EP2563672B1 - Method and device for producing and filling packaging means - Google Patents

Description

• flachgelegtes schlauchförmiges Folienmaterial, das eine Hauptsymmetrieachse und zwei dazu parallele Schlauchränder aufweist, wird in Richtung der Hauptsymmetrieachse des Schlauches von einer Rolle abgewickelt,
• das schlauchförmige Material wird durch einen Schweiß- und Trennvorgang mit einer ersten zur Schlauchachse senkrechten Querschweißnaht versehen und entlang einer parallel zu dieser Querschweißnaht verlaufenden Trennlinie getrennt, so dass einseitig offene vereinzelte Schlauchstücke entstehen,
• die einseitig offenen Schlauchstücke werden in der Abfüllstation mit der Schwerkraft durch ihr noch offenes Ende mit einem Füllmaterial befüllt,
• das noch offene Ende der einseitig offenen Schlauchstücke wird mit einer zweiten Schweißnaht, die ebenfalls senkrecht zur Schlauchachse verläuft, versehen.

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for producing and filling packaging materials.
For the production and filling of packaging materials a variety of methods are known. In a wide range of technical fields, machines that produce and fill sealable and sealed packaging materials are called FFS (Form, Fill and Seal) machines. However, the operation and performance of these machines are very different in the various engineering fields. If the quantity and mass of the packaging materials produced and filled per unit time is taken as an expression of performance, then in this context FFS machines for filling industrial bulk goods, as used in the DE 10 2004 034 489 A1 , of the EP 1 201 539 B1 or the EP 1 623 926 A2 play a leading role: with such machines, it is possible to fill more than 2000 bags per hour with granular bulk material and to close the bags. Many of these bags weigh 50 kg and more. The aforementioned FFS machines generally carry out the following method steps for forming, filling and closing the bags:

• flattened tubular sheet material having a main axis of symmetry and two tube edges parallel thereto is unwound in the direction of the main axis of symmetry of the tube from a roll,
• the tubular material is provided by a welding and cutting process with a first transverse to the tube axis transverse weld and separated along a parallel to this transverse weld seam dividing line, so that unilaterally open isolated pieces of tubing arise,
• the unilaterally open pieces of hose are filled in the filling station with gravity through its still open end with a filling material,
• the still open end of the unilaterally open hose pieces is provided with a second weld, which is also perpendicular to the hose axis.

In newer tent also comparable machines have become known that fill powdery, tending for misting bulk material in a similar manner. Often, these machines use a screw to fill the filling material in order to avoid that too much mist forms due to the unbraked fall of the bulk material, which could counteract the subsequent transverse welding. Such a machine will be in the EP 2 024 231 B1 presented.
In the field of consumer products similar procedures are used, but it is usually not possible to achieve the above-mentioned filling speeds. This circumstance is to be complained because it makes the relevant packaging and products more expensive.

The DE 25 28 703 A1 discloses such a device for consumer products. In comparison with the device described above, this device also has a sack bottom support, with which the sack bottom during filling can be supported.

The object of the present invention is therefore to propose a method and a device with which a packaging material suitable for consumer products can be produced and filled and which reduces the manufacturing and filling costs of this packaging.

The object is solved by the features of claims 1 and 7

• dass der Abstand, den die Stützfläche der Sackbodenunterstützungsvorrichtung und die stationären Greifer in der Abfüllstation in vertikaler Richtung zueinander aufweisen, während des Befüllens derart festgelegt ist, dass er kleiner als oder gleich wie die maximale Arbeitsbreite der Vorrichtung ist und
• dass die Stützfläche der Sackbodenunterstützungsvorrichtung einen zentralen Bereich umfasst, der gegenüber einer Horizontalen einen Winkel aufweist.

Accordingly, it is envisaged

• that the distance between the support surface of the bag bottom support device and the stationary grippers in the filling station in the vertical direction to each other during filling is set to be less than or equal to the maximum working width of the device and
• in that the support surface of the sack bottom support device comprises a central region which has an angle with respect to a horizontal.

In the practice of the present invention, therefore, bags are formed which have been filled through one of their two wider sides.
The increase in efficiency achieved by the process can be partly explained by the fact that the bulk materials with which the sacks are filled are gravity-poured through a wide opening into the bags. The still open opening through which the filling has been made, as mentioned above, then sealed with a transverse weld.
The two broad sides of the bag thus produced are formed by the transverse welds. The narrower sides are represented by the original edges of the hose. It has proved to be advantageous if the tube on which the bag is based, at least at one of its edges - advantageously on all two - has a gusset. In this case, the often unfolded as a result of the filling gusset can serve as a bottom of the bag. So the sack can stand on one of its narrow sides.

It is advantageous to provide the bag with an opening aid. This can be introduced into the edge region of the hose - after or before its separation. Such an opening aid may consist in a perforation. However, especially in the food industry, perforations extending through the material are undesirable. Here, alternative methods of material weakening can be used, or it can be material be used, which is weakened at a certain point from the beginning. Often it is advantageous to introduce such opening aids in the hose formation in the hose. Thus, in a hose machine at the relevant point of the circumference of the hose run along a perforator. This location can be the middle fold of the gusset.
Also components of reclosures such as slide rails can be introduced in the often continuous tube formation in the tubing. Other components of such reclosure, particularly those that are individually associated with a single bag - such as a slider head - may be introduced when the tubing is moved intermittently before or after its singulation. This is the case in many parts of the FFS machine.
In this phase, it is also possible to make at one or both edges of the tubing - ie in the area of the narrow side of the bag Eckabschweißungen. As a rule, you will make at least one side of two such welds, because that of the floor formation to benefit. At least the Eckabschweißung in the region of the opening, through which the bag is filled, can be advantageously made after or at the closing of this opening. It is advantageous to provide the dividing lines or transverse welds, which form the edges of the bags on their longer sides, with a so-called sealed seam.

In general, given the term seal, the term dividing line and transverse weld can be explained again. In general, in a FFS process of the type described in the singulation of the hose pieces in a short spatial distance from each other (a few millimeters), the transverse weld and the separating cut are performed. The separating cut is located on the side of the transverse weld on which the opening of the next piece of tubing, which has not yet been opened, is located. This ensures that this opening remains open for filling.

• Eine nachträgliche Siegelung und damit Verbindung des Materialüberstandes mit einem stumpfen Siegelwerkzeug.
• Das Aufbringen einer Trennschweißnaht, bei der die Schweißlinie und die Trennlinie zusammenfallen oder unmittelbar aufeinander folgen. Zur Erzeugung solcher Schweißtrennnähte kommen unter anderem Ultraschallschweißwerkzeuge in Frage.

However, this technique causes the two loose ends of the bag material to protrude beyond the transverse weld. In order to make this material supernatant reasonably visible, the dividing line and the transverse weld should run parallel to each other.
To avoid the mentioned material overhang on at least one edge of the hose piece several possibilities are possible, for example:

• Subsequent sealing and thus connection of the material supernatant with a blunt sealing tool.
• The application of a separating weld, in which the welding line and the dividing line coincide or follow each other directly. To produce such weld seams come, inter alia, ultrasonic welding tools in question.

Even in the presence of a weld seam is assumed that both the dividing line and the weld within the meaning of this document are perpendicular to the line of symmetry of the hose. For the purpose of this Reference to a separate welding and separating device and a welding separator are therefore considered equivalent.
In the FFS machines of the type in question, the term working width is known as the distance between the edges of the flattened tube, that is, the tube width. The maximum working width of such an FFS machine is an important machine characteristic that is determined by the various machine components of the machine. These machine components include, among others, the welding and separating devices, the various transport devices - here the gripping devices are not negligible - and the unwinding station. Of course, the maximum working widths of these components are matched. As a rule, the maximum working width of the machine should be based on the machine component with the smallest working width.
In the above-mentioned FFS machines, the bag bottom and, in particular, the still fresh first transverse weld seam are supported during filling by a bag bottom support device. This bag bottom support device often serves at the same time for the removal of the bags from the filling station. In this case, the Sackbodenunterstützungs- and transport device is often configured as a conveyor belt 24. However, other mobile and stationary bag bottom support devices are also in use at this point.
In machines according to the invention the maximum working width of the device is greater than or equal to the distance (A), the support surface of the bag bottom support device and the opening of the unilaterally open hose pieces in the filling station in the vertical direction (y) to each other. If there is a height difference within the support surface of the bag bottom support device, it is advantageous to use that part of the surface which supports the fresh transverse weld to measure the distance. Furthermore, it has proved to be advantageous to use the - of course in the vertical direction - deepest part of the activated or the activatable contact surface of the support surface of the bag bottom support device for this purpose. Here, the activated area is the area that corresponds to the set working width is occupied by the bag bottom. The activatable area is the area occupied by a bag bottom of maximum working width.

To produce particularly designed bags, it is advantageous to provide devices for attaching handles and loops, in particular on one of the two edges. For reasons that are made clear again in the present description, this also applies to additional welding devices. These can welds that run parallel or even flush with the edge of the tube, are introduced into the hose or the already isolated pieces of hose. In particular, the aforementioned welds (other joining seams come into question, as they can be produced for example by the introduction of extrudate) can also be introduced into the tubing while it is continuously conveyed, which is particularly advantageous in the hose forming device.

Fig. 1

Seitenansicht einer FFS-Maschine

Fig. 2

Einen Folienschlauch, der sich zur Durchführung des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens eignet

Fig. 3

Ein erstes einseitig offenes Schlauchstück in seiner Lage in einer Abfüllstation

Fig. 4

Einen nach einem erfindungsgemäßen Verfahren hergestellten Beutel

Fig. 5

Ein zweites einseitig offenes Schlauchstück in seiner Lage in einer Abfüllstation

Fig. 6

Eine Schnittdarstellung von in Figur 5 dargestellten Gegenständen aus der durch die Pfeile 67 dargestellten Blickrichtung

For the production and filling of specially shaped pouches, it is advantageous to position the filling nozzle and / or the weighing container of the balance in a centric manner with respect to the broad side of the pouch, ie the respective working width of the machine. By this is meant that the line of symmetry of the filler neck and / or the weighing container to the axis of symmetry of the hose piece, which has formed the main axis of symmetry of the film tube prior to singulation, are displaced relative to each other during the filling in the direction of the width of the tube piece. It is also advantageous to position the vibrator, often located below the activatable surface, which is intended to bring about material compaction in the bag being filled, along the direction of the bag width, acentric to said axis of symmetry of the length of tubing.
Further embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the description and the claims.
The individual figures show:

Fig. 1

Side view of a FFS machine

Fig. 2

A film tube, which is used to carry out the inventive method is suitable

Fig. 3

A first unilaterally open piece of tubing in its position in a filling station

Fig. 4

A bag produced by a method according to the invention

Fig. 5

A second unilaterally open piece of tubing in its position in a filling station

Fig. 6

A sectional view of in FIG. 5 shown objects from the direction shown by the arrows 67

The FIG. 1 shows an FFS machine. This device 1 comprises a support arm 2, on which a winding 3 with tubular film 4 rests. The tubular film 4 has in FIG. 1 not shown gussets 41. The transport rollers 5, which can also be driven in part, provide for a, usually continuous, development of the tubular film 4. The acted upon by a piston-cylinder unit 10 with a load lever 9, which carries a guide roller 6 and a total is often referred to as a dancer, and the transport roller 7, 8 and the feed roller pair 15 provide a total of known per se for the fact that the tubular film 4 is intermittently moved on their further transport cycle intermittently. The transport roller 8a is part of a register device 29, with which the length of the transport path of the tubular film 4 can be adapted to the format of the later bags. For this purpose, the transport roller 8a is arranged relative to the device 1 so as to be displaceable. To move is a manual or electric motor operated and known per se spindle drive available.

In the course of its transport through the device 1, the tubular film 4 passes through a station 28 for the introduction of grip holes 43. This station 28 consists essentially of a punching or cutting tool and an abutment. It is possible, instead of or in addition to this station 28, to provide means for applying welds, for example diagonal or corner welds 46 and / or contour welds. In the FIG. 1 is in addition to the station 28 for introducing Grifflöchern 43 a station 69 for introducing Eckabschweißungen 46 located. The representation in FIG. 1 leaves open whether the respective stations 28 and 69 can handle holes 23 or Eckabschweißungen 46 at both edges 50 and 51 of the tubular material 4 or whether they can do so only on one side 50, 51. In the former case, it is advantageous to set up at least the station 69 such that it optionally generates corner welds 50, 51 on one side 50, 51 or on both sides. In this way, on such a device 1, optionally, the pouches 60 shown below, the corner welds 46 on only one of their sides 51, or normal FFS sacks with four corner welds 46 may be made.
An advantageous way of such a connectability is an activatability or deactivability of at least one processing page via a control device.
Since the bag 60 contains corner welds on one of its sides 51 and hold holes 43 on the other side 50, the above also applies in principle to the station 28 for the insertion of handle holes 43. However, it will be advantageous to often refrain from equipping such stations 28 in this way in that they can provide grip holes on both edges 50, 51 of the tube 4. Instead, one will just bring a station in the device 1, which makes on one side of the tube 50 handle holes. Since a handle hole is often to be provided on the same side of the hose 50 as a joining seam 52, a station 28 for inserting handle holes 43 may be combined with a device that provides joining seams 52. If such a device is introduced into the device 1 independently of the station 28, the same applies to its positioning to the tube edges 50, 51 and for their controllability as for the station 28th
The punching or cutting process or the welding process at these stations is advantageously carried out during the stoppage phases of the intermittent transport. About further transport rollers 8 provided with handle holes 43 tubular film 4 is conveyed to a cooling station 12, in which the welds are cooled.

With the feed roller pair 15, the tubular film 4 is pushed through the welding jaws 33 of a transverse welding station 13 and through a cross-cutting station 16. The tools of the transverse welding station 13 and the cross cutting station 16 can be moved in a manner not described in detail, for example by a parallelogram 14, in planes orthogonal to the feed direction of the tubular film 4 to and from this. After the grippers 17 have gripped the tubular film 4, a piece of tubing 18 is separated from the tubular film 4 above the gripper 17 in the cross-cutting station 16. At the same time above the cutting edge of the tubular film 4 in the transverse welding station 13, a transverse weld 42 is attached, which represents the bottom or the head side of the hose piece 18 to be formed in the next working cycle of the device 1. Accordingly, 13 head seams are generated in the transverse welding station. In general, however, the manufacture of the head or bottom seams may not only be effected by transverse welding, although preferably, but also other joining methods, such as gluing, are conceivable.

The grippers 17 convey the tube piece 18 to a transfer point at which further grippers 19 grasp the tube piece 18 and transport it to a filling station 20. There, the tube piece 18 is transferred to stationary gripper 21 and opened by the suckers 22, so that the contents, which is passed through the filler neck 23, can get into the tube piece 18. The tube piece 18 rests with its lower end on a conveyor belt 24, so that the hose piece 18 is not excessively loaded along its longitudinal edges during the filling process. Further grippers 25 convey the filled tube piece to the head or bottom seam welding station 26, in which the tube piece 18 is closed with a top or bottom weld seam and thus forms a finished bag 27. Also, the closing of the tube piece 18 in its head area can be done by a different joining method. The finished bag 27 is guided out of the device 1 by the conveyor belt 24. Here, the bag 27 is much higher (in the y-direction) than wide (in the x-direction).

• Der Abstand 61 zwischen der Öffnung 62 des Schlauchstückes 18 und der Stützfläche 58 und der Höhe 59 der Sacköffnung 62 (hier durch eine gestrichelte Linie dargestellt) muss derart einstellbar oder festgelegt sein, dass er 61 kleiner oder gleich ist wie die maximale Arbeitsbreite der Vorrichtung 1.
• In der Figur 5 ist jedoch eine Stützfläche 58 gezeigt, die Höhenunterschiede aufweist, da sie um den Winkel α gegenüber der Horizontalen 66 geneigt ist, und da sie überdies in Richtung der Sackbreite 64 rinnenförmig ausgeführt ist, wie Figur 6 zeigt. In einem solchen Fall ist es oft vorteilhaft, von dem tiefsten Teil der aktivierbaren Kontaktfläche 71 der Stützfläche 58 aus den Abstand 61 zu der Öffnung des Schlauchstücks 18 in der Befüllposition zu messen. Dies ist in den Figuren 5 und 6 illustriert. Hierbei ist die aktivierbare Kontaktfläche die Fläche, die von einem Beutelboden belegt wird, wenn mit maximaler Arbeitsbreite produziert wird.
• Neben diesen Merkmalen sind auch einige weitere Vorrichtungsbestandteile für eine Produktion der nachstehend gezeigten Beutel vorteilhaft: Eckabschweißungsvorrichtungen, Vorrichtungen zum Einbringen eines Griffes 28 und/oder Vorrichtungen zum Aufbringen zumindest einer Schweiß- oder Fügenaht 52, die vorzugsweise an einem Rand des Folienschlauchs beziehungsweise der vereinzelten Schlauchstücke vorgesehen sind. Diese können die Position der in Figur 1 skizzierten Station zum Einbringen von Grifflöchern 28 einnehmen, sie können jedoch auch später in der Transportrichtung der schlauchförmigen Folie 4 angebracht sein. Über die Positionierung dieser Station zu den Schlauchrändern und die Aktivierbarkeit dieser Station wurde vorstehend schon einiges gesagt.

As already mentioned in the introductory description, under certain conditions with the in FIG. 1 a device according to the invention can also be carried out

• The distance 61 between the opening 62 of the tube piece 18 and the support surface 58 and the height 59 of the bag opening 62 (shown here by a dashed line) must be adjustable or fixed so that it 61 is less than or equal to the maximum working width of the device. 1 ,
• In the FIG. 5 However, a support surface 58 is shown having height differences, since it is inclined by the angle α relative to the horizontal 66, and since it is designed in the direction of the bag width 64 channel-shaped, moreover FIG. 6 shows. In such a case, it is often advantageous to measure from the lowest part of the activatable contact surface 71 of the support surface 58 from the distance 61 to the opening of the hose piece 18 in the filling position. This is in the FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrated. Here, the activatable contact area is the area occupied by a bag bottom when producing at maximum working width.
• In addition to these features, some other device components are also advantageous for the production of the pouches shown below: corner welding devices, devices for introducing a handle 28, and / or devices for applying at least one weld or joining seam 52, preferably at one edge of the film tube or singulated pieces of tubing are provided. These can be the location of in FIG. 1 sketched station for introducing grip holes 28 occupy, but they can also be mounted later in the transport direction of the tubular film 4. About the positioning of this station to the tube edges and the activability of this station has already been said a lot.

Due in part to the gripping holes 43 and the longitudinal joints 52, the material intake of the hose piece 18 and its weight distribution are often not symmetrical with respect to the main axis of symmetry 65.
For these reasons, it may also be advantageous to position the filling nozzle 32 of the filling station relative to the filling position of the hose piece 18 in the filling station along the bag width 64 in such a way that the Symmetry line 70 of the filler neck 23 and the main symmetry line 65 of the tube 4 are shifted from each other. This applies to the symmetry line of the weighing container. Also, the vibrator can be arranged acentric to the main symmetry line 65 of the tube 4.
Furthermore, it is - due to the inter alia below based on FIG. 4 explained embodiment of many preferred bag 60 is advantageous if the central region of the support surface 58 relative to a horizontal 66 has an angle α. This situation is in FIG. 5 shown. It is advantageous to provide the FFS machine with pivotable support surfaces, which is indicated by the arrow 57. In a device 1 as in FIG. 1 is shown, it is possible to pivot the support surfaces 58 relative to the conveyor belt 24. However, the entire conveyor belt 24 can also be "tilted" in the desired manner. In FIG. 1 Also shown is a vibrator 72, which is mounted below the filling station below the conveying bath and which can impart vibrations to the bag 28 in the filling station in order to compact the filled material.
Bag 60, as in FIG. 4 are shown form after filling a predominantly circular cylindrical cross-section. It is therefore advantageous to those in FIG. 5 just illustrated support surface trough or trough shape out. Due to the Eckabschweißungen 46 has the filled bag 60 in the side view of a trapezoidal shape, that is, that the diameter at the in FIG. 4 shown bag increases - ie here in the x direction - increases. The cross-sectional area of the bag 60 in FIG FIG. 4 So behaves at least partially like that of an upside-down circular cone is so truncated cone. It is advantageous if the support surface 58 for the production of these bags is also adapted to their cross-sectional shape and is shaped like the negative of this truncated cone shape of the bag 60.
But now again to a more detailed description of FIGS. 2 to 5 A film tube 4 which is suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention is disclosed in US Pat FIG. 2 shown. In the FIG. 2 is shown for the sake of clarity, as the film tube 4 is subtracted from the winding 3 in the direction of its main axis of symmetry (dotted line) 65. Between its edges 50 and 51, this hose 4 has a width 64. For producing a bag according to the method of the invention is it is sufficient if the hose is an unprocessed flat or gusseted hose. The in FIG. 2 However, hose shown has some additional features such as the gripping holes 43 and the longitudinal slot 52. The longitudinal gap 52 can be produced in the hose formation, for example by the addition of extrudate. It connects the walls of the tube 4 with each other and prevents in the later produced bags 60 that filling material escapes through the handle holes 43, or is vented through the handle holes. When the edge 50 of the tube 4 is provided with a gusset 41, as outlined in the dashed circle 53, it is possible to provide four layers of material in the region of the gripping holes 43, which causes particular stability. In this case, it is advantageous to extend the gusset 41 to the joining seam 52. At this point, then both sides of the gusset would be connected to the outer walls of the hose and sealed so.
However, it is also possible to dispense with the side folds 43 on the edge 50 and to provide here a simple fold, which is closed with the joining seam 52 to the later bag interior. This embodiment of the bag can also be advantageously combined with a side fold 41 on the other edge 51 of the tube 4. The area of the gusset 41 at the edge 51 later forms the bottom of the bag 60 and improves its stance properties. The dotted lines 62 indicate the position of the later cuts and transverse welds 42.
In FIG. 3 is an unfilled, unilaterally open hose piece 18 to see. Much of its features are already in relation to the hose 4 in FIG. 1 been mentioned. In addition, however, the length of tubing 18 includes the corner welds 46, the zipper 54, and the transverse weld 42 attached thereto 18 in the dedicated equipment of an FFS machine. The tube piece 18 hangs on the grippers 21 in the filling station and is ready to be filled through its opening 62, as indicated by the arrow 56.
In FIG. 3 It can also be seen that the axis of symmetry 70 of the filler neck 23 is displaced with respect to the main axis of symmetry 65 of the hose.
In FIG. 4 a filled bag 60 can be seen. He has again largely the same features as the hose 4 in FIG. 2 and the hose piece 18 in FIG. 3 , The bag 60, however, stands on the tube edge 52, which has a gusset 41, which here forms a stable floor. As already mentioned, due to the corner welds 46, a trapezoidal front surface of the filled bag is formed. Here are the Eckabschweißungen in the FIGS. 4 and 5 shown in an arc, since they are pressed in filled bags 60 or pieces of hose against the outer walls of the respective packaging semi-finished product 60, 18. The transverse welds 42, which received the semi-finished bag products 4, 18 on the way through the FFS machine, now form the side walls of the bag 60.
In FIG. 5 is to see a already filled through its opening 62 hose piece 18, which again provides a trapezoidal front view. The piece of tubing still hangs on the grippers 21. Above was already pointed out on the alignment and shaping of the support surface 58. The sectional view in FIG. 6 that the line of sight sketched by the arrows 67 ( FIG. 5 ) again illustrates how the support surface 58 may be formed.
In the FIGS. 5 and 6 the distance 61 is shown as a vertical distance (y) between the intersection of the blind opening 62 and the main axis of symmetry 65 and the lowest point of the support surface 58 at the end of the activatable contact surface 71. Of course, this point is at the same time the point of the activatable contact surface 71 which is furthest away from the blind opening.
It is advantageous in the context of the inventive method to fill the bags 60 with consumer products. These products include pet food and other pet goods such as cat litter and the like. Bulk articles such as granular animal feed are particularly well suited. It has been found that the process and apparatus features disclosed above in the exemplary embodiments and the subclaims are also advantageous if two successive parting lines (42) are introduced into the hose (4) at a distance (61) which is not is less than the distance (64) between the two edges (50,51) of the hose (4). This is true even if the apparatus 1 is not further developed for the production of bags 60 in which the distance between the transverse welds 42 is smaller than that between the edges 50 and 51. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS 1 Device for producing and filling bags 2 Beam 3 reel 4 Foil / tubular film / film tube 5 transport roller 6 deflecting 7 transport roller 8, 8a transport roller 9 lever 10 Piston-cylinder unit 11 12 cooling station 13 Cross welding station 14 parallelogram 15 Feed roller pair 16 Cross-cutting station 17 grab 18 hose Connector 19 grab 20 filling station 21 Stationary gripper 22 sucker 23 filling 24 conveyor belt 25 grab 26 Head or bottom seam welding station 27 bag 28 Station for introducing grip holes 29 Reg istervorrichtung 30, 32 ' tool carrier 33 welding bars 41 gusseted 42 transverse weld 43 handle hole 46 corner welding 50 Edge of the film tube 51 Edge of the film tube 52 along addition 53 Dashed circle 54 Slider 55 Curly brace "Measuring range balance" 56 Filling through the opening 62 of the hose piece 18th 57 Arrow "Adjustment support surface" 58 support surface 59 Dashed line "Height (y) Sack opening" 60 bag 61 Arrow distance opening 62 of the hose piece 18 support surface 58 in the vertical direction 62 Opening of the hose piece 63 "future separation cut" 64 hose width 65 Main symmetry axis of the hose 4 or the hose pieces 18th 66 horizontal 67 Arrows "view FIG. 6 " 68 Vertex of the support surface 58 69 Station for introducing Eckabschweißungen 26th 70 Symmetrical line of the filling nozzle 23 71 Activatable contact surface of the support surface 58 of the bag bottom support device 72 Jogger

Claims (16)

1. Apparatus for producing and filling packaging means (60) made of laid-flat tubular film material (4) which has a main axis of symmetry (65) and two tube peripheries (50, 51) parallel thereto, wherein the spacing (64) of the tube peripheries (50, 51) from one another is the respective working width, the apparatus (1) has a maximum working width and the following apparatus features are present on the apparatus (1):

   - an unwinding apparatus (2, 3) by way of which the laid-flat tubular film material (4) is unwindable from a roll (3) along the main axis of symmetry (65) of the tube (4),

   - apparatuses for welding (13) and separating (16) the tube (4) along lines largely perpendicular to the tube axis (65),

   - a dispensing station (23) by way of which the tube sections (18) that result from the welding and separating operation and are open on one side are fillable with a filling material by gravity through their still open end (62), wherein the tube sections (18) are held by stationary grippers (21),

   - a further welding station (26) by way of which the still open end (62) of the tube sections (18) that are open on one side is closable with a second weld seam (42) which likewise extends perpendicularly to the tube axis (65),

   - a bag-bottom supporting apparatus (24) by way of which the bag bottom is supportable during filling,
   characterized

   - in that the spacing (61) between the supporting surface (58) of the bag-bottom supporting apparatus (24) and the stationary grippers (21) in the dispensing station (23) in the vertical direction (y) is fixed during filling such that said spacing (61) is less than or equal to the maximum working width of the apparatus (1) and

   - in that the supporting surface (58) of the bag-bottom supporting apparatus (24) comprises a central region which is at an angle (α) with respect to a horizontal (66).
2. Apparatus according to Claim 1,
   characterized in that
   the supporting surface is configured in a pivotable manner.
3. Apparatus according to either of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   provision is made of a station (28) for introducing grip holes (43), only one periphery (50, 51) of the film tube (4) or of the singularized tube sections (18) being processable by way of said station (28).
4. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   provision is made of corner welding apparatuses (46) and/or apparatuses for applying at least one weld seam or joint seam, only one periphery (50, 51) of the film tube (4) or of the singularized tube sections (18) being processable by way of said apparatuses.
5. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized

   - in that provision is made of corner welding apparatuses (46), apparatuses (28) for introducing a grip and/or apparatuses for applying at least one weld seam or joint seam, both peripheries (50, 51) of the film tube (4) or of the singularized tube sections (18) being processable by way of said apparatuses, and

   - in that the apparatuses (28, 46) in question are switchable between processing one periphery and processing both peripheries (50, 51).
6. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the line of symmetry (70) of the dispensing nozzle of the filling station (23) is displaced relative to the main line of symmetry (65) of the tube sections (18) in the filling station, or in that the relative position of this line of symmetry of the dispensing nozzle is displaceable with respect to the main line of symmetry of the tube sections.
7. Method for producing and filling packaging means (60) by way of an apparatus according to Claims 1 to 7, in which the following method steps are carried out:

   - laid-flat tubular film material (4), which has a main axis of symmetry (65) and two tube peripheries (50, 51) parallel thereto, is unwound from a roll (3) along the main axis of symmetry (65) of the tube (4),

   - in a welding and separating operation, the tubular material (4) is provided with a first transverse weld seam (42) perpendicular to the tube axis (65) and separated along a separating line likewise perpendicular to the tube axis (65), such that singularized tube sections (18) that are open on one side are produced,

   - in the dispensing station, the tube sections (18) that are open on one side are filled with a filling material by gravity through their still open end (62),

   - the still open end (62) of the tube sections (18) that are open on one side is provided with a second weld seam (42) which likewise extends perpendicularly to the tube axis (65),
   characterized in that
   two successive separating lines (42) are introduced into the tube (4) at a spacing (61) which is smaller than the spacing (64) between the two peripheries (50, 51) of the tube (4), wherein a central region of the supporting surface (58) of the bag-bottom supporting apparatus (24) is at an angle (α) with respect to a horizontal (66).
8. Method according to Claim 7,
   characterized in that
   at least one opening aid (54) is introduced into at least one peripheral region (50, 51) of the tube.
9. Method according to the preceding claim,
   characterized in that
   the at least one opening aid (54) is introduced into the tube at least partially during the formation of the tube (4).
10. Method according to one of the two preceding claims,
    characterized in that
    the at least one opening aid (54) is introduced into the tube material (4) in that the tube material (4) is weakened - that is to say provided for example with a perforation.
11. Method according to Claim 10,
    characterized in that,
    as the at least one opening aid (54), at least one resealable closure is introduced into the tube material.
12. Method according to the preceding claim,
    characterized in that,
    as the at least one opening aid (54), at least one slider is introduced into the tube material (4).
13. Method according to the preceding claim,
    characterized in that
    the slider track (54) is introduced during tube formation, and in that the slider head is placed on the slider track after the tube has been unwound from the roll (3).
14. Method according to one of the preceding Claims 7-13,
    characterized in that
    at least one grip (43) is introduced into at least one peripheral region (50, 51) of the tube (4) before or after the singulation of the tube (4) into tube sections (18).
15. Method according to the preceding claim,
    characterized in that
    at least one grip (43) is introduced into at least one peripheral region of the tube (50, 51), while the unwound tube (4) is conveyed intermittently.
16. Method according to one of the preceding Claims 7 to 15,
    characterized in that
    two corner welds (46) are introduced into at least one peripheral region (50, 51) of the tube (4) before or after the singulation of the tube (4) into tube sections (18).

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