EP3360805B1 - Strapping device - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a strapping device for strapping an object with a tape that can be pulled off a tape roll rotatable about an axis of rotation, comprising a frame with a device for conveying and tensioning the tape and a holder with a rotating pivot pin forming the axis of rotation for detachably receiving the tape roll, wherein the bearing journal runs horizontally in the working position.

As is known, such a strapping device is used to wrap and tie a packaged product, such as a stack of newspapers, a package or the like, with a band. For this purpose, the packaged goods are fed to the strapping device, for strapping they lie on a corresponding work table. The tape is first injected along a guide device, such as a surrounding frame, by means of a device for conveying and tensioning, and is caught again with the free end, after which the tape is pulled out of the frame and tensioned back, that is, tightly tensioned around the packaged goods. Then the band, which is usually made of plastic, is cut and welded together so that it is tightly stretched around the packaged goods. The actual functioning of such a strapping device is well known.

The tape is pulled off a tape roll, which is usually arranged in the working position within the frame of the strapping device. The tape roll is arranged in or on a holder and is mounted there on a rotatable bearing journal. In the working position, that is, when the tape is continuously pulled off as part of the individual strapping processes, the tape roll is vertical, so that the tape can be pulled upwards. This means that the axis of rotation and consequently the bearing pin forming the axis of rotation, onto which the band roll is slid, runs horizontally.

Once the tape has been removed, the tape roll must be replaced. In addition to configurations in which the tape roll is accommodated in an immovable holder, that is to say the roll change must therefore take place virtually in the frame, embodiments of strapping devices are known in which the holder is arranged pivotably on the machine frame. For changing, the holder can be swiveled out of the machine frame, the bearing journal maintaining its horizontal orientation. After swiveling out the holder, the empty tape roll is released and pulled off the journal. The new belt reel is pushed onto the horizontally positioned bearing journal, for which purpose the belt reel has to be lifted up in the vertical position and attached to the bearing journal. For this purpose, the roller bore must first be aligned with the bearing journal, after which it can only be pushed on. Due to the vertical position of the tape roll during this process, this is cumbersome, since in particular the bore is not necessarily visible to the person changing the tape rolls, and therefore the positioning of the tape roll relative to the bearing journal is sometimes difficult. This also against the background when a full roll of tape has a considerable weight. The slide-on process, a purely horizontal movement, is associated with considerable effort due to the weight of the tape roll. Finally, the tape reel is also difficult to grasp or handle, since its side roller cheeks stand vertically.

The document EP 1 489 006 A2 discloses a strapping device having the features of the preamble of claim 1.

The invention is therefore based on the problem of specifying a strapping device which is improved in comparison thereto and makes it easier to change a tape roll.

To solve this problem, it is provided according to the invention in a strapping device of the type mentioned at the outset that the holder can be pivoted laterally out of the frame into a non-working position in which the bearing pin is pivoted out of the horizontal position.

In the strapping device according to the invention, the holder can be pivoted sideways out of the frame in such a way that the bearing journal here is pivoted from its horizontal position in the direction of the vertical. In the non-working position, it is therefore at an angle to the horizontal, ultimately obliquely or at most vertically to it. As a result of this positioning of the trunnion in the non-working position, the tape reel for re-mounting on the trunnion is no longer to be held or positioned virtually vertically, as before, but also tilted up to the maximum horizontally. In addition to easier handling, since the tape reel can be easily held and moved on a tilted roller cheek, the operator can always see the position of the roller bore so that it is much easier to handle Can position the trunnion. In addition, due to the inclined or vertical position of the journal, pushing the tape roll onto the journal is much easier, since this movement is supported by the weight of the tape roll. This slips as soon as the bearing pin is threaded into the roller bore, almost automatically onto the bearing pin when the bearing pin has been pivoted sufficiently far out of the horizontal, or can be pushed on with very little effort, as it is supported by its own weight.

The strapping device according to the invention thus permits a significantly easier reel change.

According to an expedient development of the invention, the holder can be pivoted through an angle between 30 ° -90 °, preferably through an angle between 45 ° -75 °. In the non-working position, the bearing journal and thus the pivoted-out axis of rotation thus make an angle between 30 ° and 90 ° to the horizontal, preferably between 45 ° and 75 °. So putting it on is much easier, not least because the tape roll, because the horizontal is tilted, can be gripped much easier. The operator can then easily reach under and lift the tape roll on a side cheek, which is just not possible with a horizontal axis of rotation and thus a vertical tape roll.

According to a further development of the invention, the holder itself can have an L-shaped or U-shaped holding frame that receives the tape roll and is rotatably or pivotally mounted on the frame. The bearing axis is located near the outside of the frame, the L- or U-shaped mounting frame extends into the inside of the frame in the working position. If the mounting frame is now pivoted outwards according to the invention, it is virtually open to the operator when it is in the non-working position, so that the tape roll can be placed in it.

In this case, the mounting frame can be formed from frame struts provided in pairs, with the pair of struts running vertically in the working position being connected to one another via a connecting support on which the bearing pin is arranged. The mounting frame thus has an upper pair of struts, these two struts being articulated on the machine frame, that is to say they are pivoted there. For this purpose, corresponding bearing journals or the like are provided on these two frame struts, which engage in corresponding bearing receptacles on the frame in which they are mounted on sliding or roller bearings. These two frame struts can be connected via a cross strut.

These upper frame struts are followed by two struts which run vertically in the working position and which are connected to one another via a connecting support. The bearing journal is arranged on the connecting carrier with a bearing plate usually associated with it, that is to say it is received there in a pivoted manner. These two pairs of struts together with the connecting struts or struts form an L-shaped mounting frame. A further U-shaped frame is formed by connecting two further struts, which, like the upper pair of struts, then also run through 90 ° to the pair of struts running vertically in the working position. This lower pair of struts, which, like the upper pair, runs horizontally in the working position, can also be connected to one another via a connecting strut, this connecting strut being followed by what follows is still discussed, at the same time, if necessary, can also represent a handle for a pivoting bracket to be carried out by the operator.

According to the invention, the holder itself can be pivoted on the operator side between a working position and a non-working position, that is to say that the operator who wants to change the tape roll himself carries out the pivoting. For this purpose, a handle to be operated by the operator is provided for pivoting the holder between the working and the non-working position. The operator therefore acts on this handle when he wants to pivot the holder.

With regard to such a handle, different configurations are conceivable. According to a first alternative of the invention, the handle can be attached to the mounting frame itself. The mounting frame itself therefore has a corresponding section which forms a handle on which the operator can grip with the hand or the foot. It is conceivable, for example in the case of a U-shaped mounting frame, that an outer connecting strut is provided on the lower, horizontally running frame struts in the working position, which on the one hand connects and stiffens the frame struts, but on the other hand also represents the handle to be used. This handle can be positioned in such a way that it protrudes laterally on the mounting frame beyond the tape roll, so that the handle can be operated either by hand or by foot. In the working position, this handle can be gripped with the foot, for example, and the holder can be swung open with the foot along with the empty tape roll. Of course, it can also be attacked by hand. The foot can also be used for pivoting into the working position by pressing the handle with it, so that the holder is pivoted back into the frame, although this can of course also be done by hand. In addition, such a handle, for example in the form of a horizontal strut, can also serve as personal protection if it protrudes laterally over the belt roll.

As an alternative to attaching the handle, for example to the lower frame struts of a U-shaped mounting frame, it is of course also conceivable to arrange such a handle at a different position in an L-shaped or U-shaped mounting frame and to guide it in such a way that it is within the access range of the Operator is in the working and non-working position.

As an alternative to the configuration with a handle attached to the mounting frame itself, it is conceivable that the handle is a pivoted lever mechanism coupled to the mounting frame or a pedal mechanism coupled to the mounting frame. According to this embodiment, a pivot lever that can be operated manually, for example, or a pedal that is to be pressed with the foot is assigned to the mounting frame, the pivot lever and the pedal being coupled to the mounting frame by means of a corresponding mechanism. If the swivel lever is swiveled about a corresponding axis of rotation, its swivel movement is transmitted via the swivel lever mechanism to the mounting frame, which is swiveled out and swiveled in again when the swivel lever mechanism is actuated again, if this is not done otherwise by direct actuation of the holder. Alternatively, if the pedal is depressed, for example pressed down, this movement is also transmitted to the mounting frame via the pedal mechanism so that it is swung open or swiveled back in unless this is also done in this case by direct actuation of the mounting frame ,

In order to further facilitate the pivoting open of the holder when it is actuated by the operator to move it from the working position into the non-working position, an expedient development of the invention provides that the holding frame is connected to at least one adjusting element that builds up a restoring force when pivoting from the non-working position into the working position , If the mounting frame is pivoted back into the working position after the roll has been changed, an actuating element coupled to the mounting frame is actuated, which builds up a restoring force during this pivoting back movement. The control element is therefore an energy store. Should now for a new roll change, the holder is swiveled into the non-working position, this lateral swiveling movement is supported by the adjusting means relaxing here, or the resetting force stored there. The operator therefore does not have to swivel the entire weight of the holder and roller to the side, but is instead relieved by the supportive restoring force. When swiveling back into the working position, in which work is practically against the actuating element, which builds up the restoring force as described, the operator is supported by the belt roll itself, since it also works against the actuating element with its own weight.

At least one gas spring is preferably used as such an actuating element. This is fixed on the frame side with the cylinder or the piston, while the other part of the gas spring, that is to say the piston or the cylinder, is arranged on the mounting frame. The respective fastenings are pivot-mounted, since the adjusting element performs a relative movement both to the frame and to the mounting frame during the pivoting movement. An alternative to the invention has been described above, in which the reversible pivoting between the working and the non-working position takes place on the operator side, and therefore the operator moves the holder. An alternative, which is not part of the invention, provides for this to use a motorized actuating device for automatically pivoting the holder between the working and the non-working position. According to this alternative, a servomotor or the like is used to move the holder together with an empty or full tape roll between the two positions. This servomotor can, for example, engage the frame in the area of the pivoting mounting of the mounting frame, or can be coupled to the mounting frame via a corresponding movement or pivoting mechanism. In any case, it allows automatic swiveling without any significant operator interaction.

The motorized actuating device is preferably assigned a control device with an associated operating element for controlling the actuating device. The means that the operator can initiate the pivoting movement in one direction or the other simply by pressing a button or the like. The control device then controls the motorized operation until the respective end position is reached.

In a further development of the invention, irrespective of whether an operator-side or automatic swivel operation is provided, a locking device can be provided for locking the holder in the working position and / or the non-working position. The holder is locked in the respective position by means of this locking device, ie it cannot be released automatically from this position without opening the locking device. This ensures, on the one hand, that the holder always remains in the correct working position, so that the tape can be removed undisturbed. If, alternatively or additionally, a locking device is assigned to the non-working position, it is ensured that this position is also fixed for the strap change. If the gas spring is already sufficient for locking in the non-working position, no additional locking device is to be provided. The gas spring can be overpressed to swivel in due to the weight of the belt roll and less effort on the part of the operator.

It is conceivable that the locking device, regardless of whether it is assigned to the working position or the non-working position, closes automatically when the working or non-working position is reached. It can either be opened manually, so it must be unlocked or released manually by the operator for the respective pivoting. Alternatively, it is also conceivable that the locking device opens automatically by the pressure to be applied for pivoting. Thus, if sufficient pressure is pressed against the bracket for pivoting or if the servomotor is used, the locking device, for example a latching device, opens automatically and releases the bracket. In a corresponding manner, the locking device automatically snaps back when the respective end position is reached.

Fig. 1

eine Prinzipdarstellung einer erfindungsgemäßen Umreifungsvorrichtung,

Fig. 2

eine Teilansicht der erfindungsgemäßen Umreifungsvorrichtung aus Fig. 1 von der Seite mit in der Arbeitsstellung befindlicher Halterung,

Fig. 3

die Ansicht gemäß Fig. 2 mit in die Nichtarbeitsstellung ausgeschwenkter Halterung,

Fig. 4

die Anordnung aus Fig. 3 in perspektivischer Ansicht von der gegenüberliegenden Seite,

Fig. 5

die Anordnung aus Fig. 4 mit neuer, noch aufzusetzender Bandrolle,

Fig. 6

eine Prinzipdarstellung einer Umreifungsvorrichtung einer weiteren Ausführungsform mit einer Pedalmechanik zum Verschwenken der Halterung, und

Fig. 7

eine Prinzipdarstellung einer Umreifungsvorrichtung, die nicht Teil der Erfindung ist, in Teilansicht mit einem motorischen Stellelement zum Verschwenken der Halterung.

Further advantages and features of the details of the invention result from the exemplary embodiments described below and from the drawings. Show:

Fig. 1

a schematic diagram of a strapping device according to the invention,

Fig. 2

a partial view of the strapping device according to the invention Fig. 1 from the side with the holder in the working position,

Fig. 3

the view according to Fig. 2 with the bracket swung into the non-working position,

Fig. 4

the arrangement Fig. 3 in a perspective view from the opposite side,

Fig. 5

the arrangement Fig. 4 with a new roll of tape to be put on,

Fig. 6

a schematic representation of a strapping device of a further embodiment with a pedal mechanism for pivoting the bracket, and

Fig. 7

a schematic representation of a strapping device, which is not part of the invention, in partial view with a motorized actuator for pivoting the bracket.

Fig. 1 shows in the form of a schematic diagram a strapping device 1 according to the invention, comprising a frame 2 with a device 3 provided on the frame side for conveying and tensioning a band 4, which is wound on a band reel 5 and can be removed therefrom. The device 3 for conveying and tensioning the belt comprises corresponding conveying and tensioning means in order to shoot the belt along a frame 6 and to pull it out of the frame 6 by tensioning it and to pack a packaged goods 7 tighten. In addition, a device 8 is provided for cutting and connecting the strap ends of the strapped strap section, usually in the form of a welding unit. The basic structure and function of such a strapping device is known.

On the frame 2 there is also a holder 9 for the tape roll 5, which has a rotatably mounted bearing journal 10 on which the tape roll 5 is placed. The tape roll 5 is fixed accordingly, so that it sits firmly on the journal 10 and an associated bearing plate, for which purpose a corresponding screw holder, not shown, is provided.

The holder 9, comprising a holder frame 11, is arranged on the frame 2 so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis 12, and can therefore be pivoted out of the frame and into the frame. In the working position, the tape roll 5 is in the Fig. 1 shown, quasi vertical position within the frame 2, in the non-working position for changing roles, it is pivoted out of the frame.

The basic swivel operation is the Figures 2 and 3 refer to. Fig. 2 shows the holder 9 in the pivoted-in working position. As can be seen, the tape roll 5 is vertical, that is to say that the axis of rotation and thus the bearing journal 10 run horizontally. If the tape 4 is removed from the tape roll 5, it is to be replaced, for which purpose the holder 9, see the Figures 2 and 3 in the in Fig. 3 shown non-working position is pivotable, as indicated by the arrow A in Fig. 2 shown. In this, the bearing pin 10 assumes an angular position to the horizontal, the angle between the bearing pin 10 or axis of rotation and the horizontal in Fig. 3 is marked with a. This angle is between preferably at least 30 ° and a maximum of 90 °, in the exemplary embodiment shown the angle is approximately 70 °. In this position, the tape roll 5 can now be removed from the bearing pin 10 by loosening the roll fixation 13 and a new tape roll 5 can be placed on it.

As the Figures 2 and 3 show, the holder frame 11 or the holder 9 is connected to an actuating element 14 in the form of a gas spring 15 which is fastened at one end to the frame 2 and at the other end to the holder frame 11. This control element 14 or the gas spring 15 builds when pivoting from the in Fig. 3 shown non-working position along the arrow B in the in Fig. 2 shown working position a restoring force that supports the renewed pivoting movement along the arrow A in the non-working position. During the swiveling into the working position, the restoring force is built up by compressing the gas spring 15, so it supports the operator when swiveling out again.

How especially according to the perspective representation Fig. 4 can be seen, the support frame 11 consists of several frame struts. Shown are two upper frame struts 16 which are pivotally mounted on frame 2 via corresponding bearing journals 17. The bearing journals 17 are accommodated in corresponding bearing receptacles 18 on the frame 2 in a rotatably mounted manner, for example via slide or roller bearings. The frame struts 16 are connected via a connecting strut 19.

At right angles to this, two further frame struts 20 are provided, which in the working position (see Fig. 2 ) run vertically. There is an in on them Fig. 1 basically shown connecting bracket 21 is arranged, on which in turn the bearing pin 10 is arranged or rotatably mounted. The bearing pin 10 is connected to a bearing plate 22, see Fig. 5 , on which the tape roll 5 is seated.

The L-shape formed from the frame struts 16 and 20 is supplemented in the example shown by two further frame struts 23 to form the U-shape. The frame struts 23 are in turn vertical to the frame struts 20. At the free end of the frame struts 23 there is a handle 24 in the form of a cross strut which firmly connects the two frame struts 23 to one another. This handle 24 serves at the same time to pivot the holder 9 after it can be attacked with the foot or by hand, around the holder together with the tape roll, whether it is unfilled or filled, into the corresponding one Position to pivot about the axes of rotation 12, formed on the bearing pin 17. Here, as described, the gas spring 15 is actuated at the same time.

Based on the in Fig. 4 shown non-working position of the tape reel change, the reel holder 13, here a screw toggle, is unscrewed from the corresponding threaded portion of the bearing pin 10 so that the tape reel 5 is released from the bearing pin 10. It can then be deducted due to the inclined position of the journal 10 by a corresponding oblique movement.

How Fig. 5 shows, then a new tape roll 5, which is filled with tape as shown, placed on the journal 10. Due to the inclination of the journal 10 to the horizontal, this is very simple. This is because the inclined position means that the tape roll 5 is also to be held at an appropriate angle and is no longer to be positioned vertically, as was previously the case. This means that the two roller cheeks 25 have so far been positioned vertically in order to align the bore 26 of the tape roller 5 with respect to the horizontal bearing pin 10. Instead, according to the invention, the tape roll 5 can also be positioned obliquely due to the inclination of the bearing pin 10 to the horizontal, so that the operator can easily grasp the tape roll 5 by reaching under the front roller cheek 25, align it and then place it on the bearing pin 10. The operator is also able to orientate the roller bore 26 with respect to the bearing pin 10 much more simply because of its inclined position.

If the full tape reel 5 is then placed on the bearing journal 10 or inserted into the roller bore 26, the tape reel slips by its own weight on the journal 10 as far as it will go until it stops on the bearing plate 22. Operator support is not required here or only to a small extent.

Then it is only necessary to screw the roll holder 13 back onto the bearing journal 10, after which the tape roll 5 is fixed again.

Finally, the holder 9 from the non-working position back into the in Fig. 2 to pivot the working position shown, again by actuating the gas spring 15. Now only the threading of the new band into the device 3 for conveying and tensioning follows, so that the next strapping process can follow.

The bracket 9 are, in Fig. 1 only shown according to the principle, corresponding locking devices 27 are assigned which lock the holder 9 in the working position and / or the non-working position, so that the holder 9 is fixed in the respective end position and cannot be inadvertently moved from this position. These locking devices 27 engage, for example, in the region of the axis of rotation 12, that is to say the mounting of the bearing pins 17 in the bearing receptacles 18. For example, they engage automatically when the working position and / or the non-working position is assumed, depending on which position it is assigned to, and both positions can be locked. These locking devices 27 can either be released by the user, which means that the user has to release them manually before he pivots. However, they can also be released automatically, for example by initiating the pivoting movement with sufficient force, that is to say they can be overpressed. The locking devices 27 can be implemented, for example, by means of a locking pin which engages in a corresponding locking receptacle, or in a similar manner.

Fig. 6 shows in the form of a schematic diagram a partial view of a strapping device 1 according to the invention of a further embodiment, only a section of the frame 2 and the holder 9 being shown here. A pedal mechanism 28 is assigned to the holder 9, on the bearing pin 10 of which a band roller 5 is in turn placed, and which is likewise pivotably mounted on the frame 2 (not shown in more detail), comprising a pedal 29, which can be operated, for example, with the foot and a corresponding coupling mechanism 30, which connects the pedal to the bracket 9 respectively the support frame 11 couples. If the pedal 29, as shown by the arrow C, is pressed down, the mounting frame 11 or the mounting 9, as shown by the arrow A, is pivoted out of the working position into the non-working position due to the coupling of the pedal movement via the coupling mechanism 30 , The return movement can, for example, again take place by pressing the handle 24, which is also provided here, manually or with the foot, which also leads to the pedal mechanism 28 being reset again. This means that the operator does not necessarily have to bend down to swing open in order to grip the handle 24, rather the swing-up movement can be carried out simply by a foot movement and pressing the pedal 29, as can the back-swinging movement with the foot can by pressing the handle 24 with the foot.

Instead of such a pedal mechanism 28, a pivot lever mechanism would also be conceivable, which would provide a correspondingly guided pivot lever which can be gripped by hand and which is in an elevated position.

Fig. 7 finally shows a further embodiment of a strapping device 1, which is not part of the invention, in a similar partial view as in FIG Fig. 6 , that is, here too, only the frame 2 is shown in a section, on which in turn the holder 9 or the holding frame 11 is arranged rotatably about the pivot axis 12, which is only shown in broken lines. The holder 9 is assigned a motorized actuator 31, which acts as an example in the pivot axis 12 in the example shown. This can be actuated or controlled via an operating element 32 together with an associated control device 33. This adjusting element 31, for example a simple electric motor, now rotates in the corresponding direction, depending on which pivoting movement is desired or required. So here the bracket 9 is automatically pivoted between the working and non-working position and back. An interaction of the operator, except for operating the control element 32, is not required here. Likewise, it is not absolutely necessary any additional locking devices, since the locking in the respective end position is given via the then blocked control element 31, that is to say the control motor.

Instead of arranging the motorized actuating element 31 on or in the region of the axis of rotation 12, it is of course also conceivable to arrange the servomotor elsewhere on the frame side and to couple it to the holder 9 or the holder frame 11 by means of a corresponding adjusting mechanism.

Claims (9)

1. Strapping apparatus for strapping an article using a strap (4) which can be drawn off from a reel (5) which can be rotated about an axis of rotation, comprising a framework (2) having a device (3) for delivering and back-tensioning the strap (4) and also a holder (9) with a rotatable bearing journal (10), which forms the axis of rotation and is intended to accommodate the reel (5) in a releasable manner, wherein, in the operating position, the bearing journal (10) runs horizontally, characterized in that the holder (9) can be pivoted laterally upwards out of the framework (2) into a non-operating position, in which the bearing journal (10) has been pivoted out of the horizontal position, wherein the holder (9), comprising a holder frame (11), can be pivoted between the operating position and the non-operating position by an operator, and an operator-actuable handle (24, 28) is provided for pivoting the holder (9) between the operating position and the non-operating position, said handle either being fastened on the holder frame (11) itself and projecting laterally beyond the reel (5), in which case the handle (24, 28) can also be actuated by the foot, at least for pivoting into the operating position, or being a pivoting-lever mechanism coupled to the holder frame or a pedal mechanism coupled to the holder frame.
2. Strapping apparatus according to Claim 1, characterized in that the holder (9) can be pivoted through an angle between 30° and 90°.
3. Strapping apparatus according to Claim 2, characterized in that the holder (9) can be pivoted through an angle between 45° and 75°.
4. Strapping apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holder frame (11) is L-shaped or U-shaped and is mounted on the framework (2) in a rotatable manner.
5. Strapping apparatus according to Claim 4, characterized in that the holder frame (11) is formed from in each case pairs of frame struts (16, 20, 23), wherein the pair of struts (20), which in the operating position run vertically, are connected to one another via a connecting support (21), on which the bearing journal (10) is arranged.
6. Strapping apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the provision of at least one actuating element (14), which builds up a restoring force when the holder (9) is being pivoted from the non-operating position into the operating position.
7. Strapping apparatus according to Claim 6, characterized in that the actuating element (14) is a gas spring (15).
8. Strapping apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the provision of an arresting device (27) for arresting the holder (9) in the operating position and/or the non-operating position.
9. Strapping apparatus according to Claim 8, characterized in that, when the operating position or the non-operating position is reached, the arresting device (27) closes automatically and either can be opened manually or opened automatically as a result of pressure which has to be applied for pivoting purposes.

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