MXPA00006086A

MXPA00006086A - Method and apparatus for positioning an article in a pouch

Info

Publication number: MXPA00006086A
Application number: MXPA/A/2000/006086A
Authority: MX
Inventors: James Thomas Boesken; Ralph Leslie Heaton Jr; Thomas Joseph Lott; Samuel James Morris Iii; Alen David Streutker; David Wayne Whalen
Original assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
Priority date: 1997-12-19
Filing date: 2000-06-19
Publication date: 2001-07-03

Abstract

An apparatus and method for positioning and orienting an article (14) near the center of a pouch (16) containing granules (18). Apparatus has a granules chute (20), article guide assembly (30), and a gate mechanism (40). The granules chute is substantially upright. A baffle plate is placed inside of the granules chute to provide a vent for air to escape from the pouch during filling of granules. The article guide assembly (30) is substantially upright and located inside of the granules chute (20), and it is substantially coaxial with the granules chute. Article guide assembly forms a chute for dropping an article (14) into the pouch (16). The article guide assembly has slotted openings (52) to allow granules (18) to enter it and surround the article prior to the exiting of the article from the article guide assembly. Surrounding the article with granules stabilizes its orientation and position within the pouch which will reduce the risk of the pouch being torn or punctured by rough edges of the article. The gate mechanism (40) controls the release of the article using a pre-determined time sequence in relation to delivery of the granules to the granules chute such that the article is positioned vertically near the center of the pouch as granules fill around the article.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PLACING AN ARTICLE IN A BAG FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for placing an article near the center of a bag containing granules in such a way that the orientation and position of this article within the bag reduces the risk of it being punctured or broken due to to burrs or sharp edges of the article.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Gravity feed product discharge systems, commonly known as forming, filling and sealing systems, are used to pack coffee beans, laundry detergent granules and other bulk products. Often these systems use a single moldboard through which the granules are fed from a hopper or funnel, through the single conduit or moldboard, and into the interior of the bag or sack. Some of these systems form the bag around the moldboard using a roll of plastic film. The plastic bag formed is filled with granules and then sealed. Other unloading systems use multiple adjacent spillways to increase the speed of packaging or packaging by unloading the products from a specific spillway while filling other spillways waiting to be subsequently discharged. Other unloading systems place the main granular moldboard together with tubes for fragrance additives inside a larger outer moldboard to discharge the granules and additives into a single bag. This type of unloading system has an additional external moldboard that increases the construction costs and increases the amount of surface that requires cleaning and maintenance. Other discharge systems use two coaxial tubes to discharge and subsequently mix for example milk and air. Also known in the art is a method for unloading a hand shovel or bucket into a package adapted to contain both the granules and this hand shovel. In this method, the hand shovel is first placed on the bottom of the inverted package and then the packing is filled with the granules. Another known method for unloading a hand shovel into a package is to first fill the package with the granules and then place the hand shovel on them. Both methods have as a consequence that the hand blade ends in contact with the inner wall of the package. When the hand shovel is placed against the inner wall of the formed plastic bag, it has a greater risk of being punctured or broken by that contact with the shovel. Filling the bag in half with the granules, placing the hand shovel and then filling the bag on the hand shovel does not guarantee placing the hand shovel in a convenient position near the vertical and horizontal center of the bag, which it is the desirable position to reduce the risk of a rupture or perforation of the bag. Also, the sequential or phased discharge of the granules and the hand blade reduces the packing speed. A method and apparatus is needed to position and orient an article near the center of a bag containing granules that puts the article in convenient position near the center and away from the inner walls of the bag to reduce the risk of it breaking or pierce BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus and method for placing an article in convenient position near the center of a bag containing granules, including a granular moldboard, a guide assembly for the article and a gate mechanism is described. . The granular moldboard is substantially vertical. A diffuser plate is placed inside the granular moldboard to provide an exhaust opening in such a way that the air can leave the bag when it is filled with granules. The guide assembly for the article is substantially vertical and is located inside the granular moldboard, and is in substantially coaxial position with respect to the granular moldboard. The guide assembly for the article has a lower end and an upper end, and forms a conduit for an article. The upper end of the guide assembly for the article is adapted to house that article. The lower end of the guide assembly for the article is adapted to discharge the article in the bag. The guide assembly for the article has slots to allow the passage of the granules and they penetrate the guide assembly for the article and surround the article before it leaves the inside of the guide assembly for the article. By surrounding the article with granules the orientation and position thereof is stabilized within the bag and the risk of the bag being punctured or broken by the sharp edges and burrs of the article is reduced. The gate mechanism controls the release of the article using a predetermined time sequence in relation to the discharge of granules from the granular moldboard, in such a way that the article is placed in a vertical position and close to the center of the bag while the granules fill the bag and surround the article.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Although the specifications conclude with the relevant claims clearly describing and delimiting the present invention, it will be better understood by the following description of the preferred embodiments, together with their corresponding drawings, wherein the like reference numbers correspond to identical elements, and wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a guide assembly for the article inside a granular moldboard, wherein a process step is illustrated with a gate obstructing the passage of the hand blade while the granules begin to be discharged towards the interior of the granular moldboard; Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein another step of the process is illustrated, with the gate mechanism allowing the passage of the hand blade, while granules continue to be unloaded and the Air inside the bag is displaced through an exhaust opening; Figure 3 is a schematic view of a cross section of the same preferred embodiment of the present invention illustrating another step of the process wherein the hand blade has been released and lies on the granules while continuing inside the assembly guide to the article, and that the discharge of additional granules persists, while the air continues to be displaced through the exhaust opening, Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the same preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein an additional step of the process is illustrated with the hand shovel coming out of the guide assembly for the article while being surrounded by granules, and while the discharge of granules persists and the air is still displaced through the exhaust opening; and Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the same preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing a guide assembly for the article inside a mouldboard for granules, similar to that of Figure 1, wherein The hand shovel has been placed inside and in the center of the bag, in such a way that it lies formed and oriented with its handle or handle aligned along the longest axis of the bag once it has been sealed and subsequently separated from the flexible material network.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference to the drawings of Figures 1 to 5, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, which provides an apparatus and method for placing an article in convenient position and orientation near the center of a bag containing granules. In general, the apparatus is designated with the number 10. The main objective of this invention is to reduce the risk of the bag 16 being broken or punctured by its interaction with the sharp edges of article 14 when orienting and locating this article 14 near the center of the bag 16. Another objective of this invention is to place the article 14 conveniently near the center of the bag 16 and away from the inner walls of the bag 16 and properly orient the article 14 with its longer axis in a parallel position with the longer axis of the bag 16, when guiding this article 14 during its fall towards the inside of the bag 16. A further object of this invention is to provide a stabilization of the orientation and position of the article 14 within the bag 16 when surrounding article 14 with granules 18 when article 14 continues to be guided by the guide assembly. The apparatus 10 includes a granular mouldboard 20, a guide assembly for the article 30, and a gate mechanism 40 for controlling the release of the article 14. The granular moldboard 20 is known in the art as part of a forming machine , filling and sealing. This granular moldboard 20 is rectangular in shape and is placed substantially vertically with openings at its upper and lower ends. In an alternative design, the mouldboard of granules 20 is cylindrical or has any other form that works and can be adapted in forming, filling and sealing machines. The opening in the upper part of the granular moldboard 20 is divided into two portions by a diffusing plate 42. One portion is an inlet opening for unloading granules 18 towards the granular moldboard 20. The other portion is an exhaust opening for the displaced air 46. The displaced air 46 occurs as a result of filling the bag 16 with the granules 18. The granules 18 are fed from a hopper or funnel (not shown) to an inlet opening at the upper end of the moldboard. granules 20. The guide assembly for article 30 is in a substantially vertical position and is located within the granular moldboard 20. The guide assembly for article 30 is in a substantially coaxial position with respect to the granular moldboard. The guide assembly for article 30 has a lower end and an upper end. The guide assembly for the article 30 forms a conduit for dropping the article 14. The upper end of the guide assembly for the article 30 is adapted to house the article 14. The lower end of the guide assembly for article 30 is adapted to discharge the article 14 into the bag 16. Before feeding the granules 18 towards the granular moldboard 20, the bag 16 must be formed around the perimeter and the lower end of the granular moldboard 20 by means of a network of material flexible as for example a plastic film 48 supplied by a roller (not illustrated). The web of flexible material can also be paper and / or a sheet or composite of paper and plastic film. The configuration of the plastic film 48 is carried out by the use of a folding table 49. The process for configuring the plastic film 48 around the granular moldboard 20 is known in the art. Once the plastic film 48 is formed around the lower end of the granular moldboard 20, this plastic film 48 is sealed by sealing or sealing machines 50, whereby the lower end of the bag or sack 16 is formed. use various types of sealing machines 50, such as hot sealers and ultrasonic sealers. Prior to feeding the granules 18 into the granular mouldboard 20, the article 14 must be accommodated at the upper end of the guide assembly for the article 30. The phasing of the article 14 is performed first by closing the gate mechanism 40. in such a way as to obstruct the fall of the article 14 inside the guide assembly for the article 30. Next, the article 14 is placed in the upper opening of the guide assembly of the article 30 by means of a conveyor system (not illustrated) . Subsequently, the article 14 falls inside the guide assembly for the article 30 until it reaches the gate mechanism 40 which prevents the article from falling further, as illustrated in figure 1. Next, the granules 18 are fed on a hopper or funnel (not shown) towards the inlet opening at the upper end of the granular moldboard 20. The granules 18 fall inside the granular moldboard 20 towards the bag 16 once the bottom of the bag 16 has been hermetically sealed Some of the falling pellets 18 enter through the slots 52 formed in the guide assembly for the article 30. These slots 52 allow the pellets 18 to penetrate the guide assembly 30 and subsequently surround the article 14 before this article 14 exit the guide assembly 30. By surrounding the article 14 with the granules 18 the orientation and position of the article 14 within the bag 16 is stabilized, which reduces the risk of the bag 16 breaking or being punctured by the burrs or sharp edges of article 14. At a predetermined time, the gate mechanism 40 is opened so that the article 14 can continue to fall into the guide assembly for the article 30. The article 14 reaches the bottom and lies on the granules 18 deposited there. Upon releasing the article 14 at a predetermined time, this article 14 is placed in a convenient position vertically and near the center of the bag as the granules 18 continue to fill the bag and surrounding the article, as illustrated in the figure 2. Additional granules 18 are fed to the upper end of the granular mouldboard 20 and continue to surround the article 14. The gate mechanism 40 is returned to the closed position to obstruct the passage of the next article 56 to be placed in stages in the next bag, as shown in figure 3. As the granules 18 end up surrounding the article 14, it leaves the guide assembly for the article 30 and is stabilized near the center of the bag 16 by the granules 18 which surround. The weight of the granules 18 and of the article 14 causes the bag 16 to fall away from the granular mouldboard 20 and the guide assembly for the article 30, as illustrated in figure 4. Once the upper end of the bag 16 falls under the sealing machines 50 these sealing machines 50 seal the upper end of the bag 16. The resulting package 54 contains granules 18 with an article 14 located near the center of the bag 16. Article 14 is oriented with its axis more length substantially parallel to the longer axis of the bag 16 in order to reduce the risk of the bag 16 being punctured or broken by the sharp edges of the article 14. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the article 14 is a plastic hand shovel or ladle and the granules 18 are laundry detergent granules. The hand shovel has a handle or handle and a cupped portion. The cupped portion is about 5.5 centimeters deep, the hand shovel has a height of 11.7 centimeters including its handle and about 6.2 centimeters wide. The edges of the hand shovel are sharp enough to cause punctures in the bag 16 when it comes in contact with it. The granule particle size of the laundry detergent is between 5 microns and 500 microns. The plastic film bag 16 is preferably made of a linear sheet of low / high density polyethylene and has a thickness between 4.25 millimeters and 5.50 millimeters. Preferably, the resulting package has a capacity of either 4 liters, 8 liters or 12 liters of detergent granules. The 4-liter package has a height of about 14.5 centimeters, 18.5 centimeters wide and 14.5 centimeters deep. The 8-liter package has a height of about 19.0 centimeters, 15.3 centimeters wide and 15.2 centimeters deep. The 15-liter package has a height of around 34.0 centimeters, 21.5 centimeters in width and 14.5 centimeters in depth. The preferred material for the construction of the granular moldboard 20 and the guide assembly for article 30 is stainless steel. The moldboard of granules 20 has a height of about 100 centimeters, 12 centimeters wide and 18 centimeters deep. The guide assembly for article 30 is 70.5 centimeters high, 9.0 centimeters wide and 6.5 centimeters deep. The length and width of the guide assembly for article 30 are important because they define a given sized conduit that properly surrounds and guides the hand blade during its fall, thus establishing its position and orientation inside the bag 16. The bottom of the guide assembly for article 30 is about 4.2 centimeters above the bottom of the granular moldboard 20. This dimension determines the point where the hand blade is no longer held by guide assembly 30 and requires that the blade of hand is surrounded and held firmly by the granules in order to retain its orientation and position. The slots 52 have a height of about 36.8 centimeters, 2.5 centimeters wide and are located at a distance of about 3.2 centimeters from the bottom of the guide assembly for article 30. These dimensions determine the amount of granules 18 that can enter the guide assembly for article 30 in order to to surround sufficiently and stabilize the hand shovel. In an alternative design, the guide assembly for the article 30 is constructed of stainless steel rods replacing the slotted walls 52. The gate mechanism 40 is located at a distance of about 28.7 centimeters from the bottom of the guide assembly for the article 30. The predetermined time from the discharge of granules 18 to the interior of the granular moldboard 20 until the gate mechanism 40 drops the hand blade, is 0.15 seconds in the case of the 4 liter package. The predetermined time from the discharge of granules 18 to the interior of the granular moldboard 20 until the gate mechanism 40 drops the hand blade, is 0.45 seconds in the case of the 8 liter package. The predetermined time from the discharge of granules 18 to the interior of the granular moldboard 20 until the gate mechanism 40 drops the hand blade, is 0.85 seconds in the case of the resulting 12-liter package. The height of the gate mechanism 40 together with the predetermined release time is of critical importance, since it determines the vertical position of the hand paddle inside the bag 16. Although particular embodiments of the present invention are illustrated and described, the experts in the art they will appreciate that it is possible to make various changes and modifications without departing from the scope and intention of the invention, and it is intended to cover all these modifications within the scope of the invention in the appended claims.

Claims

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - An apparatus for placing an article in convenient position and orientation near the center of a bag or sack containing granules, including: a) a substantially vertical exterior granular moldboard; b) a guide assembly for the substantially vertical article, and this guide assembly for the article is located inside the aforementioned granular moldboard, and this guide assembly for the article has a substantially coaxial position with respect to the mouldboard granules, and this guide assembly for the article has a lower end and an upper end, and this guide assembly for the article forms a conduit for dropping an article, and the aforementioned upper end is adapted to house the article , and the aforementioned lower end is adapted to discharge the article into the bag formed around the aforementioned granular moldboard; c) A gate mechanism to control the release of the article using a predetermined time sequence in relation to the discharge of granules in the granular moldboard, in such a way that the article is placed in vertical position near the center of the custom bag that the granules fill this bag and surround the article.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that the guide assembly for the article is about 9.0 centimeters wide and 6.5 centimeters deep and forms a conduit of a particular size that adequately surrounds and guides the article during his fall.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that the height of the gate mechanism in conjunction with the predetermined release time from the discharge of granules into the interior of the granular moldboard until the gate mechanism drops. the article, determines the vertical position of the article inside the bag.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further characterized in that the height of the gate mechanism is located about 28.7 centimeters from the bottom of the guide assembly for the article.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that the guide assembly for the article has slots that allow the granules to pass into this guide assembly for the article in such a way that they surround the article before that it comes out of the guide assembly, and when surrounding this article, the granules stabilize and orient their position inside the bag to reduce the risk of the bag being punctured or broken by the sharp edges of the article.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, further characterized in that the slots have a height of about 36.8 centimeters, a width of 2.5 centimeters, and are located 3.2 centimeters from the bottom of the guide assembly for the article to determine the point and the amount of granules that penetrate the guide assembly for the article.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that the bottom of the guide assembly for the article has a dimension of about 4.2 centimeters on the bottom of the aforementioned granular moldboard, and this dimension determines the point in that the article is no longer held by the guide assembly for the article.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that a diffuser plate provides an exhaust opening to allow air to escape from the bag during filling of granules, and this diffuser plate is located inside the moldboard. of granules.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that the article is a hand shovel oriented by the guide assembly for the article in such a way that its longer axis is substantially parallel with the longer axis of the bag .

10. A method for placing in an appropriate position and orientation an article near the center of a bag containing granules, and this method includes the steps of: a) forming a network of flexible material in a bag around a moldboard of granules, and this bag has an upper end and a lower end; b) sealing the lower end of the aforementioned bag; c) unloading the granules through the moldboard of granules towards the interior of the bag in such a way that they are deposited at the lower end thereof and allow the exit of the air displaced in the bag through a portion of this moldboard. granules; d) dropping an article into the guide assembly for the article centered on the aforementioned granular moldboard, where the article will be released in a predetermined time sequence in relation to the discharge of granules in such a way that the article is placed vertically near the center of the bag while the granules fill the bag and surround the article; e) continue the discharge of granules through the granular moldboard, in such a way that the granules continue filling the bag and surrounding and stabilizing the article; f) seal the upper end of this bag. 1. The apparatus according to claim 10, further characterized in that it includes the step of separating the bag from the network of flexible material. 12. The apparatus according to claim 10, further characterized in that the article is a hand shovel oriented by the guide assembly for the article such that its longer axis is substantially parallel with the longer axis of the bag. .