U.S. patent application number 16/097254 was filed with the patent office on 2019-04-18 for a vertical packaging machine.
The applicant listed for this patent is MBP S.r.l.. Invention is credited to Andrea Fioravanti, Marco Pavan.
Application Number | 20190112089 16/097254 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56801687 |
Filed Date | 2019-04-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20190112089 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fioravanti; Andrea ; et
al. |
April 18, 2019 |
A VERTICAL PACKAGING MACHINE
Abstract
A vertical packaging machine (10) comprises a carcass having a
substantially quadrangular plan, a forming tube (12) mounted on one
side of said carcass and adapted to create packages of a product
through the use of a continuous advancement film (13) supplied by a
reel (14) mounted on a shaft (16) and arranged in a housing
provided in a side of the carcass adjacent to that on N which said
forming tube (12) is mounted, the unwinding of said film from said
reel being performed by a motor (17) equipped with an appropriate
means for controlling the unwinding of said film (13), said carcass
being further equipped with a horizontal flat surface (21) on which
the film (13) unwound from said reel is made to transit and change
direction by 90.degree. for being then directed towards said
forming tube (12). The 90.degree. direction change of said film
(13) is performed through a substantially triangular frame (20)
arranged on said horizontal flat surface (21) of said carcass, a
first side of which frame is arranged at 45.degree. with respect to
the respective advancement directions of the film as respectively
unwound from the reel (14) and entering into the forming tube (12);
a second side of said frame (20) is constrained to a slide (22)
linearly movable through an appropriate motor means (24) along a
movement lane (23) parallel to the advancement direction of said
film (12) on said horizontal flat surface (21) before the
90.degree. direction change performed through said substantially
triangular frame (20) takes place.
Inventors: |
Fioravanti; Andrea;
(Castiglione Delle Stiviere, IT) ; Pavan; Marco;
(Castiglione Delle Stiviere, IT) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
MBP S.r.l. |
Castiglione Delle Stievere |
|
IT |
|
|
Family ID: |
56801687 |
Appl. No.: |
16/097254 |
Filed: |
April 18, 2017 |
PCT Filed: |
April 18, 2017 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IB2017/052202 |
371 Date: |
October 27, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B 57/08 20130101;
B65B 59/02 20130101; B65B 2210/04 20130101; B65B 9/20 20130101;
B65B 59/003 20190501; B65B 57/04 20130101; B65B 41/18 20130101;
B65B 61/025 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65B 41/18 20060101
B65B041/18; B65B 57/04 20060101 B65B057/04; B65B 57/08 20060101
B65B057/08; B65B 59/02 20060101 B65B059/02; B65B 61/02 20060101
B65B061/02; B65B 9/20 20060101 B65B009/20 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 28, 2016 |
IT |
102016000043541 |
Claims
1.-7. (canceled)
8. A vertical packaging machine comprising a framework with a
substantially quadrangular plan, a forming tube mounted on one side
of said framework for manufacturing a package of a product through
the use of a continuously advancing film supplied by a reel mounted
on a shaft and arranged in a housing provided in a side of the
framework adjacent to that on which said forming tube is mounted,
the unwinding of said film from said reel being performed by a
motor equipped with an unit for controlling the unwinding of said
film, said framework further comprising a horizontal flat surface
on which the film passes and changes direction by 90.degree. when
unwound from said reel being then directed towards said forming
tube, wherein the 90.degree. direction change of said film is
performed through a triangular frame arranged on said horizontal
flat surface of said framework, a first side of said triangular
frame being arranged at 45.degree. with relative to the respective
advancement directions of the film as unwound from the reel and
entering into the forming tube, whereby a second side of said frame
is connected to a slide linearly movable through a motor along a
movement lane parallel to the advancement direction of said film
(on said horizontal flat surface before the 90.degree. direction
change takes place performed through said triangular frame.
8. The machine of claim 7, wherein said first side of said
triangular frame comprises a tubular element rigidly connected to
the frame and carrying out a linear translation with the frame,
said film being in operation arranged in contact with said tubular
element which comprises a series of holes for the injection of
compressed air in order to create an air cushion limiting friction
between the film and the tubular element in the contact zone where
the 90.degree. direction change of said film takes place.
9. The machine of claim 8, wherein the linear translation of said
tubular element determines the variation of the position of the
film based on type, shape and dimensions of the package to be
manufactured in the forming tube, and determines the centering and
the positioning of the film at a folding bell arranged at the inlet
to said forming tube.
10. The machine of claim 7, further comprising a reel change unit
arranged on said framework, downstream of the shaft on which said
reel is mounted, in correspondence of which unit either films
belonging to two different reels are joined to each other, or
another reel having a different format with respect to the previous
one being processed is mounted on the shaft.
11. The machine of claim 10, further comprising an accumulation
unit formed by a series of adjacent rollers on the surface of which
the moving film is passed, thereby forming a supply of film
necessary for allowing an intermittent advancement of the film
itself into the forming tube.
12. The machine of claim 7, further comprising a film labelling
unit.
13. The machine of claim 7, further comprising a bracket carrying a
sensor for constantly monitoring any slippage of the film, said
sensor being connected to an electronic control unit which in turn
controls the unwinding speed of the film from the reel.
Description
FIELD OF APPLICATION
[0001] The present invention relates to a vertical packaging
machine for the production of sealed bags containing products of
various kinds, mainly although not exclusively food products.
[0002] More particularly, the following invention relates to a
vertical packaging machine whose characteristic is that of being
equipped with a means for unwinding the film which allows lost time
to be reduced during format changes due to mechanical adjustments
of the reel unwinding zone.
[0003] The system also prevents film slippage phenomena due to
mechanical inertia when the film is drawn for forming the bag.
[0004] The packaging machine according to the invention provides a
film unwinding system mounted on the lateral part and not, as
normally happens, on the rear part of the machine.
[0005] In the lower zone of this device, the speed of the film
unwound during normal production is uniform, but the rotation speed
of the motor that unwinds the reel varies automatically as a
function of the diameter of the latter.
[0006] The present invention is advantageously applied in the
sector of packaging machines for products of various kinds and
mainly food products.
PRIOR ART
[0007] It is known that sealed packages normally available in the
supermarkets containing products of various kinds, for example food
products, are produced by automatic machines known as packaging
machines.
[0008] There are various types of these machines of different types
and, among these, there is also a version that is normally defined
as a vertical packaging machine. The latter comprises a dosing
device positioned in the uppermost part and from which the product
to be packaged is left to drop for being conveyed into a vertical
metal tube of a variable width and reduced length, known as a
forming tube.
[0009] Outside the latter, the film is wound which advances around
it through a drawing system comprising rubber coated belts and
curved sheet metal parts, arranged around the forming tube.
[0010] By using the rubber coated belts it is possible to move the
edges towards one another for sealing both vertically and
horizontally hence creating the sealed package.
[0011] Traditional sealing systems installed on the machine, based
on the chosen configuration, may sometimes seal the package only
with the film on the stationary forming tube, hence making it
necessary for the drawing members to intervene with an intermittent
type of motion which consequently causes strong accelerations.
[0012] The set of devices mounted on the vertical packaging machine
appointed to unwind the reel from which the film comes for forming
the package, precisely due to such strong accelerations, limit the
speed of the system and generate slippage which in turn has a
negative effect on the quality of the package which could be
aesthetically unpleasant or in extreme cases not correctly
sealed.
[0013] Another problem connected with traditional film unwinding
devices mounted on vertical packaging machines is highlighted
during format changes.
[0014] As normally happens, users of these packaging machines need
to produce packages of various sizes, therefore they are obliged to
manually replace the device called the forming tube with other
forming tubes of different sizes. To do this, they must necessarily
also perform various mechanical adjustments on the film unwinding
devices to adapt them to the new dimensions of the package to be
produced with a notable loss of time before starting again with new
production.
[0015] All this has a negative effect on the packaging processes,
and causes an excessive lengthening of the time required for bag
format changes, causing a condition such that, when added to the
film advancement problem, prevents the production costs being
contained also due to the need for frequent intervention by
appointed personnel.
[0016] Document US 2015/0020483 describes a multi-line packaging
machine equipped with four forming tubes mounted in parallel and
four respective film unwinding reels. Each of the packaging lines
envisages a triangular shaped fixed frame which allows a 90.degree.
direction change of the film to be performed unwound from a reel
and advanced towards a forming tube. However, a movement means of
said triangular frame is not provided and therefore an adaptation
and compensation means acting to keep the film centred with respect
to the forming tube is not provided.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] The present invention sets out to provide a vertical
packaging machine for producing sealed bags containing products of
various kinds which is equipped with a film unwinding device that
facilitates bag format changes, thus creating a condition able to
eliminate or at least reduce the drawbacks highlighted above.
[0018] The main advantages of this solution firstly regard the
possibility to overcome the production speed limit imposed by the
mechanical inertia produced by the film unwinding devices used up
to now.
[0019] According to the present invention the advantages of this
solution also regard the possibility to limit the format change
time, avoiding a multitude of mechanical adjustments.
[0020] In particular, the system also prevents the occurrence of
film slippage due to mechanical inertia when the film is drawn for
forming the bag.
[0021] This is obtained through a vertical packaging machine for
producing sealed bags equipped with a device for the easy unwinding
of the film, whose characteristics are described in the main
claim.
[0022] The dependent claims of the present solution delineate
advantageous embodiments of the invention.
[0023] The main advantage of this solution regards the fact that
the above machine provides a film unwinding system mounted on the
lateral part of the packaging machine hence determining a
mechanical condition such as to allow a reduction of losses of time
during format changes caused by mechanical adjustments on the reel
unwinding zone.
[0024] A further advantage offered by the invention is that
relative to the possibility to prevent appointed personnel having
to perform numerous and various mechanical adjustments on the film
unwinding devices during format change operations. These operations
were necessary for adapting the machine to the new dimensions of
the package to be produced which, according to known solutions,
caused a notable loss of time before starting again with new
production.
ILLUSTRATION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will
be evident from reading the following description of an embodiment
of the invention by way of non-limiting example with the aid of the
figures illustrated in the appended tables of drawings, in
which:
[0026] FIG. 1 represents a schematic side view highlighting a
vertical packaging machine according to the invention, which
highlights the path of the film;
[0027] FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic side view highlighting the
same packaging machine according to a different angle;
[0028] FIG. 3 is a schematic and perspective view of the machine
according to the invention provided with the means according to the
invention for unwinding the film;
[0029] FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the vertical packaging machine
provided with the means according to the invention for unwinding
the film.
DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
[0030] With reference to the appended figures, and initially in
particular to FIG. 1, 10 generally indicates a vertical packaging
machine equipped with the film unwinding system according to the
invention.
[0031] The vertical packaging machine has a substantially prismatic
conformation on four sides and with a vertical extension, and is
equipped with a carcass having a front sector 11 in which the
packages of the product to be packaged are formed at a forming tube
12.
[0032] The packages of product to be packaged are realised using a
film 13 made of synthetic material with continuous advancement
supplied by a reel 14 placed in its own housing in the lower part
of the machine on one side of the carcass adjacent to the one on
which the forming tube 12 is mounted. Such film 13 dispensed by the
reel 14, is made to rise from the lower part to the upper part of
the machine so as to reach the forming tube 12 passing from a
folding bell 15 arranged at the inlet of said forming tube 12.
[0033] According to a characteristic of the invention, the film
unwinding devices are mounted on one side of the vertical packaging
machine and not on the rear part as happens in solutions of the
prior art, thus allowing an innovative system to be used for the
adjustment and adaptation to the different film formats
subsequently used.
[0034] Proceeding with respect to the film unwinding order, the
first device encountered is a support shaft 16 for supporting the
reel 14 from which the film is unwound, which is fixed directly
onto the main front plate of the carcass to which most of the
machine's mechanical components are anchored.
[0035] The shaft 16 of the reel 14 is activated and controlled by a
motor 17 which, through a reducer of the number of revolutions,
makes the shaft and the reel rotate. The motor 17 is equipped with
a device for controlling the unwinding of the reel.
[0036] According to an embodiment of the invention, it is envisaged
that the film 13 rising upwards to reach the forming tube 12 passes
through distinct operating units placed laterally to the packaging
machine according to this order: a unit 18 for facilitating the
cutting of the film; subsequently, according to the work
requirements, printing and label application units, an accumulation
device 19 which allows the intermittent motion necessary for the
sealing systems on the forming tube.
[0037] According to a characteristic of the invention, a folding
guide 20 is further provided comprising a triangular shaped frame
which changes the unwinding direction by 90.degree. and inverts the
side of the film so as to bring it onto the forming tube 12 in the
correct way and direction.
[0038] In relation to the reel unit 14 of the film 13, during
normal operation of the machine, the unwinding of the film in the
first part of the unwinding device takes place at a uniform
speed.
[0039] At the reel unit 14 an encoder 21 is provided associated
with a small rubber-coated wheel, which allow the constant
measurement of the film which is being unwound.
[0040] Considering that while the film is being unwound, the reel
reduces in diameter, through a mathematical algorithm, the encoder
sends signals to the computer which manages the machine,
continuously correcting the speed of the motor for the rotation of
the reel.
[0041] With the data acquired, the computer allows the operator to
view information related to the diameter of the reel and other
production-related data allowing all the rollers that rotate to
accompany the film during its unwinding in the zone where the speed
is uniform, to turn at the same speed, hence not opposing any force
of inertia to the film.
[0042] Through these rollers, maintaining a constant speed and
passing into the zone where the joining of the film is facilitated
for the replacement of the reel, the film reaches the labelling
zone, in which one or more pieces of equipment may provide for
gluing the label and possibly printing the date or batch number or
other information.
[0043] According to an embodiment of the invention, for aligning
the position of the drawing already printed on the film with the
printed date or the glued labels, a photocell 22 is used which
detects a coloured reference notch on the film so that, by
measuring the movement, using the same encoder already used for the
speed, an electronic control unit can decide when to launch the
printing or labelling command.
[0044] Therefore, without operating on the movement of rollers or
mechanical parts, at the format change the operator can simply set
the necessary package through a monitor connected to the computer
of the electronic control unit and the system remembers at what
height the date and the label had been positioned.
[0045] At the end of the printing and labelling step, the film 13
crosses a roller-operated accumulation device 19 which determines
the intermittent motion necessary for the sealing systems on the
forming tube.
[0046] The accumulation device 19 comprises 3 or more rollers, half
of which are coupled to movable supports which in turn are moved by
the stem of a mechanical actuator 23 where the thrust force is
decided by the computer based on the accelerations in order to
cancel out the inertia caused by the moving mechanical mass.
[0047] As can be seen in FIG. 3, once the accumulation device 19
has been passed, the film passes into the triangular shaped folding
guide 20 which changes the unwinding direction by 90.degree. and
inverts the side of the film so as to bring it onto the forming
tube 12 in the correct way and direction.
[0048] More precisely, and as can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the
folding device 20 is arranged at the upper flat surface 21 of the
carcass of the machine and comprises a substantially triangular
shaped frame, one of whose sides is arranged according to a
45.degree. angle with respect to the front wall and the lateral
wall of the machine. According to an important characteristic of
the invention, another side of said triangular frame, in particular
the one facing the front of the machine, is coupled to a movable
slide 22 in linear translation along a rectilinear guide comprising
a recirculating ball screw 23 activated in the rotary sense by an
electric motor 24 arranged axially on an end of the screw itself,
said rectilinear guide being substantially parallel to the
advancement direction of the film on said flat surface as it is
unwound from the reel.
[0049] On the side of the frame of said guide 20 which is arranged
according to a 45.degree. angle with respect to the front wall of
the machine, a respective tubular element 25 is mounted, which is
solidly constrained to the frame and that can therefore translate
in the linear sense together therewith through the activation of
the motor 24 which moves the slide 22 on which it is applied.
[0050] On the tubular element 25, which is arranged according to a
45.degree. angle with respect to the front wall of the machine,
holes are advantageously made for the injection of compressed air
in order to create a cushion that limits friction between the film
and the metal of the folding device.
[0051] As can be easily understood from the examination of the
appended figures, the lateral movements of the tubular element 25
which is movable together with the guide 20 determine the variation
of the position of the film based on the type, shape and dimensions
of the package to be created, allowing the format change through
the activation of the motor 24 which automatically moves the guide
bringing it to the optimal position with that determined
format.
[0052] During the normal operation of the machine, the movement of
the tubular element 25 determines the centring and position of the
film, which is arranged first on the folding bell 15 and then on
the forming tube 12, at which it is folded in the tubular sense and
sealed and cut to measure after the filling of the product to be
packaged.
[0053] The linear translation movement of the triangular frame and
the tubular element 25 therefore allows the automatic variation of
the format of the film and its centring with respect to the forming
tube 12, avoiding the manual controls that were necessary with
systems of the prior art and reaching the objects of the present
invention.
[0054] The movement of the tubular element 25, being very close to
the folding bell, also allows the centring of the film much more
quickly and dynamically with respect to systems of the prior
art.
[0055] This solution as a whole also allows the operator to view
the part of film that is normally screen printed on the whole
length of the film unwinding device, visually checking if the
printing position of any expiry date and any label are correct,
solving the data control problems of traditional systems.
[0056] With the screen printing facing towards the operator and not
towards the machine frame, the adhesive tape that is normally used
for joining the new reel of film is also glued in the external side
of the bag, thus facilitating the identification and discarding of
these packages.
[0057] Another advantage of this solution is comprised of the fact
that the end stroke ring where the reel 14 rests on the unwinding
shaft 16 never needs to be adjusted, also limiting in this case the
mechanical adjustments to be performed by personnel.
[0058] At the forming tube 12, a bracket is fixed, onto which a
sensor 27 is coupled which constantly monitors any slippage of the
film. In the event of a format change, the sensor may be uncoupled
from the old forming tube to be put onto the new one with an
already correct position, hence preventing any mechanical
adjustments.
[0059] In the event of slippage on the film side, the sensor 27
measures the new position and consequently reports to the computer
which manages the system the need to move the tubular element 25
through the electrical motor 24 for compensating the slippage of
the film.
[0060] The invention has been described in the above with reference
to a preferred embodiment thereof. However it is clear that the
invention is susceptible to numerous variants which fall within the
scope thereof, and which are technically equivalent.
* * * * *