EP3003878B1 - Transporting device for transporting a bag section in a bag-filling installation - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a transport device for the transport of a bag section between individual stations of a bag filling plant and a bag filling plant for the filling of bag sections of a film web with bulk material with such a transport device.

In principle, it is known that bag sections are to be filled with bag material from a film web with bulk material. For this purpose, different stations, such as a bottom seam sealing station, a bottom seam cooling station, a filling station, a top sealing station and a top seam cooling station are present in the bag filling installation. Between these individual stations, a transport of the bag section must take place. This transport is known to be performed by gripping devices, which are formed for example in the pendulum drive are. However, the final transport movement, in particular between the top seam station and the button seam cooling station is usually carried out in the filled state of the bag on a conveyor belt.

US Pat. No. 4,510,736 A and EP 1 050 457 A2 show known bag filling. A disadvantage of known transport devices is that, starting from the top seam cooling station, an undesired load on the freshly sealed top seam should be let. Thus, by filling with bulk material within the bag section, a weight force is generated to the outside, which represents corresponding mechanical stress on the still fresh and warm top seam. If, as is already the case with various known bag filling systems, a pendulum lifting of the final movement of the bag section is carried out with the aid of a fourth gripping device, a pull is produced on the top seam, which likewise represents an undesired mechanical load.

It is an object of the present invention to at least partially overcome the disadvantages described above. In particular, it is an object of the present invention, in a cost effective and simple way to ensure the transport of the filled material section to the last station in the form of the top seam cooling station.

The above object is achieved by a transport device with the features of claim 1 and a bag filling system of claim 10. Further features of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims, the description and the drawings. In this case, features and details that are described in the context of the transport device according to the invention apply, of course, also in connection with the bag filling system according to the invention and in each case vice versa, so that with respect to the disclosure of the individual aspects of the invention always reciprocal reference is or can be.

A transport device according to the invention serves to transport a bag section between individual stations of a bag filling plant. For this purpose, the transport device on a first gripping device for the transport of a ground seam station to a bottom seam cooling station. Further, a second gripping device is provided for transport from the bottom seam cooling station to a filling station. For the transport from the filling station to a topping station, a third gripping device is provided. According to the invention a transport device is characterized in that an auxiliary gripping device for the transport of the bag section from the top seam station to a top seam cooling station is arranged. The gripping position of the top seam station and the release position of the top seam cooling station are arranged at the same height.

Each of the gripping devices, in particular the additional gripping device, has a gripping position and a release position. For the transport between two positions, the gripping position is defined in the position in which the gripping of the bag section takes place, and in the same way in the position in which the detachment of the bag section takes place, the release position is defined. Gripping position and release position are of relevance, in particular with regard to their height within the bag filling system. The fact that the individual gripping devices often move in pendulum mode, they swing so to speak between the gripping position and the release position back and forth. Within this pendulum operation, the gripping position and the release position directed towards the two sides form the end positions with the final height in the respective direction.

By a construction according to the invention of the transport device, a final transport possibility for the bag section to the top seam cooling station is now made available. However, this is designed so that gripping position and release position are formed at the same height. This ensures that no immersion of the additional gripping device in the bulk material of the bag follows. Also excessive drag is avoided by unwanted lifting of the top seam of the bag section. By forming the gripping position and the release position at the same height or at substantially the same height, it is ensured that excessive mechanical stress on the fresh and still hot produced top seam is avoided. This leads to higher security and in particular to improved quality of the bag section. Since the top seam is finally cooled only in the top seam cooling station and the material only solidifies there, in particular the transport path between the top seam station and the top seam cooling station is highly relevant with regard to possible mechanical influencing factors on the top seam.

Under the same height of the gripping position and the release position is to understand the technical relation of this height equality. Of course, tolerance-related small height differences in the range of a few centimeters or of a few millimeters. At the same height gripping position and release position are then when the advantages of the invention occur and an undesirable upward pull or unwanted immersion of the auxiliary gripping device are avoided in the bulk down.

The equality of the height for gripping position and release position is in particular to be distinguished from different heights, which can be taken in the first and to the third gripping device. Thus, for other stations of the bag filling system deliberately a different height positioning between gripping position and release position of advantage. This will be explained later. In particular, up and down movement between the gripping position and the release position correlates over the individual gripping device, so that preferably a pendulum drive device can be used for all gripping devices. However, this would basically mean that up and down operation is necessary for all transport routes. Only through the inventive design of a Zusatzgreifvorrichtung a so-called independent transport or independent transport between Kopfnahtstation and Kopfnahtkühlstation is possible, which allows a consistent height between gripping position and release position here.

Another advantage is that in a transport device according to the present invention, a defined positioning of the top seam for the final filling takes place. While in known bag filling often no gripping device for transport between Kopfnahtstation and Kopfnahtkühlstation was present, now a defined position is given by the release position for the top seam according to the invention. The release position thus correlates with the corresponding position of the top seam in this release position. Thus, this release position can be approached exactly and thus the top seam can be arranged exactly in the desired position in the top seam cooling station. The cooling quality, but above all, the clock speed at which the Kopfnahtkühlung can be performed is increased significantly in this way.

It is also advantageous if in a transport device according to the invention for the second gripping device, the gripping position is arranged in the bottom seam cooling station below the release position in the filling station. This means that the bag section of the Bottom seam cooling station to the filling station is moved from bottom to top, so to speak. Thus, the filling station can be designed cheaper and easier. Thus, in the filling station, for example, a hopper is provided, via which the bulk material can be introduced into the interior of the bag section. If a second gripping device now carries out a movement from the bottom seam cooling station to the filling station from the bottom to the top, insertion of the filling funnel into the bag section is, as it were, automatically possible. By adjusting the pendulum rod lengths in pendulum mode for the gripping device such a movement from bottom to top is simple and inexpensive to produce. The pivoting from bottom to top thus allows the filling station, in particular the hopper stationary and thus inexpensive and structurally simple form.

It is also advantageous if, in a transport device according to the invention for the third gripping device, the gripping position is arranged in the filling station above the release position in the head seam sealing station. Thus, starting from the filling station, a downward movement of the bag section is generated. As has already been explained, a hopper in a stationary arrangement may preferably be provided in the filling station. Thus, by the movement from top to bottom, starting from the filling station, a removal of the filled bag section from the hopper. In addition, the upper head region of the bag section is relaxed, so that an arcuate course of the upper head end of the bag can be avoided. For the arrangement of the head end of the bag section in the subsequent top seal station this is of decisive advantage. Thus, the head end of the bag section will be substantially straight, so that even a straight-line formation of a top seam can be provided. Also, the material is relieved after filling when the bulk material acts as a weight force within the bag section on the material.

It is also advantageous if in a transport device according to the invention, the individual gripping devices, in particular also the additional gripping device, are designed as a pendulum device, which are guided between the respective gripping position and the respective release position along a curved path. The pendulum device is to be understood as meaning that a curved path is formed as a pendulum rocker between the respective gripping position and the respective release position. The gripping position on the release position thereby form the respective end points and thus the reversal points of the Oscillation in this curved path. Thus, this gripping position and the release position form the extreme points, in particular with regard to height and / or depth of the respective gripping device. A pendulum device makes it possible to provide a particularly inexpensive and simple construction method. The control or regulation of a drive for such a shuttle is particularly easy. It is particularly preferred if a common drive device is designed for such a pendulum device. Each gripping device is thus provided with gripping jaws, which are on a pendulum rod, for example, parallelogram, movable. By simple geometric correlation of the individual pendulum rods thus defined positions of the gripping position and the release position of the respective gripping device are adjustable. A mechanical transport coupling of the individual gripping devices is particularly inexpensive and easy to achieve in this way.

In addition, it is advantageous if in a transport device according to the invention the additional gripping device has clamping jaws which are designed as contact cooling elements. The contact cooling elements are adapted in terms of their surface structure and their material to the effect that they can perform an intermediate cooling or initial cooling of the top of the head seam sealing station still warm material of the bag section. Thus, the temperature between the head seam sealing station and the top seam cooling station for the top seam is already reduced, so that the subsequent cooling in the top seam cooling station can start from a lower starting temperature. The subsequent cooling time is significantly reduced by the use of the transport path already for cooling, so that a reduction in the cycle time of the top seam cooling station can also have a positive effect on the overall production speed of the bag filling system. The gripping situation of the additional gripping device with the clamping jaws is preferably provided in the region or directly at the weld seam. Also, in such a case, these clamping jaws preferably extend as cooling elements over the entire or essentially the entire width of the bag section.

It may also be advantageous if, in a transport device according to the invention, a common drive device is coupled with all gripper devices and with the additional gripper device for the transmission of the transport forces. This coupling can be done directly or indirectly. The transport power is the necessary Force, which is required for the movement of the respective bag section between two adjacent stations. If a common drive device is provided, it is crucial for the necessary transport force, in particular the movement of the filled bag section, between the last three stations. The drive device may, for example, have a driven disk which has a decentralized connection of a coupling rod for the respective pendulum device of the gripping device. The coupling with the help of the coupling rod can be done directly on a respective pendulum rod. Also, a coupling of individual pendulum rods with each other and thus indirectly to the drive device in the context of the present invention conceivable. The reduction to a common drive device reduces the complexity and thus the cost of a transport device according to the invention.

Another advantage can be achieved if, in a transport device according to the invention, the additional gripping device is coupled via an additional coupling device with one of the gripping devices and thus indirectly with the common drive device. Thus, the auxiliary gripping device and the respective gripping device have e.g. Pendulum rods, which can be connected to each other via the additional coupling device as a coupling rod. In this way, an additional reduction of the design complexity can be achieved. Also already existing pendulum devices can be reused in a new bag filling, since the additional coupling device allows easy coupling of the auxiliary gripping device to existing drives. This reduces the cost of construction and manufacturing.

It is also advantageous if, in a transport device according to the invention, the gripping device and / or the additional gripping device have a four-jointed construction. In other words, two pendulum rods are provided, which are fastened with two fixed joints on a frame of the bag filling system. With two other joints, the four-joint construction is completed, so that a parallel swinging of the gripping device or the additional gripping device to the frame along a pendulum motion can be performed. The individual pendulum rods of a gripping device or the additional gripping are formed within the four-bar construction in particular as a parallelogram for the generation of the desired movement. A four-jointed construction is defined in terms of a defined adjustment of the gripping positions and the release positions be preferred. Also, a defined movement along a guideway is easier and less expensive to adjust.

It is also advantageous if in a transport device according to the invention, the gripping device by the additional gripping device have a four-joint construction, which are designed as a parallelogram, the angle of the two parallelograms differ from each other. The four-joint construction has already been explained in detail in the previous paragraph. Gripping device and additional gripping device here both have a four-joint construction. By distinguishing the angles in the respective parallelogram, a preferred curve correlation is achieved. Thus, in this way, in particular an independent height difference between gripping position and release position for the gripping devices and / or the additional gripping device decoupled from each other possible. An angle within the parallelogram is to be understood in particular as the angle which forms as an acute angle between the base and the lateral limb of the parallelogram.

Likewise provided by the present invention is a bag filling system for filling bag sections of a film web with a bulk material, comprising at least one transport device for transporting the bag sections between individual stations of the bag filling system according to the present invention. By using a transport device according to the invention, a bag filling system according to the invention brings the same advantages as have been explained in detail with reference to a transport device according to the invention.

Fig. 1

eine Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Sackfüllanlage,

Fig. 2

eine Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Transportvorrichtung,

Fig. 3

eine Parallelogrammdarstellung der Ausführungsform der Fig. 2, und

Fig. 4

eine seitliche Höhendifferenzdarstellung einer erfindungsgemäßen Transportvorrichtung.

Further advantages, features and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description in which, with reference to the drawings, embodiments of the invention are described in detail. The features mentioned in the claims and in the description may each be essential to the invention individually or in any desired combination. They show schematically:

Fig. 1

an embodiment of a bag filling plant according to the invention,

Fig. 2

an embodiment of a transport device according to the invention,

Fig. 3

a parallelogram representation of the embodiment of the Fig. 2 , and

Fig. 4

a lateral height difference representation of a transport device according to the invention.

In Fig. 1 schematically a bag filling plant 100 according to the invention is shown. Starting from a Vorlagerolle right a film web 200 is continuously unrolled. Via a buffer device, which is designed here as a dancer device, a conversion into a batchwise advantage of the film web 200 takes place. From right to left, different processing stations are now arranged as stations 170. These are first a bottom seam station 110, which also has a cutting device for cutting individual bag sections 210. As the next station 170, a bottom seam cooling station 120 is arranged. Subsequently, there is a filling station 130 as the station 170. The filling station 130 is followed by a station 170 in the form of a top seal station 140. The last station 170 is a top cooling station 150. Between the individual stations 170 gripping devices 20, 30 and 40 and an additional gripping device 50 are provided. These gripping devices 20, 30 and 40 and the additional gripping device 50 then take over the transport of the respective bag section 210 between the adjacent stations 170.

Fig. 2 schematically shows how a transport device 10 according to the invention with individual gripping devices, here 30 and 40, and an additional gripping device 50, can be configured as a pendulum device. Thus, the gripping devices 30 and 40 are here formed within a parallelogram of a shuttle. They are coupled via a coupling device 62 with a common drive device 60, which is designed as a rotary disk with a decentralized connection of the coupling device 62. By rotation of the drive device 60 is now a pendulum movement of the parallelogram and thus the second gripping device 30 and the third gripping device 40th

Of the Fig. 2 is also an additional gripping device in the form of additional gripping device 50 can be seen, which jaws 52 has. In order to also be able to move the additional gripper device 50 in pendulum mode, an additional coupling device 54 is used as a coupling rod to the parallelogram of the pendulum device of the second gripping device 30 and the third gripping device 40. All pendulum drives are articulated hinged to the upper frame 12 of the transport device 10. This embodiment describes a possibility of a four-bar construction of the respective shuttle. With the dotted arrows are both in Fig. 1 as well as in Fig. 2 , the subsequent direction of movement of the gripping devices 20, 30 and 40 and the additional gripping device 50 shown.

In Fig. 3 is a schematic parallelogram situation of the embodiment of Fig. 2 to recognize. Thus, the large parallelogram on the right has the two gripping devices 30 and 40 and a parallelogram angle β. Also here is the additional coupling device 54 for the additional gripping device 50 can be seen schematically. Also, the auxiliary gripping device 50 is formed with a pendulum device as a four-bar system. This parallelogram has an angle α, which here differs from the angle β. Due to the different angles α and β, it is possible to achieve different height differences for the pendulum movement of the individual gripping device 20, 30 and 40 and the additional gripping device 50 in a particularly simple manner.

Fig. 4 shows a possible height representation in the side view of the transport device 10. Starting from the bottom seam station 110 of the bag portion 210 oscillates through the first gripping device 20 from top to bottom. The gripping position G20 of the first gripper device 20 is therefore above the release position L20 of the first gripping device 20. Thus, the positioning of the bag section 210 in the bottom seam cooling station 120 is also below the position of the bag section 210 in the bottom seam station.

The second gripping device 30 then raises the bag section 210 from a lower gripping position G30 in the bottom seam cooling station 120 to the filling station 130 and the corresponding release position L30. Thus, insertion of the bag section 210 into a corresponding hopper of the filling station 130 can take place.

In order to enable removal of the same from the hopper after filling of the bag section 210, starting from the gripping position G40 of the third gripping device 40, lowering of the bag section 210 to the release position L40 again occurs the Kopfnahtstation 140 done. Decisive in the inventive manner is the constant or substantially constant height between the gripping position G50 of the auxiliary gripping device 50 and its release position L50.

Like also in the Fig. 4 can be clearly seen, the release position L20 of the first gripping device 20 and gripping position G30 of the second gripping device 30 coincide with each other. The same applies to release position L30 and grip position G40 as well as release position L40 and grip position G50.

By maintaining the height between the gripping position G50 and the release position L50 of the auxiliary gripping device 50, it is avoided that this additional gripping device 50 dips into the bulk material within the bag section 210. At the same time it is avoided that an excessive load by pulling up on the still warm and therefore influenced influenceable top seam of the bag portion 210.

The above explanation of the embodiments describes the present invention solely by way of example. Of course, individual features of the embodiments, if technically feasible, can be combined freely with one another, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

transport device

12

frame

20

first gripping device

30

second gripping device

40

third gripping device

50

Additional gripping device

52

jaws

54

Additional coupling device

60

common drive device

62

coupling device

100

bag filling equipment

110

Bottom seam Station

120

Bottom seam cooling station

130

filling station

140

Top seam Station

150

Top seam cooling station

170

station

200

sheet

210

bag portion

G20

Gripping position of the first gripping device

L20

Release position of the first gripping device

G30

Gripping position of the second gripping device

L30

Release position of the second gripping device

G40

Gripping position of the third gripping device

L40

Release position of the third gripping device

G50

Gripping position of the additional gripping device

L50

Release position of additional gripping device

α

Angle in the parallelogram

β

Angle in the parallelogram

Claims (10)

1. Transport device (10) for transporting a bag section (210) between individual stations (170) of a bag filling system (100), comprising a first gripping device (20) for transport from a bottom seam station (110) to a bottom seam cooling station (120), a second gripping device (30) for transport from the bottom seam cooling station (120) to a filling station (130), and a third gripping device (40) for transport from the filling station (130) to a top seam station (140),
   characterized in that
   an additional gripping device (50) is arranged to transport the bag section (210) from the top seam station (140) to a top seam cooling station (150), wherein the gripping position (G50) in the top seam station (140) and the release position (L50) in the top seam cooling station (150) are arranged at the same level, wherein the individual gripping devices (20, 30, 40) are designed as pendulum devices, which are guided along a curved path between the respective gripping position (G20, G30, G40, G50) and the respective release position (L20, L30, L40, L50).
2. Transport device (10) according to claim 1,
   characterized in that
   the gripping position (G30) for the second gripping device (30) is arranged in the bottom seam cooling station (120) below the release position (L30) in the filling station (130).
3. Transport device (10) according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the gripping position (G40) for the third gripping device (40) is arranged in the filling station (130) above the release position (L40) in the top seam sealing station (140).
4. Transport device (10) according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the additional gripping device (50) in the form of a pendulum device is also guided along a curved path between the respective gripping position (G20, G30, G40, G50) and the respective release position (L20, L30, L40, L50).
5. Transport device (10) according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the additional gripping device (50) has clamping jaws (52) which are designed as contact cooling elements.
6. Transport device (10) according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   a common drive device (60) is coupled to all gripping devices (20, 30, 40) and to the additional gripping device (50) for the transmission of the transport forces.
7. Transport device (10) according to claim 6,
   characterized in that
   the additional gripping device (50) is coupled to one of the gripping devices (20, 30, 40) via an additional coupling device (54) and indirectly to the common drive device (60) via the latter.
8. Transport device (10) according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the gripping devices (20, 30, 40) and/or the additional gripping device (50) have a four-link construction.
9. Transport device (10) according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the gripping devices (20, 30, 40) and the additional gripping device (50) have a four-link construction which is designed as a parallelogram, wherein the angles (α, β) of the two parallelograms differ from each other.
10. Bag filling system (100) for filling bag sections (210) of a film web (200) with a bulk material, comprising at least one transport device (10) for transporting the bag sections (210) between individual stations (170) of the bag filling system (100), and comprising the features of one of the claims 1 to 9.

Images