Packaging system and method for operating same

Abstract

The invention relates to a packaging system (10) and to a method for controlling same. The packaging system (10) comprises a packaging machine (12) and a grouping station (14) which is coupled thereto in a conveying manner and which forms palletisable layer arrangements (20). The packaging system (10) additionally comprises a palletising station (22) arranged downstream of the grouping station (14) for stacking at least two layer arrangements (20) of packaging units (16) one above the other. Located between the grouping station (14) and the palletising station (22) is a store (28) which has at least two storage levels (30, 32) which are arranged at a vertical distance one above the other and can be raised or lowered. The storage levels (30, 32) can each have or establish a conveying connection to the palletising station (22). In addition, the storage levels (30, 32) can each be brought to a height level corresponding to the conveying level of the grouping station (14) in order to receive layer arrangements (20) from the grouping station (14).

Description

[0001] Packaging system and method for its operation

[0002] The present invention relates to a packaging system comprising at least one packaging machine for handling packaging units. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for operating such a packaging system.

[0003] It is known to combine individual items such as beverage containers into manageable packaging units or so-called bundles of four, six, or more items or containers for transport purposes. The individual items or containers in these bundles can be held together in different ways. The respective container, which can be, for example, a PET bottle or a mineral glass bottle, forms the primary packaging in which the respective beverage or liquid is safely contained.

[0004] To form packaging units or bundles, several of these primary packaging items can be held together using suitable secondary packaging. Shrink film wrapping is particularly suitable as secondary packaging. Suitable film cuts can be wrapped around the items or groups of items in a film wrapping module. The characteristic property of the shrink film used, required for the packaging purpose considered here, is its ability to change shape and length under the influence of temperature. This is utilized in the packaging process by transporting the shrink-wrapped groups of items through a shrink tunnel, where they are exposed to elevated temperatures.

[0005] During their transport through the shrink tunnel, the shrink-wrapped article groups are typically exposed to hot air, which is blown onto the wrapped article groups. This hot air shortens and contracts the shrink film, allowing it to cling to the articles and mechanically clamp them together. This creates the finished shrink packs, which can optionally be supplemented with additional features such as carrying handles.

[0006] To ensure that shrink-wrapped containers can withstand the stresses encountered during mechanical or manual handling, the shrink film surrounding them must possess sufficient tensile and tear resistance. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of the shrink film are closely related to the temperatures to which it is exposed in the shrink tunnel due to the hot air exposure. In addition to the temperature values ​​and flow conditions in the shrink tunnel, the dwell time of the film-wrapped article groups plays a key role. Excessively long dwell times can have a detrimental effect on the film properties due to the resulting intense heat exposure.

[0007] Since limiting the throughput time of packaging units subjected to elevated temperatures through a shrink tunnel is generally considered a critical process parameter in the production of shrink-wrapped containers, process disruptions in the downstream conveying sections, handling, and / or treatment modules of the shrink tunnel can lead to problems. If, for example, congestion in the conveying process in areas behind the shrink tunnel makes it unavoidable for the partially or fully heat-treated packaging units to remain for an extended period, there is a risk that the shrink-wrap wrappings of at least some of the affected packaging units will no longer meet the normally required quality criteria, meaning that at least some of the packaging units must be removed from further packaging processes.

[0008] A practical system configuration could, for example, provide a grouping station downstream of the shrink tunnel, which is connected to the shrink tunnel via a conveyor section that is sometimes very short. In such a grouping station, the finished shrink-wrapped packs can be arranged during or after a short cooling phase by shifting and / or rotating individual or multiple packs into an overall arrangement suitable as a layered arrangement for subsequent palletizing. This overall arrangement or layered arrangement can then be further compressed, for example, by pushing the packs together, which can be achieved using a so-called pre-grouping process.

[0009] Even in such palletizing processes, irregularities, minor disruptions, or congestion can occur. Furthermore, even the removal of a completed pallet stack and the placement of a new empty pallet in a stacking location represents a certain interruption to a regularly scheduled palletizing process, which can lead to congestion or delays in upstream handling processes and in the system modules arranged upstream of the palletizing process.

[0010] A significant disruption in any of the processing, conveying, or handling sections of a more complex handling and / or packaging process sequence can therefore require rapid emptying of the shrink tunnel, which may necessitate the rapid removal of the finished shrink-wrapped containers from a transport section leading out of the shrink tunnel, as there is often insufficient space to accommodate all of the containers previously located in the shrink tunnel. Restarting the processes is often disrupted in the chronological order by the fact that the containers previously removed from the transport section had to be temporarily stored and now have to be returned to the transport section, which sometimes has to be done manually.

[0011] On the other hand, leaving the partially or fully heat-treated containers in the shrink tunnel does not represent a sensible process alternative because its temperature regulation is normally very slow, meaning that the thermal energy stored in the shrink tunnel is still capable of adversely affecting the film wrappings and / or damaging the packaging units.

[0012] In view of the potential consequential problems that may arise from process disruptions in conveying and / or packaging processes involving at least one shrink tunnel and / or at least one palletizing station, it can be considered a primary objective of the invention to provide an improved packaging system and a method for controlling at least some modules of such a packaging system, which allow for the compensation of disruptions, congestion, and / or interruptions, so that at least the palletizing processes are hardly affected by minor disruptions, congestion, and / or interruptions. Furthermore, this improved packaging system and the improved control method should be able to combine palletizing with the upstream conveying and / or handling processes as effectively as possible.

[0013] These objectives are achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Features of advantageous developments of the invention can be found in the respective dependent claims. To achieve at least some of the above-mentioned objectives, the invention proposes a packaging system comprising at least one packaging machine and a grouping station arranged downstream of the packaging machine and coupled to the packaging machine by conveyor technology for handling and positioning transported packaging units for the purpose of preparing palletizable layer arrangements.

[0014] In addition, the packaging system according to the invention comprises at least one palletizing station arranged downstream of the grouping station for stacking at least two layer arrangements of packaging units one above the other, in particular for forming a pallet stack having a plurality of layer arrangements.

[0015] The packaging system further comprises at least one storage unit arranged between the grouping station and the palletizing station, which has at least two vertically spaced storage levels that can be raised or lowered. These storage levels can each have or establish a conveyor connection to the palletizing station and can each be raised to a height corresponding to the conveyor level of the grouping station for receiving layer arrangements from the grouping station.

[0016] In the packaging system according to the invention, the packaging machine can optionally comprise at least one shrink tunnel for applying a shrinking agent to article groups that are at least partially wrapped with shrinkable flat packaging material and thus formed into packaging units. Such a shrink tunnel can be arranged upstream of the grouping station, preferably at a short distance, which can be bridged, for example, by a short conveyor section.

[0017] In the packaging system, the palletizing station can be equipped with a single-piece or multi-piece, height-adjustable loading plate, which is located immediately downstream of the storage unit. Thus, the palletizing station can also be located a short distance from the grouping station, but with the storage unit with its multiple storage levels interposed.

[0018] Generally speaking, the palletizing station can have a loading head. The loading head can deposit the layers directly onto the stacking area. Ideally, the buffer is located immediately downstream of the packaging machine, with the grouping station preferably located between the packaging machine and / or the shrink tunnel.

[0019] The packaging machine and the grouping station can be interlocked, meaning that there is essentially no buffer between them.

[0020] Additionally or alternatively, the grouping station and the storage unit can be interlocked.

[0021] Additionally or alternatively, the storage and the palletizing station can be interlocked.

[0022] It can also be provided that the packaging machine, the grouping station and the storage are arranged one behind the other, i.e. without any deflection in between.

[0023] It may be that the packaging machine, the grouping station, the storage and the palletizing station are arranged one after the other, i.e. without any diversion in between.

[0024] It may be that the grouping station and the storage and palletizing station are arranged one behind the other, i.e. without any diversion in between.

[0025] In particular, the distance between the packaging machine and the grouping station may be or correspond to a maximum of twelve, preferably a maximum of six, layer arrangements. The distance is the shortest connection between the respective housings or stationary frames. The layer arrangements are dimensioned such that they refer to the shorter side of the layer arrangement standing on the final stack, i.e., the compressed layer arrangement.

[0026] In particular, the distance between the grouping station and the storage unit may be a maximum of twelve, preferably a maximum of eight, more preferably a maximum of four, layer arrangements.

[0027] In particular, the distance between the storage and the palletizing station may be a maximum of four, preferably a maximum of two, layer arrangements

[0028] In one embodiment of the packaging system according to the invention, it can be provided that at least two storage levels arranged vertically one above the other can be raised or lowered together. The joint raising or lowering can, in particular, take place synchronously, i.e., with constant vertical spacing between the storage levels.

[0029] However, in an alternative variant of the packaging system, the at least two storage levels arranged vertically one above the other can also be raised or lowered separately from one another.

[0030] In order to transfer the layer arrangements with the packaging units arranged in a defined spatial orientation relative to one another from the grouping station to one of the storage levels and from there to the palletizing station, the at least two storage levels arranged one above the other at a vertical distance can each be equipped with drivable support levels and / or with suitable pushing devices or the like. For example, the storage levels can be equipped with movable support levels, each of which can be driven in a conveying direction, so that the layer arrangements located thereon can be conveyed between the grouping station and the palletizing station. To transfer the layer arrangements or the packaging units transported and / or stored thereon to the palletizing station, suitable pushing devices, such as, for example, movable push beams with a horizontal component, can also be used.

[0031] The packaging system according to the invention, with its variably fillable and emptied storage unit, which features multiple vertically stacked storage levels, allows for flexible adaptation of the conveying and handling processes to palletizing stations that are not operating entirely smoothly. Even if congestion, disruptions, or other delays occur in the palletizing station area, or if the grouping system upstream of the storage unit runs somewhat slower than expected, the storage unit can be used to buffer multiple layer arrangements, which can contribute to smoothing the processes.

[0032] The multiple storage levels also save adjustment paths, since the selection of the storage level to be emptied can be adapted to the current stack height of the pallet stack or to the number of layer arrangements already stacked on top of each other on the stack.

[0033] Since a loading head, in particular a loading plate, of a palletizer is / are normally adjustable in height, and since its / their take-over and discharge height gradually moves upwards with increasing stack height of the pallet stack, time can be saved when transferring a layer arrangement from a storage level located higher up.

[0034] In contrast, if only a few layers are stacked on top of each other and the loading plate is inserted at a correspondingly lower height, the lower storage levels of the storage unit can be emptied first, which in turn can help to reduce travel distances and process times.

[0035] In an advantageous embodiment, the packaging system can be equipped with at least one monitoring and control unit, which provides at least one program- and / or sensor-controlled control of the packaging machine, including the (optional) shrink tunnel, the grouping station, the storage unit, and the palletizing station. In this case, a receiving capacity and / or filling and / or emptying of the storage unit can preferably correspond to a receiving capacity for packaging units simultaneously located in the shrink tunnel.

[0036] In addition, it may be useful to use the monitoring and control unit to control the filling of the storage unit with packaging units and / or layer arrangements in accordance with the number of packaging units conveyed out of the shrink tunnel.

[0037] Alternatively, the functions can also be implemented by several individual control units (including the respective sensors and evaluations) of the machines through information exchange. In the following and in the present description, the terms "control unit" and "monitoring and control unit" cover both variants.

[0038] Optionally or additionally, in a variant embodiment of the packaging system according to the invention equipped with such a monitoring and control unit, it can also be provided that a storage capacity of the storage unit is matched to a processing speed of the palletizing station, wherein the monitoring and control unit can, in particular, control the filling of the storage unit with packaging units and / or layer arrangements and / or the emptying of the storage unit in coordination with the number of layer arrangements stacked on top of one another in the palletizing station per unit of time. If reasonably combinable, some or all of the aforementioned variations or variants of the packaging system according to the invention can also be optionally combined with one another in order to at least partially achieve the above-stated objective(s) and / or to achieve the desired effect of the invention.

[0039] To achieve at least some of the above-mentioned objectives of the invention, the invention further proposes, in addition to the packaging system explained in various embodiments, a method for operating such a packaging system, which comprises at least one packaging machine and a grouping station arranged downstream of the packaging machine and coupled to the packaging machine by conveyor technology for handling and positioning the transported packaging units for the purpose of preparing palletizable layer arrangements. The method provides for the layer arrangements to be stacked one above the other in at least one palletizing station arranged downstream of the grouping station, thus forming a pallet stack.

[0040] Between the grouping station and the palletizing station, there is at least one storage unit, which has at least two vertically spaced, raised or lowered storage levels. Each of the storage levels has a conveyor connection to the palletizing station or can establish such a conveyor connection. Furthermore, the storage levels can be raised to a height corresponding to the conveyor level of the grouping station to receive layer arrangements from the grouping station.

[0041] The method can be used particularly usefully in packaging systems in which the packaging machine comprises at least one shrink tunnel for applying a shrinking agent to article groups that are at least partially wrapped with shrinkable flat packaging material and thus formed into packaging units, wherein this shrink tunnel is arranged upstream of the grouping station.

[0042] Furthermore, the method can provide for a controlled filling or emptying of the at least two storage levels of the storage, each with at least one layer arrangement of packaging units, wherein the filling of the storage takes place by taking over layer arrangements from the grouping station, and wherein the emptying of the storage takes place by transferring layer arrangements to the palletizing station.

[0043] According to a further process variant, the layer arrangements can be removed one after the other from different storage levels and transferred to the palletizing station. These storage levels can be arranged at different heights or brought to the same height one after the other.

[0044] Optionally, the method can be configured such that the layer arrangements are removed one after the other from individual storage levels of the storage unit and transferred to the palletizing station. These storage levels can be located at different heights during their respective transfer of a layer arrangement to the palletizing station. Here, too, it can be provided that these storage levels are either located at different heights or are brought to the same height one after the other.

[0045] In a further process variant, the layer arrangements can be removed one after the other from different storage levels of the storage and transferred to the palletizing station, whereby these different storage levels are each located at different height levels when they transfer a layer arrangement to the palletizing station.

[0046] In a further process variant, at least four layer arrangements can be removed directly one after the other from different storage levels of the storage unit and transferred to the palletizing station. In particular, at least three, preferably at least four, storage levels can be located at different heights during their respective transfer of a layer arrangement to the palletizing station.

[0047] The method can also provide that a height level of a first layer arrangement that is transferred from the storage to the palletizing station is at least one meter away from a further layer arrangement that is transferred from the storage to the palletizing station in connection with the formation of a stack on a defined pallet.

[0048] The vertical spacing of the at least two storage levels arranged one above the other and capable of being raised or lowered can be variable or constant depending on the process variant. Variable spacing between the storage levels can be particularly useful for adapting to packaging units of different heights and / or sizes, but also for maintenance work (see below).

[0049] Furthermore, the method according to the invention can be usefully carried out using a packaging system which is equipped with at least one monitoring and control unit with which at least one program and / or sensor-controlled control of the packaging machine together with the shrink tunnel, the grouping station, the storage and the palletizing station is provided or enabled.

[0050] In this context, it may be useful if the storage capacity of the buffer roughly corresponds to the capacity of the packaging units simultaneously located in the shrink tunnel. Furthermore, it may be useful for the monitoring and control unit to control the filling of the buffer with packaging units and / or layer arrangements formed from the packaging units in accordance with the number of packaging units conveyed out of the shrink tunnel.

[0051] The method can also provide for a pick-up speed and / or pick-up capacity of the storage (number of layer arrangements or number of packaging units) to correspond to a processing speed and / or pick-up capacity of the palletizing station, so that the monitoring and control unit can effectively control the filling of the storage with packaging units and / or layer arrangements in coordination with the number of layer arrangements stacked on top of one another per unit of time in the palletizing station.

[0052] When controlling the buffer, it can be useful to aim for the buffer to be approximately half full in order to be able to compensate for and buffer disruptions, congestion or delays in the palletising station area as well as the upstream stations, i.e. the grouping station and / or the packaging area and / or the shrink tunnel. In particular, by buffering multiple layer arrangements, sudden delays that may be caused by the removal of a completed pallet stack and the deposit of a new empty pallet can be compensated for and buffered. If experience has shown that the system is frequently subject to disruptions within machines or modules that are located downstream from the buffer, a buffer filling of less than 50% of its capacity can generally be aimed for.

[0053] If experience shows that the system is prone to frequent malfunctions within machines or modules located upstream of the storage tank, it is generally possible to aim for the storage tank to be filled to more than 50% of its capacity.

[0054] If the buffer is more likely to be filled during a pallet change, since fewer layer arrangements are removed by the palletizer than are entering from upstream, a fill level of between 51% and 70% can be targeted (regulated by the control system). This can also be overlaid with the values ​​mentioned above and with empirical values ​​gained during operation, so that the "more than 50%" mentioned in the last paragraph can become "more than 51% to 70%." The same applies to the penultimate paragraph.

[0055] Furthermore, when vertically controlling the various storage levels, it may be useful to prioritize emptying those storage levels closest to the loading plate of the palletizing station, since this plate is at different heights depending on the pallet stack height reached when it is ready to receive another layer arrangement from the storage system. This type of control system eliminates travel distances for the loading plate and the storage levels, which can also reduce process times.

[0056] Preferably, only individual layer arrangements are conveyed into, temporarily stored, and removed again in each individual storage level of the multiple storage levels arranged one above the other, while stacking is not provided for in the storage area. In one embodiment, this only occurs in the palletizing station, when the individual layer arrangements are taken from the storage by means of the loading plate or another suitable loading system and placed layer by layer on the pallet stack until a desired number of stacked layers, each with several grouped and pushed-together packaging units, are located there, which represents a completed pallet stack. It is possible that the filling of a first storage level and the emptying of a different, second storage level overlap in time.

[0057] The invention could alternatively be described as follows; it could be a packaging system comprising a packaging machine for packaging articles into packaging units, a grouping station for arranging the packaging units to prepare palletizable layer arrangements, a storage unit for temporarily storing layer arrangements, and a palletizing station for stacking at least two layer arrangements of packaging units one above the other, wherein the storage unit has at least two, preferably at least three, vertically superimposed and vertically movable storage levels which can receive the layer arrangements at a first height and deliver them to the palletizing station at different heights.

[0058] The system may include a filling device for filling containers.

[0059] In terms of the method, the invention could alternatively be described as follows; it could be a method comprising the following steps:

[0060] • Packing items into packaging units,

[0061] • Arranging the packaging units into layer arrangements,

[0062] • Storing the layer arrangements vertically one above the other in a memory,

[0063] • Moving the layer arrangements out of the storage and

[0064] • Stacking the layer arrangements.

[0065] In particular, the layer arrangements can be transported into the storage unit at a first height, and the same layer can be removed from the storage unit at a second height that is vertically spaced from the first. The terms "height" and "height level" should be used synonymously.

[0066] In particular, a vertical movement of a storage level can occur between storing (receiving) a layer arrangement into the storage and retrieving a layer arrangement from the storage. It is possible that retrieving a layer arrangement into the storage overlaps with retrieving a layer arrangement. It is possible that retrieving occurs at a different height than retrieving.

[0067] The extension can also be referred to as emptying.

[0068] The retraction can also be referred to as filling.

[0069] In particular, all layer arrangements of a pallet can be removed from height levels that are at a distance from a height level at which the layer arrangements are moved into the storage.

[0070] It may be that a first layer that was stored above a second layer in the memory is placed on the pallet below the second layer.

[0071] The layer arrangements can be stacked directly on top of each other or with thin intermediate layers between them. The intermediate layers can, for example, have a sheet-like shape and, in particular, be made of paper.

[0072] It's possible that the layer arrangements only reach their final compressed shape during palletizing or in the palletizing station. They don't necessarily have to reach their final shape in the previous stations or steps. They might reach their final shape during arrangement in the grouping station or somewhere between the grouping station and the palletizing station.

[0073] The layer arrangements can be given their final shape by pushing them together and / or by accumulating them on a conveyor against a stop. This conveyor can be located, for example, between the grouping station and the storage area.

[0074] In other words, the packaging units in the storage on one storage level can have a higher area density (packages per m 2 ) than immediately after the grouping station.

[0075] In particular, the stacked packaging units have a higher volume density (packaging units per m 3 ) than in memory.

[0076] It may be that the packaging units on a storage level have a slightly higher areal density than the stacked packaging units.

[0077] Stacking of packaging units preferably takes place on a pallet. Packaging can, for example, involve arranging packaging blanks on articles, wrapping articles with packaging blanks, or gluing articles directly together with an adhesive.

[0078] The packaging units can be arranged into layered arrangements in the aforementioned grouping station. In particular, during the arrangement, some packaging units are rotated or pivoted around a vertical axis. In particular, during the arrangement, some packaging units are shifted in a horizontal plane transverse to a conveying direction.

[0079] In particular, one or more particularly two pushers can be arranged between the packaging machine and the palletizer, which compress the layer arrangements transversely to the transport direction. In particular, the pushers are arranged directly in front of the storage unit.

[0080] In particular, an adjustable stop can be arranged directly in front of the storage unit, against which the layer arrangements are moved. Once a layer arrangement is complete, the stop can be positioned to clear the path to the storage unit. This position is preferably at a height below a support surface of the horizontal conveyor arranged in front of the storage unit. A conveyor belt of the horizontal conveyor in front of the storage unit can have rollers that minimize friction between the packaging units and the conveying surface.

[0081] In particular, during normal operation, only complete layers are stored on all storage levels.

[0082] In addition, in the event of malfunctions or errors (e.g., a faulty packaging unit is rejected early, or the grouping station knocks over or incorrectly positions a packaging unit), it is possible for incomplete layers to be temporarily arranged on the storage level. In particular, the storage level can then be occupied by this incomplete layer arrangement for an extended period of time, while other storage levels continue to be used for continuous emptying and filling.

[0083] In particular, the storage level not in use can be released from the incomplete layer arrangement during a stop that must be made for other reasons. This release can be achieved, for example, through manual intervention, by completing the layer arrangement, or by automatically retracting the incomplete layer arrangement against the actual transport direction.

[0084] In the event of a malfunction of a machine arranged downstream of the storage unit, it can be provided that at least one storage level of the storage unit temporarily stacks at least two layer arrangements.

[0085] It would be conceivable that the top storage level in particular temporarily stacks as many layer arrangements as the number of layer arrangements stacked on top of one another by the palletizer before the disruption.

[0086] In particular, the first two steps listed above, namely the packing of articles into packing units (first step) and the arranging of the packing units into layer arrangements (second step), are carried out during a continuous movement of the packing units.

[0087] In particular, the packaging units can be transported with a horizontal component between all steps.

[0088] If the items are containers, an additional step can be carried out before packaging: filling the containers with a liquid, preferably a beverage.

[0089] A controller may be provided that is configured to control the movements of storage levels. In particular, the controller may also be able to control the movements of a loading head of the palletizing station. The controller does not necessarily have to be a single PLC; it can also comprise two PLCs, e.g., one for each station.

[0090] The loading head can be a louvre head or a loading head with a loading plate or a clamping or suction gripper.

[0091] In particular, it can be provided that the movements of storage levels and the loading head are coordinated by the control system.

[0092] It may be that a layer arrangement is transferred from a storage level to a loading head of the palletizing station during a vertical movement of this storage level and the loading head. For this purpose, both elements can be moved synchronously with each other for a time.

[0093] It may also be the case that all or at least all but the top storage levels have horizontal adjustability or mobility in addition to vertical adjustability.

[0094] In particular, this allows the loading head to access individual levels from above for removal of the layer arrangements. This is particularly necessary when using a loading head without a loading plate, such as a clamping gripper head or a suction head.

[0095] The horizontal adjustability or mobility is particularly given in a direction in which the packaging is moved into the storage levels.

[0096] In particular, it is possible to adjust the distance between individual, especially all, storage levels. This can be advantageous, for example, if a storage level requires maintenance.

[0097] Storage levels above a storage level requiring maintenance can be moved upwards to create space for maintenance.

[0098] Storage levels below a storage level requiring maintenance can be lowered to create space for maintenance. The distances between the lowered levels can be very small, allowing the storage level requiring maintenance to be moved to a position where it (or the parts requiring maintenance) is accessible to an operator from ground level. Maintenance may include the replacement of parts.

[0099] In particular, a storage control system allows you to select which level is moved into a maintenance position at the push of a button (digital if necessary). The other levels can then adjust automatically to ensure good accessibility. If there are many levels, it may be possible to service the top level by moving the bottom and any additional storage levels below the hall floor into a designated hole.

[0100] The storage unit may have a release mechanism that allows an entire storage level to be removed from the storage unit, e.g., for maintenance. The release mechanism can be located at the height at which the aforementioned maintenance position is located. The release mechanism can also be used to lock storage levels in place.

[0101] The release and, if necessary, locking of a storage level can be carried out additionally or alternatively by a mobile robot.

[0102] In particular, the storage levels may be arranged indirectly on one, preferably two, columns. One column may be arranged to the side of the transport path, and an optional second column may be arranged on the other side of the transport path.

[0103] In particular, a common drive can move all storage levels vertically together. This is possible, for example, via a chain or belt on which the storage levels are arranged at intervals. Additionally, a release mechanism can be provided with which individual storage levels can be temporarily released from their position on the chain / belt in order to rearrange them at a different position on the chain / belt. This can be done for different storage levels one after the other using the same release mechanism. The release mechanism can be as described above.

[0104] Alternatively, each storage level can have its own drive, allowing its height to be adjusted. This drive can be stationary and, for example, drive a separate belt, chain, or threaded spindle for each storage level, or each drive can be mounted on a moving platform on the respective storage level.

[0105] Pulleys for the aforementioned belts or chains can be arranged on the columns.

[0106] Independent of the vertical drive, each storage level can have its own conveyor belt, each driven by its own drive. Alternatively, a common drive can be provided for all conveyor belts in use. This drive can be stationary, for example, and can drive the respective deflection rollers of the individual conveyor belts via a belt.

[0107] The drives mentioned are preferably electric motors that can be controlled by the control system.

[0108] All belts can optionally be toothed belts. Furthermore, it would be possible for the palletizer's loading head to move to two storage levels in immediate succession, with one layer arrangement being transferred to the loading head at a time. The second layer arrangement transferred to the loading head is placed on top of the first layer arrangement transferred to the loading head, before the two stacked layer arrangements are placed together at the loading station or on the pallet.

[0109] In other words, intermediate stacking can be performed using the memory.

[0110] Alternatively, intermediate stacking can also be performed during the storage fill by lowering a storage level that already contains a first layer arrangement by approximately the height of the layer arrangement, allowing a second layer arrangement to be placed on top of the first. These can then be removed from the storage together.

[0111] In particular, the storage is filled during a pallet change and emptied during stacking.

[0112] In particular, the storage is filled during a palletizer malfunction.

[0113] In particular, the storage tank is emptied during a malfunction of an upstream machine, in particular the packaging machine or the grouping station.

[0114] In particular, the filling level of the storage tank is regulated during normal operation so that it is between 40% and 80%, preferably between 45% and 65%.

[0115] In particular, at least four, preferably at least five storage levels are arranged one above the other in the memory.

[0116] In particular, the sum of the paths traveled in the vertical direction by the loading head during the formation of exactly one finished stack amounts to at least a maximum of 75%, preferably a maximum of 50%, of the sum of the paths traveled in the vertical direction that would be necessary to form the same finished stack if all layer arrangements of one and the same height had to be picked up by the loading head. The described storage unit with several storage levels arranged one above the other for storing layer arrangements and the palletizer could alternatively be used for depalletizing. For example, when depalletizing mixed pallets, the order of the layers could be changed by leaving individual layers in a storage level longer than others before they are conveyed away from the palletizer. This could be an independent invention.

[0117] All steps or modules could then be operated backwards or the other way around.

[0118] This is useful, for example, in order picking centers, where other machines for order picking and, if necessary, re-palletizing would then be preferred instead of a packaging machine.

[0119] A pre-grouping unit can be arranged between the storage unit and the grouping station with the purpose of compressing the layer arrangement (see above).

[0120] If, from the point of view of the person skilled in the art, they can be combined with one another in a meaningful way, some or all of the above-mentioned variations or embodiments of the method according to the invention can optionally also be combined with one another in order to at least partially achieve the above-formulated aim(s) and / or to achieve the desired effect of the invention.

[0121] It should be expressly mentioned at this point that all aspects and embodiments explained in connection with the packaging system according to the invention equally relate to or can form partial aspects of the inventive method for operating the packaging system. Therefore, if at any point in the description or in the claim definitions for the packaging system according to the invention, certain aspects and / or relationships and / or effects are mentioned, this equally applies to the method according to the invention. The same applies in reverse, so that all aspects and embodiments explained in connection with the method according to the invention equally relate to or can be partial aspects of the packaging system according to the invention.Therefore, if at one point in the description or in the claim definitions for the method according to the invention certain aspects and / or relationships and / or effects are mentioned, this applies equally to the packaging system according to the invention.

[0122] In the following, exemplary embodiments will explain the invention and its advantages in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures. The relative sizes of the individual elements in the figures do not always correspond to the actual sizes, as some shapes are simplified and others are enlarged relative to other elements for better illustration.

[0123] Fig. 1 shows, in a highly schematic representation, some components of an embodiment variant of a packaging system according to the invention, which is equipped with a memory for the intermediate storage of packaging units.

[0124] Fig. 2 shows in a schematic plan view some components of a further embodiment of the packaging system according to the invention, in which a packaging machine is equipped with a shrink tunnel.

[0125] Fig. 3 shows a schematic side view of the packaging system according to Fig. 1 or Fig. 2, in which the storage is equipped with several storage levels arranged one above the other.

[0126] Figures 4A and 4B show schematic side views of different process phases during operation of the packaging system according to Fig. 3.

[0127] Fig. 5 shows a useful connection of a central monitoring and control unit with various system modules that are part of a packaging system according to the invention.

[0128] Fig. 6 shows a schematic plan view of an embodiment of a complete beverage filling and packaging system with its interacting modules, wherein the system can comprise a packaging system with the components according to Figures 1 to 5.

[0129] For identical or identically acting elements of the invention, the following description of the figures generally uses identical reference numerals. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, in many cases only those reference numerals are used in the individual figures that are necessary for the description of the respective figure. The embodiments illustrated merely represent examples of how the packaging machine according to the invention or the method according to the invention for operating the same can be designed and do not represent an exhaustive limitation. Furthermore, the features described below are not to be understood in close connection with other features of the respective embodiment, but can each be provided in a general context or used for this purpose.

[0130] With reference to the schematic representation of Fig. 1, some interacting components of an embodiment variant of a packaging system 10 according to the invention will first be illustrated and described, before the concrete interaction of a variably controllable storage device for packaging units or containers with other components within the packaging system 10 will be explained in more detail with reference to the schematic plan view of Fig. 2.

[0131] As the schematic representation of Fig. 1 illustrates, the packaging system 10 according to the invention comprises at least one packaging machine 12 and a grouping station 14 arranged downstream of the packaging machine 12 and coupled to the packaging machine 12 in terms of conveyor technology. In the packaging machine 12, packaging units 16 are moved in a conveying direction 18, which points from left to right in the illustration of Fig. 1. The arrow direction of the schematic box representing the packaging machine 12, pointing to the right, also illustrates the conveyor technology coupling of the packaging machine 12 with the grouping station 14 arranged downstream of it.

[0132] Processing modules can be arranged upstream of the packaging machine 12, which can be used, for example, to fill a liquid packaging product into primary packaging. Such primary packaging can be formed by beverage containers made of plastic, mineral glass, or other suitable packaging materials. Several such primary packaging units can typically be combined in the processing, handling, and / or packaging modules arranged upstream of the packaging machine 12 and packaged into packaging units 16 or bundles, which can thus be referred to as secondary packaging.

[0133] Suitable secondary packaging materials for forming the packaging units 16 schematically shown here include, for example, film packaging, cardboard outer packaging, strapping, or combined packaging materials. As will be explained in more detail with reference to the further Figures 2, 3, and 4A and 4B, the packaging units 16 considered here as examples can be formed, in particular, by shrink-film packages, so that these shrink-film packages can form the secondary packaging.

[0134] The grouping station 14 arranged downstream of the packaging machine 12 in the conveying direction 18 serves to handle and position the packaging units 16 transported thereto with the purpose of preparing stackable and palletizable layer arrangements 20. In the schematic representation of Fig. 1, such a layer arrangement 20, which is only partially completed, is realized in that the packaging units 16 transported from the packaging machine 12 to the grouping station 14 are arranged in an order which, in the completed state, comprises several rows arranged next to one another, each with several packaging units 16 arranged one behind the other, preferably in a regular rectangular arrangement.

[0135] Furthermore, the packaging system 10 shown here comprises a palletizing station 22 arranged downstream of the grouping station 14 for stacking at least two layer arrangements 20 of packaging units 16 one above the other. This results, after stacking several layer arrangements 20 one above the other, in a pallet stack 24 in which several layer arrangements 20 of packaging units 16 are stacked on a pallet 26 provided for this purpose and serving as a base. The pallet 26 can be made of plastic or wood, for example, and can have conventional dimensions. Such a pallet stack 24 located on a pallet 26 can also be considered and referred to as tertiary packaging, in accordance with the terminology chosen here.

[0136] Furthermore, the packaging system 10 shown comprises a storage unit 28 arranged between the grouping station 14 and the palletizing station 22, which has at least two storage levels 30 and 32 arranged vertically one above the other and which can be raised or lowered. Each of these multiple storage levels 30 and 32 can each have or establish a conveyor connection to the downstream palletizing station 22. Furthermore, each of the multiple storage levels 30 and 32 can have or establish a conveyor connection to the upstream grouping station 14.

[0137] In the packaging system 10, it is provided that each of the storage levels 30 and 32 can be brought to a suitable height level for a respective takeover of a layer arrangement 20 from the grouping station 14, which corresponds to the conveying level of the grouping station 14.

[0138] It should already be emphasized at this point that the storage 28 can have more than the two storage levels 30 and 32 shown in the drawing, which are arranged one above the other at respective vertical distances, for example three, four, five or even more such storage levels 30, 32, etc. Preferably, each of the storage levels 30, 32 of the storage 28 arranged one above the other is equipped with a support level (not separately illustrated here) for the layer arrangement 20 to be accommodated thereon, which support level can be moved in the conveying direction 18 in order to be able to bring the layer arrangement 20 initially to the storage level 30 or 32 and to enable the driven further conveyance to the palletizing station 22 at a later time.

[0139] The schematic top view of Fig. 2 shows a further embodiment of the packaging system 10 according to the invention, in which the packaging machine 12 is equipped with a shrink tunnel 34, which can be an integrated component of the packaging machine 12 and thus also of the packaging system 10. The shrink tunnel 34 serves to apply a shrinking agent to article groups that are at least partially wrapped with shrinkable flat packaging material and thus formed into the packaging units 16.A shrinkable flat packaging material which is wrapped around the article groups and partially or completely envelops them can in particular be formed by a film material which shrinks under the influence of heat and thereby firmly holds the individual articles of the respective article group together, so that by such a treatment step, with which the article groups wrapped with film are exposed to the shrinking agent as they pass through the shrink tunnel 34, stable packaging units 16 or secondary packaging are formed.

[0140] When, in the present context, reference is made to a shrinking agent with which the article groups or packaging units 16 are exposed within the shrink tunnel 34, this generally refers to hot gas or hot air, whereby this hot gas or hot air is normally blown under defined flow conditions within the shrink tunnel 34 onto the packaging units 16 conveyed past corresponding outlet openings or nozzles. In order for the packaging units 16 to be conveyed in the conveying direction 18 specified by the system and in accordance with the module sequence shown (see arrow direction in Fig.2, pointing from left to right) through the shrink tunnel 34 and then transported further in the same conveying direction 18, a horizontal conveyor device 36 with a support plane 38 moving in the conveying direction 18 for the packaging units 16 transported standing thereon generally passes through the shrink tunnel 34.

[0141] Downstream of the shrink tunnel 34 of the packaging machine 12 is the above-mentioned grouping station 14, which is coupled to the shrink tunnel 34 via a short conveyor section 40, so that the packaging units 16, after their heat treatment in the shrink tunnel 34, can be conveyed further via the short conveyor section 40 in the unchanged conveying direction 18 to the grouping station 14.

[0142] The short conveyor section 40, which leads out of the shrink tunnel 34 and ends in the grouping station 14, can optionally be considered a subsection of the horizontal conveyor device 36. Thus, the short conveyor section 40 connects the grouping station 14 in terms of conveying technology to the upstream packaging machine 12, of which only the shrink tunnel 34 is schematically illustrated in the illustration in Fig. 2.

[0143] As already explained above, the grouping station 14 arranged downstream of the packaging machine 12 and in particular of the shrink tunnel 34 serves to handle, reposition and / or regroup the packaging units 16 transported from the shrink tunnel 34 via the conveyor section 40 in order to bring them in a defined number into layer arrangements 20 which are suitable for subsequent palletizing, ie for stacking several such layers on top of one another (cf. Fig. 1).

[0144] Each of these stacked layer arrangements 20 comprises a defined number of packaging units 16, which are arranged in a suitable orientation in order to occupy a clearly defined area in a space-saving manner and with the formation of as little free space as possible between adjacent packaging units 16, namely in the layer arrangement 20 that enables this.

[0145] In the schematic plan view of Fig. 2, such a layer arrangement 20 which is only partially completed is realized in that the packaging units 16 transported via the conveyor section 40 are arranged in an order which, in the completed state, comprises several rows arranged next to one another, each with several packaging units 16 arranged one behind the other, preferably in a regular rectangular arrangement.

[0146] The grouping station 14 can expediently be equipped with at least one suitable handling robot 42 or with several such handling robots 42, which are capable of gripping individual or multiple packaging units 16 simultaneously and positioning them in such a way that the required palletizable layer arrangements 20 can be formed through several successive positioning steps to which the transported packaging units 16 are subjected. Suitable handling robots 42 can be designed, for example, as gantry robots, as articulated-arm robots, or as parallel kinematic robots, which have controllable gripper heads 44 for grasping individual or multiple packaging units 16, for repositioning them, and for releasing the packaging units 16 at a desired destination.

[0147] The handling robot 42, which is only indicated in Fig. 2, can be understood as a parallel kinematic robot based on the graphic representation, whose gripper head 44 is suspended from three movable tool arms, so that a desired mobility of the gripper head 44 results within a defined movement space, which movement space can essentially coincide with a support plane 46 of the grouping station 14. On this support plane 46, the length arrangements 20 with the grouped packaging units 16 arranged in a regular rectangular arrangement can be assembled and then preferably conveyed further in the conveying direction 18, in order to be first conveyed to the storage unit 28 and then fed to the palletizing station 22 arranged downstream (see also Fig. 1).

[0148] Between the storage 28 and the grouping station 14, a pre-grouping device (not shown here) can optionally be arranged for the purpose of compressing the layer arrangements 20.

[0149] It goes without saying that the support plane 38 of the horizontal conveyor device 36, which moves in the conveying direction 18 and on which the packaging units 16 are moved through the shrink tunnel 34 and fed via the conveying section 40 to the grouping station 14, is at the same height as the support plane 46 of the grouping station 14, on which the layer arrangements 20 are formed with the aid of the movable handling robot 42, so that a smooth and trouble-free transition of the packaging units 16 from the conveying section 40 to the support plane 46 of the grouping station 14 is ensured.

[0150] The support level 46 of the grouping station 14, on which the layer arrangements 20 are assembled, can expediently be equipped with a suitable transfer device (not shown here, however), for example with push bars or the like that can be moved horizontally in the conveying direction 18, with which each completed layer arrangement 20 can be conveyed further to the storage 28 arranged downstream in the conveying direction 18. Alternatively, however, the support level 46 of the grouping station 14 can also be designed as an intermittently driven conveyor level that can be driven in the conveying direction 18 every time a new layer arrangement 20 is completed in order to feed the layer arrangement to the storage 28.

[0151] Instead of the palletizing station 22 arranged downstream of the storage unit 28, other packaging options are also conceivable, such as the formation of large containers in which several packaging units 16 can be combined without the need to stack several layers on top of one another. However, Fig. 2 shows a pallet stack 24 according to Fig. 1, for the design of which, its formation by several layer arrangements 20 supplied by the storage unit 28 and stacked on top of one another, and its completion, reference is made to the above explanations.

[0152] The schematic side view of Fig. 3 shows the packaging system 10 according to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 with its interacting components and illustrates in particular the different possibilities of the interaction of the storage 28 arranged between the grouping station 14 and the palletizing station 22, in which a plurality of layer arrangements 20 compiled by the grouping station 14 can be stored and kept ready for a time-delayed transfer to the palletizing station 22.

[0153] In the embodiment of the packaging system 10 shown in Fig. 3, the packaging machine 12 also comprises a shrink tunnel 34 through which the packaging units 16 transported by means of the horizontal conveyor 36 pass in the conveying direction 18. In the grouping station 14, which is arranged downstream of the shrink tunnel 34 of the packaging machine 12 and is coupled to the packaging machine 12 via the short conveyor section 40, the packaging units 16 are regrouped, rotated, and / or shifted in the manner described above to form the palletizable layer arrangements 20.

[0154] For this purpose, the grouping station is equipped with the schematically indicated handling robot 42, which, in particular, can be formed, as shown, by a parallel kinematic robot suspended on the top with a gripper head 44 suspended on the bottom by articulated arms and thus movable. By means of the movably suspended gripper head 44, individual or multiple packaging units 16 can be gripped and moved and / or rotated simultaneously in order to fit into a desired layer pattern of the layer arrangement 20 to be formed.

[0155] In the exemplary embodiment shown, the storage 28 located between the palletizing station 22 and the grouping station 14 comprises a total of five storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50 and 52 arranged one above the other, which are dimensioned and spaced apart from one another in the vertical direction such that a complete layer arrangement 20 can be accommodated in each of these storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50 and 52.

[0156] The lowest storage level 30 shall be referred to in the present context as the first storage level 30. The storage level located above it is the second storage level 32. The storage level located above this is the third storage level 48. The further storage level located above the third storage level 48 shall be referred to here as the fourth storage level 50. The uppermost storage level shall be referred to here as the fifth storage level 52. In the schematic side view of Fig. 3, only the second storage level 32 contains a layer arrangement 20 with a defined number of packaging units 16, while the remaining storage levels 30, 48, 50 and 52 are empty.

[0157] The storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50 and 52 of the storage 28 arranged one above the other expediently each have the same vertical distances from one another, wherein these distances between adjacent storage levels 30 and 32, 32 and 48, 48 and 50 or 50 and 52 are sufficiently large to be able to accommodate the packaging units 16 being processed in each case, without collisions between a storage level 30, 32, 48 and / or 50 equipped with a layer arrangement 20 and an adjacent storage level 32, 48, 50 or 52 located above it. In the process phase shown in Fig. 3, the palletizing station 22 arranged downstream of the storage device 28 has a pallet stack 24 that is not yet completed, in which three layer arrangements 20, each with packaging units 16 joined together according to a predetermined layer scheme, are stacked one above the other on a pallet 26 standing on the floor at a staging area 54.However, several additional similar layer arrangements 20 can be placed on the initial pallet stack 24 with the three layer arrangements 20, optionally in larger numbers. The maximum number of layer arrangements 20 of such a pallet stack 24 is essentially limited by the mechanical stability of the pallet stack 24 and its handling during the subsequent packaging, loading, and / or shipping process.

[0158] The side view of Fig. 3 also shows a two-part loading plate 56, which is located above the staging area 54 and which is movable in the vertical direction along a lifting column 58 of the palletizing station 22. The two parts of the loading plate 56, which may be of equal or different sizes, can preferably be moved apart in order to place a layer arrangement 20 placed on its upper side on top of the pallet stack 24 located below or on the pallet 26 located at the staging area 54. To enable this, the two-part loading plate 56 can be equipped with suitable pushing devices, sliding floors, and optionally with other useful devices that enable and / or facilitate the precise placement of the layer arrangements 20.

[0159] If necessary, instead of such a two-part loading plate 56, a blind head or the like that is height-adjustable along the lifting column 58 can also be used, which is positioned above the pallet stack 24 after taking over a layer arrangement 20 on its base equipped with rotatable rollers, after which the roller floor can be opened and the layer arrangement 20 with the packaging units 16 can be placed on the top side of the pallet stack 24.

[0160] The design of such handling devices, which may be formed here by the two-part loading plate 56 or, for example, by a blind head (not shown here), is familiar to the person skilled in the art, so that he or she will select the most suitable from the technical devices and options available to him or her and will dimension and configure them as required for the respective application. A detailed explanation of the handling device used in the palletizing station 22, which is necessary for depositing and stacking the layer arrangements 20 on the pallet stack 24, is therefore unnecessary at this point.

[0161] It can optionally be provided that all storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50 and 52 of the memory 28 arranged one above the other can be raised or lowered together and in particular synchronously, ie while maintaining the respective vertical distances between the respectively adjacent storage levels 30 and 32, 32 and 48, 48 and 50 or 50 and 52, which is to be clarified and illustrated by the double arrow pointing in the vertical direction, which is located in Fig. 3 between the fourth storage level 50 and the fifth storage level 52.

[0162] In this context, it should be noted that the schematic representation of Fig. 3 should not be considered an exact representation of real conditions, as the first storage level 30 and the second storage level 32 located above it apparently do not have sufficient space downwards if, for example, in order to fill the uppermost fifth storage level 52 with a layer arrangement 20, a corresponding positioning of the fifth storage level 52 at the level of the support level 46 of the grouping station 14 is required. In order to enable all necessary and sensible positioning of the various storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50 and 52 at the level of the support level 46 of the grouping station 14, sufficient space must be provided in all directions.

[0163] However, a design variant is also conceivable in which the storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50, and 52 can be raised or lowered at least partially independently of one another, so that the vertical distances between adjacent storage levels can be partially reduced or increased, although this is not shown in detail here. Since, when storage levels 30, 32, 48, or 50 are not required, the space above these unused storage levels 30, 32, 48, or 50 can also be reduced to a minimum, individual storage levels 30, 32, 48, or 50 can be brought closer together if necessary. However, this requires at least partially independent movement control of the storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50, and 52.

[0164] Here, too, sufficient space must be available in all directions for all sensible positioning of the various storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50, and 52 at the level of the support level 46 of the grouping station 14. In addition to their intermediate storage function for layer arrangements 20 with the packaging units 16 contained therein, the height-adjustable storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50, and 52 of the storage unit 28 also offer the option of adjusting the delivery height of the respective layer arrangements 20 to the already achieved stacking height of the pallet stack 24. If a large number of stacked layer arrangements 20 are already located on the pallet stack 24, the required positioning height of the two-part loading plate 56 may be above the level of the support level 46 of the grouping station 14.In this case, the storage 28 additionally functions as a vertical positioning aid to compensate for the changing height levels during the stacking process for the handling of the layer arrangements 20.

[0165] The controllable use of the at least two storage levels 30 and 32 or the total of five storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50 and 52 shown in Figure 3, with their height adjustability, can be advantageous not only in connection with the aforementioned height compensation for adapting to changing stack heights due to the increasing height of the pallet stack 24. Since such packaging systems 10 and packaging machines 12 must make do with very short conveyor sections between different modules in the interest of the most compact design possible, the space available between the exit of the shrink tunnel 34 and the grouping station 14 downstream in the conveying direction 18 can be limited, whereby the above-mentioned conveyor section 40 is very short depending on the structural design of the packaging machine 12.

[0166] However, if malfunctions or jams occur in any handling or treatment module downstream of the shrink tunnel 34, be these malfunctions in the palletizing station 22, in a handling section of the packaging system 10 following the palletizing station 22 or be these malfunctions within the grouping station 14 itself, an abrupt stop of the horizontal conveyor device 36 leading through the shrink tunnel 34 is generally not possible, provided that packaging units 16 are still located within the shrink tunnel 34.

[0167] Due to the inertia of the temperature control in the interior of the shrink tunnel 34, it is generally necessary to remove all packaging units 16 located therein from the shrink tunnel 34. This initially requires continued operation of the horizontal conveyor 36, preferably at an unchanged conveyor speed. Otherwise, there would be a risk that the packaging units 16 still located in the shrink tunnel 34 and remaining there for an extended period would be exposed to excessively long temperature control, which could lead to a deterioration in the shrink quality of the shrink film enveloping the article groups and, under unfavorable circumstances, even to the mandatory rejection of the packaging units 16 that have overheated in this way.

[0168] On the other hand, since a conveyor section 40 with a very short length does not have enough space to completely empty the shrink tunnel 34, since it may not be possible to accommodate all of the packaging units 16 previously located in the shrink tunnel 34 on the conveyor section 40, and since it is not always possible to let the grouping station 14 continue running in order to reposition the conveyed packaging units 16 and / or bring them into a layer arrangement 20, the variably activatable and correspondingly controllable storage 28 can provide a remedy in such cases. This is because the storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50 and 52, which are arranged one above the other and can be filled variably, and the buffer area for packaging units 16 formed thereby, or the layer arrangements 20 formed therefrom, are able to accommodate a sufficient number of packaging units 16, which, for example,cannot be transported into the grouping station 14 due to a malfunction or limited receiving and / or further processing capacity in the grouping station 14 or in subsequent modules, in particular the palletizing station 22.

[0169] In particular, in the event of a malfunction of the handling robot 42, packaging units 16 can be transported unhandled through the grouping station 14 into the storage 28.

[0170] In such a case, the storage device can accommodate incomplete layer arrangements (not shown).

[0171] In particular, packaging units 16 can be removed from the storage 28 opposite to the conveying direction 18 and fed to the grouping station 14 to form a layer arrangement 20.

[0172] Similar principles can apply in the event of disruptions or jams in the area of ​​the palletizing station 22, because if problems or jams occur there, for example, when forming the pallet stack 24, when handling the two-part loading plate 56 and / or when passing on a complete pallet stack 24 to downstream handling or transport devices, the article groups still located in the shrink tunnel 34 must still be conveyed further and out of the shrink tunnel 34 in order to avoid the problems described above.

[0173] Even with a relatively slow-operating grouping station 14, it may still be the case that the layer arrangements 20 formed there cannot all be conveyed immediately, for example, because there may be a jam or malfunction in the palletizing station 22. If the stacking processes within the palletizing station 22 are delayed, the height-adjustable storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50 and / or 52 of the storage unit 28 can provide some relief if the storage level 30, 32, 48, 50 or 52 to be emptied is brought to a suitable height and into horizontal alignment with the loading plate 56, especially since this reduces the required lifting movements, saves travel distances, and, last but not least, reduces process times.

[0174] As soon as a previously existing disruption or congestion in the area of ​​the grouping station 14, in the palletizing station 22 following the storage device 28, or in any other handling and / or conveying section (not shown here) downstream of the grouping station 14 or the palletizing station 22 has been eliminated, so that the conveying of the packaging units 16 can continue uninterrupted, it is expedient to at least partially empty the storage device 28 and to remove the packaging units 16 or layer arrangements 20 previously conveyed therein in order to transfer them to the loading plate 56 of the palletizing station 22, so that the latter can deposit the layer arrangement 20 on the pallet stack 24.

[0175] As Figures 4A and 4B illustrate, the storage unit 28 can be filled partially or completely as needed in the event of a disruption, congestion, or slowed stacking in the palletizing station 22. The schematic side view of Figure 4A shows the storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50, and 52 lowering together synchronously, of which the three lower storage levels 30, 32, and 48 are already filled with a layer arrangement 20 of packaging units 16 each. In contrast, the two upper storage levels 50 and 52 are still empty, so that in the further course of the process, after the fourth storage level 50 has been appropriately positioned at the level of the support level 46 of the grouping station 14 arranged upstream in the conveying direction 18, this fourth storage level 50 can first be filled with a layer arrangement 20.If necessary, the storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50, and 52 can be lowered further to align the fifth storage level 52 with the support level 46, so that a further layer arrangement 20 with packaging units 16 can be deposited thereon by the grouping station 14. As already mentioned above, the transfer movements of the respective layer arrangements 20 from the support level 46 of the grouping station 14 to the respective aligned storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50, and / or 52 can be initiated by means of suitable pushing devices and / or by means of driven support surfaces of the respective storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50, and 52.

[0176] In connection with the use of the storage unit 28, it may generally be expedient to equip some of the storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50, and 52 with a layer arrangement 20 each, in order to enable more flexible adaptation to the processing speed of the palletizing station 22 and / or to the respective required transfer height when transferring a layer arrangement 20 to the loading plate 56. Thus, the process phase shown in Fig. 4A can also represent a desirable normal state that is maintained or repeatedly restored through dynamic use of the entire storage capacity of the storage unit 28, for example, after a higher utilization of the storage unit 28 or after emptying more than three or four of the existing five storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50, and 52.

[0177] In contrast, the schematic side view of Fig. 4B shows a more advanced stacking with a higher pallet stack or with a higher pallet stack 24, in which six layer arrangements 20, each with a defined number of packaging units 16, are already stacked one above the other. In the storage 28, most of the layer arrangements 20 have already been removed, so that in the process phase shown, only the uppermost fifth storage level 52 is equipped with a layer arrangement 20, while the storage levels 50, 48, 32, and 30 located below are emptied and not refilled.

[0178] All five storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50, and 52 can perform the upward movement indicated by the upward-pointing arrow in order to approach the upper fifth storage level 52 of the loading plate 56, onto which, once the same vertical height level is reached, the layer arrangement 20 can be transferred in a direction parallel to the conveying direction 18, so that the latter can then deposit the layer arrangement 20 at the appropriate height on top of the pallet stack 24 (not shown here). These transfer movements of the respective layer arrangements 20 from the storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50, and / or 52 of the storage 28 onto the loading plate 56, which is aligned therewith, can in turn be initiated by means of suitable pushing devices and / or by means of driven support surfaces of the respective storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50, and 52.

[0179] During the setting down movement of the layer arrangement 20 on the pallet stack 24 carried out by the loading plate 56, in particular by its opening movement - ie in particular by moving the two parts of the loading plate 56 apart - the five storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50 and 52 can already be positioned again in synchronous movement for receiving a further layer arrangement 20 from the grouping station 14, which can contribute to the above-mentioned acceleration of the conveying and handling processes during the grouping and palletizing of the packaging units 16.

[0180] The schematic block diagram in Fig. 5 is also intended to illustrate control-related relationships that may be important for the most effective use of the storage device 28. Thus, not only the packaging machine 12 and / or the shrink tunnel 34, the grouping station 14 including its at least one handling robot 42 for layer formation, as well as the conveyor section 40 connecting the packaging machine 12 and / or the shrink tunnel 34 to the grouping station 14, are connected in terms of signals and control to a central monitoring and control unit 60, which is schematically illustrated by corresponding signal arrows in Fig. 5.

[0181] In addition, there are the signal-technical links between the controls of the storage unit 28 and the palletizing station 22 arranged downstream of the storage unit 28 and with each other and with the central monitoring and control unit 60, so that the storage unit 28 can be used as effectively as possible in the event of any malfunctions, congestion, or even during normal operation of the packaging system 10.

[0182] The monitoring and control unit 60 can perform the known and technically expedient control tasks associated with the demand-based temperature control of the packaging units 16 conveyed through the shrink tunnel 34, i.e., their conveying speed, their residence time in the shrink tunnel 34, and the temperatures prevailing there and / or the temperature profile set there. Furthermore, the monitoring and control unit 60 can be responsible for controlling the movement of the handling robot 42 located in the grouping station 14 (see Figures 2 to 4B), so that the handling robot can ensure layer formation by appropriately repositioning the packaging units 16 conveyed into the grouping station 14 in a program-controlled manner and / or with sensor support.

[0183] In addition, the monitoring and control unit 60 can provide drive control for the conveyor section 40, which transports the packaging units 16 from the shrink tunnel 34 to the grouping station 14, which can, if necessary, be supported by suitable sensors for detecting the positions and / or movements of the packaging units 16 transported there. Such drive control of the conveyor section 40 can optionally also cause a stop of the horizontal conveyor device 36 assigned to the conveyor section 40, for example, if there are still packaging units 16 located there that are to be transferred to the grouping station 14 even if there is an interruption at another location.

[0184] Finally, a further important task of the monitoring and control unit 60 shown in Fig. 5 can be to control the storage 28 in coordination with the palletizing station 22 and / or the shrink tunnel 34 and / or the packaging machine 12 in such a way that the various storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50 and / or 52 (cf. Figures 3, 4A and 4B) of the storage 28 ensure that packaging units 16 in the form of complete layer arrangements 20 are received and removed from the grouping station 14 and can accommodate a sufficient number of packaging units 16 or layer arrangements 20 which, for example, should not be conveyed into this palletizing station 22 due to a malfunction or congestion in the downstream palletizing station 22, at least temporarily.

[0185] A corresponding program control of the monitoring and control unit 60 can ensure that the drives and / or pushers for the storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50 and / or 52 of the storage unit 28 are at least temporarily activated and controlled to receive layer arrangements 20 until they can be transferred to the loading plate 56 of the palletizing station 22 in an effective and time-saving manner. Another control specification can be generated, for example, in the event of a malfunction at any point in the packaging system 10, so that the program control of the monitoring and control unit 60 controls the shrink tunnel 34 and the downstream conveyor and handling modules in such a way that the shrink tunnel 34 is emptied and no packaging units 16 are to be located there.

[0186] Conversely, this program control can ensure that, after the fault or jam has been eliminated, the drives of the storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50 and / or 52 can ensure an accelerated transfer of the layer arrangements 20 to the palletizing station 22.

[0187] The storage capacities of the storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50 and / or 52 of the storage 28 and the drive speeds of the slides or conveyor devices are preferably coordinated with one another in such a way that it is possible to ensure that the shrink tunnel 34 is emptied without this leading to renewed congestion in the area of ​​the conveyor section 40 and / or the storage 28, ie all areas upstream of the palletizing station 22 involved in the conveying and / or intermediate storage of packaging units 16.

[0188] In addition, the storage capacities of the storage levels 30, 32, 48, 50 and / or 52 of the storage 28 and the drive speeds of the slides or conveyor devices should preferably be coordinated with one another in such a way that disruptions, delays or congestion in the area of ​​the palletizing station 22 can be compensated for, at least to a certain extent, by the storage capacities of the storage 28 for layer arrangements 20, without this having to immediately lead to a stop of the packaging system 10 and without this having to lead to further congestion in the area of ​​the upstream areas upstream of the palletizing station 22.

[0189] The coordinated controls of the aforementioned areas can also be sensibly ensured by a corresponding program control of the monitoring and control unit 60 shown in Fig. 5.

[0190] It should also be noted that the interconnection of the system modules illustrated in Fig. 5 and their sensor and control coupling with the monitoring and control unit 60 can be provided in a comparable manner in all variants of the packaging system 10 shown in Figs. 1 to 3, in Figs. 4A and 4B and in Fig. 6.

[0191] The schematic top view of Fig. 6 also shows a conceivable

[0192] Design variant of a complete beverage filling and packaging system 70 with its interacting modules, wherein the system 70 can be equipped in particular with a packaging system 10 according to one of Figures 1 to 5.

[0193] The embodiment of the beverage filling and packaging system 70 shown in Fig. 6 consists of several modules connected to one another by conveyor technology, with the overall system 70 comprising at least one so-called wet section 72 (top in Fig. 6) and a packaging complex or packaging system 10 (bottom in Fig. 6). With such a beverage filling and packaging system 70, containers can be filled with liquid beverages and subsequently packaged into packaging units 16 or bundles and combined into layer arrangements 20, which can then be packaged and / or palletized.

[0194] Fig. 6 shows a practical module sequence that can be used in the production, filling, and further handling of beverage containers made of plastic, mineral glass, or an organic cellulose material. This shows a practically relevant design variant of a complete beverage filling and packaging system 70 with its interacting modules, wherein the lower section of the overall system 70 is formed by the aforementioned packaging system 10 or the aforementioned packaging machine 12, which is followed by further handling elements for palletizing packaged or otherwise finished packaging units or piece goods.

[0195] This packaging system 10, shown in the lower right part of the beverage filling and packaging system 70, can be designed in particular for forming and handling shrink-film containers, as described above. Furthermore, the packaging system 10 can comprise additional modules, for example, to combine several packaging units 16 formed by shrink-film containers into larger containers, for example, in cardboard outer packaging.

[0196] The module sequence of the schematically illustrated beverage filling and packaging system 70 begins with the so-called wet section 72 (top left), in which a beverage is filled into containers prepared for this purpose. These containers, which can be formed by the beverage containers mentioned several times above, such as cans or bottles, are conveyed from the wet section 72 via connected conveyor sections 74 (top right in Fig. 6) and 76 (center left in Fig. 6) to an optional labeling module 78, which is located centrally in the lower third of the drawing. In the labeling module 78, which can be considered optional, the liquid or beverage containers, cans, or bottles, which are normally conveyed in rows one behind the other, can each be provided with labels.

[0197] Instead of such a labeling module 78, a direct printing module for directly applying ink to the container shell surfaces can optionally be provided within the conveyor line of the beverage filling and packaging system 70. It is also possible to dispense with such labeling or printing of the containers, which may be appropriate for containers prepared in color or with a design, or for containers packaged in other ways.

[0198] A container production module 80 can be located at the beginning of the conveyor line shown, since the processed beverage containers are made of thin-walled plastic or, for example, of suitable organic cellulose material. If the beverage containers produced in the container production module 80, e.g., by blow molding or other suitable processes, require further treatment steps, for example, because they need to be coated internally, this can take place in a coating module 82 arranged downstream of the container production module 80. However, such a coating module 82 is to be understood as optional, as is an optional drying module, which can be used to dry the containers.

[0199] Downstream of the optional coating and / or drying module 82 there is normally a filling module 84, which can also be referred to as a filler 84, with which the previously produced and optionally additionally dried and / or internally coated plastic or pulp containers are filled with a liquid, in particular with a beverage.

[0200] In the immediate vicinity of this filling module or filler 84, the illustrated beverage filling and packaging system 70 can optionally be equipped with another module 86 for producing suitable closures or container lids. These closures or container lids can be made of metal, plastic, or a suitable pulp material, for example, the same material that can also be used for the containers or bottles, provided they are not glass bottles.

[0201] Thus, the module 86 may in particular be a closure manufacturing module 86 which may be connected to a suitable handling module which may ensure the closure of the containers filled by means of the filler 84 using the container lids produced in the module 86.

[0202] Downstream in the transport direction behind the second conveyor section 76 and behind the (optional) labeling module 78 are packaging and treatment modules for the previously finished containers conveyed in the conveyor sections 74 and 76 to the packaging machine 12 and preferably grouped on the transport path.

[0203] A wrapping module 88 for wrapping container groups with secondary packaging made of shrinkable film can be arranged downstream of the labeling module 78. The wrapping module 88 is normally followed at a short distance by a shrink tunnel 34, which is only indicated schematically here, as are the conveyor section 40 and the grouping module 14, which follow the shrink tunnel 34 in the conveying direction of the packaging units 16.

[0204] The shrink tunnel 34 is used for the heat treatment of the container groups previously wrapped with heat-shrinkable film, whereby all container groups wrapped with film pass through the shrink tunnel 34 in order to be further processed into shrink film containers or packaging units 16 or secondary packaging as referred to here.

[0205] After passing through the conveyor section 40, the grouping station 14 follows downstream, followed by the storage unit 28 as shown in Figures 1 to 5. The grouping station 14 can, in particular, be assigned a handling robot 42 such as is schematically illustrated by way of example in Figures 2 to 4B. This handling robot 42 can ensure positioning, displacement, and / or rotation of the conveyed packaging units 16 for the purpose of layer formation and for the formation of layer arrangements 20.

[0206] After passing through the storage device 28, the layer arrangements 20 formed in the grouping station 14 with the packaging units 16 can finally be transferred to a palletizing device or palletizing station 22, where larger pallet units or pallet stacks 24 can be formed from the previously formed layers by stacking them on top of one another, as has also been explained above and shown with reference to Figures 1 to 4B. The interacting modules of the beverage filling and packaging system 70 are necessarily each equipped with their own control modules, although this is not shown in the drawing here. In addition, a central control unit 60 (not shown in detail here; however, see Figure 5) can be provided, which is also not shown in the drawing here. The control modules of the individual system modules as well as the central control unit 60 can each exchange or process various sensor signals.process as input variables in order to generate control signals for the various system modules.

[0207] The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. However, it is conceivable for a person skilled in the art that modifications or variations of the invention can be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

[0208] List of reference symbols

[0209] 10 Packaging system

[0210] 12 packaging machines

[0211] 14 grouping station

[0212] 16 Packaging unit, container, secondary packaging

[0213] 18 Conveying direction

[0214] 20 layer arrangement

[0215] 22 palletizing stations

[0216] 24 pallet stacks, tertiary packaging

[0217] 26 pallets

[0218] 28 storage

[0219] 30 memory level, first memory level

[0220] 32 memory levels, second memory level

[0221] 34 shrink tunnels

[0222] 36 Horizontal conveyor system

[0223] 38 Support level (horizontal conveyor)

[0224] 40 conveyor section, short conveyor section

[0225] 42 handling robots

[0226] 44 Gripper head

[0227] 46 Support level (grouping station)

[0228] 48 memory level, third memory level

[0229] 50 memory level, fourth memory level

[0230] 52 memory level, fifth memory level

[0231] 54 staging area

[0232] 56 Loading plate, two-part loading plate, two-part loading plate

[0233] 58 lifting column

[0234] 60 Monitoring and control unit, central monitoring and control unit

[0235] 70 Complete plant, beverage filling and packaging plant

[0236] 72 wet part

[0237] 74 conveyor section, first conveyor section

[0238] 76 conveyor section, second conveyor section

[0239] 78 Labeling module

[0240] 80 Container manufacturing module Coating module Filler, filling module Additional module, closure manufacturing module Wrapping module

Claims

Claims 1. Packaging system (10) comprising at least one packaging machine (12) and a grouping station (14) arranged downstream of the packaging machine (12) and coupled to the packaging machine (12) in terms of conveyor technology for handling and positioning the transported packaging units (16) for the purpose of preparing palletizable layer arrangements (20), wherein the packaging system (10) further comprises: - at least one palletizing station (22) arranged downstream of the grouping station (14) for stacking at least two layer arrangements (20) of packaging units (16) one above the other, and - at least one storage device (28) arranged between the grouping station (14) and the palletizing station (22), which storage device has at least two storage levels (30, 32, 48, 50, 52) arranged vertically one above the other and which can be raised or lowered, which storage levels (30, 32, 48, 50, 52) each have or can establish a conveyor connection to the palletizing station (22), and which storage levels (30, 32, 48, 50, 52) can each be brought to a height level which corresponds to the conveyor level of the grouping station (14) for receiving layer arrangements (20).

2. Packaging system (10) according to claim 1, wherein the packaging machine (12) comprises at least one shrink tunnel (34) for applying a shrinking means to article groups which are at least partially wrapped with shrinkable flat packaging material and thereby formed into packaging units (16), which shrink tunnel (34) is arranged upstream of the grouping station (14).

3. Packaging system (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the palletizing station (22) is equipped with a one-part or multi-part height-adjustable loading plate (56) which is arranged immediately downstream of the storage (28).

4. Packaging system (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the storage (28) is arranged immediately downstream of the packaging machine (12).

5. Packaging system (10) according to one of claims 1 to 4, in which the at least two storage levels (30, 32, 48, 50, 52) arranged vertically one above the other can be raised or lowered together.

6. Packaging system (10) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least two storage levels (30, 32, 48, 50, 52) arranged vertically one above the other can each be raised or lowered separately.

7. Packaging system (10) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the at least two storage levels (30, 32, 48, 50, 52) arranged vertically one above the other each have support levels which can be driven in a conveying direction.

8. Packaging system (10) according to one of claims 1 to 7, which is equipped with at least one monitoring and control unit (60), with which at least one program- and / or sensor-controlled control of the packaging machine (12) together with the shrink tunnel (34), the grouping station (14), the storage (28) and the palletizing station (22) is provided, wherein a receiving capacity of the storage (28) preferably corresponds to a receiving capacity of the packaging units (16) located simultaneously in the shrink tunnel (34), and wherein the monitoring and control unit (60) can control the filling of the storage (28) with packaging units (16) and / or layer arrangements (20) in accordance with the number of packaging units (16) conveyed out of the shrink tunnel (34), and / or wherein a receiving capacity of the storage (28) is adapted to a processing speed of the palletizing station (22). is,and wherein the monitoring and control unit (60) can control the filling of the storage unit (28) with packaging units (16) and / or layer arrangements (20) in accordance with the number of layer arrangements (20) stacked per unit of time in the palletising station (22).

9. Method for operating a packaging system (10) comprising at least one packaging machine (12) and a grouping station (14) arranged downstream of the packaging machine (12) and coupled to the packaging machine (12) in terms of conveyor technology for handling and positioning of transported packaging units (16) with the purpose of preparing palletizable layer arrangements (20), wherein the layer arrangements (20) are arranged in at least one palletizing station (22) arranged downstream of the grouping station (14) be stacked on top of each other, - wherein between the grouping station (14) and the palletizing station (22) there is at least one storage device (28) which has at least two storage levels (30, 32, 48, 50, 52) which are arranged vertically one above the other and can be raised or lowered, which storage levels (30, 32, 48, 50, 52) each have or can establish a conveyor connection to the palletizing station (22), and which storage levels (30, 32, 48, 50, 52) can each be brought to a height level which corresponds to the conveyor level of the grouping station (14) for receiving layer arrangements (20).

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the packaging machine (12) comprises at least one shrink tunnel (34) for applying a shrinking agent to article groups that are at least partially wrapped with shrinkable flat packaging material and thereby formed into packaging units (16), wherein the shrink tunnel (34) is arranged upstream of the grouping station (14).

11. Method according to claim 9 or 10, in which a controlled filling or emptying of the at least two storage levels (30, 32, 48, 50, 52) of the storage (28) with at least one layer arrangement (20) of packaging units (16) each is provided, wherein the filling takes place by taking over layer arrangements (20) from the grouping station (14), and wherein the emptying takes place by transferring layer arrangements (20) to the palletizing station (22).

12. Method according to one of claims 9 to 11, in which the layer arrangements (20) are removed one after the other from different storage levels (30, 32, 48, 50, 52) of the storage (28) and transferred to the palletizing station (22).

13. Method according to one of claims 9 to 12, in which the layer arrangements (20) are removed one after the other from individual storage levels (30, 32, 48, 50, 52) of the storage (28) and transferred to the palletizing station (22), wherein these storage levels (30, 32, 48, 50, 52) can be located at different height levels during their respective transfer of a layer arrangement (20) to the palletizing station (22).

14. Method according to one of claims 9 to 13, in which the layer arrangements (20) are successively removed from different storage levels (30, 32, 48, 50, 52) of the storage (28) and transferred to the palletizing station (22), wherein these different storage levels (30, 32, 48, 50, 52) are each located at different height levels during their respective transfer of a layer arrangement (20) to the palletizing station (22).

15. Method according to one of claims 9 to 14, in which a height level of a first layer arrangement (20) which is transferred from the storage (28) to the palletising station (22) is removed by an amount of at least half a meter, in particular one meter, from a further layer arrangement (20) which is transferred from the storage (28) to the palletising station (22) in connection with a stack formation on a defined pallet (26).

16. Method according to one of claims 9 to 15, wherein the vertical distances between the at least two storage levels (30, 32, 48, 50, 52) arranged one above the other and which can be raised or lowered are variable.

17. Method according to one of claims 9 to 16, wherein the packaging system (10) is equipped with at least one monitoring and control unit (60) with which at least one program- and / or sensor-controlled control of the packaging machine (12) together with the shrink tunnel (34), the grouping station (14), the storage (28) and the palletizing station (22) is provided 18. The method according to claim 17, wherein a receiving capacity of the storage (28) preferably corresponds to a receiving capacity of the packaging units (16) located in the shrink tunnel (34) at the same time, and wherein the monitoring and control unit (60) controls the filling of the storage (28) with packaging units (16) and / or layer arrangements (20) in accordance with the number of packaging units (16) conveyed out of the shrink tunnel (34).

19. The method according to claim 17 or 18, wherein a receiving capacity of the storage (28) corresponds to a processing speed of the palletizing station (22), wherein the monitoring and control unit (60) controls the filling of the storage (28) with packaging units (16) and / or layer arrangements (20) in coordination with the number of layer arrangements (20) stacked one above the other per unit of time in the palletizing station (22). - M - 20. Method according to one of claims 9 to 19, in which a filling and an emptying of one of the storage levels (30, 32, 48, 50, 52) overlap in time.

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