Packaging and filling device, paper container and blank

Abstract

A packaging and filling device, a paper container, and a blank is disclosed, in which the container is substantially protected from permeation leakage from an end surface. The blank for the paper container comprises an upper part, a bottom part, and a cylindrical main body having four side walls and a square cross-section, and is formed by a packaging and filling device. The packaging and filling device comprises a loading unit for retrieving the blank and loading a cylindrical blank, a bottom-part-molding unit for molding the bottom part of the cylindrical blank and obtaining a container, a filling unit for filling the container with a liquid food item from an upper opening, and an upper-part-sealing unit for heat-sealing the upper opening.

Claims

1. A packaging and filling device for forming a paper container, the paper container comprising a cylindrical body having a substantially square cross section, four sidewalls, a top, and a bottom, wherein the paper container is formed of a blank prepared by cutting a band-shaped packaging material including an outermost thermoplastic layer, a paper layer, and an innermost thermoplastic layer, the blank further comprising: a first panel and a third panel, the first panel and third panels being configured to form a first pair of opposing sidewalls of the container; a second panel and a fourth panel, the second panel and fourth panels being configured to form a second pair of opposing sidewalls of the container; a first bottom panel and a third bottom panel, the first and third bottom panels extended from respective lower sides of the first panel and the third panel; a second bottom panel and a fourth bottom panel, the second bottom panel and fourth bottom panels extended from respective lower sides of the second panel and the fourth panel; and a plurality of top panels corresponding to the top of the paper container; wherein: the third bottom panel comprises a sixth panel partially extended from a center of the lower side of the third bottom panel; and a width of the sixth panel is 15-65% of a total length of the lower side of the third bottom panel; wherein the bottom of the paper container is formed by: extending the sixth panel from the lower side of the third bottom panel; bending the second bottom panel and the fourth panel into triangular flaps with the lower side surfaces of the second and fourth bottom panels facing outward and bending the flaps inward; laying the first bottom panel and the third bottom panel on the outsides of the second bottom panel and the fourth bottom panel with the first bottom panel positioned outside of the third bottom panel; and pressing from the inside and the outside of the paper container; and heat-sealing to form a seal; the packaging and filling device comprising: a loading unit configured to extract a selected blank from a bundle of a plurality of vertically sealed and flattened blanks; a bottom forming unit configured to form the bottom of a cylindrical blank to form the container having a top opening and the bottom; a filling unit configured to fill liquid food through the top opening; and a top sealing unit configured to heat-seal the top opening; wherein the loading unit further comprises: an extracting unit configured to extract the blank; an erecting unit configured to erect the flattened blank into the cylindrical blank; and an infeeder which inserts a mandrel of the bottom forming unit into the cylindrical blank; wherein the bottom forming unit comprises a press station, the press station comprising a triangular emboss configured to press the container bottom from the outside and the inside of the container by a forward side surface of the mandrel and a press surface, the triangular emboss being provided on a forward edge surface of the mandrel at a position where the third bottom panel is exposed on the inside surface of the container.

2. A packaging and filling device for forming a paper container having a top opening and a bottom, the packaging and filling device comprising: a loading unit configured to extract a selected blank from a bundle of a plurality of vertically sealed and flattened blanks, the blank comprising a first bottom panel, a second bottom panel, a third bottom panel, and a fourth bottom panel, the loading unit further comprising: an extracting unit configured to extract the selected blank; an erecting unit configured to erect the flattened blank into a cylindrical blank; and an infeeder; a bottom forming unit configured to form a bottom of the cylindrical blank to form the paper container, the bottom forming unit comprising a mandrel and a press station; a filling unit configured to fill liquid food through the top opening; and a top sealing unit configured to heat-seal the top opening; wherein: the infeeder is configured to insert the mandrel into the cylindrical blank; the press station of the bottom forming unit comprises a triangular emboss configured to press the container bottom from the outside and the inside by a forward side surface of the mandrel and a press surface, the triangular emboss being provided on a forward edge surface of the mandrel at a position where the third bottom panel is exposed on the inside surface of the container; and the press surface comprises: a projected surface for forming a wide upward trench in the container bottom, and a triangular step H formed on the wide upward trench, the triangular step H being configured to trap the triangular emboss and press the third bottom panel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 illustrates the paper container usable in the present invention: FIG. 1(A) is a plan view of the developed shape of a blank of the paper container, FIG. 1(B) is a plan view of the blank vertically sealed and flattened, FIG. 1(C) is the cylindrical blank, FIG. 1(D) is a perspective view of the empty container having the top opening opened and the bottom formed, and FIG. 1(E) is a perspective view of the paper container filled and sealed.

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the paper container usable in the present invention having the top opened and the bottom dissolved.

(3) FIG. 3 is a plan view of the blank usable in the present invention vertically sealed and flattened (A) and partial plan views of variations of the sixth pane (B), (C) and (D).

(4) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bottom of the sectioned paper container usable in the present invention.

(5) FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view which illustrates the loading means usable in the present invention taking out, receiving and transferring a blank.

(6) FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of the rotary roller usable in the present invention, which receives and transfers a blank.

(7) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the forward edge of the infeeder usable in the present invention.

(8) FIG. 8 is a dissolved perspective view of the inside and the outside nozzles of the heater for heating the container bottom panel at the outer forward edge of the mandrel of the bottom forming means usable in the present invention.

(9) FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic plan view of the bottom forming means usable in the present invention folding the first and the third bottom panels.

(10) FIG. 10 is a partial sectional side view of the bottom forming means usable in the present invention folding the first and the third bottom panels.

(11) FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the press surface for pressing the container bottom from the outside by the bottom forming means usable in the present invention.

(12) FIG. 12 is a schematic view of an example of the packaging and filling device usable in the present invention.

(13) FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the paper container usable in the present invention, which is sectioned at the bottom.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(14) An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in good detail with reference to the attached drawings.

(15) In this embodiment, a paper container 9 having, as illustrated in FIGS. 1(C) and 1(E), a cylindrical body 8 of a substantially square cross-section having 4 side walls, and a top 10 and a bottom 11 is formed.

(16) The paper container having the top in a roofed configuration is a roof-shaped paper container, and can package and be filled with liquid food, such as milk, a juice or others.

(17) The ordinary paper container of a capacity of 1 litter has the dimensions of a 73 mm one side of the square and a 234 mm-height of the container.

(18) The paper container 9 is formed from a blank 12 prepared by cutting a band-shaped packaging material formed of an outermost thermoplastic layer, a paper layer and an innermost thermoplastic layer in the sequence of FIGS. 1(A), 1(B), 1(C), 1(D) and 1(E).

(19) The outermost layer and the innermost layer are formed of a heat-sealable material for polyethylene, and are melted and softened by heating, and pressed on each other, and heat-sealed.

(20) As illustrated in FIG. 1(A), the blank 12 has the developed shape of the paper container 9 and plural fold lines.

(21) The blank 12 is formed by cutting the band-shaped packaging material (not illustrated) into the developed shape of the paper container 9. The blank 12 is vertically sealed into a cylindrical body. The fold lines are formed by linearly embossing the band-shaped packaging material in advance along the lines-to be-folded (the fold lines).

(22) As illustrated in FIG. 1(A), the blank 12 has a first bottom panel 1b and a third bottom panel 3b extended from the respective lower sides of a first panel 1 and a third panel 3 which correspond to one pair of 2 opposed container sidewalls, and a second bottom panel 2b and a fourth bottom panel 4b extended from the respective lower edges of a second panel 2 and a fourth panel 4 which correspond to the other 2 opposed container sidewalls; the sixth panel 6 partially extended from the center of the lower side of the third bottom panel 3b; and plural panels 1t, 2t, 3t, 4t which correspond to the top 10 of the container 9.

(23) As illustrated in FIG. 1(A), the first panel 1, the second panel 2, the third panel 3 and the fourth panel 4 are jointed adjacent to each other in the described sequence. The first panel 1 and the fourth panel 4 are vertically sealed to thereby form a cylindrical body having 4 sidewalls and a substantially square cross-section. For the vertical seal, a fifth panel 5 is provided, extended from the side of the fourth panel.

(24) FIG. 1(B) illustrates the blank 13 in the cylindrical body having the fifth panel 5 vertically sealed, which is flattened.

(25) This embodiment is characterized in that as illustrated in FIG. 3(A), the sixth panel 6 has a width d which is 15-65% of a total length of the lower side of the third bottom panel, preferably 20-60%, more preferably 30-65%, and a height h which facilitates the bend.

(26) The specific dimensions of the sixth panel 6 depend on the container capacity (1 side of the container). For example, when one side is 73 mm, the width is, e.g., 20-40 mm. When the width is below the lower limit value excluding the lower limit value, there is a risk that the side surface at the center of the lower side of the third bottom panel 3b might be exposed. On the other hand, when the width is over the upper limit value, the thickness of the container bottom increases.

(27) The six panel 6 extended from the lower side of the third bottom panel covers the side surface at the center of the lower side of the third bottom panel along the length corresponding to the width of the sixth panel, and the length (distance) is sufficient to delay the permeation leakage is bent to thereby substantially protect the container from the permeation leakage.

(28) The shape and the dimensions of the sixth panel 6 is exemplified in FIGS. 3(B), 3(C) and 3(D). The shape of the sixth panel 6 is trapezoid, inverse trapezoid, rectangle or others. The shape can be suitably selected and changed.

(29) The height (length) of the sixth panel can be selected and varied suitably corresponding to a period of time necessary to delay the permeation leakage.

(30) As illustrated In FIG. 2A, the second bottom panel 2b and the fourth bottom panel 4b are formed into triangular flaps with the lower side surfaces faced outward, and bent inward.

(31) In the design, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 2, the center 3bc of the lower side of the third bottom panel 3b is positioned between the forward edges of the triangular flaps. The packaging material is formed mainly of paper, and actually the exposed part may be widened, dislocated or deflected. In this embodiment, the central lower side 3bc is wide enough with respect to the total length of the lower side of the third bottom panel to protect the exposed part from the increase, dislocation, deflection, etc.

(32) As illustrated in FIG. 2, the bottom 11 of the paper container is formed by with the sixth panel 6 being extended, forming the second bottom panel 2b and the fourth bottom panel 4b into triangular flaps with the lower side surfaces of the second the fourth bottom panels 2b, 4b faced outward and bending the flaps inward.

(33) As illustrated in FIG. 4, the xith panel 6 is extended long from the lower side of the third bottom panel 3b, whereby with the side surface of the sixth panel 6 exposed inside the container, the permeation leakage can be delayed.

(34) As illustrated in FIG. 2, in forming the bottom 11 of the paper container, the first bottom panel 1b and the third bottom panel 3b are so laid on the outsides of the second bottom panel 2b and the fourth bottom panel 4b that the first bottom panel 1b is on the outside of the third bottom panel 3b.

(35) The outsides of the second bottom panel 2b and the fourth bottom panel 4b are covered by the first bottom panel 1b and the third bottom panel 3b, whereby the side surfaces of the outsides of the second bottom panel 2b and the fourth bottom panel 4b are protected by the first bottom panel 1b and the third bottom panel 3b. Furthermore, the first bottom panel 1b is outside the third bottom panel 3b, whereby the respective side surfaces of the third bottom panel 3b and the sixth panel 6 are covered and protected by the first bottom panel 1b. On the outside surface of the container bottom, the lower side surface alone of the first bottom panel is exposed on the outside of the container.

(36) As illustrated in the schematic view of FIG. 12, the packaging and filling device according to this embodiment comprises a loading means 15 which takes out 1 blank 13 out of a supplied bundle of a plurality of vertically sealed and flattened blanks and loads the cylindrical blank 8; a bottom forming means 16 which forms the bottom of the cylindrical blank 8 to prepare a container 14 having the top opening and the bottom; a filling means 17 which fills liquid food through the top opening; and a top sealing means 18 which heat-seals the top opening.

(37) In the packaging and filling device, a blank 13 of a cylindrical body of a paper container material, which is vertically sealed and flattened is loaded, the container bottom 11 is formed, a liquid is filled in the container, and the top is heat-sealed to manufacture a paper container 9.

(38) The loading means 15 takes out 1 blank 13 out of a supplied bundle 20 of a plurality blanks vertically sealed and flattened and loads the cylindrical blank 8 in the bottom forming means 16.

(39) The loading means 15 includes a taking-out means 21 which takes out a blank 13; an erecting means 22 which erects the blank 13 flattened into a cylindrical blank; an infeeder 23 which inserts the cylindrical blank into the mandrel of the bottom forming means.

(40) The taking-out means 21 supplies a bundle of a plurality of blanks vertically sealed and flattened and takes out 1 flat blank out of the bundle 20 of blanks, blanks.

(41) As illustrated in FIG. 3(A), the sixth panel 6 of the blank taken out is protruded from the panel of the 2 staked panels of the first bottom panel 1b and the third bottom panel 3b.

(42) The taking-out means 21 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

(43) The taking-out means 21 includes a suction means 24 which suctions and falls down 1 blank 13 from a bundle 20 with the suction force; and a circular roller 25 and the opposed roller 26 which pinches the edge of the blank 13 to carry the blank 13. In this embodiment, 3 circular rollers 25 are provided on the axis 27 of the rotary roller.

(44) The flattened blank 13 taken out is received by the rotary roller 25 and carries to the next step. The rotary roller 25 senses the position of the blank and rotates the roller to receive the blank, holding the blank together with the opposed roller 26.

(45) The erecting means 22 erects the flattened blank 13 to the cylindrical blank 8 as illustrated in FIG. 1(C).

(46) The infeeder 23 inserts the cylindrical blank 8 with kept the sixth pane foldable into the mandrel of the bottom forming means 16.

(47) The perspective view of FIG. 7 illustrates the situation of the forward edge of the infeeder 23 of this embodiment. The forward edge of the feeder conveyor 29 of the infeeder 23 with respect to the mandrel 28 of the bottom forming means 16. A carrier 30 is attached to the feeder conveyor 29. A cylindrical blank 8 (not illustrated in FIG. 7) is positioned in front of the carrier 30 of the feeder conveyor 29, and as the cylindrical blank 8 is moved along the feeder conveyor 29, the carrier 30 follows the cylindrical blank 8. As the cylindrical blank 8s transferred to the mandrel 28, the infeeder conveyor 29 goes downward to return to the original position, and resultantly the carrier 30 as well starts to move downward. As the carrier 30 moves downward, the sixth panel as well follows, and then when the feeder conveyor 29 further moves, the carrier 30 departs from the mandrel 28 and the sixth panel 6.

(48) The bottom forming means 16 forms the bottom of the cylindrical blank, and a container 14 having the opening and the bottom.

(49) The bottom forming means 16, in this embodiment, has a plurality of mandrels provided radially on a rotary shaft. The mandrels are engaged into the containers through the top openings; while the mandrels are intermittently rotated, the bottoms of the containers on the outer edges of the mandrels are heated by a heat station 32; the bottom panels are folded by a panel folding station 33; and the container bottoms are pressed from both the inside and the outside by the forward edge surfaces of the mandrels and the press surfaces, and the containers 14 respectively having the top openings and the bottoms are formed.

(50) The bottom forming means 16 transfers blanks by a rotary mandrel assembly having a plurality of mandrels radially directed outward.

(51) The mandrels are turned to the heating station 32 to heat the bottom panels of the blanks by a suitable heating device. This heating device blows hot blast through a nozzle to the bottom panels. The mandrels are turned to the next panel folding station 33 to bent the bottom panels, and at a press station 34, the sealed bottom walls of the containers are formed.

(52) The heater for heating the bottom panels of a container of the heating station 32 of the bottom forming means 16 will be described with reference to FIG. 8 which illustrates a perspective view of the nozzle.

(53) An inner nozzle 35a and an outer nozzle 35b of the heater respectively blast hot air to the inside surfaces and the outside surfaces of the bottom panels (not illustrated in FIG. 8) to heat them.

(54) The heater approaches the forward edge of the mandrel so that the bottom panel are engaged in the gap between the inner nozzle 35a and the outer nozzle 35b assembled.

(55) In FIG. 8, the inner nozzle 35al heats the inside surface of the first bottom panel 1b; the inner nozzle 35a4 heats the inside surface fo the fourth bottom panel 4b; the outer nozzle 35b2 heats the outer surface of the second bottom panel 2b; and the outer nozzle 35b3 heats the inside surface of the third bottom panel 3b.

(56) Folding of the bottom panels toward the mandrel forward surface 37 at a panel forming station 33 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 10.

(57) In FIG. 9, the second bottom panel 2b and the fourth bottom panel 4b are formed into triangular flaps by the arms 36a, 36a of a second and a fourth panel folding members 36, 36 into triangular flaps with the lower edge surfaces 2be, 4be of the second and the fourth bottom panels 2b, 4b faced outward and are bent inward by the arms 361, 36b of a second and a fourth panel folding members 36, 36.

(58) In FIG. 9, the first bottom panel 1b and the third bottom panel 3b are not illustrated.

(59) Before the folding of the second bottom panels 2b and the fourth bottom panel 4b finishes, the folding of the first bottom panel 1b, the third bottom panel 3b and the sixth panel is started.

(60) In FIG. 10, the first and the third bottom panels 1b, 3b are folded by the first panel folding member 36 and the third panel folding member 38 of the bottom forming means. FIG. 10 does not illustrate the second bottom panel and the fourth bottom panel.

(61) In this embodiment, the six panel 6 is extended from the side of the third bottom panel 3b.

(62) The third bottom panel 3b is laid on the outsides of the second bottom panel 2b and the fourth bottom panel 4b (not illustrated in FIG. 10) by the third panel folding member 38 so that the first bottom panel 1b is outside of the third bottom panel 3b.

(63) The first bottom panel 1b is folded by the first panel folding member 39 so that the first bottom panel 1b is laid on the outside of the third bottom panel 3b.

(64) The outsides of the second bottom panel 2b and the fourth bottom panel 4b are covered by the first bottom panel 1b and the third bottom panel 3b. The respective side surfaces of the third bottom panel 3b and the sixth panel 6 are covered by the first bottom panel 1b.

(65) In the press station 34 of the bottom forming means 16, the container bottom 11 is pressed from the outside and the inside thereof by the mandrel forward side surface 37 and the press surface 40.

(66) In this embodiment, the press surface 40 includes a plane 40a opposed to the outside surface of the first bottom plane 1b, a plane 40a opposed to the outside surface of the first bottom panel 1b, a plane 40c opposed to the outside surface of the third bottom panel 3b, a projected surface 40b having a flat top surface for forming a wide upward trench in the container bottom 11, and a plurality of embosses 40d for reinforcing the seal.

(67) All of the press surfaces 40a, 40b, 40c are flat, and the bottom surface of the container bottom is also free from concavities and convexities.

(68) As illustrated in FIG. 9, the mandrel forward surface has a triangular emboss 41 at the position opposed to the position where the third bottom panel 3b is exposed on the inside surface of the container.

(69) As illustrated in FIG. 4 and FIG. 13, the triangular flaps of the second and the fourth bottom panels 2b, 4b form a triangular step H on the inside surface of the container. The triangular emboss 42 is trapped in the triangular step H and presses the third bottom panel 3b. The central part of the inside surface of the container bottom has steps and discontinuous parts formed, but the embosses are inserted for further uniform pressing.

(70) In this embodiment, the filling means 17 fills liquid food, such as milk, juices, etc., into the container through the opening.

(71) The container has the side walls and the bottom already formed.

(72) In this embodiment, an upper sealing means 18 the top opening of the container 10 is heated and pressed to be heat-sealed.

(73) The packaging and filling device comprises a sterilization means of sterilizing the inside surface and the inside of the container with a sterilization agent, such as hydrogen peroxide liquid or others, or a high energy beam, such as ultraviolet ray, electron beam or others; a prior heating means which facilitates the heat-seal; and a nitrogen gas replacing means which fills nitrogen gas into the upper void of the container filled with liquid food.

(74) As described above, this embodiment provides a packaging and filling device, paper container and blank which is suitably applicable to permeation leakage from the side surface.

(75) The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above and can be variously modified, based on the concept of the present invention, and the modifications and the variations are not excluded from the scope of the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

(76) The present invention is applicable to the manufacture of packaging/filling liquid food.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

(77) 1 first panel 2 second panel 3 third panel 4 fourth panel 6 sixth panel 9 paper container 12, 13 blank