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
  • B65B43/00—Forming, feeding, opening or setting-up containers or receptacles in association with packaging
  • B65B43/26—Opening or distending bags; Opening, erecting, or setting-up boxes, cartons, or carton blanks
  • B65B43/30—Opening or distending bags; Opening, erecting, or setting-up boxes, cartons, or carton blanks by grippers engaging opposed walls, e.g. suction-operated

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a device for separating two sheets of flexible material, in particular two sheets of synthetic material, initially applied one against the other and having to be separated from each other for the insertion of at least one object or accessory between these sheets.
• the device belongs to the kind of those comprising two movable jaws which can be moved towards or away from each other, on either side of the two sheets to be separated, and provided respectively with members able to grip these two sheets and to move them in opposite directions.
• a device of this kind is mainly used to separate two sheets initially superimposed, together forming a sheath or a flattened tube of indefinite length, or a bag of well defined dimensions, in view of the opening of the sheath or of the bag for the insertion of at least one rigid object such as a tube, a nozzle or any accessory.
• This known device comprises, on each of the two jaws, claws which are pivotally mounted and which, during their pivoting movement in the operating cycle of the device, should in principle penetrate between the extreme edges of the two sheets, so as to cause their separation, each claw then engaging in a conical recess formed on the corresponding jaw.
• the present invention aims to eliminate the above drawbacks, by providing a device for separating two sheets of flexible material which, everything . by remaining relatively simple and economical to manufacture, allows a certain imprecision in the axial positioning of the sheets to be separated, while ensuring a safe separation of these sheets, this device being easy to apply when opening short sachets.
• each movable jaw is pivotally mounted about an axis substantially coinciding with a fixed point of holding the sheets to be separated and is provided, in its part in correspondence with the central region of the sheets to be separated, on the one hand at least one suction cup capable of being connected to a source of vacuum, and turned towards the other jaw, and on the other hand of needles carried by a support mounted movable in translation, relative to the corresponding jaw, in a radial direction relative to the pivot axis of this jaw, the needles of each jaw being located at the face of this jaw facing the other jaw, and being parallel to the direction of movement of their respective .
• mobile support, control means being provided on the one hand to rotate the two jaws simultaneously and in opposite directions, and aut re leaves to move the needles by engaging them, between the two sheets to be spread.
• the invention combines the action of suction cups, gripping the two sheets to be separated by their respective outer faces, and the action of needles intended to be introduced between the two sheets by a simple translational movement, by spreading these leaves, the needles being situated exactly ' in the joint plane of the two jaws when the latter are tightened against each other. It should be noted that each flexible sheet is then sandwiched between one of the two movable jaws and the needles associated with this jaw, but that there is no pinching of said sheet since the needles are viewed from their ends, always in the same relative position with respect to the associated jaw.
• the suction cups also make it possible to keep the sheath open, even if the leaves escape the needles during or at the end of spacing, which also justifies the combination of the two types of members for correct functioning. Due to the linear movement of the needles, the position of the anterior end of the two sheets to be separated is not of decisive importance, and it is sufficient that this end is located between the two jaws, in a region reached by the needles when these the latter approach the associated jaws.
• the pivoting movement of the two jaws makes it possible to move the suction cups on an arc of a circle of which this point is the center, so that the distance between the holding point of the sheets and their grip point by each jaw remains fixed in the course . of the process.
• the proposed device makes it possible to open bags of short length, equal to or less than 100 mm, having to be kept very close to their edge to be opened because of this short length.
• the pivot axis of the jaws being located in the median plane of the device, along which plane the sheets to be spread are brought, it is advantageous that the pivoting movement of the two jaws is guided by lateral slides in an arc of a circle, centered on the pivot axis of the jaws, each jaw comprising two parallel lateral parts, each provided with two rollers or the like engaged in the slide in corresponding arc.
• the pivoting movement of each jaw is perfectly guided, without the need for a mechanical axis along the geometrical pivot axis.
• the needles associated with one of the movable jaws are offset transversely with respect to the needles associated with the other movable jaw, so that in the close position of the two jaws, the needles associated with a jaw take place between the needles associated with the other jaw, also in an alternate arrangement, all the needles then being located, parallel to each other, in the joint plane of the two jaws as already indicated above.
• each movable jaw has, on its face facing the other jaw, a series of parallel recesses of semi-cylindrical shape, arranged in correspondence with the transverse positions of all the needles associated with the two jaws, so that in the close position of the two jaws, their respective semi-cylindrical recesses are brought into a coaxial position to define cylindrical housings capable of receiving the different needles.
• These housings can have a very small diameter, so that the sheets remain held by the jaws at a very precise location, and that the introduction of the needles between these sheets is carried out easily.
• all the needles and all the corresponding recesses, formed in the jaws are offset transversely with respect to the positions of the suction cups on these jaws. This avoids any interference between the suction cups and the needles, and therefore any risk of damage to the suction cups by the jaws.
• control means for moving the jaws and the needles are conveniently achievable in the form of jacks, and on the whole the production of the various organs of the device, with their previously described conformations, remains relatively simple and economical.
• Figure 1 is a side view of a device according to the present invention.
• Figure 2 is a sectional view II-II of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a front view, partly in section, of the device of Figures 1 and 2;
• FIGS 4,5,6,7 and 8 are very schematic side views of the same device, illustrating its operating cycle.
• the device shown in the drawing is intended for the separation of two superimposed sheets 1 and 2 of synthetic material, which are in particular the two faces of a sachet or a flexible pouch, brought horizontally to the device according to an arrow 3.
• the device comprises two parts, one upper and the other lower, symmetrical to each other with respect to the horizontal plane containing the two sheets 1 and 2 to be separated. We will therefore only describe the structure of one of these two parts, the other resulting by symmetry.
• Each lateral puddle 5 has, on its face turned towards the other flange, a slide 6 in an arc of a circle.
• the two slides 6, thus located opposite one another, are centered on the same horizontal axis 7 which coincides with the holding point of the sheets 1 and 2 to be separated, point where these sheets l and 2 can in particular be clamped by means of side clamps 8, not shown in detail but having a known structure.
• Each part of the device has a movable jaw 9, generally presenting itself as a transverse plate.
• the jaw 9 is provided, on its edges close to the flanges 5, with two respective connecting rods 10, mutually parallel and perpendicular to the plane of this jaw 9.
• Each connecting rod 10 is itself provided, towards its ends, with two rollers 11 and 12 which are engaged in the slide 6 in an arc of a circle of the adjacent flange 5.
• the jaw 9 is thus held and guided in order to be able to describe a pivoting movement around the horizontal axis 7. It should be noted that the jaw 9 is positioned in front of the horizontal axis 7, at a distance d from this axis 7 which remains invariable during the pivoting of the jaw 9.
• the pivoting of the jaw 9 is controlled by a jack 13, the body 14 of which is articulated about a fixed axis 15, and the rod of which is hingedly linked to this jaw 9.
• the jaw 9 comprises, housed in suitable recesses, two suction cups 16 which are visible on the face 17 of this jaw facing the other jaw 9.
• the complete device thus comprises two pairs of suction cups 16, located in correspondence - see the figure 3. All of these suction cups 16 are able to be connected, by pipes not shown, to a vacuum source.
• each jaw 9 On each jaw 9 is slidably mounted, by means of lateral guide columns 18 perpendicular to this jaw, a mobile support 19 situated on the side opposite to the arrival (arrow 3) of the sheets 1 and 2.
• the mobile support 19 carries a small number of needles 20 located at the face 17 of the jaw 9.
• the needles 20 are thus arranged in a plane which contains the pivot axis 7 of the jaw 9, the tips of the needles 20 being turned towards this axis 7
• the needles 20 carried by the lower mobile support 19 are offset in the direction transverse of the device, relative to the other needles 20 carried by the upper support 19 - see Figure 3.
• the needles 20 carried by one of the supports 19 can take place between the other needles 20, carried p ar the other support, when the two jaws 9 are brought together.
• each suction cup 16 is located between a central needle 20 and a lateral needle 20.
• the two jacks 13 are controlled simultaneously, to cause synchronized and symmetrical movements of the two jaws 9.
• the two jacks 21 are also controlled synchronously, to move all the needles 20 simultaneously and in the same direction.
• the operating cycle of the device is illustrated in Figures 4 to 8.
• the flat sachet formed by the two sheets 1 and 2 initially not separated, is advanced along arrow 3 between the two jaws 9 kept apart from one another.
• the clamps 8 are closed and block this sachet.
• the jacks 13 are then controlled to rotate the two jaws 9 in opposite directions, so as to bring them closer.
• the jaws 9 thus clamp the two sheets 1 and 2 together, as shown in FIG. 5.
• the suction cups 16 are placed against the outside faces of the two sheets 1 and 2, while all the needles 20 are brought in the same horizontal plane, coinciding with the joint plane of the two jaws 9.
• vacuum is applied to the suction cups 16, which then act on the two sheets 1 and 2 in opposite directions.
• the jacks 21 are activated to bring the mobile supports 19 closer to the respective jaws 9.
• Each needle 20 then takes place in one of the cylindrical housings, resulting from two corresponding semi-cylindrical recesses 22, brought into a coaxial arrangement by the clamping of the jaws 9 - see FIG. 6. All the needles 20 are thus engaged, by their points, between the two sheets 1 and 2. The combination of the action of the suction cups 16 and the introduction of the needles 20 then ensures a certain opening of the sachet.
• the two jaws 9 pivot around the axis 7 in the direction of their spacing, the tips 10 retaining their positions relative to the respective jaws 9.
• the two sheets 1 and 2 are thus clearly separated from each other, in their central regions, without any traction being exerted on these sheets in their part located in front of the clamps 8.
• the widely open end of the bag can then receive tip (s) 23.
• the needles 20 are moved away from the jaws 9 and extracted from the bag, while the vacuum is no longer applied to the suction cups 16.
• the jaws 9 then possibly perform an additional spacing movement, to clear the open bag which can then be removed.
• the device is thus found in its initial state, ready to start a new cycle identical to the previous one.
• the invention is not limited to the sole embodiment of this device for separating two sheets of flexible material which has been described above, by way of example; on the contrary, it embraces all of the variant embodiments and applications respecting the same principle. Thus, one would not depart from the scope of the invention by constructive modifications, concerning for example the number of suction cups or needles, or even the means for controlling the movements, the jacks being replaceable by any equivalent.
• the application variants of the device may relate to a use other than the separation of plastic sheets forming a bag or a different orientation given to this device, its jaws being possibly horizontally displaceable and not from bottom to top.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Supplying Of Containers To The Packaging Station (AREA)
• Sheets, Magazines, And Separation Thereof (AREA)
• Shaping Of Tube Ends By Bending Or Straightening (AREA)
• Containers And Plastic Fillers For Packaging (AREA)
• Bending Of Plates, Rods, And Pipes (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9420612

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Cited By (1)

Citations (3)

• 1991
  • 1991-12-23 FR FR9116285A patent/FR2685286B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1992
  • 1992-12-17 KR KR1019940702182A patent/KR100234579B1/ko not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1992-12-17 WO PCT/FR1992/001201 patent/WO1993012973A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 1992-12-17 DE DE69202342T patent/DE69202342T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1992-12-17 AT AT93902346T patent/ATE122008T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1992-12-17 EP EP93902346A patent/EP0617683B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime

Patent Citations (3)

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