EP2570351A1 - Deep draw packaging machine for producing standing packaging with formed undercut - Google Patents

Abstract

The deep drawn packaging machine has a molding station with a mold tool base (30) and a sealing station with a sealing tool base. The sealing tool base has a sealed seam bearing as a support for an edge of the stand package during a sealing operation. The molding tool base has a movably mounted mold wall section (32) and the sealed seam bearing has a movably mounted sealed seam bearing section. An independent claim is included for a method for manufacturing stand packages by a deep drawn packaging machine.

Description

The invention relates to a thermoforming packaging machine according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a method according to the preamble of claim 14.

There are thermoforming packaging machines of the applicant in special versions known to produce the packs with an undercut. The undercut is formed by means of a relation to the transport plane of the lower film and obliquely arranged in the transport direction hoist for the forming station, preferably supported by a stamp formed in the lower film. The undercut represents a formation of one side of the molded package well in a direction parallel to the transport direction. The formation can reach below the seal of the package to provide a stand-up for the package. A disadvantage of the embodiment of an inclined hoist and thus oblique movement of the mold lower part is that even the side of the mold cavity, which is the side opposite the undercut, is formed parallel to the undercut, but in the direction of the interior of the packing cavity. This is necessary to prevent collision of the molded packing tray with the mold bottom when opening the forming station. In a side view of the pack, this consequently essentially resembles a parallelogram.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a thermoforming packaging machine and method for operating a thermoforming packaging machine to provide in an improved way a body pack having an undercut in a first sidewall, ideally the second sidewall opposite the first sidewall being independent of the first sidewall Slope of the undercut aligned sidewall should be malleable.

This object is achieved by a thermoforming packaging machine with the features of claim 1 or by a method for operating a thermoforming packaging machine according to claim 14. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

The thermoforming packaging machine according to the invention for producing molded packs with a shaped undercut has a forming station and a sealing station, wherein the forming station has a mold wall section which can be moved within a mold lower part and / or the sealing station has a sealing tool lower part with a movable sealing seam support section for the undercut. This makes it possible to produce an undercut on at least one side wall of the stationary pack, for example by means of a vertically arranged lifting mechanism or a vertical lifting movement at the forming and sealing station. In this case, the side walls may be formed without an undercut as vertical sides or generally independent of the inclination of the wall with the rear portion in order to maximize the packing volume. In the context of the invention, an undercut is understood to mean that the molded pack has a section that springs back below this edge of the packaging below the level of a packaging edge. In a projection on the level of the packaging edge therefore there is an overlap area between the packaging edge and the undercut.

Preferably, in each case a movable mold wall section is provided in the lower mold part for a mold cavity and / or in each case a movable seal seam support section in the sealing tool lower part for at least one pack to be sealed. As a result, a collision of the undercut of the flat pack with the lower die or the lower part of the seal can be prevented when the mold or sealing station is opened.

In an advantageous embodiment, the mold wall section and / or the sealed seam support section has at least one upwardly pivotable upper part and a lower and / or laterally movable lower part in order to move the undercut from the lower mold part and / or the lower sealing part perpendicular to the film plane To allow molding or sealing process.

Preferably, the lower part is pivotable about an axis which is parallel to a film plane. This allows a simple structural design.

In a further embodiment, the upper part is movable or pivotable with respect to the film plane with the movement of the lower mold part or the lower part of the sealing tool. Since a lower film prevents movement of the upper part in the direction of the film plane even with a closed molding or sealing station, a coupling allows the movement of the upper part with the movement of the mold lower part or the sealing tool lower part a collision-free opening of the molding or sealing station.

Preferably, the lower part and the upper part are movable independently of each other in order to allow movements to take place in parallel over time and not unnecessarily prolong the process times of the forming and sealing station.

All lower parts are preferably movable by a common drive and / or all upper parts are movable by a common drive. This leads to a cost-effective design, for example with a pneumatic cylinder or electric motor as a drive.

The movable sealed seam support section is preferably provided for one or more packages, for example for a track or a series of packages in a sealing station. This reduces the number of parts and simplifies the drive.

The mold wall section and / or the seal seam support section are movable, as an alternative to being pivotable, parallel to the film plane, in order to allow a simple construction and a movement which is independent of the film plane.

Preferably, the mold wall sections and / or the sealed seam support sections each have a common drive.

For the mold wall section and / or the sealed seam support section, a return mechanism is preferably provided by means of at least one spring for moving the mold wall section or the sealed seam support section into an open position. This allows, for example, the use of a low-cost, single-acting pneumatic cylinder as a common drive.

In an advantageous embodiment, a controller is provided to control the movable mold wall portion and / or the movable seal seam support portion.

In the method according to the invention for operating a thermoforming packaging machine in order to produce still packs having a shaped undercut, the thermoforming packaging machine has a forming station and a sealing station, which in turn have a mold lower part or a sealing tool lower part. According to the invention, a mold wall section of the mold lower part is movable in the region of the undercut and / or a section of a sealed seam support of the sealing tool lower part, on which one edge of the standing pack rests during the seal, is movable relative to the remaining sealed seam support. This makes it possible, after the forming or sealing operation, to release the movable mold wall section or the sealed seam support section from the still pack in order to enable the removal of the molded packaging tray or the finished pack from the mold or the sealing tool.

Optionally, the movable mold wall portion or the sealing seam support portion could be pivotally and / or translationally movable.

The movement of the movable mold wall section and / or the sealed seam support section may overlap in time at least partially with the movement of the mold lower part in the vertical direction or generally relative to an original film plane to avoid collision of the tool lower parts with the undercut.

• Figur 1: eine schematische Seitenansicht einer erfindungsgemäßen Tiefziehverpackungsmaschine,
• Figur 2: eine Standpackung,
• Figur 3a: eine Seitenansicht auf den Hinterschnitt der Standpackung,
• Figur 3b: eine Seitenansicht der Standpackung in stehender Position,
• Figur 4: ein Formwerkzeugunterteil mit geöffnetem Formwandabschnitt,
• Figur 5a: eine Schnittansicht des Formwerkzeugunterteils in geschlossener Stellung,
• Figur 5b: eine Schnittansicht des Formwerkzeugunterteils in geöffneter Stellung,
• Figur 6: ein Siegelwerkzeugunterteil mit geöffnetem Siegelnahtauflageabschnitt,
• Figur 7a: eine Schnittansicht des Siegelwerkzeugunterteils in geschlossener Stellung,
• Figur 7b: eine Schnittansicht des Siegelwerkzeugunterteils in geöffneter Stellung, und
• Figur 8: eine weitere Schnittansicht des Siegelwerkzeugunterteils mit einer Rückholeinrichtung.

In the following, an advantageous embodiment of the invention is illustrated in more detail with reference to a drawing. In detail show:

• FIG. 1 FIG. 2: a schematic side view of a thermoforming packaging machine according to the invention, FIG.
• FIG. 2 a stand pack,
• FIG. 3a : a side view of the undercut of the standing pack,
• FIG. 3b : a side view of the standing pack in a standing position,
• FIG. 4 a mold base with open mold wall section,
• FIG. 5a FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the mold base in the closed position. FIG.
• FIG. 5b : a sectional view of the mold lower part in the open position,
• FIG. 6 a sealing tool base with an open sealed seam support section,
• Figure 7a FIG. 3: a sectional view of the sealing tool lower part in the closed position, FIG.
• FIG. 7b a sectional view of the sealing tool base in the open position, and
• FIG. 8 : Another sectional view of the sealing tool lower part with a return device.

The same components are provided throughout the figures with the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a thermoforming packaging machine 1 according to the invention. This thermoforming packaging machine 1 has a forming station 2, a sealing station 3, a cross-cutting device 4 and a longitudinal cutting device 5, which are arranged in this order in a working direction R on a machine frame 6. On the input side is located on the machine frame 6, a feed roller 7, from which a film 8 is withdrawn. In the region of the sealing station 3, a material reservoir 9 is provided, from which a cover film 10 is drawn off. On the output side, a discharge device 13 in the form of a conveyor belt is provided on the packaging machine, with the finished, isolated packages 21 are removed. Furthermore, the thermoforming packaging machine 1 has a feeding device, not shown, which grips the film 8 and transports it further per working cycle in the working direction R. The feed device can be designed, for example, by transport chains arranged on both sides.

In the illustrated embodiment, the forming station 2 is formed as a thermoforming station for forming mold cavities with undercut, are formed in the film 8 by deep drawing troughs 14. In this case, the forming station 2 may be designed such that in the direction perpendicular to the working direction R several troughs are formed side by side. In the working direction R behind the forming station 2, an insertion path 15 is provided, in which the molds 16 formed in the film 8 are filled with product 16.

The sealing station 3 has a closable chamber 17, in which the atmosphere in the wells 14 can be replaced prior to sealing, for example, by gas purging with a replacement gas or with a gas mixture.

The cross-cutting device 4 is designed as a punch, which cuts through the film 8 and the cover film 10 in a direction transverse to the working direction R between adjacent depressions 14. In this case, the cross-cutting device 4 operates such that the film 8 is not separated over the entire width, but is not severed at least in an edge region. This allows a controlled onward transport by the feed device. The longitudinal cutting device 5 is formed in the illustrated embodiment as a knife assembly with which the film 8 and the lid film 10 are cut between adjacent wells 14 and at the lateral edge of the film 8, so that behind the longitudinal cutting device 5 individual packs are present.

The thermoforming packaging machine 1 also has a controller 18. It has the task to control the processes running in the thermoforming packaging machine 1 processes and monitor. A display device 19 with operating elements 20 serves to visualize or influence the process sequences in the thermoforming packaging machine 1 for or by an operator.

The general operation of the packaging machine 1 is briefly described below:

The film 8 is withdrawn from the feed roller 7 and transported by the feed device in the forming station 2. In the forming station 2 troughs 14 are formed by deep drawing in the film 8. The troughs 14 are transported along with the surrounding area of the film 8 in a main working cycle to the insertion path 15 in which they are filled with product 16.

Subsequently, the filled wells 14 are transported together with the surrounding area of the film 8 in the main working cycle by the feed device in the sealing station 3. The lidding film 10 is transported on to the foil 8 with the advancing movement of the film 8 after a sealing operation. In this case, the lidding film 10 is withdrawn from the material storage 9. The sealing of the lidding film 10 on the troughs 14 produces sealed packs 21 which are separated in the subsequent cutting stations 4 and 5 and transported out of the thermoforming packaging machine 1 by means of the discharge device 13.

FIG. 2 shows a finished, state of the art package 21 according to the invention, which has a trough 14 for receiving products 16 and Wiederverschlussnoppen 22. Along a horizontal, circumferential packing edge 23 runs a likewise circumferential sealing seam 24 and at one corner is shown an opening aid 25 in the form of an upwardly shaped nub. On a side wall 27 of the standing pack 21, two undercuts 26 are formed. These undercuts 26 are located directly below the edge of the packaging 23 or even project beyond the package edge 23 to the outside.

FIG. 3a shows in a side view of the standing pack 21, the undercuts 26 which have a horizontal depth T with respect to the side wall 27 and thereby have a relation to a film plane E oblique course. The film plane E is the plane of the package edge 23 from which the film 8 has been deep-drawn.

In FIG. 3b the standing pack 21 is shown in its intended sales position. The stand function is made possible on the one hand by a lower corner 28 of each of the two undercuts 26 and on the other hand by the pack edge 23 which is located on the same side as the undercuts 26. In this position, the standing pack 21 stands on a surface F.

FIG. 4 shows a mold base used in the molding station 2 30 with four mold cavities 31 for deep drawing a previously heated film 8 by means of negative pressure from below and / or pressure from above. Optionally, in addition to thermoforming the film 8 by means of negative pressure and / or overpressure, an optionally heatable forming die may also be provided in order to deep-draw the film 8 into the mold cavities 31. This forming die could deep-draw the film 8, in particular in the areas in which, for example, because of the narrow radii, deep-drawing alone by means of underpressure or overpressure would be difficult. On each side of the mold cavities 31, a movable mold wall portion 32 is provided to allow the undercut 26 there. The mold wall section 32 has a lower part in the form of a pivotable mold angle 33 and an upper part in the form of an upper lever 34 and is thus movable relative to the rest of the mold lower part 30.

As in FIG. 5a represented, the shape angle 33 of the mold lower part 30 by means of a drive M2 about an axis parallel to the film plane E axis 35 is pivotable; Similarly, the lever 34 is pivotable about a rectified axis 36 by means of a drive M1. In this illustration, the mold angle 33 and the lever 34 are in a closed position intended to deeply pull the film 8 into the mold cavity 31. In this case, the laterally projecting to the right over the side wall 27 undercut 26 is formed.

FIG. 5b shows the mold bottom 30 having a clockwise pivoted angle 33. This allows the mold bottom 30 to descend vertically downward and release the molded film 8 for further transport of the film 8, without the molded pack 21 in the region of the undercuts 26 with the angle 33 or the lever 34 collides. The upper lever 34 pivots passively in a clockwise direction, while the mold lower part 30 moves downwards from the film 8, in order to exclude a collision with the undercuts 26.

FIG. 6 shows a used in the sealing station 3 sealing tool base 40 with sealed seam pads 41, which are provided for the edges 23 of the packs 21. The sealed seam support 41 is a horizontal region of the sealing tool lower part 40 that runs around a depression 40a for receiving a state pack 21. The horizontal package seal 21 likewise rests on this horizontal, flat seal seam support 41 during the sealing process. The seal seam support 41 takes on together with the pack edge 23, the forces exerted on the sealing forces of the sealing tool.

A part of the sealed seam support 41, namely the sealed seam support portion 41a, is movable relative to the remaining sealed seam support 41. In the sealing tool lower part 40 according to FIG FIG. 6 Two such movable Siegeinahtauflageabschnitte 41 a are provided, which are each associated with two recesses 40 a. The adjustment of the sealing seam support portions 41 a via eccentric 42, which can be coupled together and driven by a pneumatic cylinder as the drive M3.

Figure 7a shows the sealing tool lower part 40 in a closed position after the sealing tool lower part 40 has been moved upwards and thus the sealing station 3 has been closed. About the eccentric 42 and an eccentric 43 Siegelnahtauflageabschnitte 41 a have been moved to the position in which they support the pack edge 23 and the seal is made by means of pressure and temperature. This makes it possible to generate a sealing seam 24 running on the package edge 23, which is located above the undercut 26.

Once the sealing process is completed and no sealing pressure is present, is about a rotation of the eccentric lever 42 and the eccentric 43, as in FIG. 7b shown, the sealed seam support portion 41 a as far as moves (in FIG. 7b to the right) that the undercut 26 during the downward movement of the sealing tool lower part 40 does not collide with the sealed seam support portion 41 a and the sealing tool lower part 40 itself.

FIG. 8 shows in a further sectional view of the sealing tool lower part 40, a return device 44 for the sealed seam support portion 41 a. The sealing seam support portion 41a horizontally displaceable by the eccentric 43 is pressed in the direction of the eccentric 43 by springs 46 relative to a member 47 which is fastened to the sealing tool lower part 40. Thus, a return movement of the sealed seam support portion 41 a on the eccentric 43 is provided by the springs 46.

The shown number of four state packs 21, which are processed in a mold lower part 30 or sealing tool bottom part 40, is not limited to this number. Other arrangements or a different number of packs 21 produced or sealed in the tool 30, 40 are conceivable. In another way, the thermoforming packaging machine according to the invention and the method according to the invention for producing packaged packages can be modified. For example, it is conceivable that the movable mold wall portion 32 of the mold lower part 30 is translationally movable - both in a one-piece, as well as in a two-part design with lower and upper 33, 34. The movable seal seam support portion 41 a could be pivoted instead of a translational mobility be stored, and as well as the mold wall portion 32 of the sealed seam support portion 41 a instead of a one-piece design could also be made in two parts with lower and upper part. Of course, it is conceivable that deviating from the illustrated embodiment, a separate, movable sealed seam support portion 41 a is provided for each recess 40a in the sealing tool lower part 40. In addition, it would be conceivable that not only one, but a plurality of movable sections 32, 41 a are provided in the mold lower part 30 and / or in the sealing tool lower part 40 per mold cavity 31 or recesses 40a, if this is advantageous for reasons of the geometry of the undercuts 26 should represent.

Claims (15)

Thermoforming packaging machine for producing stand packs (21) having an undercut (26) formed in the packs (21), the thermoforming packaging machine (1) comprising a forming station (2) with a mold bottom (30) and a sealing station (3) with a seal tool bottom (40) ), and wherein the sealing tool lower part (40) has a sealed seam support (41) as a support for an edge (23) of the stationary pack (21) during a sealing operation,
characterized in that the lower mold part (30) has a movably mounted mold wall section (32) and / or the sealed seam support (41) has a movably mounted sealed seam support section (41 a). Thermoforming packaging machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the mold lower part (30) has one or more mold cavities (31) and each mold cavity (31) is provided in each case a movable mold wall portion (32). Thermoforming packaging machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the movable sealed seam support section (41 a) in the sealing tool lower part (40) is part of the sealed seam support (41) for one or more state packs (21). Thermoforming packaging machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mold wall portion (32) and / or the sealed seam support portion (41 a) at least one upwardly pivotable upper part (34) and a downwardly and / or laterally movable lower part (34) to To move out of the undercut (26) of the stationary pack (21) from the mold lower part (30) and / or the sealing tool lower part (40) perpendicular to a film plane (E) after the forming or sealing operation to allow. Thermoforming packaging machine according to claim 4, characterized in that the lower part (33) about an axis (35) is pivotable, which is parallel to the film plane (E). Thermoforming packaging machine according to one of claims 4 or 5, characterized in that the upper part (34) with the movement of the mold lower part (30) or the sealing tool lower part (40) relative to the film plane (E) is movable or pivotable. Thermoforming packaging machine according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the lower part (33) and the upper part (34) are movable independently of each other. Thermoforming packaging machine according to one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that all lower parts (33) of the mold lower part (30) or of the sealing tool lower part (40) by a common drive (M2, M3) are movable. Thermoforming packaging machine according to one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that all the upper parts (34) of the mold lower part (30) or of the sealing tool lower part (40) by a common drive (M1) are movable. Thermoforming packaging machine according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the mold wall portion (32) and / or the seal seam support portion (41 a) parallel to the film plane (E) are movable. Thermoforming packaging machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mold wall sections (32) and / or the sealed seam support sections (41 a) each have a common drive (M1, M2, M3). Thermoforming packaging machine according to one of claims 10 or 11, characterized in that for the mold wall portion (32) and / or the sealed seam support portion (41 a) a return mechanism (44) by means of at least a spring (46) is provided to move the mold wall portion (32) and / or the sealed seam support portion (41 a) in an open position. Thermoforming packaging machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a controller (18) is provided to control the movable mold wall portion (32) and / or the movable Siegeinahtauflageabschnitt (41 a). Method for producing stand-up packs (21) by means of a thermoforming packaging machine (1), wherein in a forming station (2) of the thermoforming packaging machine (1) packaging trays (14) with an undercut (26) are deep-drawn into a mold lower part (30), and wherein the packs (21) during sealing in a sealing station (30) of the thermoforming packaging machine (1) with packaging edges (23) resting on a sealed seam support (41) of a sealing tool lower part (40),
characterized in that a mold wall section (32) of the mold lower part (30) is movable and / or that a sealed seam support section (41 a) of the sealed seam support (41) of the sealing tool lower part (40) is movable in order to remove the undercut (26) of the state pack ( 21) from the mold lower part (30) or from the sealing tool lower part (40) to allow. A method according to claim 14, characterized in that at least a part of the movable mold wall portion (32) and / or at least a part of the movable sealed seam support portion (41 a) is pivoted and / or moved translationally.

Images