EP3953260B1 - Method and device for producing tubular bags which are filled with a mixture of liquid and solid filling material components - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for operating a tubular bag machine for the continuous production of tubular bags which are filled with a mixture of liquid and solid filling material components according to the preamble of the two independent main claims.

From the state of the art, tubular bag machines are known for producing tubular bags when packaging mixtures of liquid and solid filling components. These tubular bag machines comprise a biaxially driven cross-sealing device with two sealing jaws. These sealing jaws are moved along a predetermined path of movement and can attach bottom cross-seams and head cross-seams to a previously formed film tube in order to close the tubular bags from above or below.

Above the cross-sealing device, these machines have a pressing device that comprises two pressing elements. These pressing elements can be placed on the outside of the film tube. In addition, the two pressing elements can horizontally between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, the two pressing elements press the film tube together between them to such an extent that it is compressed liquid-tight. As a result, it is possible to fill the film tube with the mixture of liquid and solid contents before cross-sealing, as the pressing elements prevent the contents from flowing down. As soon as the previous tubular bag has been completely sealed with its top seam below the pressing device and the bottom seam of the next tubular bag has been made, the pressing device is brought into its open position and the contents fall under the influence of gravity into the tubular bag, which is still open at the top.

A stripper is provided below the cross-sealing device of the generic tubular bag machine. This stripper comprises two stripping elements that can be placed on the outside of the film tube and can be adjusted horizontally between a stripping position and an opening position. In the stripping position, the stripping elements rest on the outside of the film tube and press the two inner surfaces of the film tube against each other. If the stripping device is now moved downwards faster than the film tube, the solid filling components on the inside of the film tube are stripped downwards by the stripping elements. In this way, the stripping device can be used to free the sealing area of the tubular bag on the inside of the film web of solid filling components in order to enable the film tube to be sealed without any problems using the cross-sealing device. When producing tubular bags that are filled with a mixture of liquid and solid contents, the problem with the known machines is that the still open tubular bags bulge significantly in the area of the bottom seam after filling with the contents. This bulged tubular bag is now sealed with the cross-sealing device by attaching the top seam is closed, a large amount of air is trapped in the area below the top seam. This air in the tubular bag has a negative impact on the storage properties of the tubular bag, as oxidation processes of the contents within the tubular bag are particularly promoted by the oxygen contained in the air. In addition, the strong bulging of the tubular bag causes an undesirable extension of the individual tubular bags between the bottom seam and the top seam, which leads to an increased consumption of film web and shorter cycle times in the production of the tubular bags. Generic tubular bag machines, for example from the US 2016/297554 A1 and the JP 2007 076719 A known which have additional gas removal elements arranged below the cross-sealing device. However, the disadvantage of this type of tubular bag machine is that the penetration of solid components into the sealing area can lead to the sealing not being carried out as required, thus resulting in increased rejects and increased downtimes.

Based on this prior art, it is therefore the object of the present invention to propose a new method for operating a tubular bag machine for the continuous production of tubular bags that are filled with a mixture of liquid and solid filling material components, whereby the air contained in the tubular bag is reduced, the necessary consumption of film web is reduced and the maximum cycle rate in the production of the tubular bags is increased. Furthermore, the object of the present invention is to propose a tubular bag machine for carrying out the method according to the invention.

These objects are achieved by a method and a form, fill and seal machine according to the teaching of the two independent main claims.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the subclaims.

The method according to the invention is based on the connection of a formatting device arranged below the stripping device. This formatting device has the task of formatting the bag shape of the still open tubular bag, i.e. before the top seam is applied. For this purpose, the formatting device comprises at least two formatting elements that can be brought into contact with the outside of the film tube. The formatting elements can be adjusted between an open position and a formatting position. The horizontal distance between the formatting elements is greater in the open position than in the formatting position. When carrying out the method according to the invention, the formatting elements of the formatting device are in the open position before and/or during the filling of the tubular bag, i.e. when the tubular bag is still open but after the bottom seam has been applied. In this open position, the opened tubular bag can easily bulge out sideways in a known manner, so that the filling material can easily be introduced into the opened tubular bag. During and/or after filling the tubular bag with filling material and before making the top seam, the formatting elements of the formatting device are then brought into their formatting position, i.e. moved together horizontally. By moving the formatting elements together horizontally, the still open tubular bag is formatted in its shape, i.e. compressed in its width. By compressing the still open tubular bag, the liquid column of the filling material in the tubular bag rises and displaces air from the top area of the tubular bag. As soon as the formatting elements have reached their formatting position and a certain amount of air has been displaced from the top area of the tubular bag, the top seam can then be attached to the tubular bag either immediately or after carrying out further process steps in order to close the tubular bag in this way. The result is then By formatting the tubular bag with the formatting elements, there is a significantly lower proportion of air or no air at all in the head area of the tubular bag, so that the storage properties of the tubular bag packaging in particular are significantly improved. In addition, the length of the tubular bag required to accommodate the volume of the filling material can be reduced and the cycle rate of the tubular bag machine when producing the tubular bags can be increased.

As soon as the head area of the tubular bag is largely free of air and, if applicable, only a very small amount of residual air remains in the tubular bag, the head seam of the tubular bag is then attached using the cross-sealing device and the tubular bag is thereby closed. With regard to the processing and packaging of filling material which consists of a mixture of solid and liquid filling material components, the invention provides that the pressing device forms two retention zones in the closed position. In the lower retention zone, the film tube is compressed in a liquid-tight manner as usual in order to prevent the liquid filling material components from flowing through the pressing device in the closed position. At the same time, a second, upper retention zone is formed above the lower retention zone in which the film tube is compressed to such an extent, while maintaining a liquid-permeable residual gap, that solid filling material components cannot pass through the residual gap. The two retention zones of the pressing device, which are formed one above the other, ensure that the solid filling components are initially retained in the upper retention zone, with the liquid filling components passing through the upper retention zone through the remaining gap. These liquid filling components are then retained in the lower retention zone. By opening the pressing device, both retention zones are opened and the solid or liquid filling material can slide downwards into the opened tubular bag under the influence of gravity.

In the continuously operating tubular bag machine, the film tube in the tubular bag machine is continuously pulled downwards. In order to be able to optimally format the tubular bags that are still open despite this continuous downward pulling movement of the film tube, it is particularly advantageous if the formatting elements of the formatting device that are in the formatting position on the outside of the tubular bag are moved vertically downwards at the same vertical speed as the cross-sealing device at the same vertical speed as the film tube. In this way, an undesirable relative movement between the formatting elements on the one hand and the film tube on the other is avoided.

In order not to hinder the displacement of air from the head area of the still open tubular bag, it is advantageous if the stripping device remains in the open position until the formatting device has been fully moved into the formatting position. Only after the formatting position has been reached has the liquid level in the opened tubular bag reached its highest point, so that no more air can be displaced from the opened tubular bag by the formatting device. Only from this moment on is the stripping device closed and the stripping of the solid filling components lying on the inside of the film material started.

In order to be able to strip the solid filling components lying on the inside of the film tube downwards without any problems, it is particularly advantageous if the stripping elements of the stripping device lying on the outside of the tubular bag in the stripping position are adjusted vertically at a higher vertical speed than the tubular bag. The difference in speed results in a relative movement between the stripping elements and the Film tube through which the solid filling components adhering to the inside of the film tube are stripped downwards. As soon as the formatting elements of the formatting device have reached the formatting position and have thereby formatted the still open tubular bag in its shape, a certain amount of residual air usually remains above the filling material, as otherwise there is a risk that solid or liquid filling components will get into the sealing area between the insides of the filling tube. In order to displace this residual air still remaining in the open tubular bag as much as possible, it is advantageous if at least one air-permeable ventilation channel is formed between the inner surfaces of the tubular bag in the stripping position of the stripping device, through which air can escape from the head area of the tubular bag. If the stripping elements of the stripping device in the stripping position are moved downwards with the corresponding relative movement relative to the film tube, this causes the solid filling components to be stripped downwards and at the same time displaces the air trapped in the head area of the tubular bag to the outside. This air displaced to the outside is led out through the ventilation channel between the inner surfaces of the tubular bag, so that as a result only very little or no residual air remains in the tubular bag.

The flow wrapping machine is designed in such a way that the formatting device is provided below the cross-sealing device, with which the still opened flow wrapping bag can be formatted in its shape.

In order to be able to variably adjust the flow wrapping machine to the extent of the bulge when packaging different filling goods, it is advantageous if the horizontal distance between the formatting elements in the opening position and/or the horizontal distance between the formatting elements in the formatting position is adjustable. By adjusting the respective distances, it is possible to react variably to the bulging of the opened tubular bag after filling with the filling material and the kinematics required in each case to displace the air from the head area of the tubular bag. In principle, the structural design of the formatting elements of the formatting device is arbitrary. According to a preferred design, the formatting elements each comprise several rotatably mounted rollers that are arranged one below the other so that they run parallel to one another. The rotatable rollers arranged one below the other thus form a wall on which the outside of the tubular bag can roll. These two walls formed by the rollers of the two formatting elements can then be moved towards one another or away from one another. Together, the rollers of the two formatting elements thus form a formatting shaft that is adjustable in width and in which the opened tubular bags can be pressed together to format their shape. After the tubular bags have been transversely sealed and separated, they can then slide downwards out of the formatting shaft with essentially no resistance thanks to the rotatable rollers. In order to enable a synchronous operation between the formatting device and the cross-sealing device in a simple manner during vertical drive, it is advantageous if the formatting device and the cross-sealing device are driven vertically with a common drive device.

In order to easily form a ventilation channel between the stripping elements of the stripping device in the stripping position, it is advantageous if the stripping elements of the stripping device are elastically spring-mounted on the cross-sealing jaws. If the stripping elements are then in their stripping position and press the inner sides of the film web against each other and the stripping device then acts downwards relative to the film tube, the filling volume enclosed in the tubular bag is also reduced, so that the pressure of the residual air in the head area of the tubular bag increases accordingly. If this pressure of the residual air in the head area of the tubular bag exceeds a certain level, the spring-loaded stripping elements are pushed apart slightly and in this way an air-permeable ventilation channel is formed between the inner surfaces of the tubular bag. The air can then escape from the head area of the tubular bag to the outside through this ventilation channel.

In order to easily form two pressing zones arranged one above the other in the pressing device, the pressing device comprises two pressing elements arranged one above the other in pairs, for example pressing rollers. The distance between the two lower pressing elements is smaller, so that the two lower pressing elements arranged in pairs press the film tube together in a liquid-tight manner when the pressing device is in the closed position. The two upper pressing elements arranged in pairs are spaced further apart, so that a liquid-permeable residual gap remains in the upper pressing zone when the pressing device is in the closed position. The width of the gap in the upper pressing zone is selected so that the solid filling material components cannot pass through the upper pressing zone.

In principle, the type of pressing element used to form the pressing device is arbitrary. It is particularly advantageous if the pressing elements are designed in the form of pressing rollers, as the pressing rollers can roll on the film tube and in this way enable the relative movement between the pressing element and the film tube without any problems.

In order to achieve the lowest possible conveying resistance of the film tube through the pressing device, it is advantageous if the pressing rollers can be driven by a motor.

An embodiment of the invention is shown schematically in the drawings and is explained below by way of example.

Fig. 1

eine schematisiert dargestellte Schlauchbeutelmaschine mit Formatierungsvorrichtung in seitlicher Ansicht;

Fig. 2

die Schlauchbeutelmaschine gemäß Fig. 1 in perspektivischer seitlicher Ansicht;

Fig. 3

die Schlauchbeutelmaschine gemäß Fig. 1 in vergrößerter seitlicher Ansicht;

Fig. 4

die Schlauchbeutelmaschine gemäß Fig. 1 in drei verschiedenen Prozesszuständen in seitlicher Ansicht;

Fig. 5

die Bewegungskurve der Quersiegelbacken und der Abstreifvorrichtung der Schlauchbeutelmaschine gemäß Fig. 1 in seitlicher Ansicht;

Fig. 6

die Quersiegelbacken und die Abstreifvorrichtung der Schlauchbeutelmaschine gemäß Fig. 1 in vergrößerter seitlicher Ansicht.

Show it:

Fig.1

a schematic representation of a flow-wrapping machine with formatting device in side view;

Fig.2

the form fill and seal machine according to Fig.1 in perspective side view;

Fig.3

the form fill and seal machine according to Fig.1 in enlarged side view;

Fig.4

the form fill and seal machine according to Fig.1 in three different process states in side view;

Fig.5

the movement curve of the cross sealing jaws and the stripping device of the form, fill and seal machine according to Fig.1 in side view;

Fig.6

the cross sealing jaws and the stripping device of the form, fill and seal machine according to Fig.1 in enlarged side view.

Fig.1 shows a tubular bag machine 01 according to the teaching of the invention for carrying out the method according to the invention in a side view. A film web 03 is unwound from a supply roll 02 and formed into a film tube on a forming device 04. The film tube is then sealed at the longitudinal seam with a longitudinal sealing device 05. A film take-off device 06 ensures the continuous advance of the longitudinally sealed film tube. After forming on the forming device 04, the film tube is guided over a tubular filling tube 07, with the inside of the film tube sliding down the outside of the filling tube 07. A spreading element 08 is attached to the lower end of the filling tube 07, which initially circular in cross-section, the film tube is spread out sideways. Liquid and solid filling material, for example a mixture of cabbage and brine or vegetables and brine, can be fed in from above through the filling pipe 07. The filling material can be collected in the film tube above a pressing device 09. The maximum and minimum filling level of the filling material in the film tube can be measured and regulated using two level sensors 10 and 11. Below the pressing device 09 there is a cross-sealing device 12 with two cross-sealing jaws 13 and 14, with a separating device 15 also integrated into the cross-sealing jaw 14, with which the individual tubular bags can be separated from the film tube after the head seam has been cross-sealed. Below the transverse sealing device 12 there is a stripping device 16 with two stripping elements 17. By operating the stripping device 16, solid filling bodies located in the sealing zone on the inner surface of the film tube can be stripped downwards in order to prevent these filling bodies, for example pieces of vegetables, from being sealed into the sealing groove.

Below the stripping device 16 there is a formatting device 18 with two formatting elements 19, with which the tubular bags 20, which are still open at the head seam, can be formatted in their shape after being filled with filling material.

Fig.2 shows the part of the tubular bag machine 01 below the filling tube 07 in an enlarged perspective view. The pressing device 09 consists of two pairs of pressing rollers 21 and 22 arranged opposite each other. The pressing rollers 21 and 22 are mounted together in a frame 23 which can be opened or closed horizontally. In the Fig.2 In the position shown, the pressing device 09 is in its pressing position. In this pressing position, the two lower pressing rollers 21 press the film tube in a lower pressing zone 24 so tightly against each other that liquid filling components from above cannot flow downwards. The two pressure rollers 22 have Fig.2 shown pressing position of the pressing device 09, so that the gap formed between the pressing rollers 22 allows liquid filling components to flow through, whereas solid filling components are held back above the upper pressing zone 25 formed by the two pressing rollers 22. By operating the pressing device 09, the amount of filling material that is to be filled into the next tubular bag 20 can be precisely dosed with the aid of the sensors 10 and 11. As soon as the desired amount of filling material has collected in the filling hose above the pressing device 09, the pressing device 09 can be moved from the position shown in Fig.2 The film tube can be opened from the pressing position shown in the figure to the opening position so that the dosed amounts of liquid and solid contents slide downwards into the next tubular bag. Below the pressing device 09 is the cross-sealing device 12 with the two cross-sealing jaws 13 and 14 and the separating device 15. To seal the film tube at the bottom seam or at the top seam, the cross-sealing jaws 13 and 14 can be positioned between the Fig.2 shown opening position and a sealing position that compresses the film tube. At the same time, the cross-sealing jaws can be moved vertically in order to follow the path of the film tube that is continuously conveyed vertically downwards. Below the cross-sealing device 12 there is the stripping device 16 with the two stripping elements 17. This is followed by the formatting device 18 with the two formatting elements 19. The formatting elements 19 each consist of several rotatably mounted rollers 26 that are held one above the other on a frame 27. The two frames 27 can be moved vertically with appropriate operating devices 28 to follow the movement of the film tube and at the same time to change the distance can be moved horizontally between the two formatting devices 19.

Fig.3 shows the tubular bag machine 01 with the filling tube 07, the pressing device 09, the cross-sealing device 12, the stripping device 16 and the formatting device 18 in a side view. The tubular bags 20 are filled in the tubular bag machine 01 with a mixture of liquid filling material 29 and solid filling material 30. The function of the tubular bag machine 01 for carrying out the method according to the invention is explained below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 4a, 4b and 4c be explained in more detail.

In Fig. 4a the formatting device 18 is in its open position and has a maximum distance between the two formatting elements 19. In this wide open position of the formatting device 18, the tubular bag 20, which is initially only transversely sealed at the bottom seam 31, is filled with the mixture of liquid filling material components 29 and solid filling material components 30. When filled with the filling material components 29 and 31, the tubular bag 20 initially surfaces widely and an air cushion 32 forms in the tubular bag 20 above the liquid level of the liquid filling material components 30.

In order not to seal the air from the air cushion 32 in the tubular bag 20, the formatting device 18 is then moved into its Fig. 4b shown formatting position. In the formatting position, the formatting elements 19 are spaced closer together so that the air from the air cushion 32 is displaced upwards in the direction of the filling tube 07. A large proportion of the air from the air cushion 32 escapes from the tubular bag 20 because the top seam is not yet transversely sealed. As soon as the liquid contents have risen as far as possible by adjusting the formatting elements 19 to their formatting position, the stripping elements, which are initially still open, are moved together horizontally in order to come to rest elastically from the outside on the film web of the film tube. As soon as the stripping device 16 has been moved into its stripping position, the transverse sealing jaws 14 together with the stripping elements 17 attached to them are accelerated vertically so that the stripping elements are guided downwards past the film tube at a differential speed. The speed of the stripping elements 17 is higher in the vertical direction than the vertical conveying speed of the film tube so that the solid filling material components lying on the inside are stripped downwards by the compressed stripping elements 17. As a result, the solid filling material components can be removed from the sealing zone. At the same time, the volume available for receiving the air cushion 32 in the tubular bag 20 is further reduced so that the pressure in the air cushion 32 increases and the air from the air cushion 32 is displaced upwards by the stripping elements 17 on the inside of the film tube.

As soon as, as in Fig. 4c As shown, the air has been essentially completely expelled from the air cushion 32, the transverse sealing jaws 14 of the transverse sealing device 12 are moved together and the top seam of the tubular bag 20 is sealed, thereby closing the tubular bag 20. The tubular bag 20 is then separated by driving the separating device 15 and can fall downwards through the formatting shaft formed by the formatting elements 19. At the same time, the pressing rollers 21 and 22 of the pressing device 09 are moved into their open position so that the filling material components 29 and 30 slide down from above and fill the next tubular bag 20.

Fig.5 shows the movement path of the cross-sealing jaws 13 and 14 and the stripping elements 17 attached to them in a schematic view. Along a first path section 33, the stripping elements 17 already rest against the film tube 34 and are moved vertically together with the cross-sealing jaws 13 and 14 at a vertical speed downwards, which is higher than the vertical conveying speed of the film tube 34. As a result of this relative movement of the stripping elements 17 relative to the film tube 34, solid filling material components 30 are stripped downwards and at the same time the air is displaced from the air cushion 32 before the top seam is produced in the tubular bag 20. The cross-sealing jaws 13 and 14 are then moved together along a second track section 35 and the top seam of the tubular bag 20 and the bottom seam of the subsequent tubular bag 20 are sealed. The cross-sealing jaws 13 and 14 are driven vertically downwards together with the stripping devices 17 at the same vertical conveying speed as the film tube 34, so that as a result there is no relative movement along the second track section 35 between the film tube 34 on the one hand and the cross-sealing jaws 13 and 14 or the stripping devices 17.

Fig.6 shows the cross-sealing jaws 13 and 14 with the separating device 15 and the stripping elements 17 attached below the cross-sealing jaws 13 and 14 in an enlarged schematic representation. The stripping elements 17 are mounted in a spring-elastic manner so that they can be adjusted horizontally, so that the air pressure that increases in the air cushion 32 when the stripping elements 17 are adjusted along the first track section 33 ensures that the air can push the stripping elements 17 apart slightly so that the air escapes from the air cushion 32.

Claims (13)

1. A method for operating a tubular bag machine (01) for the continuous production of tubular bags (20), which are filled with a mixture of liquid and solid filling components (29, 30), the tubular bag machine (01) having

   a) a biaxially driven transverse sealing device (12), the transverse sealing jaws (13, 14) of the transverse sealing device (12) sealing a film web (03) after forming a film tube (34) having a bottom seal (31) and a top seal,

   b) a compressing device (09) which is disposed above the transverse sealing device (12), the compressing device (09) comprising at least two compressing elements (21, 22), which are contacted on the outer side of the film tube (34) and are displaced horizontally between a closed position and an open position, and the compressing elements (21, 22) compressing the film tube (34) in a liquidproof manner in the closed position,

   c) a wiper device (16), which is disposed below the transverse sealing device (12), the wiper device (16) comprising at least two wiper elements (17), which are contacted on the outer side of the film tube (34) and are displaced horizontally between a wiping position and an open position, the wiper elements (17) in the wiping position wiping solid filling components (30) downward, which are in the sealing zone on the inner side of the film tube (34),

   a formatting device (18), by means of which the bag shape of the tubular bag (20) open at the top seal is formatted, being disposed below the wiper device (16), the formatting device (18) comprising at least two formatting elements (19), which are contacted on the outer side of the film tube (34) and are displaced between an open position and a formatting position, and the horizontal distance between the formatting elements (19) being larger in the open position than in the formatting position, and the formatting elements (19) being moved to the open position before and/or while filling the tubular bag (20) with filling material (29, 30), and the formatting elements (19) being moved to the formatting position while and/or after filling the tubular bag (20) with filling material (29, 30) and before producing the top seam to remove air from the air bubble (32) in the top area of the tubular bag (20) via filling material components (29, 30)

   characterized in that

   the compressing device (09) forms two retaining zones (24, 25) in the closed position, the film tube (34) being compressed in a liquid-tight manner in the lower retaining zone (24), and the film tube (34) being compressed so tightly in the upper retaining zone (25) while maintaining a liquid-permeable residual gap that solid filling components (30) cannot pass through the residual gap.
2. The method according to claim 1,
   characterized in that
   the formatting elements (19) of the formatting device (18), which abut against the outer side of the tubular bag (20) in the formatting position, are vertically displaced at the same vertical speed as the film tube (34).
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
   characterized in that
   the wiper device (16) remains in the open position until the formatting device (18) is moved to the formatting position.
4. The method according to any one of the claims 1 to 3,
   characterized in that
   the wiper elements (17) of the wiper device (16), which abut against the outer side of the tubular bag (20) in the wiping position, are vertically displaced along a trajectory section (33) at a higher vertical speed than the tubular bag (34).
5. The method according to any one of the claims 1 to 4,
   characterized in that
   at least one air-permeable venting channel is formed between the inner surfaces of the tubular bag (20) in the wiping position of the wiper device (16), air being able to escape the air bubble (32) in the top area of the tubular bag (20) via the venting channel.
6. The method according to claim 5,
   characterized in that
   the top seal of the tubular bag (20) is transversely sealed using the transverse sealing device (12) as soon as the air from the air bubble (32) in the top area of the tubular bag (20) has escaped via the air-permeable venting channel between the inner surfaces of the tubular bag (20) safe an insignificant remainder.
7. A tubular bag machine (01) for the continuous production of tubular bags (20), which are filled with a mixture of liquid and solid filling components (29, 30), having

   a) a biaxially driven transverse sealing device (12), the transverse sealing jaws (13, 14) of the transverse sealing device (12) sealing a film web (03) after forming a film tube (34) having a bottom seal (31) and a top seal,

   b) a compressing device (09) which is disposed above the transverse sealing device (12), the compressing device (09) comprising at least two compressing elements (21, 22), which are contacted on the outer side of the film tube (34) and are displaced horizontally between a closed position and an open position, and the compressing elements (21, 22) compressing the film tube (34) in a liquidproof manner in the closed position,

   c) a wiper device (16) which is disposed below the transverse sealing device (12), the wiper device (16) comprising two wiper elements (17), which are contacted on the outer side of the film tube (34) and are displaced horizontally between a wiping position and an open position, the wiper elements (17) in the wiping position being able to wipe solid filling components (30) downward, which are in the sealing zone on the inner side of the film tube (34), a formatting device (18), by means of which the bag shape of the tubular bag (20) open at the top seal is formatted, being disposed below the wiper device (16), the formatting device (18) comprising at least two formatting elements (19), which are contacted on the outer side of the film tube (34) and are displaced between an open position and a formatting position, the horizontal distance between the formatting elements (19) being larger in the open position than in the formatting position,

   characterized in that
   the compressing device (09) comprises two pairs of compressing elements (21, 22) for forming two retaining zones (24, 25), the compressing elements (21, 22) of each pair being superjacent, the first pair of compressing elements (21) compressing the film tube (34) in a lower retaining zone (24) in the closed position of the compressing device (09) so as to be impermeable to liquid, and the second pair of compressing elements (22) compressing the film tube (34) so tightly in an upper retaining zone (25) in the closed position of the compressing device (09) that the film tube (34) retains solid filling components (30) while maintaining a liquid-permeable residual gap.
8. The tubular bag machine according to claim 7,
   characterized in that
   the horizontal distance between the formatting elements (19) in the open position and/or the horizontal distance between the formatting elements (19) in the formatting position is adjustable.
9. The tubular bag machine according to claim 7 or 8,
   characterized in that
   the formatting elements (19) of the formatting device (18) each comprise several rotatably stored rolls (26), the rolls (26) being disposed subjacent so as to be parallel to one another, and the rolls (26) of the two formatting elements (19) together forming a roll chute contactable on two sides of the tubular bag (20).
10. The tubular bag machine according to any one of the claims 7 to 9,
    characterized in that
    the formatting device (18) and the transverse sealing device (12) are vertically driven using a shared drive device.
11. The tubular bag machine according to any one of the claims 7 to 10,
    characterized in that
    the wiper elements (17) of the wiper device (16) are resiliently mounted on the transverse sealing jaws (13, 14) of the transverse sealing device (12), the wiper elements (17) springing back when surpassing a certain excess pressure in the air bubble (32) in the top area of the tubular bag (20) in order to form an air-permeable venting channel between the inner surfaces of the tubular bag (20), through which air from the air bubble (32) in the top area of the tubular bag (20) escapes.
12. The tubular bag machine according to any one of the claims 7 to 11,
    characterized in that
    the compressing elements (21, 22) of the compressing device (09) are designed in the manner of compressing rolls.
13. The tubular bag machine according to any one of the claims 7 to 12,
    characterized in that
    the compressing rolls (21) are at least partially driven by motor.

Images