Thermoform packaging machine and method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a thermoform packaging machine and a method of operating a thermoform packaging machine, which comprises an infeed station and a pre-sealing station, so as to feed elongate products into troughs and retain them therein until a cover film has been fixed so as to cover the troughs.

Claims

1. A thermoform packaging machine comprising: a forming station for forming a plurality of troughs in a film; an infeed station; a sealing station with a sealing tool; and a holder for receiving the plurality of troughs and retaining a product in each of the troughs, wherein the holder comprises a plurality of clamping strips disposed for movement between a product retaining position and a product loading position and wherein each of the plurality of clamping strips includes a plurality of clamping jaws; wherein the holder is disposed for movement relative to said sealing tool in a production direction of the thermoform packaging machine.

2. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the holder comprises said clamping jaws positioned for retaining products at a plurality of positions in the troughs.

3. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the clamping strips are adapted to be moved in common by an adjustment drive relative to one another such that the clamping jaws close upon the products in the troughs in the product retaining position.

4. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the holder comprises a plurality of holding segments arranged on a circulating feed system.

5. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 4, wherein the holder is adapted to be intermittently conveyed in synchronism with a film conveying unit for the film in said production direction into the sealing station for pre-sealing a cover film onto the film.

6. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 5, wherein the holder is mechanically coupled to the film conveying unit for the film.

7. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the infeed station includes a gripper for feeding a group of flexible and partially curved products into the troughs.

8. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the holder includes a downholder configured for retaining products at a plurality of positions in the troughs and the film.

9. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the holder includes a die for a group of products, said die being vertically movable by means of a lifting device.

10. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 9, wherein the sealing tool is movable in a direction opposite to the production direction to a position above the die for sealing a cover film onto the film.

11. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the clamping strips are disposed for a movement in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of production.

12. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein clamping strips are disposed in the product retaining position and engage the product in each of the plurality of the troughs as the holder, the product in each of the plurality of the troughs moves from the infeed station toward said sealing tool in the production direction.

13. A method for operating an intermittently working thermoform packaging machine for packaging a group of flexible and partially curved products, said method comprising the steps of: forming troughs in a film; feeding the group of products into the troughs in an infeed station, the troughs being positioned in a holder during the feeding step; moving the holder, the troughs and the products positioned in the holder relative to the sealing tool of a sealing station in a direction of production of the thermoform packaging machine; and retaining the products with a plurality of clamping jaws in the holder while the holder, the trough and the products are moved relative to said sealing tool.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of retaining of the products begins when the products have been fed in, and ends after sealing.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein said moving the holder step further comprises moving a format of holding segments.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising feeding the products into the troughs with a gripper.

17. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of sealing the products in the troughs, and conveying the holder back to the infeed station with a circulating feed system.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) In the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of the specification and is to be read in conjunction therewith in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like or similar parts in the various views:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a thermoform packaging machine according to one embodiment of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a partial top perspective view of a thermoform packaging machine illustrating an infeed station, a gripper and a pre-sealing station according to one embodiment of the present invention;

(4) FIG. 3 is a partial top perspective view of a format of a holder according to one embodiment of the present invention;

(5) FIG. 4 is a sectional side perspective view of an infeed station in a direction opposite to the production direction illustrating the closed condition of the clamping device according to one embodiment of the present invention;

(6) FIG. 5 is a -sectional side perspective view of a pre-sealing station and holder in a direction opposite to the production direction illustrating the open condition of the clamping device according to one embodiment of the present invention;

(7) FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of another embodiment of the holder as a paternoster;

(8) FIG. 7a is a schematic side view of a further embodiment of the holder with a sealing station movable along the production direction illustrating in a first position according to one embodiment of the present invention;

(9) FIG. 7b is a schematic side view of the holder of FIG. 7a with a sealing station movable along the production direction illustrating in a second position according to one embodiment of the present invention; and

(10) FIG. 7c is a schematic side view of the holder of FIG. 7a with a sealing station movable along the production direction illustrating in a third position according to one embodiment of the present invention.

(11) Identical components are provided with identical reference numerals throughout the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(12) The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. For purposes of clarity in illustrating the characteristics of the present invention, proportional relationships of the elements have not necessarily been maintained in the drawing figures.

(13) The following detailed description of the invention references specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The present invention is defined by the appended claims and the description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense and shall not limit the scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

(14) FIG. 1 shows in a schematic view a packaging machine 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention in the form of a thermoform packaging machine. As shown, this thermoform packaging machine 1 comprises a forming station 2, an infeed station 3 (loading station), a pre-sealing station 4, a sealing station 5, a transverse cutting unit 6 and a longitudinal cutting unit 7, which are arranged on a machine frame 8 in this sequence, when seen in a production direction R. On the input side, the machine frame 8 can have provided thereon a supply roll 9 from which a film or foil 10 is unwound. A material storage unit 11 may also be provided, from which a cover film or foil 12 is unwound and supplied to the pre-sealing station 4. On the output side, the packaging machine may have provided thereon a discharge unit 13 in the form of a conveyor belt with which finished packages, which have been separated from one another, are transported away. Furthermore, the thermoform packaging machine 1 may include a film conveying unit, which is not shown in detail and which grips the film 10 and advances it in the production direction R during each main operating cycle. The film conveying unit may be configured, for example, as transport chains and clamp chains, respectively, arranged on either side of the film 10 and on the machine frame 8.

(15) In the embodiment shown, the forming station 2 is configured as a thermoforming station, which is used for forming troughs 14 in the film 10 by means of thermoforming. The forming station 2 can be configured such that in the direction perpendicular to the production direction R several troughs are formed side by side. Downstream of the forming station 2, when seen in the production direction R, the infeed station 3 may be provided for filling the troughs 14 formed in the film 10 with products 15.

(16) The sealing station 5 can be provided with a closable chamber 17 in which the atmosphere in the troughs 14 can be substituted, prior to sealing, by an exchange gas or by a gas mixture, for example, by gas flushing.

(17) The transverse cutting device 6 may be configured as a punch separating the film 10 and the cover film 12 in a direction transversely to the production direction R between neighboring troughs 14. In so doing, the transverse cutting device 6 works such that the film 10 is not cut across the whole width of the film, but remains uncut in at least an edge area thereof. This allows controlled further conveyance by the film conveying unit.

(18) In the embodiment shown, the longitudinal cutting device 7 is configured as a blade arrangement by means of which the film 10 and the cover film 12 are cut between neighboring troughs 14 and at the lateral edge of the film 10, so that, downstream of the longitudinal cutting device 7, singulated packages are obtained.

(19) The packaging machine 1 may additionally be provided with a controller 16. It has the function of controlling and monitoring the processes taking place in the packaging machine 1. A display device 18 with operating controls 19 serves to make the sequences of process steps in the packaging machine 1 visible to an operator and to influence them by the operator.

(20) The general mode of operation of the packaging machine 1, according to one embodiment, will be described briefly in the following:

(21) The film 10 is unwound from the supply roll 9 and conveyed into the forming station 2 by the film conveying unit. In the forming station 2, troughs 14 are formed in the film 10 by thermoforming. Together with the area of the film 10 surrounding them, the troughs 14 are advanced, in a main work cycle, to the infeed station 3 where they are filled with a group G of products 15.

(22) Subsequently, the filled troughs 14 are, together with the area of the film 10 surrounding them, advanced by the film conveying unit into the pre-sealing station 4 during the main work cycle. In the course of this process, the products 15 are held in the troughs 14 by means of a holder 20 while the troughs 14 are moved from the infeed station 3 to the pre-sealing station 4 during the main work cycle.

(23) After having been sealed onto the film 10, the cover film 12 is advanced in the pre-sealing station 4 with the feed motion of the film 10. In the course of this process, the cover film 12 is unwound from the material storage unit 11. By sealing the cover film 12 onto the troughs 14, the troughs 14 are covered to such an extent that, in the following work cycles, the products 15 are retained in the troughs 14 without the holder 20 until closed packages are produced in the sealing station 5. The closed packages are separated from one another in the downstream cutting units 6 and 7 and removed from the packaging machine 1 by means of the discharge unit 13.

(24) FIG. 2 shows the pre-sealing station 4 with a pre-sealing tool 21 for sealing the cover film 12 onto the film 10 in certain areas thereof. The infeed station 3 can be provided with a gripper 22 for feeding a group G of six products 15, which may, for example, be catheters, into a row of six troughs 14 in a work cycle. The products 15 can here be advanced to the thermoform packaging machine 1 via a magazine or a conveyor belt, so that they can be gripped by the gripper 22. The gripper 22 may be configured as a two-, three- or four-axle robot and it may be capable of holding a group G of six products 15 by means of vacuum suction devices 22a.

(25) The holder 20 can extend from the infeed station 3 to the pre-sealing station 4 and may comprise a plurality of holding segments 23, which are attached to a circulating feed system 24. Eleven holding segments 23, which are adequately designed for accommodating the troughs 14, may form here a respective format F for six troughs 14. Some of the holding segments 23 may have provided between them clamping jaws 25 on clamping strips 26, the clamping strips 26 being movable transversely to the production direction R so as to move two cooperating clamping jaws 25 towards one another for retaining the product 15 in the trough 14 by slightly compressing the film 10 above the inserted product 15 and reducing the opening in size towards the top.

(26) The feed system 24 may comprise a drive shaft 27 having attached thereto two gears 28 for conveying the holding segments 23. Via two additional gears 29 and two respective deflection pulleys 30, the drive shaft 27 and, consequently, the feed system 24 can be driven via the film conveying unit, which is used for conveying the film 10 and which is not shown in detail, in the thermoform packaging machine, preferably by two transport chains for the film 10, which run on either side of the machine frame 8, and are thus mechanically coupled and synchronized with the feed motion of the film 10. As a variant, it is also imaginable that the feed system 24 has a servo drive of its own, which means that the gears 29 and the deflection pulleys 30 could be dispensed with. The holder 20 can comprise four cross members 31, by means of which the holder 20 is attached to the machine frame 8, which is not shown in detail in FIG. 2.

(27) FIG. 3 shows a single format F of the holder 20 in an enlarged representation without the film 10 and the products 15. The format F comprises eleven holding segments 23. The holding segments 23 have provided therein recesses 32 for accommodating the troughs 14 of the film 10. The recesses 32 of the holding segments 23 have provided therein holes 33 through which a vacuum is applied so as to make the film 10 adhere within the holding segments 23. The product 15 can be fed into the troughs 14 that are held open in this way. In so doing, the products 15 are held from above by means of the gripper 22 and the vacuum suction devices 22a and are fed into the troughs 14 from above. The vacuum suction devices 22a are active and retain the products 15 until the clamping jaws 25 have been moved towards one another, as shown in FIG. 2, for retaining the products 15 in the troughs 14. The vacuum suction devices 22a are then switched inactive and the gripper 22 moves away from the holder 20 so as to fetch a further six products 15 for the next format F, e.g. from a feed belt or magazine. The format F comprising the fed-in and retained products 15 is advanced in the production direction R during the next work cycle.

(28) FIG. 4 shows a section through a format F transversely to the production direction R in the area of the infeed station 3, in which an adjustment drive 35 is shown, which comprises a lifting cylinder 36, a lever mechanism 37 and a guide 38 so that two strips 39 supported on the guide 38 and oriented in the production direction R can be moved towards and away from each other. For moving the strips 39 towards each other, a lower part of the lever mechanism 37, which is connected to the lifting cylinder 36, may be displaced downwards. In the course of this movement, the strips 39 push studs 40, which are each connected to a clamping strip 26, towards each another. Each clamping strip 26 can have attached thereto six clamping jaws 25 for each product 15 in this embodiment, so that two clamping jaws 25 provided around a respective product 15 move towards each other and compress by means of a projection 25a the film 10 from two sides so as to reliably retain the product 15 in the trough 14 while it is being conveyed up to and into the pre-sealing station 4. The adjustment drive 35 may be attached to the machine frame 8.

(29) FIG. 5 shows a section transversely to the production direction R in the area of the pre-sealing station 4 with a further adjustment drive 41, which comprises a lifting cylinder 36, a lever mechanism 37 and a guide 38 so that two strips 39 supported on the guide 38 and oriented in the production direction R can be moved towards and away from each other. For moving the strips 39 away from each other, a lower part of the lever mechanism 37, which is connected to the cylinder 36, can be displaced upwards. In the course of this movement, the strips 39 push the studs 40, which are each connected to the clamping strip 26, away from each other and the clamping jaws 25 move away from each other and remain at this position until the format F has been conveyed back to the infeed station 3 by means of the feed system 24 for receiving therein new products 15. As shown, the adjustment drive 41 is attached to the machine frame 8 via the cross members 31.

(30) An alternative embodiment according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 6. In this embodiment, the pre-sealing station 4 includes a pre-sealing tool 21 and the cover film 12 is supplied to the pre-sealing station 4. The pre-sealing station 4 may also be configured as a sealing station 5 and seal the cover film 12 onto the film 10 with a circumferentially extending sealed seam. The infeed station 3 may comprise the gripper 22 for feeding the products 15 into the troughs 14. A holder 44 can include a downholder 45 having attached thereto a plurality of rollers 46 on strips 47. The downholder 45 may be adjustable vertically or transversely to the production direction R so as to allow the gripper 22 to feed the products 15 into the troughs 14 from above. When the products have been fed in, the downholder 45 is moved downwards or to the side to a position above the products 15 such that said products 15 are retained in the troughs 14 during the movement in the production direction R. The downholder 45 comprises, for example, a respective strip 47 with thirteen rollers 46 for the individual products 15.

(31) The pre-sealing tool 21 may comprise a plurality of rollers 46, which are arranged above the products 15 so as to retain said products 15 in the troughs 14. The pre-sealing tool 21 can comprise a pre-sealing frame 21a, which, by means of so-called spot seals, fastens the cover film 12 to the film 10 at a plurality of positions between the rollers 46.

(32) In one embodiment, the holder 44 comprises at least two dies 48 for receiving therein the troughs 14 and the products 15, respectively. In FIG. 6 three dies 48 are shown. The dies 48 may be arranged such that a die 48 is moved in the production direction R from the infeed station 3 to the pre-sealing station 4 in synchronism with the feed motion of the thermoform packaging machine 1 for sealing, in said pre-sealing station 4, the cover film 12 partially onto the film 10 such that the product 15 will be retained reliably in the trough 14 until full sealing of the cover film 12 onto the film 10 will finally take place in the sealing station 5. For returning the die 48, the die may be lowered in the pre-sealing station 4 after the sealing process and conveyed, in a direction opposite to the production direction R, to the infeed station 3 by a conveyor system, which is not shown in detail, and moved upwards for feeding in new products 15 by means of the gripper 22 so that it will come into contact with the film 10 and receive the troughs 14. Also according to this embodiment, holes 33 for applying a vacuum may be provided in the die 48.

(33) Another embodiment according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. 7a, 7b and 7c. In this case, it is not the die 48, but the pre-sealing tool 21, that is movable in or opposite to the production direction R. FIG. 7a shows the situation while the products 15 are being fed into the troughs 14 by means of the gripper 22, the die 48 is occupying an upper working position.

(34) In FIG. 7b, the pre-sealing tool 21 with the downholder 45 has been moved in a direction opposite to the production direction R such that the pre-sealing tool 21 is located directly above the die 48. In the course of this movement, also the cover film 12 has been unwound and placed on top of the film 10. Previously, the gripper 22 has been removed from the area of collision with the pre-sealing tool 21. The cover film 12 may be fixed to the film 10 in this work cycle.

(35) In FIG. 7c, the die 48 has been lowered to a release position so as to allow a collision-free movement of the pre-sealing tool 21 and of the downholder 45 as well as of the troughs 14 in the production direction R. The newly supplied troughs 14 may have products 15 inserted therein more than once, when the die 48 has been re-raised to its working position (cf. FIG. 7a).

(36) In addition to its movement along the production direction R, the downholder 45 can also be moved vertically or transversely, as shown in the variant according to FIG. 6, so as to allow the products 15 to be fed into the troughs 14 by means of the gripper 22.

(37) The movement of the pre-sealing tool 21 can be carried out by means of a servo drive or a pneumatic cylinder. Preferably, the downholder 45 is mechanically coupled with the pre-sealing tool 21 or it is adapted to be moved approximately in synchronism with the pre-sealing tool 21 by means of an adjustment drive of its own.

(38) Also in the embodiment according to FIGS. 7a to 7c, holes 33 for applying a vacuum may be provided in the die 48. The pre-sealing tool 21 may also be configured as a sealing tool so as to produce a circumferentially extending sealed seam.

(39) In the case of all embodiments, the products 15 may be fed in manually or individually through the gripper 22.

(40) From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure. It will be understood that certain features and sub combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub combinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims. Since many possible embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is also to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative and not limiting.

(41) The constructions and methods described above and illustrated in the drawings are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the concepts and principles of the present invention. Thus, there has been shown and described several embodiments of a novel invention. As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. The terms having and including and similar terms as used in the foregoing specification are used in the sense of optional or may include and not as required. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present construction will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.