Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B7/00—Closing containers or receptacles after filling
  • B65B7/16—Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons
  • B65B7/162—Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons by feeding web material to securing means
  • B65B7/164—Securing by heat-sealing
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B17/00—Other machines, apparatus, or methods for packaging articles or materials
  • B65B17/02—Joining articles, e.g. cans, directly to each other for convenience of storage, transport, or handling
  • B65B17/025—Joining articles, e.g. cans, directly to each other for convenience of storage, transport, or handling the articles being joined by a top carrier element
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B29/00—Packaging of materials presenting special problems
  • B65B29/02—Packaging of substances, e.g. tea, which are intended to be infused in the package
  • B65B29/022—Packaging of substances, e.g. tea, which are intended to be infused in the package packaging infusion material into capsules
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B43/00—Forming, feeding, opening or setting-up containers or receptacles in association with packaging
  • B65B43/42—Feeding or positioning bags, boxes, or cartons in the distended, opened, or set-up state; Feeding preformed rigid containers, e.g. tins, capsules, glass tubes, glasses, to the packaging position; Locating containers or receptacles at the filling position; Supporting containers or receptacles during the filling operation
  • B65B43/52—Feeding or positioning bags, boxes, or cartons in the distended, opened, or set-up state; Feeding preformed rigid containers, e.g. tins, capsules, glass tubes, glasses, to the packaging position; Locating containers or receptacles at the filling position; Supporting containers or receptacles during the filling operation using roller-ways or endless conveyors
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B51/00—Devices for, or methods of, sealing or securing package folds or closures; Devices for gathering or twisting wrappers, or necks of bags
  • B65B51/10—Applying or generating heat or pressure or combinations thereof
  • B65B51/14—Applying or generating heat or pressure or combinations thereof by reciprocating or oscillating members
  • B65B51/144—Closing paperboard containers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B61/00—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages
  • B65B61/04—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages for severing webs, or for separating joined packages
  • B65B61/06—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages for severing webs, or for separating joined packages by cutting
  • B65B61/065—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages for severing webs, or for separating joined packages by cutting by punching out
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B61/00—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages
  • B65B61/28—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages for discharging completed packages from machines
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B65/00—Details peculiar to packaging machines and not otherwise provided for; Arrangements of such details
  • B65B65/003—Packaging lines, e.g. general layout
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B9/00—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, e.g. liquids or semiliquids, in flat, folded, or tubular webs of flexible sheet material; Subdividing filled flexible tubes to form packages
  • B65B9/02—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material between opposed webs
  • B65B9/04—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material between opposed webs one or both webs being formed with pockets for the reception of the articles, or of the quantities of material
  • B65B9/042—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material between opposed webs one or both webs being formed with pockets for the reception of the articles, or of the quantities of material for fluent material
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B41/00—Supplying or feeding container-forming sheets or wrapping material
  • B65B41/12—Feeding webs from rolls
  • B65B41/16—Feeding webs from rolls by rollers

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method for manufacturing and/or processing a plurality of packages.
• the invention relates in particular to the transport of packaging elements during the packaging manufacturing process.
• the invention is especially suitable for processing tray-shaped packages that are sealed with a top layer.
• a large number of packages are typically processed by a machine in continuous or semi-continuous operation.
• Such a machine usually has several stations, each performing processing steps on the packaging and/or the packaging elements that make up the package.
• the packages or packaging elements must be transported from station to station. Precise positioning of the packages and/or packaging elements at each station is regularly required to ensure correct processing. This applies, for example, to stations with die-cutting devices, where the die-cutting elements must act on the packages or packaging elements at the correct, designated points, or to stations with printing devices, where imprints must be applied at the correct, designated points.
• the positioning of packages and/or packaging elements at each station is always of paramount importance in machines for the production and/or processing of packaging.
• the object of the present invention is to present a particularly advantageous method for transporting packaging and/or packaging elements, which can be used in machines for the manufacture and/or processing of packaging. Furthermore, a corresponding machine for the manufacture and/or processing of packaging, in which this method is carried out, is to be presented.
• the novel process and the novel machine offer particularly advantageous properties with regard to the challenges existing in relation to the positioning of packaging and packaging elements, and is applicable under many conditions in machines for the production and/or processing of packaging.
• packaging here refers in particular to the finished packaging with all its components, which is preferably sealed and already contains a product that is packaged inside the packaging.
• packing element here refers in particular to sub-components that, together with other sub-components, form the packaging.
• the packaging that can be transported in a machine according to the method described here is primarily food packaging.
• a typical application for this method is, for example, in machines that process coffee capsules as packaging or in which coffee capsules are filled.
• Such capsules typically have a packaging element into which the coffee powder is placed, and a lid attached to it that seals the capsule, thus forming the (closed) packaging.
• packaging elements are normally moved from processing station to processing station in holders of a transport system. transported.
• the position of the fixtures on the transport system is usually known exactly, so that, starting from the position of the fixtures, the packaging elements can each be brought exactly to a specific position within the respective processing station.
• Transport systems in machines where the method described here can be applied are typically quite complex.
• Such transport systems can, for example, have segments, each with a group of receptacles for packaging elements.
• a majority of these segments run on a chain drive and are moved from station to station, similar to segments of a conveyor belt, where the packaging or packaging elements are processed.
• such a transport system extends through an entire machine for the production and/or processing of such packaging, so that the transport system passes through all stations of the machine.
• the packaging or packaging elements are preferably separated from the transport system. This can be achieved, for example, by rotating the holders so that the packaging or packaging elements fall out of them.
• suction grippers can be provided with which the packaging or packaging elements can be lifted upwards out of the holders of a transport system.
• the station at which the packaging elements are separated from the transport system is the final station of the machine, where the finished packages (preferably filled with product) are removed from the transport system.
• the packaging elements processed using the method described here are, in particular, packaging elements made of a fiber-based material, especially paper or cardboard.
• the packaging elements are especially preferably formed using a forming process for fiber-based materials. These materials have been manufactured, particularly using a deep-drawing process for fiber-based materials. Fiber-based materials behave differently than, for example, plastic materials in the forming processes intended for them (especially deep-drawing processes). When deep-drawing fiber-based materials, it is regularly necessary for the material to slide into a die during forming. Frequently, when using such processes to produce three-dimensional shapes, wrinkles form in the fiber-based material, which are then flattened between a die and a punch.
• forming processes for manufacturing packaging elements from fiber-based raw materials are not usually applied to a continuous web of the fiber-based raw material. It is generally advantageous to use pre-formed material blanks of the fiber-based raw material, onto which a punch and a die act centrally during forming, so that the fiber-based raw material can slide evenly from all directions to achieve the desired three-dimensional shape.
• packaging elements formed from individual material blanks are typically formed from fiber-based raw materials, they are usually arranged individually and not in a continuous web. Therefore, it is generally advantageous for such packaging elements to be guided in fixtures of the transport system that allow for precise positioning of these individual elements.
• packaging or packaging elements are removed from the transport system using a web material.
• the packaging or packaging elements are transported by the transport system into receptacles within the transport system.
• the packaging or packaging elements are then transported with the web material, to which the packaging is joined in step c).
• the web material or components for processing the web material in the machine (here collectively referred to as "web material processing") preferably form a kind of second transport system with which packaging/packaging elements can be transported within the machine.
• Steps b) and c) constitute a transfer process by which packaging/packaging elements are transferred from the transport system to the web material or to the web material processing.
• step c) the packaging/packaging elements are still in fixtures of the transport system. Connecting the packaging/packaging elements to the web material ensures the very precise positioning of the packaging/packaging elements by means of the fixtures.
• step d) the packaging/packaging elements can be moved to further stations of the machine for further processing. This allows the precise positioning of the packaging/packaging elements by the fixtures to be maintained for subsequent processing steps. Such subsequent processing steps can be carried out when the packaging/packaging elements are no longer in the fixtures of the transport system.
• packaging/packaging elements Individual handling of the packaging/packaging elements is not required. By attaching the packaging/packaging elements to the web material, multiple packaging elements can be handled together.
• the described solution for attaching packaging elements to the web material is particularly advantageous in connection with packaging elements made from fiber-based raw materials.
• packaging elements cannot usually be formed from a continuous web of material because this would prevent the fiber-based raw material from sliding down. Instead, such packaging elements are typically individual.
• step c By attaching such packaging elements to a web material according to step c), it becomes possible to convey these packaging elements from the point of attachment to the web material in the same way as would be possible with packaging elements formed directly from a web.
• the described method thus makes it possible to apply principles for the precise positioning of packaging elements using a web to packaging elements produced from individual material blanks. It is particularly advantageous if at least the following process step is carried out in addition to step d): e) Separating a section of the web material with the attached packaging elements from the web material to form the packages.
• sections of the web material that are separated from the web material in step e) become part of the packaging.
• the packaging elements are particularly preferably tray-shaped. Such sections particularly preferably form a kind of lid on the packaging elements to create a (closed) package.
• step e) Moving the packaging elements away from any remaining residual web material.
• step f) the packaging is preferably spatially separated from the web material in parallel with step e).
• the packaging is then provided to other machines in step f) for subsequent further processing of the packaging.
• the remaining railway material is preferably transported further in accordance with step f) and, if necessary, disposed of.
• the packaging elements provided in step a) are tray-shaped, wherein the transport system provides tray-shaped receptacles in which the tray-shaped packaging elements are received.
• Such tray-shaped packaging elements can be, for example, coffee capsules.
• the web material can form a cover film for such packaging elements/coffee capsules to create the closed coffee capsule.
• step c) it is advantageous if the joining of the majority of packaging elements to the web material in step c) takes place when the packaging elements are arranged in the receptacles of the transport system.
• the packaging elements By connecting the packaging elements while they are arranged in the receptacles of the transport system, it is possible to adopt the positioning of the packaging elements achieved by the receptacles and transfer it to the positioning of the packaging elements on the web material.
• step d) the packaging elements are lifted out of the receptacles of the transport system along with the web material.
• the web material is preferably moved upwards away from the transport system or the transport system's receptacles. This preferably creates a gap between the transport system and the web material.
• the packaging or packaging elements remain attached to the web material and are thus lifted out of the transport system's receptacles.
• the packaging elements are preferably lifted out of the transport system or receptacles along with the web material.
• the web material is preferably It is deflected to move it upwards away from the transport system.
• the packaging elements follow the movement of the web material.
• the web material is a film material and if, in step c), sections of the web material connected with the packaging elements form lid elements for the packaging elements.
• the web material is preferably a fiber-based material and/or a polymeric material.
• the web material can be a plastic film.
• the web material can also be paper.
• the web material (and preferably also the packaging elements provided) is typically designed with a barrier layer that prevents moisture from penetrating or escaping the packaging.
• the web material is provided as a continuous material and if, after separating sections of the web material with the connected packaging elements, a residual web material remains.
• Continuous materials are preferably supplied to such devices on a roll.
• the term "continuous material” does not mean that the web material does not end.
• the ends of a continuous material are not relevant. Only when changing the roll on which the continuous material is supplied must the ends of the continuous material at the beginning and end of the roll be taken into account.
• the web material is brought to the transport system from above and deflected in order to be arranged near the majority of packaging elements in step b).
• the device has a web material processing unit that controls the movement of the web material.
• the web material processing unit controls the movement of the web material.
• Web material processing uses a deflection roller around which the web material is guided at an angle of approximately 90 degrees, so that a web material brought vertically upwards to the transport system is deflected at an angle of 90 degrees and has a course that is approximately parallel to the direction of travel of the transport system.
• the recordings of the transport system are matrices in which, prior to step a), the packaging elements are formed from a flat starting material.
• the packaging elements provided in step a) are manufactured/formed from a starting material using a deep-drawing process.
• the forming of the packaging elements takes place in the fixtures of the transport system or the machine with which the process is carried out.
• the packaging elements are filled with a filling material, provided the packaging elements are already in the holders.
• pre-filled packaging elements are provided in step a). Filling the packaging or packaging elements before joining them to the web material is advantageous because otherwise the web material would cover the packaging elements.
• packaging elements are sealed with the web material in parallel and/or following step c).
• the sealing process preferably joins the packaging element provided according to step a) and the web material together in such a way that a package formed with the packaging element is sealed.
• the sealing can, for example, be carried out as a type of welding process, where in which the web material and the material of the packaging element are welded together.
• a circumferential seal is particularly preferred, which is applied without interruption all the way around the packaging element.
• step c) (only) creates a connection that defines the position of the packaging elements on the web material, but this is not yet the final seal, which is then carried out in a subsequent processing step.
• This can also be a processing step following step d), according to which the packaging element or the packaging has already been transported away from the transport system.
• Fig. 1 Figure 9 schematically shows a section of a machine 9 configured to carry out the described process.
• the transport system 3, which has a chain drive 13, is visible.
• the transport system 3 preferably has segments 12, each of which has a group of holders 4 for packaging elements 2.
• the machine 9 has stations 14, at each of which processing steps are carried out for processing the packaging 1 or the packaging element 2.
• Fig. 1 Station 14 is shown where a connecting component 11 acts on the packaging elements 2 or on the web material 5 in order to connect the web material 5 and the packaging element 2 according to process step c).
• a punching device 8 is shown, at which packages 1 are cut out of the web material 5.
• the machine 9 can have a plurality of further stations 14 at which other processing steps for the processing of the package 1 or the packaging element 2 are carried out. Particularly in connection with the punching device 8, which punches out the packages 1 from the web material 5, it is evident that precise positioning of the package 1 or the packaging element 2 in the respective stations 14 is very important for the operation of the machine 9.
• the packaging elements 2 are first provided by the transport system 3 according to step a).
• the web material 5 is fed to the packaging elements 2 from above by a web material processing unit 10, as per step b).
• the web material processing unit 10 is equipped with a deflection roller 16, which guides the web material 5 from the packaging elements 2.
• the web material 5, which is brought to the top of the packaging elements 2, is deflected in order to guide it parallel to the transport system 3 after the deflection roller 16.
• Step c) is carried out at station 14, where the connecting component 11, shown schematically here, connects the web material 5 to the provided packaging elements 2.
• the connecting component 11 can directly seal the packages 1 or the packaging elements 2, thereby completely closing them with the web material 5.
• the connecting component 11 creates (only) a temporary connection, fixing the packaging elements 2 to the web material 5 in such a way that the packaging elements 2 can then be transported together with the web material.
• a gap 15 is created between the transport system 3 and the receiving units 4 of the transport system 3. This lifts the packaging elements 2 out of the receiving units 4 of the transport system 3 so that they can then be processed further independently of the receiving units 4 of the transport system 3.
• the packaging elements 2, together with sections 6 of the web material 5, can be punched out of the web material 5 as finished packages 1 (preferably already filled with contents) in a station 14 using a punching device 8 (step e)).
• the packages 1 are then moved away from the web material 5 (step f)).
• the packaging elements 2 are preferably also calibrated. A circumferential (often uneven) edge, which is the result of the packaging element 2 being cut from a starting material, is thereby separated from the packaging element 2 or from the package 1.
• connection between the packaging element 2 and the web material 5 created in step c) is such that In one embodiment, the edge is designed so that it remains attached to the remaining web material 7 and is thus disposed of together with the remaining web material 7. In other embodiments, the connection created in step c) between the packaging element 2 and the web material 5 is designed such that this edge itself is not connected to the web material 5 and falls off during steps e) and f) or during calibration and can be disposed of separately.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
• Making Paper Articles (AREA)
• Auxiliary Devices For And Details Of Packaging Control (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=95399014

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Family Cites Families (13)

• 2024
  • 2024-04-25 DE DE102024111660.9A patent/DE102024111660A1/de active Pending
• 2025
  • 2025-04-22 EP EP25171611.4A patent/EP4640568A3/fr active Pending

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