Cartridge unit for a packaging machine, packaging machine with a cartridge unit and method for loading a cartridge unit
阅读说明:本技术 用于包装机的料盒单元、具有料盒单元的包装机和装载料盒单元的方法 (Cartridge unit for a packaging machine, packaging machine with a cartridge unit and method for loading a cartridge unit ) 是由 马尔科·里科 于 2019-01-18 设计创作,主要内容包括:描述了一种用于包装机(1)的料盒单元(5),该料盒单元(5)包括进料口(20),其被配置为允许将承载包装材料的缠绕的卷材(4)的主轴(19)引入料盒单元(5)中;至少一对壳体座(22),其被配置为可旋转地支撑承载包装材料的缠绕的卷材(4)的主轴(19),相应的壳体座(22)并排布置以及与进料口(20)隔开一定距离;以及一对导轨(24),该导轨(24)并排布置,以及每个导轨(24)从进料口(20)延伸到一个相应的壳体座(22)并被配置为将主轴(19)从进料口(20)引导到所述一对壳体座(22)。(It is described a cartridge unit (5) for a packaging machine (1), the cartridge unit (5) comprising a feed opening (20) configured to allow introduction of a spindle (19) carrying a wound web (4) of packaging material into the cartridge unit (5); at least one pair of housing seats (22) configured to rotatably support a spindle (19) carrying a wound web (4) of packaging material, the respective housing seats (22) being arranged side by side and at a distance from the feed opening (20); and a pair of guide rails (24), the guide rails (24) being arranged side by side, and each guide rail (24) extending from the throat (20) to a respective housing seat (22) and being configured to guide the spindle (19) from the throat (20) to the pair of housing seats (22).)
1. Cartridge unit (5) for a packaging machine (1), the cartridge unit (5) comprising:
-a feed inlet (20) configured to allow introduction of a spindle (19) carrying a wound web (4) of packaging material into the magazine unit (5); and
-at least one pair of housing seats (22) configured to rotatably support said spindle (19) carrying said wound web (4) of packaging material, the respective housing seats (22) being arranged side by side and at a distance from said feed opening (20);
characterized in that it comprises a pair (23) of guide rails (24), said guide rails (24) being arranged side by side and each extending from said feed opening (20) to a respective housing seat (22) and being configured to guide said spindle (19) from said feed opening (20) to said pair of housing seats (22).
2. Cartridge unit according to claim 1, wherein each guide rail (24) comprises at least one first guide surface (33), each first guide surface (33) being configured to guide a respective engagement portion (30) of the spindle (19);
wherein each first guide surface (33) comprises an initial portion (34) arranged in the vicinity of the feed opening (20) and a main portion (35) extending to the respective housing seat (22);
wherein the initial portion (34) is inclined with respect to the respective main portion (35) and is configured to bias the main shaft (19) in an initial position.
3. Cartridge unit according to claim 2, wherein each first guide surface (33) further comprises an intermediate portion (36) interposed between the respective main portion (35) and the respective initial portion (34);
wherein the main portion (35) descends from the intermediate portion (36) to the respective housing seat (22).
4. Cartridge unit according to claim 3, wherein each rail (24) further comprises an abutment surface (37) arranged at the first end (31) of the respective rail (24); and
wherein the initial portion (34) descends from the respective intermediate portion (36) to the respective abutment surface (37).
5. Cartridge unit according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein each guide rail (24) comprises at least one second guide surface (42) arranged side by side and facing the respective main portion (35);
wherein at least each second guide surface (42) and the respective main portion (35) define a respective guide channel (43) of the respective guide rail (24);
wherein each guide channel (43) is configured to restrict movement of the respective spindle (19) towards and away from the respective pair of housing seats (22).
6. Cartridge unit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each of the guide rails (24) extends along a respective longitudinal axis (B) and has a respective first end (31) and a respective second end (32) opposite the first end (31);
wherein the second end (32) is arranged adjacent to the respective housing seat (22);
further comprising a pair (44) of insertion limiting surfaces (45) arranged in the region of the feed opening (20), each insertion limiting surface (45) being laterally spaced apart from the respective first end (31) of one respective guide rail (24);
wherein the pair (44) of insertion limiting surfaces (45) is configured to limit the movement of the spindle (19) along a direction (D1) parallel to the respective longitudinal axis (B) and towards the pair of housing seats (22).
7. Cartridge unit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pair of housing seats (22) is controllable between a receiving configuration, in which the pair of housing seats (24) is configured to receive the spindle (19), and a locking configuration, in which the pair of housing seats (22) is configured to allow rotation of the spindle (19) about a longitudinal axis (a) of the spindle (19) and to prevent any linear movement of the spindle (19).
8. Cartridge unit according to claim 7, wherein each receptacle (22) comprises a holder portion (48) configured to receive at least one first section of the spindle (19), wherein a respective pair of receptacles (22) is controlled to be in the locked configuration; and a movable seat portion (49) configured to move between an extracted position, in which the movable seat portion (49) is configured to receive at least one second section of the respective spindle (19), and a retracted position for placing at least a first section of the respective spindle (19) in the fixed seat portion (48);
wherein the pair of housing seats (22) is controlled in the receiving configuration and in the locking configuration, with the respective movable seat portions (49) in the respective extracted position and in the respective retracted position, respectively.
9. The cartridge unit of claim 8, further comprising:
-a pair of sensor devices, each associated with a respective movable seat portion (49) and configured to detect and/or determine the correct insertion of a respective section of the spindle (19) into the movable seat portion (49) when the movable seat portion (49) is in the extracted position; and
-an actuating device (51) coupled to each movable seat portion (49) and configured to move each movable seat portion (49) between the retracted position and the extracted position;
wherein the actuation device (51) is configured to simultaneously move the respective movable seat portions (49) from the extracted position to the retracted position when, in use, both sensor devices of the pair detect and/or determine a correct insertion of the respective section of the spindle (19).
10. A packaging machine (1) for producing sealed packages (2) of pourable products, said packaging machine (1) comprising:
-an isolation chamber (7) separating an internal environment from an external environment;
-a tube forming apparatus (8) arranged at least partially inside said insulating chamber (7) at a forming station (9) and adapted to form a tube (3) from a web (4) of packaging material;
-a sealing device arranged at least partially within the insulating chamber (7) and adapted to longitudinally seal the tube (3) formed by the tube forming device (8);
-filling means (11) for filling said tube (3) with said pourable product;
-a package forming unit (12) adapted to form and transversely seal said tube (3) to form said package (2);
-conveying means (13) for advancing the web (4) of packaging material along a web advancement path (P) from the holding station (6) to the forming station (9), and for advancing the tube (3) along a tube advancement path to the package forming unit (12);
characterized by further comprising a cartridge unit (5) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which provides the web (4) of packaging material at the holding station (6).
11. Method of loading a cartridge unit (5), the method comprising the steps of:
-engaging a spindle (19) carrying a wound web (4) of packaging material to a pair (23) of guide rails (24) of the cartridge unit (5), wherein each guide rail (24) extends from a feed opening (20) of the cartridge unit (5) to a respective housing seat (22) of a pair of housing seats (22) of the cartridge unit (5);
-moving the main shaft (19) towards the pair of housing seats (22) of the cartridge unit (5) and to the pair of housing seats (22) while the main shaft (19) is guided by the pair (23) of guide rails (24); and
-inserting the spindle (19) into the pair of housing seats (22).
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein each guide rail (24) comprises at least one first guide surface (33), each first guide surface (33) being configured to guide a respective engagement portion (30) of the spindle (19);
wherein each first guide surface (33) comprises an initial portion (34) arranged in the vicinity of the feed opening (20) and a main portion (35) extending to the respective housing seat (24);
wherein each initial portion (34) is inclined with respect to the respective main portion (35) and is configured to bias the main shaft (19) into an initial position;
wherein, in the engaging step, the engaging portions (30) of the spindle (19) are placed on the respective initial portions (34) and biased into the respective initial positions.
Wherein, in the moving step, the respective engagement portion (30) of the spindle (19) rolls from the respective initial portion (34) to the respective housing seat (22) on the respective main portion (35).
13. The method according to claim 11 or 12,
wherein the pair of housing seats (22) is controllable in a receiving configuration in which the pair of housing seats (22) is adapted to receive a spindle (19) and a locking configuration in which the pair of housing seats (22) is adapted to allow rotation of the spindle (19) about a central axis (A) and to prevent any linear movement of the spindle (19) during rotation of the spindle (19) about the central axis (A);
wherein the method further comprises the steps of:
-performing, before the inserting step, a control of the pair of housing seats (22) in the receiving configuration; and
-controlling the pair of housing seats (22) in the locked configuration is performed after the inserting step.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of: detecting and/or determining whether the spindle (19) is correctly placed within the pair of housing seats (22);
wherein the step of controlling the pair of housing seats (22) to be in the locked configuration is performed if the spindle (19) is correctly placed within the pair of housing seats (22).
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a magazine unit for a packaging machine, in particular for producing pourable products, even more particularly for producing sealed packages of pourable food products.
The present invention also relates to a packaging machine, in particular a packaging machine for producing pourable products, even more particularly sealed packages of pourable food products.
The present invention also relates to a method for loading a magazine unit of a packaging machine, in particular for producing pourable products, even more particularly for producing sealed packages of pourable food products.
Background
Many liquid or pourable food products, such as fruit juice, UHT (ultra-high-temperature treated) milk, wine, tomato sauce, etc., are known to be sold in packages made of aseptic packaging material.
A typical example is a parallelepiped-shaped package for liquid or pourable food products, known as Tetra Brik Aseptic (registered trademark), which is made by sealing and folding laminated strip packaging material. The packaging material has a multilayer structure comprising a base layer, for example of paper, covered on both sides with layers of heat-seal plastic material, for example polyethylene. In the case of aseptic packages for long-storage products, such as UHT milk, the packaging material also comprises a layer of oxygen-barrier material, such as aluminium foil, which is superimposed on a layer of heat-seal plastic material, in turn covered with another layer of heat-seal plastic material forming the inner face of the package eventually contacting the food product.
Such packages are usually produced on fully automatic packaging machines which advance a web of packaging material from a magazine unit through a sterilization unit for sterilizing the web of packaging material, for example by means of chemical sterilization (for example by applying a chemical sterilization agent, for example a hydrogen peroxide solution) or physical sterilization (for example by means of an electron beam). The web of sterilized packaging material is then held and advanced in an isolation chamber (closed sterile environment) and folded and longitudinally sealed to form a tube having a longitudinal seam portion, which is further fed in a vertical advancing direction.
To complete the forming operation, the tube is filled with the sterilized or sterile-processed pourable food product, and is transversally sealed and subsequently cut along equally spaced cross sections within the packaging unit of the packaging machine, during advancement in a vertical advancement direction.
This results in pillow packs in the packaging machine, each having a longitudinal sealing band, a top transverse sealing band and a bottom transverse sealing band.
A typical packaging machine for producing packages comprises:
-a magazine unit providing a web of packaging material;
-conveying means for advancing the web of packaging material along a web advancement path from the magazine unit to a forming station where, in use, the web of packaging material is formed into a tube;
-a sterilization unit for sterilizing a web of packaging material;
-a tube forming apparatus arranged within the insulating chamber and adapted to form a tube from an advancing web of packaging material;
-a sealing device for longitudinally sealing the tube;
-filling means for filling the tube with a pourable product; and
a package forming unit adapted to produce individual packages from the tube by forming, transverse sealing and transverse cutting the packages.
A typical magazine unit comprises a feed opening through which a spindle carrying a web of packaging material in a wound manner can be introduced into the magazine unit; and at least one pair of housing seats configured to rotatably support a spindle carrying a wound web of packaging material, the respective housing seats being arranged side by side and at a distance from the feed opening such that the wound web of packaging material may be retained within the magazine unit.
In particular, each pair of housing seats is arranged so that the spindle has a horizontal orientation, wherein the spindle is placed within the respective pair of housing seats.
Usually, the wound web of packaging material carried by the respective spindles is provided in the form of a reel. Furthermore, it is known that in production plants, a plurality of reels of web material of packaging material are vertically stacked, so that each reel can be loaded, when required, into a packaging machine, in particular into a magazine unit. Before one reel is actually loaded into the magazine unit, the respective reel has to be taken out of the stack and has to be placed inside the magazine unit.
This loading is known to follow a two-step process.
In a first step of loading the magazine unit, a first cart having two parallel handling arms grips a respective reel of the web of packaging material between the two respective handling arms and lifts the respective reel upwards. Thereafter, the first cart is moved so as to space the clamped reel at a distance from the other reels. The handling arm is then turned so as to rotate the clamped reel through an angle of 90. Thereafter, the respective spindle is guided through the respective through hole of the respective reel such that the spindle carries the reel of web material of packaging material. The main axis has a horizontal orientation.
Thereafter, during a second step of loading the magazine unit, the second cart approaches the reel clamped between the handling arms of the first cart. The second trolley comprises two parallel side arms, each carrying a respective seat for receiving a respective engagement portion of the main shaft. The spindles are then transferred to the second cart together with the reels of web material of packaging material, in particular by means of the respective engagement portions of the spindles placed in the respective seats. Thereafter, the second cart is guided to the magazine unit together with the spindle and the reel of web of packaging material. The second cart is controlled such that the side arms protrude into the magazine unit and then the spindle is placed into a pair of housing seats of the magazine unit. Thereafter, the second cart is taken out of the magazine unit.
Even if the known packaging machine, in particular the known magazine unit, works well, there is still a need in the art for further improvements of the known packaging machine, in particular the known magazine unit.
In particular, the need is felt to improve the cartridge unit to facilitate the process of loading the cartridge unit.
Disclosure of Invention
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a magazine unit for a packaging machine, in order to overcome at least one of the above drawbacks in a simple and low-cost manner.
In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide a cartridge unit that can be loaded in an easy and fast manner.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a packaging machine with a magazine unit in order to overcome at least one of the above drawbacks in a simple and low-cost manner.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for loading a magazine unit of a packaging machine in order to overcome at least one of the above drawbacks in a simple and low-cost manner.
According to the present invention, there is provided a cartridge unit as defined in claim 1.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a packaging machine according to claim 10.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a method for loading a cartridge unit according to claim 11.
Preferred embodiments are claimed in the dependent claims.
Drawings
Non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
fig. 1 is a schematic view of a packaging machine for packaging pourable products, with some components removed for clarity;
figure 2 is a perspective view of a detail of the packaging machine of figure 1 during a detailed loading phase, with some parts removed for clarity;
FIG. 3 is a side view of the components of the detail of FIG. 2 with some components removed for clarity;
FIG. 4 is another side view of the components of FIG. 3 with some components removed for clarity; and
fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of specific details of the components of fig. 3 and 4 with some components removed for clarity.
Detailed Description
Numeral 1 generally indicates a packaging machine for producing sealed packages 2 of pourable products, in particular pourable food products (such as pasteurized milk, fruit juice, wine, tomato sauce, etc.), from a tube 3 of a web 4 of packaging material. In particular, in use, the tube 3 extends along a longitudinal axis L, in particular along an axis L having a vertical orientation.
The web 4 of packaging material has a multilayer structure (not shown). The web 4 comprises a respective layer of fibrous material, usually paper, covered on both sides with respective layers of heat-seal plastic material, for example polyethylene.
Preferably, the web 4 also comprises respective layers of gas and light barrier material, for example aluminium foil or ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) film, and at least one respective first layer of heat-seal plastic material and a respective second layer of heat-seal plastic material. The respective layers of gas and light barrier material are superimposed on the respective first layer of heat-seal plastic material, which is in turn covered by a second layer of heat-seal plastic material. The second heat-seal plastic material layer forms the inner surface of the package 2 eventually contacting the filled food product.
A typical package 2 obtained by the packaging machine 1 comprises a longitudinal seam portion and a pair of transverse sealing bands, in particular a transverse top sealing band and a transverse bottom sealing band.
With particular reference to fig. 1, the packaging machine 1 comprises:
a
an isolation chamber 7 separating an internal environment, in particular an internal sterile environment, from an external environment;
a tube forming apparatus 8 extending along a longitudinal axis, in particular with a vertical orientation, and arranged at least partially, preferably completely, inside the insulating chamber 7, in particular at a forming station 9, and adapted to form a tube 3 from the web 4 advancing in use;
a sealing device (not shown and known per se) arranged at least partially inside the insulating chamber 7 and adapted to longitudinally seal the tube 3 formed by the tube forming device 8, so as to form a longitudinal seam portion of the tube 3;
a filling device 11 for filling tube 3 with a pourable product;
a pack forming unit 12 adapted to form and transversely seal at least tube 3, in particular tube 3 advancing in use, to form pack 2; and
conveying means 13 for advancing in known manner the web 4 along a respective web advancement path P from the holding station 6 to the forming station 9, at which forming station 10, in use, the web 4 is formed into a tube 3; and advancing tube 3 along tube advancement path Q toward and through package forming unit 12.
In particular, the isolation chamber 7 is arranged downstream of the
In particular, the package forming unit 12 is arranged along path Q downstream of the isolation chamber 78 and the tube forming apparatus 8.
Preferably, the packaging machine 1 also comprises a sterilization unit (not shown and known per se) adapted to sterilize the web 4 advancing in use at a sterilization station, in particular a sterilization station arranged along the path P upstream of the forming station 9.
Preferably, the conveying means 13 are adapted to advance the tube 3 and any intermediate body of the tube 3 along the path Q in a manner known per se, in particular from the forming station 9 towards and at least partially through the package forming unit 12. In particular, the intermediate body of tube 3 refers to any configuration of web 4 before the tube structure is obtained and after the folding of web 4 by tube forming apparatus 8 is started. In other words, the intermediate body of the tube 3 is the result of progressively folding the web 4 (in particular by overlapping the respective lateral edges of the web 4 with each other) in order to obtain the tube 3.
With particular reference to fig. 1 and 2,
Each
In particular,
Each
In more detail, the
a
at least one pair of
Preferably, the
With particular reference to fig. 1 and 2, the
Preferably, the
Advantageously, the
In more detail, the respective rails 24 of each pair 23 are arranged side by side, and each rail 24 extends along a respective axis B (see fig. 3 and 4) from the
Preferably, each guide rail 24 extends along a respective longitudinal axis B (in particular transverse, even more in particular orthogonal to axis a) when, in use, the
By providing a pair 23 of guide rails 24, it is possible to avoid providing a cart comprising side arms, each having an extension sufficient to place the
Preferably, each pair 23 of guides 24 is also configured to allow guiding the movement of the
More specifically, the respective guide rails 24 in each pair 23 are arranged parallel to each other; i.e. the lateral distance between the guide rails 24 and themselves is constant.
Preferably, the
Preferably, the
With particular reference to fig. 1 to 4, each guide rail 24 is configured to interact with one respective engagement portion 30 (only one shown) of the spindle 19 (in other words, in use, the
More specifically, each rail 24 includes a respective first end 31 and a second end 32 opposite the respective first end 31.
Even more specifically, each second end 32 is arranged adjacent to a
Preferably, each guide rail 24 comprises at least one first guide surface 33 configured to guide (support) the
In particular, in use, the
Preferably, each first guide surface 33 comprises an initial portion 34 arranged in the vicinity of the
Even more preferably, each first guide surface 33 also comprises an intermediate portion 36 interposed between the respective initial portion 34 and the respective main portion 35.
In particular, in use, the
Preferably, the initial portion 34 is inclined with respect to the respective main portion 35 and is configured to arrange the
Even more preferably, each guide rail 24 further comprises an abutment surface 37 arranged in the region of the respective first end 31, which abutment surface 37 is in particular a portion of the respective first end 31 so as to define, in cooperation with the respective initial portion 34, the respective initial position. In this way, it is ensured that the
Preferably, each initial portion 34 descends from (adjacent to) the respective intermediate portion 36 to the respective abutment surface 37 (i.e., each initial portion 34 has a downward slope). Thus, in use, when placing a
Preferably, each main portion 35 descends from (in the vicinity of) the respective intermediate portion 36 to the
In a preferred embodiment, each guide rail 24 comprises a respective support plate 38 mounted to the
In a preferred embodiment, each first guide surface 33 is of polymeric material.
With particular reference to fig. 3 and 4, each guide rail 24 comprises at least one second guide surface 42, which is arranged at least side by side and faces the respective main portion 35 (i.e. each second guide surface 42 is parallel to the respective first guide surface 33). In particular, each second guide surface 42 is configured to cooperate with the respective main portion 35 to at least limit movement of the
Preferably, each second guide surface 42 defines, together with the respective first guide surface 33, in particular the respective main portion 35, a guide channel 43 of the respective guide rail 24 to guide the
With particular reference to fig. 2 to 4, the
Each
Each insertion limiting surface 45 is arranged in the region of the
In particular, each
In more detail, each insertion limiting surface 45 comprises an abutment portion 46, which abutment portion 46 is laterally spaced from the respective initial portion 35 by a distance and is configured to delimit the position of the respective
In a preferred embodiment, each insertion limiting surface 45 is mounted to the
With particular reference to fig. 3 and 5, each pair of
Preferably, each
In particular, each pair of
By providing the fixed seat portion 48 and the movable seat portion 49 of each
Preferably, the
Even more preferably, the actuating device comprises a plurality of actuators 51 (only one shown), each actuator being connected to one respective movable seat portion 49 and configured to move the respective movable seat portion 49 between the respective extracted position and the respective retracted position.
Preferably, the
More specifically, each sensor device, for example a proximity sensor, is associated with a respective movable seat portion 49 and is configured to detect and/or determine the correct insertion of at least the second section into the movable seat portion 49, with the movable seat portion 49 in the extracted position.
Preferably, if, in use, both sensor devices of a respective pair of sensor devices detect and/or determine the correct insertion of the respective second section, the actuation device is configured to move the respective movable seat portions 49 of the respective pair of
In use, packaging machine 1 forms packages 2 filled with pourable product.
In more detail, the conveyor 13 advances the web 4 from the magazine unit 4 along the advancement path P. In particular, during the advancement of web 4 along advancement path P, web 4 unwinds from
In more detail, the conveyor 13 advances the web 4 to the forming station 9, where the web 4 is formed into the tube 3. The conveyor 13 then advances the tube 3 further along path Q to the package forming unit 12. During the advancement of tube 3, filling device 11 fills tube 3 with the pourable product.
The pack forming unit 12 forms and transversely seals the tube 3 and, preferably, also transversely cuts the tube 3 in order to obtain the packs 2.
Preferably, the conveyor 13 advances the coil 4 by unwinding the coil 4 from one of the
Prior to the operation of packaging machine 1, it is possible to perform a loading process of
The loading of the
engaging one
moving the respective
inserting the
In more detail, during the joining step, the respective joining
Even in more detail, during the joining step, in particular before placing the respective joining
Preferably, in the joining step, the
Even more preferably, the
More specifically, during the step of loading the
Even more specifically, the
In more detail, during the movement step, the
Preferably, the loading process of the
controlling the respective pair of
controlling the pair of
In this way, since
In more detail, during the step of controlling the respective pair of
Preferably, the loading process of the
In more detail, during the step of detecting and/or determining, the respective sensor device detects whether the
Preferably, the step of controlling the respective pair of
The advantages of the
In particular, by providing a pair 23 of rails 24, it is possible to avoid the use of two handling carts during loading of the
Another advantage resides in providing the first guide surface 33 with an initial portion 34 and a main portion 35. This allows the operator to easily control the transfer of the
Clearly, changes may be made to