ES2897652T3 - Rotation beam for a packaging machine - Google Patents

Abstract

Method for threading a film strip onto a rocker arm (20), characterized in that the rocker arm has two rollers (23.1, 23.2), which are provided on a rod (23.4), which is rotated, driven by a rotary drive, around an axis of rotation (23.3) provided between the two rollers (23.1, 23.2) and because it stores a certain length of foil strip (8, 14) and/or generates a desired tension in the foil strip (8, 14) and the rollers (23.1, 23.2) of the beam are transferable to a threading position, where the tape length is drawn through the beam for threading along a straight line.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Rotation beam for a packaging machine

The present invention relates to a packaging machine with a rocker, a foil brake, an adhesive table and/or a foil roll.

Such packaging machines are known from the state of the art. See, for example, WO-A2012/116823. In these packaging machines, a bottom foil strip is unwound from a supply roll and is preferably intermittently conveyed through the packaging machine. In a forming station, a packaging tray is first formed on the lower film strip, which is then filled with a packaging product, in particular a food product. The packaging tray is then closed in a sealing station with an upper foil, which is sealed in the lower foil. In this case, the film strip is likewise unwound from a supply roll. Between the supply roll and the sealing station, a rocker is provided, which must be adapted to the pre-traction, which the lower film strip carries out during an advance. For this purpose, in the past, an individually designed rocker had to be provided for the packaging machine, which has turned out to be very costly.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a method for threading a strip of foil, which does not have the drawbacks of the state of the art.

The problem is solved with a method for threading a strip of foil according to claim 1. Object of the present invention is a method for threading a strip of foil on a rocker arm, in which the rollers of the rocker arm can be transferred to a threading position. In this threading position, the foil tape can be pulled essentially along a straight line, preferably vertically, through the rocker arm and does not have to be guided in a cumbersome manner around the rollers, which are mounted at both ends. As soon as the foil tape is threaded onto the rocker, the rocker assumes its zero position or subsequently its storage position.

Preferably, for the threading of the foil strip into the tape brake, a part of the tape brake is moved away, in particular rotated away, and then, as soon as the foil tape extends through the brake of the tape, it is rotated back again.

In the following, the inventions are explained with the help of figures 1 to 12. These explanations are only exemplary and do not limit the general idea of the invention. The explanations apply equally for all objects of the present invention.

Figure 1 shows the packaging machine according to the invention.

Figure 2 shows the rocker arm.

Figure 3 shows the rocker according to Figure 2 in its threaded position.

Figure 4 shows the rocker arm in a production position.

Figure 5 shows the rocker suspension on the wall 26.

Figure 6 shows the arrangement of the sheet brake in the packaging machine.

Figure 7 shows the leaf brake according to Figure 6 in a service position.

Figure 8 shows the swinging of the second part from the first part of the sheet brake.

Figure 9 shows the cutting and bonding table.

Figure 10 shows a suction drawer.

Figures 11 to 13 show the laser welded roll.

FIG. 1 shows a packaging machine 1, which has a deep-drawing station 2, a filling station 7 and a sealing station 15. A lower film strip 8, here a plastic film strip 8, is removed from a stock roll 52 and is synchronously conveyed along the packaging machine from right to left. During one cycle the lower foil strip 8 is transported one format length. to such Finally, the packaging machine has two transport means (not shown), here respectively two endless chains, which are arranged to the right and to the left of the lower film strip 8. Both at the beginning and also at the end of the packaging machine there is provided for each chain, in each case, at least one sprocket, around which the respective chain deflects. At least one of these gear wheels is driven. The gear wheels in the input area and/or in the output area can be connected to one another, preferably by means of a rigid shaft. Each transport means has a multiplicity of clamping means, which grip the lower foil strip 8 with a clamping effect in the entry area 19 and transfer the movement of the transport means onto the lower foil strip 8. At the outlet of the packaging machine, the clamping connection between the transport means and the lower film strip 8 is released again. Upstream of the inlet area 19, a heating means 13 is provided, which heats the film strip 8, especially when it is stopped. In the deep-drawing station 2, which has an upper tool 3 and a lower tool 4, which has the shape of the packaging tray to be produced, the packaging trays 6 are formed on the hot foil strip 8. lower tool 4 is arranged on a lifting table 5 which, as symbolized by the double arrow, is vertically adjustable. Before each advance of the sheet, the lower tool 4 is lowered and then raised again. In the further development of the packaging machine, the packaging trays are then filled at the filling station 7 with the packaging product 16. At the sealing station 15 which is connected there, which also consists of an upper tool 12 and a vertically adjustable lower tool 11, an upper foil 14 is fixed by material continuity through sealing on the lower foil strip 8. Also in the sealing station the upper tool and/or the lower tool are lowered and raised before and after each transport. The upper foil 14 can also be guided on transport means or can be transported by transport chains, so that these transport means then extend only in front of the sealing station and possibly upstream. Otherwise, the descriptions that have been made with respect to the transport means of the bottom sheet apply. Also the top sheet can be heated with a heating medium and can be done by deep drawing. For sealing, the lower tool 11 is provided, for example, a heatable sealing frame, which has an opening for each container cup, into which the container cup is immersed during sealing, i.e. during the upward movement of the container. the lower sealing tool. For sealing, the upper and lower foil strips are pressed together between the upper and lower tools 12, 11 and joined under the influence of heat and pressure. After sealing, the tools 11, 12 are vertically separated from one another. Between the supply roll 21 and the sealing tool, a rocker arm 20 is provided, which compensates for the intermittent advance of the lower film 8 and thus the intermittent removal of the upper film strip 14. The rocker can serve as an accumulator for the strip of sheet and/or for the generation of a determined tension of the sheets. It is understood by the skilled person that several topsheets may be present, for example in a multi-layer package or a package with several topsheets. In this case, a rocker arm is preferably provided in the development of each top sheet. Furthermore, the person skilled in the art understands that a rocker can also be provided in the area of the lower web, preferably downstream of the supply roll 52. Before and/or during the sealing of the upper web, the lower web is carried out at each packing tray preferably a gas exchange. For this purpose, the air present in the packing cup is initially partially sucked in and then replaced by a replacement gas. For this purpose, in the area of each formation in the lower film in the area of the conveyor chains, holes are drilled in the lower film strip, through which the air between the film strips 8, 14 is sucked in. and then the replacement air is blown. In the further development of the packaging machine, the finished packages are separated, which is done in the present case with the cross knife 18 and the longitudinal knife 17. The cross knife 18 can also be raised and lowered in the present case with a lifting facility 9.

Fig. 2 shows the supply roll 21, from which the upper foil strip 14 is unwound in the present case. The skilled person understands that the following explanations apply similarly also for the lower foil strip 8. Downstream with With respect to the transport direction of the film strip 14, the rocker 20 is provided, which in the present case has two fixed stationary rolls 22, between which the rotary part 23 is provided, which is provided in a drivable manner, generally rotatably around an axis of rotation 23.3 by means of a drive. This rotary part has a linkage 23.4, on which the axis of rotation 23.3 is arranged and which has two rollers 23.1, 23.2, which in this case are arranged to rotate opposite one another and with the same distance from the axis of rotation. on linkage 23.4. The rollers 23.1, 23.2 are preferably not driven. The entire rocker arm 20 is in the present case arranged in a housing 24 and is thus protected against undesired intervention by an operator. However, the housing and/or its basic supporting construction can also take on support functions for the rocker arm and/or can be protected against undesirable cleaning agents.

Figures 3 and 4 explain how the rocker arm works. In figure 3 it is represented in a rocker in its so-called threading position. Compared to the representation according to FIG. 2, the rollers 23.1, 23.2 or their connection, here the linkage 23.4, are rotated about their axis of rotation 23.3 in the opposite clockwise direction. This results in a gap, here a vertical gap, between the upper rollers 22, 23.1 or the lower rollers 22 and 23.2, through which the foil strip 14 can be easily passed, which considerably simplifies the process. threading of the foil strip, because the rollers 22, 23.1, 23.2 are housed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention at their two ends. As soon as this is over threading process, the rollers 23.1 and 23.2 are rotated again around their pivot point 23.3, now clockwise, and the rocker can be used as a lamella accumulator. Figure 4 shows the partially filled accumulator. Since the rollers 23.1 and 23.2 have been rotated clockwise compared to the representation according to FIGS. 2 and 3, the length of the lamella located in the accumulator has been increased. The length of the accumulated foil depends, as the person skilled in the art readily knows, on the angle of rotation a of the rotating part 23 between 0 and almost 180°. As already explained, the rotating part 23 is driven by means of a motor. This mode can be a servo motor or adjustment motor or stepper motor or a pneumatic drive. With the pneumatic drive, the pressure with which the drive is actuated is controlled, preferably as a function of the angular position of the rotary part 23.

Starting from the zero position (see FIG. 2), in which the rocker arm does not store any or almost no foil and the rollers 23.1 and 23.2 are essentially in one line with the rollers 22 in this case, the pressure first strongly, in particular up to a position of the rollers 23.1 and 23.2 of a= 20 - 36°, then remains essentially constant to subsequently drop, preferably from an angle of approximately a= 40°, until the rocker reaches its end position (full rocker arm), which is the case with a= about 170 - 180°, in particular a= 176°. In dynamic operation, the rocker does not preferentially reach an angular position of a=20-30°, in particular a=30°. A control/adjustment connected to the packaging machine knows at any moment what length of sheet is stored on the rocker. Correspondingly, the drive of the rotary part 23 is activated, to equalize, raise or reduce this stored length. But the drive of the rotary part 23 can also be used to modify the tension in the film strip, by changing the angle of rotation of the rotary part when the film strip 21 is stopped and when the film strip 8 is stopped, accordingly. so that in the present case during a clockwise rotation the tension is increased and in the case of a counterclockwise rotation the tension in the foil strip 14 is reduced. The change or the constant maintenance of the tension of the strip The film tension can also be produced during the movement of the film roll 21. Measuring means can be provided in the area of the rocker arm or in the area of the film strip, with which the film tension is measured and adjusted accordingly. corresponding manner.

Figure 5 shows the suspension of the rocker 20 in the packaging machine. In the present case, the rocker is provided in the region of the upper foil strip 14 and is correspondingly provided on an arm or a sheet metal or a wall or a frame 26 - then mounting 26 - above the strip of lower sheet 8. The entire rocker arm 20 is provided in the present case with four suspensions 25 in the mounting 26. These suspensions are in the present case embodied as tension/pressure bars 25 and extend horizontally across the entire width of the rocker arm or a housing 24 and/or its basic support construction (not shown). The entire rocker is surrounded by the housing 24, which has a door 28 on the front side, which can extend around the hinge 27. Furthermore, preferably a cover 29 is provided on the housing, which can be opened. especially pivot about a horizontal axis. As can be seen in the example of the input roll 30, each roll is preferably accommodated in the rocker area at its two opposite ends in the rocker arm housing 24 and/or in its basic support construction or in the linkage 23.4. . This results in a significantly improved and more symmetrical distribution of the load in the region of the rolls. In particular, the rolls flex less so that a more uniform unwinding of the stock rolls occurs. Preferably, the swivel part 23 also has a swivel bearing at its two opposite ends, which is supported in each case on the housing 24 and/or on its supporting base construction and is thus supported on the suspension 25. of the see-saw Nevertheless, the rocker arm 20 or its housing only rests on one side of the film strip by means of the mounting 26, so that the area under the rocker arm 20 is clearly visible and available to an operator.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a foil brake 32. A foil brake is provided, relative to the transport direction of the respective foil strip, downstream of the possibly present rocker and serves to stretch the upper foil strip in particular for aligning the upper foil strip relative to the lower foil strip before sealing, so that, for example, a printed image provided on the upper foil strip passes into the position of the container provided on the foil strip lower. In the present case, the foil brake is supported on one side of the lower foil strip 8, here in a mount 26, by means of a rotatable and/or pivotable bearing 34. On the opposite side of the lower foil strip 8 shows a bearing 33, which has a closure 36, in particular a snap closure, with which the end of the foil brake 32 arranged there can be connected to the frame of the packaging machine. This lock 36 preferably has a handle 35, with which the lock can be unlocked in particular. A subsequent locking is preferably carried out, especially by means of a snap-in or detent mechanism. After activation of the handle 35, the two parts of the lock 36 can be separated from each other and the entire leaf brake can be released. pivot about the rotary bearing 34, as shown in figure 7, from a production position essentially transverse to the transport direction of the lower foil strip (figure 6) to a service position essentially parallel to the transport direction of the foil strip. In figure 7 the transition of the leaf brake 32 from the production position to the service position is represented.

As can be deduced from FIG. 8, the leaf brake in the present case consists essentially of a first part 32.1, in which a second part 32.2 is rotatably mounted by means of a pivot axis 38, on the left side. of the two parts 32.1, 32.2 opposite the axis of rotation 38 a clamping 37 is represented, here by a pin, through which the two parts can be held in a parallel position, the production position relative to each other. Between the two parts 32.1, 32.2 there is a gap during production, through which the foil strip, in particular the upper foil strip 14, is guided. In one of the parts there is a pressure medium, for example a hose, the length of which is variable and thus modifies the size of the gap and thereby presses the strip of foil against the other part, thereby increasing or reducing the friction between the strip of foil and the brake 32 and brakes more or less accordingly. In order to facilitate the threading of the film strip 14 into the gap before the start of production, the closure 37 is opened, here the part 32.2 is rotated around the axis of rotation 38, and then the film strip is applied to the first part. 32.1. The second part 32.2 is then rotated back into its position parallel to the part 32.1 and is secured in this position by means of the lock 37. The person skilled in the art understands that the respective other part can also be moved.

FIG. 9 shows the cutting and gluing table 39. It currently has two input rolls 42 and one output roll 43, which do not necessarily have to be present, however. Otherwise, the cutting and bonding table 39 optionally has two clamping means 40, 41, which can be rotated, for example, about an axis from a clamped position to an unclamped position and vice versa and can be turned. used to fix the respective ends of the strips of sheets to be joined. The bonding table has several recesses. In the present case, two parallel rows are provided, each with nine equally spaced recesses here, which are preferably provided to the right and to the left of a cutting guide 46. The cutting guide serves as a guide/support, for example, for a blade, in order to be able to cut the respective foil strip along a straight section. Each recess can be connected here via a channel to a vacuum medium, preferably commonly, in particular a vacuum pump. Furthermore, each recess can optionally be provided with a suction box 44 or a blind plug 45, so that depending on the width of the film strip and/or the nature of the film strip it can be selected in which area vacuum is applied. The suction boxes 44 are provided, for example, with a perforated plate 44,1, through which the vacuum is applied to the film strip and stretches it in the direction of the cutting and bonding table 39 and the fix there. Little or no vacuum is applied in the area of the blind plug 45 . In the present example, the suction boxes and the blind plugs are provided alternating over the entire width of the bonding table. In films with a comparatively small film width, it makes sense to provide the outermost cutouts with a blind plug to prevent the suction of false air.

FIG. 10 shows an example of a suction box 44, which can be provided, preferably without tools, in a recess. This suction box is constituted in the present case by an insert 44.2, here a hollow body, and by a perforated plate 44.1 connected to it. The vacuum sucks air through the perforated plate into the interior of the insert 44.2 and from there through holes, which are provided on the periphery of the insert 44.2, into the vacuum channel. The blind plug is constructed in a similar way, except that the perforated plate is replaced by a non-perforated plate and/or the holes on the periphery of the insert 44.2 are omitted.

In figures 11 and 12 a roller is represented. This consists of a rotary body 47, at the opposite ends of which a pivot of a rotary axis is respectively provided. The axis of rotation preferably does not extend through the roller. Figure 12 shows the manufacturing process. Preferably, the axis of rotation is provided on a disk-shaped element, in particular a circular disk or a circular annular disk. This disc-shaped element or the actual axis of rotation 49 is connected by means of a laser-welded seam to the rotating body. In this way, the roller is, on the one hand, hermetic. Furthermore, laser welding results in a comparatively low heat input, so that the roller does not stretch during welding. Each roller has a swivel axis 49 on the right and left respectively, by means of which the roller can be supported on both sides on a housing 24 or the like. This significantly improves the load distribution of the roller. regarding a unilateral accommodation. The technician understands that the axis of rotation can also be a cylindrical input, which receives a pivot.

Preferably, all other rollers provided in the area of the packaging machine are produced in this way. Fig. 13 shows the arrangement of the rotary bearing 48, in particular, respectively, at the two ends of a roller. This rotary bearing 48 is arranged by means of a bearing seat 50, for example, in the frame 55 of the packaging machine and/or in the housing 24 of the rocker arm. The outer ring of the swivel bearing 48, here of a rolling bearing, rests on the bearing seat 50. The inner periphery of the inner ring of the swivel bearing 48 is connected to a swivel axis 49 which, for its part, is provided in the roller. But the arrangement can also be reversed. The swivel bearings are specially designed to be electrically conductive, so that no static charge can build up in the area of the roller.

List of reference signs

1 packaging machine

2 forming station, deep drawing station

Deep Drawing Station Upper Tool

Bottom tool of deep drawing station

Lifting table, support of a tool of the sealing station, of the deep drawing station and/or of the cutting system

container bucket

First filling station

foil strip, lower foil strip

lifting installation

drive

Seal Station Lower Tool

Seal station top tool

heating media

top sheet strip, cover sheet

sealing station

packaging product

longitudinal blade

cross blade

entrance area

Rocker

Top sheet strip reserve roll

Rotating roller for the deflection of the foil strip

rotating part

First rotating roller for deflection of the foil strip

Second rotating roller for deflection of the foil strip

Axis of rotation

Lever, link, linkage

Case

Suspension, drawbars

mounting, wall

Hinge

Door

Top

input roller

entrance gap

blade brake

First part

Second part

Bearing

Axis of rotation and/or axis of articulation

Crank

Closing, quick closing

Closing

Axis of rotation, especially spaced axis of rotation

Cutting and bonding table

First holding means

Second means of support

input roller

exit roller

Bonding agent, suction box

Cover, perforated sheet

insert

Blind plug

cutting guide

rotating body

swivel bearing, roller bearing

Axis of rotation

bearing seat

welding seam, laser welding seam

Reserve roller with bottom foil strip

Close end of roller

Second end of roller

Frame

Claims (6)

1. Method for threading a strip of foil onto a rocker arm (20), characterized in that the rocker arm has two rollers (23.1, 23.2), which are provided on a rod (23.4), which rotates, driven by a drive rotatable, about a rotation axis (23.3) provided between the two rollers (23.1, 23.2) and because it stores a certain length of foil strip (8, 14) and/or generates a desired tension in the foil strip ( 8, 14) and rollers (23.1, 23.2) of the beam are transferable to a threading position, where the tape length is drawn through the beam for threading along a straight line. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that for threading the foil strip into a band brake, one part (32.2) of the band brake is moved away from another part (32.1) of the band brake, in particular from turn away. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the rocker is part of a packaging machine (1), which unwinds a lower foil strip (8) from a reserve roller (52) and intermittently transports it or continuous along the packaging machine and in this case forms in a forming station (2) packaging trays (6) on the lower foil strip (8), which are then filled with a packaging product ( 16), in which subsequently in a sealing station (15) an upper foil strip (14) is sealed in the lower foil strip (8), in which the upper foil strip (14) is unwound from a stock roll (22), wherein the rocker arm (20) is provided downstream of at least one stock roll (52). 4. - Method according to claim 3, characterized in that a means detects the angular position of the linkage (23.4). 5. - Method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the rotary drive is a pneumatic drive, a servomotor, a stepper motor or a rotary motor with transmission. 6. - Method according to claims 3 to 5, characterized in that at least one roller (23.1, 23.2) is housed at its two opposite ends (53, 54).