EP1972560A1 - Method and device for packing a product in a sheet of a packaging material closed by gathering - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves closing the packaging enclosing the gathered region of the packaging enclosing the product with a clip by folding or bunching the section of packaging material about the product so that it encloses the product with one side exposed, gathering the section of packaging material above the product on the exposed side to form a neck and closing the neck to apply a clip. The neck of the packaging material is fixed when closed and the clip is continuously fed as a continuous clip tape. An independent claim is also included for an arrangement for packaging a product in a section of packaging material.

Description

The invention relates to a method and a device for packaging a product in a section of a packaging product with a shirring touch.

The packaging of products in a Raff-impact requires the attachment of a closure strip (hereinafter referred to as clip) in the area of zusammengafften packaging for a secure closure of the packaging.

Devices for closing bags by means of a clip, in which the shaped bag neck is pulled through an apparatus and in this case the clip is folded around the shirred packaging, are known. Such apparatuses are usually passive in that the operator manually pulls the package to be closed through the apparatus. Here is a clear performance limit exists and the quality of the attachment of the clip is highly variable. Possible fluctuations are z. B. not exactly folded clip ends (parallelism) or different lengths of the clip ends.

On the other hand, methods and devices are known in which both the forms by means of pulling through a folding shaft (Bunchen) and the attachment of the clip at a position of the shirred packaging neck are automated.

So is out of the DE 199 55 667 B4 a method for packaging individual confectionery pieces is known, in which the confectionery piece is placed on a film located on a first molding, the confectionery piece is pressed with the film through an opening in the molding and, together with the sitting on the foil confectionery the film on the side facing away from the sweetener is sucked down through the opening. Subsequently, the film is compressed above the confectionery piece to a Falttrichter and this fixed by means of a self-adhesive tape, which consists in particular of paper. Both the merging of confectionery piece and packaging section, as well as the shaping by a folding shaft and the attachment of the clip take place immediately following one another. Here, the confectionery piece is sucked in by vacuum sucked and pulled down through a folding shaft (fitting) and thereby formed the packaging. Subsequently, the packaging, while the confectionery piece together with the packaging in another Fitting is located, gathered and provided with a clip. However, this principle is performance-limiting, since first all processing steps from the bringing together of the packaging material section with the product, the folding and shirring of the packaging material until the attachment of the clip have to be completely carried out until the next product can be packaged. Another disadvantage is that for a practical opening of the package only a piece of paper can be used, which can be torn to open the package. On the other hand, plastic clip material can not be easily torn apart.

In contrast, the object of the present invention is to provide a quality-appropriate automatic production of a Raff-impact with clip closure in a high performance range, in addition, a consistently high quality of attachment of the clip is achieved. So the folded clip ends should lie as exactly as possible on each other (parallelism) and have the same lengths. Also, the clip should always be located at the same position of the package. Furthermore, a clip material made of plastic should also be used to seal the packaging.

This object is achieved by the method set forth in claim 1 and the device specified in claim 19.

The fact that the package neck is fixed when closing, it is possible to come to a compact shape of the packaging material neck, which subsequently, z. B. by the support elements, continues to be fixed while the clip is closed around the Packmittelhals. As a result, a tight seal is achieved. In addition, a very accurate forming of the clip closure is possible.

The clip is fed continuously as an endless clip band. By "endless" is meant in the sense of the invention that not individual clips, but meter or roll goods is supplied. For this purpose, the endless clip band to be processed can be continuously unwound from a roll and fed to the device. In this case, for example, rolls with strip material are used, which is either coated with a self-adhesive layer or conceivable is the use of cold or heat-sealing layers or the coating of the strip material after it has been unwound from the roll and immediately before it is fed to the device. Also, strip material can be processed on the device, which is separated after unwinding from the roll of a carrier material similar to a label, wherein the Adhesive layer becomes accessible.

The package neck is preferably fixed when closing above and below the closure or clip location.

Preferably, the packaging material section for shirring to form the narrowed packaging material neck is compressed by mutually movable parts to a neck. This can be done by compressing together by moving a shirring pusher and a Raffrades. For this purpose, the shirring device on a Raffschieber and a Raffrad, which are designed in particular for relative movement to each other.

In a preferred embodiment, the shirring pusher gathers the package section by means of spaced-apart support elements forming two planes and a shirring element located therebetween.

In a likewise preferred embodiment, the gathering wheel gathers the packaging means section by means of spaced gathering elements forming two planes and a support element located therebetween.

It is particularly preferred if the gathering elements and supporting elements of the Raffrads and the Raffschiebers when moving together form the Packmittelhals.

For this purpose, it has proven to be advantageous if the shirring to train when moving about form a decreasing diamond shape. In addition, the shirring elements and support elements may each have an approximately semicircular recess in the bottom of the respective part-V (the rhombus), so that an approximately cylindrical packing material neck is formed.

The shirring elements of the Raffrads or the Raffschiebers thus form each about a V-shape, wherein the shirring element of the shirring when moving together moves between the shirring of the Raffrades.

The support elements of the shirring pusher and the shirring elements of the shirring wheel form two levels at the top and bottom, between which an exact strip guidance is ensured when forming the strip around the package neck and the clip ends exactly and parallel be folded on each other.

The support elements of the shirring pusher are designed for independent movement of the shirring element. Thus, the shirring can be withdrawn after shirring to make room for a clip closing "folding pliers", which follows the retracting shirring and from two sides by means of suitable jaws the clip around the packaging neck neck sets and then squeezes and closes.

In addition, the shirring pusher is usefully provided with a severing means (e.g., knife) for severing the clip so that the clip is severed from endless feeding as the parts of the shirring device move toward each other. It is also conceivable attachment of a knife at each station of the Raffrades to separate the clip when moving towards each other.

As low has been found to use the Raffrad for feeding the clip. In particular, this may be done continuously, to which the clip is fed as an endless clip band around the shirring wheel, where it is then held by suitable means, e.g. by vacuum, mechanical gripping or fixing elements. By this configuration, a constant section length of the clip is achieved, which is an essential prerequisite for equal lengths of the clip ends. Not least, the present device is characterized in that the strip feeding is carried out continuously on the Raffrad. As a result, the clip band can be pulled off and positioned at high speed. Fault-prone trigger pliers etc. are not necessary here.

Since it is provided in one embodiment of the method according to the invention that the clip or the clip band is provided with a tear notch, clip plastic band material can also be used. In order to open the packaged product, which is closed with a plastic clip, workable, it is necessary to introduce an opening aid in the form of a notch in the plastic strip.

Preferably, the introduction of the tear notch by the knife, which acts on the clip element on the support element before shirring the packaging material section.

This takes place at a position in the clip tape feed, wherein here the advantageous opposite of the closing position station of the Raffrades was selected. Conceivable, however, are other positions, not least even before the Raffrad, but what regarding the position of the notch is made less accurate.

The introduction of the tear notch for weakening the clip cross section is usefully carried out by a knife, which preferably cuts the clip on the outer edge.

The local separation of functions, in which the individual packaging steps can be carried out at different positions, also enables overlapping serial packaging of the products, which already allows the packaging of the following products to be started while the previous products are still being completed.

Advantages of the described invention are i.a. in the achievable higher performance than in the previously known devices and the usability of plastic strips as closure material.

• Fig. 1 eine schematische Draufsicht auf einen horizontalen Schnitt durch eine Raffeinrichtung einer Verpackungsvorrichtung in der Ausgangsstellung zeigt;
• Fig. 2 eine schematische Draufsicht auf die Raffeinrichtung aus Fig. 1 beim Raffen zeigt und
• Fig. 3 eine schematische Draufsicht auf die Raffeinrichtung aus Fig. 1 beim Verschluss des Clips zeigt.

Further features, properties and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of an example with reference to the drawing, in which

• Fig. 1 shows a schematic plan view of a horizontal section through a shirring device of a packaging device in the starting position;
• Fig. 2 a schematic plan view of the shirring from Fig. 1 while shirring shows and
• Fig. 3 a schematic plan view of the shirring from Fig. 1 when closing the clip shows.

In the figures, a schematic plan view is shown on a horizontal section through a gathering device 1 of a packaging device.

In order to achieve high-quality automatic production of the high-performance clip-on raffle closure, the functional areas for combining the product and packaging material section, as well as the folding box (Bunchen) and the attachment of the clip, are arranged in locally separate positions.

In the present case, only the shirring device 1 is shown for simplicity. It is understood, however, that the packaging device also has a folding device, which is known per se and thus not shown, with a folding shaft in order to individually beat the product into a section of a packaging means.

Thus, it can already be started to pack the subsequent product while the previous product is still packed ready.

This is solved by the products to be packaged, e.g. lying on the bottom surface, gripped and positioned by a transfer module rotated by 180 ° "overhead" with the product bottom upwards under a package center section. By a top-Unterstempelübergabe the product to be packaged is pushed up through a folding shaft, wherein the folding of the packaging material section takes place around the product. This process corresponds essentially to the known production of a bunch packaging. In the upper position of the upper-Unterstempelübergabe the product is then transferred to a multi-part gripper head, the gripper elements hold the product below and the packaging supernatant is fixed by appropriate form elements which are attached to the gripper elements in position.

During this time, the upper and lower punches can be moved back to the starting position. As a result, the subsequent product can already be taken up by the upper underplate transfer, while the gripper head transports the partially packaged product to a subsequent station for the gathering position.

Here then the complete closure of the package by attaching a closure strip or clip. The purpose of the shirring device 1 described below, whereby the packaging supernatant is gathered and closed with a clip.

The shirring device 1 essentially comprises two parts which are movable relative to one another, namely a shirring wheel 2 and a shirring slider 3 which, when moving towards each other, form or gather the packaging means section "above" the product P to the package neck H, which in turn is then subsequently clamped by means of the clip C is closed.

The Raffrad 2 is rotatable about an axis 4 and at the same time movable relative to the Raffschieber 3. The Raffrad 2 of the present embodiment comprises six Raffplatz 5, which are brought in succession with the shirring position by rotation about the axis 4 in accordance.

The individual Raffplätze 5 are formed by two levels forming shirring elements 6, 7 and an intermediate support member 8, wherein the shirring elements 6, 7 are formed as quasi disks around the central axis of rotation 4 of the shirring wheel 2.

The gathering elements 6, 7 each form a notch in the direction of the product P, for example in the form of a "V". In extension of the bottom of the "V" in each case the approximately rectangular block-like support element 8 between the disc-shaped shirring elements 6, 7 is arranged.

The shirred pusher 3, however, has only one Raffplatz 9. This is formed by two spaced-forming spaced support members 10, 11 and an intermediate Raffelement 12.

The shirring element 12 forms an open notch in the direction of the product P in the form of a "V". In extension of the bottom of the "V" in each case the approximately triangular block-like support elements 10, 11 are arranged. The shirring element 12 is designed to be displaceable relative to the support elements 10, 11.

In addition, the shirring pusher 3 comprises a knife 13, which serves for separating the respective clip C from the endlessly supplied clip band S (see below). For this purpose, the knife 13 is also designed to be displaceable relative to the gathering element 12 and arranged parallel to the edges and laterally on the gathering element 12 or the support elements 10, 11.

The gathering elements 6, 7 and 12 as well as the support elements 8 and 10, 11 form the package neck H when moving toward one another, for which they form a decreasing diamond shape through the V-shaped indentations to be moved against one another, so that the protruding packaging material section is gathered (cf. Fig. 2 ).

The gathering elements 6, 7, 12 and the support elements 10, 11 each have an approximately semicircular recess 14 in the bottom of the respective "V", so that in this case an approximately cylindrical packing material neck H is formed, since the shirring pusher 3 and the shirring wheel 2 are only moved towards each other so far that these recesses 14 form a continuous cylindrical space in the direction of extension of the package neck H to be formed. The actual package neck H is thus formed by this cylindrical space itself.

The shirring element 12 engages between the shirring elements 6, 7 when they move toward each other and pushes the packaging against the support element 8, so that the packaging is gradually gathered by the decreasing diamond-shaped space until the packaging material is completely shirred to the package neck H and cylindrical Space is crowded.

Now the closing of the package neck H by means of the clip C.

The clip C is separated in exactly defined length from the endlessly supplied clip band S by the knife 13, to which this a small relative movement in the direction of the clip band between the two levels of shirring 6.7 executes and against another support element 18th is pressed (die cut) and then pulls back. The further support elements 18 are each arranged analogously to the support elements 8 in the intermediate space between the gathering elements 6, 7 and in this case between the support elements 8.

The clip band S is called a strip e.g. withdrawn from a roll o. Ä. And the Raffrad 2 fed. It lies between the two levels of shirring elements 6, 7 on the support elements 8, where it is held by vacuum, pliers, etc. In the present case, vacuum is used, so that the clip band S is sucked onto the support elements 8 which are formed in a suitable manner.

As shown, the clip band S or the clip C is in this position before the successive movement of the folding wheel 2 and the shirring slide 3, so that it automatically rests on one side of the later-formed package neck H (cf. Fig. 1 and 2 ).

In order to form the package neck H, the gathering element 12 is now withdrawn and thereby clears the way for a folding pliers 15. In this case, however, the formed Packmittelhals H is held or fixed by the remaining support elements 10, 11 and shirring elements 6, 7 above and below, so that it retains its shape.

As a result, the shirred packaging supernatant remains fixed in the molded position and re-emergence of the packaging material or of the neck H formed is avoided.

The folding pliers 15 comprise two jaw elements 16, 17, which are each arranged between the planes of the gathering elements 6, 7 and supporting elements 10, 11 in the folding wheel 2. They are displaceable about the axis 4 in the direction of the respective active Raffplatzes 5 and arranged to move towards and away from each other.

Thus, they can be moved around the axis 4 to the Packungshals H in the active Raffplatz and each other to put the separated clip C around the molded packaging neck H of the product P on the return movement of the Raffelements 12 by the clip C by a sliding movement the folding pliers 15 and their jaw members 16, 17 guided in a plane through the limiting shirring elements 6, 7 and the support elements 10 and 11 is placed around the Packmittelhals. In this case, they also surround the respective support element 8.

When the shirring element 12 is completely retracted, the folding pliers 15 closes the separated clip C behind the package neck H by pressing the jaw elements 16, 17 against each other.

In the present case, a self-adhesive clip C, z. B. made of plastic, so that the product P is now closed. It is also conceivable the use of a clip that holds pressed together by hot melt adhesive, cold seal masks etc .. Then the folding pliers 15 is configured accordingly, for. B. with heated baking elements.

While the clip C is placed around the package neck H, the supply of the clip band S is in a snap. In this movement pause of the Raffrads 2 is carried out a Aufreißkerbe in the clip band S as an opening aid by a movable blade 19. This is done at a position of the supply of the clip band S, wherein the non-active Raffplatz of the Raffrades 2 was selected from the closed position , Conceivable, however, are other positions, not least even before the Raffrad, but this is inaccurate with respect to the position of the notch.

The introduction of the tear notch to weaken the strip cross-section is carried out by the knife 19, which in the manner shown during the feeding break cut the clip band S at the outer edge by making a movement toward the Raffrad 2 out and is pressed against the corresponding support member 8. Subsequently, the knife 19 is withdrawn. During the actual feeding of the clip band S or rotation of the Raffrads the knife 19, however, is disengaged.

Thus, the tear notch is later centered with the closed clip C arranged on the packaging neck H and facilitates the opening of the clip C.

Subsequently, the shirring wheel 2 and the shirring pusher 3 return to their open starting positions, i. move away from each other. Thus, the finished packaged product P is released with the clip C. The finished packaged product P closed with the clip C is then removed from the shirring position by means of the gripping head holding it and a new product still to be gathered and closed is fed.

In this case, the Raffrad 2 rotates about its axis 4, so that the next Raffplatz 5 is again provided with a portion of the clip band S.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

gathering device

2

gathering wheel

3

Raffschieber

4

axis

5

Raffplatz

6

shirring

7

shirring

8th

support element

9

Raffplatz

10

support element

11

support element

12

shirring

13

knife

14

recess

15

Faltzange

16

jaw member

17

jaw member

18

support element

19

knife

P

product

C

clip

S

Clip band

H

Packaging neck

Claims (33)

A method of packaging a product (P) in a section of a raffle wrapper, wherein the ruffled portion of the packaging material surrounding the product (P) is sealed with a clip (C), comprising the following steps: - folding (Bunchen) of the packaging material section around the product (P), so that the packaging material section surrounds the product (P) on one side, - gathering the package section above the product (P) on the exposed side to form a necked package center neck (H), and Closing the narrowed neck of the packaging material by attaching a clip (C), characterized in that the package neck (H) is fixed during closing and the clip (C) is fed continuously as an endless clip band (S). A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the packaging means section for shirring to form the narrowed packaging material neck (H) is compressed by mutually be moved parts (2, 3) to a neck. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the compression by moving towards each other, in particular relative to each other, a shirring pusher (3) and a Raffrades (2). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the packaging material neck (H) is fixed when closing above and below the closure point. Method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the shirring pusher (3) gathers the packaging material section by means of spaced supporting elements (10, 11) forming two planes and a shirring element (12) therebetween and the shirring wheel (2) forms the packaging means section by means of two planes spaced shirring elements (6, 7) and an intermediate support element (8) gathers. A method according to claim 5, characterized in that the gathering elements (6, 7, 12) and support elements (8, 10, 11) when moving towards one another form the package center neck. A method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the gathering elements (6, 7, 12) when moving toward each other form a decreasing diamond shape. A method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the gathering elements (6, 7, 12) and support elements (10, 11) each have an approximately semicircular recess (14) in the bottom of the respective part-V, so that an approximately cylindrical packing material neck (H) is formed. Method according to one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the shirring element (12) when moving towards each other between the shirring elements (6, 7) engages. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the clip (C) or the clip band (S), in particular made of plastic material is formed. Method according to one of claims 5 to 10, characterized in that the clip (C) or the clip band (S) between the two spaced shirring elements (6, 7) and two spaced support elements (10,11) is guided. Method according to one of claims 5 to 11, characterized in that the clip (C) prior to shirring of the packaging material section on the support element (8), in particular fixed by a holding means rests. Method according to one of claims 6 to 12, characterized in that the support elements (10, 11) of the shirring pusher (3) during retraction of the shirring element (12) remain, so that narrowed Packmittelhals (H) is fixed. Method according to one of claims 6 to 13, characterized in that simultaneously with a movement away of the shirring element (12) of the clip (C) is closed, in particular by a sliding folding movement. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the clip (C) or the clip band (S) is provided with a tear notch. A method according to claim 15, characterized in that the tear notch by a movable knife (19), in particular on the outer edge of the clip band (S) is introduced. A method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that the knife (19) acts on the clip band (S) before shirring the packaging material section on the support element (8). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the folding (Bunchen) and shirring of the packaging material section takes place at locally separate locations. Apparatus for packaging a product (P) in a section of a folded-wrap package, the shirred region of the packaging surrounding the product being closed with a clip (C), with a folding shaft for folding the package section about the product (P ), such that the package section surrounds the product (P) on one side, with a shirring device (1) for shirring the package section above the product (P) on the exposed side to form a necked package neck (H) , And with a means (2, 3) for closing the constricted packing material neck (H) by attaching a clip (C), characterized in that elements (6, 7, 10, 11) for fixing the packing material neck (H) when closing and Means for continuously feeding the clip (C) in the form of an endless clip band (S) are provided. Device according to claim 19, characterized in that the gathering device (1) comprises parts (2, 3) to be moved towards each other. Apparatus according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that the shirring device (1) has a shirring pusher (3) and a shirring wheel (2), which are designed to move relative to each other. Apparatus according to claim 21, characterized in that the shirring pusher (3) has two levels forming spaced support elements (10, 11) and an intermediate shirring element (12). Apparatus according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that the Raffrad (2) two-level spaced shirring elements (6, 7) and an intermediate therebetween having lying support element (8). Apparatus according to claim 23, characterized in that the gathering elements (6, 7, 12) each form approximately a V-shape. Apparatus according to claim 23 or 24, characterized in that the gathering elements (6, 7, 12) and supporting elements (10, 11) each have an approximately semicircular recess in the bottom of the V. Device according to one of claims 21 to 25, characterized in that the support elements (10, 11) of the shirring pusher (3) for independent movement of the shirring element (12) are formed. Device according to one of claims 21 to 26, characterized in that the support elements 8 of the Raffrads (2) for feeding the clip (C) are formed. Device according to one of claims 21 to 27, characterized in that the shirring pusher (3) has a separating device (13) for separating the clip (C). Device according to one of claims 21 to 28, characterized in that the folding shaft for folding and the shirring device (1) for shirring the packaging material section are arranged at locally separate locations. Device according to one of claims 21 to 29, characterized in that a folding jaw (15) having two jaw elements (16, 17) is provided for closing the clip (C). Device according to one of claims 21 to 30, characterized in that a unit, in particular a knife (19), is provided to provide the clip (C) or the clip band (S) with a tear notch. Apparatus according to claim 31, characterized in that the knife (19) is aligned and arranged to introduce the tear notch on the outer edge of the clip band (S). Apparatus according to claim 31 or 32, characterized in that the Knife (19) is designed to be movable by means of movement means which allow the knife (19) to execute a movement towards the folding wheel (2).

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