EP3121123B1 - Deep draw packaging machine - Google Patents

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 8.

EP 0 270 208 A1 discloses a thermoforming packaging machine with a sealing station, in which a top film is deformed and heated upwards into a first part of the upper part of the tooling of the sealing station. Subsequently, the upper film is partially attached to the product. In the next step, the upper foil is deformed upwards into a second part of the upper die and heated. Subsequently, a package is formed in which the top film, which is designed as a skin film or so-called "Darfresh" film, both fits tightly against the product as well as against the inner surfaces of a bottom film formed into a trough. This leads to a visually appealing product packaging. With this embodiment of the sealing station, no packages can be produced with a product projecting far beyond a sealing edge of the lower film and a lid molded into the upper film, since the first part of the upper tool part is unsuitable for this purpose.

From the EP 2 412 632 A1 For example, a thermoforming packaging machine is known in which the forming station is not provided in the same plane as the sealing station in order to improve the loading of products into a tray formed into a lower film. In a top film shaped lid are not provided.

From the EP 2 412 643 A1 For example, a thermoforming packaging machine is known which discloses a forming station for a lower film and a forming station for a top film in order to be able to package products which protrude beyond a sealing plane and thus over the trough of the lower film. In this case, a chain guide of the lower film is provided with two laterally arranged staple chains, which is rectilinear and horizontal. The upper film forming station is provided above and inclined to the chain guide of the lower film. Shortly before the sealing station, the upper film with its shaped covers is deflected from a steeply oriented downward direction into a horizontal and placed on the lower film for sealing. This strong deflection allows only small depths of the lid or only small and thus slightly flexible film thicknesses, for example up to 300 microns.

A disadvantage of this thermoforming packaging machine is that with her rigid packaging with a small depth of the molds in the lower film and a far after product protruding above the trough can not be produced with a dimensionally stable lid which is shaped into the upper foil.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved thermoforming packaging machine which makes it possible to produce the aforementioned packages.

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 with the features of claim 8. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

The thermoforming packaging machine according to the invention comprises a sealing station, a first forming station for forming depressions in a sub-web clamped in a first forming plane in the first forming station, and a second forming station for forming covers in a top film web clamped in a second forming plane in the second forming station, the sealing station is configured to create a seal in a seal plane. The thermoforming packaging machine according to the invention is characterized in that the first forming plane is provided at least 200 mm below the second forming plane, wherein the first and the second forming plane are at least approximately parallel to each other. This makes it possible to produce a package with products that project well beyond the shell edge of the lower trough and with a dimensionally stable lid. Under dimensionally stable film thicknesses are considered from 300μm. At the same time feed belts for feeding and / or inserting products above the first forming station can be made structurally simpler, since the first forming station is arranged deeper than in conventional thermoforming packaging machines.

By "at least approximately parallel" is meant that the two shape planes are aligned either exactly parallel to each other or with a maximum deviation of ± 5 ° from the exact parallelism. Similarly, this later applies to the positional relationship between the first shaping plane and the sealing plane.

Preferably, the sealing plane is provided at a height opposite a ground support on which the thermoforming packaging machine is arranged, and the second forming plane is provided at least approximately (eg, to +/- 5 mm) at the same height or above the level of the sealing plane, to form a compact packaging machine reach by the distance between the second forming station and the sealing station can be kept low.

Preferably, the first forming plane is aligned parallel to the sealing plane, in order to allow as far as possible a horizontal transport direction and thus a simple construction of the chain guides.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, a second mold depth of the second mold station is at least twice the first mold depth of the first mold station.

In this case, the first mold depth is preferably up to 20 mm and the second mold depth is at least 50 mm, preferably 80 mm.

According to the invention, a chain guide is provided for intermittently transporting the lower film web, and the chain guide has an inclination between the first forming station and the sealing station, which slope is ascending from the first forming station to the sealing station. Thus, the product inserted into the trough and projecting beyond the trough can be dipped into the already formed lid in the area in front of the sealing station and / or retracted upwards.

The inclination of the chain guide is preferably provided in the direction of production downstream of an insertion path to make the insertion of products ergonomically favorable, namely horizontally aligned.

The insertion path for inserting products into the depressions of the lower film web in the production direction downstream of the first forming station is preferably provided.

A method according to the invention for operating a thermoforming packaging machine which has a sealing station, a first forming station for forming trays in a sub-sheet transported in a first forming plane in the first forming station, and a second forming station for forming trays in a second forming station in a second forming plane Upper film web comprises, wherein the sealing station generates a sealed seam in a sealing plane, characterized in that a product is inserted into the trough and then brought the trough together with the product up to the lid by means of an inclined chain guide for the lower film web becomes. The movement of the trough upwards is preferably at least 200 mm in the vertical direction.

In the following, an advantageous embodiment of the invention is explained in detail with reference to a drawing.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic side view of a thermoforming packaging machine 1 according to the invention, whose production direction R extends from right to left. The thermoforming packaging machine 1 stands with its machine frame 2 on a floor surface 3, for example, a hall floor. The thermoforming packaging machine 1 comprises a first forming station 4 for forming troughs 5 in a lower film web 6. A first forming plane 7 of the first forming station 4 lies at a vertical first distance A1 from the bottom surface 3 and parallel to it, ie normally horizontally. The first shaping plane 7 is defined as the plane of the sub-web 6 circumferentially clamped within the first forming station 4 after closing the forming station 4.

In the production direction R, downstream of the first forming station 4, a second forming station 8 is provided for forming lids 9 in a top film web 10. A second shaping plane 11 of the second forming station 8 lies at a vertical second distance A2 from the bottom surface 3 and parallel to it. In this case, the second shaping plane 11 is defined as the plane in which, after the closing of the second forming station 8, the upper film web 10 clamped peripherally within the second forming station 8 is located. The second shaping plane 11 is offset and arranged higher in relation to the first forming plane 7, namely by at least 200 mm higher. For clamping the respective film webs 6, 10, the first forming station 4 and the second forming station 8 each have an upper and a lower tool, which from an open in the in FIG. 1 shown, closed position can be brought. In the closed position, the two molds clamp between each of the respective lower or upper film web 6, 10 a.

An insertion path 12 is provided between the two forming stations 4, 8, as seen in plan view, in order to insert one or more products 13 into the molded or deep-drawn depression 5 of the lower film web 6. This can be done manually by one or more operators or by an inserter. Downstream of the two forming stations 4, 8, a sealing station 14 is arranged, whose sealing plane 15 is defined as the plane in which the circumferentially clamped lower film web 6 and the upper film web 10 are located or rest against one another when the sealing station 14 is closed inside the sealing station 14. The sealing plane 15, in which a seal seam 16 connecting the two films is produced in the sealable lower and upper film web 6, 10, forms a common plane with the second shaping plane 11. The sealing plane 15 is at a vertical height H spaced from the bottom surface 3. In the sealing station 14, the lid 9 with the trough 5 along the sealed seam 16, which is respectively produced on a flange on the lid 9 and on the trough 5, sealed airtight. The interior of a package 17 thus produced may optionally be evacuated and / or fumigated prior to sealing in the sealing station 14 to package the product 13 in a modified atmosphere for a long shelf life.

The lower film web 6 is transported by means of an intermittently a feed movement exporting chain guide 19. The chain guide 19 may for this purpose have on each of the two sides of the lower film web 6 each have a staple chain which grips the sub-film web 6 with staples and possibly clamps, as generally included in the by reference herein EP 1 816 075 A1 is known. Such as from the EP 1 816 075 A1 Known, the chain guide 19 may each comprise lower and upper plastic strips, between which the members of the chamber chain are guided.

To bring the trough 5 and the lower film web 6 together with the product 13 to the lid 9 and the top film web 10, the chain guide 19 of the lower film web 6 upstream of the sealing station 14 has a slope 20 with respect to the first forming plane 7. The inclination 20 is between 15 ° and 60 °, preferably between 30 ° and 45 °. The inclination 20 is influenced by a product height 21, a first forming depth 22 of the trough 5, a second forming depth 23 of the lid 9 and the distance between the second forming station 8 and the sealing station 14.

The first forming depth 22, which is generated in the first forming station 4 in the lower film web 6, for example, is up to 20 mm. The second forming depth 23, which is produced in the second forming station 8 in the top film web 10, is for example at least 50 mm, preferably 80 mm, in order to be able to package products 13 with a product height 21 of, for example, 90 mm. This results in a second forming depth 23 that is at least 2.5 times greater than the first forming depth 22.

The packages 17 are separated by a transverse cutting station 25 arranged downstream of the sealing station 14 and a subsequent longitudinal cutting station 26 and transported out of the thermoforming packaging machine 1 by means of a conveyor belt 27 and fed to a possibly subsequent work station. The chain guide 19 extends at least from the insertion area 12 to the last cutting station 26.

The lower film web 6 is withdrawn from a first film store 28 and fed to the first forming station 4 by means of staple chains. The top film web 10 is drawn off from a second film web store 29 and fed to the second forming station 4. This supply can also be done by means of staple chains. In particular, a separate chain guide with such a staple chain for the top film could be configured to guide the top film web 10 together with the covers formed therein between the second forming station and the sealing station 14. In an alternative embodiment, such a separate chain guide for the top film in the area between the second forming station 8 and the sealing station 14 could be dispensed with. In this case, the upper film 10 would be moved by the intermittent forward transport of the lower film 6 by means of the chain guide 19 for the lower film 6, since the Oberfolienbahn 10 is sealed downstream of the sealing station 14 to the lower film web 6.

Claims (8)

1. Thermo-forming packaging machine (1) comprising a sealing station (14), a first forming station (4) for forming trays (5) into a lower film web (6) and a second forming station (8) for forming lids (9) into an upper film web (10), where said sealing station (14) is configured to create a sealing seam (16) in a sealing plane (15), where said first forming station (4) is configured to clamp said lower film web (6) in a first forming plane (7) and where said the second forming station (8) is configured to clamp said upper film web (10) in a second forming plane (11), characterized in that said first forming plane (7) is disposed at least 200 mm below said second forming plane (11), where said first and said second forming planes (7, 11) are at least approximately parallel to each other,
   and in that a chain guide (19) is provided for intermittently transporting said lower film web (6), and said chain guide (19) between said first forming station (4) and said sealing station (14) has an inclination (20) which is configured to ascend from said first forming station (4) to said sealing station (14).
2. Thermo-forming packaging machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said sealing plane (15) is provided at a height (H) relative to a floor (3) on which said thermo-forming packaging machine (1) is arranged, and that said second forming plane (11) is provided at exactly or approximately the same height (H) or above said height (H) of said sealing plane (15).
3. Thermo-forming packaging machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first forming plane (7) is oriented at least approximately parallel to said sealing plane (15).
4. Thermo-forming packaging machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a second forming depth (23) of said second forming station (8) is at least twice that of a first forming depth (22) of said first forming station (4).
5. Thermo-forming packaging machine according to claim 4, characterized in that said first forming depth (22) is up to 20 mm and said second forming depth (23) at least 50 mm, preferably 80 mm.
6. Thermo-forming packaging machine according toone of the preceding claims, characterized in that said inclination (20) of said chain guide (19) is provided in the direction of production (R) downstream of a loading stretch (12).
7. Thermo-forming packaging machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a loading stretch (12) for loading products (13) into said trays (5) of said lower film web (6) is provided in the direction of production (R) downstream of said first forming station (4).
8. Method for operating a thermo-forming packaging machine (1) comprising a sealing station (14), a first forming station (4) for forming trays (5) into an upper film web (6) and a second forming station (8) for forming lids (9) into an upper film web (10), where said first forming station (4) prior to forming said trays (5) clamps said lower film web (6) in a first forming plane (7), where said second forming station (8) prior to forming said lids (9) clamps said upper film web (10) in a second forming plane (11) and where said sealing station (14) creates a sealing seam (16) in a sealing plane (15), characterized in that a product (13) is loaded into said tray (5) and said tray (5) is then together with said product (13) approached upwardly toward said lid (9) by way of an inclined chain guide (19) for said lower film web (6).

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