METHOD FOR FILLING AND WELDING FILM BAGS AND A FILLING AND WELDING DEVICE THEREFOR

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for filling and welding film bags, wherein a plurality of film bags that are accommodated one after another on a rotating carousel are filled by means of a plurality of filling stations arranged on the rotating carousel and subsequently the filled film bags are guided in succession, by means of the rotating carousel, past a welding station, assigned to the rotating carousel and arranged in a stationary manner on the rotating carousel, for welding of the filled film bags, wherein the welding station comprises at least one welding device. The invention also relates to a filling and welding device for carrying out this method, having a rotating carousel with a plurality of filling stations, arranged thereon, for filling film bags, and a welding station, assigned to the carousel and arranged in a stationary manner on the rotating carousel, for welding the filled film bags, wherein the welding station comprises at least one welding device.

Claims

1. A method for filling and welding film bags characterized in that a plurality of film bags received in succession by a rotating carousel are filled by a plurality of filling stations arranged on the rotating carousel and subsequently the filled film bags are guided, one after the other, by the rotating carousel, past a welding station assigned to the rotating carousel and stationarily arranged on the rotating carousel so as to weld the filled film bags, wherein the welding station comprises at least one welding device.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising the steps: picking up the film bags by means of brackets assigned to the filling stations and opening the picked-up film bags by means of the brackets and thereafter filling the film bags by means of the filling stations.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising the steps: closing the filled film bags by pulling apart the brackets, thereby positioning respective two upper edges of the filled film bags next to each other and thereafter welding the respective two upper edges positioned next to each other by means of the welding station assigned to the rotating carousel.

4. A filling and welding device for performing the method of claim 1, comprising a rotating carousel including a plurality of filling stations arranged thereon for filling film bags and a welding station assigned to the carousel and stationarily arranged on the rotating carousel for welding the filled film bags, wherein the welding station comprises at least one welding device.

5. The filling and welding device of claim 4, wherein the welding station comprises one or more ultrasonic generators.

6. The filling and welding device of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of filling stations comprises a filling valve and a bracket for picking up and opening a film bag.

7. The filling and welding device of claim 6, wherein the bracket is configured to pull apart a filled film bag after completing a fill process, whereby two upper edges of the filled film bag are positioned next to each other.

8. The filling and welding device of claim 4, wherein the welding station assigned to the carousel is configured to weld two upper edges of a filled film bag.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] For a better understanding and visualization, aspects of the invention are shown in the attached figures in an exemplary manner. In the figures:

[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a filling and welding device,

[0028] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective side view of a welding station including two welding devices, and

[0029] FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a method for filling and welding a film bag.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a top view of a filling and welding device 1 comprising a rotating carousel 2 having arranged thereon in this illustration five filling stations 3. Assigned to the rotating carousel 2 is a welding station 4 that comprises at least one welding device. This welding station 4 is located in the periphery of the rotating carousel 2 and is stationarily arranged thereon. In the top view, one of the welding devices 17 is partially illustrated. It is schematically indicated that ultrasonic sound 21 is emitted by the welding device 17 to be used for welding the film bags.

[0031] FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic perspective side view of the welding station 4 along the viewing direction II.

[0032] The rotating carousel 2 is configured so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis 5 such that film bags 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 supported by means of brackets 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 of the filling stations 3 are movable and may thus be guided past the welding station 4 by means of the rotating carousel 2. The film bags 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 are fed to the rotating carousel by means of a feeding star or feeding point 19 and after filling and welding, these film bags 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 are removed from the rotating carousel 2 by means of a diverting star or point 20.

[0033] A respective bracket 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, in this embodiment configured in a two-part form, is assigned to each filling station 3, wherein the two bracket portions may approach or may be moved away from each other along the direction 16 indicated by arrows. For receiving or picking up a film bag 6, the bracket 11 is in a first position, i.e., the two bracket portions have first distance d1 so that the non-filled film bag 6 with its two upper edges stacked on top of each other may be received or picked up by means of the bracket 11.

[0034] In order to enable the filling of the picked-up film bag 7, 8, it is opened by means of the bracket 12, 13, that is, between the two upper edges stacked on each other, a distance or space is obtained. To this end, the two bracket portions are moved towards each other along the direction indicated by arrows. The bracket 12, 13 is then in a second position, i.e., the two bracket portions have a second distance or spacing d2 relative to each other that is less than the first distance or spacing.

[0035] After opening the picked-up film bags 7, 8, a filling with filling product is performed by means of the filling station 3. After the filling process is completed, the filled film bag 9 is closed by pulling apart the bracket 14, thereby positioning the two upper edges next to each other. The pulling apart is accomplished by moving the two bracket portions away from each other along the direction indicated by arrows. The bracket 14 is now in a third position, i.e., the two bracket portions have a third distance or spacing d3 with respect to each other that corresponds to the first distance d1.

[0036] By rotating the rotating carousel around the rotation axis 5, the filled film bag 9, 10 is then guided past the welding station 4 and the two upper edges of the film bag 10 positioned next to each other are welded.

[0037] In this manner, during a continuous operation in the filling and welding device 1, a plurality of film bags 6, 7, 8, 9, positioned in succession may be filled, wherein the film bags 9, 10, after completing the filling process, may be guided one by one, i.e., individually, past the welding station 4 associated with the rotating carousel 2 for performing the welding process.

[0038] Therefore, both the filling and the welding may be accomplished in a continuous process, wherein a single welding station 4 is assigned to a plurality of filling stations 3.

[0039] Upstream of the filling and welding device, a film magazine for parallel output of film bags and a transfer wheel for transferring the output film bags to the filling and welding device may be provided. The film bags output in parallel by the magazine are arranged in succession in the transfer wheel and, in this arrangement, are transferred to the rotating carousel.

[0040] Downstream of the filling and welding device 1, a transfer wheel 20 for receiving the filled and welded film bags 10 are arranged in succession and an output device may be provided. Moreover, upstream of the filling and welding device 1, a transfer wheel 19 may be provided.

[0041] FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic perspective side view of a welding station 4 including two welding devices 17, 18, which, in this case, are arranged on top of each other with a determined distance or spacing d4 in between. Hence, film bags passing the welding station 4 may be welded in two respectively spaced areas. Consideration may also be given to operating either one or the other welding device 17, 18 so that corresponding film bags will be welded in one area only.

[0042] FIG. 3 illustrates a flow chart of a method for filling and welding a film bag by means of the filling and welding device discussed above and below. In step 100, a film bag is picked up or received by means of a bracket. The bracket is assigned to or associated with a filling station of a rotating carousel that has a plurality of filling stations and respective multiple brackets, wherein the filling station is provided for subsequently filling the film bag by moving the filling station and the brackets on circular trajectories during the rotation of the rotating carousel. For example, a bracket may comprise two bracket portions that may be moved towards each other or away from each other. For picking up the film bag, the bracket is in a first position, i.e., the two bracket portions have a first distance or spacing, so that the non-filled film bag with its two upper edges positioned next to each other may be picked up by the bracket.

[0043] In step 101, during the rotation of the rotating carousel, the picked up film bag is opened by pressure by means of the bracket. To this end, the two bracket portions are moved towards each other so that the bracket is in a second position, i.e., the two bracket portions have a second distance or spacing that is less than the first distance. Due to the forced opening, a spacing or distance is formed between the two upper edges of the film bag positioned next to each other so that in step 102, the film bag may be filled by means of the filling station. In step 103, the filled film bag is closed or sealed during the rotation of the rotating carousel by pulling apart the bracket, thereby positioning the two upper edges of the filled film bag next to each other. The pulling apart is accomplished by moving the two bracket portions away from each other. The bracket is then in a third position that corresponds to the first position so that the two bracket portions have a third distance or spacing that corresponds to the first distance or spacing.

[0044] In step 104, the film bag is welded by means of the welding station during the rotation of the rotating carousel, i.e., by means of at least one welding device that is permanently arranged on the welding device by having the film bag pass by the welding station, wherein the two upper edges positioned next to each other and/or other areas of the film bag may be welded.

[0045] The welding station is stationarily arranged on the rotating carousel, for instance, in its periphery.

[0046] Since the film bag is arranged on a carousel during rotation, the film bag is moved by the rotating carousel after being picked up by the bracket so that the film bag is moved along the circumference of the rotating carousel during the described method and is moved to the stationarily arranged welding station positioned in the periphery of the rotating carousel for performing the welding process.

[0047] Consequently, the method may be applied for the filling and welding of a plurality of film bags that are arranged on the rotating carousel in succession, wherein the filling and the subsequent welding may be accomplished in a continuous manner.

[0048] While there have been shown and described fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the preferred and exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood that omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the disclosed invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. Moreover, as is readily apparent, numerous modifications and changes may readily occur to those skilled in the art. Hence, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described and, accordingly, all suitable modification equivalents may be resorted to falling within the scope of the invention as claimed. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.