EP0856467B1 - Method and device for joining and assembling container blanks and block-shaped article groups - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for merging and merging of box blanks and block-shaped wrapped with an inner wrap Item groups, especially cigarette groups, which are intermittent relative to each other be transferred to a union position, the box blanks the one to be connected, together along a uniform conveyor line cyclically conveyed components in a maximum of three through conveying steps with each other linked standstill positions except for outer ones that form a package closure glued side tabs of the box blank folded around the article groups become.

The invention also relates to a device for merging and joining of box blanks and wrapped with an inside wrap block-shaped article groups, in particular cigarette groups, with the named Components separately and step by step to a common union station Conveying funds, whereby the box blanks feeding or Funding means transporting the combined components through a maximum of three Conveyor sections connected to each other and up to the folding of outer glued, tabs forming side flaps all folds of the box blank has folding stations.

Box blanks of the type mentioned at the beginning are used to manufacture hard cardboard packs in the form of hinged boxes, so-called hinged-lid packs, for cigarettes. You will order the contents of the pack in one Inside cut from tinfoil or another foil wrapped cigarette block to a box part and one in the area of a rear wall of the Part of the hinged lid folded around.

EP-A-0 433 657 describes a method and a device at the beginning designated genre become known, according to those in two-lane operation on box blanks of the type mentioned for cigarettes along a horizontal Plane by means of a plate-shaped which can be rotated in cycles about a vertical axis Organ folding operations are performed at three folding stations.

The invention has for its object the effectiveness of such methods and devices, in particular in connection with a multi-lane or double-lane Increase packaging line.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that the box blanks and article groups to be connected are positioned one above the other on two partially overlapping horizontal rotation planes, brought together by a vertical transfer stroke on the lower rotation plane and are radially removed therefrom.
According to a preferred procedure, apart from the outer side tabs, all of the cut parts are folded around the article group in two standstill positions linked to one another by a conveying step.
An optimized procedure, which is particularly predestined for two-lane processing, is that the box blanks provided with a folded-over inner lid flap are positioned with their head end aligned with the center of rotation of the lower plane of rotation.
According to a further proposal, a measure that prepares and facilitates the actual folding operations is that when the box blanks are positioned on the lower plane of rotation, inner top flaps of the lid of the box blanks are bent up or broken.

According to the proposal, further folding operations to prepare and facilitate measures are that in a first common folding position of the components, the box blank is raised to the rotation level of the article group and its inside flaps are pre-folded with inner bottom wall flaps and top lid wall with inner top flap flaps, and that the box blank and the article group are jointly folded onto the transferred to the lower rotation plane and the top cover wall, inner side tabs and inner bottom wall tabs were placed on the article group.
To complete the majority of the folding operations, it is further proposed that in a second common folding position of the components, the bottom wall, front wall and front lid wall of the box blank are placed one after the other on the article groups.
In order to facilitate the manufacture of the box bottom, it is also provided that the inner bottom wall tabs are fixed to the article group and then released again when the bottom and front walls are folded up.
To complete the outer wrapping of the article groups, it is also expedient if the assembled components are transferred in a transfer position in the radial direction from the plane of rotation into a gluing section for the protruding side tabs of the box blank.

The device for carrying out the method described at the outset consists in that the conveying means are designed as rotary plates, which are provided with receiving pockets and which rotate about vertical axes and overlap in the area of the union station designed as the first folding station, the receiving pockets of the lower rotating plate having the folding stations in the area Align the unification station on the top side with the receiving pockets of the upper turntable and have radial ejection openings on the outside in the area of the delivery station, the lower turntable being equipped with receiving platforms which extend over the receiving pockets, the box blanks with the head end aligned with the axis of rotation, and that the turntable in the area of the first folding station together or relative to each other through the plane of the receiving platform or the receiving pockets of the lower turntable movable folding and lower plunger are assigned, of which d it interacts with the inner plunger, which is aligned with the rear wall of the blank, with the front and side edges of the receiving pockets of the upper turntable and is fitted with lugs which act on the inner top wall flaps of the lid.
A preferred and optimized embodiment consists in the fact that the conveying means has two folding stations, which - in relation to its conveying direction - are assigned a cutting support station upstream and a delivery station downstream for the assembled components.
According to a further development, an exact position or a defined orientation of the box blanks relative to the article groups at the respective folding stations is possible in that the receiving platforms are provided with suction openings and side holders that fix the box blanks.
In order to prepare and facilitate the folding in the head or lid area, a further development provides that the receiving platforms are provided with elevations which extend parallel to the fold line of inner lid top flaps of the box blanks, as a result of which the wall parts mentioned are broken.
According to a further feature, the lower tappet is assigned an upper tappet which can be lowered in opposite or synchronous fashion. In this way, a secure transfer including exact foldings and at the same time the exact positioning of a so-called collar on the cigarette block is guaranteed.
In order to support the free end of the box blank when transferring and uniting the components, auxiliary guides synchronized with the lowering movement of the lower and upper rams are provided.
In order to be able to fold around the free end of the box blank unhindered, the lower turntable is provided on both sides of the receiving pockets with inner bottom wall tabs of the bottom of the box blank, which at the same time ensure the radial holding of the cigarette blocks during a conveying cycle of the turntable.
A simultaneous folding of the box bottom and box front wall with immediately following lid folding is possible in accordance with one embodiment in that the bottom turntable in the area of the second folding station is assigned a bottom folder which can be pivoted along a coupling curve and a head folder which is rotatable about an axis and has two folding heads.
An interim secure fixation of the bottom and front wall can be achieved in that the bottom folder has an impact stamp which acts on the front wall of the blank and a holding stamp which acts on the bottom wall of the blank.
A feature which facilitates the subsequent gluing of the projecting side tabs is that a longitudinal conveyor means which is aligned radially to the axis of the turntable is assigned to the lower turntable in the region of the delivery station.

The advantage achieved with the invention is the combination or simultaneous Execution of numerous folding operations and associated implementation a relatively small folding plate as well as a relatively short vertical one Überführungshübe. This results in less effort for implementation a double-lane packaging facility.

The invention is illustrated below in the accompanying figures illustrated embodiment explained in more detail.

Figur 1

eine Draufsicht auf Förder- und Faltorgane einer doppelbahnig arbeitenden Verpackungseinrichtung für Zigaretten,

Figuren 2a bzw. 2b -2f bzw. 2g bzw. 2h, 2i bzw. 2j

unterschiedliche Arbeitsstellungen von Teilen der Förder- und Faltorgane entlang der Linien A-A bzw. B-B bzw. C-C bzw. D-D bzw. E-E gemäß Figur 1,

Figuren 3a - 3e

unterschiedliche Arbeitsstellungen von zwei die Boden- und Kopffaltungen ausführenden Faltorganen,

Figur 4

Führungs- und Antriebsorgane der Faltorgane gemäß Figur 3,

Figur 5a

eine Draufsicht auf einen ungefalteten Schachtelzuschnitt und

Figuren 5b - 5i

unterschiedliche in den Arbeitsstellungen der Faltorgane gemäß den Figuren 2a bis 2j erzeugte Faltzustände eines Schachtelzuschnitts.

Here show:

Figure 1

a plan view of conveyor and folding elements of a double-lane packaging device for cigarettes,

Figures 2a or 2b -2f or 2g or 2h, 2i or 2j

different working positions of parts of the conveying and folding elements along the lines AA or BB or CC or DD or EE according to FIG. 1,

Figures 3a - 3e

different working positions of two folding organs that make the bottom and top folds,

Figure 4

Guiding and driving elements of the folding elements according to FIG. 3,

Figure 5a

a plan view of an unfolded box blank and

Figures 5b - 5i

different folding states of a box blank produced in the working positions of the folding members according to FIGS. 2a to 2j.

A box blank 1 shown in FIG. 5a, also referred to as a blank, serves in the form of a hinged lid pack for the outer wrapping of a block-shaped cigarette group 4 according to FIG. 2b provided with an inner wrapping film 2 and a collar 3.
In its central region, the box blank 1 is composed of an inner lid flap 6, a front lid wall 7, an upper lid wall 8, a rear lid wall 9, a rear wall 11, a bottom wall 12 and a front wall 13, and on both sides of the above-mentioned box parts made of outer lid side tabs 14, inner top lid flaps 16 , inner lid side tabs 17, inside side tabs 18, inner bottom wall tabs 19 and outside tabs 21 together. The individual blank walls or blanking flaps are connected to one another by pre-embossed fold lines shown in broken lines and provided with punched-out dividing lines shown as solid lines.

According to FIG. 1, the device for packaging the cigarette groups 4 has a conveying means in the form of a lower turntable 22, which can be driven to rotate step-wise around a vertical axis 23 and is four-fold in each case equipped with receiving pockets 24 in a double arrangement. According to FIG. 2b, the turntable 22 interacts with a conveyor in the form of an upper turntable 26, which partially overlaps the lower turntable 22 and is also in a double arrangement with receiving pockets 27 that can be shut off by support slides 25 and can also be driven in a rotating manner about a vertical axis 28.
The respective standstill positions of the turntable 22 correspond to a first station in the form of a support station S1, a second station in the form of a merging and folding station S2, a third station in the form of a second folding station S3 and a fourth station in the form of a delivery station S4, each through Conveyor sections F1 to F3 are interconnected.
1 and 2a, the turntable 22 is also equipped in the area and above the receiving pockets 24 with a receiving platform 29 for the box blanks 1, into which suction openings 31 open to fix the box blanks 1 and which to secure the position of the box blanks 1 to one another during the rotation of the plate offset side holder 32, 33 are assigned. The receiving platform 29 is also provided with strip-shaped elevations 34. In addition, the turntable 22 is equipped with bottom holders 36 which are arranged on both sides of the receiving pockets 24 and are each fastened to a lever 38 which can be pivoted about an axis 37.

In addition, according to FIG. 2a, fixed inner and outer underpasses 39 and 41 extend in the area of the support station S1 of the turntable 22 in the plane of the receiving platform 29 to stabilize the blank 1 when pivoting.
A further stationary underpass 42 and stationary top guides 43, 44 and 46 extend according to FIG. 1 in the conveying section F1 between the support station S1 and the merging or first folding station S2.
In the area of the first folding station S2, the lower turntable 22 or the overlapping upper turntable 26 according to FIGS. 2b to 2f is assigned an outer folding tappet 47 and an inner lower tappet 48 on the underside, which together or relative to one another through the plane of the receiving platform 29 or the receiving pockets 24 of the lower turntable 22 can be moved through. The folding plunger 47 is provided with upper lugs 49.
The lower plunger 48 is assigned an upper plunger 51 which can be lowered in opposite or synchronous fashion.
In addition, auxiliary guides 52, 53, which are synchronized with the lowering movement of folding and lower plungers 47, 48 and are arranged one above the other with a small spacing, are provided for the blanks 1 at the folding station S2.

In the conveyor section F2 between the first folding station S2 and the second folding station S3, an upper guide 54 and an underpass 56 extend.

The turntable 22 according to FIGS. 3 is in the area of the second folding station S3 and FIG. 4 shows a floor folder 58 which can be pivoted along a coupling curve 57, and a an axis 59 rotatable head folder 61 assigned. To generate the coupling curve 57 is the bottom moth 58 according to FIG. 4 with a stationary axis 62 pivoting steering lever 63 and articulated with a push rod 64, which in turn is articulated at the free end of a stationary axis 66 pivotable lever 67 is attached.

The bottom folder 58 has an impact stamp 68 and a holding stamp 69 and the top folder 61 has two folding heads 71 and 72. Cam discs, not shown, are provided as drive means for the bottom folder 58.
1, 73 and 74 denote under- and top guides and 76 and 77 top guides in the conveying section F3, which extend into the delivery station S4 according to FIG. 2j.
In the area of the delivery station S4, the rotary table 22 according to FIG. 2j is assigned a longitudinal conveyor 78 which is aligned radially to the axis 23 of the rotary table 22 in the form of a toothed belt 81 which is equipped with cams 79.

The packaging device works as follows:
According to FIGS. 1 and 2a, box blanks 1 are transferred in a standstill position of the turntable 22 on its receiving platform 29 in the support station S1 in such a way that they are aligned with their already flipped inner tabs 6 towards the axis of rotation 23 of the turntable 22, whereby they pass through the suction openings 31 suction air is fixed and kept tied between the adjacent side brackets 32 and 33. Through the elevations 34 of the receiving platform 29, the inner top wall tabs 16 are broken into the later interior of the box. This state of the box blank 1 is shown in Figure 5b.
Subsequently, the box blank 1 is conveyed on the conveying section S1 by a conveying cycle of the turntable 22 to the union or folding station S2, the upper turntable 26 simultaneously wrapping foil 2 and provided with pre-positioned collar 3 cigarette groups 4 being transferred to the folding station S2. The receiving pockets 27 and the receiving pockets 24 of the two turntables 26 and 22 assume an aligned position according to FIG. 2b.
According to FIG. 2c, the folding plunger 47 and the lower plunger 48 travel upwards together, while the upper plunger 51 is placed on the cigarette group 4. On the one hand, the box blank 1 is pressed with its rear wall 11 from below onto the cigarette group 4 and, on the other hand, the collar 3 is pressed onto the cigarette group 4 from above. The lugs 49 of the folding plunger 47 further raise the inner top wall tabs 16 according to FIG. 5c.
The folding plunger 47, which according to FIG. 2d then moves further upwards relative to the lower plunger 48, causes the front lid wall 7, the upper lid wall 8 and the inner lid side wall lugs 17 and the inner side lugs 18 with attached inner bottom wall lugs 19 at the edges of the receiving pockets to be bent inward as shown in FIG. 5d 27 of the upper turntable 26 pre-folded. During these operations, the support slide 25 was moved back into the position according to FIG. 2d and the outlet opening on the underside of the receiving pocket 27 of the turntable 26 was thus released.
Subsequently, according to FIG. 2e, cigarette group 4 with collar 3 and box blank 1 are transferred into the receiving pocket 24 of the lower turntable 22 by a common downward stroke of the lower and upper tappets 48, 51, the aforementioned pre-folded blank parts being folded up to 90 ° according to FIG. 5e. The auxiliary guides 52, 53, which are simultaneously lowered, move the free cutting end synchronously downwards.

According to FIG. 2f, the floor holders 36 on both sides then close and fold the inner bottom wall flaps 19 inward according to FIG. 5f against the end face of the cigarette group 4. All the plungers 47, 48 and 51 are then withdrawn from the area of the turntables 22, 26, so that the turntable 22 can continue to rotate by one cycle on the conveyor section F2 according to FIG. 2g.
The cigarette groups 4 and the box blanks 1 guided with their free end between the upper and lower passages 54, 56 thus reach the folding station S3 according to FIG. 2h. Here the free end of the box blank 1 with the bottom wall 12 and the front wall 13 is first folded up by means of the bottom folder 58 according to FIGS. 3a, 3b, the bottom holders 36 serving as a folding edge according to FIG. 2h. This folded state is shown in Figure 5g.

Then the bottom holders 36 open and the fold is folded over by the impact stamp 68 of the bottom folder 58 pressing the front wall 13 and its holding stamp 69 pressing the bottom wall 12 against the cigarette group 4. This state is illustrated in Figures 2i, 3c and 5h.
The bottom holders 36 then return to their closed position according to FIG. 2i and the lid front wall 7 is folded over by the folding head 72 of the head folder 61 according to FIGS. 3d and 5i, both folds according to FIG. 3e are held closed by the head folder 61 and the bottom folder 58 is pivoted back into its starting position ,
The next conveying cycle of the turntable 22 thus begins, the locking of the folds on the conveying section F3 up to the delivery station S4 being carried out by the upper guides 76, 77.
When the turntable 22 has completed its 90 ° rotation, the head folder 61 continues to rotate until the next folding by means of its folding head 71, ie it makes a rotation of 180 ° for each conveying cycle.
The cigarette group 4, with the side tabs 14 and 21 protruding according to FIG. 5i, arrives at the delivery station S4, at which a cam 79 of the toothed belt 81 according to FIG. 2j the radial longitudinal extension of the cigarette group 4 from the laterally open receiving pocket 24 of the turntable 22 or the transfer into a gluing line, not shown, takes over.

Claims (18)

1. A method of bringing together and assembling box cut-outs (1) and block-shaped groups (4) of articles wrapped with an inner cover (2), in particular groups of cigarettes, which are transferred intermittently relative to one another into a joining position, wherein the box cut-outs (1) of the components (1, 4) to be joined and conveyed jointly in a clock-timed sequence along a unitary conveying path are folded around the groups of articles in a maximum of three stoppage positions linked to one another by conveying paths apart from outer glued side tabs (14, 21) - forming a packing closure - of the box cut-out, characterized in that the box cut-outs (1) and groups (4) of articles to be joined to one another are positioned one above the other on two partially overlapping horizontal rotational planes, are brought together on the lower rotational plane by a vertical transfer stroke and are jointly removed radially from the said lower rotational plane.
2. A method according to Claim 1, characterized in that all the cut-out parts apart from the outer side tabs (14, 21) are folded around the group (4) of articles in two stoppage positions linked to one another by a conveying step.
3. A method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the box cut-outs (1) provided with a folded-over internal lid tab (6) are positioned with their head end orientated towards the centre of rotation of the lower rotational plane.
4. A method according to Claim 3, characterized in that during the positioning of the box cut-outs (1) on the lower rotational plane inner upper-panel tabs (16) of the lid of the box cut-outs are bent upwards or bent forwards.
5. A method according to Claim 3, characterized in that in a first common folding position of the components (1, 4) the box cut-out (1) is lifted onto the rotational plane of the group (4) of articles and, during this, its inner side tabs (18) are folded forward with inner base-panel tabs (19) and the upper panel (8) of the lid with inner upper-panel tabs (16) of the lid, and the box cut-out and the group of articles are moved jointly onto the lower rotational plane and the upper panel of the lid, the inner side tabs and the inner base-panel tabs are placed on the group of articles.
6. A method according to Claim 3, characterized in that the base panel (12), the front panel (13) and the front panel (7) of the lid of the box cut-out (1) are placed in succession on the group (4) of articles in a second common folding position of the components (1, 4).
7. A method according to Claim 6, characterized in that during the folding-up of the base panel and the front panel (12, 13) the inner base-panel tabs (19) are fixed to the group (4) of articles and are then released again.
8. A method according to Claim 3, characterized in that the joined components (1, 4) are transferred in a transfer position in the radial direction from the rotational plane into a gluing path for the projecting side tabs (14, 21) of the box cut-out (1).
9. A device for bringing together and assembling box cut-outs (1) and block-shaped groups (4) of articles wrapped with an inner cover (2), in particular groups of cigarettes, with conveying means transferring the said components separately and step-wise to a common joining station, wherein the conveying means (22) supplying the box cut-outs (1) and transporting the joined components (1, 4) comprises a maximum of three folding stations (S2 to S4) connected to one another by conveying portions (F1 to F3) and carrying out all the foldings of the box cut-out apart from the folding of side tabs (14, 21) glued on the outside and forming a packing closure, characterized in that the conveying means (22, 26) are constructed in the form of turntables which rotate about vertical axes (23; 28) and are provided with receiving recesses (24; 27) and which overlap in the region of the joining station designed as the first folding station (S2), wherein the receiving recesses (24) of the lower turntable (22) comprising the folding stations (S2, S3) are in alignment at the top with the receiving recesses (27) of the upper turntable (26) in the region of the joining station (S2) and have radial discharge openings on the outside in the region of the delivery station (S4), wherein the lower turntable (22) is provided with receiving platforms (29) extending over the receiving recesses (24) and orientating the box cut-outs (1) with the head end towards the axis of rotation (23), and in the region of the first folding station (S2) the turntables (22, 26) have associated therewith folding and lower tappets (47, 48) which are movable jointly or relatively to one another through the plane of the receiving platform (29) or the receiving recesses (24) of the lower turntable (22) and of which the folding tappet (47) enclosing the inner lower tappet (48) in alignment with the rear panel (11) of the cut-out co-operates with front and lateral edges of the receiving recesses (27) of the upper turntable (26) and is provided with stubs (49) acting upon the inner upper-panel tabs (16) of the lid.
10. A device according to Claim 9, characterized in that the conveying means (22) comprises two folding station (S2, S3) with which - relative to their conveying direction - a cut-out laying station (S1) is associated upstream and a delivery station (S4) for the assembled components (1, 4) is associated downstream.
11. A device according to Claim 9, characterized in that the receiving platforms (29) are provided with lateral holders (32, 33) and suction openings (31) which fix the box cut-outs (1).
12. A device according to Claim 9, characterized in that the receiving platforms (29) are provided with raised portions (34) extending parallel to the folding line of inner upper-panel tabs (16) of the lid of the box cut-outs (1).
13. A device according to Claim 9, characterized in that an upper tappet (51) which can be lowered in an opposed or synchronous manner is associated with the lower tappet (48).
14. A device according to Claim 9 or 13, characterized in that auxiliary guides (52, 53) synchronized with the lowering movement of the lower and upper tappets (48, 51) are provided.
15. A device according to Claim 9, characterized in that the lower turntable (22) is provided on both sides of the receiving recesses (24) with base holders (36) acting upon inner base-panel tabs (19) of the box cut-outs (1).
16. A device according to Claim 9, characterized in that a base folder (59) pivotable along a coupler curve (57) and a head folder (61) rotatable about an axis (59) and provided with two folding heads (71, 72) are associated with the lower turntable (22) in the region of the second folding station (S3).
17. A device according to Claim 16, characterized in that the base folder (58) has a tucking stamp (68) acting upon the front panel (13) of the cut-out and a holding stamp (69) acting upon the base panel (12) of the cut-out.
18. A device according to Claim 9, characterized in that a longitudinal conveying means (78) orientated radially to the axis (23) of the lower turntable (22) is associated with the turntable in the region of the delivery station (S4).

Images