Method for inserting aperture in part-region of film wrapping of goods stack arranged on pallet, where the film wrapping is configured as film hood drawn over goods stack or as film sleeve surrounding goods stack at least in part

Abstract

A device for inserting an aperture in a film wrapping of a goods stack arranged on a pallet, where the film wrapping is a film hood drawn over the goods stack or as a film sleeve surrounding the goods stack is disclosed. A piercing element has a rotatably attached actuation arm. The piercing element exhibits first and second part-regions. The first part-region is mounted rotatably on the actuation arm and the second part-region includes the piercing region. The second part-region is pivotable relative to the first part-region from an original position against a restoring force. A corresponding system and a method for inserting an aperture in a part-region of a film wrapping of a goods stack arranged on a pallet is disclosed, where the film wrapping is configured as a film hood drawn over the goods stack or as a film sleeve surrounding the goods stack.

Claims

1. A method for inserting a pierced aperture (11) in a part-region of a film wrapping of a goods stack (1) arranged on a pallet, where the film wrapping comprises a film hood (2) drawn over the goods stack (1) and a bottom film sheet arranged underneath the goods stack (1), the method comprising the steps of: welding the film wrapping with the bottom film sheet situated underneath the goods stack (1); forming a weld seam encircling the goods stack (1) horizontally, wherein the film wrapping exhibits a collar shrinkage (4) encircling the goods stack (1) horizontally; inserting the pierced aperture (11) in one of the collar shrinkage (4), the weld seam, a region of the bottom film sheet surrounding the goods stack, and a collar stretch exhibited by the film wrapping and encircling the goods stack (1) horizontally by a device comprising a piercing element (7) with a piercing region (10) and at least one actuation arm (9) on which the piercing element (7) is mounted rotatably about a rotation axis (8); pulling the film hood (2) away from the goods stack (1) and holding in the pulled-away position; inserting the piercing element (7) between the goods stack (1) and the film wrapping through an insertion aperture; and subsequently displacing the piercing element (7) downward, such that the piercing element (7) with the piercing region (10) inserts the pierced aperture (11), wherein the piercing element (7) exhibits a first part-region (15) and a second part- region (16), wherein the first part-region (15) is attached to the at least one actuation arm (9), wherein the second part-region (16) exhibits the piercing region (10), and wherein the second part-region (16) is pivotable from an original position against a restoring force relative to the first part-region (15), and the second part-region (16) is pivoted through travelling along an inside of the film wrapping during the downward displacement against the restoring force in the direction of the goods stack (1) and as a result of a deflection of the second part-region (16) the piercing element (7) with its piercing region (10) strikes the weld seam to be pierced or the region to be pierced of the bottom film sheet surrounding the goods stack (1) or the collar shrinkage (4) to be pierced or the collar stretch to be pierced.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein after the piercing of one of the weld seam, the region of the bottom film sheet surrounding the goods stack (1), the collar shrinkage (4) and the collar stretch, in order to enlarge the pierced aperture (11) the film wrapping in the region of the pierced aperture (11) is pulled away from the goods stack (1).

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the film wrapping including the weld seam joined with a lower margin of the film wrapping or including a film bulge of welded film material joined with the lower margin of the film wrapping is pulled away from the goods stack (1) through a displacement of the piercing element (7) from the goods stack (1) in the region of the pierced aperture (11).

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first part-region (15) and the second part-region (16) are connected via a spring joint (17).

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein after the piercing of the weld seam or of the region of the bottom film sheet surrounding the goods stack (1) or of the collar shrinkage (4) or of the collar stretch, during a further displacement, the device cuts vertically through residues of any remaining material accumulation in the lower margin of the film wrapping.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the side of the goods stack (1) on which the pierced aperture (11) is to be inserted, at least one film flap (6) is separated out from the film wrapping, forming the insertion aperture, the at least one film flap (6) is attached to a winding mandrel (5) and the film wrapping is pulled away from the goods stack (1) and held in the pulled-away position.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein after the piercing on the side of the goods stack (1) in which the pierced aperture (11) has been inserted, the film wrapping is cut open vertically, the winding mandrel (5) guided around the goods stack (1), and thereby the film wrapping is wound on the winding mandrel (5) which is rotating about its longitudinal axis.

8. The method according to the claim 7, wherein the film wrapping wound on the winding mandrel (5) is, after complete winding, stripped off the winding mandrel (5) and transported to a waste disposal site.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first part-region (15) and the second part-region (16) are connected via a joint.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the piercing element (7) is a blade.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the original position the first part-region (15) and the second part-region (16) are aligned with each other.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein an edge of a free end of the second part-region (16) is configured at least in part as beveled or rounded in a direction in which the second part-region (16) is pivotable against the restoring force.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein an edge of a free end of the second part-region (16) and/or the surface of the second part-region (16) interacting with the inside of a film hood (2) has a friction-minimizing coating and/or friction-minimizing surface.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein a free end of the second part-region (16) has in the piercing region (10) an overhang (23) projecting relative to an edge.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one actuation arm (9) exhibits adjacent to the rotation axis (8) about which the piercing element (7) is mounted rotatably, at least one cutting blade (24) extending parallel to the rotation axis (8) and oriented orthogonally to the at least one actuation arm (9), arranged in such a way at the at least one actuation arm (9) that the at least one cutting blade (24) is arranged after piercing, during the downward displacement, on the side facing downward of the at least one actuation arm (9).

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the at least one cutting blade (24) includes two cutting blade part-regions (25, 26) oriented obliquely to each other.

17. A method for inserting a pierced aperture (11) in a part-region of a film wrapping of a goods stack (1) arranged on a pallet, the film wrapping comprising a film hood (2) drawn over the goods stack (1) and a bottom film sheet arranged underneath the goods stack (1) or the film wrapping comprising a film sleeve surrounding the goods stack (1) at least in part and the bottom film sheet arranged underneath the goods stack (1), the method comprising the steps of: welding the film wrapping with the bottom film sheet situated underneath the goods stack (1); forming a weld seam encircling the goods stack (1) horizontally; inserting the pierced aperture (11) in the weld seam or in a region of the bottom film sheet surrounding the goods stack by a piercing element (7) operably associated with an actuation arm (9) mounted rotatably about a rotation axis (8); pulling the film hood (2) away from the goods stack (1) and holding the film hood in the pulled-away position; inserting the piercing element (7) between the goods stack (1) and the film wrapping through an insertion aperture; and subsequently displacing the piercing element (7) downward with a piercing region (10) of the piercing element (7) inserted into the insertion aperture, wherein the piercing element (7) includes a first part-region (15) and a second part-region (16), wherein the first part-region (15) is rotatably attached to the actuation arm (9), wherein the second part-region (16) has the piercing region (10), wherein the second part-region (16) is pivotable from an original position against a restoring force relative to the first part-region (15), and wherein the second part-region (16) pivots through travelling along an inside of the film wrapping during the downward displacement against the restoring force in a direction of the goods stack (1) and as a result of a deflection of the second part-region (16) of the piercing element (7) with the piercing region (10) thereof strikes the weld seam to be pierced or the region to be pierced of the bottom film sheet surrounding the goods stack (1).

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the first part-region (15) and the second part-region (16) are connected via a joint.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein in the original position the first part-region (15) and the second part-region (16) are aligned with each other.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein an edge of a free end of the second part-region (16) is beveled or rounded in the direction in which the second part-region (16) is pivotable against the restoring force.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following, the embodiment examples of the invention depicted in the drawings are elucidated. The drawings show:

(2) FIG. 1a A side view of a goods stack with a film hood drawn over it with a collar shrinkage, where an aperture has been pierced in the film hood by means of a known device,

(3) FIG. 1b The object in accordance with FIG. 1a, where the device has been moved back again to its starting position,

(4) FIG. 2a-f The course of movement of the invention's device,

(5) FIG. 3a-c A plan view of the piercing element of the invention's device, a first side view in the original position, and a second side view in the pivoted position,

(6) FIG. 4a+b Two side views of a packaged goods stack, where two film flaps have already been separated out and the film flaps in FIG. 4a are clamped by a winding mandrel,

(7) FIG. 5a-c The elevating of the piercing element, where drawing a) depicts a side view of the front side of the goods stack, drawing b) a side view of the longitudinal side of the goods stack, and drawing c) a plan view,

(8) FIG. 6a-c The insertion of the piercing element into the insertion aperture, where drawing a) depicts a side view of the front side of the goods stack, drawing b) a side view of the longitudinal side of the goods stack, and drawing c) a plan view,

(9) FIG. 7a-c The position of the piercing element shortly before piercing, where drawing a) depicts a side view of the front side of the goods stack, drawing b) a side view of the longitudinal side of the goods stack, and drawing c) a plan view,

(10) FIG. 8 The detail X from FIG. 7a,

(11) FIG. 9a-c The position of the piercing element after piercing, where drawing a) depicts a side view of the front side of the goods stack, drawing b) a side view of the longitudinal side of the goods stack, and drawing c) a plan view,

(12) FIG. 10a+b The detail Y from FIG. 9a and a plan view of the detail Y from FIG. 9a,

(13) FIG. 11a-c Two plan views of the goods stack, where the piercing element is moved away from the goods stack in order to enlarge the length of the aperture, and the device in an enlarged depiction in plan view,

(14) FIG. 12a-c The position of the piercing element after movement into its starting position, where drawing a) depicts a side view of the front side of the goods stack, drawing b) a side view of the longitudinal side of the goods stack, and drawing c) a plan view, and

(15) FIG. 12d A plan view of s part-region of the device, where in this position the piercing element is oriented in parallel to the actuation arm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

(16) In all the drawings, consistent reference labels are used for identical and/or similar respectively components.

(17) FIGS. 1a and 1b show a goods stack 1, over which a film hood 2 is drawn as film wrapping. The goods stack 1 is arranged on a pallet 3. The lower margin of the film hood 2 forms a horizontally oriented collar shrinkage 4, which arises during shrinking of the relevant region. The collar shrinkage 4 abuts on the pallet 3 tautly and tightly. The collar shrinkage 4 engages the marginal region of the upper board layer of the pallet 3 from underneath. A collar shrinkage 4 involves a material accumulation of welded film material.

(18) Laterally adjacent to the goods stack 1 there is depicted a winding mandrel 5. As can be seen in the drawings, on one side of the film hood 2 there have been cut out by means of three incisions each two film flaps 6 which are attached to the winding mandrel 5. After attaching the film flaps 6, the film hood 2 is pulled away slightly from the goods stack 1 by means of the winding mandrel 5.

(19) Each of the two film flaps 6 cut out on three sides constitutes an insertion aperture. Through the lower insertion aperture there is inserted part of a device for inserting an aperture. As can be seen in FIGS. 1a and 1b, the device exhibits a blade-like piercing element 7 which is attached rotatably about a rotation axis 8 to an actuation arm 9 of the device. The mounting of the actuation arm 9 is not depicted in further detail.

(20) In the region of the end facing downward in FIGS. 1a and 1b, the piercing element 7 exhibits a piercing region 10. The arranged of the piercing region 10 is depicted as an example in FIGS. 3a and 3b, which show the piercing element 7 in an enlarged depiction. After the insertion of the piercing element 7 into the insertion aperture, the piercing element 7 is displaced downward. During the downward displacement the piercing element 7 is guided at a distance from the goods stack 1 and strikes the taut film hood 2. In the contact region, the piercing element 7 inserts an aperture 11.

(21) As can be seen in FIG. 1b, however, the aperture 11 is inserted at a distance from the collar shrinkage 4 which directly abuts the pallet 3. Therefore, a part of the film hood 1 remains at the collar shrinkage 4. After complete unpacking, this remaining part hangs down and can, for example, cover the free space between two runners of the pallet 3.

(22) FIGS. 2a to 2f and 3a to 3c show the invention's device for inserting an aperture 11 in a weld seam oriented horizontally between a bottom film sheet and a film hood welded with the bottom film sheet and drawn over a goods stack or for inserting an aperture in a horizontally oriented collar shrinkage 4 or in a horizontally oriented collar stretch of a film hood 2 drawn over a goods stack 1 arranged on a pallet 3. A goods stack 1 covered with a film hood 2 and set down on a pallet 3 is depicted as an example in FIG. 1a.

(23) The device comprises a piercing element 7 with a piercing region 10 and an actuation arm 9. In the depicted embodiment example, the actuation arm 9 is configured in two parts, where the two parts of the actuation arm 9 are connected with one another by means of a a rotary joint 12. If the device is arranged adjacent to a conveyor on which the goods stacks 1 to be unpacked are transported, the actuation arm 9 can for example be installed on the structure of the conveyor. To further modify the tilt of the actuation arm 9, a rotary bearing 13 is provided. To modify the distance between the piercing element 7 and the pallet 3, the rotary bearing 13 can for example be attached on a sled which is oriented orthogonally to the longitudinal side of the goods stack 1. Thereby the device can be moved in the direction of the arrow 14 marked in FIG. 11b nearer to the goods stack 1 or moved away from it.

(24) The piercing element 7 exhibits a first part-region 15 and a second part-region 16, where the first part-region 15 is mounted rotatably around the rotation axis 8 on the actuation arm 9 and the second part-region 16 exhibits the piercing region 10. In the depicted embodiment example, the first part-region 15 and the second part-region 16 are connected pivotably with each other via a spring joint 17.

(25) The first part-region 15 exhibits a laterally projecting guide pin 18, on which a transfer element 19 is guided which is bolted to the second part-region 16. On the guide pin 18 there is furthermore mounted a spring 20 and secured with a bolt 21. The spring 20 pushes the transfer element 19 against the first part-region 15.

(26) FIG. 3b depicts the device in the original position. In the original position, the first part-region 15 and the second part-region 16 are in alignment. The second part-region 16 can be pivoted from this original position relative to the first part-region 15 in the direction of the arrow 22 against the restoring force generated by the spring 20. The pivoted position of the second part-region 16 is depicted in FIG. 3c.

(27) As can be seen in FIGS. 3a and 3b, the edge of the second part-region 16 is configured as beveled in the region of the free end, namely beveled in the direction in which the second part-region 16 is pivotable against the restoring force. The free end of the second part-region 16 exhibits an approximately rounded configuration. In addition, the free end of the second part-region 16 exhibits in the piercing region 10 an overhang 23 projecting relative to the edge, which in the depicted embodiment example is configured as approximately semi-circular.

(28) As can be seen for example in FIG. 12d, the actuation arm 9 exhibits adjacent to the rotation axis 8, about which the piercing element 7 is mounted rotatably, a cutting blade 24 extending in parallel to the rotation axis 8 and oriented orthogonally to the actuation arm 9, arranged at the actuation arm 9 in such a way that during further downward movement after piercing, the cutting blade 24 is arranged on the underside of the actuation arm 9. The cutting blade 24 is formed by two cutting blade part-regions 25, 26 oriented obliquely to one another and forming between them a funnel-shaped insertion region.

(29) The invention's method is depicted in FIGS. 4 to 12, where the devices necessary for unpacking are only implied. As can be seen for example in FIG. 4a, two U-shaped incisions are inserted in the film hood 2 in the region of a longitudinal side by means of a separating device which is not depicted. The separating device can involve, for example, a U-shaped heated wire. In the region of each U-shaped incision, a rectangular film flap 6 is hereby separated out. The film flaps 6 are taken in, for example by means of a suction device, and attached to a winding mandrel 5.

(30) In FIG. 4 the invention's device is still situated in it starting position. In the depicted embodiment example, in the starting position the device is situated underneath the plane of the pallet.

(31) In FIG. 5 the piercing element 7 has already been raised. As depicted in FIG. 6, the part of the actuation arm 9 at which the piercing element 7 is attached is then pivoted. The piercing element 7 is thereby inserted through the insertion aperture into the gap between the goods stack 1 and the film hood 2.

(32) The piercing element 7 is situated thereby at a horizontal distance from the goods stack 1, as depicted for example in FIG. 7a. Subsequently the piercing element 7 is pivoted downward about the rotation axis 8. During this downward displacement, the piercing element 7 travels along the inside of the film hood 2. Due to the pivotable mounting of the second part-region 16 on the first part-region 15, the second part-region 16 is pivoted more and more into the position depicted in FIG. 8, whereas the first part-region 15 is displaced solely vertically downward. As a result, the piercing element 7 with its piercing region 10 strikes exactly the region to be pierced, in the present case the collar shrinkage 4.

(33) In FIG. 9, the piercing element 7 has already inserted the desired aperture 11 in the collar shrinkage 4. Therefore the piercing element 7 stands out partially from under the film hood 2. FIG. 10a shows the detail Y from FIG. 9a and FIG. 10b a plan view of the detail Y from FIG. 9a. As can be seen in the drawings, the aperture 11 has already been inserted. The piercing element 7 stands out underneath. Since the aperture 11 has been inserted and thereby the film hood 2 is no longer taut in this region, the spring 20 has pivoted the second part-region 16 back to the original position.

(34) In FIGS. 11b and 11c, in order to enlarge the pierced aperture 11 the actuation arm 9 is pivoted outward and thereby the piercing element 7 is displaced horizontally away from the goods stack 1. As a result, the film hood 2 is pulled away from the goods stack 1 in the region of the pierced aperture 11 and thereby the aperture 11 is enlarged.

(35) In FIGS. 12a to 12d, the invention's device has again been displaced back to its starting position, as depicted in FIG. 4. By means of the cutting blade 24 which is recognizable in FIG. 12, after the piercing of the collar shrinkage 4 or of a collar stretch the device can during a further downward displacement cut vertically through residues of any remaining material accumulation in the lower margin of the film hood 2.

(36) This is followed by the film removal. To this end, after the piercing on the side of the goods stack 1 in which the aperture has been inserted the film hood 2 is cut open vertically. The winding mandrel 5 is then guided around the goods stack 1. Thereby the film hood 2 is wound on the winding mandrel 5 which is rotating about its longitudinal axis.