Testing device for quality control of flexible packaging containers for non-solid products

Abstract

Testing device for quality control of flexible packaging for non-solid products; characterized in that it comprises: - a load cell (1) provided with a support surface (11) for the flexible packaging (E) to be tested; - a pneumatic cylinder (2) facing the support surface (11) of the packaging to be tested, connected to a pneumatic pressure supply circuit (21) having a pressure regulator (22), and provided with a stroke gauge (23) of said pneumatic cylinder (2) during the test of the packaging (E); - a computer (3) comprising: connections to the pressure regulator (22), the stroke gauge (23) of the pneumatic cylinder (2) and the load cell (1); a data storage memory (31), a user interface (32) comprising a touch screen for adjusting the parameters of the test to be performed and for displaying the data obtained in the test; and control software.

Description

Testing device for quality control of flexible packaging containers for non-solid products Technology sector The test device that is the subject of the present invention falls within the field of technology relating to quality control apparatus or devices applicable in the packaging sector; specifically in the quality control of flexible packaging containing non-solid products, preferably liquid or pasty. Prior art Flexible packaging, such as bags, sachets, sticks, or similar, is widely known in the prior art for packaging all types of non-solid products, preferably liquids or pastes of varying densities. These packages are made from a flexible sheet composed of one or more layers of material, depending on the desired characteristics of the packaging, such as opacity, strength, sealing, or any other specific properties. The filling and sealing of these flexible containers is carried out on automatic packaging machines that allow for regulating the amount of product inserted into each container, leaving a variable volume of air inside. This means that flexible containers of the same format, once filled, can have different volumes, which poses a problem when cartoning or secondary packaging the containers for shipment. When the volume of the containers exceeds a certain value, the expected number of containers cannot be placed in the specific carton or packaging. These flexible containers are frequently used for packaging samples of liquid or paste products, which are included as gifts in publications or magazines and remain exposed to varying pressure depending on the number of magazines stacked for transport and distribution. This presents an additional problem, as maintaining the initially airtight container under continuous pressure can lead to product leakage through the sealing areas, or even the container bursting if an unsuitable film or seal is used to withstand a certain pressure. The applicant is unaware of the existence on the market of devices specifically designed to control the quality of flexible packaging containing non-solid products, for example liquids or pastes, and that provide adequate data to adjust the quality of the packaging during its manufacture or filling, and avoid the problems mentioned above. Explanation of the invention The test device, the subject of this invention, has technical characteristics aimed at solving the problem described, by achieving several objectives, specifically: determining the pressure that causes the flexible container holding the packaged product to explode; checking the watertightness of said container when it remains exposed for a predetermined time to a selected pressure, and determining the volume of the flexible containers holding the non-solid product. To achieve the proposed objectives, the device of the invention comprises: a load cell provided with a support surface for the flexible container to be tested, which contains a non-solid product; a pneumatic cylinder facing the support surface of the container to be tested, connected to a pneumatic circuit provided with a pressure regulator and a meter of the stroke performed during the test of the container, and a computer through which the test parameters are selected, and the data obtained are displayed and stored. The computer comprises: connections to the pressure regulator, the pneumatic cylinder stroke gauge, and the load cell; a data storage memory; and a user interface consisting of a touch screen for adjusting the parameters of the test to be performed and displaying the data obtained in the test. The computer has control software that, based on the parameters entered and the data received from the load cell, the stroke gauge, and the pressure regulator, determines: the existence of leaks in the container during a programmable time of the test, the total volume of the container to be tested, and the pressure that causes the container to burst. To determine the existence of leaks, it is enough to subject the flexible container to a predetermined pressure for a predetermined time, the device determining through the information provided by the cylinder stroke meter, whether it remains in a fixed position, which indicates that there are no leaks in the container, or whether said cylinder is moving, which indicates that the container is reducing its volume and therefore has a leak. To determine the volume of the flexible container for a non-solid product, one container, or several stacked containers, is placed on the support surface provided on the load cell and a predetermined pressure is applied to them; this volume is calculated from the dimensions of the container, which are known in advance, the number of containers stacked on the load cell and the height occupied by these containers, which is obtained from the information provided by the stroke meter of the pneumatic cylinder. To determine the pressure that causes the container to explode, an increasing pressure is applied to it until it explodes, which is detected by the sudden drop in pressure in the pneumatic supply circuit of the cylinder and the load supported by the load cell; the device records the pressure at which the container exploded. If the flexible packaging does not meet the desired quality, its manufacturing process can be modified, for example by using a sheet with a different thickness or composition, reinforcing the seal, or varying the amount of product inserted into the packaging, until a package is obtained that passes the tests mentioned above, providing the manufacturer with the assurance that it meets the required quality parameters in each case, relating to the volume of the packaging, the pressure it withstands, and the absence of leaks. The features of the invention, as set forth in the claims, will be more easily understood in view of the embodiment shown in the figures. Brief description of the content of the drawings To complement the description being made and in order to facilitate the understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of drawings is included with this descriptive report in which, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following has been represented: - Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an example embodiment of the test device for controlling the quality of flexible packaging containing non-solid products, according to the invention. - Figure 2 shows a front elevation view of the device in the previous figure in which the test compartment cover has been removed. - Figure 3 shows a diagram of the functional elements of the device connected to each other. Detailed exposition of modes of implementation of the invention As shown in the attached figures, the test device for controlling the quality of flexible containers (E) for non-solid products comprises: a load cell (1) provided with a support surface (11) for the flexible container (E) to be tested; a pneumatic cylinder (2) suitable for pressing the container to be tested arranged on the support surface (11) of the load cell (1); and a computer (3) for controlling the parameters of the test and obtaining the results. In the example shown, the device comprises a support housing (4) provided with a test compartment (41) with a practical closing cover (42) and in which the load cell (1) and the pneumatic cylinder (2) are housed. This pneumatic cylinder (2) is connected to a pneumatic pressure supply circuit (21) provided with a pressure regulator (22), and has a stroke meter (23) that allows the stroke and position of the pneumatic cylinder (2) to be determined during the test of the container (E). As shown in the diagram in Figure 3, the computer (3) comprises connections to the pressure regulator (22), the stroke gauge (23) of the pneumatic cylinder (2), and the load cell (1). This computer (3) comprises a data storage memory (31) and a user interface (32) comprising a touchscreen for adjusting the parameters of the test to be performed and for displaying the data obtained during the test. The computer (3) has control software that, based on the parameters entered for the test and the data received from the load cell (1), the stroke meter (23) and the pressure regulator (22), determines: the existence of leaks in the container (E) during a programmable time of the test, the total volume of the container (E) to be tested and the pressure that produces the explosion of the container (E) to be tested. The device includes other elements that do not affect the essence of the invention, for example: power on / off switches, reset switches, or emergency stop switches, which have not been referenced because they are commonly used, or required by safety regulations. Once the nature of the invention has been sufficiently described, as well as an example of a preferred embodiment, it is noted for the appropriate purposes that the materials, shape, size and arrangement of the elements described may be modified, provided that this does not imply an alteration of the essential characteristics of the invention claimed below.

Claims

1. A testing device for quality control of flexible packaging for non-solid products; characterized in that it comprises: - a load cell (1) provided with a support surface (11) for the flexible packaging (E) to be tested; - a pneumatic cylinder (2) facing the support surface (11) of the packaging to be tested, connected to a pneumatic pressure supply circuit (21) having a pressure regulator (22), and provided with a stroke gauge (23) for said pneumatic cylinder (2) during the testing of the packaging (E); - a computer (3) comprising: connections to the pressure regulator (22), the stroke gauge (23) of the pneumatic cylinder (2) and the load cell (1); a data storage memory (31), a user interface (32) comprising a touch screen for adjusting the parameters of the test to be performed and for displaying the data obtained in the test; and control software. 2.Device, according to claim 1, comprising a support housing (4) provided with a test compartment (41) provided with a operable closing cover (42) and in which the load cell (1) and the pneumatic cylinder (2) are housed.