STORAGE TROLLEY FOR PROTECTIVE COVERS

Storage trolley for receiving at least two protective covers of a packaging machine, preferably a thermoforming packaging machine, for example, for cleaning or maintenance purposes. The storage trolley has a plurality of movable holders for receiving protective covers of the packaging machine. The holders are moveable between a parking position and a receiving position. The storage trolley is configured to be stored below a machine frame of the packaging machine when the holders are in the parking position. The holders receive one or more protective covers in the receiving position.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application claims priority to European Patent Application No. 17 209 311.4 filed on Dec. 21, 2017 to Christian Lau and Elmar Ehrmann, currently pending, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a storage trolley for protective covers of a thermoforming packaging machine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A tool exchange trolley for a thermoforming packaging machine for exchanging forming tools is known from DE 102008019628 A1. This tool exchange trolley can be driven into the thermoforming packaging machine, where a side panel of the packaging machine must be removed for this purpose and the frame is recessed in this region.

Generally known are thermoforming packaging machines having protective covers upstream and/or downstream of workstations, such as a forming or sealing station, in order to prevent a machine operator from reaching into the workstation. Such thermoforming packaging machines are often used in food processing plants and must be cleaned regularly. For this purpose, the protective covers, which are placed manually onto the thermoforming packaging machine, must be removed from the thermoforming packaging machine in order to obtain proper access to the regions therebeneath. For this purpose, the protective covers are often placed or stacked on the floor or on a nearby storage table. This can lead to damage that prevents the correct use on the thermoforming packaging machines. In addition, it is time consuming to move the protective covers to storage locations that are remote from the thermoforming packaging machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to improve the handling of the protective covers on a thermoforming packaging machine during the cleaning process.

According to the invention, the storage trolley for receiving at least two protective covers of a packaging machine, preferably a thermoforming packaging machine, is characterized in that the storage trolley has movable holders for receiving protective covers of the packaging machine, where the holders can be converted between a parking position and a receiving position, where the storage trolley can be positioned below a machine frame of the packaging machine when the holders are in the parking position. The storage trolley can be stowed directly at or under the packaging machine, respectively, and a time-consuming search for the matching storage trolley and an additional storage space for the storage trolley itself are eliminated. The protective covers received on the storage trolley can then be cleaned very easily, as well as the areas of the packaging machine which became properly accessible due to the protective covers being removed.

A “machine frame” in the context of the invention is to be understood as comprising only horizontally oriented parts of the machine frame, i.e. no supporting feet.

The holders are preferably tiltable in order to convert them in a simple manner from a substantially horizontal parking position to a substantially vertical receiving position.

An advantageous embodiment provides that the holders may be inserted and withdrawn in order to convert them in a simple manner from a substantially horizontal parking position to a substantially vertical receiving position.

In the parking position, and in one embodiment, the holders may not project beyond an upper interference contour of the storage trolley in order to allow the storage trolley to have as large an overall height as possible and still allow it to be positioned below the machine frame. The interference contour may be defined by the outer dimensions of the storage trolley. The upper interference contour of the storage trolley may be defined by the most upwardly projecting part of the storage trolley.

In a particularly advantageous configuration, at least one holder may be arranged on a holding device and the holding device may be mounted slidably on a frame of the storage trolley. This entails the advantage of greater flexibility in order to be able to change the holders in their distance from one another for being able to receive different widths of protective covers, for example, of different packaging machines.

The holders may be locked in the receiving position to be secured in a keyless manner in the receiving position.

In one embodiment, the storage trolley may have an overall height of less than 300 mm, preferably less than 200 mm, when the holders are in the parking position. The storage trolley may then also be positioned beneath frames of packaging machines which allow only such distances from the lower edge of the machine frame to the ground due to safety requirements.

In one embodiment, the storage trolley preferably does not project beyond the side frames of the packaging machine so as not to obstruct or endanger a machine operator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1shows schematically a side view of an operating side of a packaging machine1according to the invention which is configured as a thermoforming packaging machine. Packaging machine1has a machine frame2, a forming station3, a sealing station4and a cutting station5. Forming station3forms trays in a base film, not shown. The trays of the base film are filled with products along a loading stretch6. At the sealing station4, a top film, not shown, is sealed onto the base film after the tray interior has been evacuated and/or aerated in order to increase the shelf life of, for example, food products. The packages formed in the film composite of the base and the top film are separated at the cutting station5and mechanically transported out of packaging machine1or removed manually therefrom.

Certain areas immediately upstream or downstream of forming station3, sealing station4and/or cutting station5must be protected from an operator reaching in from above, for example, to prevent injuries when reaching into a lifting mechanism. According toFIG. 1, protective covers7for this purpose are positioned upstream and downstream of forming station3and upstream and downstream of sealing station4. Protective covers7are preferably examined for their presence using a detection unit E formed on packaging machine1, in particular by sensors8, so that no machine start is possible in the absence of one of the protective covers7, especially also when the latter is not properly positioned on packaging machine1, for example, is tilted.

For maintenance, reconfiguration or cleaning purposes, protective covers7placed loosely on the machine frame2can be removed from their position. However, it is not desirable for protective covers7to be placed on the floor next to packaging machine1, primarily for reasons of hygiene. In particular with packaging machine1cleaned on a daily basis as is common, protective covers7must be removed from their position to make the area therebelow accessible for cleaning. Protective covers7themselves should then also be positioned advantageously for cleaning.

Protective covers7according toFIG. 1can be formed having different dimensions depending on the zone to be protected. The respective protective covers7are formed to have the same width, when viewed in the direction of production P. However,FIG. 1indicates that respective protective covers7, when viewed in the direction of production P, can be formed to have different depths and/or heights. Also equally sized protective covers7can be considered.

Protective cover7, positioned by way of example inFIG. 1in front of sealing station4, has a handle9which facilitates an operator raising protective cover7. Handle9can also be provided on the other protective covers7ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 1also shows that respective protective covers7are placed on an upper side10of a side frame11of packaging machine1. Side frame11forms part of machine frame2of packaging machine1.

Illustrated beneath an underside12of machine frame2or side frame11, respectively, is a storage trolley13according to the invention below packaging machine1in its parking position.

FIG. 2shows storage trolley13in an illustration with holders14in a parking position. Holders14there do not project beyond storage trolley13or its frame15, respectively. Disposed on frame15are several rotatably mounted and lockable rollers21for freely moving storage trolley13and also for locking it when loading and unloading protective covers7.

FIG. 3shows storage trolley13in an illustration with holders14in a receiving position in which holders14have been raised from a horizontal position to the vertical position. Holder14can be pivoted about a horizontal axis, not shown, by way of a pivot bearing16.

A first holder14ais arranged on the left front side, while a second holder14bis arranged farther to the right on a holding device17. Distance A between the two holders14aand14bcan be adjusted by way of displaceable holding device17, which is movable along a guide, not shown in more detail, in a sliding direction V and can be clamped in a slotted device18, such that protective covers7can be deposited on supports19of holders14a,14b.

Frame15with rollers21at all four corners forms the base of storage trolley13. Holders14are arranged on frame15by way of pivot bearings16and/or by way of holding device17.

The constructions and methods described above and illustrated in the drawings are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the concepts and principles of the present invention. Thus, there has been shown and described several embodiments of a novel invention.