SEALING TOOL, PACKAGING MACHINE AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A SKIN PACKAGING

Abstract

The invention relates to an upper sealing tool comprising an edge area (21) and a recess with which the upper film web is formed and the recess comprises a transitional area (22) and an inner area (23). The transitional area is located between the edge area and the inner area. The invention also relates to a packaging machine and to a method for producing a skin packaging.

Claims

1. An upper sealing tool comprising: a peripheral region and a recess, by way of which an upper film web is formed, wherein the recess has a depth, a transition region, and an inner region, wherein the transition region is located between the peripheral region and the inner region, wherein the transition region has a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is provided in a convex state and the second portion is provided in a concave state, wherein a ratio of a depth of the recess to a radius of curvature of the first portion, and also to a radius of curvature of the second portion, is, at least in part, 2.5.

2. The upper sealing tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radius of curvature of the first portion and the second portion being in each case, at least in part, 8 mm.

3. The upper sealing tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first portion and the second portion are provided in a form of all-round surfaces.

4. The upper sealing tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radii of the two portions merge one into the other.

5. The upper sealing tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the convex radius is smaller than the concave radius.

6. The upper sealing tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper setting tool has apertures and/or is made of a porous material.

7. The upper sealing tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the depth of the recess is more than 30 mm.

8. A packaging machine comprising: a pack cavity with a recess of maximum cross section, the pack cavity being filled with pack contents in a filling station, and a sealing station, in which the pack contents are enclosed at least essentially in a form-fitting manner by an upper film, wherein the sealing station has an upper tool with a recess of maximum cross section, the recess of the upper tool heating and forming the upper film, wherein the maximum cross section of the recess of the upper tool is smaller than the maximum cross section of the recess of the pack cavity.

9. The packaging machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein a diameter of the recess of the upper tool corresponds essentially to the maximum cross section of the pack contents.

10. The packaging machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein the packaging machine is free of a pre-heating step and/or a pre-stretching step and/or a pre-deforming step for the upper film and/or the upper film is not guided laterally.

11. The packaging machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein the upper sealing tool comprises: a peripheral region and a recess, by way of which the upper film web is formed, wherein the recess has a depth, a transition region, and an inner region, wherein the transition region is located between the peripheral region and the inner region, wherein the transition region has a first portion and a second portion, wherein one of the first portion and the second portion is provided in a convex state and the other of the first portion and the second portion is provided in a concave state, wherein a ratio of the depth of the recess to a radius of curvature of the first portion and to a radius of curvature of the second portion, is, at least in part 2.5.

12. A packaging machine having a sealing station in which are provided a plurality of, at least two, upper sealing tools, each with a recess, wherein the recesses differ in respect of at least one dimension.

13. A method for producing a skin pack, wherein the method comprises: drawing a cold and/or non-preheated and/or planar upper film web into a recess of an upper sealing tool, while forming and heating the upper film web, and then pushing the upper film web in a direction of a pack cavity filled with pack contents to enclose the pack contents, and connecting the upper film web over a large surface area to the pack cavity.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, following and/or during the connecting operation, an additional sealing operation takes place in a peripheral region of the original sealing.

15. The upper sealing tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ratio of the depth of the recess to the radius of curvature of the first portion, and to the radius of curvature of the second portion, is 2.5.

16. The upper sealing tool as claimed in to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the depth of the recess to the radius of curvature of the first portion, and to the radius of curvature of the second portion, is 1.

17. The upper sealing tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radius of curvature of the first portion and of the second portion being in each case, at least in part, 8 mm.

18. The upper sealing tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radius of curvature of the first portion and of the second portion being in each case, at least in part, 15 mm.

19. The upper sealing tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radius of curvature of the first portion and of the second portion being in each case, at least in part, 20 mm.

20. The upper sealing tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radius of curvature of the first portion and of the second portion being in each case, at least in part, 30 mm.

Description

[0043] The invention will be explained hereinbelow with reference to FIGS. 1-6. These explanations are merely by way of example and do not limit the general concept of the invention. These explanations apply in equal measure to all the subjects according to the present invention.

[0044] FIG. 1 shows the packaging machine according to the invention.

[0045] FIG. 2 shows the skin-packaging method.

[0046] FIGS. 3-6 show the upper sealing tool according to the invention.

[0047] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the packaging machine 1 according to the invention, which in this case has a thermoforming station 2, a filling station 7 and a sealing station 15. A material web 8, in this case a plastic-film web 8, the so-called lower web, is drawn off from a supply roll and transported from right to left, preferably cyclically, along the packaging machine according to the invention. In one cycle, the material web 8 is transported onwards by one format length. For this purpose, the packaging machine has two transportation means, in the present case in each case two endless chains, which are arranged to the right and left of the film web. Both at the start and at the end of the packaging machine, in each case at least one gearwheel is provided for each chain, the respective chain being deflected around the gearwheel. At least one of these gearwheels is driven. The gearwheels in the entry region 19 and/or in the exit region can be connected to one another, preferably by a rigid spindle. Each transporting means usually has a multiplicity of clamping means, which grip the material web 8 with clamping action in the entry region 19 and transmit the movement of the transporting means to the lower film 8. The clamping connection between the transporting means and the material web 8 is released again in the exit region of the packaging machine. The pack cavities 6 are formed in the film web 8 in the thermoforming station 2, which has an upper tool 3 and a lower tool 4, which exhibits the shape of the pack cavity which is to be produced. The lower tool 4 is arranged on a lifting table 5, which can be adjusted vertically, as is symbolized by double arrow. Prior to each film-advancement operation, the lower tool 4 is lowered and then raised again. As operation of the packaging machine continues, the pack cavities are then filled with the pack contents 16 in the filling station 7. In the following sealing station 19, which likewise comprises an upper tool 29 and a vertically adjustable lower tool 28, an upper film 14 is fastened integrally by being sealed to the material web 8. It is also the case in the sealing station that the upper tool and/or the lower tool are/is lowered and raised, respectively, before and after each film-transporting operation. Prior to the upper film 14 being sealed to the lower film 8, a certain negative pressure is generated in the filled pack cavity, said negative pressure, in the present case, drawing the upper film onto the pack cavity. As operation of the packaging machine continues, the completed packs are separated, which in the present case takes place by means of the cross cutter 18 and the longitudinal cutter 17. In the present case, the cross cutter 18 can likewise be raised and lowered by means of a lifting device 9.

[0048] A dome is formed in the planar upper film by means of the upper sealing tool 12, which constitutes the forming and preferably interchangeable tool within the upper tool 29, which has a recess 27 (see FIGS. 3-6). For this purpose, a negative pressure is applied, at the upper sealing tool, between the tool and the upper film, said negative pressure positioning the upper film against the tool and/or drawing it into the recess 27 of the upper sealing tool. Furthermore, the upper sealing tool is heated, at least in part. As soon as the previously non-heated upper film comes into contact with the upper sealing tool, it is heated to the desired temperature, this being beneficial for its deformation and subsequent sealing to the pack cavity.

[0049] It can be seen with reference to FIG. 1 that, prior to entering into the sealing station 15, the upper film 14 is neither heated nor preformed. In addition, it is also the case that the upper film is not guided in the region of the sealing station or upstream thereof.

[0050] FIG. 2 shows the operations in the sealing station. As soon as the pack cavity 6 and the upper film 14 are located in the sealing station, the upper tool 29 and the lower tool 28 are moved together and sealed in the peripheral region 30a, and the upper film and the pack cavity are clamped. Then, as symbolized by the arrow 13, a negative pressure is applied between the upper sealing tool 12 and the upper film, said negative pressure drawing the upper film in the direction of the upper sealing tool, which is symbolized by the arrows 10, and therefore the upper film positions itself gradually against the upper sealing tool. The heated upper sealing tool transmits its heat here to the upper film, which up to this point in time has not been heated up, or at most has been heated up by a radiant heat in the sealing station. During or after the forming operation of the upper film, a negative pressure is created in the space between the upper film 14 and the pack contents 16, said negative pressure corresponding preferably to the negative pressure above the upper film. As soon as the upper film has been sufficiently heated and/or formed, or following an additional waiting time, the space above the upper film has air admitted to it or it is even the case that a positive pressure is generated, for example using compressed air, and therefore at least ambient pressure prevails there, at least following a comparatively short period of time. The difference in pressure present causes the upper film to be pushed onto the pack contents and the free surface area of the pack cavity, this being illustrated in the lower part of the figure. The heated upper film 14 encloses the pack contents in a form-fitting manner and is connected integrally to the free surface area of the pack cavity. When comparing the figures here to FIGS. 3-6, a person skilled in the art will see that the tool illustrated here is a tool according to the prior art, because the transition region of the recess 27 has no convex portion and/or because the maximum cross section of the recess corresponds essentially to the maximum cross section of the pack cavity and/or because the transition between the peripheral region of the upper sealing tool to the transition region of the recess is provided in a sharp-edged state.

[0051] FIGS. 3-6 show the upper sealing tool 12 according to the invention having, on its side which is directed towards an upper film, a peripheral region 21 and a recess 27. A person skilled in the art will understand that the tool according to FIGS. 5 and 6 has been illustrated in a state in which it is rotated through 180 in relation to the use position. In the peripheral region, the upper sealing tool is pushed onto the upper film 14 and provides sealing against the upper film 14. It is also usually the case that the maximum cross section of the recess 27 is located in the plane of the peripheral region. The inner circumference of the peripheral region 21 is adjoined by the transition region 22 of the recess 27. Said transition region has a first, convex portion 24 with a radius of curvature R1 and a second, concave portion 25 with a radius of curvature R2. In the present case, the two portions extend over the entire circumference of the recess 27. This is preferred, but is not imperative. It is possible, for example for one or both regions 24, 25 to extend merely along the longer side of the rectangle of the recess. The radius of curvature R2 is preferably greater than the radius of curvature R1. The inner region 23 extends from the inner circumference of the transition region. Said inner region is preferably essentially planar and extends parallel to the peripheral region 21. The difference in height between the inner region 23 and the peripheral region defines the depth T of the recess. The radius of curvature R1 is preferably configured such that it will also increase as the depth T increases.

[0052] As can be gathered, in particular, from FIG. 2, the upper sealing tool 12, in particular the region of the recess 27, has a multiplicity of bores 26. Air can be extracted by suction through said bores 26, it therefore being possible to produce, between the upper sealing tool and the upper film, a negative pressure which forms the upper film and generates for full-surface-area contact between the upper sealing tool and the upper film. Through these bores, the space between the upper sealing tool and the upper film then also has air admitted to it again and/or is provided with a positive pressure.

[0053] In particular the configuration of the transition region can give rise to a cold upper film being thermoformed. The deformation of the upper film here is very uniform and no over-stretching or tearing of the upper film occurs. The upper film positions itself over its entire surface area against the recess 22 and is thus heated uniformly. This makes it possible to dispense with a preheating step or a predeforming step of the upper film, even if the recess 27 has a depth T of more than 20-30 mm, in particular 40-55 mm. It is also the case that there is no need for the upper film to be guided laterally. This means that a corresponding packaging machine can be of relatively straightforward design and the entire packaging operation is energy-efficient.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0054] 1 Packaging machine [0055] 2 Forming station, thermoforming station [0056] 3 Upper tool of the thermoforming station [0057] 4 Lower tool of the thermoforming station [0058] 5 Lifting table, supports of a tool of the sealing or thermoforming station and/or of the cutting device [0059] 6 Pack cavity [0060] 7 Filling station [0061] 8 Film web, lower film web [0062] 9 Lifting device [0063] 10 Forming, stretching of the upper film, positioning against the product and the pack cavity [0064] 11 Lower sealing tool of the sealing station [0065] 12 Upper sealing tool of the sealing station/sealing frame [0066] 13 Negative pressure [0067] 14 Upper film web, skin film [0068] 15 Sealing station [0069] 16 Pack contents [0070] 17 Longitudinal cutter [0071] 18 Cross cutter [0072] 19 Entry region [0073] 20 Admission of air, positive pressure [0074] 21 Peripheral region [0075] 22 Transition region [0076] 23 Inner region [0077] 24 First portion [0078] 25 Second portion [0079] 26 Gas through-passage, aperture, bore [0080] 27 Recess [0081] R1 Radius in the first transition region [0082] R2 Radius in the second transition region [0083] 28 Lower tool of the sealing station [0084] 29 Upper tool of the sealing station [0085] 30 Surrounding housing/clamping tool of the sealing station [0086] 30a Peripheral region/clamping region of the surrounding housing