Packaging and filling device, paper container and blank

Abstract

A packaging and filling device, a paper container, and a blank is disclosed. The blank comprises a sixth panel in a readily foldable state prior to a step for forming a bottom part, and provides sufficient length in a folded portion to protect the end surface of a packaging material. The blank for the paper container is formed by the packaging and filling device and comprises a top part, a bottom part, and a cylindrical body having four side walls and a square cross-section. 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 to obtain a container, a filling unit for filling the container with liquid food 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 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 extending from the respective lower sides of the first panel and the third panel; a second bottom panel and a fourth bottom panel, the second and fourth bottom panels extending from the 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: bending the sixth panel outward; bending the second bottom panel and the fourth panel into triangular flaps with the lower side surfaces of the second and the fourth bottom panels facing outward, and bending the second and the fourth bottom panels inward; stacking 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 further 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, the extracting unit including a bendable unit which bends the sixth panel outward to make the sixth panel bendable; 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 with the sixth panel made bendable, wherein: the bendable unit is a sector piece provided on a shaft of a rotary roller which receives and transfers the extracted blank, the sector piece being provided at a position corresponding to the sixth panel; and the infeeder comprises: a carrier which moves together with the sixth panel of the cylindrical blank; and a prior bending block fixed to a position immediately before the mandrel; wherein as the carrier is moved downward, the sixth panel follows the carrier to be bent with the corners of the forward end of the prior bending block; wherein the bottom forming unit comprises: a heating station configured to heat the container bottom, the heating station comprising: a nozzle surface for heating the container bottom; and bending claws provided on the nozzle surface for heating an inside surface of the third bottom panel, the bending claws including two pointed claws erected toward the third bottom panel; and a press station 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 press station comprising a triangular emboss provided on the forward side surface of the mandrel at a position corresponding to the sixth panel and abutting a position where the third bottom panel is exposed on the inside surface of the container, whereby the sixth panel is bent, and the container bottom is formed.

2. A packaging and filling device for forming a paper container from a blank, comprising: a loading unit comprising: an extracting unit configured to extract a blank from a plurality of vertically sealed and flattened blanks, the blank including first, second, third, and fourth bottom panels, the third bottom panel comprising a sixth panel partially extended from a center of the lower side of the third bottom panel; and a bendable unit configured to bend the sixth panel outward and make the sixth panel bendable; an erecting unit configured to erect the flattened blank into a cylindrical blank; an infeeder configured to insert a mandrel into the cylindrical blank with the sixth panel made bendable; a bottom forming unit configured to form a bottom of the cylindrical blank to form the paper container having a top opening and a bottom, the bottom forming unit comprising the mandrel, a press station and a heating 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 bendable unit includes a sector piece provided on a shaft of a rotary roller which receives and transfers the extracted blank, the sector piece being provided at a position corresponding to the sixth panel; the infeeder comprises: a carrier which moves together with the sixth panel of the cylindrical blank; and a prior bending block fixed to a position immediately before the mandrel; wherein as the carrier is moved downward, the sixth panel follows the carrier to be bent with the corners of the forward end of the prior bending block; the heating station of the bottom forming unit comprises: a nozzle surface of a heater for heating the container bottom; and a bending claw provided on the nozzle surface for heating the inside surface of the third bottom panel, the bending claw including pointed claws erected toward the third bottom panel; and the press station of the bottom forming unit presses 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 press station comprising a triangular emboss provided on the forward side surface of the mandrel at a position corresponding to the sixth panel and abutting a position where the third bottom panel is exposed on the inside surface of the container.

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 perspective views of the paper container usable in the present invention having the top opened and the bottom dissolved (A) and the vertical section of the bottom (B).

(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 taking out, receiving and transferring a blank.

(6) FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of the making bendable means provided on the rotary roller for receiving and transferring a blank.

(7) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the forward end of the infeeder usable in the present invention illustrating making the sixth panel bendable.

(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 end 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 vertical sectional view of the bottom forming means usable in the present invention folding the first and the third bottom panel.

(11) FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a 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.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

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

(14) 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.

(15) 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.

(16) The ordinary paper container of a capacity of 1 litter has the square one side of which is 73 mm and a height of 234 mm.

(17) 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).

(18) 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.

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

(20) 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). In this embodiment, a fold line is provided at the boundary between the sixth panel 6 and the lower side of the third bottom panel 3b, where the sixth panel 6 is to be bent to thereby facilitate the bend of the sixth panel 6.

(21) 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 ends 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.

(22) 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.

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

(24) This embodiment is characterized in that as illustrated in FIG. 3(A), the sixth panel 6 has a width which is 15-65% of a total length of the lower side of the third bottom panel, preferably 20-60%, more preferably 30-55%, and a height h which facilitates the bend.

(25) 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 length to be bent becomes long, and the sixth panel 6 cannot be bent easily.

(26) The six panel 6 is bent to thereby protect the side surface at the center of the lower side of the third bottom panel 3 along the distance corresponding to the width of the sixth panel 6.

(27) 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.

(28) The height h of the sixth panel 6 is a height which permits the sixth panel 6 to be easily bent by the prior bending means (making bendable means) in the packaging and filling device and depends on the specifications of the prior bending member (making bendable means).

(29) As illustrated In FIG. 2(A), 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.

(30) As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 2(B), on the inside of the container bottom surface 11, according to the design, only the central bottom side surface 3bc of the third bottom panel 3b is exposed. Because of the packaging material made mainly of paper, actually, the exposed part enlarges, and often is dislocated or deflected. This embodiment is characterized in that the central lower end 3bc has the width of 30-50% of the total length of the lower side of the third bottom panel 3b and can allow for the enlargement, dislocation, the deflection, etc. described above.

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

(32) The sixth panel is bent outward, whereby as illustrated in FIG. 2(B), there is no risk that the side surface 6e of the sixth panel 6 is exposed inside the container.

(33) As illustrated in FIG. 2(A), 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.

(34) 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.

(35) 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.

(36) 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.

(37) 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.

(38) The loading means 15 includes a taking-out means having a making foldable means which takes put a blank 13 and bending the sixth panel 6 outward to make the sixth panel 6 foldable; an erecting means 22 which erects the flattened blank into a cylindrical blank; an infeeder 23 which inserts the cylindrical blank having the sixth panel made foldable into the mandrel of the bottom forming means.

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

(40) The making foldable means of the taking out means 21 bending outward the sixth panel of the balk taken out to make the sixth panel foldable. Making the sixth panel foldable ensures the accurate fold of the sixth panel in a later step.

(41) As illustrated in FIG. 3(A), the sixth panel 6 taken out protrudes out of the panel of the 2 stacked sheets of the first bottom panel 1b and the third bottom panel 3b. The panel of the 2 stacked panels has such a high rigidity that the 2 stacked panels 1b, 3b are neither distorted nor deflected due to the bending force applied to the sixth panel 6. The sixth panel 6 is bend by the bending force accurately along the border (fold line) between itself and the panel of the 2 stacked panels, and the sixth panel is made foldable.

(42) The taking-out means 21, and the making foldable means (not illustrated in FIG. 5) are 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) In this embodiment, the making foldable means 28 is a sector piece 28 provided on the axis of the rotary roller which receives and carries the flattened blank taken out and at the position corresponding to the sixth panel.

(45) 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.

(46) On the axis 27 of the rotary roller 25, the sector piece 28 is provided at the position corresponding to the sixth panel. The rotary roller 25 rotates the roller to receive the blank 13 while rotating also the sector piece 28 of the rotary roller, and at the position corresponding to the sixth panel, the sector piece 28 hits the sixth panel and bends the sixth panel to make the sixth panel foldable.

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

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

(49) There is a risk that the sixth panel made foldable by the making foldable means might restore the straight position in a following step. The infeeder 23 inserts the cylindrical blank 8 with the six panel kept foldable into the mandrel of the bottom forming means 16.

(50) The perspective view of FIG. 7 illustrates the sixth panel being made foldable at the forward end of the infeeder 23 of this embodiment.

(51) The forward end of the feeder conveyor 29 of the infeeder 23 opposed to the mandrel 28 of the bottom forming means 16 is illustrated. In the prior bending mechanism, a carrier provided on the feeder conveyor 29. A cylindrical blank 8 (not illustrated in FIG. 7) is positioned before 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. A prior bending block 31 is fixedly provided further ahead of the feeder conveyor 29. The prior bending block 31 is positioned immediately ahead of the mandrel 28 so that the cylindrical blank 8 is transferred from the forward end of the feeder conveyor 29. As the cylindrical blank 8 is transferred to the mandrel 28, the feed conveyor 29 descends downward to return to the original position, and resultantly, the carrier 30 as well starts to move downward. As the carrier 30 passes the prior bending block 31, a narrow clearance is defined between the forward end of the carrier 30 and the forward end of the prior bending block 31. As the carrier 30 shifts downward, the fifth panel 6 also follows, and the forward corner 31a of the prior bending block 31 bends the sixth panel 6 to keep the sixth panel bendable. The feeder conveyor 29 is further moved, and the carrier 30 departs the mandrel 28 and the six panel 6.

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

(53) 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 ends 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 end surfaces of the mandrels and the press surfaces, and the containers 14 respectively having the top openings and the bottoms are formed.

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

(55) 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.

(56) 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.

(57) 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.

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

(59) In FIG. 8, the inner nozzle 35a1 heats the inside surface of the first bottom panel 1b; the inner nozzle 35a4 heats the inside surface for 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.

(60) In this embodiment, a bending claw 36 is provided on the top of the outer nozzle 35b3. The bending claw 36 erects 2 sharp claws directed toward the third bottom panel 3b. The forward ends of the claws abut the surface of the sixth panel made bendable, and hot air passes between the claws and is applied directly to the surface of the sixth panel to heat the sixth panel.

(61) The sixth panel is bent by the bending claw 36 and has the bend fixed by the heating.

(62) 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.

(63) 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 fourth panel folding members 36, 36 into triangular flaps with the lower end 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 fourth panel folding members 36, 36.

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

(65) 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.

(66) 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.

(67) In this embodiment, the six panel has been already bent forward by the prior benign mechanism.

(68) 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.

(69) 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.

(70) 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.

(71) 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.

(72) 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 trench in the container bottom 11, and a plurality of embosses 40d.

(73) On the other hand, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the mandrel forward surface has a triangular emboss 41 at the position opposed to the bent sixth panel and at the inside surface of the container.

(74) As illustrated in FIG. 4, 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 inserted in the triangular step H and presses the bent sixth panel to form a strong seal.

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

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

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

(78) 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.

(79) In this embodiment, the sixth panel is accurately bent to secure the container bottom.

(80) This embodiment provides a packing/filling device, a paper container and a blank which makes the sixth panel easily bendable prior to the bottom forming step, and enables the bent portion to ensures a sufficient length necessary to protect the side surface of the packaging material.

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

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

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

REFERENCE NUMBERS

(83) 1 first panel 2 second panel 3 third panel 4 fourth panel 6 sixth panel 9 paper container 12, 13 blank