PACKAGING MACHINE WITH TRANSPORT CHAIN

Abstract

A packaging machine having several work stations, a transport chain and a chain deflection pulley on which the transport chain is mounted. The transport chain comprises chain clips, each chain clip having an upper part and a lower part, wherein the upper part and/or the lower part may be moveable relative to each other to move the chain clips between an open position and a closed position. The material blank may be introduced into the open chain clips and secured in the closed chain clips to transport the material blank in a direction of transport using the transport chain. A chain opening mechanism may be actively and operably changed between an opening state and a closing state in order to open and close at least one chain clip disposed on a planar oriented section of the transport chain and/or to maintain an already opened chain clip in an open state.

Claims

1. A packaging machine having one or more work stations, the packaging machine comprising: a transport chain for transporting a flat material blank to said one or more work stations; a chain deflection pulley on which said transport chain is mounted; wherein said transport chain comprises: a plurality of chain clips, each of said plurality of chain clips having an upper part and a lower part, wherein at least one of said upper part and said lower part is pivotable and/or slideable relative to the other so that each of said plurality of chain clips is moveable between an open position and a closed position; wherein said material blank is capable to be introduced into one or more of said plurality of chain clips when said one or more of said plurality of chain clips is disposed in the open position and said material blank is secured in said one or more of said plurality of chain clips when said one or more of said plurality of chain clips is disposed in the closed position so that said material blank can be moved by said transport chain in a direction of transport; wherein said packaging machine further comprises a chain opening mechanism capable to actively move said plurality of chain clips between the closed position and the open position in order to reversibly open at least one of said plurality of chain clips disposed on a planar oriented section of said transport chain and to maintain at least one of said plurality of chain clips in the open position so that said material blank can be introduced into said chain clip.

2. The packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein said chain opening mechanism is configured to reversibly open at least one of the plurality of chain clips in a section of said transport chain disposed downstream of said chain deflection pulley.

3. The packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein said chain deflection pulley comprises a run-on contour capable to move said at least one of the plurality of chain clips from the closed position to the open position, wherein the run-on contour is disposed along a section of said chain deflection pulley.

4. The packaging machine according to claim 3, wherein said run-on contour is disposed at one of a region of an upper half of said chain deflection pulley, or in a manner that a position of said run-on contour is adjustable so as to adjust a position along said chain deflection pulley in which said one or more of said plurality of chain clips is moved from the closed position to the open position.

5. The packaging machine according to claim 1, further comprising an advancing device which is configured to push the material blank into said one or more of said plurality of chain clips when said one or more of said plurality of chain clips is disposed in said open position.

6. The packaging machine according to claim 5, further comprising a support capable to support said material blank and a destacker capable to deposit said material blank on said support, wherein said support is aligned with said one or more of said plurality of chain clips when said one or more of said plurality of chain clips is disposed in said open position so that said material blank can be pushed into said one or more of said plurality of chain clips disposed in the open position by said advancing device.

7. The packaging machine according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of a lateral guide element and a pusher capable to align said material blank transverse to said direction of transport.

8. The packaging machine according to claim 1, further comprising an adjustable stop that is variably positionable along said direction of transport, wherein said adjustable stop is capable to align said material blank along said direction of transport.

9. The packaging machine according to claim 8, wherein said adjustable stop is movable and disposed to be both extended into and retracted from a transport path of said material blank.

10. The packaging machine according to claim 9, wherein said stop is coupled to said chain opening mechanism.

11. The packaging machine according to claim 1, further comprising one or more sensors disposed to detect the position and orientation of said material blank.

12. The packaging machine according to claim 1, further comprising a suction gripper capable to place said material blank into one or more of said plurality of chain clips that are disposed in the open position.

13. The packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein said chain opening mechanism is selectively deactivateable.

14. A method for operating a packaging machine, the method comprising the following method steps: actively actuating a chain opening mechanism to move at least one of a plurality of chain clips disposed on a transport chain and in a planar oriented section of said transport chain from a closed position to an open position; introducing a flat material blank into said at least one open chain clip disposed in said open position, moving said at least one of a plurality of chain clips from an open position to said closed position to secure said flat material blank; transporting said flat material blank to a work station of said packaging machine.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the introducing the flat material blank into said at least one open chain clip step further comprises at least one of pushing said flat material blank into said at least one open chain clip using an advancing device, and placing said flat material blank into said at least one open chain clip using a suction gripper.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0027] In the following, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention will be explained in more detail making reference to a drawing, in which the individual figures show:

[0028] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of one embodiment of a packaging machine in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

[0029] FIG. 2 is a schematic section view of one embodiment of a packaging machine in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure showing a material blank between two open chain clips;

[0030] FIG. 3 is a schematic section view of one embodiment of an advancing device of a packaging machine in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

[0031] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of another embodiment of an advancing device of a packaging machine in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of another embodiment of an advancing device of a packaging machine in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure; and

[0033] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of one embodiment of a packaging machine in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure showing one embodiment of a material blank and a stop.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. For purposes of clarity in illustrating the characteristics of the present invention, proportional relationships of the elements have not necessarily been maintained in the drawing figures.

[0035] The following detailed description of the invention references specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The present invention is defined by the appended claims and the description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense and shall not limit the scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a packaging machine 1 with two work stations 3, 4, for example, a sealing station 3 and a cutting station 4, a transport chain 5 comprising chain clips 7 for transporting material blanks 9 along a direction of transport T. Transport chain 5 is mounted on a chain deflection pulley 11 and can also be driven by the latter. Arranged in the region of a planar, preferably horizontal, section H of transport chain 5 is a chain opening mechanism 13 which opens or maintains open chain clips 7, so that material blank 9 can be introduced thereinto. Chain opening mechanism 13 can be changed from an opening state A to a closing state B and vice versa by way of a drive 15, thereby opening and closing chain clips 7. When chain clips 7 open, an upper part 17 and a lower part 19 of chain clips 7 are each slid and/or pivoted relative to one another, where one or both parts 17, 19 can execute a motion. Arranged in the region of chain deflection pulley 11 is a run-on contour 21 which in this embodiment ensures that chain clips 7 are already opened in the region of an upper half C of chain deflection pulley 11. Run-on contour 21 typically takes charge of opening the chain clips 7 up to an upper vertex S of the chain deflection pulley 11 and chain opening mechanism 13 of opening chain clips 7 in the downstream planar section H. Adjoining planar section H downstream is an insertion region E in which products are placed onto or into the product supports or packaging bases. The product supports or packaging bases in the form of material blanks 9 are secured in insertion region E in closed chain clips 7.

[0037] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a material blank 9 in two open chain clips 7 arranged on both sides of direction of transport T. Chain clips 7 are opened by pivoting upper parts 17 upwardly and to the side. In this embodiment, material blank 9 can be pushed in along the direction of transport T, but also be placed in from above by way of suction gripper 23. By simultaneously depositing a horizontally oriented material blank 9, it can be placed into chain clips 7 arranged on both sides. However, material blank 9 can also be placed in at an angle first into chain clips 7 on one side and then be folded down into chain clips 7 on the other side.

[0038] FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a variant of an advancing device 25 which pushes material blanks 9 from a destacker 27 into open chain clips 7 in direction of transport T by way of a conveyor 29, for example, a conveyor belt. In this case, chain clips 7 are open in upper half C of chain deflection pulley 11 as well as in planar section H so that material blank 9 can be pushed in an unobstructed manner into chain clips 7.

[0039] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a second variant of an advancing device 25 in which an additional conveyor 29 is present which moves material blank 9 in direction of transport T in a clamped manner between two conveyor belts. It is ensured in this variant that material blank 9 is transported onward with a well-defined force and speed.

[0040] FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a third variant of an advancing device 25 in which material blank 9 is deposited by destacker 27 on a support 31, and advancing device 25 is designed in the form of a pusher 33 which pushes material blank 9 into chain clips 7. For correct positioning transverse to direction of transport T, a guide element 35 and a further pusher 37, which can also be arranged as an alternative to one another, are provided on one or both sides. Furthermore, a height-adjustable stop 39 is shown with a drive 41 which enables correct positioning of material blank 9 along direction of transport T. In order to enable the transport of material blank 9 by transport chain 5, stop 39 is driven downwardly after successful positioning. A sensor 43 detects the position of material blank 9 and a control unit 45 can control the positioning of material blank 9 in dependence of the sensor data determined.

[0041] FIG. 6 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a material blank 9 and a stop 39 for positioning material blank 9. Stop 39 has two centering contours 47 in the form of cylindrical pins which can be moved by drive 41 into the travel path of material blank 9. At a front edge 49, material blank 9 has two, e.g. triangular, centering recesses 51. When advancing device 25 pushes in material blank 9, centering contours 47 engage with centering recesses 51 such that material blank 9 is aligned both longitudinally and transverse to direction of transport T.

[0042] The mode of operation of packaging machine 1 shall be described in more detail below with reference to the figures.

[0043] A material blank 9 is separated from a supply, for example, a stack of material blanks 9 and fed to an advancing device 25, for example, by way of a destacker 27. Advancing device 25 then moves material blank 9 in direction of transport T into one or more open chain clips, which were previously opened by a chain opening mechanism 13, 7 in a planar, preferably horizontal section H of transport chain 5. For this purpose, an active actuation of chain opening mechanism 13 takes place, which thereby changes from a closing state B to an opening state A and thus opens chain clips 7 in the planar oriented section H of transport chain 5. When pushed in, material blank 9 can be actively aligned by one or more pushers 37 or passively by of one or more guide elements 35 transverse to direction of transport T. The position of material blank 9 along direction of transport T can be aligned by the control device of advancing device 25 and/or a stop 39. As an alternative to introducing material blank 9 into open chain clips 7 by way of an advancing device 25, material blank 9 can also be placed into chain clips 7 by a suction gripper 23. After introducing material blank 9 into chain clips 7, the latter are closed by chain opening mechanism 13 changing from the opening state A to the closing state B. Thereafter, material blank 9 is moved into insertion region E and to work station 3.

[0044] Starting out from the above-described embodiments of a packaging machine 1, many variations thereof are possible. It would be conceivable, for example, to arrange chain clips 7 in groups along transport chain 5, where spacings are present between the groups, so that no chain clips 7 are present along an upper portion C of chain deflection pulley 11 when material blank 9 is pushed into chain clips 7 of a planar section H of transport chain 5. It is then possible to dispense with a run-on contour 21 along chain deflection pulley 11, since no chain clips 7 would obstruct the horizontal motion of material blank 9.

[0045] From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure. It will be understood that certain features and sub combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub combinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims. Since many possible embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is also to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative and not limiting.

[0046] The constructions and methods described above and illustrated in the drawings are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the concepts and principles of the present invention. Thus, there has been shown and described several embodiments of a novel invention.

[0047] As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. The terms having and including and similar terms as used in the foregoing specification are used in the sense of optional or may include and not as required. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present construction will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.