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
  • B65B35/00—Supplying, feeding, arranging or orientating articles to be packaged
  • B65B35/30—Arranging and feeding articles in groups
  • B65B35/36—Arranging and feeding articles in groups by grippers
• • 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
  • B65B19/00—Packaging rod-shaped or tubular articles susceptible to damage by abrasion or pressure, e.g. cigarettes, cigars, macaroni, spaghetti, drinking straws or welding electrodes
  • B65B19/34—Packaging other rod-shaped articles, e.g. sausages, macaroni, spaghetti, drinking straws, welding electrodes
• • 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
  • B65B35/00—Supplying, feeding, arranging or orientating articles to be packaged
  • B65B35/30—Arranging and feeding articles in groups
  • B65B35/40—Arranging and feeding articles in groups by reciprocating or oscillatory pushers
• • 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
  • B65B5/00—Packaging individual articles in containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, jars
  • B65B5/08—Packaging groups of articles, the articles being individually gripped or guided for transfer to the containers or receptacles

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for packaging tubes which come continuously from a production line and are arranged by means of a grouping unit in groups of adjacent tubes with a predeterminable unit number of tubes that a layer of tubes to be deposited in a box correspond.
• the present invention is concerned with the packaging of tubes.
• This is based on a known device for the formation of product groups, as it is known for example from EP-B-1 '114' 784.
• this device is used to form groups of elongate cylindrical product units, such as tube sleeves or cans, which are continuously coming from a production line and used to form product groups with a preselectable number of units.
• the product groups formed are placed on a conveying conveyor belt in a Abschiebeposition and slid from there in layers in a box.
• Devices of this type have proven extraordinarily successful in the market and work with exceptionally high cycle times. • These machines were also used for packing tubes.
• the tube body is relatively heavy in relation to the tube head, and accordingly the filling into the boxes takes place without problems. More difficult is the situation with tubes made of plastic or laminates.
• the ratio of the weight of the tube head changes to the weight of the tube body. This is especially true for medium to small tube sizes. The ratio is additionally affected unfavorably, since the plastic tubes are already supplied by the production lines with attached tube cap, since these tubes are delivered in the form supplied after packing the appropriate companies for filling the tubes.
• the heads of the tubes thus supplied are almost always heavier than the tube-shaped tube body.
• the tubes are pushed in layers into a corresponding box, said box standing or lying on a side wall and correspondingly the tubes are inserted into the box in a substantially horizontal direction.
• the tubes already stored in the box tend to tilt, so that the open sleeves directed to the grouping unit project slightly upwards over the actual plane that corresponds to the corresponding position.
• subsequent layers will abut when pushing on such protruding tubes, and accordingly creates a mess, which leads to an immediate interruption of the process.
• This is extremely annoying because these packaging machines are usually directly at the end of the corresponding production lines and thus a break in packaging leads to a production interruption.
• this problem is still aggravated by the fact that on the tube heads corresponding closures are already placed, and these closures also have a smaller diameter than the sleeve itself. This promotes the tilting movement described above.
• plastic tubes and in particular plastic tubes of smaller dimensions often serve for the packaging of pharmaceutical products in which there are very high purity regulations.
• the packaging machines described here are just like the production machines themselves in appropriate clean rooms. This requires that the tubes must either be packed in plastic boxes or appropriate cardboard boxes are used, which must be lined with a bag-like plastic film. Both plastic tubes themselves and plastic boxes or the baggy plastic film liners all tend to become statically charged, which may even result in forces without the described tipping action due to the static charges, which can lead to distortions of the grouped units.
• the invention also provides a device by means of which in particular plastic tubes or tubes made of laminates and in particular also tubes which are top-heavy can be packed in boxes made of cardboard or plastic, or in cardboard boxes with a bag-like plastic film insert, without the problems described above occur. Further advantageous embodiments of the device will become apparent from the dependent claims 6-10.
• Figure 1 is a schematic arrangement of the device in the field of transfer of the tubes from a grouping unit in a box;
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of a mandrel carrier in the acquisition of the tubes of the grouping unit, and
• FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the delivery of the tubes from the mandrel carrier into a box
• Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view of Figure 2;
• Figure 5 shows a single mandrel in side view
• Figure 7 shows a single mandrel with attached tube in view perpendicular to the mandrel.
• tubes T are to be packaged by a grouping unit 1 by means of a packaging unit 2 in boxes B, which are preferably provided with a bag-like plastic film lining.
• a packaging unit 2 in boxes B, which are preferably provided with a bag-like plastic film lining.
• this situation is shown schematically.
• EP-B-1114'784 In the simplified illustration according to FIG. 1, only the parts of the grouping unit of interest are shown.
• the continuous from a production line, not shown here delivered tubes are placed on a conveyor belt 10, which consists of a plurality of product receptacles 11 in the form of half-shells.
• a drive 12 preferably a stepper motor, the tubes T to be packaged are delivered in groups and transferred from the conveyor belt 10 to the packaging unit 2 by means of a slide 13, which can be actuated by means of a piston-cylinder unit 14.
• the packaging unit 2 has as the most essential element a mandrel carrier 20, which comprises a plate 21 which is movable by means of a piston-cylinder unit 22 in the direction of the grouping unit 1 to and from it.
• the piston-cylinder unit 22 with the mandrel support 20 is pivotable in total into the vertical position by a pivoting member 23 at 90 ° from the horizontal position, as shown in FIG.
• the pivoting member 23 is movable together with the piston-cylinder unit 22 and the mandrel support 20 up and down, which is symbolically represented by a rod 24 to ' all the previously described parts of the packaging unit 2 are movable up and down.
• the pack up Tubes T which come continuously from a production line, not shown here, are located in the product receptacles 11 on the conveyor belt 10 and are transported by means of this to a Abschiebposition.
• the unit number of adjacent tubes can be specified and the number corresponds exactly to the amount corresponding to a layer of tubes to be delivered to a box B.
• the slider 13 is activated by means of the piston-cylinder unit 14 and the entire row of tubes T is simultaneously pushed onto a top row of spikes which are arranged on a mandrel holder 20 ,
• the plate 21 of the mandrel carrier 20 has been moved by means of the piston-cylinder unit 22 first in the direction of arrow I on the grouping unit 1 and then lowered in the direction of arrow II to the appropriate level, so that the group of available tubes by means of the slide 13 all can be pushed simultaneously on the top row of thorns of the mandrel carrier 20.
• the mandrel holder 20 is raised in the direction of the arrow III and moved away in the direction of the arrow IV again a distance from the grouping unit 1.
• a new group of tubes T is moved by means of the conveyor belt 10 in the Abstossposition, whereupon the mandrel holder 20 is again moved in the direction of arrow I to the grouping unit 1, then in Direction of the arrow II is lowered again and the slider 13, the next layer of tubes on the second row of thorns, ie the second uppermost row of thorns, is postponed.
• the downward movement in the direction of arrow II is driven only so far down until the already deferred position of tubes rests on the rear free end of the tubes to be pushed, so that these tubes are guided between the already deferred tubes and the product receptacles 11 during the movement. Accordingly, no tilting movement can take place during pushing on.
• the tubes located in the box B T are all simultaneously deported from the mandrel holder 20 and this moves back to its original starting position, whereupon a new cycle begins.
• the spikes on the mandrel support 20 it is preferable to arrange the spikes on the mandrel support 20 with respect to 2 adjacent rows lying one above the other by a half diameter in each case. Accordingly, according to the method, the conveyor belt 10 will be staggered by half the diameter of the tubes so that the tubes are in turn aligned exactly with the mandrels.
• the densest possible arrangement of the tubes in the box B can be achieved.
• the boxes to be filled have always been erected upright at the side and the tubes have been pushed laterally from the grouping unit 1 into the open box.
• the film lining has virtually no inherent rigidity, the film always depends on the upper side wall down. This leads to corresponding problems in the introduction of the last position of the tubes. This practically always the film lining is partially fauxgeknautscht and it can then hardly close. If you want to pull the fauxgeknautschte slide smooth, so the tubes fall out.
• the tubes are held on the thorns in immovable position. Accordingly, the bag-like foil lining can push directly into the correct end position into the box.
• the box on their soil and accordingly ⁇ baggy foil lining depends relatively accurate in the box.
• the existing forces of static charge play no role at all.
• Essential for the correct packaging of the tubes into the box B is their exact and sufficiently strong support on the mandrels of the mandrel carrier 20.
• the mandrel support 20 is shown in perspective on a larger scale. Again, you recognize a part the grouping unit 1 consisting of the conveyor belt 10 with the product receptacles 11 in the form of half-shells. Partially, one recognizes the angle-like slide 13.
• the upper three rows of thorns 25 would already be equipped, they have been omitted for the sake of clarity.
• the three upper rows of thorns, which would already be equipped with tubes, would therefore rest in the position shown here on the group of tubes that are available here.
• the slider 13 would then be moved in the direction of the plate 21 and would postpone the ready group of tubes on the fourth row of thorns from above. This corresponds to the exactly opposite load sequence as in previously known tube packing machines.
• the boxes are filled from top to bottom and consequently the first group of tubes would form the bottom layer in the box.
• the mandrels are operated from top to bottom with groups of tubes.
• the actual, spine-carrying plate 21 is held movable. Accordingly, a chassis plate 30 is present, which is penetrated by piston rods of piston-cylinder units 24 and which hold the movable spine-carrying plate 21.
• the mandrel-carrying plate 21 is provided with corresponding holes, through the corresponding Screws reach through which engage in the back end of the spines 25.
• side carrier strips 27 are arranged along the vertical side edge.
• Abstossstabe 26 are mounted. Between each two adjacent Abstossstäben 26 a spacer 28 is arranged on both sides in each case. Accordingly, the Abstossstabe 26 parallel and at a distance from each two adjacent rows of thorns 25th
• the chassis plate 30 is removed with the mandrel-carrying plate 21 and the piston-cylinder units 29 of the grouping unit, moved up and swept by the pivot member 33 by 90 °.
• the entire mandrel holder 20 is lowered and the tubes are moved into the box and in this position, the plate 21 is now attracted by means of the piston-cylinder units 29 to the chassis plate 30, wherein at the same time at a fixed distance.
• the lateral support rails 27 resting Abstossstabe come into operation and pull the tubes from the spines.
• the mandrel carrier 20 is driven back to the initial starting position. Schematically, this situation is shown again in FIG.
• the spikes 25 in the horizontal direction by half a diameter of the tubes to be loaded, respectively, so as to reach the densest possible packing, thereby ensuring that the tubes in the box are immovable at their position remain.
• the mandrels 25 are shown in detail ' in Figures 5 to 7.
• FIG. 5 shows a side view
• FIG. 6 shows an axial longitudinal section in the plane E as shown in FIG.
• Each mandrel has a substantially rectangular cross-section.
• the end 250 directed towards the mandrel-carrying plate 21 is ground flat.
• the opposite, free end 251 is cut conically.
• the longitudinal edges 252 are rounded corresponding to the inner diameter of the male tubes.
• the mandrels 25 are ground with a small conicity, so that the cross-sectional area at the end 250 is slightly larger than the cross-sectional area of the mandrel below the conically ground portion. This will ensure that the tubes are slightly deformed when pushing on and thus hold elastically on the spines.
• Each mandrel 25 is penetrated by a central axial bore.
• the diameter of this axial bore varies.
• the end 250 directed to the axial bore portion 255 has a smaller diameter. This diameter is slightly larger than the diameter of the fastening screw which engages through the plate 21 into this bore portion 255 inside.
• a bore section 256 with a larger diameter is present at the free end 251 in the direction of the planar end 250. This diameter is designed so that a screw nut 257 can be pressed therein. This can be pressed down to paragraph 258, which is generated by the change in diameter.
• the fastening screw with which the mandrel 25 is fastened to the plate 21 engages in this nut 257.
• this mandrel is visible in the view from above, in which case, however, already a tube T is shown with the attached closure V attached.
• the mandrel shown here is arranged between two parallel, adjacent Abstossstäben 26.
• the lower open end of the tube extends to practically at least approximately on the upper edges of the Abstossstabe 26. Dashed lines, the adjacent tubes are located. It can be seen that on the same Abstossstab 26 both the tubes of the same row rest, as well as the adjacent tubes of the next row. This is possible because the tubes, as already mentioned, are each offset by half a diameter.
• the mandrels of adjacent rows are arranged offset by the corresponding distance to each other accordingly.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Making Paper Articles (AREA)
• Containers And Plastic Fillers For Packaging (AREA)
• Container Filling Or Packaging Operations (AREA)

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• 2004
  • 2004-08-12 EP EP04738142A patent/EP1656298B1/fr active Active
  • 2004-08-12 US US10/567,526 patent/US7308779B2/en active Active
  • 2004-08-12 WO PCT/CH2004/000503 patent/WO2005019035A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 2004-08-12 AT AT04738142T patent/ATE356026T1/de active
  • 2004-08-12 DE DE502004003163T patent/DE502004003163D1/de active Active

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