U.S. patent application number 11/503664 was filed with the patent office on 2007-02-15 for packaging machine.
This patent application is currently assigned to UHLMANN Pac-Systeme GmbH & Co. KG. Invention is credited to Detlev Gertitschke, Jorg Riekenbrauck.
Application Number | 20070033903 11/503664 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36794394 |
Filed Date | 2007-02-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070033903 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gertitschke; Detlev ; et
al. |
February 15, 2007 |
Packaging machine
Abstract
A packaging machine has a housing defining a plurality of
stations, respective units in the stations for processing and
packing objects, respective windows at the stations each having a
glass pane, respective flat-panel displays behind each of the
panes, and a controller, wiring connecting the controller to all of
the displays, and a service console for displaying at each of the
displays information relevant to the respective station.
Inventors: |
Gertitschke; Detlev;
(Laupheim, DE) ; Riekenbrauck; Jorg; (Schwendi,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
THE FIRM OF KARL F ROSS
5676 RIVERDALE AVENUE
PO BOX 900
RIVERDALE (BRONX)
NY
10471-0900
US
|
Assignee: |
UHLMANN Pac-Systeme GmbH & Co.
KG
|
Family ID: |
36794394 |
Appl. No.: |
11/503664 |
Filed: |
August 14, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
53/77 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B 57/00 20130101;
G05B 2219/32014 20130101; G05B 2219/36168 20130101; B65B 65/00
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
053/077 |
International
Class: |
B65B 57/00 20060101
B65B057/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 15, 2005 |
DE |
102005038718.7 |
Claims
1. A packaging machine comprising: a housing defining a plurality
of stations; respective means in the stations for processing and
packing objects; respective windows at the stations each having a
glass pane; respective flat-panel displays behind each of the
panes; and means including a controller, wiring connecting the
controller to all of the displays, and a service console for
displaying at each of the displays information relevant to the
respective station.
2. The packaging machine defined in claim 1 wherein each window has
two such panes sandwiching the respective display.
3. The packaging machine defined in claim 2 wherein each display is
an OLED display.
4. The packaging machine defined in claim 1 wherein there are a
plurality of the service consoles each within sight of a respective
one of the displays.
5. The packaging machine defined in claim 1 wherein each display is
a keyboard, computer mouse, track ball, joystick, or
microphone/voice-recognition unit.
6. The packaging machine defined in claim 1 wherein there are a
plurality of the service consoles each constituted as a
touch-screen at the respective window.
7. The packaging machine defined in claim 1 wherein the service
console is a wireless remote control.
8. The packaging machine defined in claim 1 wherein each station is
provided with sensor means for monitoring the respective process
and the controller displays information from the sensors on the
respective displays.
9. The packaging machine defined in claim 8 wherein the controller
displays at each display a graphic showing operation of the
respective means of the respective station.
10. The packaging machine defined in claim 1 wherein the housing
has at each station a respective openable access door provided with
the respective window.
11. The packaging machine defined in claim 1 wherein each door is
provided with a sensor connected to the controller for activating a
back face or a front face of the respective display according to
whether the door is open or closed.
12. The packaging machine defined in claim 1 wherein the housing
has walls formed by safety glass incorporating the displays.
13. The packaging machine defined in claim 1 wherein at least one
of the displays serves for displaying safety-related information
for the respective station.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging machine. More
particularly this invention concerns such a machine that makes up
packages of pills and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A standard packaging machine has a housing defining a
plurality of stations for the processing of objects, particularly
tablets, coated tablets, suppositories or the like, and for foils
for the reception of objects, with a computing unit or controller,
a service console and a display which are connected by means of a
data line.
[0003] Packaging machines with a general construction as defined in
German 199 20 479 of K. Tetenborg have become highly developed
devices with a high level of reliability and productivity for the
safe and durable packaging of objects. Particularly in the
pharmaceutical industry, there are increased requirements with
regard to the security of pharmaceuticals concerning hygiene,
sterility and impermeability of packages. These requirements can be
met by contemporary packaging machines, in which case a base
blister foil and a cover foil fed together by feed rollers and pass
through a plurality of stations, until finally the objects are
packed in blister packs. These stations basically comprise a
heating station for the heating of the base foil to provide it with
the pockets or blisters that eventually hold the objects, a filling
station where the pockets formed in the form foil in the forming
station are filled with objects and a sealing station for the
sealing of the pockets with a cover foil. Downstream of the sealing
station, individual filled blister packs are punched out of a foil
strip in a punching station. The further processing of the blister
packs is carried out in the so-called boxers, which in a broader
sense can be seen as a part of the packaging machine and serve for
the packaging of the blister packs in cartons, if required along
with the package inserts.
[0004] Thus such packaging machines are of very large dimensions,
their processes need to be monitored and correspondingly the
operator can intervene in many ways. For this purpose, the service
console and a monitor are provided. Due to the size of the
packaging machine, however, the operator usually cannot directly
observe and assess the impact of his or her instructions, if a
region of the packaging machine, which is quite distant from the
service console, is affected.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide an improved packaging machine.
[0006] Another object is the provision of such an improved
packaging machine that overcomes the above-given disadvantages, in
particular that allows the operator to carry out a monitoring
procedure and intervene in an improved way.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] A packaging machine has according to the invention a housing
defining a plurality of stations, respective means in the stations
for processing and packing objects, respective windows at the
stations each having a glass pane, respective flat-panel displays
behind each of the panes, and a controller, wiring connecting the
controller to all of the displays, and a service console for
displaying at each of the displays information relevant to the
respective station.
[0008] Thus the packaging machine according to the invention has a
plurality of displays and the machine housing has with a plurality
of windows each with at least one glass pane, on which a respective
flat-panel display is provided, connected with the service console
by means of the data line.
[0009] This construction is advantageous since the operator can
remotely carry out the necessary checks and interventions in
several areas of the packaging machine, particularly all along the
machine close to the relevant stations, assembly, component or
procedure. For this purpose, the operator does not have to move
between the service console and the relevant area, which would
cause a loss of time, and the designated current state of the
packaging process is more quickly attained. The arrangement of the
flat display in the windows of the machine housing is particularly
advantageous, since this way the advantages related to the
invention are achieved without more space being required and
without reducing accessibility, due to the fact that the machine
housing is used, into which windows can be inserted or,
alternatively, already existing windows may be used. Thus, even the
complex analyses regarding an adequate position of the operating
unit, which were always necessary in known packaging machines, are
avoided. The flat display is safely positioned behind glass and
does not cause any problems regarding cleaning procedures or the
compliance with clean-room requirements.
[0010] Therefore, it is also advantageous to provide a window with
two glass panes, between which the flat display is arranged by
means of an adhesive. Thus, the flat display is protected and the
surfaces are planar and easy to clean.
[0011] It is especially preferred within the framework of the
invention when an OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display is
provided as flat display. OLED displays are characterized by their
flat design and can be optimally positioned between the window
panes. OLED displays may be set to a transparent state and thus the
window may also be used as such, that is to actually look inside
the apparatus. Moreover, a window consisting of laminated glass
provided with the OLED display is much less expensive than a
personal computer with a display.
[0012] In order to allow the operator to observe the effect of his
or her input, not only on the display in close proximity, a
plurality of operating units is provided, each operating unit being
arranged in sight of one of the flat displays.
[0013] Since the operator is generally familiar with the standard
peripheral units of a computer, it may be recommended to provide
the operating unit in form of a keyboard and/or a computer mouse
and/or a trackball and/or a joystick and/or a microphone with a
speech-recognition unit assigned to the computing unit or
controller.
[0014] It is advantageous to make the operating unit a touch
display coordinated to the pane, since this way the integrated
operating units as operation panels can be as easily cleaned as the
displays. The control panel does not have of any projecting parts
which might affect the accessibility of the packaging machine and
that might injure the operators.
[0015] Alternatively, the operating unit can also be a mobile unit,
that is a wireless remote control in order to save expense for a
plurality of operating units, particularly as thanks to modern
technologies such as WLAN or Bluetooth the remote control can be
easily connected.
[0016] A further particularly preferred embodiment is characterized
in that sensor means such as cameras and/or detectors are provided
for monitoring the operating state of the stations and/or for
checking the operation procedures and/or the objects, the outputs
of which can be fed to the computing unit and displayed on the
display. This way, malfunction messages can be displayed directly
in the concerned area, such that the operator simultaneously has an
overview over the process, the sensor or the data captured by the
sensor. Even defective objects can be shown on the display,
particularly from an angle which is typically not at the operator's
disposal.
[0017] In order to provide additional support for the operator,
display diagrams can be shown on the display by the computing unit
to illustrate the current state and/or the nominal is state of the
processes or respectively of the objects. Thus, the operator can
access additional information concerning the packaging machine, the
packaging process or the objects in the relevant area, so that
correct operation can be more quickly achieved, both when the
packaging machine is activated and after elimination of a
malfunction.
[0018] It is possible according to the invention to provide the
machine housing with a plurality of safety doors each having one of
the display windows, since this way not only a visual check through
the window is possible but it is also easier to access the
machine.
[0019] A further particularly preferred embodiment of the invention
is characterized in that the actual walls of the machine housing
consist of laminated glass, between the panes of which the flat
display and/or the service console is/are arranged. By this
construction, it is possible to avoid the use of reproductions for
a schematic display of the processes and instead the process can be
directly observed by the operator and be directly displayed.
Additionally, information is displayed on the display in real time
and at the actual location. The thus created cladding display
covers the processes in the packaging machine with its stations
like a skin. For example, in case of a malfunction, an indicator, a
pixel or the like might flash on the display directly above the
concerned component when the display is semitransparent, so that
the sensor information is processed and displayed in a particularly
operator-friendly way. This is also advantageous regarding the time
required for the training of the operator.
[0020] Instead of designing the whole machine housing as a cladding
display, there is also the possibility of providing the window with
the flat display in front of a section of at least one of the
stations or in front of one region that needs to be observed.
[0021] If the safety doors have assigned sensors detecting the
position of the doors for optionally adapting the display on the
flat display at the front face or the back face of the safety door,
the operator has easy access to the information which can be
provided even when the door is open.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0022] The above and other objects, features, and advantages will
become more readily apparent from the following description,
reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:
[0023] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a packaging machine with the
windows arranged in its machine housing;
[0024] FIG. 2 is a front view of the plurality of safety doors in
the machine housing;
[0025] FIG. 3 is a section of a window with the flat display as
well as with the allocated operating unit;
[0026] FIG. 4 is a section through the window with the flat display
mounted between the panes by means of the adhesive agent.
SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION
[0027] As seen in FIG. 1 a packaging machine 1 has a housing 2
defining a plurality of stations 7 that for processing objects,
particularly tablets, coated tablets, suppositories or the like by
packaging them in foils 11 as bubble packs. The packaging machine 1
has a controller or computing unit 14 (FIG. 3), a service console 3
and a display 4, which are connected by data lines 10. Here there
are a plurality of displays 4 and the machine housing 2 has a
plurality of windows 5 with at least one glass pane 6, on each of
which one flat display 5 is arranged connected to the service
console 3 by means of the data line 10. In fact the windows 5 are
so closely spaced that they, in effect, form side walls of the
machine 1. Here the windows 5 each have two glass panes 6 between
which the respective flat display 5 in form of an OLED display is
mounted by means of an adhesive 13.
[0028] In addition according to the invention there are a plurality
of operating units 3 each in sight of one of the OLED displays. The
operating units 3 can each be is designed as a keyboard and/or a
computer mouse and/or a trackball and/or a joystick and/or a
microphone/speech-recognition unit connected to the controller 14,
or, as preferred within the framework of the invention, as a touch
display right on the glass pane 6.
[0029] According to an alternative embodiment the operating unit
can be a wireless remote control 3'.
[0030] Furthermore, the packaging machine 1 has of sensors 12
and/or cameras and/or detectors for monitoring the operation of the
stations 7 and/or for checking the operation and/or the status of
the objects being packaged, the outputs of which can be fed to the
computing unit 14 and be shown on the display(s) 4.
[0031] Thus, the processes in the packaging machine 1 can be
displayed as graphics 9 on the display 4 by the computing unit 14
in order to show the current state and/or the nominal state of the
processes or of the objects being packaged. The walls of the
machine housing 2 can thus generally consist of laminated glass the
displays 4 and/or the service console 3 between its glass panes
6.
[0032] The invention is also compatible with the designated
arrangement of safety doors 8 in the machine housing 2, in which
the windows 5 are arranged, the safety doors 8 being conveniently
provided with sensors 12 detecting the open or closed position of
the doors 8 for optionally adapting the displaying on the flat
display 4 at the front face or the back face of the safety doors
8.
* * * * *