EP3260382B1 - Device and method for serially packaging of goods, in particular of cheese blocks - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device for the serial packaging of piece goods, in particular of blocks of cheese, in plastic bags, according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention further relates to a method for the serial packaging of piece goods in plastic bags according to claim 10.

Devices for packaging piece goods, in particular foods such as cheese blocks, are known from the prior art. The DE 197 49 825 A1 shows, for example, a device for introducing filling products, such as pieces of cheese, in plastic bags open on one side, which are detachably attached to one another in a scaly manner at two spaced apart and perpendicular to the opening edge of the bag extending fastener tapes. The unilaterally opened bags are fed in the device along a feed path of an opening station by train to the straps gradually (ie in time) and opened in the opening station by means of a pneumatic opening device, so that a filling material can be inserted into the opened bag. The product is initially located on a horizontal bearing surface of a carriage which can be moved in the bag longitudinal direction, at the end of the opening station facing two Spreizbleche are arranged, which are mounted transversely to the bag longitudinal direction in opposite directions. On the movable carriage a linearly displaceable slide-in cylinder is further arranged. For inserting a product in a located in the opening station and opened there by means of the opening device of the carriage is moved together with the expansion plates and the insertion cylinder arranged in the bag longitudinal direction to the opening station, the arranged at the front end of the carriage expansion plates are approached in one another Position and enter by moving the carriage in the bag longitudinal direction in the opened bag opening. The arranged on the movable carriage insert cylinder is also moved with the carriage in the direction of the opening station and abuts with its front insertion surface on the back of the located on the support surface of the carriage contents when the carriage reaches its front position in which the opposite direction slidable Spreizbleche are retracted into the opened bag. In this front position of the carriage, the spreader plates are transverse to The bag longitudinal direction opposite driven apart, as far as the elasticity of the plastic bag allows, whereby the bag opening is spread. In this position, the Spreizbleche the filling material located on the support surface of the carriage is pushed by the insertion cylinder between the Spreizblechen into the opened bag until the contents abut the closed end of the bag. In this position, the insert cylinder is in its foremost position. By inserting the contents into the opened bag, the bag is released from the straps and the loosened portions of the straps are wound on rollers by means of a take-up device. The filled with a filling bag is finally removed by means of a roller conveyor.

The filled with a filling bag can then be evacuated first in a vacuum and welding station and then sealed vacuum-tight by welding the bag opening. An apparatus for mechanical evacuation and closing of plastic bags is for example from DE 31 07 485 A1 known. This device for evacuating and closing plastic bags comprises a clamping device formed from clamping jaws which receives a bag to be closed in the region of its bag opening. The device further comprises a suction sword insertable into the bag and a welding device. The jig and the suction bar are together and cyclically horizontally displaceable, so that the evacuation of the bag during the sliding movement and after their return to a starting position already a new (filled with a product) bag can be clamped while still an evacuated bag for welding in the welding device.

Another device for packaging larger pieces, in particular pieces of cheese, in bags made of thermoplastic material is known from the DE 72 331 50-U The vacuum packaging device described therein comprises two clamping and welding rails which can be pressed against one another and two suction nozzles arranged spaced apart from each other at a distance from the bag width, which can be displaced and parallel in a direction perpendicular to the clamping and welding rails between a front position and a rear position are movably mounted to the clamping and welding rails, so that they can be introduced in an approached position in the open and filled with a filling (cheese piece) bag and moved apart in its forward position and finally retractable after evacuation behind the clamping and welding rails. The filled with a product (cheese piece) bag is first evacuated by means of the suction nozzles and after retraction of the suction nozzles in their rear position (behind the clamping and welding rails) closed by the clamping rails after retraction of the suction nozzles in their rear position the bag first keep taut and seal and then the bag opening by pressing together the welding rails is welded.

The devices described in the prior art for opening plastic bags and for inserting a product into the opened plastic bag according to the DE 197 49 825 A1 and the devices for evacuating and welding (filled with a filling) plastic bags according to the DE 23 29 507-A and the DE 72 331 50-U can be used in combination with one another by first opening the plastic bags in the device for opening plastic bags and inserting a filling material into the opened plastic bag and filling them with a filling material and then transporting them to a vacuum and welding device where they are evacuated and vacuum-sealed , The known devices for opening and filling of plastic bags with a filling material and for subsequent evacuation and closing of the filled plastic bag are thereby cyclically operated, ie the contents to be packaged are fed in series and in time with the opening station of the device for opening plastic bags and there in one cycle pushed into the open plastic bag and finally transferred to a transport device (roller conveyor), from which they are transported in a next cycle to a vacuum and welding station and evacuated there in a further cycle and welded. During the evacuation and welding of a bag filled with a filling material in the vacuum and welding station, another bag in the opening station of the device for opening plastic bags can already be opened and filled with another filling material.

When inserting a product into an opened bag in the opening station of the device DE 197 49 825 A1 the opening of the bags and the subsequent insertion of a product in the opened bag can only be carried out successively, whereby the throughput, ie the number of bags filled with a filling material per unit of time, is limited. As a result, the throughput of the total device, ie the number of per unit time filled with a product and evacuated and sealed Plastic bags, even limited, when evacuating and welding the filled bags in the efficient manner of DE 31 07 485 A1 he follows.

On this basis, the present invention seeks to provide an apparatus and a method for the serial packaging of piece goods in plastic bags, with which the highest possible throughput can be achieved.

This object is achieved by a device having the features of claim 1 and by a method having the features of claim 10. Preferred embodiments of the device or the method can be found in the dependent claims.

The device according to the invention comprises a feed device for the serial feeding of the piece goods, an insertion device for inserting a piece goods into an opened plastic bag with a filling opening, wherein the insertion device comprises a support displaceable in a horizontal plane along a direction of insertion and a linearly movable slide. Furthermore, the device according to the invention comprises a transport device for transporting the bag filled with a piece goods in a transport direction and a vacuum and welding station for evacuating and closing the filling opening filled with a piece of plastic bag, the vacuum and welding station at least one and preferably more vacuum - Has and welding facilities. The piece goods serially supplied by the supply device are transferred to the insertion device in time and deposited on the support and by the slide, which is inventively decoupled from the sliding support and independent of the movement of the displaceable support in the direction of insertion between a retracted and extended position , pushed into the opened bag.

By decoupling the linearly movable slide according to the invention from the movement of the displaceable support, the piece goods can be more quickly inserted into an opened bag in the device according to the invention. This is due to the fact that the sliding support, unlike in the device of DE 197 49 825 A1 , when inserting a piece goods in an open bag, only the weight of the piece goods located on the pad and not even the weight of the slider wear must and therefore can be moved faster. This is achieved in the device according to the invention in that the slide is decoupled from the displaceable support and is not arranged thereon. Furthermore, in the device according to the invention, a higher throughput can be achieved when inserting the piece goods in an opened bag, because even during the transfer of a piece goods from the feeder to the sliding support a bag into which this piece goods is to be filled, in the filling station of the invention Device can be opened.

The displaceable support is formed in the device according to the invention by the surface of a linearly displaceable carriage, which is linearly displaceable with respect to the fixed filling station between a backfill facing away from the filling station and a filling station facing the front position. When the carriage is in its forward position, a cargo is placed by the feeder on the support and can be pushed from there by the movable slide in a located in the filling station and opened bag.

A compact design of the device according to the invention can be realized in that the piece goods are pushed by the supply device transversely to the direction of insertion on the displaceable support (surface of the carriage), while this is in its forward position.

On the front of the carriage, which faces the filling station, spreading elements are preferably arranged, which are transversely to the insertion direction between an initial position in which the spreading elements are arranged adjacent to each other, and a spread position in which they have a distance from each other, against each other and moved in a displacement of the carriage from its rear position to its forward position initially in its initial position in an opened bag and then placed in its expanded position to spread the bag.

As a result, the opening of a bag in the filling station can be supported by the spreading elements in order to ensure that the filling opening of the bag is maximally open and unhindered insertion of a piece goods can be ensured by the spread-out filling opening. The spreading elements are doing with the movable carriage in its initial position in the expediently held open by a gripper filling opening of a bag. For retracting the spreading in the bag opening of the sliding carriage is brought into its forward position and the spreading elements are then moved apart across the insertion direction in its spread position apart to spread the bag opening. In this front position of the carriage, a piece goods can be transferred from the supply device to the support formed by the surface of the carriage, while the spreading elements are moved apart for spreading open the bag opening. The piece goods located on the support can then be inserted by means of the movable slide between the spreading elements from the support into the opened bag, wherein the slider regardless of the movement and the position of the carriage or the support for inserting the piece goods in the open Pouch is moved from a retracted home position to an extended position.

When moving the movable slide from its retracted home position to its extended position, the piece goods in a direction of insertion in a train first fully inserted into the opened bag until the leading edge of the piece abuts the closed end of the bag and then upon further pushing the movable slide the pushed into the opened bag cargo along with the bag on the transport further pushed. During this process, the carriage with the support is still in its forward position and at the same time a new bag can be fed to the filling station. This allows for very efficient operation and higher throughput.

The slider is expediently coupled with a slider drive, which shifts the slider regardless of a carriage drive for the carriage, so that the slider can be moved linearly regardless of the movement of the movable support between its rear and its front position.

The filling station is expediently equipped with a supply roll and a device for opening the bags, wherein the means for opening the bags preferably comprises a device for feeding the bags to the filling station and at least one gripper for opening the bags. The bags are, for example, designed as chain bags, which are wound in a scaly form on the supply roll and at two parallel and at a distance mutually guided straps are releasably secured and fed along a feed path of the filling station. The means for supplying the bag expediently comprises a winding device and a stop, wherein the bags are fed by train to the straps of the filling station and the opening-side region of the bag is held by the tensioned straps on the stop. In this position, the filling opening of the bag by a gripper, eg. A suction pad, opened and then spread by the retracted into the open bag opening expansion elements, so that a piece goods can be easily inserted through the spread-filling opening in the bag. When inserting a piece goods into the bag and pushing the filled bag with the bag through the slider on the transport device, the bag is released from the straps and the detached portions of the straps can be wound up by the winding device.

The transport device of the device according to the invention expediently contains a plurality of compartments arranged one behind the other in a transport direction, each compartment being designed to receive a filled bag and each compartment preferably having at least one carrier which is expediently retractable with respect to a transport surface of the transport device. As a result, the bag filled with a piece goods can be collected in the compartments of the transport device and grouped into a group of filled bags and temporarily stored and transported in cycles and groups with the transport device from the filling station to the vacuum and welding station.

To increase the throughput, the vacuum and welding station of the device according to the invention comprises a plurality of vacuum and welding devices arranged one behind the other in the transport direction, three or more such vacuum and welding devices being particularly expediently provided. Each of these vacuum and welding devices may be of the types described above with a suction bar or with each other pressable clamping and welding rails and a pair of diverging suction nozzles. Suitably, a group of filled bags (for example, three pieces) collected in the transport device is transported further in one cycle to the vacuum and welding station, and the filled bags of this group are all simultaneously evacuated in one of the vacuum and welding devices in a subsequent cycle and welded.

1. a.) Zuführen eines an einer Einfüllöffnung offenen Beutels zu einer Einfüllstation,
2. b.) Bewegen einer bezüglich der Einfüllstation zwischen einer von dieser entfernten hinteren Stellung und einer dieser zugewandten vorderen Stellung verschiebbaren Auflage in ihre vordere Stellung, wobei vor und/oder während dieser Bewegung die Einfüllöffnung des Beutels geöffnet wird,
3. c.) serielles Zuführen der Stückgüter im Takt mit einer Zufuhreinrichtung und Übergeben eines Stückguts auf die verschiebbare Auflage, wobei sich die Auflage beim Übergeben des Stückguts in ihrer vorderen Stellung befindet,
4. d.) Zuführen des auf der Auflage abgelegten Stückguts zu der Einfüllstation und Einschieben des Stückguts in den geöffneten Beutel mittels eines von der Auflage entkoppelten und unabhängig von der Auflage beweglichen Schiebers, der zwischen einer eingefahrenen Stellung und einer ausgefahrenen Stellung linear verschiebbar ist, während sich die Auflage in ihrer vorderen Stellung befindet,
5. e.) Weiterschieben des beweglichen Schiebers in seine ausgefahrene Stellung, wodurch der mit dem Stückgut gefüllte Beutel von der Einfüllstation zu einer Transporteinrichtung weiter geschoben wird, während sich die Auflage in ihrer vorderen Stellung befindet,
6. f.) Zurückfahren des beweglichen Schiebers in seine eingefahrene Stellung und Zurückfahren der verschiebbaren Auflage in ihre hintere Stellung,
7. g.) Gleichzeitiges Zuführen eines neuen Beutels während des Weiterschiebens des beweglichen Schiebers in seine ausgefahrene Stellung und/oder während des Zurückfahren des beweglichen Schiebers in seine eingefahrene Stellung,
8. h.) Transportieren des befüllten Beutels in der Transporteinrichtung entlang einer Transportrichtung ,
9. i.) Öffnen der Einfüllöffnung des neuen Beutels,
10. j.) Verschieben der Auflage von ihrer hinteren Stellung in ihre vordere Stellung,
11. k.) Wiederholen der Schritte a) bis j).

The inventive method enables the serial packaging of piece goods in plastic bags with a high throughput and is characterized by the following steps:

1. a.) feeding a bag open at a filling opening to a filling station,
2. b.) Moving a with respect to the filling station between a remote from this rear position and one of these facing forward position pad in its forward position, wherein before and / or during this movement, the filling opening of the bag is opened,
3. c.) serial feeding of the piece goods in time with a supply device and transferring a piece goods on the displaceable support, wherein the support is in its forward position when transferring the piece goods,
4. d.) supplying the piece goods stored on the support to the filling station and inserting the piece goods into the opened bag by means of a slide which is decoupled from the support and movable independently of the support, being linearly displaceable between a retracted position and an extended position the support is in its forward position,
5. e.) pushing the movable slide into its extended position, whereby the bag filled with the article is pushed further from the filling station to a transport device, while the support is in its forward position,
6. f.) retracting the movable slide in its retracted position and retracting the sliding support in its rear position,
7. g.) Simultaneously feeding a new bag during the advancement of the movable slide in its extended position and / or during the return of the movable slide in its retracted position,
8. h.) transporting the filled bag in the transport device along a transport direction,
9. i.) Opening the filling opening of the new bag,
10. j.) shifting the support from its rear position to its forward position,
11. k.) Repeat steps a) to j).

Figur 1:

Schematische Darstellung der Schritte zum Öffnen eines Kunststoffbeutels und Zuführen eines Stückguts auf eine verschiebbare Auflage der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung;

Figur 2:

Schematische Darstellung des Einschiebens eines Stückguts in einen geöffneten Beutel;

Figuren 3 bis 7:

Schematische Darstellung der taktweisen Gruppierung und Zuführung von mit Stückgütern befüllten Beuteln zu einer Vakuum- und Schweißstation der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung;

Figur 8:

Detaillierte Darstellung eines Ausführungsbeispiels der Einfüllstation der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung in einer perspektivischen Ansicht;

These and other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the embodiment described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings show:

FIG. 1:

Schematic representation of the steps for opening a plastic bag and feeding a piece goods on a sliding support of the device according to the invention;

FIG. 2:

Schematic representation of the insertion of a piece goods in an opened bag;

FIGS. 3 to 7:

Schematic representation of the cyclic grouping and supply of bagged bags to a vacuum and welding station of the device according to the invention;

FIG. 8:

Detailed representation of an embodiment of the filling station of the device according to the invention in a perspective view;

The apparatus shown schematically in the figures for the serial packing of piece goods such as e.g. Pieces of cheese or other piece-shaped and in particular block-shaped foodstuffs comprise a feed device 20, a filling station 10, an insertion device 30 with a support 17 and a movable slide 9, a transport device 13 and a vacuum and welding station 40.

The support 17 is formed by the surface of a sliding carriage 7, which is linearly displaceable with respect to the stationary filling station 10 between a rear end facing away from the filling station 10 and a front position facing the filling station 10. The slider 9 is decoupled from the carriage and in particular not connected to the carriage 7 and is linearly displaceable independently of the movement and position of the carriage 7 between a rear and a front position. For this purpose, the slide 9 is coupled to a slide drive, not shown here, which is controlled by a control device. The displacement directions of the carriage 7 and of the slide 9 run parallel to one another along an insertion direction E (FIG. FIG. 1a ).

The supply device 20 includes a conveyor, such as a conveyor belt or conveyor rollers, with which the packaged items 1 clocked serially and appropriately be supplied. Furthermore, the feed device 20 comprises a transfer slider 18, which is displaceable perpendicular to the direction of displacement of the carriage 7 and the slide 9 (insertion direction E).

In the FIG. 8 The filling station 10 shown in detail comprises a bag supply containing unilaterally open tubular bags (hereinafter: bag B) made of plastic, a device 11 for feeding the bag B to the filling station 10 and means for opening the bag B. The bags B. it is preferably so-called chain bags, which are wound in a scaly form on a supply roll and are detachably adhered to two parallel and spaced-apart tapes. However, the bag supply may also contain other bags, for example. In a carton or other container loosely superimposed and unilaterally open bag. The bags B, which have an upper B2 and a lower bag wall B3 made of plastic and are open on one side at a filling opening B1, are fed through the means 11 for feeding the bag along a feed path, for example. By train to the straps, the filling station 10 and opened there by the device for opening the bag. For this purpose, the device for opening the bags expediently comprises a gripping device 31 with a plurality of grippers 32, 33, 36, which grasp and lift off the upper and lower bag walls (B2, B3) in order to open the filling opening B1 of the bags B ( FIG. 1b ). The grippers 32, 33, 36 may be suction grippers or mechanical grippers or even a combination thereof. Alternatively or additionally, the means for opening the bag may also include a blowing device which inflates the filling opening B1 of the bag B with blowing air. If the bags B used are chain bags, the device 11 for feeding the bags B further comprises a take-up device 34, the function of which will be explained below.

At the filling station 10, a stop 38 is provided, on which the opening-side region of the supplied bag B is held in a filling position by the tensioned carrying straps. The straps (which are not shown in the figures) are guided in the filling station 10 via pulleys 35 to the take-up device. The take-up device 34 is used for winding the detached from the bags B straps and - by one of the winder 34 on the straps train - for (gradually) withdrawing the bag B from the bag stock and for feeding the bag B to the filling station 10th

In the filling station 10 is also a transversely to the insertion direction E and horizontally extending abutment plate 37 is provided, whose underside forms a contact surface for the two straps and also for the upper bag wall B2. The grippers 32, 33, 36 for opening the filling opening B1 of the bag B are arranged below the contact plate 37. The detached from the bags B sections of the straps are guided over pulleys 35 and stretched by the winding device 34 and thereby held in contact with the contact surface of the abutment plate 37.

The gripping device 31 comprises, for example, a pair of mechanical grippers 32, 33 and a pair of suction pads 33, wherein the mechanical grippers 32, 33 are placed on the front edge of the abutment plate 37 and the suction grippers 33 below the abutment plate 37 and vertically in each case via a Telescope mechanism 39 can be moved. The mechanical grippers 32 are pivotally mounted about an axis parallel to the support plate 37 extending axis. For pivoting the mechanical gripper 32,33 a pivoting drive in the form of a piston-cylinder unit 39 'is provided. By means of the pivoting drive, the mechanical grippers 32, 33 are lowered onto a horizontal gripper plate 32 '.

At the front of the carriage 7, which faces the filling station 10, two spreading elements 8a, 8b are arranged, which are arranged transversely to the insertion direction E between an initial position in which the spreading elements 8a, 8b adjacent to each other, and a spread position in which they have a distance from each other, are mutually displaceable and retracted at a displacement of the carriage 7 from its rear position to its front position initially in its initial position in one of the grippers 32, 33 opened bag B and then brought into its expanded position to the Spread bag B. For this purpose, the spreading elements 8 are coupled to a drive, via which the spreading elements 8a, 8b are displaceable relative to one another, together or apart, relative to the insertion direction E.

The transport device 13 comprises a plurality of compartments 14 to 16 and 24 to 26 arranged one behind the other in a transport direction T, each compartment being provided and designed to receive a filled bag B. In this case, upstream compartments are 14 to 16 and downstream in the transport direction T downstream compartments 24 to 26th intended. Each compartment contains at least one pair of carriers 17, which are arranged transversely to the transport direction T at a distance from each other and with respect to a transport surface 13 'of the transport device 13 are retractable ( FIG. 3 ).

The vacuum and welding station 40 comprises in the embodiment shown the FIGS. 3 to 7 three respectively similar vacuum and welding devices 40a, 40b, 40c, which are arranged one behind the other in the transporting direction T and indicated only schematically in the figures ( FIGS. 3 to 7 ). Each vacuum and welding device 40a, 40b, 40c is assigned to one of the downstream compartments 24-26, wherein the respective compartment 24, 25, 26 assigned to a vacuum and welding device 40a, 40b, 40c adjacent to the respective vacuum and welding device 40a, 40b, 40c is arranged so that a bag (B) located in the compartment can be pushed out of the compartment into the respective vacuum and welding device 40a, 40b, 40c so that the filled bag is evacuated there and its filling opening is welded can.

Subsequently, the feeding of a bag B to the filling station 10 and the opening of the supplied bag B by means of FIGS. 1a to 1d explains:
The example wound on a roll and designed as a chain bag bags B are withdrawn by the means 11 for feeding the bag by train on the straps from the roll and fed via an at least substantially horizontal feed path of the filling station 10 by the winding device 34 by a Stepper motor is driven. By the stepwise drive, the plastic bag B are cyclically further transported by train on the straps until the front (open) bag edge abuts the stop 38, wherein the winding device 34 winds the (later) detached from the bag B section of the straps on a spool.

A supplied and located in the filling station 10 in its filling position bag B is there first opened with the grippers 32, 33, 36. The carriage 7 is in its rear, the filling station 10 facing away from the position and the slide 9 is also in its rear position. A cargo 1 is located in the feeder 20 in a waiting position. As soon as a bag B has reached its filling position in the filling station 10, in which the front edge of the bag B abuts the stop 38 with the bag opening B1, the winding device 34 is stopped ( FIG. 1a ). By means of the Telescope mechanism 39 thereafter, the grippers 32, 33 brought to the bag B in the region of its filling opening B1 and an upper gripper 32 engages the upper bag wall B2 to hold them firmly and a lower gripper 33 engages the lower bag wall B3 and pulls them down. Thereby, the lower bag wall B3 is lifted from the upper bag wall B2, which is held by the tensioned straps on the abutment plate 37, while the filling opening B1 of the bag B is opened.

After that, as in Figure 1c shown, the carriage 7 in the insertion direction E moved forward, whereby the expansion elements 8 are initially located in a closed position are pushed through the open filling opening B1 in the bag B. As soon as the carriage 7 with the spreading elements 8 arranged thereon has reached its front end position and the spreading elements 8 are in the opened bag B, the two spreading elements 8a, 8b are moved in opposite directions transversely to the direction of insertion E (in the direction of the in Figure 1d shown double arrow) moved apart in a spread position. The spreading elements 8 spread the filling opening B1 as far as possible, as far as the elastic plastic bag B permits without tearing. The movement apart of the spreading elements 8 can take place, for example, via a lever linkage, not shown in the figures, to which the spreading elements 8a, 8b are fastened and which is coupled to a lever drive. Due to the spreading of the filling opening B1, the carrier tapes travel away from the (upper) bag wall and the detached portions of the carrier tapes can be wound up by the reeling device 34. During the spreading of the bag B by the spreading elements 8, the carriage 7 is in its filling station 10 facing the front position ( Figure 1d ).

Subsequently, the filling of a located in the filling station 10 and there opened bag B with a piece goods 1 on the basis of FIGS. 2a to 2d explains:
Already during the spreading of the bag B by the spreading elements 8 which is located in the feeder 20 in a waiting position piece goods 1 with the transfer slider 18 is pushed transversely to the insertion direction on the support 17, wherein the carriage is still in its forward position ( FIG. 2a ). As soon as the filling opening B1 of the bag B has been spread open by means of the spreading elements 8, the piece goods 1 located on the support 17 can be pushed into the opened bag B by means of the slide 9 between the spread spreading elements 8a, 8b, while the carriage 7 remains in its forward position ( FIG. 2b ). For this purpose, the slide 7 is moved by the slider drive in the insertion direction E from its retracted home position to its extended position linearly forward ( FIG. 2b ).

When moving the movable slide 9 from its basic position to its extended position, the piece goods 1 in the insertion direction E expediently in a train initially completely inserted into the opened bag B until the front edge of the piece 1 abuts the closed end of the bag B. By pushing the movable slide 9 further, the piece goods 1 inserted into the opened bag are pushed onto the transport device 13 together with the bag B. In this case, the bag B filled with the article 1 is transferred to a first compartment 14 of the transport device 13 arranged upstream in the transport direction T and stored there ( Figure 2c ). During this process, the carriage 7 with the support 17 is still in its forward position. At the same time, a new bag B 'is already being fed to the filling station 10 in the manner described above ( Figure 2c ).

After feeding a new bag B 'to the filling station 10, the slider 9 is moved back to its retracted initial position and the carriage 7 to its rear position, as in Figure 2d shown. At the same time a new parcel 1 'is placed in a waiting position in the feeder 20 ( Figure 2d ). Thereafter, the new bag B 'in the manner described above by means of the gripper 32, 33, 36 is opened and the carriage 7 is returned to its forward position to retract the spreading elements 8 in the opened bag B' and spread in the manner described above as in the Figures 1c and 1d shown. The new piece goods 1 'in the waiting position are in turn pushed in the manner described above with the transfer slider 18 onto the support 17, while the spreading elements 8a, 8b are moved apart in the bag. Thereafter, the new cargo 1 'is inserted in the manner described above in the spread-bag B' through the slider 9 and pushed onto the conveyor 13.

In the transport device 13, during the opening of the new bag B 'and the insertion of the new piece goods 1', the preceding and already filled bag B with the unit load 1 filled therein is pushed further into a second compartment 15 downstream of the transport direction T, so that the upstream first compartment 14 is free again. The new bag B ', which is filled with the new piece goods 1', therefore, can again in this first compartment 14 of the transport device 13 are stored. Moving the filled bag B from the first compartment 14 into the second compartment 15 takes place in the transport device 13 with the first compartment 14 associated sliders 17, which are brought into an operative position in which they protrude beyond the transport surface 13 'and in the transport direction T are moved so that they push the filled bag B in the transport direction T by one compartment further.

The filled with a piece goods 1 and collected in the compartments 14, 15, 16 of the transport bag B, B 'are transported by the transport device 13 to the vacuum and welding station 40, which in the illustrated embodiment, three in the transport direction T successively arranged vacuum and welding devices 40a, 40b, 40c contains.

The transport of the filled with a piece of goods 1 bag B, B 'to the vacuum and welding station 40 takes place in tact and groups. For this purpose, first filled with a piece goods 1 bag B, B 'in the compartments 14 to 16 of the transport device 13 is collected and grouped into a group of filled bags and stored. This will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7 explains:
In FIG. 3a 1, the transport device 13 is shown in a state in which the upstream compartments 14 to 16 are empty and the downstream compartments 24 to 26 are each filled with a filled bag A, A ', A "The filled bags A, A', A" can all be introduced at the same time in one of the vacuum and welding devices 40a, 40b, 40c in this state and there first evacuated and then welded. After the filled bags A, A ', A "have been welded together, they are again pushed out of the respective vacuum and welding device 40a, 40b, 40c and back onto the transport device 13 (into the respective vacuum and welding device 40a, 40b, 40c associated compartment 24, 25 or 26) and transported from there, for example. To a packaging station, in which a plurality of filled and vacuum-tight welded bags can be packed in an outer packaging, eg. A cardboard or a transport container.

As the filled bags A, A ', A "in the vacuum and welding devices 40a, 40b, 40c are evacuated and sealed, the upstream compartments 14 to 16 become the manner described above successively and in time with filled bags B, B ', etc. filled. The filled bags B, B 'are grouped together. For example, in FIG. 3a in the downstream compartments 24 to 26 deposited bags A, A ', A "a first group of filled bags.

In FIG. 3b the transport device 13 is shown in a state in which the filled bags A, A ', A "of the first group are still in the downstream compartments 24 to 26 (or already in the vacuum and welding devices 40a, 40b, 40c) The first compartment 14 of the upstream compartments 14 to 16 is occupied by a first filled bag B of a second group The compartments 17 of the compartments are sunk below the surface 13 'of the transport device 13. For further transport of the first filled bag B of the second group from First tray 14 in the subsequent direction of transport second tray 15, the carriers 17 of the first tray 14 are raised so that they protrude above the surface 13 ', as in Figure 3c shown and moved in the transport direction (by one bar), whereby the first filled bag B of the second group is transported into the second compartment 15 ( 3d figure ). Thereafter, the carriers 17 are sunk again ( FIG. 4a ) Meanwhile, in the filling station, a second bag B 'of the second group is already filled with a piece goods 1' and placed in the now freed first compartment 14 ( FIG. 4b ).

Subsequently, the carriers 17 of the occupied compartments 14 and 15 are raised again ( Figure 4c ) and in the transporting direction T, so that the filled B, B 'of the second group are each transported in the transport direction following compartment 15 or 16 ( FIG. 5a ). Thereafter, the carriers 17 are sunk again ( FIG. 5b ). Meanwhile, in the filling station 10, a third bag B "of the second group is already filled with a piece goods 1" and placed in the now freed first compartment 14 ( FIG. 5c ).

During this process, all the filled bags A, A ', A "of the first group in the vacuum and welding devices 40a, 40b, 40c have been evacuated and sealed and put back into the downstream compartments 24 to 26. The finished sealed bags of the first Group are then transported in groups by the transport device 13 (ie all together in one cycle), thereby releasing the downstream compartments 24 to 26. These can now pass through the filled and not yet sealed bags B, B ', B "of the second group be occupied. For this purpose (simultaneously with the removal of the bags A - A "of the first group), the not yet sealed bags B, B ', B "of the second group in groups (ie, all at once in one cycle) transferred from the compartments 14 to 16 of the upstream compartments in the downstream compartments 24 to 26 by the carriers 17 of the upstream compartments 14 to 16 raised ( FIG. 6b ) and in the transporting direction T, so that the filled bags B, B ', B "of the second group are all transported simultaneously into the trays 24, 25 and 26 respectively following in the direction of transport T ( FIG. 6c ). Subsequently, the drivers 17 of the upstream compartments 14 to 16 are lowered again ( FIG. 6d ) and each of the filled bags B, B ', B "of the second group can then be placed (simultaneously with the others) in one of the vacuum and welding devices 40a, 40b, 40c where they are first evacuated and then welded.

The filling and transport process then starts again from the beginning and iteratively (and intermittently) in the manner described above, ie in the (now free) first compartment 14 a filled bag C is placed a third group, while the bag B, B ', B "of the second group (all at the same time) are evacuated and welded in the vacuum and welding devices 40a, 40b, 40c, etc. ( Figure 7a, 7b ).

This procedure allows a simultaneous and thus efficient and time-saving evacuation and welding of a group of filled bags, while the bags of a subsequent group are filled with piece goods 1 and stored in the upstream compartments 14 to 16 of the transport device 13. With the method according to the invention and the device according to the invention, piece goods 1 can therefore be vacuum-packed in a very efficient manner and with a high throughput. The invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment. In particular, the number of vacuum and welding devices is not limited to three. Furthermore, in particular, both the filling station and the vacuum and welding devices can be designed differently than described above.

Claims (13)

1. Device for serial packaging of piece goods (1), in particular of cheese blocks, in plastic bags (B) having a charging opening (B1), with

   - a supply device (20) for serial supplying of piece goods (1),

   - an insertion device (30) for inserting a piece good (1) into an opened plastic bag (B), wherein the insertion device (30) comprises a support (17), which is displaceable in a horizontal plane in an insertion direction (E), and a linearly movable slide (9),

   - a transport device (13) for transporting away the plastic bags (B) filled with a piece good (1) in a transport direction (T),

   - and a vacuum and welding station (40) to evacuate and to close the charging opening (B1) of the filled plastic bags (B),

   - wherein a piece good (1) supplied by the supply device (20) is handed over to the insertion device (30) and put down on the support (17),

   characterised in that the slide (9) is uncoupled from the displaceable support (17) and is displaceable forwards and backwards between a retracted position and an extended position independently of the movement of the displaceable support (17) in insertion direction (E) so that the piece goods supplied serially by the supply device (20) can be handed over in time to the insertion device (30) and put down on the support (17) and pushed into the opened bag by the slide (9) in insertion direction (E) independently of the movement of the displaceable support (17).
2. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that the slide (9) is coupled to a slide drive which linearly displaces the slide (9) independently of the movement of the displaceable support (17) between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein the slide (9), during the displacement from its retracted position to its extended position, pushes a piece good (1) located on the support (17) first of all into the opened plastic bag (B) and then further pushes the plastic bag (B) filled with the piece good (1) to the transport device (13).
3. Device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterised by a charging station (10) with a stock of bags and a gripping device (31) for opening the bags (B) and a device (11) for supplying the bags (B) from the stock of bags to the charging station (10), wherein the bags (B) are supplied along a supply track to the charging station (10), in which a piece good (1) is pushed into the opened bag (B) by means of the slide (9).
4. Device according to claim 3, characterised in that the device (11) for supplying the bags (B) comprises a rolling-up device (34) and a stop (38), wherein the bags (B) are attached releasably to two carrying straps guided in parallel and at a distance from one another and are supplied to the charging station (10) by the device (11) for supplying the bags (B) by pulling on the carrying straps and the opening-side region of the bags are held at the stop (38) by the taut carrying straps and the rolling-up device (34) for rolling up the sections of the carrying straps detached from the bag (B).
5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the support (17) is formed by the surface of a displaceable sliding carriage (7) which is linearly displaceable between a rear position facing away from the charging station (10) and a front position facing the charging station (10) with reference to a fixed charging station (10), in which a piece good (1) is pushed into the opened bag (B) by means of the slide (9).
6. Device according to claim 5, characterised in that in the front position of the sliding carriage (7), a piece good (1) is placed on the support (17) by the supply device (20) and is pushed there by the movable slide (9) into an opened bag (B) located in the charging station (10).
7. Device according to one of claims 5 or 6, characterised in that on the front side of the sliding carriage (7), which is facing the charging station (10), spreading elements (8) are arranged which are displaceable transversely to the insertion direction (E) between a starting position, in which the spreading elements (8a, 8b) are arranged adjacent one another, and a spreading position, in which they have a distance from one another, and during a displacement of the sliding carriage (7) from its rear position to its front position, first of all in their starting position are retracted into an opened bag (B) and then brought to their spreading position there to expand the bag (B).
8. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the transport device (13) has a plurality of compartments (14, 15, 16) arranged one behind another in a transport direction (T), wherein each compartment (14, 15, 16) is designed to receive a filled bag (B), and preferably has at least one carrier (17) which can be lowered preferably with regard to a transport surface (13') of the transport device (13).
9. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the vacuum and welding station (40) has several vacuum and welding devices (40a, 40b, 40c) arranged one behind another in transport direction (T), wherein in particular three vacuum and welding devices (40a, 40b, 40c) are provided.
10. Method for serial packaging of piece goods (1) in plastic bags (B) having the following steps:

    a.) supplying an open bag (B) at a charging opening (B1) to a charging station (10),

    b.) moving a support (17) which is displaceable with regard to the charging station (10) between a rear position remote from the latter and a front position facing the latter to its front position, wherein before and/or during this movement, the charging opening (B1) of the bag (B) is opened,

    c.) serial supplying the piece goods (1) in time with a supply device (20) and handing over a piece good (1) to the displaceable support (17), wherein the support (17) is located in its front position during handing over of the piece good (1),

    d.) supplying the piece good (1) put down on the support (17) to the charging station (10) and pushing the piece good (1) into the opened bag (B) by means of a slide (9) uncoupled from the support (17) and which is movable independently of the support (17), which slide (9) is linearly displaceable between a retracted position and an extended position while the support (17) is located in its front position,

    e.) further pushing the movable slide (9) to its extended position, whereby the bag (B) filled with the piece good (1) is further pushed from the charging station (10) to a transport device (13) while the support (17) is located in its front position,

    f.) returning the movable slide (9) to its retracted position and returning the displaceable support (17) to its rear position,

    g.) simultaneous supplying of a new bag (B') during further pushing of the movable slide (9) to its extended position and/or during returning of the movable slide (9) to its retracted position,

    h.) transporting the filled bag (B) in the transport device (13) along a transport direction (T),

    i.) opening the charging opening (B1') of the new bag (B'),

    j.) displacing the support (17) from its rear position to its front position,

    k.) repeating steps a) to j).
11. Method according to claim 10, characterised in that the filled bags (B) are further transported in the transport device (13) cyclically in transport direction (T) and/or in that several filled bags (B, B', B") in the transport device (13) are collected to form a group of filled bags (B, B', B") and a collected group of filled bags (B, B', B") are further transported to a vacuum and welding station (40) to evacuate the filled bags (B, B', B") and weld the charging openings (B1).
12. Method according to claim 11, wherein the vacuum and welding station (40) has a plurality of vacuum and welding devices (40a, 40b, 40c) arranged one behind another in transport direction (T) and in one cycle the filled bags (B, B', B") of a group are introduced respectively into one of the vacuum and welding devices (40a, 40b, 40c) and in a subsequent cycle, all filled bags (B, B', B") of this group are evacuated and welded simultaneously.
13. Method according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterised in that the piece goods (1) are pushed onto the displaceable support (17) by the supply device (20) transversely to the insertion direction (E) while the displaceable support (17) is located in its front position.

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