Method and Filling Machine for Filling Packages Open on One Side with a Processing Movement Different from the Transport Direction

Abstract

A method is described for filling packages open on one side with flowable products in a filling machine. In order for the packages open on one side to be processed reliably, it is provided that hot air, drying air, sterilising agent and/or flowable product is introduced via at least one nozzle into packages open on one side, that the packages are moved from a starting position, before the introduction of the air, agent, and/or flowable product, into an end position, after the introduction of the air, agent, and/or flowable product, and that the packages, during the introduction of the air, agent, and/or flowable product, are moved along a straight or continuously curved transport direction defined by the starting position and the end position and are moved in a processing movement overlaying the transport direction and extending at least in sections transversely to the transport direction.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A method for filling packages open on one side with flowable products in a filling machine comprising the steps of: introducing hot air, drying air, a sterilising agent and/or a flowable product is via at least one nozzle into packages open on one side; moving the packages from a starting position, before the introduction of the hot air, the drying air, the sterilising agent and/or the flowable product, into an end position, after the introduction of the hot air, the drying air, the sterilising agent and/or the flowable product; and moving the packages, during the introduction of the hot air, the drying air, the sterilising agent and/or the flowable product, along a straight or continuously curved transport direction defined by the starting position and the end position and are moved in a not exclusively vertical processing movement overlaying the transport direction and extending at least in sections transversely to the transport direction.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of: moving the packages respectively on a carrier and/or respectively in a cell of a transport device from the starting position to the end position, in particular through the filling machine, and in which, preferably, the carriers and/or the cells for effecting the processing movement of the packages are moved at least in sections in at least one direction transverse to the transport direction, in particular back and forth.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of: tilting the packages; and tilting the packages in a plane parallel to the transport direction and/or in a plane perpendicular to the transport direction.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of: moving packages transverse to the transport direction; and moving the packages in a horizontal plane and/or in a vertical plane.

20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of: moving a part of the carriers and/or cells from the starting position into the end position at least substantially exclusively in the transport direction, wherein a part of the carriers and/or cells associated with the packages or connected to the packages carries out the processing movement.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein at least one part of the carriers and/or cells comes into positive contact against a curved rail and/or a cam between the starting position and the end position and consequently carries out the processing movement.

22. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of: exposing at least one part of the carriers and/or cells to a magnetic field between the starting position and the end position that consequently carries out the processing movement.

23. The method according to claim 17 further comprising the step of: connecting parts of the carriers and/or cells to one another via a spring means and that parts of the carriers and/or cells that are retracted by the spring means back into a starting position after a deflection.

24. A filling machine for filling packages open on one side with flowable products according to claim 16, wherein at least one nozzle is provided for introducing hot air, drying air, sterilising agent and/or flowable product into the packages open on one side and wherein a transport device is provided for transporting the packages open on one side from a starting position, before the introduction of the hot air, the drying air, the sterilising agent and/or the flowable product, into an end position, after the introduction of the hot air, the drying air, the sterilising agent and/or the flowable product, along a straight or continuously curved transport direction defined by the starting position and the end position, wherein means are provided for moving the packages during the introduction of the hot air, the drying air, the sterilising agent and/or the flowable product in a not exclusively vertical processing movement overlaying the transport direction and extending at least in sections transversely to the transport direction.

25. The filling machine according to claim 24, wherein the transport device has carriers and/or cells for holding and moving the packages from the starting position to the end position, and the carriers and/or cells are configured to effect the processing movement of the packages at least in sections in at least one direction transverse to the transport direction, in particular back and forth.

26. The filling machine according to claim 24, wherein means are provided for tilting the packages and in that the means are provided for tilting the packages in a plane parallel to the transport direction and/or in a plane perpendicular to the transport direction.

27. The filling machine according to claim 24, wherein means are provided for moving the packages transverse to the transport direction, and in that the means are provided for moving the packages in a horizontal plane and/or in a vertical plane.

28. The filling machine according to claim 24, wherein the carriers and/or cells are designed in at least two parts and the at least two parts are connected displaceably and/or tiltably relative to one another with at least one rail system at least one flexible joint and/or at least one spring means.

29. The filling machine according to claim 24, wherein at least one curved rail and/or at least one cam is provided for positive contact with at least one part of the carriers and/or cells between the starting position and the end position, such that the processing movement is affected.

30. The filling machine according to claim 24, wherein at least one device is provided for generating a magnetic field passed by the carriers and/or cells for effecting the processing movement.

31. The filling machine of claim 24, wherein the filling packages open on one side are cardboard composite packages, and wherein the flowable products are food.

32. The filling machine according to claim 30, wherein the at least one device is an electrical device.

33. The filling machine according to claim 26, wherein means are provided for tilting packages back and forth together with at least parts of the carriers and/or cells and, in that, the means are provided for tilting the packages together with at least parts of the carriers and/or cells in a plane parallel to the transport direction and/or in a plane perpendicular to the transport direction.

34. The filling machine according to claim 27, wherein means are provided for moving the packages transverse to the transport direction together with at least parts of the carriers and/or cells back and forth, and in that, the means are provided for moving the packages together with at least parts of the carriers and/or cells in a horizontal plan and/or in a vertical plane.

35. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the steps of: tilting the packages together with at least parts of the carriers and/or cells back and forth; and tilting the packages together with at least parts of the carriers and/or cells back and forth between a plane parallel to the transport direction and/or in a plane perpendicular to the transport direction.

Description

[0036] The invention will subsequently be explained in more detail with reference to a drawing depicting only exemplary embodiments. In the drawing:

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a filling machine according to the invention for carrying out the method according to the invention in a schematic side view,

[0038] FIG. 2 shows a detail of the filling machine from FIG. 1 in a schematic side view,

[0039] FIG. 3A-C shows overlays of a processing movement and a transport direction between a starting position and an end position in an inline filling machine in schematic views from the side and from above

[0040] FIG. 4 shows overlays of a processing movement and a transport direction between a starting position and an end position in a rotary filling machine in a schematic view from above,

[0041] FIG. 5A-D shows alternative overlays of a processing movement and a transport direction between a starting position and an end position in an inline filling machine in schematic views from the side and from above,

[0042] FIG. 6A-B shows an overlay of a processing movement and a transport direction during timed operation of an inline filling machine at two different points in time in a schematic plan view, and

[0043] FIG. 7 shows an alternative overlay of a processing movement and a transport direction during timed operation of an inline filling machine in a schematic side view.

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a filling machine 1 for filling packages 2, in particular with flowable foods, which in this case comprises a device 3 for shaping the packages 2 to be filled. In principle, however, it is also possible for the filling machine to be already supplied with packages 2 open on one side, which are to be filled. The illustrated and in this respect preferred filling machine 1 also has a number of parallel processing lines, of which only one processing line is shown in FIG. 1. Each processing line is assigned a bundle 4 of package blanks 5, whose longitudinal edges are sealed together and so form packaging sleeves 6 open on both sides. The packaging sleeves 6 are unfolded and pushed onto a mandrel 8 of a mandrel wheel 9 by a feed device 7.

[0045] The mandrel 9 is cyclically, that is incrementally, rotated anti-clockwise. The packaging sleeves 6 are processed in different positions. First, an edge is heated by a heating unit 10 using hot air and then pre-folded in a prefold 11 to then seal the prefolded edge to form a base using a press 12. Thus, a sealed package 2 open on one end and tightly sealed on the other is obtained, which is transferred to a cell 13 of a transport device 14. In the illustrated and in this respect preferred filling machine 1, the cells are transported continuously, i.e. without stopping in specific positions, through the filling machines. If necessary, the cells are thereby accelerated and/or decelerated or the transport of the cells by the filling machine 1 is carried out at a constant speed.

[0046] The package 2 is transported by means of the transport device 14 through an aseptic chamber 15, which is successively subdivided into a sterilisation zone 16 and a filling and sealing zone 17. The transport of the packages 2 does not have to be straight but can also take place in at least one arc or even in a circle, depending on whether the filling machine 1 is an inline or rotary unit. The aseptic chamber 15 is rinsed with sterile air via corresponding sterile air connections 18 under a slight positive pressure in order to prevent the entry of germs.

[0047] Sterile hot air is first blown into the open-topped packages 2 by a preheating device 19 in order to preheat the packages 2. Subsequently, in a sterilising device 20, a sterilising agent is injected into the packages 2, which reacts more strongly in the preheated packages 2 and condenses less. Hydrogen peroxide is particularly suitable as a sterilising agent. The hydrogen peroxide may be introduced together with steam and/or air into the package 2 open on one side. After sterilising the packages 2, the interior of the packages 2 is dried in a drying device 21 by impinging with drying air. The drying air is preferably hot and sterile.

[0048] After passing from the sterilisation zone 16 into the filling and sealing zone 17, the packages 2 open on one side are positioned below a filling device 22 and filled with a flowable product in the form of a food. The filled packages 2 are then closed with a closing device 23 by folding the upper open area of the package 2 and sealing it. The sealed packages 2 are then removed from the cells 13 of the transport device 14 and if needed further processed. The now empty cells 13 of the transport device 14 are moved further towards the mandrel wheel 9 in order to receive more packages 2 there.

[0049] In FIG. 1, the preheating device 19, sterilising device 20, drying device 21 and filling device 22 are shown only schematically for the sake of better clearness and clarity. Therefore in FIG. 2, the aseptic chamber 15 is shown again in detail. The illustration of FIG. 2 is also very schematic, but in particular the nozzles of the preheating device 19, sterilising device 20, drying device 21 and filling device 22, with which the hot air, the drying air, the sterilising agent or the flowable product are directed towards the packages, are shown larger.

[0050] In the aseptic chamber 15 in FIG. 2, a preheating device 19, which has a nozzle 24 for introducing hot air into the packages 2, is initially provided in the sterilisation zone 16. In the illustrated and in this respect preferred filling machine 1, the hot air is suctioned via a compressor 25 from the environment and filtered by means of a filter 26, in order to separate microorganisms and so to sterilise the air. Subsequently, the sterile air is heated in a heating device 27. The packages 2 open on one side are transported past continuously under the stationary nozzle 24 of the preheating device 19.

[0051] Thereafter, the packages 2 arrive in a sterilising device 20, in which a sterilising agent, which is an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution in the illustrated and in this respect preferred filling machine 1, is supplied via a pump 28 and vaporised in a vaporiser 29. The mixture of hydrogen peroxide and steam, which still can be supplied with air, is introduced via a nozzle 30 into the packages 2 transported past underneath.

[0052] In the region downstream of the sterilising device 20, sterile air is directed via sterile air connections 18 into the sterilisation zone 16, which can alternatively or additionally also take place at other locations of the aseptic chamber 15. For this purpose, air is suctioned in via a compressor 31 from the environment and pressed through a filter 32, in which all microorganisms are separated to sterilise the air. In the subsequent drying device 21, the sterile packages are dried with hot drying air, which is also suctioned in via a compressor 33 and sterilised in a filter 34. The thus sterilised air is heated in a heating device 35 and directed into the packages 2.

[0053] The dried packages 2 are then transferred to the filling and sealing zone 17, where the packages 2 are filled with the product in the form of a food in the next two positions of the transport device 14. The product is supplied in the filling device 22 via a reservoir 37 and is directed into the packages 2 via a nozzle 38. The filled packages 2 are then closed by a closing device 23 by sealing the upper edge and transported out of the aseptic chamber 15.

[0054] In the illustrated and in this respect preferred filling machine 1, so called empty positions are provided between individual processing positions along which packages 2 are transported without being processed, while other packages 2 are processed in one of the previously described ways. The arrangement and the number of empty spaces can be chosen in different ways, without this being of particular importance here. Incidentally, alternative preheating devices 19, sterilisation devices 20, drying devices 21 and/or filling devices 22 may additionally have additional nozzles in order to process the packages 2 with the corresponding media and/or to fill them with product. Then, the processing and/or filling of the packages 2 is carried out successively with at least two nozzles in order to extend the processing time or to make the processing more reliable.

[0055] When processing the packages 2 with hot air, drying air and sterilising agent as well as when filling the packages, the packages are moved in the preheating device 19, the sterilising device 20, the drying device 21 and the filling device 22 from a starting position before processing to an end position after processing. This movement can be understood in any case as a transport movement, which runs in a straight transport direction in a filling machine 1 designed as an inline filling machine but could also run in a circular arc in a filling machine designed as rotary unit. In addition, in the preheating device 19, the sterilising device 20, the drying device 21 and/or the filling device 22, a processing movement overlaying the transport movement along the transport direction can also be imparted on the packages 2. This ultimately leads to the package following a packaging path, which depends both on the transport direction and on the processing movement.

[0056] FIGS. 3A-C show schematic examples of how a processing movement B in the form of a tilting movement can be overlaid on a straight transport movement along the transport direction T of the packages 2. The packages 2 are moved on the one hand in a linear transport movement from the starting position A to the end position E, in particular in a filling machine 1 designed as an inline unit, while the packages 2 are tilted transversely to the transport direction T back and forth. In FIG. 3A, a two-part cell 13 for receiving the packages 2 is shown, which comprises a lower part 39 which is moved in the transport direction T. On the lower part 39, the upper part 40 is provided pivotably relative to the lower part 39. The upper part 40 also receives the package 2 and is guided along one of two curved rails 41, which engage relatively high up against the upper part 40 of the cell 13 and during transport of the package 2 from the starting position A into the end position E come into positive contact with the cells 13. Thus, the package 2 is tilted back and forth transversely to the transport direction T by way of the processing movement B, while hot air, drying air, sterilising agent and/or flowable product are introduced into the package 2 open at the top. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3B, curved rails 42 may also be provided, which do not come into positive contact with the upper part 43 of the cells 13 laterally, but rather in the vertical direction. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3B, the curved rails 42 press down alternately on opposite sides of the upper part 43 of the cells 13 so as to cause the package 2 to tilt in a direction transverse to the transport direction T and back. The movement of the packages 2 for the cases shown in FIGS. 3A-B is shown in a schematic plan view from above in FIG. 3C. While the lower part 39, 44 of the cell 13 is moved from the starting position A to the end position E in a straight line in the transport direction T, the upper part 40, 43 of the cell 13, together with the package 2 incorporated therein, is tilted to the side and back by the curved rails 41, 42 provided laterally of the cells 13.

[0057] FIG. 4 shows a transport of the cells 13 and the packages 2 for a filling machine in the form of a rotary unit. The lower part 45 of the cell 13 is thereby moved from the starting position A to the end position E along a circular arc in the constantly curved transport direction T. In between, the upper part 46 of the cell 13 and the package 2 incorporated therein, in addition to the transport movement in the transport direction T, are imparted with a processing movement B in the form of a tilting to the side and back again. This processing movement B is effected by the upper part 46 of the cell 13 being guided along curved rails 47 provided laterally, as has already been shown in principle, for example in FIGS. 3A-B.

[0058] FIGS. 5A-D show schematically how, during the transport from the starting position A to the end position E, the transport movement along a straight transport direction T of the packages 2 is overlaid with a processing movement B. In this case, the cells 13 receiving the packages 2 are formed in two parts. The lower part 48-50 of the cells 13 is transported in the transport direction T in the transport movement, while the upper part 51-53 of the cells 13, together with the packages 2 incorporated therein, are moved back and forth transversely to the transport direction T in the processing movement B. For this purpose, the parts 48-53 of the illustrated cells 13 are connected to each other via a rail system 54, which allows the displacement of the parts 48-53 transversely to each other but locks the parts 48-53 of the cells 13 to each other in the transport direction T. In the case shown in FIG. 5A, the processing movement B is imparted on the packages 2 by two curved rails 55, between which the packages 2 and the upper parts 51 of the cells 13 are moved from the starting position A to the end position E. The upper part 51 of the cell 13 and the package 2 in FIG. 5A are shown in a position displaced to the left as a result of the positive contact with the curved rails 55. The same applies to the embodiment according to FIG. 5B in which the upper part 52 and the lower part 49 of the cell 13 are connected to each other by a spring means 56. In addition, only one curved rail 57 is shown, which deflects the upper part 52 of the cell 13 to the left, counter to the restoring force of the spring means 56. The restoring force of the spring means 56 ensures that the upper part 52 of the cell 13 remains in contact with the curved rail 57 and returns to a starting position. The second curved rail is thus unnecessary. FIG. 5C illustrates the case in which an electrical device 58 generates a magnetic field M by applying a corresponding voltage through which the upper part 53 of the cell 13 is moved and thereby deflected in the processing movement B. The lower part 50 of the cell 13 is moved independently therefrom in the transporting direction T in a straight line from the starting position A to the end position E. In the schematic plan view according to FIG. 5D, in which the principle described for FIGS. SA-C for the impingement of the packages 2 with a processing movement B can be seen, the displacement of the packages 2 in a processing movement B transverse to the transport direction T against a restoring force of a spring means 56 triggered by a curved rail 57 according to FIG. 5B is shown. The packages 2 are thereby moved from the starting position A to the end position E.

[0059] If necessary, the cells 13, together with the packages 2, can also be stopped between the starting position A and the end position E, in order then to be impinged with a processing movement B in a processing position. This can be done as in FIG. 6A-B by a cam 59 which is mounted on a cam disc 60. The cam disc 60 shown in FIGS. 6A-B at two different times rotates and thereby comes into positive contact with an upper part 61 of the cell 13, which is thereby displaced outwardly relative to the lower part 62 of the cell 13, in order to effect a processing movement B of the package 2 incorporated in the upper part 61 of the cell 13. In this case, the upper part 61 and the lower part 62 of the cell 13 may be connected via a spring means whose restoring force holds the upper part 61 of the cell 13 in contact with the cam 59 and moves the package 2 back to a starting position after the deflection. Subsequently, the package 2 is moved further in the transport direction T into the end position E. FIG. 7 shows that the same cam disc 60 as in FIGS. 6A-B can cause tilting of the upper part 63 of the cell 13, which has the package 2, in order to transfer a processing movement B, designed as a tilting movement, to the package 2. The upper part 63 of the cell 13 is then not displaced by the cam 59 of the cam disc 60 with respect to the lower part 64 of the cell 13 but is instead tilted.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0060] 1 Filling machine [0061] 2 Package [0062] 3 Device [0063] 4 Bundle [0064] 5 Package blank [0065] 6 Packaging sleeves [0066] 7 Feed device [0067] 8 Mandrel [0068] 9 Mandrel wheel [0069] 10 Heating unit [0070] 11 Pre-folding [0071] 12 Press [0072] 13 Cells [0073] 14 Transport device [0074] 15 Aseptic chamber [0075] 16 Sterilisation zone [0076] 17 Filling and sealing zone [0077] 18 Sterile air connection [0078] 19 Preheating device [0079] 20 Sterilising device [0080] 21 Drying device [0081] 22 Filling device [0082] 23 Closing device [0083] 24 Nozzle [0084] 25 Compressor [0085] 26 Filter [0086] 27 Heating device [0087] 28 Pump [0088] 29 Vaporiser [0089] 30 Nozzle [0090] 31 Compressor [0091] 32 Filter [0092] 33 Compressor [0093] 34 Filter [0094] 35 Heating device [0095] 36 Cell [0096] 37 Reservoir [0097] 38 Nozzle [0098] 39 Lower part [0099] 40 Upper part [0100] 41 Curved rail [0101] 42 Curved rail [0102] 43 Upper part [0103] 44 Lower part [0104] 45 Lower part [0105] 46 Upper part [0106] 47 Curved rail [0107] 48-50 Lower part [0108] 51-53 Upper part [0109] 54 Rail system [0110] 55 Curved rail [0111] 56 Spring means [0112] 57 Curved rail [0113] 58 Electrical device [0114] 59 Cam [0115] 60 Cam disc [0116] 61 Upper part [0117] 62 Lower part [0118] 63 Upper part [0119] 64 Lower part [0120] A Starting position [0121] B Processing movement [0122] E End position [0123] T Transport direction