Packaging machine comprising a conveyor belt which can be shortened

Abstract

The present invention relates to a packaging machine for producing a packaging product, in which packaging machine a material web can be transported along a transport plane along the packaging machine, said packaging machine having: a sealing station that seals a film web to a packaging tray which, optionally, is deep-drawn in a film web; a transverse cutter and a longitudinal cutter; and a transport means which at least temporarily supports and / or drives the packaging tray during transport along the packaging machine. The present invention also relates to a method for changing a tool on a packaging machine.

Description

[0001] Packaging machine with a shortenable conveyor belt

[0002] The present invention relates to a packaging machine for producing a package, in which a material web can be transported along a transport plane along the packaging machine and which has a sealing station which seals a film web to a packaging tray, which has optionally been deep-drawn into a film web, a cross cutter and a longitudinal cutter and a transport means which at least temporarily supports and / or drives the packaging tray during transport along the packaging machine.

[0003] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for changing a tool on a packaging machine.

[0004] Tool changes on packaging machines must be quick and smooth to reduce downtime. Therefore, there is a continuous need to optimize packaging machines and their tool changes.

[0005] It was therefore the object of the present invention to provide a packaging machine and a method for changing tools that meets these requirements.

[0006] The problem is solved with a packaging machine for producing a package in which a material web can be transported along a transport plane along the packaging machine and which has a sealing station which seals a film web to a packaging tray which has optionally been deep-drawn into a film web, a cross cutter and a longitudinal cutter and a transport means which at least temporarily supports and / or drives the packaging tray during transport along the packaging machine.

[0007] The disclosure made regarding this subject matter of the present invention also applies to the other subject matters of the present invention, and vice versa. Features disclosed in connection with this subject matter of the present invention can be combined with the other subject matters of the present invention, and vice versa.

[0008] The subject matter of the present invention relates to a packaging machine. Such a packaging machine can, for example, be a so-called thermoformer, on which plastic films or paper webs are generally processed. In the thermoformer, for example, a base material web is unrolled from a supply roll and intermittently transported along the packaging machine in a transport plane. In a forming station, a packaging tray can first be formed into the base material web, which is then filled with a packaged product, in particular a food product. The packaging tray is then closed in a sealing station with one or more top material webs, which are sealed to the base material web. The top material web is also unrolled from a supply roll.The finished packages are then separated from the material web(s), preferably using a cross cutter and a longitudinal cutter.

[0009] Furthermore, according to the invention, the packaging machine has a transport means that at least temporarily supports and / or drives the packaging tray during transport along the packaging machine. This transport means is not the usual transport chain, which grips at least the bottom material web in its edge region using grippers arranged on the chains and then transports it along the packaging machine. The transport means according to the invention is a transport means that supports the packaging trays, in particular the filled packaging trays, preferably in their base region. With respect to the transport direction of the packaging trays, the transport means is preferably provided downstream of the sealing station, particularly preferably downstream of the cross cutter, and even more preferably downstream of the slitter.Preferably, the transport means, in particular during operation of the packaging machine, projects into at least one station, for example the forming and / or sealing station or into the cross and / or longitudinal cutter, so that the transport means interferes with the tool change, in particular a tool that is located below a transport level of the base material web.

[0010] Particularly in the case of a longitudinal cutter having multiple knives, in particular pairs of knives consisting of a lower knife and at least one upper knife, each of which is a circular knife, whose rotational axis is arranged horizontally and transversely to the transport direction of the material web, the transport means preferably extends into the area between two of these knives / pairs of knives, in particular into the area between the knives located below the transport plane of the material web. When changing the longitudinal cutter, the transport means would interfere with the cutter because it would collide with it if vertically lifted.

[0011] According to the invention, the transport means is now designed to be reducible in its horizontal extension. This eliminates the need to remove the transport means during tool changes, but rather allows its horizontal length to be reversibly shortened so that there is no or at most only a minimal vertical overlap with the adjacent tool(s). The reduction of the horizontal extension of the transport means can be done manually or by motor, for example, by servomotor or pneumatic drive.

[0012] The slitter is preferably a unit that is preferably replaced entirely during a tool change or is at least partially lifted from its working position until sufficient accessibility is achieved during inspection or maintenance work. In particular, in the case of a slitter designed as a so-called roller shear cutter, which has knife pairs consisting of at least one lower knife and at least one upper knife that act in a shearing manner on the film web, the knife set, including the two knife shafts on which the knives are arranged, is preferably replaced. Preferably, a lifting means, in particular a lifting frame, grips the knife shafts for joint removal and installation, and in particular, the knife shafts and / or the knives and / or the lifting frame would collide with the transport means.The raising and lowering of the longitudinal cutter can be carried out manually or by motor, in particular by servo motor or by pneumatic drive, whereby the lifting frame is preferably driven manually or by motor.

[0013] The transport means is preferably a conveyor belt, which is preferably driven, for example by a motor, in particular a servo motor, but does not have to be. The conveyor belt preferably bears at least partially, preferably completely, the weight of the packaging, in particular before and / or during the cutting process.

[0014] Preferably, the transport means comprises a deflection means. The deflection means is, for example, a roller around which one or more parallel conveyor belts rotate.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the deflection means is provided, in particular, for linear forward and backward movement and / or rotation and / or pivoting. For tool removal, the transport means is shortened and then, after the tool change, extended back to its original length. The linear displacement, rotation, and / or pivoting can be motorized, although manual operation is preferred.

[0016] Preferably, the transport means has a belt length compensation so that the conveyor belt remains taut even though the horizontal extension of the transport means is changed.

[0017] Furthermore, the transport means can preferably be provided so that it can rotate or pivot about a rotation axis. The rotation axis is preferably aligned horizontally and transversely to the transport direction. To disassemble the tool, the conveyor belt is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise, in particular counterclockwise, so that its horizontal extension is reduced. At the same time, this embodiment has the advantage that the end of the transport means closest to the tool to be changed lowers or raises and is no longer in the way during the tool change.

[0018] Preferably, the transport means is provided with multiple tracks. The number of tracks preferably corresponds to the number of packages arranged next to each other relative to the width of the material web. A gap is preferably provided between two adjacent tracks, into which, for example, a knife, in particular the lower knife of the longitudinal cutter, can engage.

[0019] Furthermore, the transport means and / or the frame, for example a machine frame, which carries the transport means, preferably has at least one sensor which detects the degree of the horizontal extension of the transport means, in particular the end position of the deflection roller and / or the axis of rotation, and transmits it to a controller, wherein the sensor is preferably connected unidirectionally or bidirectionally to the controller, in particular the controller of the packaging machine, in order to enable the controller to determine, on the basis of the signal from the sensor, in particular a reduced horizontal extension of the transport means or the absence of a reduction in the horizontal extension.

[0020] A further subject matter of the present invention, which also achieves the stated object, is a method for changing a tool on a packaging machine, in particular the packaging machine described here, in which a transport means is reversibly shortened in its horizontal extent before the tool change. The disclosure made regarding this subject matter of the present invention also applies to the other subject matters of the present invention and vice versa. Features disclosed in connection with this subject matter of the present invention can be combined with the other subject matters of the present invention and vice versa.

[0021] The present invention relates to a method for changing a tool on a packaging machine. For this purpose, the transport means is shortened horizontally so that the tool to be changed can be removed vertically upwards from the packaging machine. After the new tool, for example, the slitter, has been reinserted, the shortening of the transport means can be reversed.

[0022] The means of transport is not the chains that transport the packaging material along the packaging machine.

[0023] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the transport means comprises a deflection means, for example for one or more conveyor belts, which is moved linearly, preferably horizontally, and / or pivoted to shorten the transport means horizontally, in particular along a circular arc segment, preferably 90°. The position of the deflection means is preferably changed manually.

[0024] Alternatively or additionally, the means of transport, in particular its support surface, can be rotated about a horizontal axis.

[0025] As already described above, the transport means and the adjacent tool, in particular the lower tool, but possibly also the lower and upper tools, can overlap, resulting in a collision zone within which the transport means prevents the tool from being lifted vertically upwards out of the packaging machine. Therefore, the transport means is preferably moved out of the collision zone of a tool for disassembly by shortening the transport means in its horizontal extension.

[0026] Furthermore, the method for changing a tool preferably includes at least one sensor which is arranged on the transport means and / or the frame, for example the machine frame, which carries the transport means, and which detects the extent of the horizontal extension of the transport means, in particular the end position of the deflection roller and / or the axis of rotation of the transport means, wherein the sensor is connected to the controller, in particular the controller of the packaging machine, preferably unidirectionally or bidirectionally, and the controller uses the signal from the sensor to determine in particular a reduced horizontal extension of the transport means or no reduction in the horizontal extension, wherein, in the event of a reduced extension, the controller generates, for example, an enable signal for carrying out the tool change and / or displays a enable message to the worker, for example by means of a corresponding message on the control panel orthe control and / or display unit of the packaging machine, and if the extension is not reduced, for example, blocks the tool change via an electrical signal or an electromechanical actuator and / or displays a corresponding warning, for example on the control unit. The worker is preferably an operator or a maintenance person.

[0027] The reduction in the horizontal extent of the transport means preferably occurs automatically, for example after the worker has selected or triggered the tool change function on the control unit, whereby the tool change is prepared automatically in that the drive(s) of the transport means automatically bring about a shortening of the horizontal length of the transport means, for example by pivoting away the deflection means, after which an enable signal based on the sensor signal for carrying out the tool change is present and this can be carried out manually or automatically, if necessary semi-automatically. A tool change of the slitter is semi-automatic, for example, if the slitter is lifted wholly or partially from its working position into a tool change position, from which it is then removed by the worker, if necessary with the aid of a lifting device, and there by a if necessary.The modified longitudinal cutter is then lowered, preferably by motor, into its working position, for example, after the operator triggers a confirmation signal, and the horizontal extension of the transport device is then extended again, preferably to the working position.

[0028] The inventions are explained below with reference to the figures. These explanations are merely exemplary and do not limit the general inventive concept. The explanations apply equally to all subject matter of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 1 shows the packaging machine according to the invention.

[0030] Figure 2 shows an embodiment of the means of transport from the state of

[0031] Technology. Figure 3 shows an embodiment of the transport means according to the invention.

[0032] Figures 4 to 7 each show a further embodiment of the transport means according to the invention.

[0033] Figure 1 shows the packaging machine 1 according to the invention, in this case a so-called thermoformer, which has an optional deep-drawing station 2, a filling station 7 and a sealing station 15. A base material web 8, here a plastic film web 8, is pulled off a supply roll and transported in cycles along the packaging machine according to the invention from right to left. The material roll is usually mounted on a shaft. In each cycle, the base material web 8 is transported one pass, whereby several passes are required to produce a finished package. For this purpose, the packaging machine has two transport means (not shown), in this case two endless chains each, which are arranged to the right and left of the base material web 8. Both at the beginning and at the end of the packaging machine, at least one sprocket is provided for each chain, around which the respective chain is deflected.At least one of these gears is driven. The gears in the inlet area and / or in the outlet area can be connected to one another, preferably by a rigid shaft. Each transport means has a plurality of clamping means that clamp the base material web 8 in the inlet area 19 and transfer the movement of the transport means to the base material web 8. In the outlet area of ​​the packaging machine, the clamped connection between the transport means and the base material web 8 is released again. Downstream of the inlet area 19, a heating means is optionally provided that heats the material web 8, particularly when it is stationary. In the optional thermoforming station 2, which here has an upper tool 3 and a lower tool 4 that has the shape of the packaging tray to be produced, the packaging trays 6 are formed into the heated film web 8.However, embodiments are also included in which the lower material web is not deep-drawn. The lower tool 4 is arranged on a lifting table 5 which, as symbolized by the double arrow, is vertically adjustable by a lifting device. Before each material web feed, the lower tool 4 is lowered and then raised again. As the packaging machine continues, the packaging troughs are then filled with the packaging product 16 in the filling station 7. In the subsequent sealing station 15, which also consists of an upper tool 12 and a vertically adjustable lower tool 11, an upper material web 14 is firmly attached to the lower film web 8, for example by sealing. In the sealing station, the upper tool and / or the lower tool are also lowered and / or raised before and after each film transport.The upper material web 14 is also unwound from a reel mounted on a shaft and can be guided in transport means or transported by transport chains, whereby these transport means then only extend from the sealing station and possibly downstream. Otherwise, the statements made regarding the transport means for the lower material web apply. The upper material web can also be heated with a heating medium and deep-drawn. For sealing, a heatable sealing frame, for example, is provided as the lower tool 11. This frame has an opening for each packaging cavity into which the packaging cavity dips during sealing, i.e. during the upward movement of the lower sealing tool. For sealing, the upper and lower film webs are pressed together between the upper and lower tools 12, 11 and bond under the influence of heat and pressure. After sealing, the tools 11, 12 are moved apart vertically again.Between the respective supply roll and the sealing tool, a dancer is preferably provided, which compensates for the intermittent advance of the lower material web 8 and thus the intermittent withdrawal of the upper material web 14. The dancer can serve as a material web accumulator and / or to generate a specific material web tension. The person skilled in the art understands that several upper material webs can be present, for example in a multi-layer package or a package with several upper material webs. Preferably, a dancer is then provided along the length of each upper material web. The person skilled in the art further understands that a dancer can also be provided in the region of the lower material web 8, preferably downstream of its supply roll. Further along the packaging machine, the finished packages are separated, which in the present case is done by the cross cutter 18 and the longitudinal cutter 17.The cross cutter 18 can also be designed to be raised or lowered by a lifting device 9. In addition to the chains (not shown), the packaging machine according to the invention has a transport means 34, which is explained in more detail with reference to Figures 2-5.

[0034] Figure 2 shows an embodiment of the transport means 34 from the prior art. As already mentioned above, the packaging machine has a transport means 34 which at least supports the packaging troughs 6 but preferably additionally drives them and transports them along the packaging machine, as indicated by the arrow 44, here in the direction of the slitter. In the present case, the transport means 34 is present in addition to the above-mentioned transport chains. Preferably, the transport means 34 is a conveyor belt. The slitter 17 in the present case has a rotary shear cutter 30 with an upper blade 40 located above the material web 8, 14 and a lower blade 31 located below the material web 8, 14. The slitter cut takes place while the material webs 8, 14 are being transported.The transport means 34 is located upstream of the longitudinal cutter 17 with respect to the transport direction 44 and particularly preferably partially overlaps with it in a collision area 35 defined by the collision line 33. Due to this overlap, vertical removal of the longitudinal cutter 17 is not possible or not easily possible because the lower blade 31 at least partially collides with the conveyor belt during removal, for example, in the area of ​​the hub of the blade bearing (not shown). The transport means 34 is then usually itself laboriously removed to create sufficient space for the subsequent removal and reinstallation of the longitudinal cutter 17.

[0035] Figure 3 shows a first embodiment for the horizontal shortening of the transport means 41, in this case the conveyor belt, so that it no longer projects into the collision area 35 and the slitter 17 can be easily removed without the transport means having to be dismantled beforehand. In the present case, the transport means 41 has a deflection means 42, for example a roller, around which the conveyor belt is deflected. In order to shorten the horizontal extent of the transport means, this deflection means is moved linearly, preferably horizontally, back, i.e. away from the slitter 17, preferably manually, alternatively by motor. In order to maintain the tension of the conveyor belt, the transport means preferably has a belt length compensation 43, which is also moved preferably synchronously and / or at the same time as the deflection means 42.After the tool change, the original horizontal length is restored by moving the deflection device back towards the tool.

[0036] Figure 4 shows a further embodiment of the present invention. In the present case, the shortening of the horizontal extent of the transport means 41 occurs by pivoting 39 of the deflection edge 42 about an axis 48, here counterclockwise by 90°. The pivot axis can be provided essentially in the region of the interference line or upstream of it. The pivoting is preferably carried out manually, alternatively by motor. A sensor 47, here a rotary encoder 47, detects the end positions of the pivoting movement, and based on this, an enable or blocking signal for the subsequent tool change is generated and a corresponding message is displayed to the operator, for example on the control unit of the packaging machine, and / or the motorized pivoting movement is stopped based on the sensor signal at or shortly before reaching the end position.The sensor is connected to the control system of the packaging machine, which also controls the pivoting movement of the deflection edge 42, with the sensor signal being evaluated accordingly. This allows not only automatic pivoting in preparation for a tool change, but also automation or at least partial automation of the tool change. The control system generates an enable signal or a blocking signal for the tool change depending on the detected end position.

[0037] Figure 5 shows an embodiment of the present invention in which the transport means is designed with multiple tracks, in this case two tracks. The tracks run parallel with respect to the transport direction 44 of the material web. Each track can support and / or transport several packaging trays in succession.

[0038] A gap is preferably provided between the tracks, into which the tool, here the lower blade 40 and / or the upper blade 31, particularly preferably extends. This ensures particularly good support of the packaging during cutting.

[0039] Figure 6 shows an embodiment of the present invention in which at least a part or segment of the support table 45 of the transport means 34, which in this case is particularly a conveyor belt, is preferably vertically lowered and / or pivoted before the horizontal extent of the transport means is reduced. This creates space in the support table area for reducing the horizontal extent of the transport means. In particular, this creates space for the displacement of adjacent support table segments 45, for example, with a vertical adjustment movement 46.

[0040] Figure 7 shows a further embodiment of the present invention. In this case, the shortening of the horizontal extent of the transport means is achieved by pivoting 39 of the transport means 41 about an axis 48, here clockwise by approximately 35° (the pivoted position is shown in dashed lines). List of reference symbols:

[0041] 1 packaging machine

[0042] 2 forming station, deep-drawing station

[0043] 3 Upper tool of the deep drawing station

[0044] 4 Lower tool of the deep drawing station

[0045] 5 Lifting table, carrier of a tool of the sealing, deep-drawing station and / or the cutting device

[0046] 6 packaging tray, packaging, packaging tray

[0047] 7 filling station

[0048] 8 Material web, sub-material web

[0049] 9 Lifting device, lifting station

[0050] 10 Guide rod

[0051] 11 Lower tool of the sealing station

[0052] 12 Upper tool of the sealing station

[0053] 13 Material strip cutters

[0054] 14 Upper material web, cover film

[0055] 15 Sealing station

[0056] 16 Packaging goods

[0057] 17 longitudinal cutters

[0058] 18 cross cutters

[0059] 19 Inlet area

[0060] 30 rotary shears, knives, cutting station

[0061] 31 lower blades

[0062] 32 cutting plane,

[0063] 33 Interference line, interference edge, collision line

[0064] 34 means of transport, conveyor belt, conveyor belts, belt, roller conveyor

[0065] 35 Collision zone

[0066] 36 Retraction and advancement movement

[0067] 37 Lifting or swinging out movement

[0068] 39 Swivel movement

[0069] 40 upper blades

[0070] 41 shortenable means of transport

[0071] 42 Deflection device, deflection pulley

[0072] 43 Band length compensation

[0073] 44 Transport direction of the material web 8, 14 or the packaging tray

[0074] 45 Support table, adjustable table segment, adjustable table 46 Example adjustment movement of the support table of the transport means

[0075] 47 Sensor, encoder

[0076] 48 rotation axis, swivel axis, axis

Claims

Patent claims:

1. Packaging machine (1) for producing a packaging, in which a material web can be transported along a transport plane along the packaging machine and which has a sealing station (15) which seals a film web (14) to a packaging tray (6), which has optionally been deep-drawn into a film web (8), a cross cutter (18) and a longitudinal cutter (17) and a transport means (34) which at least temporarily supports and / or drives the packaging tray during transport along the packaging machine, characterized in that the transport means (34, 41) can be reduced in its horizontal extent.

2. Packaging machine (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the transport means (34, 41) is a conveyor belt.

3. Packaging machine (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the transport means has a deflection means (42).

4. Packaging machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the deflection means (42) is provided, in particular, to be linearly movable back and forth and / or rotatable and / or pivotable.

5. Packaging machine (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transport means is provided so as to be rotatable or pivotable about an axis of rotation.

6. Packaging machine (1) according to one of claims 2 - 5, characterized in that the transport means is provided with multiple tracks.

7. Packaging machine (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transport means (34, 41) has at least one sensor which detects the degree of the horizontal extension of the transport means and transmits it to a control system.

8. Method for changing a tool (4, 11, 17, 18) on a packaging machine, in particular according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a transport means (34) is reversibly shortened in its horizontal extent before the tool change. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that the transport means (34) has a deflection means (42) that is moved linearly and / or pivoted. Method according to one of claims 8 or 9, characterized in that the transport means (34, 41) is rotated about a horizontal axis (48). Method according to one of claims 8-10, characterized in that the transport means (34, 41) is moved out of a collision zone (35) of a tool.

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