NL1036420C2 - METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING RELATIVELY VULNERABLE PRODUCTS, IN PARTICULAR BREADING. - Google Patents

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING RELATIVELY VULNERABLE PRODUCTS, IN PARTICULAR BREADING

The invention relates to a method for packaging relatively fragile products, in particular loaves, comprising the steps of supplying bags, successively opening the bags, supplying products, and successively with the products. filling the bags. Such a method is known in various variants and is used in particular for packaging breads that are baked in large-scale bread factories.

In such factories, bread is continuously baked, whereby loaves are usually transported through an oven in baking tins. After leaving the oven and unloading from the baking tins, the loaves are generally first cut and then packaged. Examples of previously proposed mechanized cutting and packaging methods and the equipment to be used for this can be found in the older patents WO 01/64520 A1, EP 0 542 336 A1, NL 1001892, NL 9300420 and NL 8401833.

It is usual for the loaves to be conveyed in the transverse direction 20 one after the other to a vertical cutting frame, which is movable up and down. The loaves are forced through this cutting frame, whereby they are cut into slices. Instead of a cutting window, a set of band saws can also be used. Subsequently, the cut loaves of bread are transported to a location where a stack of bags is located. One of the bags is always opened there, after which one of the loaves is pushed in there in the longitudinal direction. The bags are generally opened by mechanical or pneumatic means, while the loaves are pushed into the bags longitudinally by means of a pusher. The bag can thereby be held and the bread pushed, or the bread be held and the bag pulled over it.

5 Wherever this text refers to the slipping of products, these two options are expressly meant.

The known mechanized packaging method has the important disadvantage that it requires relatively many operations and therefore cannot always be carried out quickly enough. In fact, bringing the bread into the bag is a discontinuous operation that does not tolerate the continuous baking process. It should be borne in mind that industrial ovens currently have a capacity of the order of more than 3000 breads per hour, but that this capacity is more than 4000 breads per hour for newer ovens. This means that the packaging of a bread, when done in line with the oven, must be completed within a second. The bread must therefore be pushed into the bag with increasing speed. Because freshly baked breads are still relatively soft, they are not very easy to handle.

Another problem is related to the removal and opening of the bags. These, too, because they are thin and limp, are not easy to handle, which makes it difficult to open the bags in a reliable and reproducible manner. In addition, the bags can stick to each other as a result of adhesive, whereby more than one bag is taken from the stack at a time.

This combination of factors increasingly leads to malfunctions, for example because a bag is not opened quickly enough and the bread is pushed against the edge of the bag. Then the bread in slices will fall apart in the 3 machine. In practice, the failure rate for some types of bread can be more than ten percent in this way. This problem arises in particular with cutting breads which have an irregular peripheral shape.

5 Cutting the loaves often also causes problems. For example, the loaves upstream of the cutting frame are often compressed by the resistance at the cutting frame, while they often fall apart downstream of the cutting frame due to the sudden acceleration there. These problems also increase as the speed at which breads are supplied increases. And these problems also play an increased role in cutting bread.

The invention now has for its object to provide a method for mechanically packing in bags relatively fragile products such as breads, wherein these disadvantages do not occur or at least to a lesser extent. According to a first aspect of the invention this is achieved with a method as described above in that the bags and the products are transported over a certain distance substantially parallel to each other and during this parallel transport the products are gradually moved substantially transversely to the conveying direction. the bags are pushed. By transporting the products and the bags alongside each other for some distance, space and time is created in the line to introduce the products into the bags gradually, i.e. with relatively low mutual speed.

The bags are preferably supplied in the form of a double foil web, and are welded and cut prior to filling thereof with the products. By producing the bags in line in this way, problems with the singling of the bags which occur when they are supplied in stacks are avoided.

A quick and efficient method of opening the bags is achieved when each bag is opened by inserting a pair of spoons therein and then moving the spoons apart.

Advantageously, the or each spoon pair is inserted into the double foil web prior to welding and cutting and synchronously with the foil web, respectively. the 10 bags moved in the transport direction. In this way there is also ample opportunity to fully open the bags reliably.

When each product is pushed into the bag by a push member, this push member is preferably synchronized with the bags, respectively. the products are moved in the transport direction.

It is preferable that after sliding the product into the bag, first the pair of spoon and then the push member are withdrawn from the bag. In this way the bag is optimally pulled around the product.

According to a second aspect, the invention provides a method of packaging each product is cut into a plurality of slices prior to packaging by placing the product with one side on a carrier and forcing a cutter from an opposite side to the carrier. By no longer transporting the products through a cutting member, but by supporting it during cutting, compression of the products or their disintegration is prevented.

When after cutting each product is split into two halves with substantially the same number of slices, and the product halves are packaged separately, in addition to whole loaves, half loaves can also be supplied.

5

In order to be able to use the discontinuous cutting operation in an otherwise continuous production line, it is preferred that a number of products are cut and optionally split and the cut products or product halves are packaged one after the other.

The invention also relates to a device for packaging relatively fragile products, in particular breads, comprising means for feeding bags, means for opening the bags, means for feeding products, and means for filling the bags with the products. Such a packaging device is also known, for example from the aforementioned older patents.

The invention has for its object to develop such a device such that the above described method can be carried out. According to a first aspect of the invention the device is for this purpose provided with means for transporting the bags and the products over a certain distance substantially parallel to each other, wherein the filling means are adapted to substantially transverse the products during this parallel transport. gradually slide the transport direction into the bags.

The device can comprise at least one spoon pair and at least one push member, which can be displaced synchronously with the bags in the conveying direction. In a preferred embodiment of the device, the at least one spoon pair and the at least one push member are connected to the transport means for this purpose.

Furthermore, the device is preferably provided with 6 stationary guide means disposed along the conveying means and 6 cooperating with the at least one spoon pair and the at least one push member. These guide means move the spoon pair and the pushing member correctly to and from the bags during transport.

The guide means advantageously comprise at least one guide for the at least one spoon pair and at least one guide for the at least one push member, so that the spoon pairs and push members can perform their own movements.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the device, the transport means comprise an endless, circulating, driven transport element, which carries a number of spoon pairs and push members, the spoon pairs and push members each forming a set and being evenly distributed over the transport element. A large number of bags can thus be opened and filled with products at the same time.

Further preferred embodiments of the device according to the invention form the subject matter of the subclaims.

The invention is now elucidated on the basis of an example, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective top view of the actual packaging line of a packaging device according to the invention, FIG. 2 is a view corresponding with fig. 1 from another angle,

FIG. 3 and 4 a top view, respectively. show a side view of the packaging line of Figs. 1 and 2,

FIG. 5A and 5B together form a schematic top view of the entire packaging device, including the cutting line, when cutting and packaging whole loaves, 7

FIG. 6A and 6B show a view corresponding with Figs. 5A and 5B of the device for packaging half-loaves,

FIG. 7A to H show diagrammatically the different steps of opening, filling with a product and closing a bag again,

FIG. 8 is a side view according to the arrow VIII in FIG. 5A, and

FIG. 9 is a side view according to the arrow IX in FIG. 6A.

A device 1 for packaging relatively vulnerable products 3, in particular breads, in bags 2, comprises means 4 for supplying bags 2, means 5 for opening the supplied bags 2, means 6 for supplying products 3 and means 7 for filling the bags 2 with the products 3.

In the example shown, the bag-feeding means 4 comprise a supply holder or roll 8 on which a double-folded foil web 9 is wound. In addition, downstream of the supply roll 8, the bag-feeding means 4 comprise a welding member and a cutting member, which in the shown example are combined in a single welding and cutting station 10. The supply roll 8 is supported by two rollers 11, 12, while the first part of the film web 9 is supported by a first film conveyor 15 wrapped around two return rollers 13, 14.

At the welding and cutting station 10, the film web is transferred from a second film conveyor 16, which is also wrapped around two return rollers 17, 67, to a third film conveyor 69, which is wrapped around two return rollers 18, 68. The second and third film conveyors 16, 69 additionally each have a by-pass part which is arranged around auxiliary rollers 19, 20 and 16 respectively. 21, 22. The turning rollers 67, 68 and the auxiliary rollers 19-22 and the bypass parts are thereby movable, so that the position of the welding and cutting station 10 can be adjusted to a desired speed. By setting the conveying speed of the third film conveyor 69 higher than that of the second film conveyor 16, the bags 2 are separated from each other after welding and cutting.

The film conveyors 15, 16, 69 furthermore have a vacuum provision, so that the film web 9, resp. the bags 2 are retained on these conveyors 15, 16, 69. Incidentally, the first and second film conveyor 15, 16 can be combined into a single conveyor.

Connected to the film conveyors 15, 16, 69 is a conveyor 36, which is wrapped around two return rollers 37, 38. With this conveyor 36, which is designed as a conveyor belt with a number of carriers thereon, the bags 2 are discharged after they have been filled with products 3. Means 42 are provided above this discharge conveyor 36 for at least partially closing the filled bags 2, here in the form of two superimposed, parallel bars 43, 44, the upper bar 43 of which is slanted downwards on the upstream side. current import segment.

According to the invention, the device is provided with means 23 for transporting the bags 2 and the products 3 over a certain distance substantially parallel to each other. In addition to the film conveyors 15, 16, these parallel transport means 23 comprise a conveyor 24 for the products 3. This conveyor 24 is in this case designed as a chain conveyor, which has a number of slides 25 on which the products 3 are transported.

9

In addition to the slides 25, the conveyor 24 also carries a corresponding number of spoon pairs 26, which form part of the bag opening means 5. These spoon pairs 26 are movable transversely to the direction of movement of the conveyor 24, so that they are inserted into the bags 2 and there again can be withdrawn. In addition, the spoons 26A, 26B of each spoon pair 26 are movable from each other to open the bags 2.

Finally, the conveyor 24 also carries a number of pushers 27 corresponding to the number of slides 25 and spoon pairs 26, which form part of the filling means 7. In the example shown, these pushers 27 are also movable transversely to the direction of movement of the conveyor 24, and are arranged to gradually slide the products 3 into the bags 2 during the parallel transport.

In order to control the movements of the spoon pairs 26 and pushers 27, stationary guide means are placed along the conveyor 25, consisting of a first conductor 28 which cooperates with the spoon pairs 26 and a second conductor 29 which cooperates with the pushers 27. Like the conveyor 24, these guides 28, 29 move around. The second guide 29 for the pushing members 27 runs parallel to the conveying surface defined thereby at the active part of the conveyor 24. On the other hand, the first guide 28 for the spoon pairs 26 has an inclined portion 30, a raised portion 31 and an inclined portion 32, whereby the spoons 26A, 26B can be moved apart and back to each other. For controlling the movements with which the spoon pairs 26 are inserted into the bags 2 and pulled out again, the first conductor 28 furthermore shows a part 33 which extends obliquely to the film conveyors 15, 16, a part 34 situated above these conveyors and a part 35 which again slopes obliquely. Similarly, the second conductor 29 has a part 39 which extends obliquely to the discharge conveyor 36, a part 40 located near this conveyor and a again obliquely receding part 41, with which the pushing members 27 can be slid into the bags 2 and withdrawn therefrom. .

The operation of the packaging device 1 described so far is as follows.

The double-wrapped film web 9 is unwound from the storage container 8 by the bag-feeding means 4. As it moves over the foil conveyors 15, 16, it is opened by inserting a pair of scoops 26 from the side 47 opposite the fold line 46. This insertion starts in the shown example 15 approximately at the location of the transition between the two film conveyors 15, 16. When these conveyors 15, 16 are designed as a single, continuous film conveyor, the insertion starts approximately halfway through this conveyor. The insertion movement is controlled by the oblique part 33 of the first guide 28, along which an arm 45 of the upper spoon 26B runs. By inserting the spoon pair 26 into the foil web 9, which is still relatively easily accessible, the later opening of the bag is simplified.

When the spoon pair 26 is fully inserted into the foil web 9, a product 3 is placed on the carriage 25 by the product supply means 6, between the spoon pair 26 and the push member 27 (Fig. 7A). Thereafter, the film web 9 in the welding and cutting station 10 is welded up in two transverse directions between the folding line 46 and the open side 47, and is cut between the two welding seams. Thus, a bag 2 is formed. By forming the bag 2 in the line, instead of feeding it onto a stack 11, problems with the bagging of the bags are avoided.

Subsequently, the bag 2 is opened by raising the upper spoon 26B relative to the lower spoon 26A (Fig. 7B). This upward movement is controlled by the obliquely rising part 30 of the first conductor 28. The upper spoon 26B is then held up by its arm 45 running along the raised part 31 of the first conductor 28.

Then the product 3 is pushed by the pushing member 27 from the carriage 25 into the open bag 2 (fig.

7C). This sliding movement is controlled by the oblique part 39 of the second guide, along which the free end 48 of the pushing member 27 runs. This sliding movement ends as soon as the end 48 of the pushing member 27 reaches the straight part 40 of the second conductor 29 (Fig. 7D). The angle of the oblique part 39 of the second conductor 29 thus determines how quickly the product 3 is pushed into the bag 2. By choosing this angle rather small, a gradual sliding movement can be achieved, whereby the risk of malfunctions is reduced.

Subsequently, the spoon pair 26, still in the open position, is withdrawn from the bag 2 (Fig. 7E). This withdrawal is controlled by the obliquely receding part 35 of the first conductor 28. The pushing member 27 still remains in the extreme position and holds the product 3 in the bag 2. Then the open side of the bag 2 becomes between the two bars 43, 44 of the closing means 42 are passed through, as a result of which the bag is squeezed somewhat closed (Fig. 7F). In this way the product is also somewhat stabilized.

Then the push member 27 can be safely withdrawn from the bag 2 (Fig. 7G), in that its free end 12 48 runs along the obliquely receding part 41 of the second conductor 29. Finally, the spoon 26B is lowered again onto the spoon 26A (Fig. 7H) in that its arm 45 moves along the sloping portion 32 of the first conductor 29. Thereafter, the carriage 25, the pair of spoons 26 and the pushing member 27 are returned by the revolving conveyor 24 to the beginning of the line where the cycle is repeated. The package 2 containing the product 3 is finally guided past a closing station 66 and there closed with a clip.

The packaging device 1 is further provided with means 49 for each cutting the products 3, which are placed upstream of the product supply means 6, into a number of slices or cuts 50. According to the invention, these cutting means 49 comprise a carrier 51 which supports the products 3 on one side, and which in this case is designed as a conveyor wrapped around reversing rollers 56. In addition, the cutting means 49 according to the invention comprise a cutting member 52 which is movable from an opposite side, here therefore from above, to the carrier or conveyor 51. This cutting member 52 is here formed by a frame 53 in which a large number of knives 54 are mounted in the longitudinal direction, i.e. in the conveying direction of the carrier / conveyor 51. The cutting frame 53 is also movable back and forth in the longitudinal direction, whereby the products placed underneath are, as it were, sawn through.

Because the cutting means 49 according to the invention are in fact discontinuously active, in contrast to the vertical cutting frames according to the prior art, they are adapted to process several products 3 at the same time. In the example shown, the cutting frame 53 is dimensioned such that six products 3 transported on the carrier 51 with spacing fit inside. The carrier / conveyor 51 is adapted to supply six products 3 each time under the cutting frame 53, and then to stand still during the cutting. The products 3 are transported on the carrier 51 in compartments which are defined by upright walls 55. Recesses are provided in these walls 55 in which the knives 54 can move. In this way the products 3 are also optimally supported during cutting. This cutting method leads to considerably less damage and failure of products 3 and to fewer malfunctions than the conventional method of cutting with the aid of a vertical cutting frame through which the products press one another.

The products 3 to be cut are fed to the carrier 51 by a feed conveyor 57 and a vertical feed unit 58. After the products 3 have been cut by the knives 54 into a number of slices or cuts 50 and the cutting frame 53 has been raised again, the cut products 3 are further conveyed to a take-over end 59 of the carrier / conveyor 51, which functions as a buffer. There, the conveyor 51 comes to a halt again, whereafter the six cut products 3 are taken by the product supply means 6 from the take-over end 59 and transferred to the six slides 25 of the conveyor 24 which are free because the associated pair of spoon 26 is inserted into the foil web 9. To this end, the product supply means 6, which may comprise, for example, a number of grippers corresponding to the number of products 3, are pivotable in the shown embodiment about a longitudinal axis 60 which runs parallel to the conveying direction of conveyors 51 and 24. At the same time, the product supply means 6 displaceable along said axis 60 for bringing the products 3 from the 14 stationary take-over end 51 to the moving slides 25.

Finally, the packaging device 1 is further provided with means 61 for splitting each cut product 3 into two halves 62 with a substantially equal number of slices 50. These splitting means 61 are placed between the cutting means 52 and the product supply means 6.

In the example shown, the splitting means 61 comprise a pair of adjacent, separately movable conveyors 63, 64. These two separately movable conveyors 63, 64 may, for example, be substituted for the transfer end 59 of the carrier 51. The walls 65 defining compartments for receiving the cut products 3 are therefore divided so that the product halves 62 are well supported during the mutual movement of the conveyors 63, 64.

For example, by moving the conveyor 63 over a small distance, such as the distance between two walls 65 and keeping the other conveyor 64 still, the cut products 3 are simply split into two halves 62. These halves 62 can then pass through the product supply means 6 of the respective conveyor 63, 64 are taken and transferred into the corresponding slides 25 of the conveyor 24 of the filling means 7. This transfer 25 then of course takes place in two steps, so that the cutting means 49 then stand still for some time, before both conveyors 63, 64 are emptied.

Incidentally, the bag-feeding means 4, the bag-opening means 5 and the filling means 7 in this case 30 are of course adapted to the smaller dimensions of the product halves 62. For example, the first and second guides 28, 29 may be displaced or replaced by other copies. .

15

The invention thus makes it possible to package relatively fragile products, such as breads, in relatively fast-to-handle packages in relatively difficult-to-handle packages. In addition, the invention makes it possible to carefully cut these products prior to packaging. In all of this, the failure is considerably smaller than usual in the prior art.

Although the invention has been explained above with reference to an example, it will be clear that it is not limited thereto. The shape, dimensions and number of the various parts of the packaging device shown can thus be varied in many ways. The various new aspects of the invention can also be applied in many combinations, while maintaining the associated advantages. The scope of the invention is therefore solely determined by the following claims.

1036420

Claims (23)

Method for packing relatively fragile products, in particular breads, into bags, comprising the steps of: - supplying bags, 5. successively opening the bags, - supplying products, and - successively with products filling the bags, characterized in that the bags and the products are transported over a certain distance substantially parallel to each other and the products are gradually pushed into the bags during this parallel transport, substantially transversely of the conveying direction. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the bags are supplied in the form of a double foil web, and are welded and cut prior to filling thereof with the products. 3. Method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each bag is opened by inserting a pair of spoon therein and subsequently moving the spoons apart. 4. Method as claimed in claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the or each spoon pair is inserted into the double foil web prior to welding and cutting and synchronously with the foil web, respectively. the bags are moved in the transport direction. 5. Method as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that each product is pushed into the bag by a pushing member, which pushing member is synchronous with the bags, respectively. the products are moved in the transport direction. 1036420 6. Method as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that after sliding the product into the bag, first the pair of spoon and then the pushing member is withdrawn from the bag. Method according to one of the preceding claims or according to the preamble of claim 1, characterized in that each product is cut into a number of slices prior to packaging by placing the product with one side on a carrier and a cutting member from a 10 opposite side to the carrier. A method according to claim 7, characterized in that after cutting each product is split into two halves with substantially the same number of slices, and the product halves are packaged separately. Method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that a number of products are cut and possibly split at the same time and the cut products or product halves are packed one after the other. Device for packaging relatively fragile products, in particular breads, into bags, comprising: - means for supplying bags, - means for opening the bags, - means for supplying products, and 25. means for filling the bags with the products, characterized by: means for transporting the bags 30 and the products over a certain distance substantially parallel to each other, wherein the filling means are adapted to substantially transverse the products during this parallel transport gradually slide the transport direction into the bags. 11. Device as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the bag-feeding means comprise a supply container with a double foil web, as well as a welding member and a cutting member downstream thereof. Device as claimed in claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the bag opening means comprise at least one spoon pair which is movable transversely to the conveying direction, the spoons of which are movable from each other. Device as claimed in claims 11 and 12, characterized in that the bag opening means are adapted to insert the at least one spoon pair upstream of the welding member and cutting member into the double foil web, and the at least one spoon pair in synchronism with the foil web , resp. the bags can be moved in the direction of transport. 14. Device as claimed in any of the claims 10-13, characterized in that the filling means comprise at least one pushing member, which is synchronous with the bags, respectively. the products can be moved in the transport direction. 15. Device as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the at least one spoon pair and the at least one push member are connected to the transport means. Device as claimed in claim 14 or 15, characterized in that the spoon pair and the pushing member are adapted to be withdrawn from the bag one after the other. 17. Device as claimed in any of the claims 13-16, characterized by stationary guide means placed along the conveying means, cooperating with the at least one spoon pair and the at least one push member. 18. Device as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that the guide means comprise at least one guide for the at least one spoon pair and at least one guide for the at least one push member. 19. Device as claimed in any of the claims 15-18, characterized in that the transport means comprise an endless, circulating, driven transport element, which carries a number of spoon pairs and push members, the spoon pairs and push members each forming a set and uniformly over the transport element be divided. 20. Device as claimed in any of the claims 10-19 or according to the preamble of claim 10, characterized by means placed upstream of the product supply means for cutting each product into a number of slices, said cutting means supporting a product on a side and a cutting member movable from an opposite side to the carrier. 21. Device as claimed in claim 20, characterized by means placed between the cutting means and the product supply means for splitting each cut product into two halves with substantially the same number of slices. Device as claimed in claim 21, characterized in that the splitting means comprise a pair of adjacent, separately movable conveyors. 23. Device as claimed in any of the claims 20-22, characterized in that the cutting means and the optional splitting means are adapted to simultaneously process a number of products, and a buffer is formed between the cutting means or splitting means and the product supply means. 1036 4 20