Device and Method for Forming Bundles of Individual Packages

Abstract

A bundling machine comprises a transporter that conveys the bundle along a transport direction, a wrapper that receives the bundle from the transport direction and that is configured to surround the bundle with a paper cutout as the bundle proceeds along the transport direction through the wrapper such that a front end and a rear end of the paper cutout overlap, and a tensioner that is configured to be brought into engagement with the paper cutout to temporarily apply a tension to the rear end against the transport direction so as to cause the rear end to be held taut against the front end.

Claims

1-23. (canceled)

24. An apparatus for forming bundles of individual liquid-filled containers by wrapping groups of said containers with a paper cutout, said apparatus comprising a bundling machine that comprises a transporter that conveys said bundle along a transport direction, a wrapper that receives said bundle from said transport direction and that is configured to surround said bundle with said paper cutout as said bundle proceeds along said transport direction through said wrapper such that a front end and a rear end of said paper cutout overlap, and a tensioner that is configured to be brought into engagement with said paper cutout to temporarily apply a tension to said rear end against said transport direction so as to cause said rear end to be held taut against said front end.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said tensioner is adjacent to a side of said transporter that faces away from said bundle.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said wrapper comprises a guide rod that brings said rear end into engagement with said tensioner.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said wrapper comprises a compressed-air source and a guide rod that comprises compressed-air openings connected to said compressed-air source for displacing said paper cutout in a direction towards said tensioner.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a positioning unit that is configured to be brought into engagement with said rear end to thereby displace said rear end into said tensioner.

29. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a compressed-air source and a compressed-air opening connected to said compressed air source.

30. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said tensioner comprises a device that secures said rear end of said paper cutout, said device being selected from the group consisting of a suction unit and a clamp.

31. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a negative-pressure source and a contact surface that contacts said paper cutout, said contact surface being connected to said negative-pressure source.

32. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a transport band and a contact surface that contacts said paper cutout, said transport band being disposed along a contact region at which said paper cutout contacts said contact surface.

33. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said tensioner comprises a clamp that comprises first and second clamp elements having respective first and second contact surfaces that are brought into contact on opposite sides of said paper cutout.

34. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said tensioner comprises a clamp that comprises first and second clamp elements having respective first and second contact surfaces that are separated by an adjustable gap.

35. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said tensioner comprises brushes that are separated by an adjustable distance, said brushes being disposed to contact said paper cutout on opposite sides thereof.

36. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said tensioner comprises rotating bodies that rotate about axes that are transverse to said transport direction and wherein said rotating bodies are separated by an adjustable gap that can be reduced so that said rotating bodies engage said paper cutout on opposite sides thereof with an adjustable tension.

37. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said wrapper comprises a guide rod and wherein said tensioner comprises first and second clamp elements, said first clamp element comprising an opening for temporarily receiving said guide rod.

38. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said tensioner is configured to sense a tension exerted on said paper cutout.

39. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said bundling machine is configured to secure said rear end to said front end.

40. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said bundling machine is configured to apply adhesive to secure said front and rear ends together.

41. A method comprising forming a bundle of liquid-filled containers wherein forming said bundle comprises wrapping said bundle in a paper cutout having a front end and a rear end, wherein wrapping said bundle comprises transporting said bundle into a wrapper along a transport direction with said bundle resting on said front end, within said wrapper, temporarily applying tension to said rear end, said tension being in a direction opposite said transport direction, and forming an overlap between said rear end and said front end.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising, prior to transporting said bundle into said wrapper, grouping said liquid-filled containers on a cardboard tray.

43. The method of claim 41, further comprising using a guide rod to bring said rear end of said paper cutout into engagement with a tensioner.

44. The method of claim 41, further comprising using a positioning unit to displace said rear end into a tensioner.

45. The method of claim 41, further comprising locking said read end into a tensioner by a force selected from the group consisting of a clamping force and a suction force.

46. The method of claim 41, further comprising fixing said rear end to said front end with adhesive when said rear end and said front end overlap.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0043] These and other features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying figures in which:

[0044] FIG. 1a shows a first embodiment of a bundling machine for wrapping a bundle in a paper cutout;

[0045] FIG. 1B shows the bundling machine of FIG. 1A with the cutout's rear end clamped.

[0046] FIG. 2A shows a second embodiment of a bundling machine for wrapping a bundle in a paper cutout;

[0047] FIG. 2B shows the bundling machine of FIG. 2A with the cutout's rear end being released.

[0048] FIG. 3A shows a third embodiment of a bundling machine for wrapping a bundle in a paper cutout;

[0049] FIG. 3B shows the bundling machine of FIG. 3A as the front end of the cutout approaches the opening between the transport bands;

[0050] FIG. 4A shows a fourth embodiment of the bundling machine;

[0051] and

[0052] FIG. 4B shows the fourth embodiment of FIG. 4A at another instant of the bundling process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] FIG. 1a shows a bundling machine 1a for forming a bundle 2 of liquid-filled containers. The bundling machine 1a includes a transporter 10, a wrapper 6, and a tensioner 8a. The transporter 10 moves the bundle 2 through the wrapper 6 along the transport direction 7. While the bundle 2 is within it, the wrapper wraps the bundle 2 with a paper cutout 3. The transporter 10 comprises first and second transport bands 12a, 12b separated by an inter-band opening 27.

[0054] The containers in the bundle 2 stand upright as the bundle 2 travels through the wrapper 6. A section of the bundle's underside is on the paper cutout's front end 5. As a result, the paper cutout's front end 5 is arranged between the bundle's underside and the first transport band 12a during transport into the wrapper 6.

[0055] Within the wrapper 6, a guide rod 9 engages the paper cutout's rear end 4 and guides it through the inter-band opening 27. For ease of exposition, the guide rod 9 is shown at two positions in FIG. 1a, one above and one below the plane defined by the first and second transport bands 12a, 12b.

[0056] The tensioner 8a lies below the transporter 10 on the side opposite that which carries the bundle 2. The tensioner 8a temporarily fixes the paper cutout's read end 4 to thereby cause tension that holds the paper cutout 3 taut on the bundle 2.

[0057] The tensioner 8a includes a clamp 13a having a pivoting clamp element 19a and a fixed clamp element 19b. The guide rod's movement path is such that it brings the paper cutout's rear end 4 into contact with a first contact surface 21a of the pivoting clamp element 19a. As a result, the paper cutout's rear end 4 comes into engagement with the clamp 13a.

[0058] Referring now to FIG. 1b, the pivoting clamp element 19a then pivots such that the paper cutout's rear end 4 is now clamped between the first contact surface 21a and a second contact surface 22a, which is that of the fixed clamp element 20a. As the bundle 2 continues to move with the rear end 4 clamped, a tension is applied to the rear end 4, thus holding the paper cutout 3 taut contact around the bundle 2.

[0059] As the bundle 2 continues to move in the transport direction, the rear end 4 will eventually overlap the front end 5. At this point, an adhesive is applied to the bundle's underside through the inter-band opening 27. The paper cutout's rear end 4 also comes undone from the clamp 13a. The tension exerted by the clamp 13a is selected to be insufficient to destroy the paper cutout 3 but sufficient to keep the paper cutout 3 taut against the bundle 2.

[0060] FIGS. 2a and 2b show an alternative embodiment of a bundling machine 1b having a different tensioner 8b and a different configuration for transferring the paper cutout's rear end 4 into the tensioner 8b. In particular, the tensioner 8b omits the clamp 13a.

[0061] The illustrated tensioner 8b features a transport band 18 having a contact surface 17. Suction openings on the contact surface 17 connect to a negative-pressure source 15 via a line 16. In this embodiment, suction draws the paper cutout's rear end 4 onto the contact surface 17. The maximum tension is thus controlled by the extent of the negative pressure.

[0062] The tensioner 8b also features a band drive 28 that moves the contact surface 17 against the transport direction 7. As a result, the rear end 4 also sustains a holding force caused by the contact surface's movement. This holds the paper cutout 3 taut against the contact surface 17 at a predefined tension. As the bundle 2 continues to move, the rear end 4 slides out of the tensioner 8b, as shown in FIG. 2b, until it overlaps the front end 5 on the bundle's underside.

[0063] The embodiment shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b also includes a compressed-air source 26 that connects to the guide rod 9 via a compressed-air line 16. Openings along the guide rod 9 release compressed air delivered from the compressed-air source 26. This ensures that the rear end 4 engages the contact surface 17. The compressed air from the guide rod 9 also displacing the paper cutout 3 in the direction of the contact surface 17.

[0064] As was the case with the first embodiment of the bundling machine 1a shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b, the front end 5 and rear end 4 overlap on the bundle's underside. When this occurs, an adhesive unit applies adhesive to fix them together.

[0065] FIGS. 3a and 3b show a third embodiment of a bundling machine 1c having a clamp 13b that comprises first and second clamping elements 19b, 20b spaced apart from each other. Each clamping element 19b, 20b comprises corresponding brush bodies 23a, 23b having bristles directed towards one another. In this embodiment, as the guide rod 9 passes the rear end 4 between the clamping elements 19b, 20b, the brush bodies 23a, 23b load both sides of the rear end 4, thus applying a tension.

[0066] An actuator 29 connected to the second clamping element 20b adjusts the space between the first and second clamping elements 19b, 20b. As a result, the load on the paper cutout 3 is adjustable.

[0067] As was the case in earlier embodiments, the paper cutout 3 is held under tension as the bundle 2 moves in the transport direction 7. After the rear end 4 overlaps the front end 3, the rear end 4 is fixed to the front end 5.

[0068] FIGS. 4a and 4b show an embodiment in which the first fixed clamping element 19c comprises a first contact surface 21c. The second clamping element 20c comprises a rotating brush 23c that has bristles contacting the first contact surface 21c. A gap between the brush 23c and the contact surface 21c determines a holding force on the paper cutout's rear end 4. An actuator 29 adjusts this gap and thus adjusts the holding force.

[0069] The rotating brush 23c includes a cutout opening 24 that extends along the brush's axis of rotation and has a circumferential extent. The rotation of the second clamping element 20c is synchronized with the guide rod's movement in such a way that the rod 9 fits into the cutout opening 24 and, while there, transfers the paper cutout's rear end 4 to the clamp 13c, as shown in FIG. 4a. The holding force that arises on the paper cutout 3 between the first and second clamping elements 19c, 20c holds the paper cutout 3 under tension, thus causing taut contact between the paper cutout 3 and the bundle 2.

[0070] As the bundle 2 continues to move along the transport direction 7, the paper cutout's rear end 4, which continues to be under tension, is guided out of the claim 13c. This continues until the rear end 4 overlaps the front end 5 on the bundle's underside.

[0071] Having described the invention and a preferred embodiment thereof, what is new and secured by letters patent is: