Patent Publication Number: US-2016229567-A1

Title: Apparatus for manufacturing packaging units

Description:
The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing packaging units in a tubular bag forming, filling and sealing machine, having a horizontal conveyor installation for transferring separated products to a portioning appliance for manufacturing portion units with a defined arrangement and number of products, and having a vertical conveyor installation for conveying the portion units, which are enveloped by a film web, to a separating appliance for separating the packaging units, wherein the vertical conveyor installation has two parallel strap conveyors, defining, with conveying sides arranged so as to be opposed to each other and pertaining to circulating conveying straps, a conveying channel for conveying the portion units, which are enveloped by the film web, wherein a film take-off appliance, which delimits the conveying channel laterally, is arranged so as to be parallel to the strap conveyors, said take-off appliance grasping film edges of the film web, which envelopes the portion units, and conveys the film web in a synchronous fashion with the portion units conveyed by the vertical conveyor installation. 
     Apparatuses of the type mentioned at the beginning allow for arranging a vertical conveyor installation after a portioning appliance in the vertical sense, wherein, in the region of the vertical conveyor installation, as the portion units manufactured in the portioning appliance are being continuously conveyed, they are simultaneously enveloped in a film web and normally film edges of the film web are also sealed for realizing a film tube receiving the portion units. For finishing portion packages receiving individual portion units, the only thing then left is to partition the film tube at points corresponding to the portion units carried along in the same. 
     Normally, manufacturing packaging units with which the film envelope rests against the products realizing the respective portion unit as tightly as possible is desirable. Moreover, the operations of enveloping the portion units and conveying the portion units are desired to be performed in a fashion as gentle on the product as possible. 
     The invention is therefore based on the task of proposing an apparatus for manufacturing packaging units allowing for manufacturing a clinging product package while conveying the packaged products in a fashion that is gentle on the products. 
     This task is solved by an apparatus having the features of claim  1 . 
     The apparatus in accordance with the invention has a vertical conveyor installation, which has a conveying channel setting appliance for setting the distance b between the conveying sides arranged so as to be opposed to each other and pertaining to the conveying straps, and a film take-off appliance having a setting appliance for setting the distance a 3  between the film take-off appliance and the vertical conveyor installation. 
     The apparatus in accordance with the invention, by the setting of the distance between the conveying straps of the vertical conveyor installation on the one hand and by the setting of the distance of the film take-off appliance relative to the vertical conveyor installation on the other hand, makes it possible to dimension the conveying channel exactly, with a corresponding adaptation of the conveying channel cross-section to the product conveyed through the conveying channel. Hereby it is ensured that it is made possible to manufacture a clinging outer product packaging without too intense pressure being exerted on the products by way of the conveying straps of the vertical conveyor installation or by way of the film take-off appliance acting on the portion units via the film web. 
     It is particularly advantageous if the conveying channel setting appliance has two axial infeed appliances which are arranged at a base frame of the vertical conveyor installation and each of which acts on a strap conveyor, and whose infeed axes are oriented so as to be parallel to the base frame. By procuring a base frame for arranging the axial infeed appliances, it can, on the one hand, be ensured that an aligned orientation of the conveying channel central axis with respect to a supply axis of the products defined by the positioning appliance, with respect to the vertical conveyor installation, is not influenced. On the other hand, the base frame can simultaneously be used for arranging the film take-off appliance, such that the vertical conveyor installation provided with the conveying channel setting appliance, in combination with the film take-off appliance, can be realized as a modular transport unit via the connection to the base frame, which transport unit can be combined via linking the base frame to a machine frame of the apparatus for manufacturing packaging units. 
     If, in accordance with an advantageous embodiment, the axial infeed appliances, for altering the distance of the strap conveyors, adjust the distance between driving axles of the strap conveyors, a particularly compact construction of the conveying channel setting appliance becomes possible. 
     If, for realizing the setting appliance of the film take-off appliance, the distance between take-off rollers, pertaining to the film take-off appliance and receiving the film edges of the film web between themselves, and the base frame of the vertical conveyor installation is adjustable, the setting appliances are in a decoupled state from each other, such that one setting axis for each of the two setting appliances is sufficient in each instance, and that the setting axes cannot influence each other. 
     If, in accordance with a preferred embodiment, the setting appliance of the film take-off appliance has length adjustable brackets, which are connected to a regulating frame and arranged at the base frame, and which are provided with a take-off roller at their free end in each instance, wherein the distance between the regulating frame and the base frame is adjustable by means of an axial infeed appliance, a particularly compact construction of a transport unit comprising the vertical conveyor installation and the film take-off appliance can be achieved, being able to be combined with the machine framework of the packaging apparatus as a mounting module. 
     If the take-off rollers of the film take-off appliance are provided with a hitch setting appliance, which makes it possible to set an angle of hitch of roller axes of the take-off rollers relative to the horizontal level, it becomes possible to superpose a transverse force to the conveying direction with the propelling force transmitted onto the film web by the take-off rollers in a draw-in gap and acting in the conveying direction, such that, upon setting a suitable angle of hitch, a tensile force acts in the cross-section of the film web, provoking the film web to rest tightly against the portion unit, its size being settable via setting of the angle of hitch. 
     It is particularly advantageous if the hitch setting appliance has an actuator, which is arranged at the base frame, and which is connected, via a regulating shaft, to a pivoting appliance arranged at the take-off rollers and designated for pivoting the roller axis. In a preferred embodiment, the regulating shaft is realized as a cardan shaft. 
    
    
     
       In the following, a preferred embodiment of the apparatus will be explained in more detail with the aid of the drawing. 
       In the figures: 
         FIG. 1  shows an apparatus for manufacturing packaging units, comprising a transport unit having a vertical conveyor installation and a film take-off appliance; 
         FIG. 2  shows the vertical conveyor installation of the transport unit on its own; 
         FIG. 3  shows the transport unit illustrated in  FIG. 1  in an isometric illustration; 
         FIG. 4  shows the transport unit illustrated in  FIG. 3  in a side view; 
         FIG. 5  shows the transport module illustrated in  FIG. 3  in a rear view; 
         FIGS. 6 a,b    show a schematic diagram of a hitch setting appliance. 
     
    
    
       FIG. 1  shows a packaging apparatus  10 , which serves to manufacture packaging units not illustrated in more detail and comprising a portion unit  12 , which is enveloped into a film web  11 . The packaging apparatus  10 , in the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 , comprises a product conveying appliance  13 , by means of which individual products  14  are conveyed to a portioning appliance  15 , which, in the present case, has a circulating conveyor  16  having portion stops  18 ,  19 , which are moved independently of each other in the conveying direction  17 , and which are kinematically controlled in such a fashion that, in a transfer region between the product conveying appliance  13  and the portioning appliance  15 , individual products  14 , following one after another, are stacked on a front portion stop  18 . Said front portion stop  18 , during stacking, is moved forward in timed intervals in the conveying direction  17  of the circulating conveyor  16  until finally, after a defined stacking height has been attained, the rear portion stop  19  is advanced against the stacked portion unit  12 , such that the portion unit  12  is received between the portion stops  18 ,  19  in a defined fashion. 
     For being transferred to a vertical conveyor installation  22  which is arranged below a transfer region  21 , and which is only schematically illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the portion unit  12  passes a film web deflecting appliance  26 , which has an inlet opening  28  arranged on a vertical enveloping axis  27 , on the upper end of the film web deflecting appliance, and a film edge guide slot  29  on its lower end laterally offset with respect to the enveloping axis  27 . 
     As  FIG. 1  shows, the film web deflecting appliance  26  serves to divert the film web  11  from a horizontal conveying track portion  30  into a vertical conveying track portion  31 , wherein a film envelope  24  of the portion unit  12  is simultaneously realized by means of molding shoulders  32 ,  33  of the film web deflecting appliance  26 , which shoulders delimit the inlet opening  28 , and by means of the film edge guide slot  29 . 
     As  FIG. 1  shows in a schematic illustration, a film take-off appliance  36  is arranged so as to be parallel to the vertical conveyor installation  22 . Said installation has two strap conveyors  34 ,  35  (see also  FIGS. 2 and 3 ) which receive the portion unit  12  together with the film envelope  24  for enveloping the portion unit  12  between themselves. The film take-off appliance  36  has two pairs  37 ,  38  of take-off rollers which are arranged one above the other in the conveying direction  17 , and which realize one draw-in gap  39  ( FIG. 2 ) in each instance, through which a film edge  40  is transported in the conveying direction  17 . 
     The vertical conveyor installation  22 , together with the film take-off appliance  36 , forms a transport unit  41 , which makes sure that the film envelope  24  is synchronously conveyed together with the portion units  12  received therein. 
       FIG. 2  shows the transport unit  41  in a detailed illustration, with the vertical conveyor installation  22  and the film take-off appliance  36  arranged so as to be parallel to the vertical conveyor installation  22 . A base frame  42  embodied as a mounting plate by way of example in  FIG. 2  serves to arrange the vertical conveyor installation  22  and the film take-to off appliance  36  relative to each other, and also serves to connect the transport unit  41  to a machine frame not illustrated in more detail here and pertaining to the packaging apparatus  10 . 
     For explaining the function and the construction of the vertical conveyor installation  22 , reference initially is to be made to  FIG. 3 , which shows the vertical conveyor installation  22  on its own and before being linked to the base frame  42 . The vertical conveyor installation  22  comprises, as it has already been remarked in the passages making reference to  FIG. 1 , two strap conveyors  34 ,  35  which are arranged so as to be parallel to each other, and each of which has one framework  43  as well as deflecting appliances  44 ,  45  arranged at the framework  43  for guiding strap arrangements  46 , each of which, in the present case, comprises two conveying straps  47 ,  48  which are guided in a parallel fashion, and which are realized as toothed belts in the present case. The conveying straps  47 ,  48  are driven via a driving wheel  49  which is borne at the framework  43 , and which, via a driving shaft  50 , is connected to a drive motor  52  arranged at the end of a shaft housing  51 . 
     For an exemplary design of a conveying channel setting appliance, which serves to set the distance b of conveying sides  61 ,  62  arranged so as to be opposed to each other and pertaining to the conveying straps  34 ,  35 , the driving shafts  50  or the shaft housings  51  of the driving shafts  50 , as it is illustrated in particular in  FIG. 3 , are received in regulating housings  54 , which are arranged in a guide framework  55  on cross guides  56  and are therefore slidable on an infeed axis  23  running parallel to the base frame  42  ( FIG. 2 ), in a transverse sense to driving axles  53  defined by the driving shafts  50  and pertaining to the strap conveyors  34 ,  35 . An actuator  57  is linked to the guide framework  55 , having a driving shaft  59  which is guided in a shaft housing  58 , and which is driven by a drive motor  60  arranged at the end of the shaft housing  58 . The driving shaft  59  acts, via a deflecting gear not illustrated in more detail here and arranged in the guide framework  55 , on the actuating housings  54 , which are synchronously advanced in opposite directions depending on the rotational direction of the driving shaft  59 , such that the distance a l  between the driving axles  53  of the strap conveyors  34 ,  35  is either amplified or diminished. 
     As  FIG. 3  shows, by way of the distance b of the conveying sides  61 ,  62  pertaining to the strap conveyors  34 ,  35  and facing each other, the width b of a conveying channel  63  realized between the strap conveyors is defined. Portion units  12  realized, for instance, as a product stack here are conveyed in the conveying channel  63 , wherein, in the present case, for reasons of a simplified illustration, the film envelope  24  was not illustrated here. In any event, starting from the illustration in  FIG. 3 , it becomes clear that, by way of an adjustment in the distance a l  between the driving axles  53  of the strap conveyors  34 ,  35 , as a consequence of a corresponding actuation of the actuator  57 , it is made possible in a simple manner to adapt the width b of the conveying channel  63  to the respective dimensions of the products  14  intended for being conveyed in the conveying channel  63 . 
     As it is illustrated in  FIG. 3 , linking faces  64 ,  65  of the guide framework  55  are provided with connection means  66 ,  67 , which serve to link the guide framework  55  of the vertical conveyor installation  22  to the base frame  42 , in such a manner that—as it is illustrated in  FIG. 2 —the guide framework  55  is connected to a rear side  68  of the base frame  42  realized as a mounting plate here. Here, the regulating housings  54  having the shaft housings  51  received therein are arranged in window openings  69  of the base frame  42 . 
     As shown by  FIG. 2  in particular, the vertical conveyor installation  22 , in the transport unit  41 , is combined with the film take-off appliance  36 , which has two pairs  37 ,  38  of take-off rollers in each instance, which form the draw-in gap  39 , into which—as it is illustrated in  FIG. 1 —the film edge  40  is drawn in such that the film envelope  24  is conveyed in the conveying direction  17 , synchronously to the vertical conveyance of the portion units  12  in the conveying channel  63 . Each of the individual take-off rollers  70  of the film take-off appliance  36  is driven via a driving shaft  71 , wherein the two driving shafts  71  of a take-off roller pair  37 ,  38  are driven by a common drive motor  72  via a power divider  73 . Each of the driving shafts  71  is situated in a shaft housing  74 , which has been guided through a window opening  75  in the base frame  42  and is connected to a regulating frame  76 , at which the drive motor  72  and the power divider  73  is arranged and which can be advanced in a parallel fashion relative to the base frame  42 . 
     Hereunto, as shown by  FIG. 4  in particular, an actuator  77  is arranged at the regulating frame  76  for realizing an axial infeed appliance, having a servomotor, which drives a regulating spindle  79 , which engages with a spindle nut  80  arranged at the base frame  42  and sinks into a spindle housing  82  arranged on a front side  81  of the base frame  42 . As it can be taken in particular from the illustration in  FIG. 4 , a drive of the regulating spindle  79  in one direction provokes distance a 2  between the regulating frame  76  and the base frame  42  to be enlarged and a rotation of the regulating spindle  79  in the opposite direction provokes the distance a 2  between the regulating frame  76  and the base frame  42  to be diminished. For instance, when reducing the distance a 2 , which means when the regulating frame  76  is moved towards the base frame  42 , a distance a 3  between the take-off rollers  70  of the film take-off appliance  36  and a conveying channel central axis  83  of the conveying channel  63  is adjusted. 
     In order to make it possible to slide the take-off rollers  70  relative to the base frame  42  correspondingly, the shaft housings  74  of the film take-off appliance  36 , being constructed telescopically, are provided with an outer housing part  84  fixed relative to the base frame  42  and an inner housing part  85  axially slidable relative to the outer housing part and connected to a roller housing  86 . As it can be taken in particular from  FIGS. 2 and 4 , each of the take-off rollers  70  is provided with a hitch setting appliance  87 , which makes it possible to alter a roller axis  88  relative to the horizontal level  89  about an angle of hitch a ( FIG. 6 a   ). 
     For explaining the principle and the effect connected thereto, reference is made to  FIGS. 6 a  and 6 b   , wherein a take-off roller pair  37 ,  38 , having the draw-in gap  39  defined by the take-off pair  37 ,  38 , is illustrated. As shown by  FIG. 6 b    in particular, the take-off rollers  70  rotate in opposite directions, drawing the film edge  40  into the draw-in gap  39 . If the roller axes  88  of the take-off rollers  70  are inclined, as it is illustrated in  FIG. 6 a   , an angle of hitch a is realized, which results in the take-off force Z transmitted onto the film edge  40  by the take-off rollers  70  being displaced in the direction illustrated in  FIG. 6 a   , at the angle of hitch a, with the consequence that, aside from a vertical force component Z v , a horizontal force component Z H  arises, which provokes a corresponding transverse force or tensile force Z H  in the film envelope  24 , with the consequence that the film envelope  24  rests more tightly against a portion unit  12 , which is enveloped by the film envelope  24 . 
       FIGS. 2 and 4  show the hitch setting appliance  87  having a regulating gear  92 , which is driven by a servomotor  91  via a cardan shaft  90  in each instance, said servomotor being arranged on the rear side  68  of the base frame  42  in the region of a shaft feedthrough  93 . The fact that the driving shaft is realized as a cardan shaft  90  between the servomotor  91  and the regulating gear  92  of the hitch setting appliance  87  makes it possible to slide regulating gears  92  arranged at the take-off roller  70  together with the take-off roller  70  relative to the base frame  42 , wherein said sliding results in a corresponding adjustment in the hinge angles of the cardan shaft  90 .