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
  • B65H20/00—Advancing webs
  • B65H20/30—Arrangements for accumulating surplus web
  • B65H20/32—Arrangements for accumulating surplus web by making loops
  • B65H20/34—Arrangements for accumulating surplus web by making loops with rollers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B41/00—Supplying or feeding container-forming sheets or wrapping material
  • B65B41/12—Feeding webs from rolls
  • B65B41/16—Feeding webs from rolls by rollers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B57/00—Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices
  • B65B57/02—Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages
  • B65B57/04—Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B9/00—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, e.g. liquids or semiliquids, in flat, folded, or tubular webs of flexible sheet material; Subdividing filled flexible tubes to form packages
  • B65B9/10—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, in preformed tubular webs, or in webs formed into tubes around filling nozzles, e.g. extruded tubular webs
  • B65B9/20—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, in preformed tubular webs, or in webs formed into tubes around filling nozzles, e.g. extruded tubular webs the webs being formed into tubes in situ around the filling nozzles
  • B65B9/213—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, in preformed tubular webs, or in webs formed into tubes around filling nozzles, e.g. extruded tubular webs the webs being formed into tubes in situ around the filling nozzles the web having intermittent motion
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H19/00—Changing the web roll
  • B65H19/10—Changing the web roll in unwinding mechanisms or in connection with unwinding operations
  • B65H19/14—Accumulating surplus web for advancing to machine while changing the web roll
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H2403/00—Power transmission; Driving means
  • B65H2403/70—Clutches; Couplings
  • B65H2403/72—Clutches, brakes, e.g. one-way clutch +F204
  • B65H2403/725—Brakes
  • B65H2403/7253—Brakes pneumatically controlled
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H2408/00—Specific machines
  • B65H2408/20—Specific machines for handling web(s)
  • B65H2408/21—Accumulators
  • B65H2408/217—Accumulators of rollers type, e.g. with at least one fixed and one movable roller
  • B65H2408/2171—Accumulators of rollers type, e.g. with at least one fixed and one movable roller the position of the movable roller(s), i.e. the web loop, being positively actuated
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H2408/00—Specific machines
  • B65H2408/20—Specific machines for handling web(s)
  • B65H2408/21—Accumulators
  • B65H2408/217—Accumulators of rollers type, e.g. with at least one fixed and one movable roller
  • B65H2408/2172—Accumulators of rollers type, e.g. with at least one fixed and one movable roller several cascaded loops of rollers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H2801/00—Application field
  • B65H2801/69—Form fill-and-seal machines

Definitions

• liquid or 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 liquid or pourable food products known as Tetra Brik Aseptic (registered trademark), which is made by sealing and folding laminated strip packaging material.
• the packaging material has a multilayer structure comprising a base layer, e.g. 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 (an oxygen-barrier layer), 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.
• Packages of this sort are normally produced on fully automatic packaging machines, which advance a web of packaging material, normally provided in the form of a reel, along a conveying path.
• the web of packaging material is advanced through a sterilization apparatus for sterilizing the web of packaging material at a sterilization station and to an isolation chamber (a closed and sterile environment) in which the sterilized web of packaging material is maintained and advanced.
• an isolation chamber a closed and sterile environment
• the web of packaging material is folded and sealed longitudinally at a tube forming station to form a tube having a longitudinal seam region, the tube being further fed along a vertical advancing direction.
• the tube is filled with a pourable product, in particular a pourable food product, and is transversally sealed and subsequently cut along equally spaced transversal cross sections within a package forming apparatus of the packaging machine during advancement along the vertical advancing direction.
• Pillow packages are so obtained, each pillow package has a longitudinal sealing band, a top transversal sealing band and a bottom transversal sealing band.
• a typical packaging machine comprises a conveying device for advancing the web of packaging material, the sterilization apparatus for sterilizing the web of packaging material prior to its formation into the tube, a tube forming and sealing device configured to form the tube from the advancing web of packaging material and to longitudinally seal the tube, a filling device for filling the tube with the pourable product and the package forming apparatus adapted to form, transversally seal and cut individual packages from the tube of packaging material.
• a packaging machine of the known type further comprises a splicing unit configured to splice a new web of packaging material to the web of packaging material in use when the web of packaging material in use is about to exhaust, preferentially without interrupting the production of the packaging machine.
• the end portion of the web of packaging material in use is arranged in a fixed position when it is spliced to the end portion of the new web of packaging material.
• a further object of the present invention is to provide a packaging machine for forming sealed packages having a buffer unit of a web of packaging material addressing the drawbacks of the prior art and, in particular, being easy and economical to be manufactured.
• a buffer unit of a web of packaging material for a packaging machine and a packaging machine for forming sealed packages having a buffer unit of a web of packaging material according to the appended claims.
• Number 1 in figure 1 indicates as a whole a packaging machine for packaging pourable products, in particular pourable food products, such as milk, cream, yoghurt drinks, yoghurt, fruit juice, wine, tomato sauce, sugar, salt, emulsions, solutions containing solid particles (e.g. legumes), etc., into packages.
• pourable food products such as milk, cream, yoghurt drinks, yoghurt, fruit juice, wine, tomato sauce, sugar, salt, emulsions, solutions containing solid particles (e.g. legumes), etc.
• packages 2 are formed from a multilayer packaging material.
• the multilayer packaging material comprises at least a layer of fibrous material, such as e.g. a paper or cardboard layer, and at least two layers of heat-seal plastic material, e.g. polyethylene, interposing the layer of fibrous material in between one another.
• One of these two layers of heat-seal plastic material defines an inner surface of the packages 2 contacting the pourable product packaged within the packages 2.
• the packaging machine 1 also comprises a sterilizing unit STU arranged to sterilize the advancing web 3 of packaging material.
• the sterilization unit has a sterilizing bath, in which a chemical sterilizing agent is applied to the web 3 of packaging material.
• the chemical sterilizing agent comprises a hydrogen peroxide solution.
• the sterilization unit STU is arranged upstream of the tube forming and sealing unit 8 along the conveying path P.
• the filling device 11 comprises a filling pipe 13 in fluid connection with a pourable product storage tank (not shown) for storing/providing for the pourable product to be packaged.
• the filling pipe 13 is at least partially arranged within the tube 9 and is configured to direct, in use, the pourable product into the tube 9.
• the buffer unit 10 is arranged upstream of the tube forming and sealing unit 8 and downstream of the splicing unit SU along the web conveying path P.
• the buffer unit 10 is interposed between the tube forming and sealing unit 8 and the splicing unit SU along the web conveying path P.
• the convey rollers 17 are arranged downstream of the input roller device 16 along the conveying path P.
• the convey rollers 17 are at least partly arranged within the buffer space BS.
• the convey rollers 17 have respective rotation axes X, parallel one another.
• each rotation axis X is arranged horizontally.
• the convey rollers 17 comprise an output roller 18 configured to direct the web 3 of packaging material out of the buffer space BS.
• the outfeed roller 18 is configured to convey the web 3 of packaging material along the conveying path P downstream of the buffer unit 10.
• the portion of the web 3 of packaging material present, i.e. received, within the buffer unit 10 extends between the input roller device 16 and the output roller 18.
• At least one convey roller 17 is interposed between the input roller device 16 and the output roller 18 along the conveying path P. Even more advantageously, a plurality of convey rollers 17 is interposed between the input roller device 16 and the output roller 18 along the conveying path P.
• the convey rollers 17 are divided into a (first) group of upper rollers 17A arranged with the respective axes X parallel to one another and a (second) group of lower rollers 17B arranged with the respective axes X parallel to one another.
• the convey rollers 17 comprises a number of upper rollers 17A and a number of lower rollers 17B.
• the convey rollers 17 comprises a plurality of upper rollers 17A and a plurality of lower rollers 17B.
• the convey rollers 17 may comprise the same number of upper rollers 17A and of lower rollers 17B, i.e. the number of upper rollers 17A is equal to the number of lower rollers 17B.
• the number of upper rollers 17A and lower rollers 17B is three or four.
• the group of upper rollers 17A comprise the output roller 18.
• the upper rollers 17A are aligned along a first alignment direction D 1 .
• the first alignment direction D 1 is transversal, in particular perpendicular, to the rotation axes X.
• the lower rollers 17B are aligned along a second alignment direction D 2 .
• the second alignment direction D 2 is transversal, in particular perpendicular, to the rotation axes X.
• the first alignment direction D 1 is parallel to the second alignment direction D 2 .
• the web 3 of packaging material enters the buffer space BS from the input roller device 16 and travels along the conveying path P moving alternately between an upper roller 17A and a lower roller 17B. Finally, the web 3 of packaging material exits the buffer space BS through the output roller 18.
• the buffer unit 10 comprises a frame 19 for supporting the convey rollers 17 and the input roller device 16.
• the frame 19 comprises a fixed upright 20 supporting an upper crossbar 21 and a lower crossbar 22.
• the upper crossbar 21 is connected in a fixed manner to the upright 20.
• the lower crossbar 22 is connected in a non-fixed manner to the upright 20. In other words, the lower crossbar 22 is movable with respect to the upright 20.
• the upright 20 comprises a guide 26 which is arranged in a fixed position and defines a sliding path R.
• the sliding path R extends in a substantially vertical direction.
• the guide 26 is formed by a fixed (i.e. without movement) rail, which is arranged along the sliding path R.
• the buffer unit 10 comprises a slide 27 (or carriage), which supports in a fixed manner the lower crossbar 22 and is coupled to the guide 26 to slide along the guide 26.
• the slide 27 is configured to slide on the guide 26 between two end positions.
• the slide 27 is movable along the sliding path R from an accumulation position, in which a distance between the group of upper rollers 17A and the group of lower rollers 17B is maximum, to an emptying position, in which the distance between the group of upper rollers 17A and the group of lower rollers 17B is minimum, and vice versa from the emptying position to the accumulation position.
• the emptying position the lower rollers 17B are arranged in proximity of and facing the upper rollers 17A.
• the group of lower rollers 17B is movable with respect to the group of upper rollers 17A between an accumulation position in which a distance between the group of upper rollers 17A and the group of lower rollers 17B is maximum and an emptying position in which the distance between the group of upper rollers 17A and the group of lower rollers 17B is minimum.
• the slide 27 is further configured to be arranged/stopped in any intermediate position between the emptying position and the accumulation position.
• the slide 27 is configured to be blocked, i.e. maintained, in a fixed intermediate position interposed between the emptying position and the accumulation position.
• the buffer unit 10 is configured to be in an accumulation configuration, in which the maximum quantity of web 3 of packaging material is accumulated within the buffer space BS.
• the accumulation configuration is realized when the slide 27, i.e. the group of lower rollers 17B, is in the accumulation position.
• the buffer unit 10 is further configured to be in an emptying configuration, in which the minimum quantity of web 3 of packaging material is accumulated within the buffer space BS.
• the emptying configuration is realized when the slide 27, i.e. the group of lower rollers 17B, is in the emptying position.
• the buffer unit 10 further comprises a number of brake devices 25 which are configured to block the slide 27, i.e. the group of lower rollers 17B, in any (desired) intermediate position between the emptying position and the accumulation position along the guide 26, i.e. along the sliding path R.
• the brake devices 25 are mainly (but not exclusively) arranged to block the slide 27 in any intermediate position between the emptying position and the accumulation position along the guide 26 when the packaging machine 1 is not running. More in detail, the brake devices 25 are configured to block the slide 27 in any position along the sliding path R so as to avoid directly tensioning the web 3 of packaging material, especially when the packaging machine 1 is not running.
• the buffer unit 10 comprises a single brake device 25 configured to block the slide 27 supporting the lower crossbar 22 (and the group of lower rollers 17B) in any intermediate position between the emptying position and the accumulation position.
• the buffer unit 10 comprises a couple of brake devices 25 configured to block the slide 27 supporting the lower crossbar 22 (and the group of lower rollers 17B) in any intermediate position between the emptying position and the accumulation position.
• Two brake devices 25 are redundant and normally used to increase the safety conditions of the buffer unit 10.
• the brake devices 25 are fluid brake devices 25 or air brake devices 25 or compressed air brake devices 25.
• a fluid is used to activate the fluid brake devices 25 in order to block the slide 27 in any position between the emptying position and the accumulation position.
• the buffer unit 10 comprises an imaging device (not shown).
• the imaging device comprises at least a sensor configured to frame the sliding path R.
• the sensor 35 is preferably a laser sensor or a camera.
• the imaging device is arranged in close proximity to the guide 26 and is configured to determine the position of the slide 27 along the guide 26 (i.e. along the sliding path R).
• the buffer unit 10 further comprises a control unit connected to the imaging device and configured to determine the loading level of the buffer unit 10 as a function of the position of the slide 27 along the guide 26.
• the brake devices 25 avoid tensioning the web 3 of packaging material due to the weight of the (second) group of lower rollers 17B.
• the slide 27 is arranged in a working position between the accumulation position and the emptying position during a normal operation condition of the packaging machine 1.
• the working position can be selected according to the working conditions of the packaging machine 1.
• the distance between the group of upper rollers 17A and the group of lower rollers 17B is kept substantially constant.
• the quantity of the web 3 of packaging material collected within the buffer space BS is increased before activation of the splicing unit SU, when the new web 3 of packaging material must be spliced to the almost exhausted web 3 of packaging material in use.
• the slide 27 is arranged in the accumulation position, in particular by varying through the control unit the speed of the web 3 of packaging material in use and or the pulling action on the web 3 of packaging material in use.
• the upper crossbar 21 i.e. the upper rollers 17A
• the lower crossbar 22 i.e. the lower rollers 17B
• the end portion of the web 3 of packaging material in use arranged upstream of the buffer unit 10 is fixed (i.e. it does not advance) and is spliced to an end portion of the new web 3 of packaging material.
• the portion of the web 3 of packaging material arranged within the buffer space BS and downstream of the buffer unit 10 continues to advance to the tube forming and sealing device 8 without interrupting the production of the packaging machine 1.
• the buffer unit 10 is brought again to the configuration of the normal operation condition of the packaging machine 1, i.e. the slide 27 is moved back to the working position.
• the buffer unit 10 has some advantages that are clear from the foregoing description.
• the buffer unit 10 is easy and economically convenient to be manufactured and the presence of the brake devices 25 enables to block the slide 27 in any position along the sliding path R thereby avoiding tensioning the web 3 of packaging material (especially when the packaging machine 1 is not running).

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Containers And Plastic Fillers For Packaging (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=90810484

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Citations (3)

• 2024
  • 2024-02-23 IT IT102024000003910A patent/IT202400003910A1/it unknown
• 2025
  • 2025-02-14 EP EP25157848.0A patent/EP4606751A1/de active Pending
  • 2025-02-14 WO PCT/EP2025/053957 patent/WO2025176556A1/en active Pending

Patent Citations (3)

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