Device and Method for Forming Bundles of Individual Packages

Abstract

A bundling machine includes a wrapper that wraps the combination while it rests on a forward end of a paper cutout and a rear end of the paper cutout overlaps the forward end of the paper cutout while the combination moves in a transport direction, a transporter having a wrapping belt and a removal belt that follows the wrapping belt along the transport direction for conveying the combination of packages along a transport plane in the transport direction through the wrapper, and a controller that controls the relative speed of the belts so that, while the combination contacts both belts, the wrapping belt moves faster than the removal belt, thereby causing the rear end to sustain a tension in the direction of the forward end.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. An apparatus comprising a bundling machine for bundling a combination of packages to form a bundle, said packages comprising liquid-filled containers, said bundling machine comprising a wrapper, a transporter, and a controller, wherein said transporter comprises a wrapping belt and a removal belt that follows said wrapping belt along a transport direction for conveying said combination of packages along a transport plane in said transport direction through said wrapper, wherein said wrapper is configured so as to wrap said combination of packages such that said combination of packages rests on a forward end of a paper cutout and a rear end of said paper cutout is made to overlap said forward end of said paper cutout while said combination of packages moves in said transport direction, and wherein said controller controls said relative speed of said wrapping belt and said removal belt in such a way that, while said combination is in contact with both said wrapping belt and said removal belt, said wrapping belt has a belt speed that is higher than that of said removal belt, thereby causing said rear end to sustain a tension in said direction of said forward end.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said controller is configured to cause a belt speed of said wrapping belt to be between 1.25 and 2 times greater than that of said removal belt.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a conveyor belt that is disposed downstream of said removal belt along said transport direction, wherein said removal belt is configured to accommodate only one combination of packages at a time.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein an adhesion friction coefficient between said wrapping belt and said paper from which said paper cutout is exceeds an adhesion friction coefficient between said removal belt and said paper from which said paper cutout is made.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said controller is configured to dynamically adjust a belt speed of said removal belt.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a sensor unit for detecting a position of said combination of packages and providing information indicative of said position to said controller.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a sensor unit for detecting tensile stress sustained by said rear end of said paper cutout.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said bundling machine is further configured to adhesively bond said rear end of said paper cutout and said front end of said paper cutout.

23. A method comprising forming a bundle of packages from a combination of said packages, said packages comprising liquid-filled containers, wherein forming said bundle comprises using a wrapping belt of a transporter to transport said combination into a wrapper, while said combination is in said wrapper, wrapping said combination with a paper cutout along a transport direction of said transporter, causing a front of said paper cutout to overlap with a rear end of said paper cutout, said overlapping ends being in contact with said wrapping belt, and using a removal belt of said transporter to remove said combination of packages from said wrapper, wherein said wrapping belt conveys said combination of packages into said wrapper at a higher speed than said removal belt removes said combination of packages from said wrapper.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising conveying said combination of packages to said wrapper via said wrapping belt at a speed 1.25 to 2 times higher than said combination of packages is removed from said wrapper via said removal belt.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising, prior to transporting said combination of packages into said wrapper, resting said packages, as a group, onto a cardboard tray.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising comparing a speed of said removal belt to a speed of said wrapping belt when said combination of packages comes out of engagement with said wrapping belt.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising detecting a position of said combination of packages, a speed of said combination of packages, a speed of said wrapping belt, and a speed of said removal belt.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising using a sensor to detect tensile stress sustained by said rear end.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising fixing said rear end to said front end of said paper cutout.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] These and other features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying figures, in which:

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a bundling machine for forming bundles from individual containers and

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of a bundling machine for forming bundles from individual containers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a bundler 1a for forming bundles from packages. A typical package is a liquid-filled container. The bundler 1a includes a transporter 10 and a wrapper 6.

[0034] The transporter 10 comprises a wrapping belt 12, a removal belt 13a, and a conveyor belt 14 that are arranged one behind the other along a transport direction 7. The upper sides of the belts 12, 13a, 14 define a transport plane 11 for a combination 2 that comprises the packages that are to be bundled.

[0035] The wrapping belt 12 and the removal belt 13a move the combination 2 of grouped individual packages through the wrapper 6 along the transport direction 7. As the combination 2 moves through the wrapper 6, the wrapper 6 wraps it in a paper cutout 3.

[0036] The package combination 2 stands upright during the transport into the wrapper 6. A section of the underside of the package combination 2 stands on a forward end 5 of the paper cutout 5. As a result, during transport, the paper cutout's forward end 5 is arranged between the package combination's underside and the wrapping belt 12.

[0037] Within the wrapper 6, the paper cutout 3 is wrapped around the package combination 2 as the package combination 2 moves along the transport direction 7. The wrapper 6 includes a guide bar 9 that guides a rear end 4 of the paper cutout 3 through an opening 17 between the wrapping belt 12 and the removal belt 13a, thus bringing the rear end 4 below the transporter 10. FIG. 1 shows the guide bar 9 in a first position, in which it is still above the transporter 10, and a second position, in which it has moved below the transporter 10.

[0038] The wrapping belt 12 and the removal belt 13a move at different belt speeds. In particular, the removal belt 13a moves more slowly than the wrapping belt 12. For a brief period as it is being transported along the transport direction 7, the package combination 2 rests on both the wrapping belt 12 and with the removal belt 13a. During this period, the paper cutout's rear end 4 is guided under its forward end 5. Because the removal belt 13a moves more slowly than the wrapping belt 12, the rear end 4 sustains a tensile force that is directed towards the forward end 5, thus causing the paper cutout 3 to be tautened. Once the paper cutout's rear end 4 has been brought in contact with its forward end 5, an adhesive-bonding unit bonds the forward end 5 and the rear end 4 together.

[0039] The wrapper 6 includes a controller 16 that adjusts the speed of the removal belt 13a and a sensor 15 that determines when a combination 2 is no longer in contact with the wrapping belt 12. At this point, the controller 16 accelerates the removal belt 13a. This permits the spacing interval between package combinations 2 to be maintained. The removal belt's speed profile also provides a way to determine the interval between wrapped package combinations 2 that are transferred from the removal belt 13a to a conveyor belt 14 that is downstream of the removal belt 13a and that conveys the package combination 2 to, for example, to a downstream folding unit. This promotes continuous processing of the package combinations 2.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows an alternative bundling machine 1b that is similar to that shown in FIG. 1 but that omits a separate removal belt 14. In this embodiments, further transport of the wrapped package combinations takes place on a removal belt 13b that has a corresponding length.