EP4223681A1 - Appareil pour appliquer une bande d'étanchéité sur une bande de matériau d'emballage, bobine et procédé - Google Patents

Appareil pour appliquer une bande d'étanchéité sur une bande de matériau d'emballage, bobine et procédé Download PDF

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Publication number
EP4223681A1
EP4223681A1 EP23153592.3A EP23153592A EP4223681A1 EP 4223681 A1 EP4223681 A1 EP 4223681A1 EP 23153592 A EP23153592 A EP 23153592A EP 4223681 A1 EP4223681 A1 EP 4223681A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
strip
reel
core
web
hole
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
EP23153592.3A
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German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Gabriele Borasi
Marco Ricco'
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Tetra Laval Holdings and Finance SA
Original Assignee
Tetra Laval Holdings and Finance SA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Tetra Laval Holdings and Finance SA filed Critical Tetra Laval Holdings and Finance SA
Publication of EP4223681A1 publication Critical patent/EP4223681A1/fr
Pending legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H26/00—Warning or safety devices, e.g. automatic fault detectors, stop-motions, for web-advancing mechanisms
    • B65H26/06—Warning or safety devices, e.g. automatic fault detectors, stop-motions, for web-advancing mechanisms responsive to predetermined lengths of webs
    • B65H26/066—Warning or safety devices, e.g. automatic fault detectors, stop-motions, for web-advancing mechanisms responsive to predetermined lengths of webs responsive to information, e.g. printed mark, on the web or web roll

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an apparatus for applying a sealing strip onto a web of packaging material, in particular a web of packaging material for producing sealed packages containing a pourable product, preferably a pourable food product.
  • the present invention further relates to a reel for supporting a sealing strip adapted to be applied onto a web of packaging material for producing sealed packages containing a pourable product, preferably a pourable food product.
  • the present invention also relates to a method for applying a sealing strip onto a web of packaging material for producing sealed packages containing a pourable product, preferably a pourable food product.
  • pourable food products such as fruit juice, UHT (ultra-high temperature-treated) milk, wine, tomato sauce, etc.
  • UHT ultra-high temperature-treated milk
  • wine tomato sauce
  • etc. are sold in packages made of sterilized packaging material.
  • a typical example is the parallelepiped-shaped package for pourable food products known as Tetra Brik Aseptic (registered trademark), which is made by folding and sealing a laminated web of packaging material.
  • the packaging material has a multilayer structure comprising a base layer, e.g. made of paper, covered on both sides with layers of heat-seal plastic material, e.g. polyethylene.
  • the packaging material also comprises a layer of oxygen-barrier material, e.g. an aluminum foil, which is superimposed on a layer of heat-seal plastic material, and is in turn covered with another layer of heat-seal plastic material forming the inner face of the package eventually contacting the food product.
  • a layer of oxygen-barrier material e.g. an aluminum foil
  • Such packages are usually produced in fully automatic packaging assemblies, in which a continuous tube is formed starting from a web of packaging material initially wound in a reel and fed through a plurality of unwinding rollers of such packaging assembly.
  • the web of packaging material is sterilized in the packaging assembly, e.g. by applying a chemical sterilizing agent, such as hydrogen peroxide solution, which, once the sterilization is completed, is removed from the surfaces of the packaging material, e.g. evaporated by heating.
  • the web so sterilized is then maintained in a closed, sterile environment, and - being advanced by the aforementioned unwinding rollers - is folded and sealed longitudinally to form the tube by means of a known web folding device.
  • the tube is fed continuously along a first direction, normally a straight vertical direction, is filled with the sterilized food product from above and is formed, sealed and subsequently cut along equally spaced transversal cross-sections extending along a second direction, normally a direction orthogonal to the first direction.
  • So-called pillow packs are obtained thereby, which have a longitudinal sealing band, a top transversal sealing band and a bottom transversal sealing band.
  • the pillow packs are then cut at the cross-sections to be separated from one another and directed to a folding device of the packaging assembly for the final folding thereof.
  • the sterilized web of packaging material is vertically fed through a number of forming assemblies, which are part of said web folding device and which sequentially interact with the packaging material to fold it gradually from web form into a tube shape.
  • the web of packaging material is fed through an apparatus for applying a sealing strip of heat-seal plastic material onto the packaging material.
  • a first longitudinal portion of the sealing strip is applied and heat-sealed to a first longitudinal edge of the web at an applying station, in particular the sealing strip is applied on the face of the packaging material eventually forming the inside of the packages. After such application, a second longitudinal portion of the sealing strip projects from the first longitudinal edge.
  • the forming assemblies are arranged in succession, along a tube-forming path, and comprise respective folding members, in particular rollers, arranged to define a series of passages for the packaging material varying gradually in section from a C-shape to a substantially circular shape.
  • a second longitudinal edge of the web is laid on the outside of the first longitudinal edge with respect to the axis of the tube being formed.
  • the sealing strip is located entirely within the tube, and the face of the second longitudinal edge facing the axis of the tube is superimposed partly on the second portion of the sealing strip and partly on the face of the first longitudinal edge located on the side opposite to the first portion of the sealing strip.
  • the second longitudinal portion of the sealing strip is applied to the web by performing a heating step and a pressing step.
  • the heating step consists in melting the polyethylene layer of the second longitudinal edge, which transmits heat by conduction to the first longitudinal edge and to the sealing strip, so as to melt together the polyethylene of these layers.
  • the sealing strip, the first longitudinal edge and the second longitudinal edge are pressed together, by means of at least two opposing rollers, so that the heat-seal plastic material of the sealing strip and of the polyethylene layers of the first longitudinal edge and the second longitudinal edge blend completely to form the longitudinal seal of the tube.
  • the sealing strip performs the following functions:
  • the sealing strip is initially wound on one or more support reels.
  • the apparatus for applying a sealing strip comprises one or more motorized shafts defining respective spindles or mandrels for rotatably supporting each reel during the unwinding of the sealing strip and for driving such unwinding by rotation of the shafts.
  • an exhausted, i.e. empty, reel needs to be replaced with a new reel without stopping the packaging assembly.
  • the known apparatuses for applying a sealing strip comprise at least two motorized shafts, each supporting one reel of sealing strip, and a splicing unit.
  • the splicing unit is configured to join the sealing strip unwinding from a first reel in exhaustion, supported by a first shaft, with the sealing strip wound on a second new reel, supported by a second shaft.
  • the splicing unit is configured to splice the end portion of the sealing strip wound on first reel with the initial portion of the sealing strip wound on the second reel.
  • the splicing operation is triggered automatically.
  • the apparatus for applying a sealing strip comprises a strip end detection system of mechanical type: when the amount of the sealing strip still wound on the reel core is less than a predetermined threshold, a bracket is moved, which triggers the activation of the splicing unit and therefore of the splicing process.
  • the splicing process is triggered based on the rotational speed of the spindle supporting the reel of sealing strip.
  • each spindle is motorized by a servomotor.
  • the rotational speed of such servomotor increases as the diameter of the amount of sealing strip wound on the reel decreases.
  • the apparatus triggers the beginning of the splicing process.
  • the known apparatuses for applying a sealing strip onto a web of packaging material are still open for further improvements, in particular as for improving the splicing precision and for reducing unused sealing strip waste, especially for high-speed production assemblies.
  • This object is achieved by a method for applying a sealing strip onto a web of packaging material as claimed in claim 15.
  • number 1 indicates as a whole a packaging assembly for producing a plurality of sealed packages 2 containing a pourable product, preferably a pourable food product such as pasteurized UHT milk, water, fruit juice, wine, peas, beans, etc. starting from a web 3 of packaging material.
  • a pourable product preferably a pourable food product such as pasteurized UHT milk, water, fruit juice, wine, peas, beans, etc. starting from a web 3 of packaging material.
  • web 3 is initially stored in a reel 4 and, in use, is unwound off reel 4 and fed along a forming path.
  • packaging assembly 1 is configured to form and seal a plurality of pillow packs 2a containing the pourable product starting from web 3 and then to fold pillow packs 2a for obtaining the aforementioned formed, sealed and folded packages 2 containing the pourable product.
  • the packaging material has a multilayer structure (not shown), and comprises a layer of fibrous material, e.g. paper, covered on both sides with respective layers of heat-seal plastic material, e.g. polyethylene.
  • a layer of fibrous material e.g. paper
  • heat-seal plastic material e.g. polyethylene
  • the packaging material also comprises a layer of gas-and-light barrier material, e.g. aluminum foil or ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) film, which is superimposed on a layer of heat-seal plastic material, and is in turn covered with another layer of heat-seal plastic material, the latter forming the inner face of package 2 eventually contacting the pourable product.
  • gas-and-light barrier material e.g. aluminum foil or ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) film
  • web 3 is formed into a tube 5, according to a manner known and not described in detail.
  • web 3 of packaging material is sterilized, e.g. by applying a chemical sterilizing agent, such as hydrogen peroxide solution, which, once sterilization is completed, is removed from the surfaces of the packaging material, e.g. evaporated by heating.
  • a chemical sterilizing agent such as hydrogen peroxide solution
  • packaging assembly 1 is configured to perform, sequentially, the following operations:
  • packaging assembly 1 comprises a known forming device, a known sealing device and a known cutting device, which will be not described in detail herein.
  • folding means 6 which comprise a number of folding devices, each preferably including a plurality of forming rollers 7.
  • forming rollers 7 are arranged to define a series of passages for the packaging material, varying gradually in section from a C-shape to a substantially circular shape.
  • forming rollers 7 sequentially interact with web 3 to fold it gradually from web form into a tube shape, according to a manner known and not described in detail.
  • web 3 Before reaching the forming rollers 7, web 3 is fed through an apparatus 8 for applying a sealing strip 10 onto the web 3 itself.
  • packaging assembly 1 comprises such apparatus 8.
  • strip 10 is made of heat-seal plastic material, and preferably comprises the same material of the outer layers of the packaging material, i.e. polyethylene.
  • Packaging assembly 1 further comprises a longitudinal sealing device 58 configured to heat seal strip 10 onto web 3, subsequently to the application of strip 10 onto web 3 by apparatus 8, to form tube 5.
  • first longitudinal portion 10a of strip 10 is applied and heat-sealed to a first longitudinal edge 3a of web 3, in particular on the face of the packaging material eventually forming the inside of each package 2.
  • a second longitudinal portion 10b of strip 10 projects from first longitudinal edge 3a.
  • a second longitudinal edge 3b of web 3 is laid on the outside of first longitudinal edge 3a with respect to an axis X of tube 5 being formed.
  • strip 10 is located entirely within tube 5, and the face of second longitudinal edge 3b facing axis X is superimposed partly on second portion 10b of strip 10, and partly on the face of first longitudinal edge 3a located on the side opposite to first portion 10a of strip 10. This situation is shown in Figure 3 .
  • strip 10 is heat sealed to web 3 by performing a heating step and a pressing step.
  • longitudinal sealing device 58 comprises a known heating device which is configured to melt the polyethylene layer of second longitudinal edge 3b, which transmits heat by conduction to first longitudinal edge 3a and to strip 10, so as to melt together the polyethylene of these layers.
  • Longitudinal sealing device 58 further comprises a pressure device for pressing strip 10 and first longitudinal edge 3a and second longitudinal edge 3b together, so that the heat-seal plastic material of strip 10 and of the polyethylene layers of first longitudinal edge 3a and second longitudinal edge 3b blend completely to form a longitudinal seal of tube 5.
  • such pressure device comprises a pressure roller 11 arranged inside tube 5 in formation and opposing one of the forming rollers 7.
  • strip 10 and first longitudinal edge 3a and second longitudinal edge 3b are pressed together between one forming roller 7 and pressure roller 11, as shown in Figure 3 .
  • Strip 10 performs the following functions:
  • Strip 10 is initially wound onto (i.e. around) one or more reels 12.
  • apparatus 8 comprises at least one rotatable support shaft 13, two in the example shown, configured to support one reel 12 at a time and to rotate reel 12 for progressively unwinding strip 10 therefrom.
  • each shaft 13 is motorized, e.g. it is equipped with a servomotor, for being rotated at a predetermined feeding speed.
  • apparatus 8 includes two shafts 13, each supporting one reel 12, onto which one respective strip 10 is wounded.
  • each shaft 13 extends along a longitudinal axis A.
  • apparatus 8 comprises reels 12.
  • each reel 12 comprises a central hollow core 17 having a longitudinal axis B that defines an axis of rotation for reel 12.
  • Core 17 is configured to support, in particular supports, strip 10 for defining a winding thereof about axis B.
  • Each shaft 13 supports the respective reel 12 on an outer wall 13a thereof by coaxially engaging core 17 of such reel 12.
  • Each reel 12 further comprises a pair of flanges 19 extending radially from opposite axial ends of core 17.
  • Apparatus 8 further comprises:
  • splicing device 14 joins, in a known manner, such strip 10 with the strip 10 wound in the other reel 12. In this way, a reel change is performed without stopping packaging assembly 1, and therefore without stopping the production of packages 2.
  • apparatus 8 comprises at least one sensor 16, two in the example shown, one for each shaft 13, configured for detecting a detectable element 15 carried by one of the shafts 13 or the respective reel 12 supported by such shaft 13, and for producing a correlated detection signal.
  • each shaft 13 carries one detectable element 15 on its outer wall 13a.
  • detectable element 15 is defined by an annular band fixed onto wall 13a and made of a material capable of reflecting electromagnetic radiation, for example a material capable of reflecting light.
  • detectable element 15 is controllable (or available) in a first condition, in which it is covered by strip 10 and thereby undetectable by sensor 16, and in a second condition, in which it is uncovered from strip 10 and thereby detectable by sensor 16.
  • control unit is configured to receive the detection signal from sensor 16 and to trigger the splicing operation upon receiving (or based on) the detection signal by sensor 16.
  • detectable element 15 is controllable from the first condition ( Figure 6 ) to the second condition ( Figure 7 ) by unwinding of strip 10 from an initial unwound state ( Figure 6 ), in which most of strip 10 is wound onto reel 12, to a reel exhaustion state ( Figure 7 ), in which most of strip 10 is unwound from reel 12.
  • a length of strip 10 still wound onto reel 12 is between 0.5 m and 3 m, in particular between 0,75 m and 2 m, in particular is about 1 m.
  • reel 12 has at least one through hole 18 obtained on core 17 and through which detectable element 15 is detectable by sensor 16.
  • through hole 18 is obtained on an outer wall 17a of core 17 which is parallel to wall 13a when reel 12 is supported coaxially on shaft 13.
  • through hole 18 has a respective axis (not shown) transversal, in particular orthogonal, to axis B.
  • detectable element 15 is controllable in the first condition by covering through hole 18 with strip 10, and in the second condition by uncovering through hole 18 from strip 10 by progressively unwinding strip 10 off core 17.
  • sensor 16 is configured to emit a detecting beam D along the axis of through hole 18 to reach and detect detectable element 15 in the second condition, when through hole 18 is uncovered from strip 10.
  • detecting beam D is arranged along the axis of through hole 18 once per rotation of reel 12 about axis A.
  • Sensor 16 emits detecting beam D, which is cyclically aligned with the axis of through hole 18. However, such detecting beam D does not reach detectable element 15, because detectable element 15 is (still) covered by strip 10.
  • strip 10 is progressively unwound from reel 12, i.e. off core 17, at a predetermined length of strip 10 left on the core 17, through hole 18 is uncovered.
  • strip 10 is wound onto core 17 in such a way that through hole 18 is uncovered at a predetermined threshold remaining length of strip 10 onto the core 17 itself.
  • detecting beam D emitted by sensor 16 is free to reach detectable element 15 carried onto wall 13a of shaft 13.
  • detecting beam D reaches detectable element 15 cyclically, namely every time detecting beam D is aligned with the axis of the through hole 18, upon rotation of reel 12.
  • Detecting beam D is then reflected by the peculiar material of detectable element 15, thereby returning to sensor 16.
  • sensor 16 produces or generates the detection signal and sends it to the control unit, which triggers the splicing of the two strips 10 to one another by splicing device 14.
  • core 17 is configured to support strip 10 in a winding manner such that strip 10 covers through hole 18 at said initial unwound state, and that strip 10 uncovers through hole 18 at said reel exhaustion state.
  • apparatus 8 comprises:
  • each sensor 16 is advantageously arranged in a position adjacent to the respective shaft 13, and therefore to the respective reel 12 (as shown in Figure 4 ), so as to be able to detect the respective detectable element 15 once the respective through hole 18 has been uncovered by the respective strip 10 being unwound.
  • through hole 18 is arranged in a position adjacent to one of the flanges 19.
  • reel 12 comprises a pair of through holes 18 arranged on opposite axial sides of core 17, symmetrically with respect to a center plane of core 17 orthogonal to axis B thereof.
  • each through hole 18 is arranged adjacent to one respective flange 19.
  • apparatus 8 can operate no matter of which of its axial sides reel 12 is loaded onto a respective shaft 13, thereby minimizing the possible errors by the user, and/or facilitating an automation of the loading operation.
  • detectable element 15 is carried by the reel 12 at wall 17a of core 17, for being selectively covered or uncovered by strip 10 thereby passing from the first condition to the second condition.
  • each reel 12 has one detectable element 15.
  • apparatus 8 allows to implement a method for applying strip 10 onto web 3 of packaging material, the method comprising the steps of:
  • the apparatus 8 allows to implement a use of through hole 18 obtained on core 17 of reel 12 as a passage for detecting beam D emitted by sensor 16 arranged on one side of through hole 18 for detecting detectable element 15 which is arranged on the other side of through hole 18.
  • apparatus 8 The operation of apparatus 8 is described hereinafter starting from a condition in which one reel 12 is in exhaustion.
  • the respective through hole 18 is uncovered from the relative strip 10, thereby causing detectable element 15 carried by the relative shaft 13 to be in the second condition, i.e. detectable.
  • the relative sensor 16 detects detectable element 15 and sends the detection signal to the control unit, which triggers splicing device 14 for performing the splicing operation.
  • the Applicant has observed that the detection system and the splicing triggering system defined by the invention results in an improved splicing precision, especially in the case of a high-speed packaging assembly 1, and, most importantly, in a consistent reduction of unused strip 10.
  • the Applicant has noted that thanks to the presence of a detectable element 15 which is able to pass from a detectable condition based on the unwinding of strip 10, a reduction of the remaining length of strip 10 on the reel 12, once the splicing operation is completed, can be obtained. Hence, the overall waste of strip material is reduced.

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  • Containers And Plastic Fillers For Packaging (AREA)
EP23153592.3A 2022-02-08 2023-01-27 Appareil pour appliquer une bande d'étanchéité sur une bande de matériau d'emballage, bobine et procédé Pending EP4223681A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP22155524 2022-02-08

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EP4223681A1 true EP4223681A1 (fr) 2023-08-09

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EP23153592.3A Pending EP4223681A1 (fr) 2022-02-08 2023-01-27 Appareil pour appliquer une bande d'étanchéité sur une bande de matériau d'emballage, bobine et procédé

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EP (1) EP4223681A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2023151965A1 (fr)

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0710569A1 (fr) * 1994-11-01 1996-05-08 Altech Company Limited Dispositif pour détecter la fin de papier
GB2467399A (en) * 2009-02-03 2010-08-04 Easypack Ltd Metal roll stopper.
US20180093844A1 (en) * 2015-04-09 2018-04-05 Takazono Technology Incorporated Sheet Material End Detection Mechanism, Roll Body, and Method for Producing Roll Body
US20180093843A1 (en) * 2015-04-09 2018-04-05 Takazono Technology Incorporated Sheet Material End Detection Mechanism, Roll Body, and Method for Producing Roll Body
US20180141773A1 (en) * 2015-04-09 2018-05-24 Takazono Technology Incorporated Sheet Material End Detection Mechanism, Roll Body, and Method for Producing Roll Body
US20200156390A1 (en) * 2017-07-28 2020-05-21 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Determinations of lengths of web medias
US20210087009A1 (en) * 2019-09-19 2021-03-25 Curt G. Joa, Inc. Apparatus and method for splicing a web of material

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0710569A1 (fr) * 1994-11-01 1996-05-08 Altech Company Limited Dispositif pour détecter la fin de papier
GB2467399A (en) * 2009-02-03 2010-08-04 Easypack Ltd Metal roll stopper.
US20180093844A1 (en) * 2015-04-09 2018-04-05 Takazono Technology Incorporated Sheet Material End Detection Mechanism, Roll Body, and Method for Producing Roll Body
US20180093843A1 (en) * 2015-04-09 2018-04-05 Takazono Technology Incorporated Sheet Material End Detection Mechanism, Roll Body, and Method for Producing Roll Body
US20180141773A1 (en) * 2015-04-09 2018-05-24 Takazono Technology Incorporated Sheet Material End Detection Mechanism, Roll Body, and Method for Producing Roll Body
US20200156390A1 (en) * 2017-07-28 2020-05-21 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Determinations of lengths of web medias
US20210087009A1 (en) * 2019-09-19 2021-03-25 Curt G. Joa, Inc. Apparatus and method for splicing a web of material

Also Published As

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