Patent Publication Number: US-2017361953-A1

Title: Method And Device For Producing Packaging Units

Description:
The present invention relates to a method for producing packaging units in a bag forming, filling and sealing machine, products combined into an amount of products being transferred from a portion container of a device defining the product mass into a product transfer device for transferring the amount of products to a product filling device serving to fill the amount of products into a bag forming, filling and sealing machine, the product transfer device having a product carrier, which is guided on a movement path, and a product guiding device, such that the product guiding device and the product carrier form a product space for receiving the amount of products, the product space being closed by the product carrier opposite the direction of movement of the product carrier, the product carrier, once the amount of products has been transferred from the portion container into the product guiding device, performing an accelerated movement out of a product pick-up position of the product carrier so as to compress the amount of products between the product pick-up position and a product transfer position for transferring the amount of products into the product filling device. 
     Furthermore, the invention relates to a device for producing packaging units in a bag forming, filling and sealing machine, comprising a product transfer device having a product carrier, which is guided on a movement path, and a product guiding device, the product guiding device and the product carrier forming a product space which is closed by the product carrier opposite the direction of movement of the product carrier, the product carrier being guided along the movement path by means of a drive device in such a manner that the product carrier is moved in an accelerated manner from a product pick-up position, where an amount of products is transferred from a portion container of a device defining the product mass into the product guiding device, into a product transfer position, where the amount of products is transferred into a product filling device serving to fill the amount of products into a tubular bag packaging. 
     From WO 2011/050354 A1, a method and a device of the kind mentioned above are known, the device having a product transfer device arranged between a portion container of a weighing device and a product filling device serving to fill an amount of products into a tubular bag packaging. 
     The known product transfer device has a plurality of product receivers that rotate about a horizontal axis of rotation of the product transfer device. The individual product receivers simultaneously form a product carrier and a product guiding device for the amounts of products received and are substantially cup-shaped, the product carriers being moved in the direction of rotation on a concentric movement path about the axis of rotation. As a result of the clocked rotating movement of the product transfer device after receiving an amount of products from the portion container, the amounts of products received in the product receivers undergo a radially outward acceleration because of the circular acceleration during a clock movement, the amounts of products being compressed against a product hatch closing the product receivers. To transfer an amount of products into the product filling device, the product hatch is opened in a standstill phase of product reception so that a product swarm forms during discharge of the amount of products, the product swarm entering the tubular bag to be filled through the product filling device. 
     The known device does allow temporary compression of an amount of products placed in the product receivers of the product transfer device owing to the clocked movement; however, a swarm is formed when the amount of products is transferred into the product filling device, the amount of products thus entering the tubular bag to be filled as an uncompressed product swarm. As a result, a corresponding amount of packaging space is required for the amount of products, the tubular bags used having to be big enough to accommodate the insufficiently compressed amount of products. This leads to a correspondingly high consumption of material during production of tubular bag packages on the one hand and to a correspondingly large amount of space required during shipping or storage of the filled tubular bag packages on the other hand. 
     Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a method and a device that allow a package-space-saving packaging of products prone to swarm formation in tubular bags. 
     To solve this object, the method according to the invention has the features of claim  1 . 
     According to the invention, the products are continuously moved on a movement path and are transferred into the product filling device in the direction of acceleration of the product carrier. The method according to the invention allows transferring an amount of products that is picked up from a portion container and forms a product swarm to a product filling device while simultaneously compressing the product swarm, the compressed amount of products transferred into the product filling device thus entering the tubular bag packaging. 
     According to the invention, this is achieved in that the amount of products is continuously moved on the movement path between the product pick-up position and the product transfer position of the product carrier and is transferred into the product filling device in the direction of the acceleration of the product carrier accelerated starting from the pick-up position. 
     In contrast to the known method, the products of the amount of products picked up from the portion container in the method according to the invention are continuously moved and accelerated by the product carrier, the mass inertia of the products causing the amount of products to be compressed. The products are transferred in the direction of the acceleration of the product carrier, the compression having taken place during continuous movement due to the acceleration of the product carrier thus being preserved during transfer into the product filling device. In contrast thereto, the amount of products in the known method loosens into a product swarm again during transfer of the product swarm into the product filling device. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the method, the movement path of the product carrier is realized as a circulating path in such a manner that the product carrier is moved on the circulating path in a conveying direction, the product carrier undergoing a first acceleration followed by a deceleration on a product conveying stretch of the circulating path between the product pick-up position and the product transfer position and undergoing a second acceleration followed by a deceleration on a return conveying stretch between the product transfer position and the product pick-up position. 
     Decelerating the product carrier allows separating the amount of products from the product carrier in the product transfer position of the product carrier because the products maintain the speed imparted to them by the product carrier owing to their mass inertia, the decelerated product carrier thus falling behind the products in the direction of movement and the amount of products being transferred into the product filling device without being acted upon by the product carrier. Decelerating the product carrier in the pick-up position allows discharging an amount of products from the portion container into an area of the product transfer device located ahead of the product carrier, followed by a subsequent application of the accelerated product carrier to the amount of products, the product carrier thus compressing the amount of products over the further course of the product conveying stretch. 
     In an advantageous variation of the method, the product carrier is moved along the circulating path together with the product guiding device, into which the product swarm has previously been introduced from the portion container. 
     Preferably, the product guiding device extends between the product pick-up position and the product transfer position of the product carrier along the product conveying stretch and is stationary between the portion container and the product filling device, the product carrier being moved through the product guiding device on its movement path. This advantageous decoupling between the product guiding device and the product carrier leads to a significant reduction of the mass to be accelerated in order to perform the method because it thus only comprises the mass of the product carrier and the product mass to be accelerated by means of the product carrier. 
     If according to an advantageous embodiment a product space limiter is associated with the product carrier, said product space limiter being arranged ahead of the product carrier in the direction of movement and being moved through the product guiding device together with the product carrier in such a manner that a product space for receiving the amount of products is formed within the product guiding device, said product space being closed both opposite the direction of movement and in the direction of movement of the product carrier, it is possible to use the product space limiter to accumulate the amount of products when picking up the amount of products from the portion container, a first compression of the amount of products thus taking place as early as during pick-up of the amount of products from the portion container. Another compression of the amount of products received between the product space limiter and the product carrier is then caused by the acceleration of the product carrier in such a manner that the amount of products is compressed against the accelerated product carrier. 
     Preferably, the product carrier and the product space limiter are moved on different circulating paths arranged parallel to each other so that the product carrier and the product space limiter can also be accelerated independently of each other. 
     Preferably, the product carrier and the product space limiter are moved synchronously within the product guiding device, i.e. after having picked up the product swarm from the portion container. 
     Preferably, the product space limiter is accelerated out of the product pick-up position together with the product carrier in a first phase of movement along the product conveying stretch from a speed smaller than the product discharge speed of the amount of products discharged from the portion container to a speed greater than the product discharge speed, and subsequently the product speed limiter is decelerated together with the product carrier in a second phase of movement to a product transfer speed at which the amount of products is transferred to the product filling device, and thereafter the product limiter is accelerated in relation to the product carrier starting from the product transfer position in a third phase of movement. 
     Another compressing effect during movement of the amount of products between the product pick-up position and the product transfer position can preferably be achieved by subjecting the product guiding device to vibrations during guiding of the amount of products within the product guiding device. 
     Preferably, the product filling device or a filling end of the product filling device adjacent to the product guiding device can also be subjected to vibrations during filling of the amount of products so as to allow further compression of the amount of products in this area as well. 
     To solve the object of the invention, the device according to the invention has the features of claim  11 . 
     According to the invention, the drive device by means of which the product carrier is guided along the movement path is provided with a decelerating device which cooperates with the product carrier in such a manner that the accelerated product carrier is decelerated far enough before reaching the product transfer position for the speed of the amount of products to be greater than the speed of the product carrier. Decelerating the product carrier before it reaches the product transfer position thus allows the amount of products to detach itself from the product carrier and to be transferred into the product filling device while maintaining the speed imparted to the product swarm by the product carrier, without there being the risk of the amount of products loosening and forming a product swarm when being transferred into the product filling device. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the device, the movement path of the product carrier is realized as a circulating path and the product carrier and the product guiding device form a structural unit, the circulating path having a first accelerating stretch along a product conveying stretch of the circulating path connecting the product pick-up position with the product transfer position and a second accelerating stretch along a return conveying stretch of the circulating path connecting the product transfer position with the product pick-up position. 
     Preferably, the product carrier and the product guiding device form a cup vessel, the product carrier being formed by a cup bottom and the product guiding device being formed by a cup wall. 
     It is advantageous if the product conveying stretch has a first conveying section, which is arranged above the product filling device and is substantially vertical, and if the return conveying stretch has a second vertical conveying section, which is arranged below the portion container and is substantially vertical, the first vertical conveying section and the second vertical conveying section being horizontally offset from each other. Such an embodiment of the device makes it possible to guide the product carrier toward the portion container and to guide the product carrier toward the product filling device, both, with a vertical movement of the product carrier even though the product carrier moves on a circulating path, making the product transfer device particularly suitable for combination with a vertical bag forming, filling and sealing machine. 
     If the product filling device is provided with a recess in such a manner that the cup vessel can be moved through the recess when transitioning from the product transfer position into a horizontal conveying section, the drop height of the amount of products transferred from the cup vessel into the product filling device in the product transfer position is substantially reduced, this reduced drop height, too, counteracting a loosening of the amount of products and the formation of a product swarm before it has entered the tubular bag. 
     In another embodiment of the device, the movement path of the product carrier is realized as a circulating path and the product guiding device is arranged along a product conveying stretch of the circulating path between the portion container and the product filling device, the product carrier being movable through the product guiding device on its movement path. 
     If a product space limiter arranged ahead of the product carrier in the direction of movement and movable through the product guiding device together with the product carrier is associated with the product carrier, the product carrier and the product space limiter forming a product space for receiving the product swarm within the product guiding device together with a wall of the product guiding device, the product space being closed opposite the direction of movement and in the direction of movement, the amount of products can be compressed on both sides with respect to the direction of movement, i.e., it can be compressed by means of the product carrier on one side and it can be compressed by means of the product space limiter on the other side. 
     Preferably, the product carrier and the product space limiter are driven by mutually independent drive devices, allowing differentiated compression of the product swarm. 
     Preferably, the drive devices are realized as circulating conveyors, wherein the circulating conveyors can be realized in particular as belt conveyors having conveying belts running parallel to each other. 
     Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail with the aid of the drawing. 
    
    
     
       In the drawing: 
         FIG. 1 : shows a first embodiment of a device for producing packaging units; 
         FIG. 2 : shows a second embodiment of a device for producing packaging units; 
         FIG. 3 : shows a third embodiment of a device for producing packaging units; 
         FIG. 4 : shows a fourth embodiment of a device for producing packaging units; 
         FIG. 5 : shows a fifth embodiment of a device for producing packaging units; 
         FIG. 6 : shows an isometric illustration of a multiple arrangement of the device illustrated in  FIG. 5 ; and 
         FIG. 7 : shows a sixth embodiment of a device for producing packaging units. 
     
    
    
       FIG. 1  shows a schematic illustration of a product transfer device  10  having two cup vessels  11 ,  12  that are moved along a circulating path formed by a belt conveyor  13  in the case at hand. To this end, the cup vessels  11 ,  12  are connected to a belt  14  of the belt conveyor  13  via a connecting element (not illustrated) in the illustrated embodiment example, the belt  14  being driven by a drive device (not illustrated) and guided over four deflection rollers  15  to define the circulating path. To realize the drive device, one of the deflection rollers  15  can be a drive roller, for example. 
     The product transfer device  10  forms a component of a bag forming, filling and sealing machine serving to produce packaging units in which products  18  combined into an amount of products  16  are portioned and packaged into tubular bags. The product transfer device  10  is located between a portion container  17  of a device defining the product mass, which may be a multi-head sub-quantity scale, for example, and a product filling device  19  for filling the products  18  into a product tube  20 , which is also often called a forming tube and over which a film or foil used to produce the tubular bag is guided so as to form the tubular bag. 
     In the embodiment example illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the cup vessels  11 ,  12  serve to form a product carrier  21  and to form a product guiding device  22 , the product carrier  21  being substantially formed by the cup bottom and the product guiding device  22  being substantially formed by a cup wall of the cup vessels  11 ,  12 . The circulating path defined by the belt conveyor  13  has a product conveying stretch  23 , which extends between a product pick-up position P 1 , in which the first cup vessel  11  is located in  FIG. 1 , and a product transfer position P 2 , in which the second cup vessel  12  is located in  FIG. 1 , and a return conveying stretch  24 , which extends from the product transfer position P 2  to the product pick-up position P 1 , the product conveying stretch  23  and the return conveying stretch  24  being oriented vertically in the case at hand and connected to each other via upper and lower horizontal conveying stretches  25 ,  26 . The product conveying stretch  23  has a horizontal conveying section  25  in the conveying direction of the circulating path starting from the portion container  17 , the horizontal conveying section  25  ending in a vertical conveying section  26  extending toward the product filling device  19 . The return conveying stretch  24  has a horizontal conveying section  36  in the conveying direction of the circulating path starting from the product filling device  19 , the horizontal conveying section  36  ending in a vertical conveying section  37  extending toward the portion container  17 . 
     As can be seen from the configuration illustrated in  FIG. 1 , in the product pick-up position P 1 , the cup vessel  11  is arranged immediately below the portion container  17  in the upper end area of the vertical conveying section  37  of the return conveying stretch  24 . In this position, a defined amount  16  of products  18  is transferred from the portion container  17  into the cup vessel  11 . The products  18  illustrated are products that are especially prone to swarm formation due to their large surface in relation to their mass, meaning products that, in free fall after being discharged from the portion container  17 , will form a product swarm  27  with a more or less large amount of free space between the individual products  18 . Potato chips are a typical product prone to swam formation of this kind. 
     During transfer of the product swarm  27  into the cup vessel  11 , the cup vessel  11  is in an idle position or is moving at low speed, leaving enough time for the entire product swarm  27  to enter the cup vessel  11 . The amount of products  16  will settle or arrange itself on the cup bottom, the cup wall forming a guiding device containing the amount of products  16 , the cup bottom subsequently serving as a product carrier  21  and the cup wall serving as a product guiding device  22  as described above. 
     Starting from the product pick-up position P 1 , the cup vessel  11  is moved along the product conveying stretch  23  into the product transfer position P 2 , and the cup vessel  12  is simultaneously moved along the return conveying stretch  24  from the product transfer position P 2  into the product pick-up position P 1 . First, the cup vessel  11  is accelerated along the product conveying stretch  23  and is subsequently decelerated through corresponding control of the drive device before reaching the product transfer position P 2 , the deceleration potentially taking place until the cup vessel  11  stands still in the product transfer position P 2  or until the speed of the cup vessel  11  is reduced far enough in the product transfer position P 2  for enough time to remain in which the amount of products  16  can be transferred from the cup vessel  11  into the product filling device  19 . 
     Owing to the acceleration of the cup vessel  11  taking place in the course between the product pick-up position P 1  and the product transfer position P 2 , the amount of products  16  conveyed by the product carrier  21  in the product guiding device  22  along the circulating path is compressed. Owing to the mass inertia of the products  18  held in the cup vessel  11 , the products  18  substantially maintain the speed acquired during acceleration of the coup vessel  11  when the cup vessel  11  is decelerated, potentially to standstill, in the product transfer position P 2 , said speed being at least greater than the speed of the product carrier  21  decelerated in the product transfer position P 2 , the products  18  thus leaving the product carrier  21  and the product guiding device  22  as a compressed amount of products  16  and entering the product filling device  19 . 
     Once the transfer of the amount of products  16  to the product filling device  19  is complete, the cup vessels  11 ,  12  are accelerated again and, as described above, decelerated potentially to standstill before reaching the product pick-up position P 1  and the product transfer position P 2 , respectively. 
       FIG. 2  shows the product device  10  already described in detail with reference to  FIG. 1 , wherein, unlike in  FIG. 1 , a product filling device  28  arranged below the product transfer position P 2  is provided with a recess  29 , the cup vessels  11 ,  12  being moved through the recess  29  during their transition from the product transfer position P 2  into the horizontal conveying section  36  of the return conveying stretch  24 , a drop distance F 1  formed between the product carrier  21  and the product tube  20  thus being smaller than a drop distance F between the product carrier  21  and the product tube  20  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     Moreover, as indicated by the double-headed arrow of movement in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the product filling devices  19  and  28 , respectively, can be adjusted together with the product tube  20  in the direction toward the product carrier  21  in a vertical lifting motion at the moment of transfer, i.e. when the product carrier  21  is located in the product transfer position P 2 , so as to further shorten the drop distances F and F 1 , respectively, and to thus further reduce the risk of a product swarm  27  forming anew. 
       FIG. 3  shows a product transfer device  30  which, unlike the product transfer device  10  illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , is not deflected by a deflection roller  15  in the area of the product transfer position P 2 , but has a translation conveying stretch  31  comprising a horizontal conveying section  32  and a vertical conveying section  33 . A translation conveying stretch of this kind can be realized by means of a suitable design of a connecting element connecting the cup vessels  11 ,  12  with the belt  14  of the belt conveyor  13 , for example. 
     The horizontal conveying section  32  of the translation conveyor  31  is adjacent to the conveying section  26  of the belt conveyor  13  and ends in the vertical conveying section  33 , which connects to the lower horizontal conveying section  36 . Owing to the immediate change of direction of the cup vessels  11 ,  12  from a vertical movement along the vertical conveying section  26  into a horizontal movement along the horizontal conveying section  32  of the translation conveying stretch  31 , a drop distance F 2  between the product carrier  21  and the product tube  20  can be significantly shortened without needing to provide a product filling device  28  as the one described with reference to  FIG. 2 , which is provided with a recess  29 . Instead, it is also possible to use the product filling device  19  described with reference to  FIG. 1 , which does not have a recess, and still arrive at drop distance F 2 , which is shorter than drop distance F 1 . 
     If the product transfer device  30  illustrated in  FIG. 3  is combined with a product filling device  28  having a recess  29 , as illustrated in the embodiment according to  FIG. 4 , a drop distance F 4  can be realized that is reduced even further compared to drop distance F. 
       FIG. 5  shows a product transfer device  40  that is provided with a circulating path formed by a belt conveyor  44  in the case of the illustrated embodiment example. In contrast to the product transfer devices  10  and  30  described above, where the product carrier  21  and the product guiding device  22  are formed in combination with each other, specifically in such a manner that the product carrier  21  is formed by a cup bottom and the product guiding device  22  is formed by a cup wall of a cup vessel  11 ,  12 , product transfer device  40  has a product carrier  41  and a product guiding device  42  which are formed independently of each other. As  FIG. 5  shows, the product guiding device  42  extends between the pick-up position P 1  and the transfer position P 2 . A plurality of product carriers  41  is driven along the circulating path via a shared carrier belt  43  of the belt conveyor  44 . In the case of the embodiment example at hand, the product guiding device  42  is realized as a guiding channel formed by a guiding tube  45 , the product carriers  41  extending into and being moved through said guiding channel. 
     In correspondence with belt conveyor  13 , belt conveyor  44  forming the circulating path has a product conveying stretch  46  and a return conveying stretch  47 , the product conveying stretch  46  being formed solely by a vertical conveying section  48  and the return conveying stretch  47  being formed by a vertical conveying section  35  and two horizontal conveying sections  49 ,  50  adjacent thereto in the case at hand. 
     As can be seen in particular from a combined view of  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the belt conveyor  44  comprises the carrier belt  43 , which serves to drive the product carriers  41 , and a second carrier belt  51 , on which as many product space limiters  52  are arranged as there are product carriers  41  on the carrier belt  43 . Like the product carriers  41 , the product space limiters  52  are moved through the guide tube  45  of the product guiding device  42  and form a product space  54  in cooperation with the product carriers  41  and a tube wall  53  during their longitudinal movement through the guide tube  45  of the product guiding device  42 , the products  18  being arranged in said product space  54 . 
     As can be seen in particular in  FIG. 5 , the product guiding device  42  extends from the pick-up position P 1 , in which a product carrier  41  is located at the upper end of the vertical conveying section  48  in the area of a portion container  56 , into a transfer position P 2 , in which a product carrier  41  is located at the lower end of the vertical conveying section  48  in the area of the product filling device  55 . In the product pick-up position P 1 , an amount of products  16  forming a product swarm  27  is discharged from the portion container  56  into the product guiding device  42  onto a product space limiter  52  arranged in the product guiding device  42 . 
     In the product pick-up position P 1 , the product space limiter  52  stands still or is moving at a speed smaller than the drop speed of the amount of products  16  discharged from the portion container  56 . Once the entire amount of products  16  has been discharged from the portion container  56 , a product carrier  41  associated with the product space limiter  52  is pivoted into the vertical conveying section  48  via the carrier belt  43  so that the product space limiter  52  and the product carrier  51  form the product space  54  in cooperation with the tube wall  53  as described above, the product space  54  moving in the vertical direction downward in the direction toward the product transfer position P 2  in a manner comparable to a transport cabin moving through an elevator shaft. The product space limiter  52  and the product carrier  41  are synchronously accelerated so that the products  18  held in the product space  54  are compressed against the product carrier  41  during movement on the vertical conveying stretch. 
     Before reaching the product transfer position P 2 , the product space limiter  52  and the product carrier  41  are decelerated until they reach a product transfer speed at which the products  18  are transferred to the product filling device  55 . The product space limiter  52  can be accelerated to hurry ahead of the product carrier  41  so as to not hinder a transfer of the products  18  into the product filling device  55 . Subsequent to the transfer of the products, the product carrier  41 , too, is accelerated again so as to arrive at the position of the product carrier  41  illustrated in  FIG. 5 , which corresponds to the product pick-up position P 1 . 
       FIG. 7  shows a product transfer device  60  in which, in contrast to the product transfer device  40  illustrated in  FIG. 5 , there are no product space limiters and instead product carriers  41  only are provided for accelerated transport of the products  18  within the product guiding device  42 . It is substantial in this case that immediately after discharge of the amount of products  16  from the portion container  56  into the product guiding device  42 , the product carriers  41  are pivoted into the vertical conveying stretch  48  and accelerated to a speed greater than the drop speed of the products  18  so as to achieve compression of the product swarm  27  formed by the amount of products  16 . Before arriving at the product transfer position P 2 , the product carriers  41  are decelerated to a speed smaller than the product speed reached over the course of the product guiding device  42  so that the products  18  break contact with the product carrier  41  because of their mass inertia and enter the product filling device  55 . 
     In contrast to the illustrations in  FIGS. 5 to 7 , a vertical orientation of the product guiding device and of the product conveying stretch between the product pick-up position P 1  and the product transfer position P 2  may be advantageous, but an arrangement of the product transfer devices  40  and  60 , respectively, in which the product conveying stretch  46  and the product guiding device  42  are oriented in a vertically inclined manner toward each other is possible as well.