) which will permanently close the containers.

It will be recalled here that the pairs of clamp-holding members P₂, P₃ will carry out the same sequence of operations as described above with respect to the pair of clamp-holding members P₁, which means, if we refer in FIG. 2, that six containers carried by a plate such as 20 will have received all six a cover O after having passed under the ends of the three pairs of clip-holding members P₁, P₂, P₃ which, each will allow the removal of two covers in a sterile atmosphere in the packaging enclosure E.

We therefore carried out according to the invention a method and a device for transfer of lids using a minimum number of mechanical parts which carry out the removal and which always remain in the sterile enclosure E for packaging, so that the sterility of said enclosure in no case risks to be destroyed or even altered.

Claims (8)

1. Method of transferring lids, covers or the like into a machine for the sterile conditioning of any containers whatsoever, of the type consisting in gripping the lids for then carrying them towards the machine where they are deposited in a sterile atmosphere upon the containers containing any product or foodstuff whatsoever and which has to be closed by the said lids, characterized in that for conveying the lids (O) towards the machine, one nips each lid with a first pair of tongs (7, 7) forming part of a first elongated tongs-carrying member (5) which may be driven in the longitudinal direction according to a reciprocating motion, one then displaces the nipped lid in the direction towards the machine (arrow H), one takes up again the lid with a second pair of tongs (10, 10) in confronting relation to the first pair of tongs, the second pair of tongs forming part of a second elongated tongs-carrying member (8) stationary in translation with respect to the first member, one releases the lid from the first pair of tongs which one makes come back to its initial position (arrow I) in order that it may grip a second lid at the same time as one nips with the assistance of a third pair of tongs (7, 7) forming part of the first member (5) the standby lid already gripped by the second pair of tongs (10, 10), one opens this second pair of tongs, one transfers both lids gripped by the first and third pairs of tongs, respectively, in the direction towards the machine, one then takes up again these two lids with two pairs of tongs (10, 10) forming part of the second member (8) and in confronting relation to the first and third pairs of tongs, and so on.
2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that in each lid is deposited in the conditioning machine upon a container underneath which one pushes a container to be closed and one effects a previous pinpoint welding of the lid onto the container while disengaging this lid from the container through a thrust upon the top of the lid whereafter one effects the heat-sealing of the lid onto the container.
3. Device for carrying out of the method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises at least two substantially parallel, elongated, tongs-carrying members (5, 8) penetrating with one end into an enclosure (E) for the sterile conditioning of containers, one (5) of these members may be driven along its longitudinal direction according to a reciprocating motion with respect to the other tongs-carrying member (8) which remains stationary in translation.
4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that each tongs-carrying member (5, 8) is constituted by two parallel rotary rods (6, 9) successively comprising each one plates or the like (7, 10) which are in front of both tongs-carrying members.
5. Device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that that end of the tongs-carrying members (5, 8) or aforesaid rods (6, 9), which is opposite to that penetrating into the conditioning enclosure (E) is connected to a frame (3) comprising a store (12) for lids (O), a system (14) for transferring lids (0) with suction cups from the store (12) towards the movable tongs-carrying member (5) and means (M, L, Q) for the actuation of the said transfer system and of the said movable tongs-carrying member.
6. Device according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that both tongs-carrying members (5, 8) form between the frame (3) and the conditioning machine a bridge under which is arranged a system (G) for the sterilization of the lids (0) during their travel and which is surrounded by a tunnel (T) tightly connecting the frame (3) to the sterile conditioning enclosure (E).
7. Device according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that in the conditioning machine and underneath the end of both tongs-carrying members (5, 8) is provided at least one bar (17) supporting at least one container (16) for the lids (0) and vertically operable by a carriage (11) carrying the movable tongs-carrying member (5).
8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the aforesaid bar (17) is operable through the medium of at least one lever or the like (18) and is interposed between means (20a) for pushing the containers (R) and a head (21) for the previous pinpoint welding of the lids (0) onto the containers (R).

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