JP2004510652A - How to handle temporary obstacles in packaging machines - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for handling temporary disturbances in a packaging machine with a moving endless loop (1) having a carrier (2) for a package (P). The package (P) is supplied to the carrier (2) at one point of the loop, and is discharged from the carrier (2) at another point for the final step after one packing operation step. The release of the package (P) from the carrier (2) is interrupted when a failure is detected, but the endless loop (1) moves the package (P) that has not been released in the carrier (2). to continue.

Description

[0001]
(Background of the Invention)
The present invention relates to a method for handling a temporary obstacle in a packaging machine. The packaging machine has a moving endless loop, the loop being provided with a carrier for packages. The package is supplied to the carrier in one part of the loop and is released from the carrier in another part for the final step after one packaging operation.
[0002]
For this type of machine, speed is of paramount importance for obtaining the best possible production efficiency. As a result, outages in production mainly create problems associated with very complex machines and high production rates. The production rate is so high that there are 7 to 10 articles per second and the time for the machine to stop completely is in the range of 5 seconds, so that 35 to 50 packed and sealed packages are May be discarded as a result of the outage. These packages can be folded back in the semi-finished product stream only if the machine is re-indexed and restarted with effort. As a result, such packages are usually considered waste because they do not appear to be worthy of relief efforts.
[0003]
However, general rules do not accept waste. It is therefore an object of the present invention to propose a solution which minimizes the amount of waste due to temporary obstructions, for example in the final folding step or in a subsequent sterilization step.
[0004]
(Summary of the Invention)
According to the invention, the release of the package from the carrier is interrupted when such a temporary obstruction is detected, but the endless loop keeps the undischarged package in the carrier. to continue.
[0005]
The supply of the creasing blank (material) is interrupted at the same time as the ejection is interrupted. Therefore, there is less reason to doubt the state of the package at the time of restarting the production process.
[0006]
All the blanks already supplied to the machine at the time of the interruption of the discharge are then finished into filled and sealed packages, which are then placed in a carrier until the production process can be restarted as a whole. Will be left. As a result, the grounds for such doubts are further reduced. This is because all packages included in the loop are almost completed.
[0007]
After filling and sealing the contents of the last supplied blank after said interruption, the so formed, sealed and filled package will remain until the obstacle is cleared and the production process is resumed The machine is continuously circulated at the normal speed of the machine with all normal package formation and filling processes stopped. By doing so, there is no last basis for doubt. This is because all packages in the carrier before the restart of the production process are ready to be introduced into the final folding process. The folding step is to be considered as the final step before the entire product is finally fed batchwise to the sterilization facility or process.
[0008]
(Detailed description of preferred embodiments)
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a production loop to which the method according to the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1a shows the main part of a production line or loop for forming, filling and sealing a package P for durably containing the contents.
[0009]
A closed loop 1 of a carrier 2 is shown. The arrow 3 indicates the direction of movement of the carrier 2 for said loop.
[0010]
The carrier 2 is adapted to carry the package P during its handling in order to make the handling easier without damaging the package P. In FIG. 1b, the carrier 2 is shown in a perspective view. As is evident from this figure, the package P is well protected during handling in the container 2.
[0011]
The creased blank (material) 4 is continuously supplied at 5 to the carrier 2. The supplied blank 4 is first shaped to fit into the carrier. The blank 4 so supplied is then sealed at the bottom at 6 to make the first package P open at the top.
[0012]
The carrier 2 with the packages P is carried on a chain conveyor 7 (both shown schematically) driven by a chain 8 and reaches a circular section C of the loop 1. In the circular section C of the loop 1 there is a filling device (not shown) which moves with the loop of the carrier 2 as shown by the dashed line. Here, the carrier is filled aseptically at the full speed of the loop.
[0013]
The second sealing of the top of the package P is performed at 9, where the final sealing of the package P after filling is performed. The release of the filled and sealed package P from its carrier for transport to the last folding step is indicated schematically by the arrow 10. The package P has a pillow shape at the position shown after the arrow 10, and this pillow shape is necessary to make a rectangular or substantially rectangular shape when finally folded.
[0014]
According to the method of the present invention, the release of the package P from the loop 1 upon detection of a temporary failure associated with the final folding facility for the package P, or a subsequent facility in the production process. Can be interrupted immediately and the loop 1 continues to move with the package P in the carrier 2 after the interruption of the discharge phase. By doing so, it is possible to avoid inadvertent deposition of semi-finished packages after the loop, and the production loop is easily repaired throughout the production process after the treatment of temporary disturbances be able to. This is because the loop speed is always the same while the release is interrupted. Depending on the product to be placed in the package P, the time of such a temporary interruption may be limited to an acceptable time for hygienic reasons. If, for any reason, the time limit is exceeded, the package may be considered waste, despite all precautions. In such situations, the waste can be easily disposed of. Because the package is completely sealed to the environment.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1a
FIG. 1 shows in a schematic plan view the main elements of a production loop, which are part of a production line to which the method according to the invention has been applied.
FIG. 1b
Figure 2 shows a carrier for packages used in the production loop in a perspective side view.

Claims (4)

A moving endless loop (1) having a carrier (2) for the package (P), wherein the package (P) is supplied to the carrier (2) in one part of the loop (1) and a certain packaging operation After the step (a), a method of dealing with temporary disturbances in the packaging machine, which is to be discharged from the carrier (2) in another part of the loop (1) for the final step, from the carrier (2) Release of the package (P) is interrupted when an obstacle is detected, but the endless loop (1) continues to move with the package (P) not released in the carrier (2). A method comprising: 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the supply of the blank (4) is interrupted at the same time as the discharge of the filled and sealed package (P) is interrupted. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein all the blanks (4) already supplied to the machine at the time of the interruption are finished into a sealed package (P), which package (P) is subsequently carried out by the carrier (2). Characterized by being left in a container. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the carrier (2) continues to circulate the machine with all normal package forming steps stopped until the fault is treated.