EP4063284A1 - Apparatus for removing film wrapping from palletized product stacks - Google Patents

Abstract

Cutting head for separating a film wrapping of palletized product stacks with a cutting element for severing the film, the cutting element being arranged between at least two opposite contact elements and being set back with respect to the film contact plane formed by the opposite contact elements to form a cutting cavity, and with a vacuum unit for sucking in the locally area of the foil wrap to be cut into the cutting cavity for interaction with the cutting element, and device with a corresponding cutting head.

Description

The invention relates to a device and a method for automatically removing a film wrapping from palletized product stacks according to claim 1.

To secure the load, products stacked on pallets are often wrapped in stretch film or provided with a shrink hood film after the stack has been formed, so that the products do not slip during transport.

However, it is difficult to remove this foil wrapping later when unpacking. Therefore, this is often still done manually.

EP 0 720 564 A1 describes a device and a method in which, to remove a film hood pulled over a stack of goods, in which the film hood is cut open vertically on one side of the stack of goods, a cut edge is grasped and attached to a winding mandrel and the winding mandrel is then guided around the stack of goods and in doing so the film is wound onto the winding mandrel rotating about its longitudinal axis. For this purpose, the film is cut vertically with a knife and in the process lifted off the stack in sections by a suction device.

Out of U.S. 2004/0099110 A1 it is known to arrange corresponding devices on opposite sides of the wrapped stack, which are analogous EP 0 720 564 A1 cut on both sides at the same time.

In principle, these devices can automatically process homogeneous pallets wrapped in foil.

However, there is still a need for better-functioning mechanisms, especially for inhomogeneously or mixedly stacked pallets, since these have not been easy to process due to the uneven contour.

In contrast, the object of the present invention is to provide an improved alternative that works better in particular in the case of inhomogeneously or mixedly stacked pallets.

This object is achieved by the cutting head set forth in claim 1 and the device set forth in claim 7. Advantageous configurations emerge from the dependent claims and the description.

According to the invention, it has been recognized that when the cutting head for separating a film wrapping of palletized product stacks is designed with a cutting element for severing the film, the cutting element being arranged between at least two opposite contact elements and set back relative to the film contact plane formed by the opposite contact elements to form a cutting cavity and with a vacuum unit for sucking the area of the foil wrap to be cut locally into the cutting cavity for interaction with the cutting element, it is possible, both manual and automated, to always guide the cutting head along the surface of the foil-wrapped stack and the foil only lift off in the area of the cutting element, so that a safe and reliable separation is achieved.

In other words, the cutting head is always in contact with the film surface of the stack via the contact elements when cutting.

This is particularly important in the case of mixed stacks, ie stacks of different articles, since these form an irregular outer contour and the film therefore also forms an irregular contour and the contact enables safe and reliable separation.

The recessed cutting cavity hides the cutting tool or cutting element from accidental contact.

The contact elements are preferably designed as sliding elements and/or rolling elements. The sliding elements can, for. B. skids, for example, have a friction-reducing surface. This is an advantage since the foils are often "sticky".

The rolling elements can, for. B. roles.

The use of more than two opposing contact elements is also conceivable. So it may be advantageous to cavity the cutting between two couples to be arranged by opposite contact elements. Then the cutting head can tilt less easily because it is guided at four points.

The cutting head has a cutting element for the actual cutting of the foil. The cutting element can be, for example, a fixed or rotating knife, a glow wire or an arc torch. The arc torch is preferred because it cuts all types of foil particularly reliably.

According to the invention, the film is only locally sucked into the cutting cavity for interaction with the cutting element when it is cut with a vacuum unit. For this purpose, the vacuum unit can have at least one suction opening, next to which the cutting element is placed. Two (or more) suction openings can preferably also be provided, between which the cutting element is arranged (possibly centrally).

The invention also relates to the use of at least one corresponding cutting head in an automated device with a pallet space for arranging the correspondingly wrapped pallet with film, the cutting head being arranged at one end of a support arm that can be moved in such a way that the cutting head is always above the two opposite contact elements in Plant on the foil when cutting.

In a preferred embodiment, the support arm is designed to be movable both vertically and horizontally by a motor, controlled by a controller, in such a way that the cutting head always rests against the film during cutting. This has the particular advantage that the support arm can always keep the cutting head in contact with the film, even with an irregular contour, thanks to the multiple mobility.

For this purpose, the controller can have a device that determines the pressing force of the cutting head on the film and allows regulation.

The device can e.g. B. have a tactile sensor, the data are fed into the controller to allow regulation. Alternatively or additionally, the motorized drive of the support arm can have a torque monitor, the data from which is fed into the controller in order to allow regulation.

The device can have a wide variety of configurations. In a preferred Embodiment, the device is designed like a portal, so that the support arm is part of a portal frame on which the support arm is then motor-driven movably adjustable, wherein the pallet staging area is arranged on a conveyor that runs through the portal. Alternatively, the support arm can also be designed as part of a multi-axis industrial robot.

It goes without saying that the term pallet also includes other similar loading aids.

Fig. 1

eine schematische perspektivische Ansicht einer automatisierten Vorrichtung mit einem Schneidkopf zum automatischen Entfernen einer Folienumwicklung von palettierten Produktstapeln;

Fig. 2

eine schematische perspektivische Ansicht eines ersten erfindungsgemäßen Schneidkopfes zum Auftrennen einer Folienumwicklung, insbesondere in einer Vorrichtung nach Figur 1; und

Fig. 3

eine schematische perspektivische Ansicht eines weiteren erfindungsgemäßen Schneidkopfes zum Auftrennen einer Folienumwicklung, insbesondere in einer Vorrichtung nach Figur 1; und

Fig. 4

eine Schnittansicht durch den Schneidkopf aus Figur 3 zeigen.

Further details of the invention result from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing

1

a schematic perspective view of an automated device with a cutting head for automatically removing a film wrap from palletized product stacks;

2

a schematic perspective view of a first cutting head according to the invention for separating a film wrapping, in particular in a device figure 1 ; and

3

a schematic perspective view of another cutting head according to the invention for separating a film wrapping, in particular in a device figure 1 ; and

4

a sectional view through the cutting head figure 3 demonstrate.

In figure 1 1 shows a device, denoted as a whole by 1, for automatically removing a film wrapping from palletized product stacks.

For this purpose, the device has a cutting head 2 for severing the film which is wrapped around a stack 3A on a pallet 3B.

The pallet 3B with the wrapped stack 3A is provided on an assembly pallet place 4 which lies on a roller conveyor 5 passing through the gantry 6 of the apparatus.

The cutting head 2 is arranged at one end of an L-shaped support arm 7 on a carriage 13 so that it can be moved in such a way that it can be moved both vertically and horizontally by a motor controlled by a controller 10 in such a way that the cutting head 2 is always in contact with the film when cutting . This is indicated by the arrows 11, 12. In addition, the support arm 7 is articulated on the portal head via a rotary device 8, so that the entire support arm 7 can be pivoted around the pallet 3B or stack 3A, in order to z. B. to remove the severed foil at the end.

The motorized adjustment of the carriage 13 has a torque monitor 21, which feeds the controller 10 with data on the contact force of the cutting head 2, so that the concern can be regulated.

A vacuum hose 9 runs from the cutting head 2 along the support arm 7 to the rotary device 8 and is acted upon by a pump 14 which is accommodated in the rotary device 8 and is also controlled by the control 10 .

The cutting head 2 is in detail in the Figures 2 and 3 shown in two different versions. These are largely the same, but differ in the specific design of the cutting element itself.

In figure 2 the cutting element for cutting through the foil is an arc torch 15, while in the variant according to FIG figure 3 the cutting element consists of fixed knives 15*.

The respective cutting element 15 is arranged between two opposite rollers 16 as a contact element and opposite the film contact plane 20 formed by the opposite rollers 16 (cf. figure 4 ) set back to form a cutting cavity 17.

The rollers 16 and cutting element 15 are attached to a housing 18 which provides the spaced axes for the rollers 16 and the clearance for the cutting cavity 17.

The housing 18 is connected to the end facing away from the cutting cavity 17 with the vacuum hose 9, so that the cutting cavity 17 has a grid-like Suction port 19 is connected to the vacuum pump 14 for sucking the portion of the film wrap to be cut locally into the cutting cavity 17 for interaction with the cutting element.

The respective cutting element 15 is arranged centrally on the grid of the suction opening 19 . Suction openings are therefore arranged around the respective cutting element 15 .

In order to separate the film wrapping, the pallet 3B with the wrapped stack 3A is positioned below the portal 6 on the staging area 4 on the conveyor 5.

Then the cutting head 2 is positioned at the upper edge of the stack 3A and moved up to the foil via the support arm 7 or carriage 13 .

The vacuum is then applied to the cutting head 2 via the pump 14 and the cutting element 15 cuts through the film when the head 2 is moved down.

The contact force of the cutting head 2 is constantly checked and adjusted via the torque monitor 21 and the controller 10, so that it is in contact despite the irregular contour.

Arrived at the bottom, d. H. after the entire film has been cut, the cutting element 15 is opened if necessary (arc burner), but the vacuum is left and the support arm 7 is now pivoted around the stack 3A via the rotating device, so that the film is pulled off.

Finally, the removed film is sent for disposal.

Claims (11)

Cutting head for separating a film wrapping of palletized product stacks with a cutting element for severing the film, the cutting element being arranged between at least two opposite contact elements and being set back with respect to the film contact plane formed by the opposite contact elements to form a cutting cavity, and with a vacuum unit for sucking in the locally portion of the film wrap to be cut into the cutting cavity for interaction with the cutting element. Cutting head according to Claim 1, characterized in that the contact elements are sliding elements and/or rolling elements. Cutting head according to Claim 2, characterized in that the sliding elements are skids. Cutting head according to Claim 2, characterized in that the rolling elements are rollers. Cutting head according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cutting element has a fixed or rotating knife, a glow wire or an arc torch. Cutting head according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vacuum unit has at least one suction opening next to which the cutting element is placed. Device for automatically removing a film wrapping from palletized product stacks, having at least one cutting head according to one of the preceding claims, and a pallet space for arranging the corresponding film-wrapped pallet, the cutting head being arranged at one end of a support arm that can be moved in such a way that the cutting head is always above the two opposite contact elements are in contact with the film during cutting. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the support arm both is designed to be movable vertically and horizontally by a motor controlled by a controller in such a way that the cutting head always rests against the film when cutting. Device according to Claim 8, characterized in that the control is supplied with data on the pressing force via a tactile sensor on the support arm. Device according to Claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the motor drive of the support arm has a force or torque monitor which feeds the controller with data on the contact pressure. Device according to one of the preceding claims 7 to 10, characterized in that the support arm is part of a portal frame or industrial robot.

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