EP3081515B1

EP3081515B1 - Method and system for continuous change of reels made of corrugated cardboard, supplying packaging machines and packaging machine comprising such a system

Info

Publication number: EP3081515B1
Application number: EP16160087.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Domenico Reviati
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-03-19
Filing date: 2016-03-14
Publication date: 2019-05-08
Anticipated expiration: 2036-03-14
Also published as: EP3081515A1

Description

The invention relates to a system for improving hygiene in supplying reels in packaging machines. Among the aspects that will emerge, it is further noted that the invention also relates to the combined sealing system, adapted to allow the size change without interrupting the operating step of the machine. A heat sealer performs the heat-sealing of the strips of two reels using at least one portion of polyethylene-coated paper for food products.
With the measures implemented, the invention preserves the hygiene and safety of the supply system.

BACKGROUND ART

HACCP is the acronym of Hazard analysis and critical control points; in other words, it means a system that allows a self-control to be implemented by a food business operator in food hygiene and safety. It corresponds to the obligation of keeping one's own productions under control in a rational and organized manner. It is therefore an instrument intended to help operators achieve a higher level of food safety.
The principles on which an HACCP plan is based are seven:

Identify any hazards to be prevented, eliminated or reduced
Identify the critical control points (CCP) in the steps in which a risk can be prevented, eliminated or reduced
Establish the critical limits for these critical control points which differentiate acceptability from unacceptability
Establish and implement effective monitoring procedures at critical control points
Establish corrective actions when a critical point is not under control (exceeding the established critical limits)
Establish procedures to be implemented regularly to verify the effective functioning of the measures taken
Provide documents and records suitable for the nature and size of the food business.

DESCRIPTION AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a method and a system for preserving hygiene in supplying reels in a packaging machine with a simple, rational and cost effective solution.
These and other objects are achieved with the features of the invention described in the independent claim 1. The dependent claims describe preferred and/or particularly advantageous aspects of the invention.
In particular, one embodiment of the present invention provides a system for supplying reels in a packaging machine, to carry out the change of the same continuously without stopping the packaging machine.
To this end, the machine is provided with:

A container compartment made up of protection elements, arranged to close the supply hopper, i.e. from the reel unwinding area up to an input point in the packaging machine; in this way, the container compartment encloses the normal sliding of the cardboard and avoids possible contaminations by dust and dirt,
said protection elements are moveable so as to expand and define an increased volume loading reservoir, so as to increase the capacity thereof in the cardboard accumulation step,
sensor means adapted to detect the finishing of the reel and start the ancillary operations for the continuous size change, as specified hereinafter,
driving means, such as opposing rollers, to speed up the unwinding speed of the reel with respect to the supply speed in the packaging machine; in this way, the means store all the remainder of the cardboard reel in the container compartment,
pressing means, which hold the final strip of the unwound cardboard in an end joining area,
sealing means for performing the joining of the final strip of the unwound cardboard with an identical strip of another replacement reel, replaced in the meanwhile,
safety housing for closing the corrugated cardboard roller or reel.

With this solution, the hygiene and safety of the packaging machine and of the working elements is completely preserved.
In this way, the obligation of keeping one's own productions under control, in a rational and organized manner, aimed at achieving a higher level of food safety, is met.
Moreover, with this solution, the cardboard size change is carried out continuously by a strip joining surface and sealing machine; in the meantime, in fact, the machine can continue to be supplied with cardboard due to the accumulation in the container compartment, thereby continuing the cycle with the unwinding of the reel (opening the pressing means and closing the loading compartment).
Another aspect of the invention is to provide an electric heat sealer for the corrugated cardboard, for industrial use in the food sector, effective to join the reels of corrugated cardboard on packaging machines.
The machine is designed in such a manner to join two strips of corrugated cardboard by means of a third portion of material, where said portion of material is wound in a reel and consists of polyethylene-coated paper for food products.
Currently, the joining of the strips is made using adhesive tape, with the drawback of having the risk of solvents present inside the packages, contaminating the product and the taste.
The present sealing machine instead uses the same paper as the corrugated board, sealed by pressure of an electrical resistor; in this way, the joining is perfect, robust and odour-free, more in line with the HACCP standards as the invention aims to achieve
In detail, the sealing machine is made up of an instantaneous electrical resistor sealing plate and a blade for holding the paper in place. An actuating lever actuates the electrical resistor, obviously connected to a respective source, which by dropping (with respect to the position of the blade) presses and compresses the polyethylene-coated paper being unwound on the underlying cardboard, so that by pressure and heat, the polyethylene-coated paper is sealed to the corrugated cardboard.
Thereafter, once the sealing has been made, upon releasing the lever the resistor is switched off and concealed, retracted so as not to burn the polyethylene-coated paper when not being used.
In addition and advantageously, the electric heat sealing element slides on guides and operates on a work surface traversed by the unwinding reel; surface and guides are integrally arranged along a section of the unwinding path of the corrugated cardboard, part of the reel holding structure.
With to this solution, the size change can be carried out continuously and with high accuracy, without resorting to joining means which may create problems inside the package.
Said objects and advantages are all achieved by the method and system for the continuous change of corrugated cardboard reels, supplying packaging machines and by a packaging machine comprising said system, object of the present invention, which is characterized by what is set forth in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

This and other features will be more apparent from the following description of some of the configurations, illustrated purely by way of example in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 and 2: show two views of an electrical heat-sealing machine, adapted to join two strips of a corrugated cardboard in a packaging machine;
Figure 3, 4, 5: show the subject system with an extensible container compartment capable of expanding and defining an increased loading volume reservoir, increasing the capacity thereof in the cardboard accumulation step,
Figure 6 and 7: shows the sealing area of the strips of corrugated cardboard, with sealer placed on relative transverse advancement guides,
Figure 8, 9, 10: show the same system of figures 3, 4, 5, now placed so as to supply the packaging machine with a reel arranged in a different position, but with the same concept,
Figure 11: shows a containment safety housing of the cardboard reels, so as to enclose the entire system and the cardboard being unwound within the packaging machine; this allows an effective action of protection from the contamination by dust and other elements.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With particular reference to the figures, reference numeral 10 identifies a system for supplying reels 15 in a packaging machine, not shown because of known type.
Usually, starting from a corrugated cardboard sheet wound in a reel, the packaging machine forms a package, advantageously for containing food products.
The reel supply system 10, as implemented and described hereinafter, allows the continuous change of the corrugated cardboard reel and the continuous sealing of the strips of reels to be replaced and being replaced.
Usually, a reel holder 15 is identifiable by a pin 16 on which a reel of web or corrugated cardboard is keyed.
Reel 15 is unwound from the packaging machine; the web or film 50 picked up and conveyed from the packaging machine which then carries out appropriate operations (cutting, bending, etc...) to form a product packaging.
Between the reel holder pin and the input in the packaging machine, the presence of an extensible container compartment 20 is seen (with reference to figures 3, 4, 5), made up of protection elements 25, 26 arranged to close the supply section which starts from the reel unwinding area up to an input point, identified in the example by a supply hopper 30.
The container compartment 20 encloses the normal sliding of cardboard 50, avoiding possible contaminations by dust and dirt.
The container compartment 20 is extensible, i.e. the protection elements 25, 26 thereof are moveable and capable of expanding and defining an increased loading volume reservoir or inner area 60; in this way, the capacity thereof is increased in the cardboard accumulation step. In other words, the capacity of the compartment is increased in the cardboard accumulation step corresponding to the step in which the reel is finishing.
In normal operating configuration, compartment 20 has a reduced volume, i.e. close to hopper 30 for sliding the cardboard film 50.
One or more sensor means 70 are provided so as to detect the finishing of the reel and define the end of the web, for holding the same, as indicated hereinafter.
Driving means 80 are also provided within compartment 20 and in opposing position, such as a pair of rollers adapted to control the quick advancement of the cardboard and thereby increase the unwinding speed of the reel with respect to the supply speed in the packaging machine.
In this way, by means of the sensor means 70, the step of detecting the degree of unwinding of the reel and when it is about to finish is carried out, while with means 80 it is possible to control the quick unwinding of the reel at a speed greater than that necessary and required by the packaging machine and place the accumulated cardboard in an expansible containment compartment, widened if necessary.
What has just been said gives the possibility of

Detecting the degree of unwinding of the reel and when it is near finishing (by means of the sensors)
Controlling the quick unwinding at a speed greater than the one required for the packaging machine and placing the accumulated cardboard in an expansible and containment compartment, widened if necessary,
Holding the final strip of the unwound cardboard, by means of pressing means, which hold the final strip of the unwound cardboard in a joining end area, or work surface as indicated hereinafter.

The provision of sealing means 90 allows performing the joining of the final strip 100 of the unwound cardboard 50 with an identical strip 110 of another replacement reel, replaced in the meanwhile.
It follows that the sealing step takes place while keeping the packaging machine supplied with product previously unwound and accumulated inside the loading compartment in a widened position.
The type of sealing means 90 is described in detail.
Preferably, they are at least one heat sealer 91 for electrically sealing the corrugated cardboard; the heat sealer is suitable to join the two corrugated cardboard strips, the finishing one with the replacing one, through a third portion 92 of material wound on the reel 92A and unwound by said heat sealer.
Portion 92 of material unwound by the heat sealer is constituted by a polyethylene-coated paper for food products, sealed by being pressed by an electrical resistor 93; at least one blade 94 for holding the sheet in position and an actuation lever 95 are also provided.
With reference to figures 1 and 2, the particular geometry of resistor 93 and of blade 94 is shown. Resistor 93 is T-shaped, i.e. with one side along the web unwinding direction (the direction for joining the strips) while the other is transverse. At the same time, the blade is U-shaped so as to have two sections arranged laterally with respect to the resistor itself.
Resistor 93 and blade 94 are substantially coplanar when they are in the working position.
Reference numeral 96 indicates the handle of the heat sealer.
Once the electrical resistor 93 has been activated by the lever, this drops with respect to the position of the blade so as to press and compress the polyethylene-coated paper being unwound on the strips; the heat seals the polyethylene-coated paper to the corrugated cardboard.
Upon releasing the lever, the resistor is switched off and concealed, retracted so as not to burn the polyethylene-coated paper when not being used.
Conveniently, the electrical heat sealer 91 slides on guides 120 and operates on a work surface 125 traversed by film 50 of the unwinding reel; surface and guides are integrally arranged along a section of the unwinding path of the corrugated cardboard, part of the reel holding structure.
The presence of a safety housing 130 for closing the corrugated cardboard roller or reel is also seen; preferably, the safety housing is transparent with special openable doors for access into the interior.
The presence of the container compartment 20 and of the safety housing 130 allows closing, i.e. isolating the cardboard, and of course also the other means required to implement the system described herein, since the unwinding thereof up to the entrance in the packaging machine, thereby ensuring the hygiene of cardboard itself from possible contaminations by dust and dirt.
With the system for continuously changing corrugated cardboard reels, supplying packaging machines, made up of:

a. an extensible container compartment, made up of protection elements, arranged to close the supply hopper which starts from the reel unwinding area up to an input point in the packaging machine; the container compartment enclosing the normal sliding of the cardboard and avoiding possible contaminations by dust and dirt,
b. said extensible compartment bears the protection elements which are moveable and capable of expanding and defining an increased loading volume reservoir, increasing the capacity thereof in the cardboard accumulation step,
c. sensor means suitable to detect the finishing of the reel,
d. driving means for increasing the reel unwinding speed with respect to the supply speed in the packaging machine;
e. pressing means, which hold the final strip of the unwound cardboard in an end joining area,
f. sealing means for performing the joining of the final strip of the unwound cardboard with an identical strip of another replacement reel, replaced in the meanwhile,
g. safety housing for closing the corrugated cardboard roller or reel.

The sealing system may optionally additionally be provided with cutting means adapted to trim the end strip of corrugated cardboard.

Claims

Packaging machine configured for making, starting from a corrugated cardboard sheet wound in a single reel, a package for food products; said packaging machine provided with at least one system for continuously changing the corrugated cardboard reel and at least one sealing system with means (90), the means (90) configured for performing the joining of the final strip of the unwound cardboard with an identical strip of another replacing reel, replaced in the meanwhile; one or more sensor means (70) adapted to detect the finishing of the reel; pressing means, which hold the final strip of the unwound cardboard in a joining end area; the packaging machine characterised by comprising:
a. an extensible container compartment (20), made up of protection elements, arranged to close the supply hopper which starts from the reel unwinding area up to an input point in the packaging machine; the container compartment encloses the normal sliding of the cardboard and avoiding possible contaminations by dust and dirt,

b. said compartment (20) is extensible by means of protection elements (25, 26) which are moveable and capable of expanding and defining an increased loading volume reservoir, increasing the capacity of the compartment (20) in the cardboard accumulation step therein, and by means of

c. one or more driving means (80), within said compartment (20) and in opposing position, the means (80) being configured to control the quick unwinding of the reel and at a speed greater than that required for the packaging machine and place the accumulated cardboard in an expansible compartment (20)
and characterised in that the sealing means (90) are at least one heat sealer (91) for electrically sealing the corrugated cardboard; the heat sealer (91) is suitable to join the two corrugated cardboard strips, the finishing one with the replacing one, through a third portion (92) of material wound on the reel (92A) and unwound by said heat sealer (91).
Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said heat sealer (91) comprises an electrical resistor (93) and is configured to drop with respect to the position of the blade so as to press and compress the third portion (92) being unwound on the strips; the heat seals the third portion (92) to the corrugated cardboard; upon releasing the lever, the resistor is switched off and concealed, retracting so as to not cause burns to the polyethylene-coated paper when not used.
Machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the portion (92) of the material unwound by the sealing element is constituted by a polyethylene-coated paper for food products, sealed by being pressed by an electrical resistor (93); a blade (94) for holding the sheet in position and an actuation lever (95); the resistor (93) is T-shaped i.e. with one side along the web unwinding direction or the direction for joining the strips while the other is transverse; the blade is U-shaped so as to have two sections arranged laterally with respect to the resistor; the resistor (93) and the blade (94) are substantially coplanar when in operating position.
Machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the electric heat sealing element (91) slides on guides (120) and operates on a work surface (125) traversed by the film (50) of the unwinding reel; surface and guides are integrally arranged along a section of the unwinding path of the corrugated cardboard, part of the reel holding structure.
Machine according to claim 1, characterised in that it additionally comprises a safety housing (130) for closing the corrugated cardboard roller or reel; preferably, the safety housing is transparent with special openable doors for access into the internal.
Method for the continuous change of corrugated cardboard reels, supplying the packaging machines; characterised in that it provides for:
a. Detecting the degree of unwinding of the reel and when it is near finishing

b. Controlling the quick unwinding at a speed greater than the one required for the packaging machine and placing the accumulated cardboard in an expansible and containment compartment, widened if necessary,

c. Holding the final strip of the unwound cardboard,

d. Pressure-sealing said cardboard strip with an identical strip of another replacing reel, replaced in the meanwhile, the sealing taking place by pressure and sliding with which a third joining portion is applied; the sealing step takes place while keeping the packaging machine supplied with product previously unwound and accumulated.
System for continuous change of a reel (15) made of corrugated cardboard (50), supplying a packaging machine according to claim 1; the system being characterised in that it comprises:
a. an extensible container compartment (20), made up of protection elements (25, 26), arranged to close the supply section which starts from the reel unwinding area up to an input point (40) in the packaging machine; the container compartment enclosing the normal sliding of the cardboard and avoiding possible contamination by dust and dirt,

b. said protection elements (25, 26) are moveable and capable of expanding and defining a variable volume loading reservoir, so as to increase the capacity thereof in the step of accumulating the cardboard corresponding to the step in which the reel is about to finish,

c. one or more sensor means (70) suitable to detect the finishing of the reel,

d. one or more driving means (80) for increasing the reel unwinding speed with respect to the supply speed in the packaging machine;

e. pressing means, which hold the final strip of the unwound cardboard in an end joining area,

f. sealing means (90) for performing the joining of the final strip of the unwound cardboard with an identical strip of another replacement reel, replaced in the meanwhile.