Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B63/00—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on articles or materials to be packaged
  • B65B63/02—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on articles or materials to be packaged for compressing or compacting articles or materials prior to wrapping or insertion in containers or receptacles
  • B65B63/022—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on articles or materials to be packaged for compressing or compacting articles or materials prior to wrapping or insertion in containers or receptacles using compressing chambers or plates moving in an endless path
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B63/00—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on articles or materials to be packaged
  • B65B63/02—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on articles or materials to be packaged for compressing or compacting articles or materials prior to wrapping or insertion in containers or receptacles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B9/00—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, e.g. liquids or semiliquids, in flat, folded, or tubular webs of flexible sheet material; Subdividing filled flexible tubes to form packages
  • B65B9/02—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material between opposed webs
  • B65B9/026—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material between opposed webs the webs forming a curtain

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the packaging of compressible materials such as insulating products based on mineral wool.
• this packaging technique should make it possible to bring and maintain the product in a compression state as close as possible to its elastic compression limit (compression beyond which the properties of the material are degraded) but without exceeding it.
• the cost of packaging can also be reduced by continuously compressing and packaging on an automated line. The technique and the machine employed must allow an efficient compression to be obtained quickly and automatically, to maintain this compression at the packaging stage, while preserving the characteristics of the products concerned.
• Document WO-A-96/36356 describes a device which overcomes this drawback in which a volume of compressible material is entrained during its compression between two strips of packaging film, which are linked to each other to form the sheath in situ directly on the volume of material when the compression is maximum
• This packaging technique guarantees that the volume of the packaged product is kept at its minimum level
• the device used for this purpose has two converging conveyors located one above each other and driven in a synchronous movement, at a speed which can vary from 0 to 25 m / min, which comprise and drive carriages supporting flat plates, the corresponding flat plates on a conveyor and on the other remaining parallel throughout the compression
• a distributor of a strip of plastic film arranged so as to bring a strip into contact with the p lacquer of the first lower carriage and another in contact with that of the first upper carriage.
• Downstream of the compression zone means are installed to bond the strips to one another on the sides of the compressed volume, in particular by hot air welding.
• WO 96/36356 has provided conforming elements for this purpose, there is a great risk that the stretched part will not be taken correctly by these elements, in a provision which does not allow welding.
• the film manages to pass through the conformers it tends to form folds to make up for the excess length which gives an unsightly appearance to the packaging.
• These folds also have the disadvantage of creating an extra thickness of plastic, which the energy of the hot air nozzles is not always enough to weld, resulting in a deficient connection.
• the solution consisting in increasing the welding energy is not recommended because it risks damaging the film where there are only two thicknesses of film to be welded.
• the invention therefore proposes to perfect this continuous packaging technique with in situ formation of the packaging sheath, and in particular to obviate the aforementioned drawbacks concerning the quality of the packaging, without naturally harming the quality of the packaging. compression.
• the subject of the invention is a process for continuously packaging volumes of compressible material comprising:
• (C) a packaging step in which the strips of film are bonded packaging between them on either side of the volumes.
• This process is characterized by the fact that, before or during the joining of the two strips of film on either side of a volume V1 in the packaging step (C), the distance D between l rear end of volume V1 and the front end of volume V2 placed after it (this distance being measured at the faces in contact with the same strip of packaging film), so that it is equal to the length L of packaging film.
• the distance D is generally at most equal to the length L, the packaging film usually being not or not very stretchable.
• the distance D is advantageously equal to the length L during the compression step.
• this distance D is maintained constantly equal to the length L of packaging film throughout the compression step (B) and during the packaging step (C).
• the distance D is kept constant from the start of the compression step (B) to the bonding of the two film strips in the packaging step (C).
• methods comprising between the compression step (B) and the packaging step (C), an intermediate phase in which this distance is reduced.
• an intermediate phase is a simple transport step, but it can also be intended to carry out on the volume of material additional operations known to those skilled in the art.
• a simple adjustment of the spacing between the volumes allows the portion of packaging film entrained between two consecutive volumes to be stretched when the connection is made between the two strips of film. in the packaging step, which allows a good quality connection to be made with relatively simple automatic means.
• the pressing surfaces are brought towards each other symmetrically with respect to the median plane of the volume.
• the method according to the invention preferably uses a step of compression in which the pressing surfaces remain constantly parallel two by two, namely from the first moments of compression and throughout their approximation, the displacement taking place in such a way that the pressing direction remains parallel to itself during the transport.
• the packaging improvement measures proposed by the invention apply with as much success to processes using other compression techniques, in particular symmetrical compression, which may however be less preferred from the point of view of the qualities of the compressed material.
• the distance adjustment can advantageously be carried out during step (C) by subjecting the volume
• V1 maintained between the pressing surfaces a temporary acceleration in the direction of transport, this acceleration being calculated so as to separate the volume V1 from the volume V2 by a sufficient distance in the direction of this transport to bring the distance D to the value of the length L.
• V2 maintained between the pressing surfaces a temporary slowdown in the direction of transport, this slowdown being calculated so as to separate the volume V2 from the volume V1 by a distance sufficient to bring the distance D to the value of the length L.
• the volume V2 maintained between the pressing surfaces is moved at constant speed during step (B), then it is slowed down at the end of step (B), while volume V1 is ready for or is undergoing step (C).
• the desired spacing between V1 and V2 has been reached, its initial speed is re-imposed on V2 which is kept constant throughout the step (C), the two strips of film being bonded continuously on the volumes circulating at constant speed.
• the spacing imposed on the consecutive pressing surfaces by the temporary deceleration should be compensated by a corresponding bringing together of said surfaces at another stage of the cycle.
• this approximation can be carried out at the start of the process, between a volume in compression and volume being loaded.
• the volume V2 maintained between the pressing surfaces is subjected to a temporary acceleration in the direction of transport.
• the loading step can be carried out in different ways. In a first operating mode, a single volume of material is placed between pressing surfaces in the loading step (A), while the volume which precedes it is already subjected to the compression step (B) and has its thickness reduced accordingly. The portion of film entrained between two volumes during loading is generally automatically stretched to the required length. This is the operating mode illustrated in WO-A-96/36536.
• a second mode of operation during the loading step (A), at least two volumes of material are transported simultaneously without compression, each between two portions of packaging film. Care should therefore be taken to leave sufficient film between the two volumes so that the portion of film is simply stretched without stretching when the first volume V1 undergoes the compression step (B), and that the pressing surfaces which it are associated shift in the pressing direction with respect to the pressing surfaces associated with the volume V2 placed after it.
• the invention proposes two variants for this operating mode.
• the portion of film left between the two volumes is stretched in step (A), the distance between the rear end of the volume V1 and the front end of the volume V2 placed after it being equal to the length L of packaging film.
• the distance D is kept constant from the loading step (A) to the packing step (C).
• slack is left between the two volumes in step (A), in other words the distance D between the rear end of the volume V1 and the front end of the volume V2 is less than the length L of film packing, and this distance D is increased so that it is equal to the length L at least when binding the two strips of film in step (C).
• the film is stretched from step (B) by bringing the pressing surfaces associated with the volume V1 closer to one another without bringing the latter closer to the volume V2 in the direction of transport.
• the distance between the rear end of a first volume and the front end of the volume placed after it in step (A) is less than this same distance in steps (B) and (C) .
• the manufacture of sheath-shaped packaging is facilitated, in particular by heat sealing of plastic film strips.
• the technique will be used according to which the width of the strips of packaging film allows them to overlap on the sides of the volume of compressed material and the strips of packaging film are bonded to the sides of the volume of material arranged according to the direction of transport, advantageously by folding back the internal face of a strip of film on the external face of the other strip so as to create a connection stressed in shearing.
• the invention also relates to a device for continuously conditioning volumes of compressible material. It comprises two converging conveyors animated by a synchronous movement in a direction of transport, arranged opposite one another, preferably one above the other, the direction of transport then being horizontal, and each carrying a train of pressing surfaces comprising an area for receiving the volume of compressible material.
• This device includes:
• an intermediate compression and transport zone comprising means for bringing the pressing surfaces closer to one another, - a downstream packaging area where the conveyors are parallel, with means to bind the two strips of packaging film.
• said distance is constant throughout the compression zone and is identical in the part of the packaging zone located upstream of the means for binding the film.
• each conveyor comprises a train of carriages supporting the pressing surfaces and comprising a guide means, such as a roller, circulating on a guide such as a rail having a part inclined in the compression zone and a part parallel to the direction of transport in the packaging area, each carriage being further connected to a chain drive system.
• a guide means such as a roller
• the distance separating two consecutive carriages in the direction of transport is shorter in the intermediate compression zone that in the region downstream packaging.
• the invention proposes to use a drive system in which the effective length of the train of carriages is increased in the downstream packaging area.
• the difference in effective length of the carriage train can be obtained by making the chain portion connecting two consecutive carriages follow a chain path in the form of a broken line in the intermediate compression zone, and by allowing this same chain portion to follow a straight path in the downstream packaging area.
• the invention provides means for shifting the position of the pressing surface in the direction of transport, relative to the carriage which carries it in the downstream packaging zone upstream of the means for bonding the strips of packaging film to each other.
• FIG. 1 represents a schematic sectional view of a packaging machine according to the prior art
• FIG. 2 represents a schematic view in longitudinal section of a packaging machine according to a first embodiment of the invention
• FIG. 3 shows on an enlarged scale the drive system of the machine of Figure 2
• - Figure 4 shows a partial sectional view along the axis IV-IV of Figure 3
• FIG. 5 represents a partial sectional view along the axis V-V of FIG. 3,
• FIG. 6 represents a partial sectional view along the axis VI-VI of FIG. 3,
• FIG. 7 shows a schematic view in longitudinal section of a packaging machine according to a second embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 1 represents a line for packaging volumes of compressible materials according to the prior art known from WO-A-96/36536 carrying out the packaging of stacks of panels of mineral wool.
• It essentially comprises two symmetrical converging conveyors 1, 2 arranged horizontally one above the other.
• Each transporter carries a train of ten lower pressing surfaces
• the packaging device includes three successive zones: an upstream loading zone 9, an intermediate compression zone 10 which begins here at the entrance to the conveyors and in which the carriages 5, 6 are guided along an inclined path bringing the plates 3 together, 4, and a downstream packaging area 11 in which the carriages 5, 6 are guided along a horizontal path.
• the carriages 5, 6 are pulled by the chains 7, 8 to which they are linked by axes each passing through the hollow of a chain link while a smooth roller centered on the axis helps guide the chain.
• guide means in the form of rollers 12, 13 which follow a guide 14, 15 (here a rail).
• the paths followed by the chains 7, 8 and by the guides 14, 15 are such that during the progression of the carriages 5, 6, the plates 3, 4 remain substantially horizontal while progressing towards each other.
• the plates always remain parallel to each other so that there is no sliding between the plates and the material which they compress.
• the carriages are extracted from the path they followed during compression and set off again in the other direction, pushed by the chains and guided by a second guide part, respectively 16 below the guide 14 , and 17 above the guide 15.
• a packaging film supply system 18 At the entrance to the machine, associated with each conveyor, is a packaging film supply system 18.
• the film comes from two rollers, not shown. It has a precise width which during the tests was for each of the films 18 equal to half the perimeter of the compressed volume increased by a few centimeters to allow recovery of the films constituting each, half of the sheath which packages and traps the compressed product. .
• the films 18 are guided by rollers 19 so as to come into contact respectively with the plates 3, 4 of the first carriages 5, 6 in the loading area.
• a stack 20 of panels 21 is deposited on the film strip 18 in contact with a lower horizontal plate 3.
• the packaging film projects laterally from the products to be compressed (and even possibly from the plate 3 itself).
• the edges of the strip fold over on each side of the stack 20.
• the film 18 is preferably driven only by the movement of the carriages, which ensures that the film stretches longitudinally under and on the stack 20 of panels 21 of mineral wool.
• the last carriages are in the compression zone, the first two in the packaging zone, where the length of film between plates no longer varies, and the fifth, in the middle, at the transition between the two zones.
• the packaging area are arranged at the plane of symmetry of the machine, on each side, not shown shapers whose role is to set up the edges of the film strips 18, as well as securing means 22, in particular by autogenous welding of suitable plastic films by means of hot air nozzles (temperature between 400 and 650 ° C for a high density polyethylene film), or by adding an external adhesive
• the packets of packaged material are driven by a conveyor 23. They are associated in a chain in the packaging sheath. Between two packages, the sheath appears as an empty hose.
• the machine can understand at this level not represented known device for welding and / or automatically cut the films to give material wrapped packages autonomy and possibly protect them if we close the package.
• the loading of the stack 20 between two carriages 5a, 6a is done while the carriages 5b, 6b which precede them enter the compression zone, so that the film 18 is stretched between the stack 20a and the previous stack 20b during compression.
• the length L of film 18 entrained by these two stacks is therefore greater than the horizontal spacing of the carriages 5a and 5b, respectively 6a and 6b. This portion of film remains stretched as long as the carriages 5, 6 progress at the same speed and at constant spacing, in the compression zone.
• the improvement provided by the invention makes it possible to prevent or catch up with the formation of this slack and therefore to facilitate the operation of joining the packaging films.
• FIG. 2 A first embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 2 where we have kept the references of Figure 1 to designate identical elements.
• the device of FIG. 2 differs from that of the prior art in that it includes a system for varying the horizontal spacing of the carriages 5a, 6a, 5b, 6b along the packaging line so that that the distance D between the rear end of the stack 20b and the front end of the stack 20a placed after it is constantly equal to the length L.
• the packaging film is therefore stretched all along the packaging line .
• the modification is located at the level of the drive system which comprises means for varying the effective length of the train of carriages between two consecutive carriages 5a, 5b, respectively 6a, 6b, on the conveyor 1, respectively 2. This system is shown in more detail in Figure 3.
• the carriages 5,6 are always linked to the chains 7,8 by axes passing through the hollow of a link 24.25 of the chain, equipped with a smooth guide roller which cooperates with an inclined guide rail 26,27.
• the particular drive system will now be described only with regard to the chain 7, but it is understood that an identical system exists on the chain 8.
• another link 29, which is here the front end of the chain portion 28 (but it could be otherwise) is itself provided with two smooth rollers, visible in particular in the sectional view of FIG.
• a first roller 30 is centered on the axis of the link 29 and cooperates with a second inclined guide rail 31 parallel to the rail 26, located above this last in the same vertical plane; an upper roller 32 is fixed to the end of a vertical arm 33 passing through the axis of the link 29 and cooperates with a guide 34 disposed above the upper rail 31.
• the second rail 31 and the guide 34 can be arranged below the rail 26.
• Figure 4 shows a sectional view along the axis IV-IV of the machine of Figure 3 at another time of operation, that is to say at a time when a carriage 5 is in an extreme position at the entrance to the area 10 shown in phantom in Figure 3: when a link 29 reaches the entrance 10 of the compression zone the upper roller 32 s' engages a first portion 35 of inclined guide which it follows, bringing the link 29 to a high position.
• the chain portion 28 between two consecutive carriages 5a, 5b then takes the form of a broken line.
• the spacing between the rail 26 and the upper rail 31 is advantageously such that the chain portion 28 between these two rails (that is to say between the link 24 and the link 29) is horizontal, preferably of the length of a carriage.
• the carriage 5a entering the compression zone 10 undergoes a temporary acceleration which brings it closer to the preceding carriage 5b which is in the loading zone 9.
• the film 18 driven by the carriage 5b stretches behind it with substantially the same inclination as the inclined part of the broken chain portion.
• the chain 7 retains this broken line conformation throughout the compression zone 10. Driven at constant speed, it turn the carriages at constant speed and constant spacing, the film 18 remaining stretched between two consecutive carriages.
• Figure 6 illustrates the guide of the chain between the compression zones 10 and 1 1 of packaging.
• the upper rail 31 takes a horizontal orientation while the rail
• the upper rail 31 in turn is interrupted a little further to allow the chain 7 to reach the upper level reached by the link 29.
• the chain portion 28 between the two consecutive carriages therefore resumes a rectilinear shape, by imposing on the carriage 5a a temporary slowdown which moves it horizontally away from the preceding carriage 5b, which located in the compression zone, so as to keep the stretch of film 18 entrained between these two carriages taut.
• a temporary slowdown which moves it horizontally away from the preceding carriage 5b, which located in the compression zone, so as to keep the stretch of film 18 entrained between these two carriages taut.
• the maintenance of this tension is made possible by the carriage drive system which ensures that the distance between the rear end 39 of a stack of panels on the plate 3b and the front end 40 of the stack on the next plate 3a of the same train remains constant, fixed by the length of invariable chain between the link 29 and the link 24 attached to the following carriage 5a.
• the loading and compression are done in the same way as in the machine of figure 1, except that the horizontal spacing of two consecutive carriages is this time invariable.
• the drive system chain of figure 7 no longer has a guide rail two continuous parts 26, 38, the chain portion 28 between two carriages being rectilinear except at the junction between the two parts 26, 38 of rail.
• the modification compared to the known machine of the prior art is located at the level of the carriages themselves: the lower plates 3 and upper 4 are mounted on the carriages 5,6 with a degree of freedom in translation in the direction of the arrow F. In the compression zone, this degree of freedom can be blocked by any appropriate means.
• the simple pressing force is sufficient for this purpose, but it may be preferable to provide any additional locking means.
• the machine further comprises means for, if necessary unlocking the plate and, advancing the plate when a carriage reaches the packaging area.
• These means can be purely mechanical, such as for example a cam rotating in a vertical plane capable of coming to bear on a lateral stop attached to the plate.
• the carriages 5, 6 can be equipped for example with jacks controlled according to the operating parameters of the machine to push the plates 3, 4 ahead of the necessary distance in the direction of transport, when the carriages reach a location determined from the packing area.
• these means produce their effect just at the entrance to the packaging zone 11, so that the film 18 is prevented from forming a slack at the junction of the two zones 10.11.
• these means could be installed further downstream, but still upstream from the heat-sealing means 22, the film being momentarily stretched at the start of the packaging zone.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Auxiliary Devices For And Details Of Packaging Control (AREA)
• Basic Packing Technique (AREA)
• Wrapping Of Specific Fragile Articles (AREA)
• Containers And Plastic Fillers For Packaging (AREA)
• Vacuum Packaging (AREA)
• Primary Cells (AREA)
• Packaging Of Annular Or Rod-Shaped Articles, Wearing Apparel, Cassettes, Or The Like (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9513768

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (16)

Families Citing this family (8)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1997
  • 1997-11-25 FR FR9714797A patent/FR2771375A1/fr active Pending
• 1998
  • 1998-11-19 ZA ZA9810573A patent/ZA9810573B/xx unknown
  • 1998-11-24 HU HU0001258A patent/HUP0001258A2/hu unknown
  • 1998-11-24 KR KR1019997005813A patent/KR20000069726A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1998-11-24 EP EP98955733A patent/EP0954475A1/fr not_active Withdrawn
  • 1998-11-24 JP JP52782399A patent/JP2001509762A/ja active Pending
  • 1998-11-24 CN CN98802061A patent/CN1244844A/zh active Pending
  • 1998-11-24 PL PL98334706A patent/PL334706A1/xx unknown
  • 1998-11-24 TR TR1999/01763T patent/TR199901763T1/xx unknown
  • 1998-11-24 CA CA002282080A patent/CA2282080A1/fr not_active Abandoned
  • 1998-11-24 BR BR9806997-7A patent/BR9806997A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1998-11-24 AU AU12467/99A patent/AU1246799A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1998-11-24 WO PCT/FR1998/002513 patent/WO1999026846A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1998-11-25 AR ARP980105967A patent/AR017674A1/es unknown
• 1999
  • 1999-07-08 HR HR97/14797A patent/HRP990217A2/hr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-07-22 NO NO993576A patent/NO993576D0/no not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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