Processing apparatus for packaging machines

Abstract

The invention relates to a processing apparatus for packaging machines having at least one upper processing unit for processing upper package sides and at least one lower processing unit for processing lower package sides, and having a common adjustment axle for the processing units along which the processing units are adjustable manually or by means of a drive in an adjustment direction that extends in parallel with a direction of transport of the packaging machine.

Claims

1. A processing apparatus for packaging machines in which packages to be processed by the processing apparatus are transported along a direction of transport of the packaging machine, the processing apparatus comprising: at least one upper processing unit for processing upper package sides and at least one lower processing unit for processing lower package sides; and a common adjustment axle for the processing units along which the processing units are adjustable manually or by means of a drive in an adjustment direction that extends in parallel with the direction of transport of the packaging machine, wherein the processing units are couplable to the adjustment axle and decouplable from the adjustment axle independently of one another, and wherein each processing unit comprises a coupling device that is manually actuatable or is controllable by means of a control device and that is configured to couple and decouple the processing unit and the adjustment axle to one another and from one another, and wherein the processing units can be adjusted in two different modes of operation, namely together and independently from one another along the adjustment axle during operation of the packaging machine.

2. The processing apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the processing apparatus is for labeling and/or printing packages.

3. The processing apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said means of a drive is provide by a common travel drive for the two processing units by which the processing units are travelable along the adjustment axle.

4. The processing apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the processing units are adjustable along the common adjustment axle by said means of a drive, and wherein the means of a drive comprises an elongated drive member extending in the adjustment direction for the processing units.

5. The processing apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein the elongated drive member comprises one of a spindle, a toothed belt, and a gear rack.

6. The processing apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein, in addition to the adjustment axle, a guide extending in parallel with the adjustment direction is provided for the processing units.

7. The processing apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein the guide comprises a guide member or at least two guide members extending transversely to the adjustment direction at a spacing from one another.

8. The processing apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein, in addition to the adjustment axle for the processing units, at least one transverse axle extending transversely to the direction of transport is provided for at least one additional unit, with the transverse axle being movable along the adjustment axle in the adjustment direction manually or by means of a drive.

9. A packaging machine, having at least one processing apparatus in which packages to be processed by the processing apparatus are transported along a direction of transport of the packaging machine, the at least one processing apparatus comprising: at least one upper processing unit for processing upper package sides and at least one lower processing unit for processing lower package sides; and a common adjustment axle for the processing units along which the processing units are adjustable manually or by means of a drive in an adjustment direction that extends in parallel with the direction of transport of the packaging machine, wherein a control device is provided that is configured to control a travel drive of the processing apparatus, and wherein the control device is configured to control coupling devices of the processing units in two different modes of operation, namely to adjust the processing units together and independently from one another in the adjustment direction during operation of the packaging machine.

10. The packaging machine in accordance with claim 9, wherein the processing apparatus is supported at a machine frame of the packaging machine.

11. The packaging machine in accordance with claim 9, wherein the adjustment axle of the processing apparatus is arranged at a side of a machine frame of the packaging machine.

12. The packaging machine in accordance with claim 11, wherein the adjustment axle of the processing apparatus is supported at the machine frame.

13. The packaging machine in accordance with claim 9, wherein the processing units are arranged in the same work section of the packaging machine, viewed in the direction of transport, said work section being associated with a package or with a package row disposed transversely to the direction of transport.

14. The packaging machine in accordance with claim 9, wherein the processing units are arranged in different work sections that are mutually offset in the direction of transport and that are each associated with a package or with a package row disposed transversely to the direction of transport.

15. The packaging machine in accordance with claim 9, wherein a plurality of pairs respectively comprising an upper processing unit and a lower processing unit are provided that are arranged in different work sections that are mutually offset in the direction of transport and that are each associated with a package or with a package row disposed transversely to the direction of transport.

16. The packaging machine in accordance with claim 9, wherein the processing units or pairs of processing units are movable from a working region into a non-working position independently of one another.

17. The packaging machine in accordance with claim 9, wherein the processing units are each movable in the adjustment direction within their work sections to set a respective desired processing offset between an upper processing position and a lower processing position.

Description

(1) The invention will be described in the following by way of example with reference to the drawing. There are shown:

(2) FIG. 1 schematically in a view sectioned perpendicular to the direction of transport of the packaging machine, the arrangement of two processing units in accordance with the invention; and

(3) FIGS. 2 to 5 respectively schematically, a possible configuration of a packaging machine in accordance with the invention.

(4) The packaging machine 13 shown schematically in cross-section in FIG. 1 comprises a machine frame 37 that is supported on the floor via a lower rack 49. A left transport chain 51 and a right transport chain 51 are supported at the respective frame element of the machine frame 37 extending in the direction of transport via chain guides, not shown, and serve, as described in the introductory part, to transport a lower film through the packaging machine 13 to manufacture packages 15 having food products received therein (not shown) from it together with an upper film. In the example shown, the packaging machine 13 is formed with four tracks, i.e. four packages 15 that are separated toward the end of the work process are disposed next to one another in each package row 41 (cf. FIGS. 2 to 5).

(5) The generally known structure and the function of a packaging machine, and in particular of a deep-drawing packaging machine such as has been explained in the introductory part, likewise sufficiently familiar to the skilled person do not need to be looked at in any more detail with respect to the present invention.

(6) The packaging machine 13 in accordance with the invention is provided with a processing apparatus 11 that serves to process the upper sides and the lower sides of the packages 15. For this purpose, the processing apparatus 11 comprises at least one pair of processing units, namely an upper processing unit 17 that is located above the packages 15 and a lower processing unit 19 below the packages 15.

(7) The processing in the present embodiment is the application of labels. A respective structure that inter alia comprises a label supply roll 45 and a feed for the label web 47 rolled up in the supply 45 is associated with both processing units 17, 19 respectively formed as labelers. As can be seen from FIG. 1, these structures of the processing units 17, 19 project laterally and upwardly beyond the machine frame 37 of the packaging machine 13.

(8) These structures comprising the supply roll 45 and the label feed, not shown in any more detail, are each connected to the respective processing unit 17, 19 such that they are always moved together with their respective processing units 17, 19 on an adjustment movement of the respective processing unit 17, 19 in the direction of transport T of the packaging machine 13 and against the direction of transport T—that is in the adjustment direction S (cf. FIGS. 2 to 5).

(9) The adjustment movements of the processing units 17, 19 are guided at the machine frame 37 in the embodiment shown here. For this purpose, respective guides 29, 31 are provided at the left side and at the right side of the machine frame 37 and are only indicated schematically in FIG. 1 and in each case as chain-dotted lines in FIGS. 2 to 5.

(10) The guides 29, 31 can comprise only passive guide members such as guide rods that are supported by the machine frame 37 and do not have any drive function for the respective processing unit 17, 19.

(11) The provision of a guide for the processing apparatus 11 is, however, not compulsory in accordance with the invention. Depending on the specific embodiment of the processing apparatus 11 and the common adjustment axle 21 described in more detail below for the processing units 17, 19, the adjustment axle 21 can be sufficient to ensure the required stability and guidance and to enable an adjustment of the processing units 17, 19 in the direction of adjustment S.

(12) The position of the adjustment axle 21 shown in FIG. 1 relative to the packaging machine 13 is to be understood purely schematically. The adjustment axle 21 can be arranged at generally any desired point at one of the machine sides in dependence on the specific structure of the packaging machine 13 and in particular of the machine frame 37. In the embodiments shown here, the adjustment axle 21 is located at the right machine side—viewed in the direction of transport T. The adjustment axle 21 is indicated in FIGS. 2 to 5 by a dashed line thicker in comparison with the guides 29, 31.

(13) As FIG. 1 shows, the upper processing unit 17 and the lower processing unit 19 are each connected to the common adjustment axle 21. This takes place in each case by an only schematically indicated holder 18, 20.

(14) To be able to adjust the processing units 17, 19 by means of the adjustment axle 21, the adjustment axle 21 can, for example, be configured as a threaded spindle which extends in parallel with the direction of transport T and to which spindle nuts formed at the holders 18, 20 can be coupled. The threaded spindle acting as an adjustment axle 21 can e.g. be manually actuated. In a preferred embodiment, however, a drive 23 is provided for the adjustment axle 21, said drive being shown schematically in FIG. 1, being connected to a control device 25, and thus enabling a controlled adjustment of the processing units 17, 19 in that the threaded spindle forming the adjustment axle 21 is correspondingly set into rotation. As likewise already mentioned in the introductory part, the control device 25 can only be associated with the processing apparatus 11 and can be connected to a higher ranking control device, not shown, of the packaging machine 13. Alternatively, the control device 25 can be integrated in such a central control device.

(15) Instead of a spindle drive for the processing units 17, 19, a differently configured travel drive can also be provided that is, for example, based on the drive principle of a toothed belt or of a gear rack.

(16) As FIG. 1 likewise schematically shows, each of the two processing units 17, 19 is provided with a coupling device 27 that permits the respective processing unit 17, 19 to be selectively drive-effectively coupled to the adjustment axle 21 or decoupled from the adjustment axle 21 via its holder 18, 20. An individual, mutually independent adjustment movement of the two processing units 17, 19 is possible in this manner.

(17) FIGS. 2 to 5 show by way of example different configurations in which the processing units 17, 19 of the processing apparatus 11 can be positioned and adjusted relative to one another at the packaging machine 13 with respect to the direction of transport T and in particular with respect to the packages 15 or package rows 41.

(18) Only FIG. 2 shows an additional option that can, however, generally equally be used in all the possible configurations in accordance with the invention, namely the provision of an additional unit 35 which can, for example, be a printing device for printing either the upper package sides or the lower package sides. A transverse axle 33 is provided for this additional unit 35 and extends perpendicular to the direction of transport T and—also like the processing units 17, 19—can be moved in the adjustment direction S by means of the common adjustment axle 21 to be able to adopt the printing position on the upper package sides or on the lower package sides with respect to a package row 41. The additional unit 35 is additionally adjustable along the transverse axle 33 to be able to respectively reach all the packages 15 of a package row 41. The thus given movement possibilities of the additional unit 35 are indicated by the double arrows in FIG. 2.

(19) In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the upper processing unit 17 and the lower processing unit 19 are associated with the same package row 41 and thus—viewed in the direction of transport T—with the same work section. The two processing units 17, 19 are substantially disposed above one another in this respect. The offset between the two processing units 17, 19 present within this same work section in the adjustment direction S is settable by moving the processing units 17, 19 along the adjustment axle 21. The processing position with respect to the packages 15 of the respective package row 41 can hereby be exactly predefined both for the upper processing unit 17 and for the lower processing unit 19. Labels can thereby, for example, be applied at any desired position at an upper package side or at a lower package side or the upper sides or lower sides of the packages 15 can be printed at generally any desired point if the processing units 17, 19 are not labelers, but rather printers.

(20) It is understood that the longitudinal offset of the processing units 17, 19 in the adjustment direction S shown in FIG. 2 can also be zero, i.e. the processing units 17, 19 can be positioned relative to one another such that they are disposed exactly above one another. It is also possible in accordance with the invention that the positions of the two processing units 17, 19 are swapped over in the direction of transport T with respect to the arrangement in FIG. 2, i.e. the upper processing unit 17 in the direction of transport T is further to the front than the lower processing unit 19.

(21) In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the two processing units 17, 19 are associated with different package rows 41. A longitudinal offset in the adjustment direction S of the two processing units 17, 19 by exactly one package row 41 is shown. The offset can also amount to more than one package row 41.

(22) Different embodiments are generally possible with respect to the travelability of the two processing units 17, 19. Provision can thus be made that both processing units 17, 19 can only be traveled together and are in a forced coupling to this extent. It is also possible that, for example, only the lower processing unit 19 is travelable on the adjustment axle 21, but not the upper processing unit 17 that can instead be adjusted relative to the lower processing unit 19 on a further adjustment axle 21, not shown, that is arranged on the same machine side as the common adjustment axle 21. Since such a configuration enables a common adjustment by moving the lower processing unit 19 on the adjustment axle 21, the adjustment axle 21 is also a common adjustment axle for the two processing units 17, 19 in this configuration.

(23) The embodiment of FIG. 4 is based on the configuration in accordance with FIG. 2, with here the processing apparatus 11 comprising two pairs of processing units 17, 19 and each pair 43 being associated with a package row 41, and with the two pairs 43 being offset with respect to each other by one package row 41 in the direction of transport T. It is understood that the offset can also amount to more than one package row 41.

(24) As already mentioned in the introductory part, the processing performance can hereby be doubled or the possibility can be created of carrying out an additional processing of the upper sides and/or of the lower sides of the packages 15 that can optionally also only take place at times. So-called promotion labels or other additional labels or also prints can thus be applied to the packages 15, for example, for temporary promotions by means of the additional pair 43 of processing units 17, 19.

(25) The embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is based on the concept of FIG. 4. Two pairs 43 of processing units 17, 19 are again provided here. The selective coupling and decoupling ability of the processing units 17, 19 by means of the coupling devices 27 mentioned above in connection with FIG. 1 can be used in this configuration, for example, to travel the right pair 43 of processing units 17, 19 in FIG. 5, for example, from a working position corresponding to the embodiment of FIG. 4 to the right against the direction of transport T into a non-working position in FIG. 5 to, for example, carry out servicing work or to change a label supply roll 45 (cf. FIG. 1). During this period of time, the processing of the packages 15 by means of the left pair of processing units 17, 19 in FIG. 5 is continued, which admittedly temporarily means a smaller processing performance, but is instead advantageously not associated with a temporary complete shutdown of the processing apparatus 11. Such a configuration consequently enables a so-called “no down time” function of the packaging machine that thus achieves a higher production performance overall.

(26) The adjustment of the temporarily down processing units 17, 19 in the state decoupled from the adjustment axle 21 can take place, for example, manually or by a travel drive that comprises an adjustment axle (not shown) provided in addition to the common adjustment axle 21. An additional adjustment axle can be associated with both pairs 43 of processing units 17, 19. Alternatively, each pair 43 can have its own additional adjustment axle.

(27) In all the embodiments described above and also in other possible embodiments in accordance with the invention, it is preferred in the event of a plurality of adjustment axles if all the adjustment axles are arranged at the same side of the packaging machine.

(28) As already mentioned in the introduction, it is a substantial advantage of the invention that the operation of the processing unit can be completely transposed to only one side of the packaging machine. The effort for safety measures that may be necessary can furthermore be reduced, in particular safety measures due to the movability of the processing units and to the potential risk of crushing associated therewith. It is furthermore of advantage that the required work length of the packaging machine for the processing unit in accordance with the invention is comparatively small. In particular when a plurality of pairs of processing units are provided, a saving of the required machine length of 50% and more can be achieved in comparison with an increase in performance achieved in a conventional manner, without having to accept any compromises in function or performance.

(29) Furthermore, the functions of “no down time” and “double speed plus no down time” typically required in practice can also be implemented without problem and indeed—as mentioned—with substantially fewer space requirements, in particular with respect to the work length of the packaging machine, with respect to the known solutions.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

(30) 11 processing apparatus 13 packaging machine 15 package 17 upper processing unit 18 holder 19 lower processing unit 20 holder 21 adjustment axle 23 drive 25 control device 27 coupling device 29 guide 31 guide 33 transverse axle 35 additional unit 37 machine frame 41 package row 43 pair 45 supply roll 47 label web 49 lower rack 51 transport chain T direction of transport S adjustment direction