Packaging Machine Sealing Tool Supports for Stable Tray Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Packaging trays in conventional packaging machines often tip over during transport, leading to jams and product leakage, which disrupts the operation of the machine.
Innovation Solution
A packaging machine design featuring a sealing tool with movable sealing edges and support elements that stabilize packaging trays during transport, ensuring they remain upright and prevent tipping, using a gripper device to move trays into the sealing tool.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the gripper device moves packaging trays into the sealing tool, then the packaging trays are transported efficiently, but the packaging trays tip over during transport
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing tool is divided into multiple sealing stations arranged along the transport direction, with each station having its own receiving position. The gripper device transports trays sequentially through these segmented stations, allowing stable placement at each position while maintaining continuous production flow.
Solution Approach 2:
Support elements are introduced as intermediary components between the sealing edges and the packaging trays. These support elements provide additional stabilization during the transport process, preventing trays from tipping over while allowing the gripper device to maintain efficient transport operations.
2Speed
If packaging trays are moved quickly by the gripper device, then production speed increases, but trays tip over and cause jams
Solution Approach 1:
The support elements are pre-positioned in the receiving positions before the gripper device arrives. This preliminary preparation ensures that when trays are quickly deposited, the support elements are already in place to prevent tipping, maintaining both high speed and operational reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The support elements act as intermediary structures that decouple the transport speed from stability requirements. They allow the gripper device to operate at high speed while providing the necessary stabilization to prevent jams and maintain reliability.
3Area of stationary object
If the sealing edges are positioned close together, then the sealing tool size is reduced, but packaging trays tip over between sealing edges
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing tool uses multiple sealing edges arranged in sequence along the transport direction, creating multiple smaller receiving positions rather than one large space. This segmentation allows compact positioning while maintaining stability through the support elements at each position.
Solution Approach 2:
Support elements are placed in the gaps between sealing edges to provide continuous support throughout the sealing tool. This allows the sealing edges to be positioned close together for compactness while the intermediary support elements prevent tray tipping in the spaces between them.
4Stability of the object's composition
If packaging trays are stabilized with support elements, then tray tipping is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support elements are integrated into the sealing tool structure, merging the support function with the existing sealing edge framework. This combining approach provides tray stabilization while minimizing additional complexity by reusing the sealing tool's structural components.
Solution Approach 2:
The support elements serve multiple functions: they stabilize trays during transport, define receiving positions, and work in conjunction with the sealing edges. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving reliable tray stabilization.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A packaging machine (1) comprises a sealing tool (5) with a lower tool part (21) and an upper tool part (23) arranged above the lower tool part (21), a provision device (3), and a gripper device (15). The lower tool part (21) comprises a sealing body (27) which has a base surface (31) directed towards the upper tool part (23) and sealing edges (33) protruding from the base surface (31) towards the upper tool part (23). The sealing edges (33) are arranged one behind the other along a transport direction (9) and each border a receiving position (35) for a packaging tray (13). At least the sealing body (27) and the upper tool part (23) are movable relative to one another between a closed position of the sealing tool (5) and an open position of the sealing tool (5).The gripper device (15) is configured to pick up packaging trays (13) positioned one behind the other on the provision device (3) along the transport direction (9) and, in the open position of the sealing tool (5), to move them into the pick-up positions by moving them along the transport direction (9). The lower tool part (21) comprises at least one support element (37) with at least one support surface (39), which, in the open position of the sealing tool (5), is located between sealing edges (33) arranged one after the other along the transport direction (9) and is directed there above the base surface (31) in the direction of the upper tool part (23).