EP2930116B1 - Belt drive device of a strapping machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to tape drive means for a strapping machine according to the features of the preamble of claim 1.

The invention relates to a belt drive device for a strapping machine. Strapping is used to hold a plurality of products together by means of a preferably tightened strapping band. According to the known state of the art, the strapping band is looped loosely around the product group by means of a band guide frame. The strapping band is withdrawn so that it attaches to the products and then the strapping band is tightened and secured by means of a back tensioning device. In order to be able to guide the strapping band around the object to be strapped or the product group to be strapped, a belt drive device is necessary inter alia.

A strapping machine, for example, in the published patent application DE 196 02 579 A1 described. This discloses a under the work table placed belt drive means comprising a combined means for shooting, retrieving and retightening of the strap.

A basic problem in the operation of strapping machines is the trouble-free processing of the strapping band. In strapping machines each one Einschieß- Rückhol- unit for shooting the strapping in the tape guide frame and for retrieving the strapping tape from the tape guide frame is provided to apply the strapping around the object to be strapped. A product-dependent back tension unit is provided to tighten the strapping band around the respective strapped object.

The Einschieß- retrieval unit has conventionally a pair of drive rollers, between the roller gap, the strapping is guided in the insertion and return direction. The Rückspanneinheit has another pair of tension rollers, between the roller gap, the strapping also passed through and at least one of the rollers in the return direction to the object to be strapped in the strapping machine can be tensioned.

Guiding channel sections are provided for guiding a strapping band through the band drive device. These guide channel sections form the transport path in the form of a very narrow, precisely defined guide gap in the belt drive device.

The strapping is usually at least partially flexible. Due to the different, very closely nested arranged drive components in the belt drive device, it often comes to blocks the transport path due to the flexibility of the strapping. This is particularly problematic since the strapping is injected at high speeds in the tape drive device and guided by the strapping machine, but on the other hand, during the Umreifungsprozesses the direction of movement of the strapping is partially reversed at least temporarily or the movement is stopped completely for a short time. For example, up to three layers of tape can be stacked over a short distance. These so-called Z-folds are particularly problematic blockages. In such a blockade, the tape can not be easily pulled out. The tape drive must be opened to resolve this blockage again. Often, the tape drive assembly must be partially disassembled to get to the blockade and fix the defect. This leads to high machine downtime.

The Utility Model DE 20 2007 017 208 U1 describes a tape feed, in which the movable drive rollers and the guide cheeks are mounted on separate pivot arms folded away. In particular, the document discloses two movable sections on the feed unit which have mutually cooperating locking means by means of which the movable sections are fixed in an operative position with respect to the fixed tape guide section. By actuating a central locking element, the two sections can be detached from each other and at least partially removed from the fixed tape guide section, so that cleaning work or the like. can be easily done.

The patent DE 10 2009 055 313 B4 describes a tape drive with rollers for shooting in, retrieving and retightening of the strap. The rollers are mounted stationary, additional rollers and guide channel sections are mounted on a movable support member. This carrier element has a working position with closed roller pairs and guide channel sections and a service position with open roller pairs and guide channel sections. The carrier element is a carriage which is mounted displaceably on a linear guide running parallel to the opening direction.

The Utility Model DE 20 2009 001 998 U1 describes a tool-free repairable tape guide channel. This is solvable by a coupling between the devices, with an automatic separation by gravity is possible. Here also separate pivot mechanisms for the rollers and guide cheeks are used.

The object of the invention is to design a tape drive device so that the tape guide channel can be opened easily and quickly to fix blockages through the strapping can, the opening mechanism is not susceptible to interference per se.

The above object is achieved by a tape drive device comprising the features in the protection claim 1. Further advantageous embodiments are described by the subclaims.

The invention relates to a belt drive device for a strapping machine. In a housing and / or frame means for shooting, retrieving and Rückspannen a strapping band are arranged. The means comprise at least one pair of rollers with at least one drive means. Between the rollers of the roller pair, the strapping band is guided in and / or opposite to the insertion direction and then tensioned against the insertion direction around the object to be strapped in the strapping machine. In particular, the means for shooting in, retrieving and restraining the strapping band comprise a shoot-in / retrieve unit for shooting and retrieval, and a back tension unit for tensioning the strap around the object to be strapped.

The strap is guided along a predetermined transport path within the belt drive means past the means for shooting in, retrieving and retightening. The transport path consists of guide channel sections, which are formed by side boundaries. In a first guide channel section, the strapping band drawn from a supply roll or taken from another supply is guided in the direction of the return clamping unit. A second guide channel section connects the back tension unit and the drive unit and, via a third guide channel section, the strapping band is inserted into a band frame and guided around the object to be strapped. The free end of the strapping band is fixed in or on a connecting device. Subsequently, the strapping tape is partially retrieved using the tape drive means, wherein it emerges from the tape guide frame and puts around as still unstrapped loop around the object to be strapped. Subsequently, with the aid of the belt drive device, the back tension of the strapping belt is thereby clamped tightly around the object. The band layers of the strapping band which overlap in the connecting device, for example in a welding device or the like, are connected to one another, for example thermally welded. The strapping formed in this way is separated from the remaining strapping band brought up. The strapped object can then be removed.

A roller of the at least one pair of rollers, in particular the driven roller of the drive unit and the driven roller of the back tension unit, and one of the side boundaries of the guide channel sections of the transport path are arranged stationarily in the band drive device. The other role of the at least one pair of rollers, in particular the non-driven pressure roller of the drive unit and the non-driven pressure roller of the Rückspanneinheit and the other side boundary of the guide channel sections of the transport path, however, are arranged on a movable support member. By means of an actuating means, the movable carrier element with the components arranged thereon can be moved from a closed working position into an opened maintenance position and vice versa. In the closed working position, the respective pairs of rollers of the drive unit and / or the Rückspanneinheit are arranged adjacent to each other such that a between the Roll arranged strapping of each pair of rollers of the roller pair is touched. Thus, the direction of movement of the strap can be changed by the belt drive means due to the rotational movement of the rollers.

The carrier element is associated with a scissor lift device for displacing the carrier element between the closed working position and the opened maintenance position.

Furthermore, the belt drive device comprises at least one centering device for the correct positioning of all components of the belt drive device in the closed working position. In particular, the at least one centering device comprises a centering means and a receptacle for the centering means. In the closed working position, the centering device engages in the receptacle and in the open maintenance position, the centering means and the receptacle are spaced from one another.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the scissor lift device comprises two legs of equal length, which are pivotally connected to each other about an axis in their respective center, so that the legs are movable about an axis in the center of the legs. The legs of the scissor lift are each associated with one end of a floating bearing scissor lift and the other end of a fixed bearing scissor lift. In particular, the floating bearing has a first loose bearing for one end of the first leg and a second loose bearing for one end of the second leg. The fixed bearing has a first fixed bearing point for the other end of the first leg and a second fixed bearing point for the other end of the second leg. The fixed bearing point of the first leg and the loose bearing point of the second leg are arranged on the movable support element. Furthermore, the fixed bearing point of the second leg and the loose bearing point of the first leg are arranged on the housing and / or frame of the belt drive device.

According to one embodiment of the invention it is provided that a centering means is associated with the movable support member and a corresponding receptacle the stationary in the tape drive means arranged associated components. Alternatively or additionally, a centering means is associated with the stationary arranged in the tape drive means components and a corresponding receptacle associated with the movable support member.

It is preferably provided that the centering means tapers in the direction of the corresponding receptacle, while the receptacle widens correspondingly in the direction of the centering means. Due to the shape of the centering means and the receptacle, an optionally existing lateral displacement between the stationary components and the components of the belt drive device arranged on the carrier is corrected during the transfer to the closed working position.

In a blockage of the strapping within the tape drive means of the tape guide channel or transport path of the strapping be opened by the tape drive means easily and quickly by the movable support member is moved. Thereby, the tape drive device is transferred to an open maintenance position with an open tape guide channel, in which the strapping relaxed and easily removed and / or re-inserted. Subsequently, the carrier element is moved back into the closed working position, so that the transport path of the strapping band closed again by the tape drive means and the strapping machine is ready for operation again. No time-consuming assembly work has to be carried out, so that incidents can be remedied extremely quickly.

The construction is not overdetermined by the one-sided sliding seat and can not jam due to the advantageous embodiment of the centering device. In addition, thereby higher manufacturing tolerances are possible. These higher manufacturing tolerances and a reduced sensitivity to contamination reduce costs.

• Figur 1 zeigt eine schematische Ansicht einer Bandantriebseinrichtung in einer geöffneten Wartungsposition.
• Figur 2 zeigt eine schematische Ansicht der Bandantriebseinrichtung in einer geschlossenen Arbeitsposition.
• Figur 3 zeigt eine schematische Ansicht der Rückseite der Bandantriebseinrichtung in der geöffneten Wartungsposition.
• Figur 4 zeigt eine schematische Ansicht der Rückseite der Bandantriebseinrichtung in der geschlossenen Arbeitsposition.
• Figur 5 zeigt ein Detail der Ansicht gemäß Figur 3.
• Figur 6 zeigt ein Detail der Ansicht gemäß Figur 4.

In the following, embodiments of the invention and their advantages with reference to the accompanying figures will be explained in more detail. The proportions of the individual elements to one another in the figures do not always correspond to the actual size ratios, since some shapes are simplified and other shapes are shown enlarged in relation to other elements for better illustration.

• FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a belt drive device in an open maintenance position.
• FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of the tape drive device in a closed working position.
• FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of the back of the tape drive device in the open maintenance position.
• FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of the back of the tape drive device in the closed working position.
• FIG. 5 shows a detail of the view according to FIG. 3 ,
• FIG. 6 shows a detail of the view according to FIG. 4 ,

For identical or equivalent elements of the invention, identical reference numerals are used. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, only reference symbols are shown in the individual figures, which are required for the description of the respective figure. The illustrated embodiments are only examples of how the device according to the invention can be designed and do not represent a final limitation.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a tape drive device 1 for injecting a strapping tape in a tape frame (not shown) in an open maintenance position WP and FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of the tape drive device 1 in a closed working position AP.

The components of the tape drive device 1 are at least partially disposed within a housing or frame 2. The housing 2 has at least one inlet opening E and an outlet opening A for the strapping band. The strapping band is first guided inside the band drive device 1 by a back tensioning unit 20 and subsequently by a drive unit 10. The drive unit 10 is in particular a so-called Einschieß- Rückhol- unit. The transport path of the strapping band (not shown) by the belt drive device 1 takes place within guide channel sections 3, 4, 5. In the first guide channel section 3, the drawn from a supply roll Strapping led in the direction of the Rückspanneinheit 20. The second guide channel section 4 connects the back tensioning unit 20 and the drive unit 10, and the strapping band is finally fed via the third guide channel section 5 to a band frame (not shown) and a connection device (not shown), for example a welding device or the like. In the connecting device, the free ends of the strapped strapping band are connected to each other.

The drive unit 10 comprises a drive roller pair with a driven drive roller 11 and a non-driven pressure roller 12. The pressure roller 12 may for example be coupled to a detection means (not shown), with the aid of which the length of conveyed strap can be determined.

To inject the strapping tape into the tape guide frame (not shown), the drive roller 11 of the drive unit 10 is circulated in the appropriate direction and the strapping tape is guided around the tape guide frame until the free end of the strapping tape is located in the region of the downstream connector. The free end of the strapping band is fixed in the connecting device. Subsequently, the drive roller 11 of the drive unit 10 is driven in the opposite direction, so that the strap is partially retrieved.

The back tension unit 20 comprises a pair of tension rollers 21, 22, which are preferably rubberized. The tensioning roller pair 21, 22 is a drive motor (A21, see FIGS. 3 and 4 ), by means of which a high tensile force can be applied to the return stress of the strap around the object to be strapped.

The guide channel sections 3, 4, 5 are each formed by side boundaries 6, 7. The movable components of the drive and the tape guide, in particular the non-driven pressure roller 12 of the drive roller pair and the non-driven tension roller 22 and the side boundary 7 of the guide channel sections 3, 4, 5 are assigned to a common guide carriage 9. This guide carriage 9 is movably mounted on a scissor lift device 30. In particular, the guide carriage 9 by the Scherenhubeinrichtung 30 of a closed Work position AP are transferred to an open maintenance position WP and vice versa. The scissor lift device 30 comprises two legs 35, which are connected to each other in their respective center M, so that the legs 35 each move about an axis in the center M of the legs.

The storage of the scissor lift device 30 is rotated 90 ° to the resulting direction of movement B1 of the guide carriage 9. The linear opening movement B1 of the guide carriage 9 is realized via two fixed bearings 31 and two bearings with sliding seat 32. The fixed bearing side of the scissor lift device 30 is formed by a fixed bearing 31 a on the housing or frame 2 of the belt drive device 1 and a fixed bearing 31 b on the guide carriage 9. The floating bearing side of the scissor lift device 30 is formed by a bearing point with sliding fit 32a on the housing or frame 2 of the belt drive device 1 and a bearing point with sliding fit 32b on the guide carriage 9. Within the bearing points with sliding seat 32, the respective ends of the legs 35 can be moved in a direction of movement B2 orthogonal to the direction of movement B1 of the guide carriage 9.

The movement of the legs 35 about the center M and in the bearings with sliding seat 32 can be effected via a (not shown) actuator. For example, this can be a rotary knob, a pivot lever or similar. be used.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of the back of the tape drive device 1 in the open maintenance position WP, FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of the back of the tape drive device 1 in the closed working position AP, FIG. 5 shows a detail of the view according to FIG. 3 and FIG. 6 shows a detail of the view according to FIG. 4 ,

The accuracy of the locked end position of the guide carriage 9 in the working position AP is additionally defined by two centering means 40. These define the position of the guide carriage 9 in two directions relative to the components of the drive fixedly arranged in the belt drive device 1, in particular the drive roller 11 of the drive roller pair 10 driven by a first motor A11 (cf. Figures 1 and 2 ), driven by a second motor A21 drive roller 21 of the tension roller pair 20 (see FIGS. 1 and 2 ) and the associated guide components of the guide channel sections 3, 4, 5, in particular the side boundary 6.

In an open maintenance position WP, the centering means 40 are arranged at a distance from the corresponding receptacles 42. In a closed working position, the centering means 40 arranged on the guide carriage 9 engage in the corresponding receptacles 42 assigned to the fixed components. The centering means 40 each have at least one obliquely formed side surface. For example, the centering means 40 are formed as a cone, blunt cone, pyramid or blunt pyramid. The receptacles 42 are formed corresponding thereto. Due to the selected shape of the centering means 40 and the corresponding shape of the receptacles 42, all components of the tape drive device 1 are correctly positioned and / or aligned in the closed working position AP.

The construction is not overdetermined by the one-sided sliding seat and can not jam. In addition, thereby higher manufacturing tolerances are possible. These higher manufacturing tolerances and a reduced sensitivity to contamination in particular have a cost-reducing effect. Also, the tape drive device 1 is less susceptible to defects.

The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications or changes may be made to the invention without departing from the scope of the following claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Tape drive means

2

Frame and / or housing

3

Guide channel section

4

Guide channel section

5

Guide channel section

6

page limit

7

page limit

9

guide carriage

10

Drive unit / drive roller pair

11

driven drive roller

12

non-driven pressure roller

20

Back tension unit / tensioner pair

21

driven tension roller / drive roller of the tensioner pair

22

non-driven tension pulley

30

Scissors lifting device

31

fixed bearing

32

Bearing point with sliding seat

35

leg

40

centering

42

admission

A

outlet opening

AP

working position

B

movement direction

e

inlet opening

M

Focus

WP

maintenance position

Claims (6)

1. Belt drive device (1) for a strapping machine, with a housing and / or a frame (2), the housing and / or frame comprising means (10, 20) for injecting, retrieving and back tensioning the strapping band, the means (10, 20) comprising at least one roller pair (11, 12, 21, 22) with at least one driving means (A11, A12), wherein the strapping band is guided between the rollers of the roller pair driven in and against the injection direction, wherein the strapping band is tensioned around the object to be strapped when driven against the injection direction within the strapping machine, and a transport path for the strapping band that is associated with the means (10, 20) for injecting, retrieving and back tensioning, wherein the transport path consists of guide channel sections (3, 4, 5) that are formed by lateral boundaries (6,7), wherein one roller (11, 21) of the at least one roller pair (10, 20) and one lateral boundary (6) are arranged stationarily fixed within the belt drive device (1) and wherein the other roller (12, 22) of the at least one roller pair (10, 20) and the other lateral boundary (7) are arranged on a movable carrier element (9), wherein the carrier element (9) is convertible between a closed working position (AP) and an opened maintenance position (WP) by an actuating means, characterized in that a scissor lifting device is associated with the carrier element (9) for the displacement of the support carrier (9) between the closed working position (AP) and the open maintenance position (WP), wherein the belt drive device (1) comprises at least one centering device for the correct positioning of all components of the belt drive device (1) in the closed working position, wherein the at least one centering device comprises a centering means (40) and a receptacle (42) for the centering means (40), wherein in the closed working position (AP) the centering means (40) engages into the receptacle (42), and wherein in the open maintenance position (WP) the centering means (40) is arranged spaced apart from the receptacle (42).
2. Belt drive device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the scissor lifting device (30) comprises two equally long limbs (35) that are pivotally connected to each other in their respective center (M) about an axis, wherein the scissor lifting device (30) comprises a movable bearing (32) with a first loose bearing point (32a) for one end of the first limb (35) and a second loose bearing point (32b) for one end of the second limb (35) and a solid bearing with a first fixed bearing point (31 b) for the other end of the first limbs (35) and a second fixed bearing point (31 a) for the other end of the second limb (35), and wherein the fixed bearing point (31 b) of the first limb (35) and the loose bearing point (32b) of the second limb (35) are arranged at the movable carrier element (9) and wherein the fixed bearing point (31 a) of the second limb (35) and the loose bearing point (32a) of the first limb (35) are arranged on the housing and / or frame (2) of the belt drive device (1).
3. Belt drive device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the centering means (40) is associated with the movable carrier element (9), and wherein the receptacle (42) is associated with components that are stationarily fixed within the belt drive device (1).
4. Belt drive device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the centering means (40) is associated the components of the belt drive device (1) that are stationarily fixed within the belt drive device (1) and wherein the receptacle (42) is associated with the movable carrier element (9).
5. Belt drive device (1) according to one of the previous claims, wherein the centering means (40) tapers toward the receptacle (42) and wherein the receptacle (42) correspondingly enlarges in the direction of the centering means (40).
6. Belt drive device (1) according to one of the previous claims, wherein the actuating means is a rotary knob or pivoting lever.

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