Frame for a packaging machine

There is provided a frame for a horizontal flow-pack packaging machine utilizing a center folded or side sealing machine with twin reel or reel feed form below, suitable for packaging a food product or a non-food product with heat sealable or cold weldable plastic film wound on a reel. The frame is provided with two cantilevered supports arranged one above the other in parallel, the lower support supports the operating mechanical components of the packaging machine and the upper support supports the control group and the pneumatic system of the packaging machine.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is the National Stage of PCT/EP2013/000950 filed on Mar. 28, 2013, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of Italian Application No. VI2012A000078 filed on Apr. 3, 2012, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. The international application under PCT article 21(2) was published in English.

The present invention relates to an improved horizontal flow pack packaging machine.

As it is well known to industrial machine designers, a support frame must substantially satisfy two requisites: it must be sufficiently strong so as to be able to support all the mechanical components necessary for the operation of the machine and, at the same time, it must have minimal bulk, thus being as small as possible.

Such a rational construction of the frame is particularly necessary in packing machines, such as packaging machines of the most different types, known by the commercial term “horizontal flow-pack,” using a centre folded or side sealing machine, with twin reel or reel feed from below, suitable for packaging a product that may or may not be a food product, through the use of plastic films, heat-sealable or cold welded, wound in a reel.

First models of such machines that appeared on the market had a frame that was made up of a cast iron box, which was positioned below the working area and which had considerable dimensions, so as to be able to contain the actuation apparatuses, which included electric motors, chains and drive shafts and where the electric compartment was made up of a small box, which also acted as a control panel. As progress was made in terms of technology the mechanical actuation apparatuses were gradually replaced by electronic actuation apparatuses with consequent increase of the dimensions of the electrical system, integrated in the machine.

Substantial progress was made with the introduction of so called “simple cantilever frames”, in which the box containing the mechanical control components and the electric installation is positioned laterally with respect to the working area, which is moved to the side and is mounted cantilevered.

In practice, such a construction solution (as an example we shall mention patent document U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,605) has the advantage that, with the mechanical operation components arranged cantilevered, the area under the product being packaged is free, thus making it possible to have greater cleanliness, preventing material, which when of the food product type is source of bacteria and mould, from gathering.

On the other hand, again in practice, the presence of the box again constitutes a bulk, which causes there to be a waste of space and allows only the cantilevered side to be accessible, with the consequence of having a considerable waste of time in the case in which the worker has to intervene on the opposite side.

The purpose of the present finding is that of making a support frame for packaging machines, which does not have the drawbacks of similar known products.

Such a purpose is achieved by making a frame which is provided with two cantilevered supports, arranged parallel and over one another and in which the lower support sustains the mechanical operation components, whereas the upper support sustains the electrical control group and, possibly, also the pneumatic system.

Specifically, the lower support places the mechanical components at the height of a work plane that is accessible to the worker, from 70/90 cm from the ground, whereas the upper support sustains the control group at a height that is greater than the human stature, advantageously above 2 meters from the ground.

As visible inFIG. 1, a packaging machine, of the so called flow-pack type, is equipped with a support frame, indicated with reference numeral100, in its most basic form, resembling a welded structure shaped like a capital “E”, formed from a tube or made from folded sheet metal, in which there are a first lower cantilevered support, generically indicated with reference numeral101, only supported on one side and at the ends through the two uprights1; said uprights support a second cantilevered support, in a higher position, generically indicated with reference numeral102.

Constructively, the frame is made up of two uprights1, equipped with a horizontal base2, which support a transverse plate3on which all the mechanic components are mounted cantilevered, indicated with reference numeral200and that, specifically in the machine, comprises a belt201for feeding the products P, a reel of heat-sealing film202, a welding group203, a cut and sew group204and a belt205for discharging the packaged product P1.

The two uprights1end, at the top, with a cantilevered shelf, indicated with reference numeral4, on which rest a box5, which encloses the electric installation and, possibly, also the pneumatic system; again, the control panel7, with buttons and an interface display for controlling the machine, is applied onto said shelf.

As visible, in particular, inFIG. 2, with the specific shape of the frame100according to the finding it is possible for a person in charge to work in a perfectly ergonomic way, since he can act at both sides of the machine, controlling it from a single control panel7, since it is sustained by a rotating arm8, with the mechanical components200positioned on the lower cantilevered support101, which is at the right height “H” from the ground and with all the electric and pneumatic components positioned on the upper cantilevered support102, arranged at a height “H1” that is greater than the human stature, with the purpose of protecting the head of the worker when intervening on the work surface.

Moreover, as visible inFIG. 3, the substantially tubular structure of the frame100allows the passage of the electric wires10inside the uprights1, to where they reach the motors that actuate the mechanical components200, in complete safety.

Moreover, as visible inFIG. 4, in the case in which the machine is equipped with control members that can weigh down the boxes5and/or6or when the mechanical members are very stressed, it is sufficient to add some reinforcement rods11to the frame100, so as to strengthen the structure of the frame100.

Moreover, as visible inFIG. 5, the finding foresees the possibility of being able to temporarily lower the boxes5and6, bringing them back inside the frame1, so as to facilitate the positioning of the machine, completely mounted, inside a shipping container12, with standard height.

Finally, as visible inFIGS. 6 and 7, the shape of the frame100makes it possible for the safety doors13to be applied, advantageously made from transparent polycarbonate, on the two sides of the machine, which is thus conceived very rationally and has a small bulk.

From what has been outlined above it can be understood that the proposed purposes have been achieved, since the use of the frame according to the finding makes it possible to obtain:a machine that is accessible, by the workers, from both the right and left side, even simultaneously;the possibility of completely eliminating process waste since said materials, falling on the ground, can be easily removed;the drastic reduction of the side bulk;the rationalization in the positioning of the components, leaving the field of view of the worker completely free, avoiding interference with his head;the rationalization of the side safety protection elements;the almost complete elimination of the risk of a worker, using the electric installation, being electrocuted.

Of course, the dimensions, the materials and the technical components of the frame according to the finding can be wide-ranging, as long as it is all covered by the inventive concept defined by the following claims.