WO2013156059A1

WO2013156059A1 - Storage magazine and method for the interim storage of snus bags

Info

Publication number: WO2013156059A1
Application number: PCT/EP2012/057008
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jens BARKEMEYER
Original assignee: Hauni Maschinenbau Ag
Priority date: 2012-04-17
Filing date: 2012-04-17
Publication date: 2013-10-24
Also published as: EP2838800A1; US20150068159A1

Abstract

A storage magazine (1), which is intended and designed for the interim stroage of snus bags between a bag-production apparatus (16) and a transporting means (17), comprises two side walls (2, 3), a rear wall (4) and a front wall (19), and spaced-apart shaft walls (5) running parallel to the side walls (2, 3), wherein the storage magazine (1) has on its side directed towards the transporting means a lower closure element (8) for storing a defined number of snus bags in each shaft (6) and for discharging the defined number of snus bags together to the transporting means (17), and wherein the storage magazine (1) has on the side directed towards the bag-production apparatus an upper closure element (9), which is independent of the lower closure element (8).

Description

Storage magazine and method for caching snus barking

description

The invention relates to a device and a method for packaging snus bags. Snus bags are snus tobacco filled packaging units. Snus tobacco is so-called oral tobacco (or tobacco mixtures), directly or in suitable packaging. e.g. a bag of cellulose or the like, is introduced into the mouth, wherein the term tobacco includes not only exclusively the actual tobacco but also tobacco with additives, flavors or the like. When taking unpackaged snus tobacco this is directly in cans, boxes. Filled combination packaging or similar packaging. The actual consumption-appropriate or consumer portioning is carried out by the consumer himself. However, snus tobacco is also available in pre-portioned barrels. The snus tobacco. in packaged form, namely e.g. must be taken in individual sachets or the like, must be portioned and filled beforehand. The tobacco portions. their weight and size can each vary and is usually in the range of milligrams and grams are separated from a continuously or intermittently supplied tobacco stream by Dosiereinrichlungen and usually packaged by so-called seal bag machines to snus bags. Several of these snus bags are placed in a further machine in a sales package, such as e.g. a box or in particular a can packed.

This packing operation of the snus bags into a sales package is conventionally as follows:

In a snus bag making machine, two bags are produced in parallel and delivered to a belt. This tape goes with each dispensing process by about one bag width, so that each of the next two produced snus bag behind the previously produced two snus bags are placed on the tape. The snus bags are transported to a packaging station where a predetermined number of the bags fall into a sales package such as a can. Due to the arrangement of the manufacturing machine and the conveyor belt on which two bags are always transported side by side, it is only possible, a straight

Pack the number of snus bags in a sales package. If you even wanted to produce more than two bags in parallel, the restrictions on the number of bags per packaging unit would increase even further. Since each of the simultaneously produced number of snus bags next to each other falls onto the conveyor belt, either this number is the smallest unit, the multiple of which can be packed in a sales packaging, or it is an additional device is required, the snus bag regrouped or separates from each other before joining the

Sales packaging are delivered. It was therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and a method which enables a simple packaging of snus bags in a sales package and, in particular, permits the packaging of any number of bags. This object is achieved on the one hand by a storage magazine which is designed and arranged for the intermediate storage of snus bags between a bag-making device and a transport device, comprising two side walls, a rear wall and a front wall, shaft walls running parallel to the side walls, form the at least two shafts in the storage magazine, wherein the storage magazine has on its side facing the transport device a lower closure element for storing a defined number of snus bags in each shaft and for the common delivery of the defined number of snus bags to the transport device, and wherein the storage magazine on the side facing the bag-making device one of the lower

Closing element independent upper closure element. Independent means that the position of the upper closure element does not influence the position of the lower closure element and vice versa the position of the lower closure element. End element has no effect on the position of the upper Verschlusselcmcnts. Both closure elements can be temporarily closed independently of each other.

The bag-making device is, for example, a multi-lane sealed-edge bagging machine in which snus tobacco is filled into bags and sealed in parallel in multiple passes. Such a machine works with gravity; In addition, compressed air can be introduced, and so, after completion of the sealing process, the filled snus bags fall out of a bottom outlet opening of the bag-setting device. Usually all webs are clocked the same, so that the finished snus bags are dispensed simultaneously from the parallel webs.

Below the bag-making device, the storage magazine according to the invention is spaced apart. This expediently has a number of manholes corresponding to the number of production lines. As long as the lower closure element is closed, snus bags are dammed in the shafts of the storage magazine. Once the desired number of snus bags is reached, the bottom closure member is opened and the snus bags fall onto the transport means located below the storage magazine. This can happen because of gravity; Additionally or alternatively, the introduction of compressed air is possible. After delivery of the packaging, the lower closure element is closed again, so that the next packaging can be dammed up to the desired number.

In this way, irrespective of the number of production paths of the bag-making device, a group of snus-bags can be formed or a unit of snus-bags can be put together, which is packed together in a transport packaging. The packaging in a transport packaging is possible in a very simple manner; a subsequent separation of the individual snus bags by means of a

Accelerator tape or similar entlallt.

The storage magazine additionally has an upper closure element. This makes it possible to remove bad or defective snus bags. The upper shutter member is determined on the basis of information of a detection device in FIG the bag-making device controlled. If the detection device detects a snus-bccutel as defective, the top closure element is closed and the corresponding bag does not enter the storage magazine. In this case, the upper closure element can be designed such that each slot of the storage magazine can be closed individually. Accordingly, each lower closure element of the storage magazine can be formed individually lockable. However, it is particularly advantageous if the upper and / or the lower closure element are designed such that all the shafts are designed to be closed together. This represents a particularly simple embodiment, which can be realized without great design effort.

Because of the low design requirements is as a closure element - both upper and lower - a hinged flap particularly well suited. This can be advantageously operated by means of a pneumatic cylinder. Also, a hydraulic cylinder or another drive are possible.

Advantageously, the shafts of the storage magazine can have a constant cross section over their length. It is particularly advantageous if the cross section of each shaft increases in the conveying direction of the snus bag. In such a configuration, the individual snus bags may spread over a larger area at the bottom of the storage magazine. As a result, the height of the stack of pent-up snus bags becomes smaller and less time is required for all the snus bags to leave the storage magazine after opening the lower closure element. In addition, in this design, the bags can not tilt in the shaft, and no bag gets stuck in the shaft.

In order to make the discharge in the case of a defective snus bag particularly einlach, can connect a slide plate in the conveying direction of the snus bag to the upper closure element, which forms a chute together with the upper closure element in its closed state. When a tester provided in the bag manufacturing apparatus detects a bad or defective bag, the upper closure member is closed. This is in this closed position Upper closure element advantageously inclined. The inclination is sufficiently large so that the defective bag does not remain on the closure element, but is discharged immediately. The attached slide plate ensures that the defective bag is forwarded in the desired manner, for example into a collecting container for faulty products.

The object of the present invention is further achieved by an arrangement for the manufacture and packaging of snus bags, comprising a bag making device, a testing device for checking the quality of the produced bags, a storage magazine as described above and a device for packaging the snus bags in one transport packaging. In this case, the device for packaging by the storage magazine in conjunction with the transport device can be realized by namely already on the transport device, the transport packages are provided, which receive the snus bags that fall upon opening of the lower closure element from the storage magazine. These transport packages only need to be closed in a further step.

The object is also achieved by a method for packaging snus bags, in which the snus bags are stored in a storage magazine between a Beutelher- positioning device and a transport device, wherein the storage magazine at least two shafts and a lower closure element and an upper closure element for having the shafts comprising the

repeating sequence of steps: a) closing the lower closure element of the storage magazine;

b) damming a predetermined number of snus bags in each well;

c) opening the lower closure element of the storage magazine when the

predetermined number of snus bags is reached;

d) delivery of the snus bags to the transport device, wherein the snus bags are checked before leaving the bag-making device and the upper closure element is closed when the test device cincn erroneous snus bag recognizes, so that the faulty bag is discharged, after which the upper closure element is opened again.

With this method, it is possible to collect any number of snus bags, regardless of the number of production lines in the Beutelhreinstellvorrichtung in groups or put together in one unit and with a transports! How to dispose of a conveyor belt without having to separate the snus bags at a later time or put them together in other units. In this case, individual sections may be provided on the transport device as a transport stop for receiving the quantity of snus bags delivered by a respective shaft. Preferably, the transport elements are designed as transport packaging, i. The transport packaging already contains the transport packaging, for example cans, which receive the number of snus bags delivered by a respective shaft. This avoids additional transport of the individual snus bags.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, all those snus bags which leave the parallel production lines simultaneously with the defective snus bag and the snus bag production device are ejected together with the defective snus bag. This is a particularly simple procedural solution that requires no complicated individual control of the respective channels or shafts and their closure elements.

Vorteilhalterweise the transport device comprises individual transport elements, and the delivery of the packaging to the transport device is such that the predetermined number of snus bags each shaft is emptied directly into a separate empty transport element of the transport device and the transport device transported the transport elements such that the next time the lower closure element according to step c) each shaft is again an empty transport element assigned. This can be done by the conveyor belt after filling of the individual transport elements in a step moves so far that all filled transport elements leave the area below the storage magazine and empty transport elements are positioned below the storage magazine. Especially suitable In this way, however, the conveyor belt is tuned in a coordinated manner to the bag-making device and moves in smaller individual steps. This opens up greater variability for the further transport or further packaging of the sales packaging, for example in a transport carton.

The time for emptying the storage magazine can be made particularly long, preferably, by opening the lower closure element while the last of a predetermined number of snus bags is still falling through the storage magazine. The last snus bag of the predetermined number thus falls "through", i.e. it is not stored temporarily in the storage magazine but falls directly into the transport element of the conveyor belt located below the storage magazine.

The invention including the method principle is described below by way of example with reference to a preferred embodiment. Here are the described below with reference to the accompanying drawings further features or developments of the invention, each considered individually or in combination with each other preferred embodiment forms of the invention.

In the drawing: shows a perspective view of a storage magazine according to the invention with closed lower and open upper closure element;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the storage magazine of FIG. 1 with the upper and lower closure members opened; FIG.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the storage magazine of FIG. 1 with

closed lower and closed upper closure element; a right side view of the storage magazine in the position shown in Figure 1; Fig. 5 is a right side view of the storage magazine in the position shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a schematic view of an inventive arrangement for the manufacture and packaging of snus bags.

1 shows a storage magazine 1, designed and set up for the temporary storage of snus bags between a bag-making device and a transport device. The storage magazine comprises two side walls, a right side wall 2 and a left side wall 3, and a rear wall 4 and a front wall (not shown in Fig. 1). Scite walls and back wall are made of metal, although other materials such as plastic can be used. The front wall is made of a P 1 ex i glas * disk, whereby another transparent material can be used. This allows a clear view of the interior of the magazine, so that you can tell in time when to clean the magazine or a shaft is clogged.

Parallel to the side walls 2, 3 extend spaced Schachtvvände 5, which form at least two shafts 6 in the storage magazine. The distance of

Shaft walls 5 are essentially the same. The shaft walls each have two projections 7 at their front and rear edges. These serve as an assembly aid to better position the shaft walls. The front and rear wall have corresponding to the projections recesses, which are formed Nuteniormig and in which engage the projections of the shaft walls. In the embodiment shown, the shafts have a substantially equal cross-section over the entire length of the shaft. Alternatively, the cross section of each shaft may increase in a funnel shape in the conveying direction of the snus bag. This can be done in such a way that the front and / or the rear wall are issued downwards so that they have a trapezoidal lateral cross-section. Such an arrangement is particularly desirable when the time for emptying the magazine is insufficient. Due to the enlarged cross section below, the jammed snus bags can be distributed over a larger base area, so that when opening the lower closure element not all bags in succession, but several bags fall out simultaneously.

Magazine receiving sections 11 serve to attach and fix the storage magazine to a snus bag making device or to a stand.

On its side facing the transport device, the storage magazine 1 has a lower closure element 8 designed as a pivotable flap. In the embodiment shown, the lower closure element consists of a metal plate pivotally mounted in the region of the rear wall 4 and having parallel slots such that the plate forms a single closure portion for each of the wells 6, all the closure portions being actuated together, i. be opened or closed at the same time. Alternatively, it is possible that separate closure elements are attached to a pivot axis, so that each slot can be opened or closed individually, or that the individual closure elements are stored separately. Furthermore, the closure element can also be designed in the form of one or more slides, which closes and opens all the shafts together, or which respectively individually close and open a shaft. Other designs of the closure element are possible. The pivotally mounted Metallplattc 8 extends from the rear wall 4 to the front wall obliquely downwards. In this way, the time required to open the shaft by pivoting down the metal plate is shortened. An arrangement of the closure element at right angles to the rear wall in the closed state is possible. Fig. 1 shows the metal plate 8 in its closed, obliquely downwardly inclined position.

On the side facing the bag-making device, the storage magazine 1 has an upper closure element 9 which is independent of the lower closure element 8 and, like the lower closure element, is designed as a pivotable flap. but alternatively may also have the other designs described for the lower closure element. Fig. 1 shows the upper closure element 9 in its open position, in which the metal plate is pivoted vertically downwards. FIG. 2 shows the storage magazine 1 with the lower closure element 8 open and the upper closure element 9 closed. The metal plate 8 is pivoted vertically downwards and releases the lower outlets of the shafts 6. The metal plate 9 is also inclined in its closed position, but sloping from the front wall to the rear wall 4. The inclination ensures that snus bags that are to be discharged, do not remain on the top of the metal plate 9, but rather slide down. At the lower end of the metal plate, a slide plate 10 is mounted, which directs the discharged snus bags from the storage magazine 1 into a defective product receptacle (not shown).

Fig. 3 shows the storage magazine 1 with closed lower closure element 8 and closed upper closure element 9. Both the upper and the lower metal plate are inclined; namely from the rear wall 4 to the front wall upwards in the case of the upper metal plate 9 and from the rear wall 4 to the front wall downwards in the case of the lower metal plate. 8

Fig. 4 is a side view of the storage magazine 1 in the position shown in Fig. 1, i. with closed lower closure element 8. In the embodiment shown, the metal plate is pivoted by means of a pneumatic cylinder 12 via a lever 13. In the closed position shown in Fig. 4, the cylinder piston is in the cylinder 12. Fig. 4 also shows the transparently formed front wall 19th

FIG. 5 shows a side view of the storage magazine in the position shown in FIG. 2, ie with the lower closure element 8 open. The piston has moved out of the cylinder 12 and has moved the lever 13 downwards. The movement of the lever 13 causes the lower metal plate 8 to pivot downwardly and release the lower opening of the magazine. According to the cylinder / lever arrangement 12, 13 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 on the right side of the storage magazine, which actuates the lower closure element, the magazine on the left side has a cylinder / lever arrangement 14, 15 which forms the upper closure element actuated. The method according to the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 6. Above the storage magazine 1 is shown schematically a bag-making device 16 with the individual sealing sections 16a, 16b and 16c. The device shown in FIG. 6 has 14 parallel production paths. At the beginning of a cycle, the lower closure element 8 is closed, the upper closure element 9 is open. From the production lines of the bag-making device, the snus bags of a first cycle fall by gravity through its upper opening into the storage magazine 1. In this case, each production line of the bag-making device is associated with a slot 6 in the magazine. Since the lower closure element 8 is closed, the bags of the first bar in the storage magazine. With the next cycle a bag from each parallel production line falls into the corresponding channel of the storage magazine. In this way, a certain number of snus bags are collected in each slot.

When a predetermined number of snus bags are reached in each slot, the bottom closure member 8 is actuated and the snus bags fall out. They fall on a transport belt 17 located below the storage magazine. The transport belt 17 has individual transport sections. When the lower closure element 8 opens, an empty transport section 18 is assigned to each channel 6 of the storage magazine 1, so that the group formed in the respective channel transports snus bags as a whole but separately from the other groups of snus bags on the conveyor belt becomes. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, individual conveyor belt chambers 18 are formed on the conveyor belt 17. These may be integral components of the conveyor belt or separate transport containers. Alternatively, on the tape already cans or other transport packaging, which are also the sales packaging, be provided so that the snus bag from the

Storage magazine fall directly into the respective cans, in which the bags are later offered for sale. Since any number of snus bags can be collected in each channel, any number of snus bags can be packed in a transport package. In order to make the period of time within which the bags from the magazine fall onto the conveyor belt as long as possible, the lower closure element can already open while the respective snus bags of a last cycle are still falling through the magazine. So they are not stowed in the magazine, but fall directly onto the conveyor belt.

The conveyor belt with the filled sections moves such that the next time the lower closure element is opened under each channel, an empty conveyor belt section is again positioned and ready to receive the next bag group.

The lower closure member is closed in time to ensure that the snus bags of the next first cycle are again collected in the respective slot. The process begins again.

In the bag manufacturing device 16, a detection device (not shown) is provided which inspects the produced bags. When the detection device detects a defective snus bag, the upper shutter of the storage magazine is closed. The faulty bag does not get into the storage magazine but is discharged and via the slide plate, which at the lower end of the upper

Closing flap adjoins, ejected as rejects. Subsequently, the upper shutter is opened again, unless, even in the next clock is detected by the detection device a faulty bag. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, together with the defective bag, all those bags which are parallel to it in the bag-making device are discharged. However, it is also possible that only that shaft of the storage element is closed, which is associated with the channel with the faulty bag. All the remaining bags would fall into their respective channels. In this case, if it is desired that always the same number of snus bags leave the magazine, also the lower closure elements must be controlled separately, since in the channel, the upper closure element was closed for one tact. one bag less at a time than in the other channels, provided that they have been filled regularly.

Claims

claims

A storage magazine (1), adapted and arranged for the intermediate storage of snus bag n between a bag-making device (16) and a

Transport device (17),

comprising two side walls (2, 3), a rear wall (4) and a front wall (19), spaced apart shaft walls (5) running parallel to the side walls and forming at least two shafts (6) in the storage magazine (1),

wherein the storage magazine (1) on its side facing the transport device (17) has a lower closure element (8) for storing a defined number of snus bags in each shaft (6) and for the common delivery of the defined number of snus bags to the transport device (17 ), and wherein the storage magazine (l) on the side facing the bag-making device (16) has an upper closure element (9) independent of the lower closure element (8).

Storage magazine according to claim 1, characterized in that the

Cross section of each shaft (6) over the height of the magazine is constant.

Storage magazine according to claim 1, characterized in that the

Cross-section of each shaft (6) increases in the conveying direction of the snus bag.

Storage magazine according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the upper (9) and / or the lower closure element (8) all the shafts (6) are formed jointly closable.

5. Storage magazine according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the upper and / or the lower closure element (8, 9) are designed as a pivotable flap. Spcichermagazin according to claim 5, characterized in that the drive of the upper and / or the lower closure element is a pneumatic cylinder (12, 14).

Storage magazine according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that in the conveying direction of the snus bag to the upper closure element (9) a slide plate (10) connects, which forms a chute together with the upper closure element (9) in its closed state.

Method for storing snus bags in a storage magazine (1) between a snus bag production device (16) and a transport device (17), wherein the storage magazine (1) has at least two shafts (6) and a lower closure element (8) and an upper Closing element (9) for the shafts (6), comprising the repetitive sequence of steps:

a) closing the lower closure element (8) of the storage magazine;

b) damming a predetermined number of snus bags in each well (6); c) opening the lower closure element (8) of the storage magazine when the predetermined number of snus bags is reached;

d) delivery of the snus bags to the transport device (17),

wherein the snus bags are inspected prior to exiting the snus bag making device (16) and the top closure element (9) is closed if a defective snus bag has been detected during the inspection so that the defective bag is ejected, whereupon the upper closure element (9) is opened again.

A method according to claim 8, characterized in that all those snus bags which leave the snus bag manufacturing device (16) from the parallel production lines simultaneously with the defective snus bag are removed together with the defective snus bag.

Method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the transport device (1 7) comprises individual transport elements (18) and the delivery of the snus bags to the transport device (17) takes place in such a way that The number of snus bags of each shaft (6) is emptied directly into a separate empty transport element (18) of the transport device (17) and the transport device further transports the transport elements such that the next time the lower closure element (8) is opened according to step c) each shaft (6) is again associated with an empty transport element (1 8).

Method according to one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the lower closure element (8) is already opened, while the last of a predetermined number of packages still falling through the

Storage magazine (1) is located.

Arrangement for the production and packaging of snus bags, comprising a packaging production device (16), a testing device for checking the quality of the produced packages, a storage magazine (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7 and a device for unpacking the

Packaging in a transport container (18).