Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B5/00—Packaging individual articles in containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, jars
  • B65B5/10—Filling containers or receptacles progressively or in stages by introducing successive articles, or layers of articles
  • B65B5/106—Filling containers or receptacles progressively or in stages by introducing successive articles, or layers of articles by pushers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B35/00—Supplying, feeding, arranging or orientating articles to be packaged
  • B65B35/30—Arranging and feeding articles in groups
  • B65B35/44—Arranging and feeding articles in groups by endless belts or chains
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B5/00—Packaging individual articles in containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, jars
  • B65B5/06—Packaging groups of articles, the groups being treated as single articles
  • B65B5/061—Filled bags
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H29/00—Delivering or advancing articles from machines; Advancing articles to or into piles
  • B65H29/66—Advancing articles in overlapping streams
  • B65H29/6609—Advancing articles in overlapping streams forming an overlapping stream
  • B65H29/6618—Advancing articles in overlapping streams forming an overlapping stream upon transfer from a first conveyor to a second conveyor advancing at slower speed
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H31/00—Pile receivers
  • B65H31/30—Arrangements for removing completed piles
  • B65H31/3081—Arrangements for removing completed piles by acting on edge of the pile for moving it along a surface, e.g. by pushing
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H33/00—Forming counted batches in delivery pile or stream of articles
  • B65H33/12—Forming counted batches in delivery pile or stream of articles by creating gaps in the stream
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
  • B65H2301/40—Type of handling process
  • B65H2301/42—Piling, depiling, handling piles
  • B65H2301/421—Forming a pile
  • B65H2301/4214—Forming a pile of articles on edge
  • B65H2301/42144—Forming a pile of articles on edge by erecting articles from horizontal transport flushing with the supporting surface of the pile
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
  • B65H2301/40—Type of handling process
  • B65H2301/42—Piling, depiling, handling piles
  • B65H2301/422—Handling piles, sets or stacks of articles
  • B65H2301/4225—Handling piles, sets or stacks of articles in or on special supports
  • B65H2301/42254—Boxes; Cassettes; Containers
  • B65H2301/422548—Boxes; Cassettes; Containers filling or loading process
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
  • B65H2301/40—Type of handling process
  • B65H2301/42—Piling, depiling, handling piles
  • B65H2301/422—Handling piles, sets or stacks of articles
  • B65H2301/4226—Delivering, advancing piles
  • B65H2301/42266—Delivering, advancing piles by acting on edge of the pile for moving it along a surface, e.g. pushing
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
  • B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
  • B65H2301/40—Type of handling process
  • B65H2301/44—Moving, forwarding, guiding material
  • B65H2301/445—Moving, forwarding, guiding material stream of articles separated from each other
  • B65H2301/4454—Merging two or more streams

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a system for packing products, such as various packets or bags into containers, such as trays, cartons or RSC-cases.
• products such as various packets or bags into containers, such as trays, cartons or RSC-cases.
• Such systems are widely used in the food industry, for packing packets of chocolate, dairy products, crisps or other snack products, but may be used in general for packing all sorts of products.
• Packing systems exists in many different forms; each manufacturer promoting a particular concept.
• the present applicant has for several years manufactured and marketed the TP4500 series of packing machines in which the products to be packed are received from a filling station and delivered lying flat on a conveyor belt.
• the products are fed to a cross feed unit, which basically is a belt dropping the packets onto a table.
• a cross feed belt which basically transfer the bags 90 degrees sideways. After one cycle, there will be lying a row of products on said table. Then, the row of products are transferred into the receiving container with a pushing mechanism, whereupon the cycle repeats itself until the container is filled.
• said system includes: a shingling unit in which the products are collated with a shingling degree determined by a collated pattern, each product overlapping the previous product to form a product group, a transfer unit bringing the collected product group into a container filling system, bringing the product group sideways, a container filling system bringing the product group into the container in a controlled manner, a container handling unit including means for receiving and holding an upright empty container, means for tilting the empty container 90 degrees into the container filling system and tilting the full container back into an upright position, and delivering the full container on an outfeed conveyor, a controller unit adapted to control the operation of said shingling unit, transfer unit, container filling system and container handling unit, wherein the operational speed of each unit is controlled in proportion to the flow of products through each of said units and system.
• Fig. 1 shows an overview of the inventive system
• Fig. 2 shows details in a shingling unit and transfer units incorporated in said system
• Fig. 3 shows the container filling system
• Fig. 4 shows a system handling containers
• Fig. 5 is a simplified circuit diagram
• Fig. 6 shows a product merger that may be included in the inventive system.
• FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the inventive packing system receiving products to be packet in two product streams from respective filling stations (this part of the production setup is not shown in the figure).
• the products may be filled in various packets, such as pillowed bags, and are fed into the system lying flat (horizontal).
• the product streams are fed to the upper and lower decks of a product merger 13.
• a shingling unit 14 for collation of a predefined number of products with a various shingling degree (calculated)
• a transfer unit 15 for sideways transferring of a shingled row of products
• a container filling unit 16 for means of filling a predefined number of rows (shingled group of products) into a container row by row
• a container handling unit 17 for supplying containers to be filled with products
• an outlet conveyor belt 18 on which the filled containers are delivered.
• the operation of the packing system is controlled by a controller unit 19.
• the system operates as follows:
• Products are fed horizontal into the system one by one in one or more rows
• the inventive system can handle both a single infeed stream and a double infeed stream of products, or in fact a larger number of streams; the number being governed by the capacities of the respective filling stations and packing system.
• the rows are merged into a single product stream in the product merger 13 by putting one product from row 2 in between two products from row 1.
• a product group is formed by shingling a number of products. Each product is transferred 90 degree by a calculated length (shingling length).
• the product group is transferred onto the container filling system.
• the container filling system brings the product group into the container, using a pusher and a compressing plate for a repeatable and controlled filling degree.
• the product merger (fig 6) is merging two independent product streams to a single product stream with the speed of two times the individual product streams.
• the merger is a continuous motion system, regulating the two product streams to create the necessary distance between products, according to product size and speed (in products per minute).
• the product merger includes two upper deck conveyor belts 61, 62 receiving products from a first filling station, and a lower deck conveyor belt 63 receiving products from a second filling station.
• the belts are each driven by a asynchronous drive 64, 65, 66.
• the speed of each drive is controlled by the controller unit 19.
• At the entrance of each deck there is a detector unit detecting when a product is arriving at the merger from each filling station.
• the merger will adjust the speed of each belt in such a way that products from one stream are dropped in between products from the other stream, and thus merging the streams into one common stream.
• the detectors are used in a feedback loop to establish an even output stream of products.
• Many packing systems include control stations checking the products delivered from the filling stations. Substandard products, such as the product bag being empty, leaky or overfilled, are removed leaving a hole in the stream. Thus, the streams from each filling station will not be as even as desirable. However, such holes will be detected, whereupon the conveyor speed in the other stream is retarded correspondingly. Said in other words, the merging process is controlled by detecting the actual presence (and position) of the products. In opposition to this, strictly time governed systems could not have handled such uneven streams of products.
• the shingling unit (fig 2), also referred as the patternbuilder, is a unit which transfer each product coming in a row, 90 degrees by a calculated length to obtain the shingling degree.
• the shingling unit is essentially a conveyor belt 21 arranged 90 degree on the arriving stream of products, the products arriving on the left hand conveyor belt.
• the shingling unit, together with the transfer unit, is controlled by three asynchronous motors connected to frequency converters and encoders.
• the speed of the shingling unit is calculated from the product flow entering the machine (calculated in the controller unit 19).
• a high friction conveyor such as a vacuum conveyor, the number of products per row can fluctuate.
• Vacuum conveyors include a vacuum chamber underlying the belt; the belt being perforated.
• the shingling unit may deliver groups of products with variable number of products. For example, if the containers have reinforced corners, which mean that they are octagonal internally, the shingling unit should deliver product groups with a reduced number of products in the first and last row, such as a series of groups with, say 5, 6, 6, 6, 6 and 5 products.
• the shingling unit also includes detectors, e.g. an optical detector at the entrance detecting arriving products.
• detectors e.g. an optical detector at the entrance detecting arriving products.
• the operation of the shingling unit is controlled by the controller unit 19.
• the transfer unit (Fig. 2) is two conveyor belts 22, 23 transferring the collated row of products into the container filling system (Fig 3).
• the conveyor speed is calculated from the pattern and product size, and controlled by the controller unit 19.
• the container filling system shown in Fig. 3 transfers the collated row from the transfer unit and into the container, row by row.
• the container filling system includes a pushing plate 32 and a transfer plate 34.
• the pushing plate 32 may be mounted on a linear motor, or another suitable drive mechanism.
• the transfer plate 34 is operated by a drive mechanism 35 acting on a platform whereupon is mounted said pushing plate 32 and its drive mechanism. This setup allows the pushing plate to operate independently of the transfer plate.
• indexing the container is meant running the container up and down vertically by means of the equipment shown in fig 4. This will compact the stack of products lying in the container.
• the transfer plate 34 is actually a two part unit permitting its width to be easily regulated.
• a container handling unit including two rails 41, 42 running vertically behind the filling system.
• a container clamping mechanism holding the container with two vacuum pads 43, 44.
• the container clamping mechanism also includes a tilting mechanism 45 allowing empty containers received in an upright position to be turned 90 degrees sideway with the opening facing the pushing plate 32.
• the tilting mechanism 45 tilts the container back to the upright position, whereupon the container is lowered to an outlet conveyor belt and released from the vacuum pads 43, 44.
• a drive 46 moves the container clamping mechanism along the rails while allowing the container clamping mechanism to be indexed, i.e. to be positioned accurately along the rails 43, 44.
• a person skilled in the art will realize that several of the conveyor belts used in the inventive system may be replaced with other means with similar properties, such as rollers.
• each component in the system may operate at a variable speed.
• the variable speed is obtained by use of asynchronous AC motors driven by variable frequency converters in the controller unit 19.
• the controller unit 19 includes a number of frequency converters, one for each synchronous drive in the system, which are controlled by a main controller.
• AC motors and frequency converters instead of said AC motors and frequency converters, other solutions could be used to obtain variable speed drives, as is well known to the person skilled in the art.
• Each unit/component in the system includes at least one sensor in order to determine the flow of products through the unit.
• the main controller will receive feedback signals from the various sensors and control the speed of the belts to obtain an even flow of products into the containers, i.e.
• each unit is controlled in proportion to the flow of products through each unit in order to avoid congestion in any unit. It also includes a number of actuators controlling servo drives and pneumatic cylinders in the container filling system, i.e. for holding and turning the containers, run the pushing mechanism and the transfer plate out and in, control the indexing, etc at a variable timing.
• the controller unit 19 is an essential part of the invention as it allows the system to adopt itself to the actual position and size of the products.
• the controller unit has a menu driven interface that allows the system to be quickly reprogrammed to handle products or containers of different sizes.
• Fig. 5 is a simplified circuit diagram showing the control unit 19 with some of its connected units, here infeed product detector 50, merger 1 product detector 51, merger 2 product detector 52, product merger conveyor 1 54, product merger conveyor 2 55, product merger conveyor 3 56, product merger conveyor 4 57, shingling conveyor 1 58, transfer unit conveyor belt 1 58, transfer unit conveyor belt 2 59, container filling system pushing plate 510, container filling system transfer plate 511 and container filling system indexing table 512.
• the plant is a highly effective reliable packing system for a big various number of products. This means that every product type fed horizontal, which should be collated in a row of various numbers, with or without a shingling degree, and packed vertically in a container, is suitable for the plant.

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• 2009
  • 2009-01-02 NO NO20090003A patent/NO330399B1/no not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2010
  • 2010-01-04 EP EP10701043A patent/EP2391547B1/de not_active Not-in-force
  • 2010-01-04 US US13/143,149 patent/US20110302882A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2010-01-04 RU RU2011129414/13A patent/RU2515139C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2010-01-04 WO PCT/NO2010/000001 patent/WO2010077151A1/en active Application Filing

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