EP1172295A1

EP1172295A1 - Automatic packaging machine

Info

Publication number: EP1172295A1
Application number: EP00951535A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Josep Fonte Ruiz
Original assignee: Volpak SA
Current assignee: Volpak SA
Priority date: 1999-08-10
Filing date: 2000-07-31
Publication date: 2002-01-16
Also published as: ES2156563B1; AU6443600A; ES2156563A1; WO2001010715A1

Abstract

Automatic packaging machine, of the type which comprises a frame (1) on which are arranged: a continuous conformer train (TC) for containers defining a supply line and a packaging train (TE) of containers which, in turn, comprises opening means (24) for bags (16), filling means (4) for bags (16), closing means (5) for bags (16), collecting means (6) for closed bags (16) and conveyor means (7) for the bags (16) which draw said bags along the conformer train (TC) and the packaging train. The conformer train's (TC) virtual longitudinal axis and the packaging train's (TE) virtual longitudinal axis are arranged perpendicularly to each other, being linked by means of a multiple transfer device (3) for bags (16).

Description

Technical sector of the invention

The object of the invention is an automatic packaging machine which, in general, is applied to the packaging of liquid and granulated, ground or powdered solid products, such as fruit juices, soft drinks, medicines, condensed condiments and others similar to this.

Background of the invention

Numerous embodiments are known of automatic packaging machines in which the products (food, drink, medicines, etc.) are packaged in thermoplastic material bags of relatively reduced thickness and of essentially a quadrangular format. Generally, the known embodiments of packaging machines comprise a frame on which there is arranged a conformer train and a packaging train placed in longitudinal succession; and these trains in turn comprise a plurality of means which in turn comprise a plurality of devices made up of a plurality of mechanisms which operate continuously in a synchronized manner and which perform the totality of operations related to the conforming of the package and the packaging of the product. The means which usually comprise the packaging train are: means for opening the package, means for filling, means for closing and means for the collection of bags containing the packaged product.
Patent document EP-A-0376174 describes a packaging machine of the previously mentioned type.
The packaging machines as those described operate in a manner in which the following operating phases are distinguished: a first phase in which the bag is formed and that comprises those operations destined to the continuous supply of bags to the opening means; a second phase proceeding toward the filling of the bag; a third phase proceeding toward the closing of the bag containing the product to be packaged; and a forth phase proceeding toward the collection of the bag for its placing inside boxes or similar packaging containers for its transportation, storage and distribution to the sale points. Generally, the packaging machines are structured in a way that one, two or more bags participate simultaneously in the previously mentioned packaging phases, with the number of bags which evolve simultaneously being in accordance, among other factors, with the nature of the product to be packaged, the dimensions of the bags, etc.
In the totality of previously mentioned phases, the bag conformer train, the opening means, the filling means and the closing means of the bags containing the packaged product remain static, with the bag being transferred along its course through the successive phases by means of the conveyor means. In the described operating conditions, the bag, after having been formed, is transferred to the opening means, where it waits for the preceding bag to be filled, by the filling means, with the product to be packaged, consequently producing a waiting time which will be in accordance with the volume and physical properties of the product to be packaged. This waiting time between consecutive filling phases is a determining factor regarding the packaging capacity (units per minute) of the machines. As a reference, it is mentioned that an average type machine has a packaging capacity of around 100 bags per minute.
The packaging capacity of the previously mentioned packaging machines is also directly related to the speed of movement of the bags, and this speed of movement must be reduced very significantly when the product to be packaged is a liquid product of low density, as occurs for example in the packaging of soft drinks. Actually, once the bag is full with the dose of liquid, the passing of the bag from the filling means to the closing means produces inertial movements of the liquid contained in the bag which is still opened. If the speed of movement is high, a small wave is generated in the liquid that may wet the upper edges of the bag where are found the surfaces to be welded by the closing device, which makes it difficult if not impossible to seal or close the bag, which occurs in the following phase. To avoid this inconvenience it is necessary to operate at slow moving speeds, which seriously affects the packaging speed.

Explanation of the invention

With the object of providing a solution to the problems derived from the reduced packaging capacity of the known embodiments of packaging machines, an automatic packaging machine is being introduced with a new structure and operation.
The automatic packaging machine according to the invention comprises a frame on which the following known elements are arranged:

a continuous conformer train for bag type packages, arranged longitudinally defining a bag supply line;
a packaging train which in turn comprises the following:

bag opening means
bag filling means
bag closing means
closed bags collection means; and
bag conveyor means which pull said bags along the packaging train, and the opening means, the filling means, the closing means and the collection means.

The automatic packaging machine according to the invention is characterized in that the conformer train's virtual longitudinal axis and the packaging train's virtual longitudinal axis are arranged perpendicularly between each other, said packaging train comprising the opening means that are arranged in a longitudinal alignment with the filling means, the closing means and the collection means, with the conformer train being linked to the packaging train by means of a device for multiple bag transfer, said transfer device having mechanisms to transfer at least two bags at the same time from the conformer train's supply line to the opening means located perpendicularly and at the beginning of the packaging train and that comprise respective supply lines, said supply lines being independent and parallel to each other, so that the bags transferred□at the same time in one single transfer maneuver remain located in a respective packaging line, and facing each other and maintaining a symmetrical relation.
According to another feature of the invention, the bag opening means comprise an opening device for each packaging line.
According to another feature of the packaging machine of the invention, the filling means comprise a filling device for each packaging line.
According to another feature of the packaging machine of the invention, the closing means comprise a closing device for each packaging line.
According to another feature of the packaging machine of the invention, the collection means comprise a collecting device for each packaging line.
The previously described features of the automatic packaging machine according to the invention provide a solution to the problems derived from the low packaging capacity previously described which the known embodiment of packaging machines present, in which the package conformer train and the opening means, filling means, closing means and collecting means are all arranged in longitudinal succession, that is, conforming a single rectilinear production train. Due to the innovative structure of the automatic packaging machine according to the invention, in which starting with one package conformer line the feeding of two or more independent packaging lines is attained thanks to the action of a multiple transfer device, attaining, with the same packages and product to be packaged, at least to double the production capacity with respect to the known embodiments of packaging machines. In this way the need for low speed of movement of the bags imposed by some products to be packaged, particularly liquid products, can be compensated.

Brief description of the drawings

In the drawing sheets of the present specification, the automatic packaging machine object of the invention appears represented. In said drawings:
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the packaging machine according to the invention, and
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the packaging machine according to the invention.

Detailed description of the embodiment example

Figure 1 shows schematically how the automatic packaging machine object of the invention which is described as an example of embodiment comprises: a frame 1 with L shape with a conformer line 2 of known technology; a bag conformer train TC; a multiple transfer device 3; opening means 24; filling means 4; closing means 5; collecting means 6; and conveyor means 7.
The said opening means 24, filling means 4, closing means 5, collecting means 6, and conveyor means 7 are mounted on the packaging train TE.
In the following description, reference is made to Figure 2 which allows to appreciate in more detail the elements constituting the automatic packaging machine according to the invention.
The conformer train TC is placed longitudinally along portion 11 (a branch of the L) of frame 1, determining a respective virtual longitudinal axis X-X. And the packaging train TE is arranged longitudinally along portion 12 (the other branch of the L) of the same frame 1, determining a respective virtual longitudinal aixs Y-Y. Therefore, the two longitudinal axes X-X and Y-Y of the conformer train TC and the packaging train TE, respectively, are arranged with mutual perpendicularity and linked between each other by means of the multiple transfer device 3.
The conformer train TC comprises a roll train 8 on which a roll 9 is arranged on which is rolled a sheet 10 of thermal welding material composed, essentially, of a plurality of layers of paper material and thermal welding plastic material. The sheet 10 is unrolled by drawing and folding into a U to configure a package in the form of a bag of relatively reduced thickness and of essentially a quadrangular format. To configure said bag the conformer train TC comprises a bottom welder 13 and a side welder 14 which starting from the initial conformer line 2, define a supply line 15 (shown schematically in Figure 1) of bags 16 linked by means of welding. The separating of the bags 16 from the supply line 15 is performed by means of a cutting mechanism 17 which, in each cutting operation, proceeds to separate two bags 16 from said supply line 15.
The transfer device 3 transfers the two bags 16 separated by the cutting mechanism 17 to the opening means 24, placing each bag 16 in a respective packaging line 18, shown schematically in Figure 1. Said transfer is performed so that the packaging lines 18 are parallel to each other and the two bags 16 transferred by the transfer device 3 remain facing each other.
The opening means 24 comprise for each one of the packaging lines 18, a bag 16 opening device 25.
The filling means 4 comprise, for each one of the packaging lines 18, three filling devices 19 of the product to be packaged, such as, for example, fruit juices, powdered milk, dried nuts and fruit and other similar items, which in this example of embodiment of the packaging machine according to the invention, proceed simultaneously to the filling of three bags 16 in each packaging line 18.
The closing means 5 comprise, for each one of the packaging lines 18, three welders 20 which proceed simultaneously to close the three bags 16 proceeding from the previous filling operation.
The collecting means 6 comprise, for each one of the packaging lines 18, a respective exit ramp or belt 21 on which the closed bags 16 containing the packaged product slide, said bags 16 being received, for example, by a packing device not represented.
The conveyor means 7 of the bags 16 comprise, in the supply line 15, on which the bags 16 are united on the sides by means of welding applied previous to the cutting operation, some pinch rolls 22, and in each one of the two packaging lines 18, a plurality of nips 23 which by executing an oscillating movement transport the bags 16 from the transfer device 3 to the two exit ramps or belts 21.
The previously described automatic packaging machine according to the invention supplies an innovative solution to the problems derived from the low production capacity of those known embodiments of packaging machines in which a bag conformer train and a packaging train, with this latter comprising opening means, filling means, and closing means, are arranged in a longitudinal alignment. The fact that in the machine according to the invention the only supply line 15 of bags 16 links up by means of the transfer device 3 with two packaging lines 18 parallel to each other and arranged perpendicularly with respect to said supply line 15, allows, as explained before, in equal conditions of packaging referring to the volume of the bag 16 and the product to be packaged, to duplicate the production capacity with respect to the previously known embodiments of packaging machines.

Claims

Automatic packaging machine, of the type which comprises a frame (1) on which are arranged:

a continuous conformer train (TC) for bag (16) type packages arranged longitudinally defining a bag (16) supply line (15);

a packaging train (TE) of containers which, in turn, comprises the following:

bag (16) opening means (24)

bag (16) filling means (4)

bag (16) closing means (5)

closed bags (16) collection means (6); and

bag (16) conveyor means (7) which pull said bags along the conformer train (TC), and the opening means (24), the filling means (4), the closing means (5) and the collection means (6),

which is characterized in that the conformer train's (TC) virtual longitudinal axis and the packaging train's (TE) virtual longitudinal axis are arranged perpendicularly to each other, said packaging train (TE) comprising the opening means (24) that are arranged in longitudinal alignment with the filling means (4), with the closing means (5) and with the collection means (6), the conformer train (TC) being linked to the packaging train (TE) by means of a multiple transfer device (3) for bags (16), said transfer device (3) having mechanisms to transfer at least two bags (16) at the same time from the conformer train's (TC) supply line (15) to the opening means (24) located perpendicularly and at the beginning of the packaging train (TE) and which comprise respective independent packaging lines (18), being said packaging lines (18) independent parallel to each other, so that the bags (16) transferred at the same time in one single transfer maneuver remain located in a respective packaging line (18), and facing each other and maintaining a symmetrical relation.
Automatic packaging machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening means (24) comprise an opening device (25) for each packaging line (18).
Automatic packaging machine according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the filling means (4) comprise a filling device (19) for each packaging line (18).
Automatic packaging machine according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the closing means (5) comprise a closing device (20) for each packaging line (18).
Automatic packaging machine according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the collecting means (6) comprise a collecting device (21) for each packaging line (18).