Abstract:
Handling stand up bags ( 2 ) for beverages, wherein as bags ( 2 ) are filled, closed, provided with a drinking straw ( 3 ) and, being inserted in a plurality of bags into an outer packaging ( 4 ), are discharged, so as to make such a method faster and thus more economic, the stand up bags ( 2 ) are transported in a lying position between closing and insertion into the outer packaging ( 4 ).

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a method for handling stand up bags. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Such a method is known from DE 197 45 852 or DE 197 45 854 C1. 
     Stand up bags are bags which most of the time consist of a plastic film or aluminum foil and are designed such that they form a self-standing bottom on which the finished and filled bag can stand. The bags are prefabricated such that the edge opposite to the self-standing bottom remains open, so that the bag can be filled from this side. The bags are supplied in an upright position in receiving means, i.e. in a hanging or standing state, to a filling means where they are filled and are then closed—still in an upright position—preferably by a welding means which acts on the two open edges, thus compressing and welding the same under heat and pressure. Since stand up bags are able to stand and since receiving devices have to be provided for filling purposes, such stand up bags have always been transported in a standing position until now. It has been believed that the stand up bags in a standing position occupy the least space, thus permitting a maximum transportation speed, i.e. maximum bag throughput. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     However, it has been found out during the development of the method according to the invention that this is not true. 
     It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a method with which the conveying speed can be increased in the handling of stand up bags. 
     Surprisingly enough, it has been found that stand up bags in a lying position can be transported much more efficiently although it would actually have to be expected that lying bags due to their cushion-like bulging shape are unstable and thus require a slower conveying speed. However, according to the invention it has been found that this is not the case and that, quite to the contrary, the transportation of the stand up bags in a lying position permits a considerably increased conveying speed. 
     Although it is already known from EP 676 329, U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,079, U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,458 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,231 to transport packaging with its longitudinal extension in parallel with the transportation surface, this is only true for block-shaped packaging in the case of which the packaging nevertheless rests on a “self-standing bottom”, or for cushion-like packaging which is unable to stand and devoid of a self-standing bottom and provided with a symmetrical thickness. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The method according to the invention shall now be explained in detail with reference to the drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating an embodiment of a process line for the method of the present invention; 
     FIGS. 1A-1C are schematic perspective views of the stand up bags in various stages of the method. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 is a top view on a very schematic process line  1  for handling stand up bags  2  that are provided with a drinking straw  3  and packed in a plurality of bags into an outer packaging  4 . 
     In detail, the process line  1  contains a filling station  5  which has supplied thereto already prefabricated bags made from a plastic film or aluminum foil with a self-standing bottom  2   a  and with sides closed on all sides, except for a filling opening  2   b . In the filling station  5 , a beverage is filled, preferably in a hot state, into bags  2 . To this end bags  2  are conveyed in the position shown in FIG. 1A, i.e. hanging from clamps with a filling opening  2   b  spread to a maximum degree by clamps or suction means, or the like, or standing inside a receiving means. After the beverage has been filled in, the bag  2  passes into a closing station  6  in which the filling opening  2   b  is sealed, preferably heat-sealed, by connecting the film or foil edges, which define opening  2   b , with the help of sealing bars or clamps, resulting in the formation of the sealing line  2   c  as shown in FIG.  1 B. Subsequently, bag  2  is supplied to a cooling path  7 , preferably a water bath, for cooling the beverage that has been filled in in a hot state. In the illustrated embodiment, bag  2  passes through the cooling path  7  in a still upright hanging or standing position. After having left the cooling path  7 , bags  2  are brought by suitable grippers, or the like, into the lying position shown in FIG. 1C, in which they are lying on one of their cushion-curved side surfaces and are continuously passed on. The orientation of the bag  2  relative to the conveying direction, which is illustrated by the continuous series of arrows, is here changed so that, as can be seen at the transfer point  8 , the longitudinal extension of the bag  2  is now oriented in a direction transverse to the conveying direction, with all of the bags  2  being oriented with their self-standing bottoms  2   a  in the same direction and aligned in parallel with the current conveying direction. In said position, the bags  2  pass through an attaching station  9  for attaching drinking straws  3  to the upwardly oriented side surface of each bag  2 . 
     In the conveying direction downstream of the attaching station  9 , the bags pass through a further transfer point  10  where the previously single row of bags is divided into two parallel rows, but where the orientation of the bags is not changed. Subsequently, the bags are transported into a packaging station to pack them into the outer packaging  4 . The outer packaging  4  contains two compartments  4   a  and  4   b  that are interconnected via a bending fold  4   c.    
     The packaging station contains two partial stations  11   a  and  11   b  where in the partial station  11   a  bags  2  are packed into the compartment  4   a  of the outer packaging  4  and in the partial station  11   b  bags  2  are packed into the compartment  4   b  of the outer packaging  4 . Packaging  4  first passes into the first partial station  11   a  in which bags  2  are conveyed under the action of gravity into compartment  4   a  until the latter is filled with a predetermined number of bags. The self-standing bottoms  2   a  of the bags are oriented towards the bending fold  4   c.    
     After compartment  4   a  has been filled, the packaging  4  is turned by 180° about a vertical axis and supplied to the second partial station  11   b  in which bags  2  are inserted in the same way into compartment  4   b . Since the packaging has been rotated or turned, the bags  2  in both compartments are oriented with their self-standing bottoms  2   a  towards the bending fold  4   c , facing outwards with the same sides, so that after the outer packaging  4  has passed through a folding station  12 , in which the compartments are folded around the bending fold  4   c  onto each other and the outer packaging is closed, identical surface portions of the bags, e.g. with printed information on their contents, are oriented outwards and are visible through windows or recesses in the outer packaging  4 . 
     In a modification of the described and illustrated embodiment the closed bag can e.g. pass through the cooling path in an already lying position. Conveyor belts or other suitable conveying means may be used for transportation. The bags may be packed in another way than shown and/or into other outer packaging and/or from a single row.