Device and method for filling containers

A packaging station of a packaging machine for filling containers with products, the station comprising a transport device for feeding the products along a feed path and via first and second charging paths which run parallel to said feed path and transport the containers. The containers are filled by a filling device designed to seize one or more of the products from the feed path and to place said seized products into one or more containers on one or other of the charging paths. The charging paths consist of the following sequence of items, listed in order in the displacement direction of the containers to be filled: a set-up assembly, a transport device and a sealing unit. The device and method permit a more rapid filling of packaging materials with products in a relatively small space, in particular on a platform.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a 35 USC 371 application of PCT/EP 2006/061737 filed on Apr. 21, 2006.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a device for and a method of filling boxes or containers with products especially well suited for filling at high box output.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Devices for filling containers with products of the type with which this invention are known. Although they make it possible to fill the containers safely and in an expedited way, there is still a need on the part of users to increase the box output of such a system in a simple way.

From U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,317, one such system and method are known, in which the objects to be packaged are delivered on a single product conveyor belt. The empty packaging containers are delivered on a different container conveyor belt, which is split in two, one on either side of the product conveyor belt that transports the objects to be packaged; thus three parallel-extending belts move past a robot arm, which retrieves the arriving objects to be packaged from the product conveyor belt and transfers them to the containers on the two container conveyor belts moving past. The trailing container conveyor belts are then reunited into a single trailing container conveyor belt and the containers leave the station on it.

This devices has the disadvantage that while it has a simple interface configuration of the delivery and removal devices, namely one incoming product conveyor belt each, an arrangement that furnishes a container conveyor belt with erected boxes, and a device that guides the container conveyor belt out of the station, but is intrinsically relatively complex internally, so that only a comparatively slight increase in the box output can be achieved.

SUMMARY AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

Based on this prior art, it is the object of the invention to attain greater output of filled boxes per minute over a small base area of a packaging station, with simpler equipment.

The feed device of the invention in a packaging machine has a conveyor for delivering the products along a feed path, a first loading path disposed parallel to the feed path, and a second loading path, disposed parallel to the first, that is advantageously operated in the opposite direction.

Preferably, an erecting device for the boxes to be filled is located upstream along the first and second loading paths, respectively; the aforementioned transporting device for the boxes to be filled follows, and downstream of it is a closure device for the filled boxes, all in a straight line one after the other.

Advantageously, the entire device is disposed on a single platform. In the preferred embodiment of such a device, the closure devices are provided in two of the corners of the platform that are diametrically opposite the delivery belt or conveyor device for the products. For optimal and easily overseen utilization of space on such a platform, the filling device, in particular a robot, is itself disposed approximately centrally on the platform.

In an advantageous embodiment of the packaging station, the functions of the erecting device, that is, separating the blanks, the folding operations, and erecting the boxes, are provided from above the platform downward onto the platform plane. On the other hand, the closure device is advantageously designed such that the closure of the lid of the boxes, stapling of the boxes, and their discharge in succession away from the platform level, is done from the bottom up.

With such a packaging station and the corresponding method, the following facts are advantageously directly utilized: For a typical size of box and number of products, known robot arms can attain a filling output of 90 to 150 boxes per minute; a product conveyor belt can readily attain cycle rates that allow filling 150 boxes per minute; and container conveyor belts with an upstream erecting device and a downstream closure device, although they have a throughput of only about 45 boxes per minute, for example, are nevertheless independently connected in parallel, making it possible to double the aforementioned throughput and thus bring it up to the level of the other system components.

Thanks to the device of the invention, it is thus possible, on a single platform of conventional size, to attain a box output of 90 boxes per unit, for example.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the packaging machine1shown here, the individual flat, block-shaped articles or products S are delivered to an empty package P, which is a block-shaped box with a lid and corresponding tabs. Naturally, the products S may be of some other shape, for instance in the form of cylinders, pills, or defined by polygonal lines, and so forth. What is essential is that they can be grasped individually by a filling device.

The products S are furnished from an interface, not shown, above a platform10, horizontally transversely to one edge or long side13of the platform. The arriving products S are deflected at a right angle and delivered to an endlessly revolving conveyor belt11along a feed-conveyor course12. This may be a conveyor chain or some other suitable conveyor means that drives the products forward in indexed fashion or continuously along the feed path12. The revolving conveyor belt11is disposed in the vicinity of the front edge13of the platform10. The platform stands on feet9, four of which are shown in the region of the front edge13. The feet9may in particular be adjustable in height, in order to align the platform10horizontally. A suitable platform10may for instance measure 8 meters by 2 meters and may comprise grid plates, for the sake of easy fixation of the elements shown in the drawing.

On the diametrically opposite long edge14of the platform10, there is a filling device15in the form of a known two-axis or three-axis robot, which has a plurality of grippers16arranged parallel to the feed path12. The motion of the grippers16of the arm of the robot15is possible at least in the direction transversely to the conveyor path12and vertically. As noted, in other exemplary embodiments of the invention, still other filling devices15may be used, as long as they are devices that individually or in combination are capable of lifting the products S from a feed path12and setting them down on or in boxes P essentially from above. The loading is advantageously done strictly in alternation.

Parallel to the feed path12, first and second loading paths21and22are shown, indicated only schematically. The paths21and22are provided with an arrow indicating the loading direction. The paths21and22extend parallel to the feed path12and move in opposite directions relative to one another.

For the sake of clarity, a detailed illustration of the product transporting devices31and32, which accomplish the transporting of the boxes P along the paths21and22, respectively, has been dispensed with. These devices31and32are shown merely by the indication of a conveyor belt. These devices31and32may be endless conveyors, conveyor chains, or other suitable conveyor devices31and32. In principle, they may also be designed differently, although the use of two identical, contrarily operating devices on the respective loading paths21and22offers advantages in terms of maintenance.

It is essential that the loading pats21and22extend parallel to the feed path12, and that the robot15with the gripper devices16is suitable for picking up individual products or groups of products S from the feed-conveyor path11and placing them, preferably in alternation, in boxes P that move past. In other words, the gripper devices16grasp a group of products S and put them down into one or more boxes P on one or the other loading path21or22. Then the gripper devices16grasp a further group of products S from the conveyor device11and put them down into one or more boxes P of the other loading path,22or21, respectively.

In the advantageous embodiment of the invention shown here, the following disposition in the transverse direction of the platform10is provided (that is, in the direction from one long edge13to the other long edge14): conveyor device11, first product transporting device31, second product transporting device32, and robot15. However, it is also possible for the feed device11to be disposed between the first and second product transporting devices31and32, or for the conveyor belt11to be disposed between the second product transporting device32and the robot arm15. More than two loading paths21and22may also be provided, for instance three of them, in which case the order transversely to the paths may be as follows: conveyor device11, first product transporting device31, second product transporting device32, third product transporting device, and finally, robot15.

In known packaging machines, upstream of a filling or loading device with the robot15, an erecting device41and42, respectively, is provided, and downstream of the loading device with the already-filled boxes P, there is a closure device51and52, respectively.

The contrary disposition of the conveyor paths21and22means that the two erecting devices41and42and the closure devices51and52, respectively, are disposed on diametrically opposite sides of the robot15. In an advantageous exemplary embodiment, the arrangements41and42and51and52are enclosed in an upward-extending, block-shaped chamber, as is shown schematically in the drawing. In particular, the two diametrically opposed closure devices51and52are disposed in the corners of the platform10. In another embodiment, the opposite corners, that is, the corners of the platform10located in an extension of the feed path12, can be used. Between these devices51and52and the filling device15are the two erecting devices42and41, respectively, which perform the steps of separating the blanks, the folding operation, and erecting the boxes P, from top to bottom down to the level of the conveyor paths21and22above the platform10. The same is advantageously true for the functions of the closure devices51and52, in which the closure of the lid of the boxes S, stapling of the boxes, and their discharge are performed from bottom to top, away from the platform10.

The required electronics can be accommodated as in the prior art in an electronics cabinet, which can be provided in particular on one long side of the platform10.

The device of the invention and the method of the invention thus enable faster filling of packaging materials P with products S in a space of comparatively the same size, in particular on a platform10.

The foregoing relates to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention, it being understood that other variants and embodiments thereof are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention, the latter being defined by the appended claims.