SK38196A3 - Carton folding mechanism for wraparound cartons - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for use in a machine for packaging bottles in a wraparound carton which comprises folders (12) having pivotal fingers (13, 14) for engaging and folding a pair of bottle heel retention flaps (f1, f2) and to fold such flaps inwardly of the carton. The pivotal folder is adapted to execute a folding movement thereby progressively to enter an aperture in the blank to fold the flaps and to retract therefrom during feed movement of the blank. The pivotal folder includes a follower (30) to execute the folding movement and the retracting movement. The pivotal fingers pivot upon radial movement of the folder.

Description

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The present invention relates to a carton-folding mechanism for use in a machine for packaging articles, such as a full-package carton-type carton. The carton is typically formed from a paperboard blank in which the side wall panel is flexibly connected to the base panel according to the fold line. Product openings, for example, openings that hold the bottom of the rails and which include flexurally connected retaining flaps, are located on both sides of the fold line between the carton panels. The machine into which the mechanism of the present invention can be incorporated includes a conveyor for advancing the blank and articles to be packaged on a predetermined feed path. The mechanism folds such retaining flaps into appropriately desired positions inwardly of the carton. The present invention is directed to folding pairs of such retaining flaps, which is made possible by associating said retaining flaps with all of the product holding openings. The flaps are trapped in pairs and folded inwardly while the adjacent parts of the blank are protected by suitable guiding means against any substantial lateral movement.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

EP-0-200 445 are known to ensure the maintenance of products such as holes for holding the bottom of the trays in the base and side walls of full-pack cartons into which the bottom parts of the articles, such as the bottom of trays, are inserted and subsequently coated with cation. Such bottom-retaining features are referred to as means that are punched out of the side wall panels and base panels of the whole packaging carton and which comprise flaps that are foldably connected to the carton panel. On the flat blank, these flaps are located near the openings that will serve as openings of the carton to hold the bottom of the bottles. In the case of using the blank in the packaging of a product group, it is known to open the flaps by the action of a simple finger mechanism so that it is then possible to place the lower parts of the product into the formed openings.

A mechanism for accomplishing such an operation is described in EP-O-200 445 and comprises a device for gripping and folding a pair of flaps that hold the bottom of the bottle such that the flaps are folded inwardly of the carton. The folding mechanism has a pivoting deflector comprising a pair of pivoting fingers that are actuated by the cam so as to perform the folding movement in the sense of continuing entry into the holding opening in the blank, thereby achieving the folding of the flaps, and to reciprocate. These folding and reciprocating movements are made together during the direct sliding movement of the cardboard blank and the pivotable folder. The pivoting folders operate sequentially by opening a row of such flaps to hold the bottom of the bottles on one carton blank, and moving in the folding block of the machine in synchronization with the blank. To actuate the swiveling fingers, each deflector comes into contact with a fixed cam track formed in the cam block and is displaced on the work track and the return track by a chain chain assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus for use in a machine for packaging articles in a full-wrapper carrier of the type which is usually made of a paper blank having a pair of walls joined together on a fold line and having a pair of flaps on each side of said fold line. and strengthening the workpiece, wherein said device comprises folding means for catching and folding said pair of flaps towards the carrier, and wherein said folding means comprises a folder adapted to perform folding movement to provide folding of the flaps through a smooth entrance to the opening in the workpiece and to reciprocate; during sliding movement of the blank, said folder comprising a portion for direct contact with the blank and means controlled by control means that fold the treated portion of the blank, wherein said folding movement is performed and said reciprocating movement, characterized in that said bender is movable in a radial direction relative to the axis of the device, and said blank contact portion comprises a pair of pivotable pivoting fingers adapted to rotate when the bender moves radially in relation to it. on the above axis.

According to one feature of the present invention, said cooperating means may comprise a cam follower that follows an endless cam track, the shaping of which causes said folding movement and said reciprocating movement.

According to a further feature of the present invention, said folding means may employ a rotatable disc assembly comprising said folder and said endless cam track.

In embodiments in which the plate assembly is applied, the plate assembly may comprise, in axial order, a cam plate, an intermediate plate with the named folders, and an upper plate, wherein both the intermediate plate and the upper plate may rotate in relation to each other. on the cam plate. These plates preferably have a disc shape.

According to another feature of the present invention, said deflector, which is structurally designed for a radial intermediate plate, said body carrying a body, may move in said cam follower. The body may be terminated in a head that includes a pair of pivotable portions of said bender entering with the carton blank. The pivoting fingers are preferably brought into rotation simultaneously and cooperate with the components of said intermediate plate, thereby influencing their pivoting movement.

According to the following feature of the present invention, said body can be slidable in a radial path formed on a central disc.

According to yet another feature of the present invention, said fingers forming a direct contact plate assembly may comprise a plurality of folders arranged in separate groups, each separate group of folders intended to be in direct working contact with each successive carton blank.

Describe the figures in the drawing

Now, one embodiment of the invention will be explained by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 to 10 show the sequence of operation phases of the mechanism according to the invention,

Fig. 11 is a schematic perspective view of a mechanism according to the present invention with partial cross-section;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a portion of the mechanism shown in FIG. 11

Fig. 13 is a plan view of a pivot finger forming part of a folding device according to the present invention;

Fig. 14 is a side sectional view of the finger shown in FIG. 13th

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 to 10 are schematic representations of the operation of the inventive mechanism for opening the cardboard flaps. The mechanism comprises a plurality of sets of rotatably mounted folders that sequentially cooperate with a cardboard blank that is prepared to provide two motors on each side to hold the bottom of the article. Fig. 1 to 10 show the sequential steps during rotation of the rotary plate assembly 25, 38, on which a pair of such folders 12 are disposed that open the apertures na to maintain the bottom portions of the articles so as to always displace the pairs of flaps f 1. f? the cardboard blank C by folding them. In this case, the blank is a carton of the full-package type. Subsequently, the lower portions of the pair of bottles Bi are inserted into the respective holding openings A. E? .

Fig. 11 is a schematic perspective view of a rotating disk plate mechanism 10 comprising an upper disk 38, an intermediate disk 36 and a lower stationary cam plate 24. The discs may be camouflaged, for example, by a shaft attached to each disc and guided rotatably through the center of the stationary cam plate. Of course, the shaft may be driven in a suitable manner by mechanical engagement with the motor so as to achieve the correct rotation speed of the disk assembly in synchronization with the movement of the carton blank. during the packaging process. In this embodiment, the opening mechanism 10 comprises three groups of four close together and regularly spaced benders. The number and spacing of the benders 12 from each other is determined by the type of kronon used to package the articles. In this specific embodiment, the cartons are adapted to pack 4 'products in a 4x2 arrangement so that a row of four products will be placed along each side wall of the carton. Because the disk assembly employs three groups of four folders, flaps will be opened during one rotation of the disk assembly to hold the bottom portions of the articles in three consecutive carton blanks. The carton 8 comprises a side wall in which openings A are formed for the entrance of the lower parts of the articles 6, and flaps are punched out of the side wall which need to be folded open from the flat plane of the side wall towards the inside of the carton.

At the inlet end of the packaging machine, a pair of mechanisms 10 folding the preform is installed. Such two mechanisms are installed side by side in such a way that a path passes therebetween for both the supply of cardboard blanks and the supply of packaging products. The description made here deals only with one mechanism of the pair, since the other mechanism is similar in all features. The carton blank comprises groups of apertures A for holding the bottom portions of the articles, wherein the centers of these apertures are on a given line. These openings for holding the bottom of the articles are intended to accommodate, for example, the lower parts of the bottles, thereby improving the stability of the bottles in the assembled carton. All of the openings for holding the bottom portions of the articles are in part delimited by folding, reinforcing flaps 6, which by folding these openings create and correlate with adjacent portions of the side wall and the base panel of the treated cardboard blank.

In FIG. 11 shows one separate bender of the three groups wherein, as can be seen, both the first finger 14 and the second finger 16 are in the fully open position in which they protrude from the cutout 40 in the disc 36. Each rotating bender includes an elongated rod 26. which enters the radial path ZS. formed in the intermediate disc 36 to allow counter-movement. The radially outer end of the rod 26 carries an end plate 24 in which an egg-shaped transverse bore 22 is formed. The pivoting fingers 14 and 16 have respective upper guide pins 18 and 20 which are slidably received in the bore ZZ, and both these pivoting fingers 14 and 16 have also the lower guide pin 52, which, in the case of both said pivoting fingers, is located in the holes 50 formed in the protruding part of the disc ZS. The above-mentioned components are shown in FIG. 12-14. In the plan view shown in FIG. 13, it can be seen that the center of the pin 20 is displaced compared to the positioning of the center of the pin 52 so as to achieve the spreading movement of the fingers 14 and 16 during radial movement of the rod 26. The angle Δ, preferably 45 °, is delimited by a line connecting the centers of the pins 20 and 52 and the line R. which is parallel to the radial edge Z of the finger 16 which touches the finger 14.

The cam follower, which in this case is the cam assembly 30, is dependent upon the lower face of the rod 26 between its ends and the rollers on the cam track 32 formed on the cam plate 34. The pivoting fingers 14 and 16 are actuated by operation of the return rod 26. that moves radially back and forth on a radial path SS ^w due to the radial movement of the cam follower 30 on the cam track of the cam track 32 ZZ- by the scheme shown in Figures and 10, and in this respect, as illustrated the operation of the fingers 14 and 16 in relation to the this cam track 32, the representation of which is shown in FIG. same. Obviously, the pivoting fingers open to the maximum extent (as shown in Figure 11) when the return rod 26 is in its radially most extended position, with the cam follower 30 following the most eccentric section of the cam track 32. ·

Fig. 11, however, is merely a schematic representation and it is apparent that the protruding portion 13 of the upper disc 33 has a radial groove (not shown) in the lower edge surface to accommodate the faceplate 22, allowing the faceplate 24 to move radially.

Referring again to FIG. 1 to 10, it can be seen that the disk assembly 36 is fed in a clockwise direction so that the first folder 12 contacts the cardboard blank and enters the opening A, thereby deflecting the flaps 1, f? from a common plane of the side panel of the blank. In FIG. 1 it can be seen that the deflector 12, while rotating, touches the side of the carton blank, while in FIG. 2 causes the inlet 12 of the deflector 12 to continue to rotate to maintain the bottom of the packaging article.

In FIG. 3, the deflector is in a position in which it has almost completely entered the opening A, thereby substantially opening the flaps 1, 12 but not more than 90 ° relative to the side panel of the blank. This is a state of follow-up of the sequence of actions, including that shown in FIG. 5. It should be emphasized that the pivoting fingers of the deflector 12 remain closed even when they enter the blank.

In FIG. 6, the pivoting fingers 14 and 16 begin to swivel away from each other by pivoting, thereby increasingly folding the flaps 11a, 1a.

In FIG. 7 it can be seen that the flaps 11 'have been folded by more than 90 ° relative to the respective side wall of the carton and begin to be folded toward adjacent portions of the side wall of the carton. 12 * The second to fold the mon ey already starts to enter the hole and the next ^1> having flaps £ 3, £ 4th

In FIG. 8, the cam follower 30 follows the radially furthest section of the cam track 34, and as a result the return rod 26 extends the front plate 24 to the radially furthest position. This achieves the maximum swinging opening of the swinging fingers 14 * 6. as a result of the operation of the plate 24 on the guide pins 18 and 20 located in the groove 22.

In FIG. 9, it can be seen that the cam follower 30 has already passed over the radially outermost portion of the cam track 32 and that the rod 26 is disposed. As a result, the swinging fingers 14 and 16 also start to close back together.

In FIG. 10, the pivoting fingers 14 and 16 are already clamped so that they can be pulled out of the holes.

That is, when the fingers are pivoted outwardly in the maximum outward direction, they move away from each other and thereby fold the flaps to hold the bottom portions of the coated articles from the apertures in a controlled manner, and that when the fingers return back to the minimum radial position they close.

Starting from the schematic representation shown in FIG. 1 to 10, it will be appreciated that during the operation described, the pivoting fingers operate near the bottom portions of the bottles Bi 1, 2. These bottom portions of the bottles are then secured to the respective openings as the side panels of the carton are moved inwards. This is due to the folding of the base panels of the carton into an overlapping relationship which has the effect of totally pulling the carton around a group of bottles. In this specific example, all four consecutive openings are opened before the composition of the entire package containing the plurality of bottles is made.

In the drawings, it is evident that the swivel fingers 14, 16 of the benders have a curved outer shape so that the entrance to the opening A is more efficient and that the folding of the flaps £ 1, 2 can be progressively performed.

Industrial usability

It will be appreciated that the opening mechanism 10 of the present invention can be readily adapted to operate in such a manner with cartons having a different shape than the examples described herein. Such changes to the carton design / simply require the previously used disc assembly to be replaced and replaced by another suitable disc assembly whose diameter, design and number of swiveling fingers and the peripheral speed of the assembly are in accordance with the repair requirements of the type carton to be processed in the packaging machine. This is in contrast to the more strenuous requirements for replacing the prior art mechanisms, the number and location of the pivoting fingers often requiring individual adjustment directly on the orbiting chain assembly.

Claims (11)

FIXED PATENT CLAIMS A mechanism for use in a packaging machine for packaging products comprising a preform having a pair of walls joined together on a fold line and having a pair of flaps for holding the articles and reinforcing on both sides of said folding line, wherein said the flaps define an aperture in said blank, wherein said machine simultaneously displaces the blank and associated flaps along a predetermined path, said mechanism being adapted to fold said pair of flaps into said blank, comprising: a rotating disc defining an axis of rotation; drive means for rotating said rotating disc about said axis in synchronization with the sliding movement of said blank and said articles; a pair of fingers entering into direct contact with the workpiece, wherein the design of the pair of fingers located on said rotating disc allows the said fingers to fluently enter forwardly into said aperture and fold said flaps and then return back from said aperture, said fingers being pivotable attached to said disc so that they can pivotally rotate apart and towards each other; and control means for controlling the pivoting movement of said fingers apart during a continuous forward movement and towards each other during the reciprocating movement of said fingers. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein said actuating means comprises a radial member disposed on said disc and moving radially relative to said axis, control means for controlling the radial movement of said radial component during rotation of said disc, and transmission means for transmitting. radial movement of said radial member for pivoting movement of said fingers. 3. The mechanism of claim 2, wherein said transmission means comprises a face plate mounted on said radial components and interconnected with said fingers such that the fingers swivel outwardly during movement of said radial component outwardly. and approach each other as said radial member moves inwardly of said disc. The mechanism of claim 3, wherein said control means comprises an endless roller follower which is coupled to said radial component and which follows said cam track, thereby controlling the radial movement of said radial component during rotation of said disc. product opening in sliding 5. A machine for packaging articles in a full-container carrier comprising a preform having a pair of walls joined together on a fold line and having a pair of holding and reinforcing flaps on both sides of said folding line, said flaps defining said preforms wherein said machine comprises means for co-moving the workpiece and associated articles along a predetermined path and a folding mechanism disposed on said path to fold said flaps within said workpiece, wherein said folding mechanism comprises: a rotating disc defining an axis of rotation; drive means for rotating said rotatable disc about said axis in synchronization with the sliding movement of said blank and of said products moved by said sliding means; a pair of fingers entering into direct contact with the workpiece, wherein the design of the pair of fingers located on said rotating disk allows for smooth entry of said fingertips forward into said aperture and bending said flaps and subsequently returning from said aperture; attached to said disc so that they can pivotally rotate apart and towards each other; and control means for controlling the pivoting movement of said fingers apart during a continuous forward movement and towards each other during the reciprocating movement of said fingers. 6. The machine of claim 5, wherein said actuating means comprises a radial member disposed on said disk and moving radially relative to the axis, control means for controlling the radial movement of said radial member during rotation of said disk, and transmission means for transmitting. radial movement of said radial member for pivoting movement of said fingers. 7. The machine of claim 6, wherein said transmission means comprises a face plate mounted on said radial member and communicating with said fingers such that the fingers swivel outwardly during movement of said radial member outwardly. moving towards each other as they move the title appointed radial roll. components direction to the axis indicated The machine of claim 4, wherein each of said fingers has a guide pin that is located outside the center of the pivotal pivoting movement, and said faceplate has a transverse opening in which said guide pins of said fingers are moved. The machine of claim 7, wherein said control means comprises an endless cam track disposed about said axis and a cam follower coupled to said radial component and which follows said cam track, thereby controlling the radial movement of said radial component. while rotating said disc. The machine of claim 9, wherein said cam track is shaped such that said radial member moves radially outwardly during the continuous spreading movement of said fingers and moves radially inwardly during the reciprocating movement of said fingers. The machine of claim 5, wherein a plurality of pairs of said fingers are disposed on the periphery of said disc.