EP2048085B1 - Method and device for packing flat objects transported in a supply stream - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has a conveying device (24) for conveying the flat articles (10) in a conveying direction (F). A processing section (16) produces partially closed envelope (20) out of packaging material. An onward conveying device (26) conveys enveloped products in a continuous conveying stream. A transfer device (28) located downstream of the processing section removes empty envelopes (22) produced without the inclusion of an article from the conveying stream. An independent claim is included for method for packaging flat articles conveyed in a conveying stream.

Description

The invention is in the field of conveying and packaging technology and relates to an apparatus and a method for packing flat objects conveyed in a flow according to the preambles of claims 1 and 11. The device according to the invention is used for packaging flat objects, for example individual ones Printed products, of stacked groups of printed products or of stacked groups of printed products and other flat objects such as CDs, flat swatch articles or flat sample pouches.

It is for example from the EP-A 0 712 782 or the WO 2005/118402 known to pack flat objects of the above type using a quasi-endless packaging material web, for example, from roll supplied plastic film or paper web. In this case, at least one packaging material web is placed around the objects conveyed in a row one behind the other and at a distance from one another, or at least one packaging material web is fed to such a row on both sides. Then the packaging material web is closed transversely to the longitudinal direction in quenches between two successive objects. Eventually longitudinal seams on the top of the row or laterally also produced longitudinal seams. In this way, the Objects enclosed by a closed or only longitudinally open shell of packaging material. The wrapped objects or sheaths are separated immediately after creation of the transverse seams or simultaneously therewith.

When using plastic film as a packaging material, the longitudinal or transverse seams are usually produced by welding, wherein the separation of the packaged objects can be carried out simultaneously with the creation of the transverse seams. For example, in the use of paper as packaging material, a heat-activatable adhesive may be applied to the packaging material immediately prior to feeding the packaging material web to the series of objects to be packaged at the locations of the longitudinal or transverse seams, such that the seams will then be similar Means can be created as the welded seams on plastic packaging. It is also possible to close the seams by embossing or by other known methods adapted to the packaging material used.

For such machining operations such as welding, gluing, etc., printed products are conveyed in conveying streams in a processing station and conveyed away therefrom. The processing station is advantageously equipped such that the promotion of the packaged objects for processing does not have to be interrupted, but can be operated continuously.

One problem with such devices with non-cached articles continuously conveyed in a flow stream are envelopes of packaging material that remain empty due to misfeed, such as missing one or more products in a regular series of continuously supplied products (gap). In this case, under Manufactured by making cross-links in the web or otherwise, sheaths that do not enclose product (empty sheath). The empty shell can interfere with the further transport and the further processing of the wrapped objects, for example, if it is not detected by the removal conveyor due to the size and weight differences. This is especially true at high processing and conveying speeds of several thousand copies per hour, as they prevail, for example, in the processing of printed products. Here there is an increasing tendency to protect printed products such as newspapers and magazines by a foil wrapper.

The invention has for its object to provide an apparatus and a method for packaging objects with a material web available, in which empty cases can not interfere with the further processing of the objects.

The object is achieved by a device and a method having the features of claims 1 and 10, respectively. Advantageous developments emerge from the dependent claims, the description and the drawings.

The apparatus comprises a conveyor for conveying the flat objects in a conveying direction, a processing means for producing at least partly, e.g. at least in the transverse direction, closed envelopes of a packaging material including a product and a Wegfördereinrichtung.

According to the invention, a discharge device is arranged downstream of the processing means. This is capable of without including one Remove product produced empty shells from the flow. The empty shells can then be collected outside the flow and disposed of. Although the flow contains a gap after removing the empty shell; from this, in contrast to an empty shell, however, there is no risk of disruption for further processing and promotion. The gap in the flow can also be closed again by comparison.

Under flow is the totality of all objects that are transported by the conveyor or the Wegfördereinrichtung, or designated by them during transport swept space area. It is pushed down by the conveyor pad, e.g. limits the conveyor belt of the feed device, or the conveying plane defined thereby. Deflection from the delivery flow is understood to mean that the empty envelopes are moved in such a way that their underside at least partially no longer lies in the conveying plane. The covers are pushed in particular upwards.

The conveyor preferably also transports at least one virtually endless packaging material web. It is preferably a belt conveyor. The articles are preferably arranged in the packaging material web or between two packaging material webs such that they are covered on both sides by packaging material. The packaging material web or a part thereof is for this purpose, for example on the conveyor belt of the belt conveyor, on it are the products, which in turn are covered from above with packaging material. With a processing means, such as a welding element, cross-connections between an upper portion and a lower portion of the packaging material web are created to produce a closed at least at a leading edge and at a trailing edge shell of packaging material and enclose the product in this way and protect. The Wegfördereinrichtung is used for conveying away with such cases Packaging material enclosed objects; it may also be a component of the above-mentioned conveyor.

The conveyor can serve as a counter tool for the processing means, or there may be synchronous to the processing means moving counter tools. The processing means is moved up and down, or even along a curved closed orbit, for example, by being attached to a rigid body or moved along rails. For producing cross-connections in a plastic film is preferably a welding element such as in WO 2005/118402 described used.

The discharge device can take the empty shells, for example by means of a movable mechanical element, which is controlled in a suitable manner, and remove it from the delivery flow, which is not claimed at this point.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, however, the discharge device comprises only stationary arranged components and dispenses with moving parts. Preferably, these components include suction and / or blowing devices that operate continuously and / or controlled. Thus, shorter reaction times can be realized. As a result, a complicated mechanism and control of moving parts is unnecessary, which would otherwise be necessary to realize the required minimum response time (immersion in the flow, seizing the empty shell, removing the shell from the flow, returning to the starting position) of a moving mechanical element necessary.

The discharge device comprises a suction device with which the empty shells are sucked out of the flow in the manner of a vacuum cleaner.

The suction device is preferably operated continuously, wherein its suction force is so dimensioned that only empty casings are sucked in and transported away, but not those with an object. The extracted empty casings are preferably collected in a collecting basket so that the suction force of the suction device is not impaired. Possibly, the suction can be done only in the presence of an empty shell.

In addition to the suction, empty shells are preferably deflected out of the flow with compressed air. By using compressed air, individual casings can be influenced in a targeted manner, while still eliminating the need for moving mechanical parts that need to be accelerated. The deflected casings can then preferably, but not necessarily, be aspirated by a suction device, as already described. By deflecting it is achieved that the suction device with the same suction force can have a greater distance from the conveying plane. As a result, the error safety and the passage height of the device (distance conveyor plane to the suction element) and thus their flexibility in the packaging of different thick objects is increased.

The compressed air can be continuous and sized so that only empty shells are deflected, but due to the greater weight, no coated products. In a preferred variant, however, the compressed air is supplied in a controlled manner when an empty shell comes into the sphere of influence of the discharge device, the supply being otherwise interrupted. In this case, larger pressures or outflow speeds can be used and thus the empty shell deflected very reliably or even blown away from the flow.

As a variant of pure compressed air supply, for example, a pneumatically driven ram is conceivable for ejecting, which also allows a short reaction time.

For controlling the pressure and / or suction air supply, a control device is preferably present, which cooperates with a detection device, in particular an optical sensor. The detection means detects the presence of an empty envelope in the flow, e.g. by measuring the optical transmission or edge detection, and transmits a corresponding signal to the control unit.

Overall, a system for discharging empty shells is proposed, which is mechanically simple, manages with little control engineering effort and has a low susceptibility to errors and great flexibility with respect to the objects to be packaged.

Fig. 1

Eine Gesamtansicht einer erfindungsgemässen Vorrichtung mit einer Ausschleusvorrichtung, die eine gesteuerte Druckluftdüse sowie eine Saugvorrichtung umfasst;

Fig. 2+3

eine bei der Vorrichtung aus Fig. 1 einsetzbare Saugvorrichtung in zwei Ansichten;

Fig. 4

eine Detailansicht eines Fangkorbs.

Examples of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and described below. It shows purely schematically:

Fig. 1

An overall view of an inventive device with a discharge device comprising a controlled compressed air nozzle and a suction device;

Fig. 2 + 3

one in the device Fig. 1 insertable suction device in two views;

Fig. 4

a detailed view of a grass catcher.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic overall view of an inventive device with a conveyor 24, a processing means 16, a Wegfördereinrichtung 26 and a discharge device 28th

With the conveyor 24, here a belt conveyor, objects 10 are supported lying on a lower material web 12 and covered with an upper material web 14 in a conveying direction F. Upper and lower material web 12, 14 are usually connected to each other. The objects 10 are spaced apart in the conveying direction F, wherein the distance of the leading edges of two successive objects 10 is normally constant. Due to errors in the feed, however, there may be gaps in the flow; the mentioned distance is then for example twice the normal distance.

The processing means 16 serves to produce transverse connections 18 between the upper and lower material webs 12, 14 and thus to divide the packaging material tube transversely to the conveying direction F into individual sheaths (packages) 20, each containing an article 10 here. The individual packages 20 are separated at or shortly after the preparation of the cross connections, eg when welding a foil seam by lateral material displacement. At a gap in the supplied flow creates an empty shell 22 of packaging material, since the processing means 16, the material web 12, 14 processed even at a gap. It can also produce envelopes whose length is greater than a typical product length, for example, if several objects are missing in a row and the transverse welding is suspended.

The removal device 26, which preferably conveys at a somewhat greater speed than the delivery device 24, serves for the further transport of the coated products 10 or sheaths 20 in a continuous delivery flow. The filled casings 20 (or their undersides) are moved in a conveying plane E, which is defined here for example by the conveying support 26 '(conveyor belt, conveyor belt) of the removal device 26.

The discharge device 28 is used to remove the empty shells 22 from the flow. It is arranged downstream of the processing means 16 and is located here in the region of the removal device 26, but could also be arranged between the conveyor 24 and the removal device 26 or in the region of the delivery device 24. The discharge device 28 comprises a controlled compressed air supply 30 and a suction device 40.

The compressed air supply 30 comprises a compressed air nozzle 31, a compressed air source 32, e.g. a pump or a compressed air reservoir. The connection between compressed air nozzle 31 and compressed air source 32 can be selectively released or closed by means of a controllable valve 34. The opening 31 'of the compressed-air nozzle 31 is arranged in the vicinity of the conveying plane E, so that precise action can be taken on the delivery flow. In the present case, the compressed air nozzle 31 is arranged in the region between two sub-conveyors, from which the removal device 26 is constructed. The distance between the sub-conveyors is exaggerated here. As the compressed air nozzle 31 may serve any element which limits the air flow laterally, e.g. also a hole in a support surface of the way conveyor 26. Instead of air, of course, another gas can be used.

For controlling the compressed air supply or the valve 34 is a control device 36. This receives from a detection device 38, for example, an optical sensor, a signal indicating the presence of a void 22 in the flow. This signal causes the control device 38 to release the supply of compressed air at the time at which the empty shell is conveyed into the region of the compressed-air nozzle 31. The empty shell 22 is then deflected by the air pulse up from the flow.

The suction device 40 is located above the compressed air nozzle 31. It operates continuously. Their suction force and their distance to the conveying plane E is chosen so that sucked out of the conveying plane E empty cases 22 are sucked, but not wrapped products 20. By the compressed air pulse can therefore with the same suction the distance between the suction pipe opening of the conveying plane E with respect to the case without Compressed air pulse to be increased. The distance is preferably chosen so large that a conveyance through and away of products with a predetermined maximum thickness is possible.

The empty shells 22 are removed via the suction pipe 42, collected and disposed of. The unaffected enveloped products 20 are further promoted and optionally further processed.

The device shown and described is mechanically and control technology simple, is flexible in terms of product thickness and works reliably.

An example of a suction device 40 is shown in FIG Fig. 2 in longitudinal section (perpendicular to the conveying plane E) and in Fig. 3 shown in cross section (parallel to the conveying plane E). This in Fig. 1 already shown suction pipe 42 opens into a hermetically sealable housing 44 and a catching basket 46 arranged therein. The cross section of the suction pipe 42 may be round, rectangular or otherwise shaped; his area can also be smaller than the typical empty sheaths 22, as these are usually deformable. The housing 44 has in its bottom surface a connection 54 for a vacuum / suction air source 48, which in a conventional manner, for example, a fan 50 and an exhaust outlet 52 has.

The catcher 46 is at least partially permeable to air and consists for example wholly or partly of a perforated plate. The catcher 46 is dimensionally stable here, but can also be completely or partially flexible (net, bag).

By the following, with reference to Fig. 2-4 explained construction of the catcher 46 and the housing 44 ensures that the suction power is maintained, even if there are already empty shells in the catcher 46:

The collecting basket 46 consists of three U-shaped sheet metal parts 60, 62, 64. The sheet metal parts 60, 64 form the side walls of the collecting basket 46 and are spaced from the corresponding side walls of the housing 44. The bottom surface 62 of the collecting basket 46 is spaced from the bottom of the housing 44 and thereby also from the connection 54 for the suction air source 48. In this way, it is ensured that suction air can pass through the side walls 60, 64 of the catcher 46 into the suction pipe 42, even if empty shells 22 cover the air-permeable bottom surface 62 and thus make it impermeable to air. The lower region 46a of the collecting basket 46 is permeable to air (consists for example of perforated plate), while the upper region 46b, in particular the region around the discharge point 43 of the suction pipe 42 into the collecting basket 46 is impermeable. This prevents that empty shells 22 accumulate in the area around the orifice 43 and thus block the intake air via the suction pipe 42.

The in the view in Fig. 4 rear and upper edges of the sheet metal parts 60, 64 bear against the housing 44, so that the collecting basket 46 does not require its own covering and rear surface. The front of the catcher 46 is open and here spaced from the front surface of the housing 44 (not necessarily), so that the empty shells 22 can be easily removed by opening the housing door 45.

Claims (13)

1. Device for packaging flat articles (10) conveyed in a conveying stream, in particular for printed products, with a packaging material, comprising

   - a conveying device (24) for conveying the flat articles (10) in a conveying direction (F)

   - a processing means (16) for producing at least partially closed envelopes (20) out of packaging material;

   - an onward conveying device (26) for conveying onward articles (10) enveloped by envelopes (20) out of packaging material;

   wherein the device contains a discharge device (28) located downstream of the processing means (16), which is capable of removing from the conveying stream empty envelopes (22) produced without the inclusion of an article (10),
   characterised in that the discharge device (28) comprises at least one compressed air supply (30) and one suction device (40), wherein the compressed air supply (30) is capable of deflecting an empty envelope (22) from the conveying stream by blowing in compressed air in such a manner, that the suction device (40) is able to grab it and suck it from the supply stream.
2. Device in accordance with claim 1, characterised in that the discharge device (28) is capable of exerting an effect on the conveying stream in the zone of the onward conveying device (26) or between processing means (16) and the onward conveying device (26).
3. Device in accordance with claim 1, characterised by a control unit (36), with which the compressed air supply (30) is capable of being controlled in such a manner, that compressed air is blown into the operating zone of the outward discharge device (28) when an empty envelope (22) arrives.
4. Device in accordance with claim 3, characterised by a detection device (38), in particular an optical sensor, which is capable of detecting the presence of an empty envelope (22) or of a gap in the conveying stream and of transmitting a corresponding signal to the control unit (36).
5. Device in accordance with one of the claims 1, 3 and 4, characterised in that the suction device (40) operates continuously.
6. Device in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the suction device (40) comprises a housing (44), which is essentially capable of being closed air-tight, an at least partially air-permeable catching basket (46) arranged in the housing (44), a source of under-pressure (48) connected to the housing or located in the housing, and a suction tube (42) leading into the catching basket (46).
7. Device in accordance with claim 6, characterised in that the suction tube (42), source of under-pressure (48) and catching basket (46) are arranged in such a manner relative to one another, that sucked-off empty envelopes (22) are conducted into the catching basket (46).
8. Device in accordance with claim 6 or 7, characterised in that the catching basket (46) is airtight in a first zone (46b) and permeable to air in a second zone (46a), wherein the suction tube (42) is joined to the first zone (46b) and a connection (54) of the source of under-pressure (48) to the housing (44) is located in the vicinity of the second zone (46a) .
9. Device in accordance with one of the claims 6 to 8, characterised in that the catching basket (46) is located at a distance from the housing (44), at least in the region of the connection (54) of the source of under-pressure (48).
10. Method for the packaging of flat articles (10) conveyed in a conveying stream with the following steps:

    - Conveying of the flat articles (10) in a conveying direction (F),

    - arrangement of the flat articles (10) in a packaging material web (12, 14) in such a manner, that they are covered by the packaging material on both sides;

    - production of at least partially closed envelopes (20) out of packaging material;

    - conveying onward of articles (10) enveloped by envelopes (20) of packaging material;

    wherein empty envelopes (22) produced without the inclusion of an article (10) are removed from the conveying stream,
    characterised in that the empty envelopes (22) are deflected from the conveying stream by means of compressed air and are subsequently grabbed by a sucking device and sucked away from the supply stream.
11. Method in accordance with claim 10, characterised in that compressed air is controllably injected, when an empty envelope (22) arrives.
12. Method in accordance with claim 11, characterised in that a detection device (38) detects the presence of an empty envelope (22) or of a gap in the conveying stream, generates a corresponding signal and transmits it to a control device (36) for controlling the compressed air supply.
13. Method in accordance with one of the claims 10-12, characterised in that the empty envelopes (22) are sucked off by means of a continuously operating suction device (40).

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