Application Device and Method for Applying Additional Elements in an Application Direction

Abstract

Described and depicted is an application device for applying additional elements, in particular straws, to packages, preferably cardboard composite packages, having at least one transport device for transporting the packages along a transport track and having at least one application apparatus comprising at least one applicator for applying the additional elements to the package, wherein the applicator is provided on the application apparatus to be adjustable from a pick-up position for picking up the additional elements to an application position for applying the additional elements to the packages and back. So that less constructive and technical effort relating to the method is required for the application of the additional elements in different orientations, it is provided that the at least one application apparatus, as a result of an adjustment, in particular of the applicator, overlapping with the adjustment of the applicator from the pick-up position to the application position, is designed for picking up the additional elements in a pick-up orientation in space by the applicator and for applying the additional elements in an application orientation inclined from the pick-up orientation in space by the applicator.

Claims

1. An application device for applying additional elements, in particular straws, to packages, preferably cardboard composite packages, having at least one transport device for transporting the packages along a transport track and having at least one application apparatus comprising at least one applicator for applying the additional elements to the package, wherein the applicator is provided on the application apparatus to be adjustable from a pick-up position for picking up the additional elements, to an application position for applying the additional elements to the packages and back, wherein the at least one application apparatus, as a result of an adjustment, in particular of the applicator, overlapping with the adjustment of the applicator from the pick-up position to the application position, is designed for picking up the additional elements in a pick-up orientation in space by the applicator and for applying the additional elements in an application orientation inclined from the pick-up orientation in space by the applicator and wherein the at least one applicator is associated with a control device for controlling the adjustment of the applicator between the pick-up orientation and the application orientation, characterised in that the control device is designed for the forced adjustment of the applicator as a result of the adjustment of the applicator between the pick-up position and the application position and in that the at least one control device comprises at least one roller for rolling along on a control cam of the application apparatus when adjusting the applicator between the pick-up position and the application position.

2. The application device according to claim 1, characterised in that the at least one applicator arranged on the application apparatus to be pivotable about a positioning pivoting axis from the pick-up position to the application position and back, in particular to be rotatable about a positioning axis of rotation.

3. The application device according to claim 1, characterised in that the at least one applicator is arranged on the application apparatus to be pivotable about an orientation pivoting axis, or to be rotatable about an orientation axis of rotation from the pick-up orientation to the application orientation and back, and in that, preferably, the applicator is pivoted or rotated in the application orientation with respect to the pick-up orientation at least 10, preferably at least 20, in particular at least 30, particularly preferably at least 40.

4. The application device according to claim 3, characterised in that the orientation pivoting axis or the orientation axis of rotation forms an angle of at least 20, preferably at least 45, in particular at least 70, particularly preferably at least 80 with the positioning pivoting axis or the positioning axis of rotation.

5. The application device according to claim 1, characterised in that the at least one applicator is associated with a holding section which is pivotably or rotatably held in the application apparatus for the pivotable or rotatable holding of the applicator from the pick-up orientation to the application orientation and back.

6. (canceled)

7. The application device according to claim 1, characterised in that the roller is connected to the applicator for pivoting or rotating the at least one applicator via at least one lever means.

8. The application device according to claim 1, characterised in that a plurality of applicators, in particular forming an applicator wheel, is uniformly distributed around a common pivoting axis, in particular a common axis of rotation.

9. The application device according to claim 1, characterised in that the at least one applicator comprises a spring-loaded application finger adjustable, in particular pivotable, in the direction of an additional element guide for guiding the additional element from the pick-up position to the application position and/or in the direction of a package, for at least partially receiving the additional element, for applying the additional element and/or for holding the additional element, in particular on the additional element guide, and/or in that the at least one applicator, in particular adjacent to the application finger, comprises a guide finger for guiding the additional element in an interlocking manner from the pick-up position to the application position, in particular along the additional element guide, and/or for picking up the additional element in the pick-up position in an interlocking manner.

10. The application device according to claim 1, characterised in that at least one transportation belt, in particular comprising recesses or cams for interacting with packages, is provided for transporting the packages along the transport track and in that, preferably, the transportation belt is provided on the side of the packages facing away from the applicator.

11. A method for applying additional elements, in particular straws, to packages, preferably cardboard composite packages, preferably by using an application device according to claim 1, in which the additional elements arranged in an application orientation in space are picked up by at least one applicator in a pick-up position, in which the additional elements are adjusted by an adjusting movement of the applicator from the pick-up position to the application position, in which the additional elements are adjusted in space by an adjusting movement of an application apparatus, in particular the applicator, from the pick-up orientation to an application orientation, overlapping the adjustment of the applicator from the pick-up position to the application position, in which the at least one applicator is forcibly adjusted from the pick-up orientation to the application orientation and back as a result of the adjustment of the applicator between the pick-up position and the application position by a control device, and in which when adjusting the applicator, a roller of the control device rolls along on a control cam of the application apparatus and thus controls the adjustment of the applicator from the pick-up orientation to the application orientation.

12. The method according to claim 11, in which the additional elements are pivoted about a positioning pivoting axis, in particular rotated about a positioning axis of rotation by an adjusting movement of the at least one applicator from the pick-up position to the application position, and/or in which the additional elements are pivoted by an adjusting movement of an application apparatus, in particular the applicator, from the pick-up orientation in space to an application orientation in space overlapping the adjustment of the applicator from the pick-up position to the application position about an alignment pivoting axis preferably engaging with the alignment pivoting axis at an angle of at least 20, preferably at least 45, in particular at least 70, particularly preferably at least 80, in particular pivoted by at least 10, preferably at least 20, in particular at least 30, particularly preferably at least 40.

13. (canceled)

14. The method according to claim 11, in which the additional element is at least partially received, is held, is guided along an additional element guide and/or applied to a package by a spring-loaded application finger and/or in which the additional element is picked up by a guide finger in the pick-up position, held between the pick-up position and the application position, in particular together with the application finger and/or the additional element guide, and/or guided along the additional element guide.

15. The method according to claim 11, in which an applicator wheel comprising a plurality of applicators uniformly distributed around a common pivoting axis, in particular an axis of rotation is pivoted about the common pivoting axis, in particular rotated about the common axis of rotation.

16. The method according to claim 11, in which the packages transported by at least one transportation belt, comprising in particular recesses or cams interacting with packages, along a transport track adjacent to the application position of the at least one applicator.

Description

[0042] The invention is explained in greater detail below by means of a drawing merely depicting an exemplary embodiment, wherein:

[0043] FIG. 1 shows a first application device according to the invention in a schematic top view,

[0044] FIG. 2 shows a detail of the application device from FIG. 1 in a schematic top view,

[0045] FIG. 3 shows a detail of the application device from FIG. 1 in a schematic side view,

[0046] FIGS. 4A-B shows a detail of the application apparatus from FIG. 3 in a side view and a perspective view, and

[0047] FIG. 5 shows an applicator of the application apparatus from FIG. 3 in a top view.

[0048] In FIG. 1, an application device 1 for applying additional elements 2 in the form of straws is depicted. The application device 1 is supplied with a belt 3 made of two sealed-together, in particular transparent, plastic films, between which straws are provided at regular intervals. Accordingly, the belt 3 is formed by an interconnected series of blister packs 4 and drawn in by a supply device 5 which comprises a supply carousel 6 having recesses 7 distributed over the circumference and a belt guide 8 arranged at least partially around the supply carousel 6. The supply carousel 6 rotates about a central axis of rotation 9 in a stepwise manner in a clockwise direction. With each rotation step, another straw is received in a recess 7 of the supply carousel 6. The belt 3 of plastic films and straws remains held between the supply carousel 6 and the belt guide 8. After each rotation step of the supply carousel 6, the belt 3 of plastic films and straws is separated in a cutting position 10 by a separating device 11 by means of a cutting blade 12. In this way, the straws are separated in a stepwise manner.

[0049] Each straw, together with the plastic films, between which the straws are respectively sealed, forms an additional element 2 which is provided for application on a package 13. The corresponding packages 13 are transported at another point of the application device 1 by a transport device 14 successively along a transport track 15 along or through the application device 1. For this purpose, the transport device 14 comprises a transportation belt 16 with a series of cams 17 which extend in the direction of the transport track 15 of the packages 13. The transportation belt 16 extends laterally to the packages 13 and laterally to the transport track 15 of the packages 13. In the depicted and insofar preferred application device 1, the packages 13 are cuboid. However, the packages 13 may also have a different shape. It is not shown in detail that the transportation belt 16 is formed as a continuous belt and continuously revolves around guide rollers of the transport device 14.

[0050] After further rotation steps, the separated additional elements 2 are relayed to a delivery device 18 from the supply carousel 6 of the supply device 5. The individual additional elements 2 each pass into a recess 19 of a delivery wheel 20, which turns in a swelling manner, i.e. with repeatedly varying speed, in an anti-clockwise direction and cooperates in sections with a radially adjacent delivery guide 21 to hold the additional elements 2 in the recesses 19 and thus to accelerate to the circumferential speed of applicators 22 of an applicator wheel 23 driven continuously at an at least substantially constant speed, from which the additional elements 2 are picked up at a pick-up position 24 from the delivery wheel 20. Thus, the applicators 22 engage in the delivery wheel 20 and thus create an interlocking with the additional elements 2. As a result of the interlocking between the applicators 22 and the additional elements 2, the additional elements 2 are removed from the delivery wheel 20 and then moved between the corresponding applicator 22 and an additional element guide 25 in the direction of the packages 13. In this case, the applicator 22 reaches the application position 27, in which the applicator 22 delivers or applies the associated additional element 2 to the package 13 transported along the transport track 15 past the application position 27 of the applicator 22, in particular to the side surface 28 facing the applicator 22 in the application position 27.

[0051] So that the additional element 2 remains securely held on the package 13 against which the additional element is pressed, the package 13 has previously been provided with adhesive. However, alternatively or additionally, the additional element 2 could be provided with an adhesive, for example, immediately before the application of the additional element 2 or even before supplying the additional elements 2 in the form of the belt 3.

[0052] FIG. 2 shows the application of the additional elements 2 to the packages 13 in detail. The additional elements 2 are transported with the applicators 22 on the additional element guide 25 along an arc-shaped section to the packages 13 or to the application position 27 of the applicators 22. The applicator wheel 23 preferably rotates continuously in a clockwise direction about a positioning axis of rotation 26. Hence, the provided applicators 22 are moved continuously and circularly about the positioning axis of rotation 26 of the applicator wheel 23.

[0053] The applicators 22 comprise a guide finger 29 which engages in the delivery wheel 20 and behind the additional elements 2 in an interlocking manner. The guide finger 29 is arranged fixed on the depicted and insofar preferred applicators 22. The guide finger 29 presses the additional elements 2 out of the delivery wheel 20 and against the additional element guide 25. The additional elements 2 are thus partially held by an application finger 30, in particular at least partially received in a recess of an application finger 30. The guide finger 29 and the application finger 30 hold the additional element 2 between the pick-up position 24 and the application position 27 of the applicators 22 in contact with the additional element guide 25. The additional elements 2 can in this case not slip off the applicators 22 because the additional elements 2 are held in an interlocking manner by the guide finger 27 of the applicators 22. In the application position 27, the application finger 30 delivers or applies the additional elements 2 to the packages 13.

[0054] The additional element guide 25 ends on or just before the application position 27 of the applicators 22, at which the applicators 22 deliver or apply the additional elements 2 to the packages 13. The packages 13 can already be provided with adhesive for this purpose. If the additional elements 2 are no longer guided by the additional element guide 25 in the application position 27, the application finger 30 presses the additional elements 2 against the package 13 guided past the application position 27 of the applicators 22. The packages 13 are guided past the application position 27 of the applicators 22 at a speed which at least substantially corresponds to the circumferential speed of the applicators 22, in particular the transport speed of the additional elements 2. Before the application of the additional elements 2, the packages 13 are also in contact with the additional element guide 25, but on another guide surface 31 than the additional elements 2, specifically an outer guide surface 31 and not on the inner guide surface 32 of the additional element guide 25 coming into contact with the additional elements 2. In the depicted and insofar preferred application device 1, the outer guide surface 31 is provided such that the packages 13 come in contact with the corresponding guide surface 31 of the additional element guide 25 along the transport track 15 only just before the application of the additional elements 2. Thus, the additional elements 2 and the packages 13 are oriented to one another via the guide surfaces 31, 32 before the delivery or application of the additional elements 2.

[0055] Immediately after or at the same time as the application of the additional elements 2 to the packages 13, the additional elements 2 are held by a positioning belt 33 in the corresponding position relative to the package 13 until an adhesive bond is established between the package 13 and the additional element 2. The adhesive bond reliably prevents accidental release or shifting of the additional element 2. The positioning belt 33 is designed as a continuous belt which continuously rotates about deflections 34. Thus, in the depicted and insofar preferred application device 1, the positioning belt 33 is guided around the deflection 34 associated with the applicator wheel 23 such that the positioning belt 33 extends in the region of the application position 27 and subsequently at least substantially parallel to the transport track 15 of the packages 13, specifically at an interval from the packages 13 which corresponds at least substantially to the width of the additional elements 2. In order to reliably hold the additional elements 2 on the packages 13 in the desired position and orientation, the transport speed of the packages 13 corresponds at least substantially to the transport speed of the positioning belt 33. This preferably applies at least substantially in the region in which the positioning belt 33 and the transport track extend adjacent and parallel to one another.

[0056] The positioning belt 33 is lastly guided towards the packages 13 and the additional elements 2 only in the vicinity of the application position 27 of the applicators 22. For this purpose, the deflection 34 has for the positioning belt 33 a deflection axis of rotation 35, which is spaced apart from the positioning axis of rotation 26 of the applicators 22 or the applicator wheel 23 in the direction of the application position 27 of the additional elements 2 to the packages 13. However, the axes of rotation 26, 35 are oriented at least substantially parallel to each other in the depicted and insofar preferred application device 1. Thereby and by the radius of the deflection 34 it is achieved that the positioning belt 33 neither hinders the guiding of the additional elements 2 to the packages 13 along the additional element guide 25, nor the actual application of the additional elements 2 by the applicators 22 in the application position 27. Rather, the positioning belt 33 is slowly guided to the additional elements 2 so that the positioning belt 33 is only brought into contact with the additional elements 2 during the application of the additional elements 2 to the packages 13. In other words, between the additional element guide 25 and the positioning belt 33, a gap 36 tapering in the direction of the application position 27 of the applicators 22 is formed, the gap width of which corresponds at least substantially to the width of the additional elements 2 in the application position 27 of the applicators 22. Thus, the additional elements 2, at least substantially at the point of application of the additional elements 2 by the applicators 22, come into contact with the positioning belt 33, which then holds the additional elements 2 on the packages 13 or presses them against the packages 13.

[0057] FIG. 3 shows a detail of the application device 1 in a side view, from which the transport of the additional elements 2 from the pick-up position 24 of the applicators 22 to the application position 27 of the applicators 22 and the application of the additional elements 2 on the packages 13 transported past the applicator wheel 23 along the transport track 15 by means of the transportation belt 16 can be seen. The additional elements 2 are removed by means of the guide finger 29 from the delivery wheel 20 (not shown in FIG. 3). For this purpose, the guide finger 29 engages behind the additional element 2 and then guides the additional element 2 away from the delivery wheel 20 and towards the additional element guide 25, along which the applicator 22 moves the additional element 2 to the application position 27 of the applicator 22. In this case, the applicator 22, like the entire applicator wheel 23, rotates about the positioning axis of rotation 26. During the application of the additional elements 2 on the side surfaces 28 of the packages 13, the additional elements 2 come into contact with the positioning belt 33, which rotates about the deflection 34. The deflection rotates about a deflection axis of rotation 35, which is spaced apart from the positioning axis of rotation to the application position 27, so that the positioning belt 33 only comes into contact with the additional elements 2 during the application of the additional elements 2 to the packages 13 or immediately thereafter. In order to return from the application position 27 to the pick-up position 24 after the application of the additional element 2 has taken place, the applicator 22, together with the applicator wheel 23, continues to rotate about the positioning axis of rotation 26.

[0058] In the depicted and insofar preferred application device 1, the additional elements 2 are picked up in a pick-up orientation by the applicators 22 in the pick-up position, in which the additional elements 2 are oriented at least substantially parallel to the positioning axis of rotation 26 of the applicator wheel 23. From this pick-up orientation of the additional elements 2, the additional elements 2 are pivoted on the way to the application position 27 of the applicators 22 to an application orientation. However, this is not the pivoting of the additional elements 2 due to the rotation of the additional elements 2 about the positioning axis 26 for adjusting the applicators 22 from the pick-up position 24 to the application position 27, but a pivoting about an orientation pivoting axis 37. The applicators 22 pivot about this orientation pivoting axis 37 while rotating about the positioning axis of rotation 26. This has the consequence that not only the additional elements 2 are pivoted from a pick-up orientation to an application orientation between the pick-up position 24 and the application position 27 of the applicators 22, but that also the applicators 22 between the pick-up position 24 and the application position 27 are pivoted from a pick-up orientation to an application orientation.

[0059] In the depicted and insofar preferred application device 1 in the pick-up orientation, the additional elements 2 are oriented parallel to the positioning axis of rotation 26 and in the application orientation diagonally to the associated side surface 28 of the package 13. Thus, the additional elements 2 in the application orientation are inclined by about 45 relative to the positioning axis of rotation 26. In this case, the applicators 22 are correspondingly pivoted from a respective pick-up orientation to an application orientation and back again, so as to return to a starting position in the pick-up position 24 after a complete revolution about the positioning axis of rotation 26. In addition, the orientation pivoting axis 37 is oriented at least approximately at right angles to the positioning axis of rotation 26. The pivoting of the applicators 22 about the orientation pivoting axis 37 may take place independently of the rotation of the applicators 22 about the positioning axis of rotation 26. Thus, the two adjusting movements of the applicators 22 can be adapted to specific requirements independently of each other. The adjusting movements of the applicators 22 are in fact carried out so as to overlap each other, specifically the pivoting movement of the applicators 22 about the orientation pivoting axis 37 in dependence on the position of the applicators 22 with respect to the positioning axis of rotation 26. For this purpose, the application apparatus 38 is provided with a cam disc 39, which has a control cam 40.

[0060] A detail of the application apparatus 38, which illustrates the pivoting of the applicators 22 about the orientation pivoting axes 37, is shown in FIG. 4A-B. A roller 42 engaged against the control cam 40 by means of a spring means 41 runs along on the control cam 40. The roller 42 is connected to the applicator 22 via a lever means 43, which may be designed as a pivot lever. In addition, the applicator 22 is held pivotably in a holder 45 of the application apparatus 38 via a holding section 44. The control cam 40 is provided circumferentially to the cam disc 39 with a closed cam track along which the applicators 22 run with their rollers 42 while rotating about the positioning axis of rotation 26. By approaching or removing the control cam 40 with respect to the applicator wheel 23, the roller 42 is pivoted up or down about the associated orientation pivoting axis 37. This pivoting movement is due to the connection of the applicator 22 via the lever means 43 with the roller 42 accompanied by a corresponding pivoting of the applicator 22, wherein the applicator 22, via the holding section 44, is held pivotably in the recess or holder 45 of the part of the applicator wheel 23 rotating with the applicator 22 about the positioning axis of rotation 26.

[0061] For better clarity, an applicator 22 is shown separately in FIG. 5. The applicator 22 is connected to the holding section 44 via a rod section 46. The rod section 46 in the present applicator 22 is designed such that the orientation pivoting axis 37 of the applicator 22 and the longitudinal axis of the rod section 46 coincide. A lever means 43 for transmitting a torque to the rod section 46 is connected to the rod section 46. The roller 42 is associated with the free end of the lever means 43 for rolling along on the control cam 40. Furthermore, a spring means 41 is associated with the rod section 46, which spring means always sets the roller 42 against the control cam 40. The control cam 40 and the rollers rolling thereon are part of the control device 50 for adjusting the applicators 22 about the orientation pivoting axis 37.

[0062] The actual applicator 22 comprises a base 47 with which the applicator 22 is fixed to the applicator wheel 23 or the rod section 46. The guide finger 29 extends outwards in relation to the base 47. The application finger 30 is provided adjacent to the guide finger 29, which application finger is pivotably secured on the base 47 of the applicator 22 about a pivoting axis 48. In addition, a spring means 49 is provided between the base 47 and the application finger 30, which spring means provides the pivoting of the application finger 30 to an outer position as long as the application finger 30 is not blocked by an interlocking. This is the case if the applicator 22 holds an additional element 2 and the application finger 30 presses the additional element 2 outwards against the additional element guide 25. After passing through the additional element guide 25 and upon reaching the application position 27 of the applicator 22, the application finger 30 no longer pushes the additional element 2 against the additional element guide 25, but against the adjacent package 13. If necessary, the application finger 30 pivots slightly outwards in the direction of the package 13. However, insofar as the side surface 28 of the package 13 adjacent to the applicator 22 during application of the additional element 2 is aligned with the inner guide surface 32 of the additional element guide 25, an outward pivoting of the application finger 30 about the associated pivoting axis 49 can be dispensed with.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0063] 1 Application device

[0064] 2 Additional elements

[0065] 3 Belt

[0066] 4 Blister pack

[0067] 5 Supply device

[0068] 6 Supply carousel

[0069] 7 Recesses

[0070] 8 Belt guide

[0071] 9 Central axis of rotation

[0072] 10 Cutting position

[0073] 11 Separating device

[0074] 12 Cutting blade

[0075] 13 Package

[0076] 14 Transport device

[0077] 15 Transport track

[0078] 16 Transportation belt

[0079] 17 Cams

[0080] 18 Delivery device

[0081] 19 Recess

[0082] 20 Delivery wheel

[0083] 21 Delivery guide

[0084] 22 Applicators

[0085] 23 Applicator wheel

[0086] 24 Pick-up position

[0087] 25 Additional element guide

[0088] 26 Positioning axis of rotation

[0089] 27 Application position

[0090] 28 Side surface

[0091] 29 Guide finger

[0092] 30 Application finger

[0093] 31 Outer guide surface

[0094] 32 Inner guide surface

[0095] 33 Positioning belt

[0096] 34 Deflections

[0097] 35 Deflection axis of rotation

[0098] 36 Gap

[0099] 37 Orientation pivoting axis

[0100] 38 Application apparatus

[0101] 39 Cam disc

[0102] 40 Control cam

[0103] 41 Spring means

[0104] 42 Roller

[0105] 43 Lever means

[0106] 44 Holding section

[0107] 45 Holder

[0108] 46 Rod section

[0109] 47 Base

[0110] 48 Pivoting axis

[0111] 49 Spring means

[0112] 50 Control device