Abstract:
A device and a method for packaging articles ( 14 ) are proposed, wherein the device comprises the following: at least one insertion device ( 30 ) which transfers articles ( 14 ) to be packaged into a folded box ( 28 ), at least one transport means ( 16 ) which transports a plurality of articles ( 14 ) to be packaged in the form of a stack in at least one packaging material bowl ( 12 ) into the gripping region of the insertion device ( 30 ), wherein an aligning unit ( 20 ) is provided which, in order to stabilize the stack, acts on the articles ( 14 ) which lies in the packaging material bowl ( 12 ), before said articles ( 14 ) pass into the gripping region of the insertion device ( 30 ).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The invention relates to a device and a method for packaging articles. 
         [0002]    A shaping shoulder for shaping a film tubular bag is already known from the German patent application DE 10 2007 049 703 A1. Elongated, narrow tubular bags, so-called stickpacks, can be produced with this device in a multilane process with a high level of output. 
         [0003]    A device for packaging articles, in particular blister packs, is already known from the German patent application DE 10 2006 049 828 A1. A feed device supplies articles to be packaged. A multi-pass device comprises a multiplicity of bowls, each pass having it own separate drive. A transfer device is provided for transferring the articles from the feed device to the multi-pass device. Said device for packaging articles is particularly suited to packaging planarly designed blister packs into folded boxes. 
         [0004]    It is the aim of the present invention to package in particular so-called stickpacks especially quickly and reliably into folded boxes. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    By the use of the inventive device and the method according to the invention for packaging articles, it is possible to facilitate a reliable transfer of the articles to be packaged from the packaging material bowls into the folded boxes by means of the selective alignment of said articles to be packaged. Said inventive device and method are especially suited to so-called stickpacks, which are elongated tubular bags that are filled, for example, with powdered filling material. As a result, the aforementioned packagings can have a relatively uneven filling under certain circumstances and thus exhibit instability in the stacked state. A shift of the center of gravity of the stack of the articles to be packaged, in particular of the stickpacks, is achieved by means of the aligning unit provided according to the invention; thus enabling the stack to be stabilized in the direction of an oblique lateral guide in accordance with an expedient implementation. 
         [0006]    In an expedient modification to the invention, the aligning unit, in order to stabilize the stack, aligns the ends of the articles lying in a packaging material bowl such that the stack is inclined relative to the vertical. As a result of this selective shift of the center of gravity and subsequent support, the stack can also be stabilized during further transport into the gripping region of the insertion device and thereafter more easily into the folded boxes. 
         [0007]    Provision is made in another expedient modification to the invention for the aligning unit to push the articles against the oblique lateral guide. The lateral guide furthermore takes on the stabilization of the now aligned stack of the articles to be packaged for further transport into the gripping region of the insertion device. 
         [0008]    In one expedient modification to the invention, the aligning unit has a pivoting mechanism which moves a lateral plate perpendicularly to the direction of transportation of the transport means. This mechanism can act in a particularly simple manner on the end faces of the articles to be packaged without the transport means being blocked. 
         [0009]    In another expedient modification to the invention, means for oblique positioning of the folding boxes are provided. The inclination of the folding boxes prevents the loss of the stack formation of the aligned articles until the closing of the folded box flaps on the insertion side. In so doing, a reliable filling of the folded box with the articles to be packaged is achieved. 
         [0010]    In another expedient modification to the invention, a flap folder is provided which closes at least one flap prior to inserting the articles into the folded box. As a result, articles can be pressed against the closed side flap; thus enabling the stability of the stack of articles to be further maintained. 
         [0011]    In another expedient modification to the invention, the insertion device has an oblique insertion surface, which corresponds approximately to the inclination of the stack of the articles. In so doing, the complete stack of articles can be transferred into the folding box. In a particularly preferred manner, the insertion surface is inclined with respect to the vertical in such a way that contact is initially made with an article which lies at the top of the stack when inserting articles into the folded box. This increases the stability of the insertion process. 
         [0012]    In another expedient modification to the invention, provision is made for a lateral guide to be situated between the folding box and the insertion device. The desired stability can thus be maintained during the transfer of the stacks. 
         [0013]    Provision is made in another expedient modification to the invention for toothing to be provided on the inside of the packaging material chain and/or the lateral guide. This likewise contributes to the stabilization of the stack of articles by the toothed sections interacting in a stabilizing manner with the lateral edges of the articles. 
         [0014]    Further expedient modifications ensue from the further dependent claims and the description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    An exemplary embodiment of the inventive device for packaging articles is depicted in the drawings and is described in detail below. In the drawings: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the device for packaging articles; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  shows a side view of the aligning unit; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  shows a side view of the insertion device in the transfer position; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  shows a perspective depiction of the device comprising aligning unit and front lateral guide. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    A device  8  for packaging articles  14  has a transport means  16  which by way of example is embodied as a packaging material chain. A plurality of packaging material bowls are disposed on the belt-like transport means  16 . Said packaging material bowls  12  have toothed sections  22  on the inner surface thereof, said toothed sections being oriented transversely to a direction of transportation  17  of the transport means  16  indicated by an arrow. By way of example, a plurality of articles  14  to be packaged is shown in a packaging material bowl. Said articles  14  are designed in an elongated manner, so-called stickpacks. The articles  14  come to rest such that the longer lateral edges thereof are aligned parallel to the toothed sections  22  of the packaging material bowls  12 . An aligning unit  20  is situated at the outset of the device as viewed in the direction of transportation  17 . In a pivotal motion relative to the open front face of a packaging material bowl  12 , said aligning unit  20  moves a lateral plate  24  in a manner such that the articles lying in the packaging material bowl  12  can be pressed with the end faces thereof against the rear lateral guide  10  disposed on the rear, open side of the packaging material bowl  12 . 
         [0021]    The aligning unit  20  is depicted in detail in  FIG. 2 . It can be seen therefrom that the rear side wall  13  of the rear, open packaging material bowl  12  is inclined, namely in the same manner as the rear lateral guide  10 . Said rear lateral guide  10  extends across a plurality of packaging material bowls  12  until said packaging material bowl  12  is situated in the operating area of an insertion device  30 . The insertion device  30  moves the stack of articles  14  situated in the packaging material bowl  12  transversely to the direction of transportation  17  in an insertion direction  31  indicated by an arrow ahead to the open folding box  28 . A flap folder  36  which can move up and down has already folded a lower flap  29  of the folded box  28  upwards so that the lower flap  29  closes the back wall of the folded box  28 . In the insertion position, the packaging material bowl  12  aligns laterally with a lateral guide  38  which is disposed between the side wall of said packaging material bowl  12  and the front face of the folded box  28 . A pre-insertion unit  34  which comprises a hold-down device is located above the insertion plunger of the insertion device  30 . The hold-down device acts on the top side of the product stack to be transferred by said device pressing the product stack downwards. 
         [0022]    Further details of the insertion device  30  in the transfer position are shown in  FIG. 3 . The pre-insertion unit  34  protrudes into the packaging material bowl  12  open to the front face and acts on the top side of a stack of articles  14  which is not depicted. The stack of articles  14  is aligned with the front face ends thereof in correspondence with the inclination of the rear lateral guide  10 . The insertion device  30  has a slightly inclined insertion surface  32 . Said insertion surface  32  is inclined in a manner opposite to that of the rear lateral guide  10 ; and therefore the uppermost article  14  of the stack, the end of which protrudes the furthest to the right, is initially gripped by the insertion surface  32  and inserted into the waiting folded box  28 . The lateral guide  38  disposed between folded box  28  and packaging material bowl  12  has toothed sections  39  that are aligned parallel to the insertion direction  31 , said toothed sections  39  being aligned with the toothed sections  22  of the packaging material bowls  22 . As a result, the stability of the packaging material stack is improved when transferring stack during the insertion process. The folded box  28  is slightly inclined at an angle of inclination  42  relative to the horizontal. In so doing, the transfer of the articles  14  is made easier. The flap folder  36  can be moved in the vertical direction so that the lower flap  29  is brought upwards and therefore the rear side of the folded box  28  is closed. 
         [0023]    It is evident in the perspective view of  FIG. 4  that the slightly inclined folded box  28  is brought into this position by a correspondingly inclined guide  40 . The guide  40  is embodied as a plate-shaped part having a top edge inclined correspondingly at an angle of inclination  42  with respect to the horizontal. The mechanical construction of the aligning unit  20  is evident in the view pursuant to  FIG. 4 . In the case of a corresponding lever mechanism  44 , the lateral plate  24  shown in  FIG. 2  is also brought into a pivotal motion so that the articles  14  which are not aligned are pressed rearwards against the oblique lateral guide  10 . A front lateral guide  18  is disposed parallel to the front side of the packaging material bowls in the direction of transportation  17 ; and therefore the articles  14  lying in the packaging material bowls  12  cannot fall out forwards. 
         [0024]    The device  8  for packaging articles  14  depicted in  FIGS. 1 to 4  operates in the following manner: 
         [0025]    At the beginning, the packaging material bowls  12  are randomly filled with articles  14 . The articles  14  embodied as stickpacks are, however, oriented such that the longitudinal sides come to rest with corresponding toothed sections  22  parallel to the side walls of the packaging material bowls  12  as indicated in  FIG. 1 . The transport means  16  brings the randomly filled packaging material bowl  12  into the gripping region of the aligning unit  20 . The aligning unit  20  is fixedly disposed relative to the transport means  16 . The transport means  16  stops the packaging material bowl  12  in such a way that the aligning unit  20  can act on the front sides of the products  14  by means of a pivotal motion of the lateral plate  24 . In so doing, the products  14  are put in order in such a manner that the center of gravity of the product stack is displaced rearwards and the rear sides of the articles  14  are pressed against the rear lateral guide  10 . The articles  14  thereby align in the form of a stack such that said articles, with increasing height, protrude further to the rear and are situated in contact with the lateral guide  10 . After alignment of the articles has been completed  14 , the aligning unit  20  again returns to the starting position. The transport means then moves the next filled packaging material bowl  12  into the gripping region of the aligning unit  20 . 
         [0026]    The aligned articles  14  enter into the gripping region of the insertion device  30 . The rear lateral guide  10  is fixedly disposed relative to the transport means  16  and the packaging material bowls transported with the same. In the transfer position, the back side of the packaging material bowl  14  is now released; thus enabling the ordered stack of articles  14  to be moved in the insertion direction  31  to the waiting folded box  28  with the aid of the obliquely positioned insertion surface  32  of the insertion device  30 . In order to additionally stabilize the stack of articles  14  to be transferred, the pre-insertion unit  34  presses via the hold-down unit downwardly against the top side of the stack. The pre-insertion unit is moved together with the insertion device  30  in the insertion direction  31 . The stack is pushed along the lateral guide into the waiting folded box  28 . To this end, the folded box  28  is disposed so as to be slightly inclined relative to the horizontal at the angle of inclination  42 . The lower flap  29  has already been previously closed. After the stack of articles  14  has been inserted into the folded box  28 , the other flaps of said folded box  28  are closed. As a result, the articles  14  are transferred into the folded box  28  in a particularly reliable manner. 
         [0027]    The device  8  described is particularly suited to packaging stickpacks in folded boxes using horizontal cartoning machines; however, other, particularly elongated articles, which especially tend to gain excess weight in the stacked state due to inhomogeneous product distribution, can be packaged with said device  8 .