WO2009103559A1

WO2009103559A1 - Device for inserting products into packaging containers

Info

Publication number: WO2009103559A1
Application number: PCT/EP2009/001247
Authority: WO
Inventors: Thomas Behringer
Original assignee: Iwk Verpackungstechnik Gmbh
Priority date: 2008-02-23
Filing date: 2009-02-20
Publication date: 2009-08-27
Also published as: WO2009103559A8; EP2250092A1; US20100307107A1; DE102008010896A1

Abstract

A device for inserting products into packaging containers in a packaging machine has a first continuously driven conveyor device, on which the products can be transported, and a second continuously driven conveyor device, on which the packaging containers can be transported. An insertion device is provided, which has a revolving insertion conveyor device and by which the products can be inserted into the packaging containers in the insertion direction. A pre-insertion unit has a cover device, which can be moved in the insertion direction, and which rests on the products during the insertion movement. The pre-insertion unit has a carriage, which can be moved back and forth using a first drive device along a first linear guide which runs in the movement direction of the first conveyor device. A second linear guide, which runs in the insertion direction and along which the cover device can be moved back and forth using a second drive device, is implemented on the carriage.

Description

Device for inserting products in packaging containers

The invention relates to a device for inserting products into packaging containers in a packaging machine, comprising a first continuously driven conveying device, on which the products can be transported, a second continuously driven conveying device, on which the packaging containers are transportable, an insertion device, the has a circumferential slide-conveying device and by means of which the products in the insertion direction in the packaging containers are inserted, and a pre-insertion device which has a movable in the insertion direction covering device which rests on the products during the insertion movement.

A device of said structure is known from DE-A-198 48 452 and is generally used in continuous packaging machines, which are formed with a first continuously driven conveyor, for example in the form of a product chain on the products such as tubes, bottles or also stacks of

Be promoted blister pack strips. Parallel to the pro- Duct chain are transported in the main conveying direction packaging containers such as cartons on a second continuously driven conveyor, for example in the form of a carton chain. The two conveyor devices are synchronized in a transfer area with respect to their movements so that the products can optionally be inserted together with a brochure by means of a slide-in device from the product chain into the packaging containers positioned on the folding carton chain. The insertion device comprises several insertion tappets, which are also moved in the main conveying direction and thus parallel to the product chain by means of an endlessly circulating insertion conveyor, for example in the form of a chain conveyor, and for inserting the products an insertion movement perpendicular to their

Perform main conveying direction, which is controlled by corresponding cam tracks.

When inserting a stack of products, for example blister pack strips, it is necessary to stabilize the stack before insertion by placing a covering tongue on the stack and compressing the stack by a small amount. For this purpose, a so-called pre-insertion device is provided which has a covering device which can be moved in the direction of insertion. The cover device comprises a plurality of cover tongues which are attached to a further endlessly circulating conveyor. Each cover tongue is controlled in its movement to move in a raised orientation over the stack of blister pack strips and then deposited thereon. The Abdeckzunge then performs together with the insertion plunger matched insertion movement, the cover tongue as long as in contact with the stack of Blister pack strip remains until it is received in the packaging container.

Since the pre-insertion device must be arranged in the insertion area above the insertion device, the conveyor of the pre-insertion device surrounds the conveying device of the insertion device. As a result, the insertion device and the pre-insertion device require a very large installation space both in length and in width. In addition, the further disadvantage is that the insertion device and the Voreinschubvorrichtung are structurally coordinated so that retrofitting the Voreinschubs only by replacing the entire insertion station, including the insertion device is possible.

From EP-A-1 389 166 a device for inserting products in a packaging machine is known in which both the insertion device and the Voreinschubein- direction are not driven endlessly circulating, but each driven to oscillate with a servo motor. This structure is structurally complex and expensive, which leads to significant cost increases, especially in a packaging machine with relatively low power.

The invention has for its object to provide a device of the type mentioned above, which requires only a small space and allows retrofitting of Voreinschubeinrichtung.

This object is achieved by a device having the features of claim 1. It is provided that the pre-insertion device a slide on 1, which can be moved back and forth along a first linear guide running in the direction of movement of the first conveying device, and that a second linear guide running in the direction of insertion is formed on the carriage, along which the covering device by means of a second linear guide Drive device is movable back and forth.

According to the invention, the insertion device is further formed by an endlessly circulating slide-in conveying device, which has a multiplicity of insertion tappets which are displaced via a cam control in the direction of insertion. Such an embodiment has the advantage that relatively low accelerations act on the products to be inserted, as a result of which, in particular with blister pack stacks, the risk of the stacks shifting or falling over is reduced.

According to the invention, the basic idea is to replace the hitherto used endless pre-insertion conveyor by a slide which is moved back and forth in a direction parallel to the movement device of the first conveyor of the products. Within the carriage, the cover device is arranged, which in turn is moved in the insertion direction back and forth. In this way, a so-called XY table or a cross slide is formed, which requires only a small amount of space and can be replaced or retrofitted at any time in case of need. Although relatively high acceleration forces occur on a corresponding slide, since rapid changes of direction take place at very short intervals, these do not affect the product and, in particular, the build-up of a product stack, since in the course of time lent section in which the cover acts on the product or the product stack, a motion synchronization has already occurred.

In the packaging machine according to the invention a continuously rotating driven insertion device is combined with an oscillating driven pre-insertion device. This combination of different types of drive for on the one hand the insertion device and on the other hand, the pre-insertion device has several advantages:

Due to the continuously circulating driven insertion device, a gentle insertion of the products is possible with a simultaneously compact design.

Not all packaging machines require a pre-insertion device. The inventive combination of different drive types, it is possible to set up the Voreinschub- device when needed as a prefabricated module on the slide-in device.

Due to the omission of servomotors in the insertion device, this has a cheap, structurally simple and functionally reliable construction and the combination of different types of drive for the insertion device and the Voreinschubeinrichtung makes it possible to achieve a compact design, so that the packaging machine requires less space.

The covering device preferably has at least one pre-insertion carriage, which is movable along the second linear guide. It is provided, the cover preferably not rigidly connected to the pre-insertion carriage, but to switch a releasable coupling therebetween. If it has been recognized within the packaging machine that a product insert should be omitted because, for example, no product and / or packaging is present, a triggering device can release the coupling so that movement of the pre-insertion carriage takes place, but this does not lead to movement of the covering device ,

Furthermore, it may happen that due to an unwanted operating state, the cover device encounters an obstacle in their movement or is blocked in any other way. In order to avoid the occurrence of excessive forces and damage to the cover in this case, may be provided in a further development of the invention that the clutch additionally comprises a locking device which disengages when exposed to excessive driving force and thus releases the connection.

The covering device can be lowered in a known manner perpendicular to the direction of movement of the first conveying device and perpendicular to the direction of insertion onto the product and can be lifted off from it.

The first conveyor usually carries on its upper side a plurality of cell walls, wherein between adjacent cell walls in each case a cell for receiving at least one product or a product stack is formed. During the insertion movement, the covering device rests on the product or the product stack and thus at least partially plunges into the cell. To return the carriage to its original position along the 1st linear guide To retract, the cover must be completely withdrawn from the cell. This is achieved in a preferred embodiment of the invention in that the cover is lifted above the cell walls and above the cell walls along the 1st linear guide can be moved. In this case, the cover is thus not initially withdrawn against the insertion direction of the cell and then moved with the carriage to its original position, but the cover is raised only from the cell, which means a significantly reduced adjustment and thus faster than the retraction opposite the insertion direction. As soon as the covering device is arranged above the upper edge of the cell walls, the carriage can return to its starting position counter to the main conveying direction, the covering device being retracted during the return movement of the carriage in the direction opposite to the insertion direction.

Since very large accelerations and very rapid changes of direction are necessary for the movement of the carriage along the first linear guide and for the movement of the feed carriage along the second linear guide, it is advantageous to use a servomotor as the drive devices.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the covering device has a plurality and in particular two covering tongues which can each be deposited on a product. The two cover tongues are inserted with the associated products in synchronized movement in groups or in pairs in the packaging containers, whereby a high performance can be achieved. Further details and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment with reference to the drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1 is a perspective schematic view of the device according to the invention

2 is a plan view of the device according to Figure 1 in a starting position,

3 shows the device according to FIG. 2 after placing the covering device, FIG.

4 shows the device according to FIG. 3 during the insertion of the product,

Fig. 5 shows the device according to Figure 4 when retracting the cover and

6 shows the device according to FIG. 5 when returning to the starting position according to FIG. 2.

An apparatus 10, shown in FIG. 1, for inserting products P into packaging containers FS of a packaging machine has a first continuously driven conveying device 11, on which a plurality of spaced-apart cell walls 13 are mounted. Between two adjacent cell walls 13, a cell 14 is formed in each case, in which one of the products P is inserted. In particular, the product P may be a stack of blister strips or packages which must be stabilized during insertion. The first conveyor 11 is moved in the main conveying direction H, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 1.

Parallel to the first conveyor 11 runs a second continuously driven conveyor 12, on which a plurality of packaging containers FS are fed in the form of successively arranged folding boxes. The packaging containers FS are open at the side and ready to receive the product P and arranged in a distance corresponding to the distance of the products P on the first conveyor 11. The first conveying device 11 and the second conveying device 12 are moved continuously and synchronously, so that the products P and the packaging containers FS perform no relative movement at least during the insertion process. Brochures Z, for example so-called leaflets, are arranged between the products P and the packaging containers FS, which are taken along by the product when it is inserted and introduced into the packaging container FS.

On the second conveyor 12 facing away, according to Figure 1 front side of the first conveyor 11, a slide-in device 15 is arranged, which has an only schematically illustrated endless circulating slide-conveyor 19, which is moved parallel to the main conveying direction H. Arranged transversely to this direction of movement are a multiplicity of tappets 18, which each carry a push plate 16 at their free end facing the first conveying device 11 or the products P, respectively. The drawer conveyor 19 are associated with cams 17 (see Figure 2), by means of which the plunger 18 is laterally ejected in predetermined portions of the movement and with the pusher plate 16 are brought into contact with the assigned product P. Upon further movement, the product P is pushed out of the cell 14 of the first conveyor 11 into the adjoining, associated packaging container FS, taking the brochure Z with it.

Above the insertion device 15, a pre-insertion device 20 is arranged. The pre-insertion device 20 comprises a substantially horizontally oriented support plate 31, on which a parallel to the main conveying direction H extending rail 32 is mounted, which forms a first linear guide 22. Along the first linear guide 22, a carriage 21 is linearly displaceable, which is driven by means of a first drive device 23 in the form of a servo motor. The carriage 21 has a frame shape with two spaced in the main conveying direction H, transverse to this aligned cross members 33, on each of which a second linear guide 27 is formed, which is transverse to the main conveying direction H and parallel to the insertion direction of the plunger 18 of the insertion device 14. On each second linear guide 27, a feed slide 29 is mounted longitudinally displaceable, which is connected via a coupling 30 with a cover 24. The cover device 24 in each case comprises a rod-shaped tongue holder 25, which extends in the insertion direction and carries a plate-shaped covering tongue 26 on its underside at the front end facing the first conveying device 11. In the illustrated embodiment, the products P are inserted in pairs, which is why two tongue holder 25 and two cover tongues 26 are provided.

Each feed carriage 29, together with the associated tongue holder 25 and the covering tongue attached thereto, tongue 26 are reciprocated by means of a second drive device 28 in the form of a servomotor along the second linear guide 27, ie enter the respective adjacent cell 14 of the first conveyor 11 and are withdrawn from it.

In addition, the covering device 24 can be lowered perpendicular to the main conveying direction H and perpendicular to the direction of insertion onto the product P and lifted off from the latter, which is preferably effected by means of a control cam.

In the following, an insertion cycle will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6. In the position according to FIG. 2, the carriage 21 is in a position which is relatively far in the opposite direction to the main conveying direction H. The plug-in plates 16 of the two plungers 18 abut each one of the associated products P in the cells 14. The covering tongues 26 of the covering device 24 rest respectively on the top side of the associated product P or are located just above the product P. The movement of the carriage 21 in the main conveying direction H along the first linear guide 22 becomes with the movement of the products P and the packaging containers FS or the movement of the first conveyor 11 and the second conveyor 12 synchronized, so that for a short period between the 1st conveyor 11, the second conveyor 12 and the carriage 21, no relative movement takes place, as can be seen from the illustrations in Figures 3, 4 and 5 results.

While the carriage 21 is moved along the first linear guide 22, the plunger 18 of the insertion device 15 are laterally ejected via the control cam 17, whereby two Products P are moved from their respective cell 14 simultaneously in the direction of the associated packaging container FS. At the same time, the covering tongues 26 resting on the respective product P are moved in the insertion direction synchronously with the tappets 18, by moving the pre-insertion slides 29 along the second linear guide 27. The front, the packaging containers FS facing edge of the cover tongues 26 comes simultaneously or preferably just before the associated product P with the front of the opening of the packaging container FS arranged Prospekt Z in Appendix. This state is shown in FIG. Subsequently, the two products are inserted into the respective packaging container FS, taking the brochure Z in each case, with the covers 26 also dipping with their front end into the respective packaging container FS. This condition is shown in FIG

4 shown.

If the product P has at least partially entered the packaging ratio FS, it is stabilized by the further movement by this. The covering device 24 is no longer necessary for the further insertion process, which is why the covering tongues 26 are retracted again, while at the same time the plungers 18 of the insertion device 15 continue the insertion of the products P, wherein the cover tongues 26 still within the cells 14 of the first conveyor 11th are located. This condition is shown in FIG

5 is shown.

When retracting the covering devices 24, they are lifted out of the cells 14 perpendicular to the main conveying direction H and perpendicular to the direction of insertion, ie upwards, until they are above the upper edge of the cell walls 13. are ordered. As soon as this state is reached, the carriage can again move along the 1st linear conveyor 22 into its retracted initial position, wherein the covering tongues 26 are arranged above the cell walls 13, as shown in FIG. After the carriage 21 has reached its retracted starting position according to FIG. 2, it is again moved in the opposite direction, its movement being synchronized with the movements of the first and second conveying devices 11, 12. Following this, the cycle explained above will run again.

Claims

claims

1. Device for inserting products (P) into packaging containers (FS) in a packaging machine, having a first continuously driven conveying device (11) on which the products (P) can be transported, a second continuously driven conveying device (12 ), on which the packaging containers (FS) can be transported, an insertion device (15), which has a peripheral insertion conveyor (19) and by means of which the products (P) in the insertion direction in the packaging containers (FS) can be inserted, and a pre-insertion device (20), which has a covering device (24) which can be moved in the insertion direction and rests on the products (P) during the insertion movement, characterized in that the pre-insertion device (20) has a carriage (21) which is moved by means of a first drive device (1). 23) along a in the direction of movement of the first conveyor (11) extending first linear guide (22) is movable back and forth, un d that on the carriage (21) extending in the direction of insertion second linear guide (27) is formed, along which the cover device (24) by means of a second drive device (28) is movable back and forth.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the covering device (24) has at least one feed slide (29) which is movable along the second linear guide (27), and in that the covering device (24) is connected via a releasable coupling (24). 30) is connected to the push-in carriage (29).

3. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that the coupling (30) has a latching device which disengages upon exposure to an excessive driving force.

4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the covering device (24) perpendicular to the direction of movement of the first conveyor (11) and perpendicular to the insertion direction on the product (P) can be lowered and lifted from this.

5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that the first conveying device (11) carries on its upper side a plurality of cell walls (13), wherein between adjacent cell walls (13) each have a cell (14) for

Receiving at least one product (P) is formed, and that the covering device (24) to above the cell walls (13) can be raised and above the cell walls (13) along the first linear guide (22) is movable.

6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the drive devices (23, 28) Servo motors are.

Device according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the covering device (24) has a plurality of covering tongues (26) which can each be deposited on a product (P) and in synchronized movement with the products (P) into the packaging containers (FS). are insertable.