Apparatus and method for producing packaging

Abstract

An apparatus for producing packaging, in particular composite packaging for liquid foodstuffs, having a cross-sectional area that decreases in the pour-out direction in the gable region. The packaging is composed of a sleeve having a gable region having a plurality of gable faces and a pouring element. The apparatus has at least one rotatable mandrel wheel having a plurality of mandrels for holding the sleeves. Additionally, a method for producing such packaging and a gable press for use with the aforementioned apparatus. In order to allow easier and more cost-effective production, it is proposed that the apparatus has a gable press, assigned to a single mandrel wheel position, for folding the gable region, for connecting all the gable faces of the gable region of the sleeve to the pouring element and for sealing the protruding ears in the same mandrel wheel position.

Claims

1. An apparatus for producing packaging, with a cross-sectional area that decreases in a pour-out direction in a gable region, the packaging comprising: a sleeve having the gable region having a plurality of gable faces and a pouring element having a flange in the form of a truncated pyramid, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one rotatable mandrel wheel having a plurality of mandrels for holding the sleeve, a gable press assigned to a single mandrel wheel position for folding the gable region, for connecting all of the gable faces of the gable region of the sleeve to the pouring element, an ear press assigned to a single mandrel wheel position for sealing ears protruding from the gable region in the same mandrel wheel position, and at least one heating device for heating the ears of the sleeve, wherein the at least one heating device is assigned to a single mandrel wheel position subsequent to the gable press, wherein the ears are bent and sealed to a straight section of the gable region, and wherein a pusher for pushing the sleeve on one of the plurality of mandrels from an intermediate position into a final position is arranged in the rotation direction of the mandrel wheel after two additional heating devices, both being used to heat an inside of the sleeve in a vicinity of the gable region and exteriors of the flanges of the pouring element, and before the gable press, wherein the heating device used for heating the ears of the sleeve and the two additional heating devices used to heat the sleeve and the pouring element are provided separate from one another.

2. The apparatus for producing packaging according to claim 1, wherein the ear press is used for turning down and tacking the ears.

3. The apparatus for producing packaging according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a rinsing system for aseptic rinsing of the packaging.

4. The apparatus for producing packaging according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a filling device for filling the packaging through an open base region, through the open pouring element or both.

5. The apparatus for producing packaging according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a closing device for closing a base region of the packaging.

6. A method for producing packaging having a cross-sectional area that decreases in the pour-out direction, the packaging comprising a sleeve having a gable region having a plurality of gable faces and a pouring element having a flange in the form of a truncated pyramid, on a rotatable mandrel wheel having a plurality of mandrels for holding the sleeve, comprising the steps of: a) Pushing a pouring element onto a mandrel of the mandrel wheel, b) Pushing a sleeve onto a mandrel of the mandrel wheel, c) Folding and connecting all the gable faces of the gable region of the sleeve to the pouring element, d) Sealing ears protruding from the gable region, e) Turning down and tacking the ears to a straight section of the gable region, and f) Removing the packaging from the mandrel, wherein steps c) and d) are carried out in the same mandrel wheel position, wherein, after step d) and before step e), one additional heating device heats the ears and the pouring element, and wherein step b) comprises three sub-steps: i) pushing a sleeve onto a mandrel of the mandrel wheel into an intermediate position, ii) heating the gable region of the sleeve and the pouring element using at least two separate heating devices, both being used to heat an inside of the sleeve in a vicinity of the gable region and exteriors of the flanges of the pouring element, iii) further pushing the sleeve on one of the plurality of mandrels into a final position, wherein the heating device used for heating the ears of the sleeve and the two additional heating devices used to heat the sleeve and the pouring element are provided separate from one another.

7. The method for producing packaging according to claim 6, wherein in step a) the pouring element is pushed onto an empty mandrel of the mandrel wheel before step b) is carried out.

8. The method for producing packaging according to claim 6, wherein the sleeve in the gable region is folded, bent, or both for the first time in step c).

9. The method for producing packaging according to claim 6, wherein the ears are heated before step e).

10. The method for producing packaging according to claim 6, wherein the ears are heated before step d).

11. The method for producing packaging according to claim 6, wherein after step f) the packaging is aseptically rinsed from the inside.

12. The method for producing packaging according to claim 6, wherein after step f) the packaging is firstly filled through an open base region and then the base region is closed.

13. The method for producing packaging according to claim 6, wherein after step f) firstly a base region of the packaging is closed and then the packaging is filled through the open pouring element.

14. The method for producing packaging according to claim 6, wherein the sleeve is held in the intermediate position on the mandrel using at least one spring clip.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of packaging, closed in the gable region, with protruding ears.

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of packaging, closed in the gable region and in the base region with flush ears,

(3) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a pouring element,

(4) FIG. 4 shows an apparatus for producing packaging in overall illustration,

(5) FIG. 5 shows the mandrel wheel of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 4 for producing packaging in magnified view,

(6) FIG. 6 shows the gable press of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 5 for producing packaging in once again magnified view and

(7) FIG. 7 shows the gable press in sectional view along line VII-VII from FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) FIG. 1 illustrates packaging 1′ closed on one side, made of a sleeve 1. The sleeve 1 has a gable region 2 and a base region 3 at its two ends. The packaging 1′ has a square cross-sectional area. The sleeve 1 is regularly folded from a blank, two edges being connected together to create a tubular form. The gable region 2 was already closed, while the base region 3 is still open. The packaging 1′ shown in FIG. 1 therefore represents an interim stage of a production process, in the course of which firstly packaging 1′ and later a filled and closed—ready for sale—pack is produced from a sleeve 1 open on both sides.

(9) In the gable region 2 the sleeve 1 is connected to a pouring element 4, which has a screw cap 5. The gable region 2 in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is created in the form of a truncated pyramid. The consequence of this is that the packaging 1′ in the gable region 2, apart from four gable faces 6, also has four ears 7 protruding from the gable region 2 formed by surplus packaging material. Although the ears 7 in the situation shown in FIG. 1 are sealed, they are neither turned down nor tacked to the gable faces 6. In the base region 3 the packaging

(10) 1′ is still not closed and is only folded and closed in a later production step along folding lines 8.

(11) A packaging 1′ closed both in the gable region 2 and in the base region 3 is shown in FIG. 2. In the case of the sleeve 1 illustrated in FIG. 2 the production process is completed so far that packaging 1′ is already referred to. The packaging 1′ is closed and sealed in the base region 3. In addition the ears 7 are turned down and tacked to one of the two gable faces 6 adjacent to the respective ear 7. In the flush—and shown in FIG. 2—state of the ears 7, the embodiment of the gable region 2 as truncated pyramid is particularly easy to see. The bottom face of the truncated pyramid in this case corresponds approximately to the cross-sectional area of the packaging 1′. The four lateral sides of the truncated pyramid here are called gable faces 6. The upper face of the truncated pyramid is substantially parallel to the bottom face and is normally designated top face. The top face in the case of the packaging shown in FIG. 2 is formed by the pouring element 4.

(12) FIG. 3 shows the pouring element 4 from FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 in perspective view. The pouring element 4 as well as the screw cap 5 has a square base plate 9 with a flange 10 circulating and angled in respect to the base plate 9. The shape of the flange 10 is preferably adapted to the form and in particular to the angle of inclination of the gable region 2. The angled flange 10 has ribs 11, which on the one hand are designed to mechanically reinforce the flange 10 and on the other hand to enable the gable faces 6 to be better joined to the flange 10. A wing 12 is moulded onto the flange 10 in each corner region. The wings 12 also serve to improve the join between the gable region 2 of the sleeve 1 and the flange 10 of the pouring element. In the case of the pouring element 4 shown in FIG. 3 a tamper-proof seal 13 with material bridges 14 formed as pre-determined breaking points connects the base plate 9 to the screw cap 5. When first opened the material bridges 14 are destroyed, so that a user can easily detect whether a packaging provided with this pouring element has already been opened previously.

(13) In FIG. 4 an apparatus for producing packaging is shown in overall illustration. The apparatus has a mandrel wheel 15 and a filling station 16. The mandrel wheel 15 shown in FIG. 4 has nine mandrels 17 and during operation rotates cyclically, that is to say step-by-step in the anti-clockwise direction. The construction and mode of operation of the mandrel wheel 15 is discussed more precisely in connection with FIG. 5. The filling station 16 has a conveyer system 18 with cells 19, which moves in the clockwise direction. The type of the conveyer system 18 is frequently designated as cell chain.

(14) The packagings 1′ finally closed in the gable region 2, after the production processes on the mandrel wheel 15 have been completed, are passed to cells of the conveyer system 18. In this case the packagings 1′ with the gable region 2 are advanced into the cells 19, so that the opened base region 3 points outwards. The filling station 16 has a rinsing system 20, a filling device 21 and a closing device 22. In addition the filling station 16 comprises monitoring units 23. Initially the packaging 1′ open in the base region 3 is conveyed past the first monitoring unit 23, wherein the correct position of the packagings 1′ in the cells 19 of the conveyer system 18 is checked. This can be done for instance by optical sensors. Subsequently the packagings 1′ are aseptically rinsed in the vicinity of the rinsing system 20, in order to ensure the inside of the packagings 1′ is bacteria-free for the following filling. Then the packagings 1′ closed in the gable region 2 are filled with contents in the vicinity of the filling device 21 through the open base region 3. As next step the base region 3 of the packagings 1′ is closed and sealed in the vicinity of the closing device 22. The filled and closed packagings 1′ are also designated as packs 24 and conveyed through the second monitoring unit 23, wherein the base region 3 of the packs 24 is checked. Also this can be done by optical sensors. Finally the packs 24 are removed from the cells 19 in the right end section of the conveyer system 18, before the emptied cells 19 are returned towards the mandrel wheel 15.

(15) FIG. 5 shows the mandrel wheel 15 from FIG. 4 in magnified view. In addition part of the conveyer system 18 is visible in the lower right section of FIG. 5. The mandrel wheel 15 has nine mandrels 17 in the illustrated and to this extent preferred exemplary embodiment, which are arranged at the same 40° angle along the periphery of the mandrel wheel 15. A full rotation of the mandrel wheel 15 can be notionally and spatially divided into nine sectors, which are here called mandrel wheel positions and in FIG. 5 are designated with Roman numerals I to IX. The mandrel wheel 15 can therefore pass through nine separate production processes before a full rotation is completed and each of the mandrels 17 is again returned to its original mandrel wheel position.

(16) In mandrel wheel position I the pouring element 4 is pushed onto the empty mandrel 17 and the mandrel wheel 15 rotates further by one mandrel wheel position. For the provision and supply of pouring elements 4 a feed arrangement 25 only roughly indicated in FIG. 5 can be provided. In mandrel wheel position II a sleeve 1 is pushed onto the mandrel 17 away over the pouring element 4 previously pushed and held on the mandrel 17. Preferably, even if not mandatory, the sleeve 1 is not pushed in this case as far as a stop into a final position, but for the time being remains in an intermediate position on the mandrel 17. The intermediate position can be 20 mm-40 mm in front of the final position. In this case spring clips 34 secure the axial position of the sleeves 1 on the mandrel 17. Subsequently, the mandrel wheel 15 rotates further into mandrel wheel position III.

(17) In mandrel wheel position III the gable region 2 of the sleeve 1 as well as the pouring element 4 is activated with hot-air. For this purpose a heating device 26 is provided in the vicinity of mandrel wheel position III. The heating device 26 should heat in particular the inside of the sleeve 1 in the vicinity of the gable region 2 and the exteriors of the flanges 10 of the pouring element 4, since these regions are assigned to each other and are intended to form a connection. Heating in this context is also known as activating. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 and to this extent preferred embodiment, in mandrel wheel position IV, the same production process is carried out as in mandrel wheel position III. Therefore the apparatus likewise has a heating device 26 in the vicinity of mandrel wheel position IV.

(18) A pusher 27, which pushes the sleeves 1 pushed onto the mandrels 17 from the intermediate position into the final position, is provided between mandrel wheel positions IV and V. The production step implemented by the pusher 27 must not necessarily be carried out between two mandrel wheel positions, but can also be carried out in any one of the mandrel wheel positions. After the mandrel wheel 15 rotated further, the gable region 2 is treated by a gable press 28 in mandrel wheel position V. The gable press 28 presses the gable faces 6 onto the flange 10 of the pouring element 4 and in this way makes a sealed connection. This can be done by the aforementioned heating and pressing, alternatively—without previous activation—also by welding and bonding methods. In the same way the gable region 2 of the sleeve 1 is sealed by the gable press 28 also in the vicinity of the ears 7. The ears 7 in the case of the mandrel wheel 15 shown in FIG. 5 however are not already rendered flush against the gable faces 6 by the gable press 28 in mandrel wheel position V. After the sleeve 1 in the gable region 2 is sealed with the pouring element 4, it forms a packaging 1′ closed on one side.

(19) After a further rotation of the mandrel wheel 15 the gable region 2 is treated with a heating device 29 in mandrel wheel position VI. The heating device 29 serves in particular to heat and thus activate the protruding ears 7 and is therefore formed differently than the heating devices 26 from mandrel wheel positions III and IV. Preferably the heating device 29 is particularly synchronised with the number and form of the ears 7. After further rotation of the mandrel wheel 15 the protruding ears 7 are turned down by an ear press 30 and tacked to the gable faces 6 in mandrel wheel position VII. This can be done in particular by heating and pressing. Alternatively welding or bonding methods are also conceivable. In mandrel wheel position VIII packagings 1 are drawn by the mandrel 17 and picked up by a cell 19 of the conveyer system 18. In this case packagings 1′ are not turned, so that they are conveyed the other way round, that is to say with open base region 3 pointing upwards. No production process is assigned to mandrel wheel position IX.

(20) The gable press 28 assigned to mandrel wheel position V is shown in FIG. 6 once again in magnified view. A sectional view of the gable press 28 along line VII-VII of FIG. 6 is illustrated in FIG. 7. Firstly a sleeve 1 pushed onto a mandrel wheel 15—not shown in FIG. 6—is visible in FIG. 6. The gable faces 6 of the sleeve 1 should be joined by the gable press 28 to the pouring element 4. For this purpose the gable press 28 has four pressing tools 31A, 31B corresponding to the number of gable faces 6, of which for reasons of clarity only two opposite-lying pressing tools 31B and one of the two pressing tools 31A are shown in FIG. 6.

(21) In the case of a packaging with square cross-sectional area the gable press 28 thus has four pressing tools 31A, 31B. Each of the pressing tools 31A, 31B has a gable pressing face 32 and two ear pressing faces 33, as shown in FIG. 7. In the case of the two opposite-lying pressing tools 31A the ear pressing faces 33 are angled in respect to the gable pressing face 32. In the case of the other two opposite-lying pressing tools 31B the ear pressing faces 33 lie in a plane with the gable pressing face 32. The gable pressing faces 32 in each case press a gable region 6 against the pouring element 4. For compressing and sealing the ears 7 two adjacent pressing tools 31A, 31B must interact with their ear pressing faces 33 assigned to each other. This can be done for example in the case of a packaging with square cross-sectional area, by firstly moving the two opposite-lying pressing tools 31A towards the mandrel. In this case two opposite-lying gable faces 6 are pressed against the pouring element 4. The ears 7 of these two gable faces 6 are firstly only supported on one side by the ear pressing faces 33 of the two already relocated pressing tools 31A.

(22) Then the two remaining pressing tools 31B, which for their part likewise face each other, are actuated. Again in this case two opposite-lying gable faces 6 are pressed by the gable pressing faces 32 against the pouring element 4. At the same time the four ears 7 are compressed and sealed by two ear pressing faces 33 in each case. Alternatively it is also possible that all pressing tools 31A, 31B are actuated at the same time. The movement directions of the pressing tools 31A, 31B are shown by arrows in FIG. 7.