Abstract
A packaging machine and method for producing a packaging with a packaging machine, in which a lower material web is unrolled from a supply roll and transported along the packaging machine and at the same time a material to be packaged is placed on the lower material web and, to complete the packaging, an upper film is sealed to the lower material web in a sealing station, the packaging is cut from the upper and lower material webs, the cutting of the lower material web takes place partially upstream and partially downstream of the sealing station and/or partially upstream and partially in the sealing station.
Claims
1. A method for producing a packaging with a packaging machine, in which a lower material web is unrolled from a supply roll and transported along the packaging machine and at the same time a material to be packaged is placed on the lower material web and, to complete the packaging, an upper film is sealed to the lower material web in a sealing station, wherein the packaging is cut from the upper and lower material webs, wherein in that the cutting of the lower material web takes place partially upstream and partially downstream of the sealing station, and/or partially upstream and partially in the sealing station.
2. A method for producing a packaging with a packaging machine, in which a lower material web is unrolled from a supply roll and transported along the packaging machine and a packaging trough is formed in the lower material web with a forming tool and a material to be packaged is placed in the packaging trough and an upper film is sealed to the lower material web in a sealing station to complete the packaging, wherein the lower material web is severed at least in sections along a contour of the packaging trough before and/or during forming.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein a complete cutting out of the packaging from the lower material web takes place in and/or downstream of the sealing station.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein 1 the cut upstream of the sealing station or in the sealing station or before and/or during forming completely severs the lower material web.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein 1 the upper film is severed for separation in and/or downstream of the sealing station.
6. A packaging machine which unrolls a lower material web from a supply roll and transports the lower material web intermittently or continuously along the packaging machine and which is being loaded with a material to be packaged, wherein, for completion of a packaging, an upper material web is subsequently sealed to the lower material web in a sealing station, wherein a punch is provided which severs the lower material web along at least one partial area of a contour of the packaging to be produced, wherein the punch is provided in the forming tool.
7. The packaging machine according to claim 6, wherein the punch has a knife and a counter knife.
8. The packaging machine according to claim 6, wherein a knife of the punch is provided on a lower tool and a counter knife is provided on an upper tool, or vice versa.
9. The packaging machine according to claim 8, wherein the tool has a clamping plane in which the tool rests against the lower material web and the knife protrudes from this clamping plane.
10. The packaging machine according to claim 8, whereinthe counter knife and/or the knife is/are elastically and/or longitudinally displaceably mounted on the forming tool.
11. The packaging machine according to claim 10, wherein a degree of elasticity and/or longitudinal displacement of the mounting of the counter knife and/or the knife is variable .
12. The packaging machine according to claim 6, wherein a knife is provided to be stationary.
13. The packaging machine according to claim 7, wherein the knife and/or the counter knife is provided to be adjustable.
14. The packaging machine according to claim 6, wherein a seal is provided in the area of the punch.
15. The packaging machine according to claim 14, wherein the seal is provided in an area of a clamping plane.
16. The packaging machine according to claim 6, wherein a dust extraction or dust blowing device is provided on a tool of the forming station.
17. A method for operating the packaging machine according to claim 7, wherein the knife is only moved or pushed out of a waiting position into a clamping plane during the moving together and/or during and/or after completion of the moving together of the two tools.
18. The method for operating the packaging machine according to claim 7, wherein the knife is moved back into its waiting position after completion of the cutting process, before and/or while the two tools move apart.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0056] The inventions are explained below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. These explanations are merely exemplary and do not limit the general idea of the invention. The explanations apply equally to all subject matter of the present invention.
[0057] FIG. 1 shows the packaging machine according to the invention.
[0058] FIG. 2 shows an example of the packaging to be produced.
[0059] FIGS. 3 and 4 show the punch
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0060] FIG. 1 shows the packaging machine 1 according to the invention, which optionally has a forming station 2, a filling station 7 and a sealing station 15. A lower material web 8, in this case a plastic film 8, is pulled off a supply roll 22 and transported from right to left in cycles along the packaging machine according to the invention. In each cycle, the bottom web 8 is advanced by one format length/feed length. For this purpose, the packaging machine has two transport means (not shown), in the present case respectively two endless chains, which are arranged to the right and left of the lower material web 8. Both at the beginning and at the end of the packaging machine, respectively at least one gear is provided for each chain, around which the respective chain is redirected. At least one of these gears is driven. The gears in the inlet section and/or in the outlet section can be connected to each other, preferably by a rigid shaft. Each transport means has a plurality of clamping means/grippers which grip the lower material web 8 in a clamping manner in the infeed area 19 and transfer the movement of the transport means to the lower material web 8. In the outfeed area of the packaging machine, the clamping connection between the transport means and the lower material web 8 is released again. Downstream of the inlet section 19, heating means can be provided to heat the lower material web 8, especially when it is standing still. The forming station 2 has a lower tool 4 and an upper tool 3. The lower tool 4 can be moved up and down as indicated by the double arrow, wherein it is moved upward toward the lower material web 8 for forming and downward for further transport of the lower material web 8. In the raised position, the lower material web is preferably clamped between the two tools 3, 4. Punching means 10, which are explained in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, can be provided on at least one of the two tools 3, 4. The lower tool 4 can be located on a lifting table 5, which, as symbolized by the double arrow, can be vertically adjustable to produce the lower tool movement described above. As this happens, the punch 10 or its knife 25 is moved along. In the further course of the packaging machine, the packaging troughs 6 formed in the lower material web as indicated here or the lower material web 8 are then loaded with the material to be packaged 16 in the filling station 7. In the sealing station 15 following downstream therefrom, which also consists of an upper tool 12 and a, if applicable, vertically adjustable lower tool 11, an upper film 14 is attached to the lower material web 8 in a material-bonding manner by sealing. Thereby, the movement of the lower material web 8 is transferred to the upper material web 14. In the sealing station, too, the upper tool and/or optionally the lower tool are lowered or raised before and after each film transport. The upper film 14 can also be guided in transport means or transported by transport chains, wherein these transport means then only extend before the sealing station and, if applicable, upstream. Otherwise, the explanations given for the transport means of the bottom film apply. The upper film can also be heated and/or deep drawn with heating means. For sealing, the lower tool 11 is provided, for example, as a heatable sealing frame which has an opening for each packaging trough into which the, if applicable, present packaging trough dips during sealing, i.e. during the upward movement of the lower sealing tool. For sealing, the upper and lower material webs are pressed together between the upper and lower tools 12, 11 and bond under the influence of heat and pressure. After sealing, the tools 11, 12 are moved apart again vertically. A dancer, for example, a rotary dancer, which keeps the film web 14 at a constant tension to the extent possible, can be provided between the supply roll of the upper material web 14 and the sealing tool. The person skilled in the art understands that a dancer is also preferably provided in the area of the lower material web 8, preferably downstream of the supply roll. Preferably, the dancer is a linear dancer. A gas exchange preferably takes place in each packaging trough before and/or during the sealing of the upper material web to the lower material web. For this purpose, the air present in the packaging trough is first partially extracted and/or replaced by an exchange gas. For this purpose, holes can be made in the area of each format in the lower material web 8 in the area of the transport chains, through which holes the air between the material webs 8, 14 is extracted and/or the exchange gas is blown in. However, these holes are different from the contour cut explained with reference to FIG. 2. In the further course of the packaging machine, the completed packagings are separated, which, according to one embodiment of the method according to the invention, is done with the transverse cutter 18 and the longitudinal cutter 17. In the present case, the transverse cutter 18 can also be raised or lowered by means of a lifting device 9. Preferably, each cycle produces several packagings simultaneously, arranged as matrix in a so-called format. According to another embodiment of the method according to the invention, the sealing tool 11, 12 has a punch which severs the lower and upper material webs before, during and/or after sealing.
[0061] According to the invention, the lower material web 8 is punched/cut in at least two different places along the contour of the carrier of the material to be packaged, for example, in the forming station and downstream of the sealing station or in the forming station and in the sealing station. The contour cut of the upper material web 14, on the other hand, only takes place in the sealing station or downstream of it.
[0062] FIG. 2 shows a packaging that can be produced with the method according to the invention or, respectively, with the packaging machine according to the invention. The packaging has a packaging trough which has been formed, in particular deep drawn, from the lower material web 8. Here, the packaging trough has a horizontal flange 31 to which an upper material web 14 is sealed along a sealing seam 27. The packaging may optionally have opening aids 28 to facilitate releasing the upper material web from the packaging trough. For separation, the finished packaging is cut along its contour 29 out of a format from the lower and upper material webs. Reference number 19 indicates one, in this case two, contour cut(s) provided only in the lower material web, but preferably severing it completely along the cut. The contour cut 19 is provided here in the corner area of the packaging trough 6. The contour cut 19 is provided upstream of the sealing station, particularly in the forming station. Complete separation of the packaging, on the other hand, takes place either in the sealing station or downstream of the sealing station by separating the packaging along its contour from the lower and upper material webs. In the present case, this is done by four straight cuts, two longitudinal and two transverse cuts, or one contour cut. After separation, at least two, in this case three, separate parts are produced for each packaging from the bottom web material 8, in this case the packaging trough 6 and two corner parts 13. The corner parts can be disposed of as waste or bonded to the top web material 14. In the first case, the top web material protrudes beyond the corner area of the packaging trough 6 and can thus be easily grasped with two fingers for opening the packaging. In the second case, the cut-off area 13 is bonded to the upper material and provides additional grip for opening the packaging. Because the cut 19 already takes place upstream of the sealing station, the separation of the packaging can be made by simple straight cuts and the contour of the packaging trough and the contour of the upper material web of a packaging can be different. In particular, the contour of the upper material web can be larger than the contour of the packaging trough, providing engagement surfaces for easier opening of the packaging.
[0063] A gassing or degassing opening in the lower material web 8, which serves to change the atmosphere in the resulting packaging, is not a contour cut 19 in the sense of the present invention.
[0064] FIGS. 3 and 4 show the punching means 10, which consist of a knife 25 and a counter knife 23, in this case a counter plate. The knife 25 and the counter plate 23 interact in a cutting and/or squeezing manner and thereby sever the lower material web 8. In the present case, the knife 25 is connected to the lower tool 4 of the forming station and the counter knife 23 is connected to the upper tool 3 of the forming station. When producing a format consisting of several packagings, at least one punch 10 is provided for each packaging to be produced. The knife 25 or the counter knife 23 can be interchangeably connected to the respective tool 3, 4, here by means of the screws 20, 21. The knife 25 is driven by the vertical movement of the tool 4. The position of the knife 25 and/or the counter knife 23 with respect to the clamping plane is preferably adjustable, in particular individually adjustable for each packaging to be produced. For this purpose, the knife 25 preferably has a knife holder 26. The counter knife is displaceably mounted on the tool 3, in particular vertically displaceably. The vertical displacement takes place in particular by the knife 25 during and/or after the material web 8 has been severed. In order to build up a certain cutting pressure before or during cutting, the counter knife, on the side opposite the knife, has spring means 22, for example, an elastic plate, in particular a silicone or rubber plate, which compresses elastically during the vertical movement of the counter knife. Alternatively, the spring means 22 are designed as a gas cushion or oil cushion, for example.
[0065] In the area of the clamping plane 30, here on the lower tool 3, which serves as a mold for forming the packaging troughs, a seal 24 is provided, which preferably extends around the entire circumference of each punch 10. Preferably, the seal is elastically compressed when the two tools 3, 4 are moved together. The seal 24 facilitates the vacuum build-up in the tool 3 for forming, in this case deep drawing, the packaging trough 6 and, if applicable, supports the clamping of the film.
REFERENCE SYMBOL LIST
[0066] 1 Packaging machine [0067] 2 Forming station, deep drawing station [0068] 3 Upper tool of the forming station, upper tool of the deep drawing station [0069] 4 Lower tool of the forming station, upper tool of the deep drawing station [0070] 5 Lifting table, carrier of a tool of the sealing station, deep drawing station and/or cutting device [0071] 6 Carrier of the material to be packaged, packaging trough, lower tray, tray [0072] 7 Filling station, inserting station [0073] 8 Material web, lower material web [0074] 9 Lifting device [0075] 10 Punching means [0076] 11 Lower tool of the sealing station [0077] 12 Upper tool of the sealing station [0078] 13 Separated section, corner [0079] 14 Upper material web, cover material web [0080] 15 Sealing station [0081] 16 Material to be packaged [0082] 17 Longitudinal cutter [0083] 18 Transverse cutter [0084] 19 Contour cut, partial contour cut, preferably by means of the punch 10 [0085] 20 Fastening, screw, adjusting screw, adjusting means [0086] 21 Fastening, screw, adjusting screw, adjusting means [0087] 22 Spring means, elastic plate, silicone cushion, elastic adjusting means [0088] 23 Counter knife, counter plate [0089] 24 Seal [0090] 25 Knife [0091] 26 Holder for cutting line, knife holder [0092] 27 Sealing seam, sealing seam area [0093] 28 Opening aid, for example, peel corner [0094] 29 Contour of the packaging [0095] 30 Clamping plane [0096] 31 Flange
