Patent Abstract:
A system, method, and process of for packaging liquid product into cartons using an automated packaging system and more specifically methods of enclosing the packaging system and routing conditioned air over the cartons is presented. More specifically, a carton magazine assembly for collecting plastic coated paper carton blanks prior to sanitization, assembly, filling, and sealing includes a magazine cover that can be opened to insert additional carton blanks into the packaging system as necessary. The magazine cover has an integrated air manifold that directs pressurized conditioned air over the carton blanks towards suction ports. The suction ports collect the air with potential contaminants and the filters the air prior to ejecting it away from the vicinity of the packaging system.

Full Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a device, method, and system for packaging liquid product into containers using an automated packaging system and more specifically to methods of enclosing the packaging system and routing air through the packaging system to reduce contamination.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Automated packaging systems for food products that use paper cartons can be highly automated machines to automatically package food or other liquid products. In the case of paper cartons, the packaging system can automatically assemble the carton container from a paper blank and seal the bottom of the blank to ready it to receive the product. Then the packaging system automatically fills the container with product and seals the top of the container. When the container emerges from the packaging system it is filled, sealed, and ready for delivery.  
         [0003]     A particular concern for packaging systems is the need to minimize potential sources of contamination. These sources of contamination can come from external sources such as dripping fluid from overhead condensate, dust from the environment, accidental spray, and dust from the packaging materials. In the case of cartons made from plastic (polymer) coated paper for example, contamination by dust from the packaging is a particular concern since the plastic coated paper blanks (hereinafter carton blanks) are typically cut with high speed cutting machinery. The cutting process generates significant levels of dust which remain on the carton blanks even when they are loaded in the machine. The management and control of these sources of contamination is important because contamination can reduce the shelf life of a packaged product.  
         [0004]     Therefore, there is a need for a method, apparatus, and process to control contamination in packaging systems and more particularly to control contamination originating from carton blanks and carton magazines on packaging systems. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]     The accompanying figures depict multiple embodiments of a carton magazine and air filtration system for operating a packaging system and minimizing contaminates in a product packaging system. A brief description of each figure is provided below. Elements with the same reference numbers in each figure indicate identical or functionally similar elements. Additionally, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the drawings in which the reference number first appears.  
         [0006]      FIG. 1 —is an isometric view of one embodiment of a carton magazine assembly with cover closed.  
         [0007]      FIG. 2 —is an isometric view of one embodiment of a carton magazine assembly with cover open.  
         [0008]      FIG. 3 —is an isometric cutaway of one embodiment of the carton magazine cover.  
         [0009]      FIG. 4 —is an isometric view of the interior of the air filtration unit.  
         [0010]      FIG. 5 —is an isometric detail view of one embodiment of the air filtration unit plumbed to the carton magazine assembly.  
         [0011]      FIG. 6 —is a view of the backside of carton magazine assembly with connections to the air filtration unit.  
         [0012]      FIG. 7 —is an isometric view of the packaging system. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  shows an isometric view of a carton magazine assembly  100 . The carton magazine assembly  100  is mounted on a support frame  102 . The magazine cover  104  covers and encloses the carton magazines  204  that hold the carton blanks. This embodiment of the magazine cover  104  has a hinge  108  near the upper edge of the magazine cover  104  to rotatably attach the magazine cover  104  to the carton magazine assembly  100 . The hinge  108  enables the magazine cover  104  to be swung in the direction A into an open position, thereby enabling a machine operator or automated loading machine access to the carton magazines  204 . With the magazine cover  104  open, a machine operator or automated loading machine can insert additional carton blanks into the carton magazine assembly  100  while packaging system  700  continues to operate. In this embodiment, the magazine cover  104  is adapted for a human operator and has a handle  106  that the operator (not shown) may grasp to open and close the magazine cover  104 . The magazine cover  104  has, in this embodiment two viewing windows  112  to enable an operator to visually inspect the status of the carton magazines  204  even when the magazine cover  104  is closed. The magazine cover  104  in this embodiment also has a sealing ring arrayed around the periphery of the cover to provide for both soft closure and to seal the interior of the carton magazine assembly  100  from the environment. Due to the positive air pressure inside the carton magazine assembly  100  when the magazine cover  104  is closed, the sealing ring does not have to be air tight in order to reduce potential contamination. In an alternative embodiment the sealing ring is a set of elastomer grommets or feet that primarily provide soft closure for the magazine cover  104 .  
         [0014]     The carton magazine assembly  100  also has two blank opening covers  110   a  and  110   b . Each blank opening cover has a blank opening hinge  116   a  and  116   b . The blank opening covers  110  also have a respective blank opening handle  114   a  and  114   b  for a human operator may grasp and open and close the blank opening covers  110 . The blank opening covers  110  also have viewing windows  112 . The viewing windows  112  enable an operator to visually inspect the operation of the equipment.  
         [0015]     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the carton magazine assembly  100  is shown with the magazine cover  104 , and the blank opening covers  110  open. The magazine cover  104  has a magazine cover air spring  202  that assists in the opening of the magazine cover  104  and substantially prevents the magazine cover  104  from slamming downward with excessive energy. Each of the blank opening covers  110  also has respective blank opening cover air springs  206   a  and  206   b  that assist an operator in lifting the attached blank opening covers  110  and substantially prevents the blank opening covers  110  from slamming downward with excessive energy. Alternative embodiments of the air springs  202  and  206  may include, but are not limited to hydraulic springs, electromagnetic linear actuator/damper, electro-rheologic dampers. In yet other embodiments, the air springs  202  and  206  are fully actuated devices, such as a ball-screw, hydraulic, pneumatic, or electromagnetic actuators to fully automate the opening and closing of the magazine cover  104  and the blank opening covers  110 .  
         [0016]     In addition to the magazine cover air spring  202  and the blank opening cover air springs  206   a  and  206   b  there are additional safety features to hold the magazine cover  104  and the blank opening covers  110  in the open position. Specifically, a magazine cover prop rod  201  is shown to provide an additional means for holding the magazine cover  104  in the open position. Similarly, there are blank opening prop rods  205   a  and  205   b  that provide additional means for holding the blank opening covers  110   a  and  110   b  in the open position. The magazine cover prop rod  201  and the blank opening cover prop rods  205  in this embodiment supplement the air springs  202  and  206  to provide additional protection to prevent the magazine cover  104  and blank opening covers  110  from inadvertently closing when they are in the open position.  
         [0017]     In the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 2 , the magazine cover  104  and the blank opening covers  110  open far enough to enable access to the interior of the carton magazine assembly  100 , but still remaining closed so that a substantial portion of the underlying carton magazine assembly  100  is covered from potential dripping of overhead condensate from overhead piping and equipment into the interior of the carton magazine assembly  100 . There are numerous other embodiments of the magazine cover  104  and blank opening covers  110  that permit similar operation. For example, in one alternative embodiment, the magazine cover  104  and the blank opening covers  110  are designed to slide on tracks to expose the underlying equipment. In another alternative embodiment, the viewing windows  112  are hinged to move separately from the remainder of the cover enabling access to the interior of the carton magazine assembly  100 . In yet another embodiment, the magazine cover  104  and the blank opening covers  110  are split along the centers and fold open like a clam-shell on hinges mounted on the periphery of the cover to expose the interior of the carton magazine assembly  100 .  
         [0018]     Inside this embodiment of the carton magazine assembly  100 , is an upper carton magazine  204   a  and a lower carton magazine  204   b . The carton magazines  204  accept a stack of carton blanks (not shown) that are typically plastic coated paper folded into a substantially flat form prior to opening and sealing to create the product containers. The upper carton magazine  204   a  feeds an upper carton opening mechanism  208   a , while the lower carton magazine  204   b  feeds a lower carton opening mechanism  208   b . The carton opening mechanisms  208  utilize air and other mechanisms known to those of ordinary skill in the art to separate and open each individual carton blank from the carton magazine  204 .  
         [0019]     Continuing to refer to  FIG. 2 , on the inside of the magazine cover  104  is a perforated air cover  210 . The perforated air cover  210  is spaced a distance away from the outer panel of the magazine cover  104  creating a magazine cover air manifold  212 . The magazine cover air manifold  212  is pressurized with conditioned air that is ejected from the holes in the perforated air cover  210 . In the embodiment depicted the conditioned air is microfiltered air from the environment which has substantially all dust particles above a specified size removed from the air stream. In alternative embodiments, the conditioned air also has reduced humidity. In yet another embodiment the conditioned air is another gas such as dry nitrogen from an external source or a combination of conditioned air from the environment and another gas from an external source. Regardless of source, the ejected conditioned air is directed downward onto the carton magazines  204 . The purpose of ejecting conditioned air across the carton magazines  204  is to urge dust and particulate matter off the cartons while ensuring there is a constant stream of conditioned air directed over the cartons waiting packaging in the carton magazine  204 . Further, the stream of conditioned air substantially prevents the build up of condensate on the interior of the magazine cover  104  or the perforated air cover  210  that might drip on the waiting carton blanks in the carton magazine  204  or being processed in the carton opening mechanisms  208 .  
         [0020]     The carton magazine assembly  100  has an upper array of magazine suction nozzles  214   a  and a lower array of magazine suction nozzles  214   b . The magazine suction nozzles  214  draw air from the carton blanks stored in the carton magazines  204 . The action of the magazine cover air manifold  212  ejecting conditioned air into the magazine coupled with the magazine suction nozzles  214  creates a flow pattern of conditioned air over the carton blanks. The flow pattern captures packaging dust and other contaminants from the carton and the environment (when the magazine cover  104  is open). The magazine suction nozzles  214  create a low pressure region in their vicinity thereby urging air inside the carton magazine assembly  100  into the magazine suction nozzles  214 . The movement of conditioned air into the carton magazine assembly  100  from the magazine cover air manifold  212  then out of the unit through the magazine suction nozzles  214  operates to remove contamination from the carton blanks and the interior of the carton magazine assembly  100 . Further, controlling the flow of air within the carton magazine assembly  100  is a carton opening mechanism air baffle  216 . The carton opening mechanism air baffle  216  directs air toward the opening mechanism  208   b.    
         [0021]     A blank opening mechanism safety shield  215  is mounted on the blank opening cover  110   a . The blank opening mechanism safety shield  215  minimizes the potential of an operator inadvertently accessing the blank opening mechanism  208   a  when the magazine cover  104  is open. The blank opening mechanism safety shield  215  also provides secondary control of air flow within the carton magazine assembly  100  by impeding the movement of air from or into the area of the blank opening mechanism  208   a.    
         [0022]     Now referring to  FIG. 3 , a cutaway isometric view of one embodiment of the magazine cover  104  is shown. The perforated air cover  210  is shown spaced a distance away from the outer magazine cover  104  thereby forming the magazine cover air manifold  212 . The magazine cover air manifold  212  is pressurized by conditioned air flowing into the cover  300  through the cover conditioned air inlet  302 . The conditioned air inside the cover air manifold  212  is held to a pressure greater than either the ambient atmosphere or the interior of carton magazine assembly  100  to ensure conditioned air flows through the perforated air cover  210 . In this embodiment, two viewing windows  112  are shown. In order to maintain visual observation of the interior of the carton magazine assembly  100 , the perforated air cover  210  is constructed of a substantially transparent material such as polycarbonate, acrylic (polymethlamethacrylate), PETG (glycol modified polyethylene terphthalate), PVC (polyvinylchloride), PMP (polymethylpenten), polystyrene, or Butyrate (cellulose acetate butyrate). In alternative embodiments, the perforated air cover  210  has sufficiently large and closely spaced holes to enable an operator to view the internal carton magazine assembly  100  with sufficient clarity to discern the activity inside the unit without opening the magazine cover  104  or the blank opening covers  110 . In the embodiment depicted, the holes in the perforated air cover  210  are substantially uniform throughout the entire surface. In alternative embodiments, the relative size of the holes vary across the surface from smaller diameter to larger diameter in order to maintain a relatively constant velocity of conditioned air through the perforated air cover  210  regardless of position or proximity of a specific location on the perforated air cover  210  to the cover conditioned air inlet  302 . In yet another alternative embodiment, the perforated air cover  210  has rectangular slots instead of holes to direct and control the flow of conditioned air from the magazine cover air manifold  212 .  
         [0023]     A cutaway isometric view of the air filtration unit  400  is shown in  FIG. 4 . The air filtration unit  400  provides both suction and pressurized conditioned air for the carton magazine assembly  100 . The suction and pressurized conditioned air are used together to reduce contamination inside the carton magazine assembly  100  and to operate various pneumatic operations within the packaging system  700 , including but not limited to the carton opening mechanisms  208 . The air filtration unit  400  has a single suction blower  402 . The suction blower  402  in this embodiment is a centrifugal fan driven by an electric motor  422 . The suction blower  402  pulls air from inside the carton magazine assembly  100  and from other areas inside the packaging system  700  through the suction air inlet suction blower inlet  420  coupled with a rectangular suction tube  418  that is in fluid communication with the suction air inlet  412 . The suction blower  402  then ejects the air removed from inside the unit through the suction exhaust port  408 . The suction exhaust port  408  is plumbed to an area away from any container packaging or storage areas in order to minimize possible contamination of the environment surrounding the packaging system  700 .  
         [0024]     The air filtration unit  400  also has a pair of air blowers  404 . The air blowers  404  pull ambient air surrounding the air filtration unit  400  and the packaging system  700  into the air filtration unit  400 . The air blowers  404  in this embodiment are a pair of centrifugal fans driven by a single electric motor  424 . The air blowers  404  eject the ambient air into an air conditioning staging volume  414  thereby increasing the pressure of air inside the air conditioning staging volume  414 . The pressurized air is forced from the air conditioning staging volume  414  through an air filter  406  into the conditioned air outlet manifold  410 . The air conditioning staging volume  414  is exposed in  FIG. 4  for clarity; during normal operation the air conditioning staging volume  414  is enclosed. The air conditioning staging volume  414  in some alternative embodiments has an ultraviolet light or ionizing gas source to reduce potential contaminants in the air prior to filtration. In other embodiments, a dehumidifying system is provided to reduce the relative humidity of the air in the air conditioning staging volume  414  prior to filtration. In yet another alternative embodiment the conditioned air supplied by the air filtration unit  400  is air from the ambient environment pressurized by means of the air blowers  404 .  
         [0025]     The air filter  406  in this embodiment is a microfiltration high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. A HEPA filter is designed to remove more than 99.97% of all airborne pollutants 0.3 microns or larger at the designed flow rate. After passing through the air filter  406 , the conditioned air passing through the conditioned air outlet manifold  410  can be considered micro-filtered air. In other embodiments, the air filter  406  uses other types of filters such as an ultra-low particle air (ULPA) filter or a combination of filters including electrostatic filters.  
         [0026]     In yet another alternative embodiment of the air filtration unit  400 , the output of the suction blower  402  is plumbed either directly or indirectly into the air blowers  404 . The resulting recycled air then passed through air filter  406  and any additional conditioning prior to exiting the air filtration unit  400  through the conditioned air outlet manifold  410  and being sent to the carton magazine assembly  100 .  
         [0027]      FIG. 5  details one embodiment of the plumbing connecting the air filtration unit  400  and the carton magazine assembly  100 . In this case, the exterior casing of the carton magazine assembly  100  and the magazine cover  104  and blank opening covers  110  are removed only to improve visualization. The air filtration unit  400  has a suction air inlet  412  that pulls air from the carton magazine assembly  100 . The suction air inlet  412  is connected to a suction tube  500 .  
         [0028]     The air filtration unit  400  also has a conditioned air outlet manifold  410  that provides pressurized conditioned air to the carton magazine assembly  100 . In this embodiment, the conditioned air outlet manifold  410  is connected to four conditioned air tubes  502   a ,  502   b ,  502   c , and  502   d  which lead to the cover conditioned air inlet  302 . A single conditioned air tube  504  is also connected to the conditioned air outlet manifold  410  and provides pressurized conditioned air to the blank opening conditioned air manifold  508 . The blank opening conditioned air manifold  508  distributes the pressurized conditioned air to the carton opening mechanisms  208   a  and  208   b.    
         [0029]     A view of the underside of the carton magazine assembly is shown in  FIG. 6 . In this figure, the air filtration unit  400  has side panels that normally enclose the unit removed for visualization purposes thereby exposing several internal components including the air conditioning staging volume  414 , the air filter  406  and the air blower  404 . There are two suction contaminant collectors  600   a  and  600   b  associated with the respective blank opening mechanisms  208   a  and  208   b . The suction contaminant collectors  600  collect carton dust and other contaminants from inside the blank opening mechanisms  208 . The dust is collected with the suction contaminant collectors  600  because the suction contaminant collectors  600  are held at a lower pressure than the pressure inside the carton magazine assembly  100  and the conditioned air expelled by the blank opening conditioned air manifold  508  is directed across the blank opening mechanisms  208  and toward the suction contaminant collectors  600 .  
         [0030]     Located underneath the magazine suction nozzles  214   a  and  214   b  are suction air manifolds  604   a  and  604   b . The suction air manifolds  604  provide a region of low pressure, relative to the interior of the carton magazine assembly  100  or the outside environment, thereby urging air from within the carton magazine assembly  100  to flow into the magazine suction nozzles  214 . Further, contaminants are collected with the magazine suction nozzles  214  because the magazine cover air manifold  212  directs air over the carton magazines  204  thereby urging contaminants toward the magazine suction nozzles  214  and the suction air manifolds  604 . The suction air manifolds  604   a  and  604   b  are connected to respective flexible manifold suction tubes  606   a  and  606   b.    
         [0031]     The flexible manifold suction tubes  606  and the flexible suction hoses  602  come together at a single suction manifold  608 . The suction manifold is plumbed into a suction filter canister  610 . The suction filter canister  610  has a removable filter  612 . The collected dust and air from the carton magazine assembly  100  is passed through the suction filter  610  and some contaminants are trapped in the removable filter  612  for disposal. The collected air with the remaining dust is then pulled through the suction tube  500 , the suction air inlet  412 , the rectangular suction tube  418 , and the suction blower inlet  420  into the suction blower  402  to be exhausted from the system via the suction exhaust port  408 .  
         [0032]     The embodiment depicted in these figures show specific numbers of suction and conditioned air tubes connecting the air filtration unit  400  to the carton magazine assembly  100 . The numbers and configuration of tubes can be modified and selected according to well defined parameters including, but not limited to, the desired pressure necessary to effectively remove contaminants, the pressure drop within the various tubes, filters, manifolds, and nozzles of the conditioned air system, the overall air volume, and other parameters known to those of ordinary skill in the art. In the embodiments depicted, the air filtration unit  400  is mounted above the carton magazine assembly  100 . However, in alternative embodiments, the air filtration unit  300  is mounted in other locations including on the support frame  102 . Further, the embodiments depicted show only two carton magazines  204  and two carton opening mechanisms  208 . The teachings enclosed provide sufficient instruction for one of ordinary skill in the art to either increase or decrease the number of separate carton magazines  204  and carton opening mechanisms  208  as needed to service a specific packaging system  700 .  
         [0033]     An embodiment of an automated packaging system  700  incorporating a carton magazine assembly  100  as described above is shown in an isometric view in  FIG. 7 . The carton magazine assembly  100  is shown with the magazine cover  104  closed. The air filtration unit  400  for the carton magazine assembly  100  is shown mounted above the carton magazine assembly  100 . Next to the carton magazine assembly  100  is the operator console  702 . The operator monitors the status of the packaging system  700  at the operator console  702  and can use the operator interface systems at the operator console  702  to provide local commands for the packaging system  700 . After the carton magazine assembly  100 , the next station inside the packaging system is the carton blank folding and sealing station  704 . The carton blank folding and sealing station  704  takes a carton blank that have been opened by carton opening mechanisms  208  and folds the carton to create, typically, a box like shape. The bottom is then sealed to create a fluid tight seal to contain the product.  
         [0034]     After creating the lower portion of the carton, the folded and partially sealed carton is moved to the next station of the packaging system  700 , the carton sanitization, filling, and top sealing station  708 . At the carton sanitization, filling, and top sealing station  708  the carton is first sanitized to remove any last contaminants from the carton. Then the carton is filled with product to the desired level. After the sanitized carton is filled, the carton is then sealed to create a closed, filled product carton. The filled and sealed product cartons are then ejected from the machine at the filled container discharge point  710  for any additional packaging, bundling, post-processing and ultimately shipment. A second air filtration unit  706  provides HEPA microfiltered air to the carton blank folding and sealing station  704 , the carton sanitization, filling, and top sealing station  708 , and the remainder of the environmentally controlled packaging system  700 .  
         [0035]     The packaging system  700  is controlled by an electronic control system with a user interface provided at the operator console  702 . The electronic control system is a digital computer control system. The digital computer control system may operate as a programmable logic controller (PLC) or other real-time controller. The digital computer control system accepts a variety of different inputs from sensors and command inputs to operate the system according to the programmed control logic. The different types of sensor inputs from the carton magazine assembly  100  can include, but are not limited to, carton magazine  204  fill levels, carton opening mechanism  208  status, suction filter  210  status, air conditioning staging volume pressure  414 , carton magazine assembly  100  internal pressure, suction air inlet air velocity  412 , conditioned air outlet air velocity  410 , carton opening conditioned air manifold  506  pressure or air velocity, magazine cover air manifold  212  pressure, electric motor  422  and/or single electric motor  424  operation status, voltage, and temperature, and other sensor inputs identifiable to those of ordinary skill in the art. The command inputs can include, but are not limited to, commands such as start, stop, and operate. The digital computer control system may record information gathered from sensors and record commands given during operations for diagnostic and other reporting requirements. The recorded information can be either stored locally on the controller or forwarded via a network to an external database (not shown). In alternative embodiments, the control of the packaging system  700  is performed with discrete electronic components, electo-mechanical components, hydraulic or pneumatic couplings or other combinations thereof as known to those of ordinary skill in the art.  
         [0036]     The embodiments of the invention shown in the drawings and described above are exemplary of numerous embodiments that may be made within the scope of the appended claims. It is contemplated that numerous other configurations of carton magazine assemblies  100  and associated air filtration units  400  and packaging systems  700  may be created taking advantage of the disclosed approach. It is the applicant&#39;s intention that the scope of the patent issuing herefrom will be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1