EP1048573A1 - Drive and support device for tools - Google Patents

Abstract

Two (P) tool carriers (1, 7) are held apart at a controlled distance. A double arrangement of such carriers can be turned on common, driven (3) support shaft (5). Fixed to the shaft is an eccentric cam (6'), transferring the working stroke to the tool carrier (7). The carrier pair can be pivoted as required about the shaft to operate on the packing conveyor belt. Two (P) tool carriers (1, 7) are held apart at a controlled distance. A double arrangement of such carriers can be turned o common, driven (3) support shaft (5). Fixed to the shaft is an eccentric cam (6'), transferring the working stroke to the tool carrier (7). The carrier pair (P) with its gap (2) for the packing material band, which is bordered by the tool carriers (1, 7), be pivoted as required about the shaft, in accordance with the necessary tool configuration in the working position, to operate the packing conveyor belt. The position adopted, can be adjusted and fixed. Preferred features: On the support shaft (5), rotated independently of the shaft, is a support casing (8) which can be fixe position relative to the frame (4). This carries radial, parallel guide shafts (9) for each pair (P) of tool carriers. The first tool carrier (1) is fixed to its ends; the second (7) slides upon it, led by the eccentrics (6') which operate through penetrati (10) of the casing. The eccentrics (6') are at the ends of a shell (6) fixed to the shaft. The support casing is connected to a swiveling drive (11) outside the workstation frame (4), or to a lever allowing movement to various fixed positions. Outer cams ( on both sides, close to the machine frame (4), are connected to the tool carrier which moves on the parallel shafts. Rollers (13 14) act with the cams during a stamping stroke. Springs load the moving tool carriers against the cam and cam-follower roller arrangement. These may be tensioned against the support casing.

Description

The invention relates to a drive and support device for the processing tools in processing stations of packaging machines, especially those for manufacturing and filling so-called blister packs, the processing stations, such as form, seal, coding, perforation, punching stations or the like., Arranged along a packaging material conveyor line and each of a first and a second, with specific machining tools can be equipped with tool carriers formed and these against each other in the work and support cycle the packaging material web to be processed are adjustable.

Such packaging machines equipped with processing stations are well known and in use, which in turn also applies to the specific processing tools, which in principle by appropriate drive and Adjustment mechanisms in the work cycle controlled accordingly against each other are movable to on the continuous packaging material or the filled and covered packaging material strand necessary processing operations, such as molding, sealing, Coding, perforating, punching out.

The specific processing tools in the individual processing stations are in the relevant packaging machine interchangeably designed and arranged, in particular Packaging machines for manufacturing, filling and closing so-called blister packs (flat, deep-drawn Packs for receiving tablets, for example, often with different Packaging formats must be driven. So far known, have so far been required for this when changing the format each of the machining tools removed and replaced be what with a considerable amount of time and assembly is connected and what the standstill of the very expensive Packaging machines, i.e. the high investment in machines lies broke during such a tool change. To DE-A-36 05 864 C1 it is known in the deep-drawing station to provide a molding tool for such packaging machines, that several groups of different volume, optional cup shapes that can be automatically brought into the deep-drawing position. Practically, this only solves a partial problem, however when changing the format, the upper part of the mold still and if must be replaced if necessary. To be considered doing that such format changes except in the area of the thermoforming station usually also correspondingly adapted, upper Require machining tools, i.e., in-line following sealing, coding and punching stations.

The object of the invention is to remedy this create, i.e. the processing stations should Drive and support mechanisms for the specific machining tools be designed so that it is equipped with Packaging machines when format changes are required this quickly, without disassembly and assembly requirements with minimal downtime for the packaging machine is feasible by simple changeover, namely connected with the proviso, on the one hand, in this conversion both over and tools located under the packaging material to be processed or tool holder and on the other hand the same drive and support device for the form, To be able to use sealing, coding and stringing stations.

This task is with a drive and support device initially mentioned type according to the invention solved in that the two tool carriers kept at a distance from each other as tool carrier pairs at least twice on one common, rotatable by a drive, in a station frame mounted carrier shaft are arranged and that on the common carrier shaft rotates a working stroke transmission element is arranged, which is in operative connection with the neighboring Tool carrier stands, the pairs of carriers with their in each case delimited by their tool carriers either and pivotable around the carrier shaft according to the required tool format in the working position Packaging material web conveyor line designed to be adjustable and fixable are.

This solution is therefore a swiveling one Drive and carrying device, depending on the needs of the user produced packaging formats at least two pairs of tool carriers has, each with different Format tools are equipped. Depending on the format size and with Consideration that on the one hand the pairs of tool carriers around around the carrier shaft, which in addition to its supporting function also has a drive function for the individual punches has to be accommodated must and that on the other hand the whole device in the frame Such a device can remain reasonable dimensions for example three to six pairs of tool carriers with different processing tools contain.

If you want to change the format, only the one in question tool carrier pair of the device in the packaging material conveyor path to swivel, and the new, requiring a different format The packaging strand is in the gap between the tool carriers of the pair of tool carriers brought into the working position introduce.

Advantageous developments of the drive and The carrying device consists of the following:

With regard to that, from the other format conditionally, usually also requires a change of work cycle is the drive for the carrier shaft is advantageous and easily with the control electronics of the packaging machine connected.

As for the pivotability and fixability in certain Position of the whole device concerns, so these could simple training in this regard by hand take place, advantageously and preferably, it is provided that To design the device in a practical embodiment such that on the carrier shaft, regardless of this rotating or pivotable, one in its position in relation to the Station frame fixable carrier sleeve with for each pair of carriers radially oriented parallel guide pin arranged is attached to the ends of the first tool carrier and on which the second tool carriers are slidably guided the back of the carrier sleeve with the working stroke transmission element the carrier shaft in operative connection stand, then the carrier sleeve outside the station frame is equipped with a rotary actuator (servomotor), which also and advantageously on the control electronics of the relevant packaging machine can be switched.

An advantageous further development is that the adjustable tool carrier on the parallel guide pin on both sides with identical, stationary inside on the station frame arranged guide curves are operatively connected are. These are to be explained in more detail Embodiment allows that despite the central drive initiation via the carrier shaft for the individual carrier pairs actually only the pair of straps is actuated, which is related on the incoming packaging material web or the incoming packaging strand in working position.

The drive and support device according to the invention is as follows based on the graphic representation of exemplary embodiments explained in more detail.

Fig.1

eine Verpackungsmaschine in Seitenansicht zum Herstellen gefüllter und vereinzelter Blisterpackungen mit den hier insbesondere interessierenden Arbeitsstationen in Form von Antriebs- und Tragvorrichtungen gemäß der Erfindung

Fig.2

einen Schnitt durch die Antriebs-und Tragvorrichtung einer Arbeitsstation mit zwei Werkzeugträgerpaaren;

Fig.3

die Vorrichtung gemäß Fig.2 in Seitenansicht und

Fig.4

Draufsichten auf unterschiedlich formatierte Blisterpackungen.

It shows schematically

Fig. 1

a packaging machine in side view for producing filled and separated blister packs with the workstations of particular interest here in the form of drive and carrying devices according to the invention

Fig. 2

a section through the drive and support device of a work station with two pairs of tool carriers;

Fig. 3

the device of Figure 2 in side view

Fig. 4

Top views of differently formatted blister packs.

With regard to a packaging machine equipped with the drive and carrying devices according to the invention and shown only schematically, reference is made to FIG. 1, in which the individual work stations are designated I to VI. In this exemplary embodiment, the drive and carrying devices according to the invention each have three pairs of tool carriers P in FIG.
In station I, for example, shallow cups T (see FIG. 4) are formed in the packaging material web PB running from a supply roll VR, into which tablets, for example, are then inserted in a suitable and known manner in a filling station II. In the subsequent station III, a cover film web DB is fed, which runs together with the filled packaging material web PB into the sealing station IV, in order to be sealed there onto the packaging material web PB. The sealing station IV is usually followed by a coding station V, in which if necessary. a perforation can also be made at the same time, in order to be able to easily trigger individual tablets from the overall package of packaging, as shown, for example, in FIG. 4. A punching station VI then connects to the coding station V, with which the individual packages are punched out or separated from the still connected, filled and closed packaging material strand.

Each in stations I, IV, V and VI of Fig.1 only schematically illustrated drive and support device with reference to Fig.2, in the sake of simplicity only Two pairs of tool carriers P are shown as follows:

The two tool carriers 1, 7, which are kept at a forced distance from one another, are arranged as tool carrier pairs P at least twice on a common carrier shaft 5, which is rotatable by a drive 3 and is mounted in bearings 30 in a station frame 4. The station frame 4 is part of the machine frame G of the entire packaging machine.
On the common carrier shaft 5, a working stroke transmission element 6 is arranged in a rotationally fixed manner, which is in operative connection with the adjacent tool carriers 7, the carrier pairs P (see FIG. 3) with their passage gap 2 for the packaging material web delimited by their tool carriers 1,7 the carrier shaft 5 is designed to be pivotable, depending on the required tool format, in the working position to the packaging material conveyor line PBF, so that it can be set and fixed.

Also in the concrete or practical embodiment according to Figure 2, this is such that on the carrier shaft 5, independently of this rotatable or pivotable, one in their position in relation to the station frame 4 fixable Carrier sleeve 8 with radially oriented for each pair of supports P. Parallel guide pin 9 is arranged, at the ends of which first tool carrier 1 are attached. On this pin 9 are the second tool carrier 7 slidably guided. This Tool carriers 7 are on their back with the working stroke transmission element 6 of the carrier shaft 5 in operative connection. For this purpose, the support sleeve 8 supported on bearings 31 is included Access openings 10 provided. This carrier sleeve 8 is thereby, as can be seen in particular from FIG. 3, in the form of a formed in cross-section rectangular, hollow box. At the Working stroke transmission element 6 is (see also Fig.3) with a fixed on the support shaft 5 sleeve two eccentric running surfaces 6 'on which the second Tool carriers 7 arranged guide rollers 13 run. This Guide rollers 13 sit on small shafts 33 which in rear extensions 34 of the tool holder 7 arranged are.

The actual machining tools, which are fastened to the first and second tool carriers 1, 7 in a suitable manner, are only indicated by dash-dotted lines in FIG. 2 above and denoted by 32.
The dash-dotted line PB in the passage gap 2 is indicated by dash-dotted lines in FIG is explained in more detail.

In the illustrated embodiment, the sleeve 8, the with Bearings 31 rotatably sits on the carrier shaft 5, outside of Station frame 4 provided with an actuator 11, the is formed from an actuator 17 and a pair of pinions 18.

As can easily be seen, this actuator 11, which has nothing to do with the operation of the tool carrier 7, one or the other pair of tool carriers P of a device are brought to the packaging material web PB in each working position, which in practice means that after positioning the respective pair of tool carriers P the beginning of the corresponding fed strand of packaging threaded into the gap 2 and is pulled through. This is for all processing stations done, the packaging machine can now for a specific one Pack format can be started again.

Such an actuator 11 is preferred with consideration on extensive automation of the swiveling process provided in the case of a format change, an is mandatory such an actuator, however, not because a simple one, of Manually operable adjusting lever 35 (such as at the punching station VI schematically shown in Fig.1) on the outside of the sleeve 8 instead of the pinion 18 can be provided, depending on the number of the tool carrier pairs P present in the device corresponding points 19 of the station frame 4 fixable is.

In order to bring about the above-mentioned standstill of tool holder pairs not involved in machining operations (in FIG. 1, the pairs designated P ') of a device, which would otherwise be associated with noise and wear and what should be avoided as far as possible, the second, adjustable tool holders are located 7 of the pairs of tool carriers P are connected on both sides to identical guide curves 12 which are arranged in a stationary manner on the inside of the station frame 4, for which purpose the tool carriers 7 are provided with guide rollers 14 at their outer ends, as is also shown in FIG.
With only two pairs of tool carriers P belonging to one device according to FIG. 2, 3 is a simple circular guide curve 12, the center Z of which, however, as can be seen from FIG. 3, is correspondingly offset from the axis 5 'of the carrier shaft 5, which means that each pair of non-working tool carriers or the guide rollers 13 of the associated tool carrier 7 lie outside the effective range of the eccentric running surfaces 6 '. If the device includes more than two pairs of tool carriers P, the guide curves 12 must of course have a configuration other than a circle, which is not particularly shown, since it is easily conceivable. By means of these guide curves 12, the pair of tool carriers P that is not in the working position (in FIG. 3 this is the upper one) remains outside the effective range of the eccentric running surfaces 6 ′ of the working stroke transmission element 6 that rotate during operation.

To achieve the necessary and already mentioned "Forced distance" between the first and second tool carrier 1.7 of a pair of tool carriers P, these carriers 7 are radial in the direction against the carrier shaft 5 by means of tension springs 15 below Load held that in the embodiment of Fig.2 directly between the tool carriers 7 of the two pairs P can be tense. But it is also possible to use shorter ones Tension springs 15 ', as also shown on the right in FIG. 2, too to clamp between the tool carriers 7 and the sleeve 8.

As also indicated schematically in Figure 2, the Drive 3 as a servo drive of the carrier shaft 5 and the servomotor 17 of the actuator 11 with the control electronics 16 of the Packaging machine (see also Fig.1) through lines 16 'in Connection, so that with appropriate format input in the Electronics the relevant tool carrier pair P or all in pairs of tool carriers contained in a packaging machine P in Operating or working position can be reversed.

With regard to what is to be understood in terms of the whole and, in particular, so-called blister packs by changing or changing the format, reference is made to FIG.
If the workstations of such a packaging machine have devices with three pairs of tool carriers P each (see Fig. 1), then with minimal changeover time and program-controlled and equipped with format-specific tools, for example, packs with different formats according to A to C or D to F can be moved, which can therefore differ with regard to their external dimensions AM, their tablet or capsule receiving recesses T or perforation lines PL (see dashed lines).
The corresponding processing tools 32, which are fastened to the respective first and second tool carriers 1, 7 in a suitable manner, are only shown schematically in FIG. 2, since they have to be designed accordingly in order to remain with the format examples according to FIG. 4 , regardless of whether it is the tools for shaping the receiving recesses T, the sealing tools, the perforation tools or the punching tools with which the individual packs shown are punched out of the finished packaging strand.

Claims (11)

Drive and support device for the processing tools in processing stations of packaging machines, in particular those for the production and filling of so-called blister packs, the processing stations, such as forming, sealing, coding, perforation, punching stations or the like, along a packaging material web conveyor line (PBF) Arranged one behind the other and each formed from a first and a second tool carrier (1, 7) which can be equipped with processing tools and these can be adjusted relative to one another in the working and conveying cycle of the packaging material web (PB) to be processed,
characterized,
that the two tool carriers (1, 7), which are held at a forced distance from one another, are arranged as tool carrier pairs (P) at least twice on a common carrier shaft (5), which is rotatable by a drive (3) and is mounted in a station frame (4), and that on the common one Carrier shaft (5) rotates a working stroke transmission element (6) which is operatively connected to the neighboring tool carrier (7), the carrier pairs (P) with their respective packaging material passage gap (2) delimited by their tool carriers (1,7) and around the carrier shaft (5) can be swiveled, depending on the required tool format, in the working position to the packaging material conveyor line (PBF) and can be set and fixed. Device according to claim 1,
characterized,
that on the carrier shaft (5), independently of this rotatable or pivotable, a position in relation to the station frame (4) fixable support sleeve (8) with for each pair of supports (P) radially oriented parallel guide pin (9) is arranged , at the ends of which the first tool carriers (1) are fastened and on which the second tool carriers (7) are slidably guided, which are operatively connected on the back in passages (10) of the carrier sleeve (8) to the working stroke transmission element (6) of the carrier shaft (5) . Device according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized,
that the stroke transmission element (6) is formed from a sleeve with two integral eccentric discs (6 '') at their ends. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3,
characterized,
that the carrier sleeve (8) outside the station frame (4) is provided with a swivel drive (11). Device according to claim 4,
characterized,
that the carrier sleeve (8) with pinions (18) is connected to the swivel drive (11). Device according to one of claims 1 to 3,
characterized,
that the carrier sleeve (8) is provided with an adjusting lever (35) which can be fixed on the station frame (14) in different positions (19). Device according to one of claims 1 to 6,
characterized,
that the tool carriers (7) adjustable on the parallel guide pins (9) are operatively connected on both sides with identical guide curves (12) arranged stationary on the inside of the station frame (4). Device according to one of claims 1 to 7,
characterized,
that the adjustable tool carriers (7) are provided with guide rollers (13, 14) with regard to their operative connection with the punching stroke transmission element (6) and with the guide curves (12). Device according to one of claims 1 to 8,
characterized,
that the on the parallel guide pin (9) adjustable tool carrier (7) are held radially in the direction against the carrier shaft (5) by means of tension springs (15) against each other under load. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8,
characterized,
that the on the parallel guide pin (9) adjustable tool carrier (7) are held radially in the direction against the carrier shaft (5) by means of tension springs (15 ') which are braced against the carrier sleeve (8). Device according to one of claims 1 to 10,
characterized,
that the drive (3) of the carrier shaft (5) and the swivel drive (11) of the carrier sleeve (8) are connected to the control electronics (16) of the associated packaging machine.

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