APPLICATION UNIT, METHOD FOR OPERATING AN APPLICATION UNIT, AND PACKAGING MACHINE HAVING AN APPLICATION UNIT

Abstract

An application unit in a packaging machine attaches a material blank to containers in a container group so as to form a multipack. At least one pressing element connect the material blank to the containers while they are conveyed along a transport plane. A drive unit moves the pressing element with a tool plate between out-of-engagement and engagement positions with the containers. The drive unit has mutually parallel and spaced-apart first and second drive disks to be rotated about respective first and second axes of rotation. The first and second axes of rotation are horizontal and located at the same height but not coaxial with each other. The pressing element is articulated to the first drive disk by a first joint axis and to the second drive disk by a second joint axis such that the tool plate is oriented horizontal during rotation of the two drive disks.

Claims

1-17. (canceled)

18. An application unit for a packaging machine for applying a material blank to containers assembled to form a container group, the application unit comprising: at least one pressing element having a tool plate for connecting the material blank to containers of the container group to be conveyed along a transport plane; and a drive unit configured to move a pressing element to adjust the tool plate between an out-of-engagement position and an in-engagement position with the containers; said drive unit including a first drive disk, being rotatable about a first axis of rotation, and a second drive disk, arranged parallel to and at a distance from said first drive disk, and being rotatable about a second axis of rotation, said first and second axes of rotation being aligned horizontally and at an equal height but not coaxially with one another; and said pressing element having first and second articulated axles, and said pressing element being connected by way of said first articulated axle in a jointed manner to said first drive disk and by way of said second articulated axle in a jointed manner to said second drive disk, so that, with a rotation of said first and second drive disks about said respective axes of rotation, said tool plate is aligned horizontally.

19. The application unit according to claim 18, wherein said pressing element is configured to render said tool plate detachable.

20. The application unit according to claim 18, wherein said first and second drive disks comprise receiver openings for a detachable arrangement of the articulated axles of said pressing elements.

21. The application unit according to claim 18, wherein each of said drive disks is formed with a plurality of receiver openings, which are arranged and distributed over their circumference, enabling a plurality of said pressing elements to be secured to said drive disks and being spaced from one another at distance intervals that are adjustable to different product divisions selected from the group consisting of 160 mm, 240 mm, and 320 mm.

22. The application unit according to claim 18, wherein each of said drive disks is formed with a plurality of receiver openings, which are arranged on a circular path with a predetermined circumference, and which are arranged in a first receiver opening group of n equidistant receiver openings, a second receiver opening group of n equidistant receiver openings, which are arranged opposite said receiver openings of said first receiver opening group, and two individual receiver openings, each arranged centrally between said first and second receiver opening groups on the circular path, wherein n is a natural number.

23. The application unit according to claim 22, wherein each of said drive disks is formed with at least eight receiver openings, the circular path has a circumference of 960 mm, and n is greater than or equal to 3.

24. The application unit according to claim 18, wherein said pressing element is one of a plurality of pressing elements, each having a first articulated axle connected to said first drive disk and second articulated axle connected to said second drive disk.

25. The application unit according to claim 24, wherein a number of said pressing elements is selected from the group consisting of 3, 4, and 6.

26. The application unit according to claim 24, wherein said plurality of pressing elements are arranged equidistantly from one another.

27. The application unit according to claim 18, wherein said drive unit comprises a drive motor for driving said drive disks.

28. The application unit according to claim 27, wherein said drive motor is an electric motor.

29. The application unit according to claim 27, wherein said drive disks comprise drive-toothed wheels configured to be brought into meshing engagement with power takeoff toothed wheels of said drive motor.

30. A packaging machine, comprising an application unit for applying a material blank to containers assembled to form a container group, the application unit including: at least one pressing element having a tool plate for connecting the material blank to containers of the container group to be conveyed along a transport plane; and a drive unit configured to move a pressing element to adjust the tool plate between an out-of-engagement position and an in-engagement position with the containers; said drive unit including a first drive disk, being rotatable about a first axis of rotation, and a second drive disk, arranged parallel to and at a distance from said first drive disk, and being rotatable about a second axis of rotation, said first and second axes of rotation being aligned horizontally and at an equal height but not coaxially with one another; and said pressing element having first and second articulated axles, and said pressing element being connected by way of said first articulated axle in a jointed manner to said first drive disk and by way of said second articulated axle in a jointed manner to said second drive disk, so that, with a rotation of said first and second drive disks about said respective axes of rotation, said tool plate is aligned horizontally.

31. The packaging machine according to claim 30, which comprises a transport device for conveying the containers in the transport direction along the transport plane, wherein the first and second axes of rotation are aligned perpendicular to the transport direction and at a same distance interval from the transport plane, and are arranged offset to one another in the transport direction.

32. The packaging machine according to claim 30, wherein said application unit is a first application unit and the packaging machine comprises a further application unit, wherein said first application unit is configured so as to apply a material blank to containers that are assembled into a container group, and said further application unit is configured to lock two lateral folding tabs of the material blank applied to the containers.

33. The packaging machine according to claim 30, further comprising a folding device arranged between said first application unit and said further application unit, for folding the lateral folding tabs of the material blank.

34. A method for operating an application unit or a packaging machine, the method comprising: providing an application unit according to claim 18; conveying the containers with a first product division; subsequently changing the product division and conveying the containers with a second product division, which is different from the first product division; and regardless of the product division, using a fixed number of pressing elements and leaving a position of the pressing elements on the drive disks unchanged.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein, with the respective predetermined product division, the circumferential speed of the pressing elements is variable.

36-37. (canceled)

Description

[0043] Exemplary embodiments are explained hereinafter with reference to the drawings. These show:

[0044] FIG. 1 In a schematic representation, a perspective view of an application unit and several grouped containers;

[0045] FIG. 2 a perspective representation of the application unit from FIG. 1 in interaction with the grouped containers;

[0046] FIG. 3 a perspective representation of a second embodiment of an application unit;

[0047] ii FIGS. 4 & 5 a perspective view of the application unit from FIGS. 1 and 2 during the processing of a material blank with folding tabs;

[0048] FIG. 6 a perspective view of a further application unit, downstream of the application unit from FIG. 5 in the transport direction, for locking the folding tabs.

[0049] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of an application unit 1a in its position relative to several container groups 4, assembled from containers 3, in a packaging machine, not represented here, which comprises a transport device.

[0050] The application unit 1a comprises four pressing elements 7a. The application unit 1a further comprises, to drive the pressing element 7a, a drive unit 6a with a first drive disk 11a and a second drive disk 12a. The drive disks 11a, 12a are arranged transverse to the transport direction 27 of the containers 3, parallel and at a distance from one another. The first drive disk 11a rotates about its first axis of rotation 9a, and the second drive disk 12a rotates about its second axis of rotation 10a, wherein the first axis of rotation 9a and the second axis of rotation 10a, viewed in the transport direction, are arranged behind one another and at a distance from one another, wherein the height of the first and second axes of rotation 9a, 10a, is the same, i.e. their distance from a transport plane of the containers 3.

[0051] The drive unit 6a comprising the two drive disks 11a, 12a, serves to adjust the pressing elements 7a, provided with tool plates 8a, which are arranged in the region between the first drive disk 11a and the second drive disk 12a. The pressing elements 7a are in this situation each connected by means of a first articulated axle 13a to the first drive disk 11a, and by means of a second articulated axle 25a to the second drive disk 12a. For the arranging of the pressing elements 7a at the first and second drive disks 11a, 12a, use is made in this situation of jointed bolts 24, mounted in a rotational articulated manner in the pressing elements 7a, which are arranged with their ends opposite the free ends over square elements 26 in the first and second drive disks 11a, 12a. If the receiver openings 14a, unlike the exemplary embodiment from FIG. 1, do not have a square shape, then use is preferably made, instead of the square elements 26, of connecting elements of a different shape, such as circular.

[0052] The arrangement of the pressing elements 7a in the first and second drive disks 11a, 12a is configured in this situation in such a way that the first articulated axle 13a and second articulated axle 25a in each case of a pressing element 7a always exhibit in common the same distance interval from the transport plane, such that the pressing elements 7a and the tool plates 8a arranged at the pressing elements 7a, during the rotation of the drive disks 11a, 12a, are always arranged horizontal, i.e. parallel to the transport plane and parallel to the containers 3 arranged in a container group 4.

[0053] The pressing elements 7a are in this case arranged distributed uniformly over the circumference at the first drive disk 11a and the second drive disk 12a, wherein the first drive disk 11a and the second drive disk 12a each comprise a first receiver opening group 20a and a second receiver opening group 21a. Each of these receiver groups 20a, 21a, comprises three receiver openings 14a arranged distributed over the circumference, equidistant from one another. Two further receiver openings 14a are arranged in each case in the middle between the first receiver opening group 20a and the second receiver opening group 21a on the circular path on which the receiver openings 14a of the first and second receiver opening group 20a, 21a are arranged opposite one another at the drive disks 11a, 11b.

[0054] By means of a drive of the application unit 1a, the first and second drive disks 11a, 12a are set in rotation about their first and second axes of rotation 9a, 10a, as a result of which the pressing elements 7a run with their tool plates 8a about the first and second axes of rotation 9a, 10a. In this situation, the tool plates 8a come into engagement with the containers 3 assembled to form container groups 4, and displace the material blanks 2, arranged on the container groups 4—in this situation preferably cardboard blanks—in the direction onto the containers 3.

[0055] When the container groups 4 are guided along at the application unit 1a, along the transport direction 27, then, in interaction with the tool plates 8a, the material blanks 2 are moved out of their position represented in FIG. 1, laid on the container groups 4, in order to form bundles 5, into the position represented in FIG. 2, in the transport direction 27 following the application unit, in which the material blanks 2 with holes 23 are arranged over the upper side of the containers 3, such that the holes 23 are arranged in the region of the upper sides of the containers 3 coaxially to the containers 3. During the interaction with the container groups 4, the tool plates 8a guide the material blanks 2 and hold them parallel to the upper sides of the containers 3 and move them out of an out-of-engagement position into a position of engagement with the container groups 4.

[0056] A further embodiment of an application unit 1b is reproduced in FIG. 3 in a perspective reproduction. As a departure from the application unit 1a represented in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the drive unit 6b of the application unit 1b comprises two wheel-shaped drive disks 11b, 12b, wherein the first drive disk 11b can be rotated about the first axis of rotation 9b, and the second drive disk 12b can be rotated about the second axis of rotation 10b. For the articulated arrangement of the pressing elements 7b at the first drive disk 11b and of the second drive disk 12b, screws 22 are used, with which the jointed bolts 24 extending through the pressing elements 7b are connected in a jointed manner to the first and second drive disks 11b, 12b. The jointed bolts 24 form the first and second articulated axle 13b, 25b of the pressing elements 7b.

[0057] As a departure from the embodiment of the receiver openings 14a of the drive unit 6a, represented in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first and second drive disks 11b, 12b of the application unit 1b represented in FIG. 3 comprise circular receiver openings 14b, through which the screws 22 extend. By analogy with the exemplary embodiment represented in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the first drive disk 11b and the second drive disk 12b comprise a first receiver opening group 20b and a second receiver opening group 21b, which are arranged opposite one another. Arranged between the two receiver opening groups 20b, 21b, on the circular path of the receiver opening 14b are two individual receiver openings 14b, in each case in the middle between the two receive opening groups 20b, 21b.

[0058] The drive of the drive unit 6b is provided by means of a drive motor 15, arranged on a frame 18, the rotational movement of which is transferred by means of two power takeoff toothed wheels 16 onto drive toothed wheels 17, which are connected to the drive disks 11b, 12b in a torsionally resistant manner. By means of the drive, the first and second drive disks 11b, 12b are set in rotation about their first and second axes of rotation 9b, 10b respectively, wherein the pressing elements 7b, with their tool plates 8b arranged on them constantly aligned horizontally, circulate in accordance with the direction of the rotation of the first and second drive disks 11b, 12b. The tool plate 8b comprises in this situation openings 19, which are adjusted to the containers 3 of the container groups 4 which are to be processed, and allows for a displacement of the material blank 2 in the direction of the containers 3, as a result of which the multipacks 5 are formed.

[0059] FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show the application unit 1a from FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 respectively, as well as several container groups 4 which are to be processed, assembled from containers 3, wherein the application unit 1a, however, is used to process another type of material blanks 2. In this present case, material blanks 2 are processed which in each case comprise two lateral folding tabs 2a. In the folded state (see FIG. 6), these serve as protection against dirt contamination for the covers of the containers 3.

[0060] With the aid of the application unit 1a, these material blanks 2 are applied in the manner described heretofore to the containers 3 of the respective container group 4. Following this, the lateral folding tabs 2a are folded with the aid of a folding device (not represented) downstream of the application unit 1a in the transport direction 27.

[0061] A further application unit 1c follows the said application unit 1a in the transport direction 27. This application 1c serves to lock the folded folding tabs 2a of a material blank 2 to one another.

[0062] The further application unit 1c is configured essentially identical in design to the first application unit 1a, but in each case additionally comprises at the tool plates 8a of its pressing elements a locking element 28. The respective locking element 28 has a shape tapering downwards to a point and extends preferably over the entire length of the associated tool plate 8a.

[0063] The container groups 4 are transported, with the folded material blanks 2 arranged on them, by means of the transport device along the transport direction 27 to the application unit 1c. By means of a drive of the application unit 1c, the first and second drive disks 11a, 12a are set in rotation about their first and second axes of rotation 9a, 10a, as a result of which the pressing elements 7a, with their tool plates 8a and the locking elements 28 arranged on them, circulate about the first and second axes of rotation 9a, 10a. In this situation the locking elements 28 come into engagement with the material blanks 2 and lock the two folding tabs 28 of the respective material blank 2 to one another.

REFERENCE NUMBER LIST

[0064] 1a, 1 b, 1c Application unit [0065] 2 Material blank [0066] 2a Folding tab [0067] 3 Container [0068] 4 Container group [0069] 5 Multipack [0070] 6a, 6b Drive unit [0071] 7a, 7b Pressing element [0072] 8a, 8b Tool plate [0073] 9a, 9b First axis of rotation [0074] 10a, 10b Second axis of rotation [0075] 11a, 11 b First drive axle [0076] 12a, 12b Second drive axle [0077] 13a, 13b First articulated axle [0078] 14a, 14b Receiver opening [0079] 15 Drive motor [0080] 16 Power takeoff toothed wheel [0081] 17 Drive toothed wheel [0082] 18 Frame [0083] 19 Opening [0084] 20a, 29b First receiver opening group [0085] 21a, 21b Second receiver opening group [0086] 22 Screw [0087] 23 Hole [0088] 24 Jointed bolt [0089] 25a, 25b Second articulated axle [0090] 26 Square element [0091] 27 Transport direction [0092] 28 Locking element