GB2436552A

GB2436552A - Packaging machine

Info

Publication number: GB2436552A
Application number: GB0606069A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Patrice Bridier; Pierre Genty
Original assignee: Meadwestvaco Packaging Systems LLC
Current assignee: WestRock Packaging Systems LLC
Priority date: 2006-03-27
Filing date: 2006-03-27
Publication date: 2007-10-03
Also published as: EP2019781A1; WO2007112415A1; GB0606069D0; CA2647523A1

Abstract

A packaging machine and method provide for packaging primary packages, eg filled bottles or cans, into cartons (in secondary packaging section 10); assembling the cartons into groups of spaced columns 22, 24, 26 (in assembly section 12); bringing the columns of a group together (in batch assembly section 14) and disposing them on a tray (in tray-loading section 16); and off-loading the trays onto a stack on a pallet (in pallet loading section 18). Sections 10, 12 and 14 may be parts of a continuously moving conveyor system and each batch 30 of cartons may be lifted by vacuum suction cups for loading onto a tray.

Description

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PACKAGING MACHINE

This invention relates to packaging lines that use a tray for tertiary packaging.

Currently primary packaging such as bottles or cans are packaged in secondary packaging such as cartons, and these cartons are subsequently conveyed to a separate location off the secondary packaging line where the cartons are packaged in tertiary packaging such as trays.

There is a need to improve the ergonomics of existing packaging lines and to integrate a tray packaging module into an existing secondary packaging line whilst minimizing the space dedicated to secondary packaging and tray packing on existing packaging lines.

The present invention therefore seeks to provide a packaging machine that comprises a combined secondary packaging line and tertiary packaging line.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a packaging machine comprising a combined secondary packaging line and tertiary packaging line having:- (a) a secondary carton packaging section for packaging primary packages in secondary packaging cartons; (b) an assembly section for receiving the cartons containing primary packages and assembling them into groups of cartons; (c) a collecting section for receiving the groups of cartons and assembling the groups into spaced columns; (d) a batch assembly section for receiving a plurality of columns and assembling them into a batch of contiguous cartons; (e) a tray loading section for assembling each batch of cartons onto a tray: and, * if IT, let I II I *f Ill I, I * I 2. I I (f) an off-loading station for off-loading the trays onto a pallet.

Preferably sections (a) to (d) of the machine are parts of a continuously moving conveyor system.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of packaging comprising the steps of:- (g) packaging primary packages in secondary packaging cartons; (h) assembling the cartons containing primary packages into groups of cartons; (i) collecting section the groups of cartons and assembling the groups into spaced columns; (j) assembling the columns into a batch of contiguous cartons; (k) loading each batch of cartons onto a tray: and, (I) off-loading the trays onto a pallet.

Preferably the steps (a) to (d) of the method are carried out on a continuously moving conveyor system.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows, schematically, a plan view of a packaging machine constructed in accordance with the present invention; Referring to the drawing there is shown a packaging machine 9 constructed in accordance with the present invention, that comprises, in sequence, a secondary packaging section 10, an assembly section 1, a batch assembly section 14, a tray loading- section 16, and a pallet loading section 18.

The secondary packaging section 10 is of a well known conventional secondary packaging machine of the type used for packaging primary packaging such as bottles or cans (not shown) in secondary packaging * I, Sit I i S * * S * I I,. .. I. I I 3._ I..

cartons 21. Conventionally in one form of secondary packaging the secondary packaging cartons are formed by folding a carton blank (not shown) made from a flexible foldable sheet of paper board, around a plurality of primary packages (not shown). The specific design of the secondary packaging section 10 of the machine is not important to the present invention providing that it operates to supply a succession of cartons 21 off the packaging production line.

The completed cartons 21 leave the secondary packaging section 10 in a continuous moving stream of individual cartons 21 and are received in the assembly section 12 where the cartons 21 are grouped into a plurality of groups 22, 24 and 26 each made up of four cartons 21 by a guide means 27.

Three groups 22, 24, 26 each made up of four cartons is shown in Figure 1.

The cartons 21 leaving the secondary packaging section 10 are conveyed at a first pitch P1 and are divided by dividing means 33 into three continuous streams to produce the groups 22, 24, and 26 as illustrated. The grouped cartons 22, 24, 26 are manipulated and conveyed at a second pitch P2.

At the assembly section 14 the groups 22, 24, 26, each of four cartons 12, are assembled in three spaced apart columns that advance along the same direction as staggered columns on a continuously moving conveyor system. As the columns 22, 24, 26 move together in a common direction, their movement is arrested by a stop bar 28 located in the collection section 16.The spaced columns 22, 24, 26 are brought together by moving the columns 22, 24 sideways to form a batch 30 of twelve contiguous cartons 21 as shown.

At the tray loading section 18 the individual batches 30, each comprising twelve cartons 21, are stacked onto a tray 32, and the trays 32 are off-loaded from the continuously moving conveyor system and stacked onto each other to form a pallet 34 comprising a plurality of trays 32. It is envisaged that a series of vacuum suction cups could be used to lift the individual batches 30 for loading onto the tray 32.

Claims

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CLAIMS

A packaging machine comprising a combined secondary packaging line and tertiary packaging line having:- (a) secondary carton packaging section for packaging primary packages in secondary packaging cartons; (b) an assembly section for receiving the cartons containing primary packages and assembling them into groups of cartons; (c) a collecting section for receiving the groups of cartons and assembling the groups into spaced columns; (d) a batch assembly section for receiving a plurality of columns and assembling them into a batch of contiguous cartons; (e) a tray loading section for assembling each batch of cartons onto a tray: and, (f) an off-loading sestion for off-loading the trays onto a pallet.

2. A machine according to claim 1 wherein sections (a) to (d) are parts of a continuously moving conveyor system.

3. A method of packaging comprising the steps of:- (a) packaging primary packages in secondary packaging cartons; (b) assembling the cartons containing primary packages into groups of cartons; (c) collecting section the groups of cartons and assembling the groups into spaced columns; (d) assembling the columns into a batch of contiguous cartons; (e) loading each batch of cartons onto a tray: and,

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(f) off-loading the trays onto a pallet.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the steps (a) to (d) are carried out on a continuously moving conveyor system.