Vertical form fill sealing machine

Abstract

A vertical form fill sealing machine includes a filling tube (8) with a shaping collar (4) for forming of a flat packing foil (12) into shape of a form fill foil (7) with longitudinal closing jaw (9) and, if any, longitudinal edge jaws (22). Furthermore, the machine includes a form fill foil (7) feed device (5) along the filling tube (8). Transverse welding jaws (6) are connected by output bars (17) to a horizontal movement mechanism (18) for the movement of the transverse welding jaws (6). A gui de (20) guides the vertical movement of the transverse welding jaws (6) with the mechanism (18) along guiding bars (21). The horizontal movement mechanism (18) for the transverse welding jaws (6) is arranged in a vertically movable mechanical cabinet (19), firmly connected with said mechanism (18). An upper mechanical cabinet (1) is firmly connected to a frame (2) and includes at least a form fill foil (7) feed device (5).

Description

[0001] Vertical form fill sealing machine

[0002] Field of the invention

[0003] The present invention relates to a new construction design and spatial arrangement of some selected functional assemblies applied on vertical form fill sealing machines, in particular the continuous ones, being used for shaping, filling, and sealing of various types of form fill bags. A solution according to the present invention significantly simplifies cleaning and disinfecting of the machine.

[0004] Background of the inventi on

[0005] The continuous vertical form fill sealing machines have been used for shaping, filling, and sealing of form fill bags. A packaging foil passes continuously through the machine - in the area of its shaping into form fill foil, filling, and sealing thereof in vertical direction. Driving elements, such as belts or gears, provide movement of the foil. Some machine elements need to be adapted to continuous movement of the packaging foil that act on it. In particular, these are transverse welding jaws and shaping tools used to fold bottom of the bags. In the area of making of the transverse welds and folding of the bottoms of the bags, they make concurrently reciprocal vertical movement along continuously moving form fill foil and horizontal movement from side to side at the same time. Document CZ 18574 U1 discloses a continuous vertical form fill sealing machine of a corresponding structure. Other embodiments of the continuous vertical form fill sealing machines are disclosed in documents US 5832701 A and CZ 31260 Ul.

[0006] For standard continuous vertical form fill sealing machines, the dri ves of these movements are stored in one common mechanical cabinet. The mo vements of most of the elements acting on the foil are transmitted from the common mechanical cabinet by a rotating shaft or sliding bars, which is perfect as far as hygiene is concerned. However, transmission of the vertical movement of the transverse welding jaws from the common mechanical cabinet poses a big problem with respect to hygiene. Usually, three to five grooves into the space where the transverse welds are sealed have to be made through a front plate of the common mechanical cabinet, and bars with transverse welding jaws mounted thereon are going through the grooves. The groove length and width is approximately hundreds of mm and tens of mm, respectively. The ways of covering the grooves in a hygienic manner remain unknown. As a consequence of this, the inner space of the common mechanical cabinet is contaminated by dust and / or packed loose material. Due to varied surface and sensitivity of devices installed inside the common mechanical cabinet sufficient cleaning is rather troublesome.

[0007] Generally, the mechanisms of the vertical form filling sealing machines are highly varied including those being located in areas where contamination with a product being packed is possible. Their cleaning for hygienic reasons or to remove allergens is highly laborious.

[0008] The disadvantages are removed by the embodiment according to the invention.

[0009] Summary of the invention

[0010] The object of the present invention is a design of a vertical form fill sealing machine for shaping, filling, and sealing of form fill bags. The machine includes a device for unwinding of a flat packing foil usually from a roll. In addition, the machine includes a filling tube being arranged (in the direction of the unwound foil) downstream the flat packing foil unwinding device. The filling tube has a shaping collar for forming of the unwound flat packing foil into l ongitudinally unsealed form fill foil. In addition, there is a longitudinal closing jaw for longitudinal sealing of the form fill foil under the shaping collar on the filling tube. Sealing refers to welding of overlapping material after establishing the longitudinally unsealed form fill foil. Hence, the (sealed) form fill foil is created, which may be further divided by transverse welds and filled with a product. Furthermore, one or more than one longitudinal edge jaws may be used to fix the longitudinal reinforcing edges. The longitudinal jaws (closing type and edge type) may be either fixed or vertically movable. All the longitudinal jaws produce welds being parallel with the l ongitudinal axis of the filling tube or the foil form fill.

[0011] In addition, the machine includes a form fill foil feed device on the filling tube from the shaping collar to the longitudinal closing and the edge jaws and to the transverse welding jaws arranged under the filling tube. The transverse welding jaws are arranged to provide the trans verse welds that seal and separate individual form fill bags from the form fill foil.

[0012] The transverse welding jaws are connected by output bars to the horizontal movement mechanism for the movement of the transverse welding jaws. Included in the horizontal movement mechanism of the transverse welding jaws is at least one guide for the vertical movement of the transverse welding jaws. Jointly with the horizontal movement mechanism for the transverse welding jaws, the transverse welding jaws are vertically movable by the guide along at least one guiding bar. The guiding bar(s) is (are) firmly attached to a frame. The horizontal movement mechanism for the transverse welding jaws is arranged in a vertically movable mechanical cabinet. The vertically movable mechanical cabinet is firmly connected to the horizontal movement mechanism for the transverse welding jaws. In this case it means that they are not vertically movable each other.

[0013] In addition, the machine includes an upper mechanical cabinet. The upper mechanical cabinet includes at least a form fill foil drive feed device and connects firmly to the frame. The vertically movable mechanical cabinet is vertically movable with respect to the upper mechanical cabinet in the same way as the transverse welding jaws are vertically movable with respect to the filling tube.

[0014] Included in the transverse welding jaws may be tools for folding of bottom of the bags known from the prior art. In that case, the drive of the tools is also arranged in the vertically movable mechanical cabinet.

[0015] Accordingly, the present invention replaces one common mechanical cabinet with two mechanical cabinets. It is the upper mechanical cabinet being firmly connected to the machine frame, and the lower mechanical cabinet being vertically movable with respect to the upper mechanical cabinet as well as to the machine frame. These cabinets include most of the machine mechanisms and have simple and smooth outer shapes for easy cleaning.

[0016] The upper mechanical cabinet includes all elements and drives as the original mechanical cabinet according to the prior art with the exception of the horizontal movement mechanism for the transverse welding jaws, and, if any, shaping tools drive for folding of the bottoms of the bags. Included elements are the form fill foil drive feed device as well as, in particular, various mechanical, pneumatic, and electric elements for control and operation of the machine. In particular, it may include the vertical movement drive of the horizontal movement mechanism of the transverse welding jaws, vacuum pump, pneumatic valves, vertical and / or horizontal movement drive for the longitudinal jaws, and more. The lower vertically movable mechanical cabinet includes the horizontal movement mechanism for the transverse welding jaws, and, if any, the shaping tools drive for folding of the bottoms of the bags. Conceivable may be an embodiment in which the vertical movement drive of the horizontal movement mechanism of the transverse welding jaws is arranged in the lower mechanical cabinet. Explanation of drawings

[0017] The exemplary embodiment according to the present invention is described with reference to the drawings, in which

[0018] Fig. 1 illustrates a general axonometric view to the vertical form fill sealing machine according to the present invention;

[0019] Fig. 2 illustrates a cross section of the filling tube in area of the l ongitudinal edge / closing jaws.

[0020] Exemplary embodiment of the invention

[0021] A vertical form fill sealing machine for shaping, filling, and sealing of form fill bags 11 includes a device 3 for unwinding of a flat packing foil 12 from a roll 13. In addition, the machine includes a filling tube 8. The filling tube 8 has a shaping col lar 4 for forming of the unwound flat packing foil 12 into shape of a form fill foil 7. In addition, there is a longitudinal closing jaw 9 for longitudinal sealing of the form fill foil 7 on the filling tube 8. In this case, the longitudinal closing jaw 9 is firm (i.e., not vertically movable).

[0022] In addition, the machine includes a form fill foil 7 feed device 5 on the filling tube 8 from the shaping collar 4 to the longitudinal closing jaw 9 and to the transverse welding jaws 6 arranged under the filling tube 8 (i.e., in the direction of arrow 10).

[0023] Generally, the filling tube 8 may have various shapes of the cross section, e.g., round (refer to Fig. 1) or square (refer to Fig. 2). In case of the square cross section, the filling tube 8 may be provided on its three comers with three longitudinal edge jaws 22 to create longitudinal reinforcing edges 23 of the form fill bag 11 . The fourth corner of the filling tube 8 has a longitudinal closing jaw 9 arranged thereon. The longitudinal weld on the form fill foil acts as a longitudinal reinforcing edge 23. An advantage of the arrangement of the form fill bag 11 is the smooth sides that may be used for promotional printing.

[0024] The transverse welding jaws 6 are connected by output bars 17 to the horizontal movement mechanism 18 for the movement of the transverse welding jaws 6. Included in the horizontal movement mechanism 18 of the transverse welding jaws 6 are two guides 20 of the vertical movement of the transverse welding jaws 6 and the horizontal movement mechanism 18 of the transverse welding jaws 6 along guiding bars 21 firmly connected to a frame 2. The horizontal movement mechanism 18 for the transverse welding jaws 6 is arranged in a vertically movable mechanical cabinet 19. The latter is firmly attached to the horizontal movement mechanism 18 for the transverse welding jaws 6. Included in the transverse welding jaws 6 are tools 14 for folding of bottoms of the form fill bags 11 . A drive for the tools 14 is arranged in the vertically movable mechanical cabinet 19.

[0025] Furthermore, the device includes an upper mechanical cabinet 1 that contains, among others, the form fill foil 7 feed device 5, electric wiring of the machine, the vertical movement drive for vertically movable mechanical cabinet 19 and the horizontal movement mechanism 18 for the transverse welding jaws 6, a vacuum pump, and pneumatic valves. The upper mechanical cabinet 1 is firmly connected to the frame 2.

[0026] List of reference numerals

[0027] 1 --- upper mechanical cabinet

[0028] 2 - frame

[0029] 3 - device for unwinding of flat packing foil

[0030] 4 - shaping collar

[0031] 5 - form fill foil feed device

[0032] 6 - trans verse welding jaws

[0033] 7 - form fill foil

[0034] 8 - filling tube

[0035] 9 --- longitudinal closing jaw

[0036] 10 - direction arrow

[0037] 11 - form fill bag

[0038] 12 - packing foil

[0039] 13 - roll

[0040] 14 - tools for folding of bottom of form fill bags

[0041] 17 - output bars

[0042] 18 - horizontal movement mechanism of transverse welding jaws

[0043] 19 - vertically movable mechanical cabinet

[0044] 20 --- guide of vertical movement of transverse welding jaw's

[0045] 21 - guiding bar

[0046] 22 - longitudinal edge jaw

[0047] 23 - longitudinal reinforcing edge

Claims

1. A vertical form fill sealing machine for shaping, filling, and sealing of form fill bags (11) including a device (3) for unwinding of flat packing foil (12) and a filling tube (8), on which a shaping collar (4) for forming of unwound flat packing foil (12) into the shape of a form fill foil (7) and at least one longitudinal closing jaw (9) for longitudinal closing of the form fill foi l (7) are arranged, and further including a form fill foil (7) feed device (5) on the filling tube (8) from the shaping collar (4) towards the longitudinal closing jaw (9) and to transverse welding jaws (6) arranged under the filling tube (8), wherein the transverse welding jaws (6) are connected by output bars (17) to the horizontal movement mechanism (18) for the movement of the transverse welding jaws (6), wherein included in the horizontal movement mechanism (18) of the transverse welding jaws (6) is at least one guide (20) for vertical movement of the transverse welding jaws (6) with the horizontal movement mechanism (18) of the transverse welding jaws (6) along at least one guiding bar (21) firmly connected to a frame (2), and further containing an upper mechanical cabinet (1) including at least one form film foil (7) feed device (5) and firmly connected to the frame (2), characterized in that the horizontal movement mechanism (18) for the transverse welding jaws (6) is arranged in a vertically movable mechanical cabinet (19), firmly connected with said mechanism (18), wherein the vertical movement drive of the transverse welding jaws (6) and of the horizontal movement mechanism (18) of the transverse welding jaws (6) with the vertically movable mechanical cabinet (19) is arranged in the upper mechanical cabinet (1).

2. The vertical form fill sealing machine according to claim 1 characterized by that included in the transverse welding jaws (6) are tools (14) for folding of the bottom of the form fill bags (11) and their drive is arranged in the vertically movable mechanical cabinet (19).

3. The vertical form fill sealing machine according to claim 1 or 2 characterized by that further arranged on the filling tube (8) is at least one longitudinal edge jaw (22) for providing at least one longitudinal reinforcing edge (23) on the form fill foil (7).

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