A SYSTEM AND A METHOD FOR PACKAGING PRODUCT INTO SEPARATE BAGS

Abstract

A system for packaging a product into separate bags, including a station for providing a partly closed bag and adding a quantity of the product into the partly closed bag, a closing station for closing the partly closed bag with the quantity of the product therein, a separating station for separating the closed bag from the sheet-shaped material, and an analyzing station for analyzing the closed bag, where the analyzing station is positioned between the closing station and the separating station and where the closed bag hangs from another bag when analyzed.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A system for packaging a product into separate bags, the system comprising: a station for converting a sheet-shaped material into a partly closed bag and adding a quantity of the product into the partly closed bag, a closing station for closing the partly closed bag with the quantity of the product therein, a separating station for separating the closed bag from the sheet-shaped material, and an analyzing station for analyzing the closed bag, the analyzing station is positioned between the closing station and the separating station where the analyzing station is positioned at least substantially vertically below the closing station.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the analyzing station is configured to determine an integrity of a closure of the closed bag.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein the analyzing station comprises a camera configured to output images of closures of bags and a processor configured to analyze the images and output information relating to integrity of the individual closures.

19. The system according to claim 16, wherein the separating station is configured to determine a separating position between two adjacent, closed bags, and to separate the two adjacent, closed bags at the determined position.

20. The system according to claim 16, wherein: the analyzing station is configured to determine a position between two adjacent, closed bags and output position information, and the separating station is configured to receive the position information and separate the two adjacent, closed bags at the position.

21. The system according to claim 16, wherein the closing station comprises a gripping element fixing an upper part of a bag to be closed and is configured to provide a perforation between the bag to be closed and a partly closed bag, the system further comprising an element for engaging and pulling a lower portion of a closed bag to separate, at the perforation, the closed bag from the bag to be closed.

22. A method of packaging a product into separate bags, the method comprising: repeatedly: from a sheet-shaped material, forming a partly closed bag, adding a quantity of the product to the partly closed bag, closing the partly closed bag with the product quantity therein, while the closed bag hangs from the sheet-shaped material, a partly closed bag or another closed bag, analyzing the closed bag and separating the analyzed, closed bag from the sheet-shaped material, the partly closed bag or the other closed bag.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein: the step of forming the partly closed bag comprises a step of closing a bottom of the partly closed bag, the step of closing the partly closed bag comprises closing an open top of the partly closed bag.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the steps of closing the bottom of one partly closed bag and of closing an open top of an adjacent, partly closed bag, are performed simultaneously.

25. The method according to claim 22, wherein the closing step comprises providing a perforation between the closed bag and the partly closed bag and wherein the separating step comprises separating the closed bag from the partly closed bag at the perforation.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the separation takes place simultaneously with the closing step.

27. The method according to claim 22, wherein the analyzing step comprises determining an integrity of a closure of the closed bag.

28. The method according to claim 22, wherein the analyzing step comprises generating images of closures of bags, analyzing the images and outputting information relating to integrity of the individual closures.

29. The method according to claim 22, wherein the separating step comprises determining a separating position between two adjacent, closed bags, and separating the two adjacent, closed bags at the determined position.

30. The method according to claim 22, wherein: the analyzing step comprises determining a position between two adjacent, closed bags and the separating step comprises separating the two adjacent, closed bags at the position.

Description

[0090] In the following, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawing, wherein:

[0091] FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art method of providing product into separate bags,

[0092] FIG. 2 illustrates a prior art bag seen from the side,

[0093] FIG. 3 illustrates the sequence of bags seen from above as well as the analysis and cutting stations and

[0094] FIG. 4 illustrates the welds 141/144.

[0095] In FIG. 1, a prior art system 10 is illustrated for producing bags and providing a product therein. In a station C, the bags are formed from a sheet-like material 12, such as a foil, which is folded and assembled, such as heat welded, to obtain an elongate weld or connection 142. In addition, a lower weld 141 is provided so that the sheet-like material is shaped as a partly closed container or bag 14 which is closed at the bottom and at the sides, so that a product 20 may be provided in this partly closed bag 14 before final closing.

[0096] The final closing, now of the upper end of the bag, is also often performed by welding or heating, creating the upper weld 144. In the same step, the folded and elongatedly welded sheet-like material is welded at the bottom. Also, when the upper and lower welds have been generated, the closed bag is separated from the newly formed partly closed bag by cutting, at station A.

[0097] This technology has the advantage that the welding may be performed by two heated jaws which generate the two welds and between which a cutting device may be provided. Thus, the cutting is simple, as the cutting position is between the two jaws.

[0098] A problem, however, is seen when wanting to quality check the bags 16. Usually, the product 20 is provided in the partly closed bag while this bag is open at the top. Then, gravity will assist in the delivering of the material into the partly closed bag. In that manner, it is the intention that the material will not extend to the upper weld, as material in this weld would render the weld useless and the bag thus not suitable for sale.

[0099] However, many types of material are not cooperative in this respect. Lettuce, spices, grated cheese and the like has a tendency to either build tall structures or distribute itself on the inner surface of the bag so that it may also be provided in the bag weld.

[0100] For that reason, it is desired that an analysing station B is provided which is capable of analysing the welds, and especially the end welds 141 and 144, of the bag 16.

[0101] When the product is delivered to the lower portion of the bag, the separated bag 16 will not have product evenly distributed therein, whereby the lower weld 141 may be more or less hidden under the product, as seen in FIG. 2. Also, very often, the end portions 141/144 will be pointing upward or downward. Visual analysis of the welds usually is from above or below, whereby this is made difficult by the welded areas pointing away from or toward the camera.

[0102] According to a preferred embodiment, the manner of partly closing the bag and the introduction of the product 20 therein may be as described above.

[0103] However, having performed the welding or closing creating the upper weld 144 and the lower weld 141, the bags are not separated. Thus, a sequence of interconnected bags is provided, as is seen in FIG. 3.

[0104] When the weld 144 is still connected to the weld 141 and the lower bag hangs from the upper bag (which may be closed or partly closed—or even be the sheet-like material), the bags will align the welded areas with vertical and pull the welds to force them into a more linear and straight shape. Then, analysis, in station B, is made easier. Also, the interconnection of a weld 141 to a weld 144 will act to prevent the weld 141 from bending and more or less overlap with the product when seen from the side, so that also for this reason, analysis may be made easier.

[0105] Even though the advantage obtained by having the lower bag hang from the upper bag at the analysis station B may be obtained at any position after the closing station C, it is preferred that the analysis station B is provided more or less below the closing station C. Thus, the imaging may be provided immediately after closing. Also, this is advantageous when the bag handling is in steps. Providing the imaging between two step positions of the closings makes the overall set-up shorter.

[0106] In FIG. 3, a sequence of bags, formed and filled at station C, is seen where the weld 144 is connected to the weld 141. Thus, the analysis may be performed of both welds using the analysis station B. Having then analysed the welds 141 and 144, the separation may be performed, such as at station A.

[0107] Clearly, the welding or closing may be obtained using the legacy manners, such as heating, gluing, welding or the like.

[0108] Also, the weld or closure analysis may be as performed hitherto, such as using a camera/vision based technology where the weld/closing is imaged and then analysed in order to ascertain that the weld/closure is sufficient for the product to be sealed and thus suitable for sale.

[0109] The separation process may also be as performed hitherto, such as using a knife/cutter or a laser, for example.

[0110] In a particularly relevant embodiment, the separation is performed by severing a perforation performed at the closing step. The step of closing the lower end of a partly closed bag and the upper end of a bag to be closed may be performed using two welding jaws 152 and 154, one, 152, closing the lower end of an upper bag, a partly closed bag, and one, 154, for closing the upper portion of a lower bag to provide a closed bag. In this process, means 153 may be provided for perforating an area between the two welds.

[0111] Then, after analysis of the welds, separation of the bags may be performed by engaging, using the jaws 155, the earlier or lower bag, such as at its lower end, and pulling it away from the later or upper bag to sever the perforation. This may be performed while the upper or later bag is having its upper end welded so that it is engaged or fixed by the lower welding jaw.

[0112] The separation station may be positioned at, or even combined with, the analysis station, as the separation position in some embodiments is determined individually for each pair of bags. The bags may extend/contract slightly and even twist or in other manners deform the separation zone between the welds 141/144. The analysis station may image the adjacent weld(s) of the two bags and may then determine the best position to separate and thus separate the two bags. Especially when the separation is by cutting and not by severing a pre-positioned perforation.

[0113] A distance or space 145 may be provided between the two welds 141/144, such as a non-welded portion of the sheet 12, as is illustrated in FIG. 5, so that the separating position may be determined at or through this zone.

[0114] Alternatively, a wider welding may be provided between two adjacent bags. In this manner, if product extends into this weld, a separating position may be determined outside of the contaminated portion while ensuring that both bags are sufficiently closed. In this manner, bags with product in the welding may nevertheless be found suitable for sale.

[0115] In FIG. 4, the weld 144 is compromised as the product 20 extends all the way through it. However, if also the area 145 was part of the weld, this particular pair of bags could be separated at a position in the area 45 and thus provide suitable welds of both bags.

[0116] Thus, the separating station A may be configured to cut the bags at a position determined by the analysis station B or another analysis element, such as forming part of the separating station A. This analysis may relate to determining a cutting position from which a predetermined minimum weld width is provided to one bag or both bags, so that suitably sealed bags are produced.

[0117] In general, bags which after analysis have been found to not be sufficiently sealed may be opened and the product re-introduced into another bag at the top of the system 10.