Hygiene Product Packaging Lateral Welding Rotation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing packaging systems for hygiene products experience interruptions and reduced throughput due to welding steps, which hinder continuous operation and result in system downtimes, limiting production rates.

Innovation Solution

A method involving wrapping products in tubular film bags and guiding them through two welding stations, with lateral welding of edges followed by rotation to align unsealed sides for subsequent face welding, allowing continuous operation and parallel processing to enhance throughput.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If welding steps are performed in conventional packaging systems, then products are sealed in packaging bags, but system downtime occurs and throughput is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontinuous operationVSAvoidthroughput rate
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from conventional top-down welding approach to lateral welding, changing the spatial dimension of the welding operation. This allows welding to occur from the side of the product stack rather than from above, enabling continuous transport through the welding station and eliminating system downtime while maintaining sealing reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements continuous lateral welding where the welding tool moves continuously along the side of the product stack in the direction of transport. This continuous welding action, combined with the ability to weld multiple sides sequentially without stopping transport, maintains continuous useful action and maximizes throughput rate

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

2Reliability

If multiple sides of packaging bags are welded sequentially, then complete sealing is achieved, but transport interruptions occur during welding steps

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomplete sealingVSAvoidtransport interruption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces dynamic rotation of the product stack between welding steps, allowing the stack to be rotated to present different sides for welding. This dynamic adjustment enables sequential welding of multiple sides without requiring the transport line to stop, as the rotation occurs during continuous transport

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary positioning and alignment of the product stack before each welding step, ensuring that the correct side is properly oriented for welding. This preliminary preparation, combined with rapid rotation between steps, minimizes the time required for each welding operation and maintains continuous flow

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach ensures continuous packaging without system downtimes, significantly increasing production and throughput rates by allowing side access for all welding steps and enabling parallel processing of face welding.

Implementation Method 1

a heating device for welding the bag film in the overlapping edge areas in a lateral direction to one another

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Implementation Method 2

heating means for welding the end faces of the packaging bag to one another

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Data Source

PatentEP2621430B1Method for packaging products and packaging plant for carrying out the method
Publication Date: 2014.11.05 WINKLER & DUNNEBIER GMBH
  • EP2621430B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2621430B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2621430B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention aims to provide a method for packaging hygiene products in a packaging bag, in which particularly high throughput and production rates and thus a particularly high production speed at a high level of reliability are ensured. Said aim is achieved according to the invention in that the hygiene products to be packaged are enclosed in a bag film tube (4), and the latter is then guided in a transport direction through a first welding station (20) and through a second welding station (34), wherein the bag film tube (4) provided with the hygiene products is welded laterally in a first welding step (20), before the ends thereof are welded in a second welding step (34), and wherein the bag film tube (4) provided with the hygiene products is rotated 90° relative to the transport direction between the welding steps.