Application device, application apparatus and method for applying additional elements to packages

Abstract

Described and depicted is an application apparatus for applying additional elements, in particular straws, to packages, preferably cardboard composite packages. So that the application can also be carried out reliably at high speeds and with moderate equipment complexity, it is provided that at least two applicators are provided which are adjustable along a common, circumferential transport track from a pick-up position for picking up the additional elements to an application position for applying the additional elements to the packages and back and which comprise respectively at least one application finger for pressing the additional elements onto the packages.

Claims

1. An application apparatus for applying additional elements to packages, wherein at least two applicators are provided which are adjustable along a common, circumferential transport path from a pick-up position for picking up the additional elements to an application position for applying the additional elements to the packages and back and which comprise respectively at least one application finger for pressing the additional elements onto the packages, wherein the at least two applicators respectively comprise a base and wherein the at least one application finger of the at least two applicators is provided so as to be pivotable about a pivoting axis relative to the base such that the at least one application finger of the at least two applicators is pivotable in the application position of an associated applicator in the direction of the packages, wherein the at least two applicators each include a guide finger formed with the base and extends from the base and adjacent to the respective at least one application finger, in which the guide finger and the at least one application finger extend from opposing ends of the base, an additional element guide is provided for guiding the additional elements and for contacting the additional elements with the additional element guide respectively at least partially between the pick-up position and the application position, and wherein the additional element guide comprises at least an inner guide surface and an outer guide surface provided to orient the additional elements and the packages relative to one another.

2. The application apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least two applicators are distributed uniformly over the circumferential transport path.

3. The application apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least two applicators are secured to an application wheel and/or application carousel rotating about a positioning axis of rotation.

4. The application apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one application finger is designed for at least receiving and/or holding the additional elements.

5. The application apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one application finger of the at least two applicators are provided for pressing the additional elements onto the additional element guide.

6. The application apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one application finger is spring-loaded, preloaded, or spring-loaded and preloaded for at least one of the following: holding the additional elements, for pressing the additional elements onto the additional element guide, and for pressing the additional elements onto the packages.

7. The application apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide finger is configured for guiding in an interlocking manner the additional elements at least held by the at least one application finger in the transport device of the additional elements.

8. The application apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least two applicators are respectively pivotable about an orientation pivoting axis from a pick-up orientation to an application orientation and back, and in that the orientation pivoting axes of the at least two applicators are oriented inclined to the positioning axis of rotation of the application wheel and/or application carousel.

9. An application device for applying additional elements to packages, having at least one transport apparatus for transporting the packages along a package transport path, wherein an application apparatus is provided for applying the additional elements to the packages transported along the package transport path, wherein the application apparatus comprises: at least two applicators are provided which are adjustable along a common, circumferential transport path from a pick-up position for picking up the additional elements to an application position for applying the additional elements to the packages and back and which comprise respectively at least one application finger for pressing the additional elements onto the packages, wherein the at least two applicators respectively comprise a base and wherein the at least one application finger of the at least two applicators is provided so as to be pivotable about a pivoting axis relative to the base such that the at least one application finger of the at least two applicators is pivotable in the application position of an associated applicator in the direction of the packages, wherein the at least two applicators each include a guide finger formed with the base and extends from the base and adjacent to the respective at least one application finger, in which the guide finger and the at least one application finger extend from opposing ends of the base, wherein an additional element guide is provided for guiding the additional elements and for contacting the additional elements with the additional element guide respectively at least partially between the pick-up position and the application position, and wherein the additional element guide comprises at least an inner guide surface and an outer guide surface provided to orient the additional elements and the packages relative to one another.

10. A method for applying additional elements to packages, with an application apparatus comprising: at least two applicators are provided which are adjustable along a common, circumferential transport path from a pick-up position for picking up the additional elements to an application position for applying the additional elements to the packages and back and which comprise respectively at least one application finger for pressing the additional elements onto the packages, wherein the at least two applicators respectively comprise a base and wherein the at least one application finger of the at least two applicators is provided so as to be pivotable about a pivoting axis relative to the base such that the at least one application finger of the at least two applicators is pivotable in the application position of an associated applicator in the direction of the packages, wherein an additional element guide is provided for guiding the additional elements and for contacting the additional elements with the additional element guide respectively at least partially between the pick-up position and the application position, wherein the additional element guide comprises at least an inner guide surface and an outer guide surface provided to orient the additional elements and the packages relative to one another, wherein the at least two applicators each include a guide finger formed with the base and extends from the base and adjacent to the respective at least one application finger, in which the guide finger and the at least one application finger extend from opposing ends of the base, in which the at least two applicators are adjusted along the common, circumferential transport path from the pick-up position for picking up the additional elements to the application position for applying the additional elements to the packages and back, and in which the additional elements are pressed onto the packages in the application position respectively by the at least one application finger of the at least two applicators.

11. The method according to claim 10, in which the at least two applicators rotate about a circular path.

12. The method according to claim 10, in which when picking up the additional elements from the at least two applicators, the at least one application finger is adjusted against a restoring force, in which the additional elements are at least in sections held between the pick-up position and the application position by a spring-loaded, a preloaded, or a spring-loaded and preloaded application finger, in which the additional elements are at least in sections pressed between the pick-up position and the application position against the additional element guide for guiding the additional elements by the spring-loaded, the preloaded, or the spring-loaded and preloaded application finger, or in which the additional elements are pressed against the packages by the spring-loaded, the preloaded, or the spring-loaded and preloaded application finger in the application position.

13. The method according to claim 10, in which the additional elements are guided, held, or guided and held in an interlocking manner at least in sections between the pick-up position and the application position adjacent to the at least one application finger by the guide finger.

14. The method according to claim 10, in which the at least two applicators between the pick-up position and the application position are respectively pivoted about an orientation pivoting axis from a pick-up orientation to an application orientation, and in which the at least two applicators are pivoted about the orientation pivoting axis at least substantially perpendicular to the positioning axis of rotation of an applicator wheel and/or application carousel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will subsequently be explained in more detail with reference to a drawing depicting two exemplary embodiments, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a first application device according to the invention in a schematic top view,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a detail of the application device from FIG. 1 comprising a first application apparatus according to the invention in a schematic top view,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a detail of the application device from FIG. 1 in a schematic side view,

(5) FIG. 4 shows a further detail of the application device from FIG. 1 in a schematic side view,

(6) FIGS. 5A-B show an applicator of the application apparatus from FIG. 2 in a top view and a perspective view,

(7) FIG. 6 shows a detail of a second application device according to the invention comprising a second application apparatus according to the invention in a schematic top view,

(8) FIG. 7 shows a detail of the application device from FIG. 6 in a schematic side view, and

(9) FIG. 8 shows a further detail of the application device from FIG. 6 in a schematic side view.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(10) In FIG. 1, an application device 1 for applying additional elements 2 in the form of straws is depicted. The application device 1 is supplied with a belt 3 made of two sealed-together, in particular transparent, plastic films, between which straws are provided at regular intervals. Accordingly, the belt 3 is formed by an interconnected series of blister packs 4 and drawn in by a supply device 5 which comprises a supply carousel 6 having recesses 7 distributed over the circumference and a belt guide 8 arranged at least partially around the supply carousel 6. The supply carousel 6 rotates about a central positioning axis of rotation 9 in a stepwise manner in a clockwise direction. With each rotation step, a further additional element 2 is received in a recess 7 of the supply carousel 6 and an additional element is also cut and separated from the belt 3 in a cutting position 10 by a separating device 11 by means of a cutting blade 12.

(11) Each straw, together with the plastic films, between which the straws are respectively sealed, forms an additional element 2 which is provided for application on a package 13. The corresponding packages 13 are transported at another point of the application device 1 by a transport device 14 successively along a package transport track 15 or through the application device 1. For this purpose, the transport device 14 comprises a transportation belt 16 with a series of cams 17 which extend in the direction of the package transport track 15 of the packages 13.

(12) After further rotation steps, the separated additional elements 2 are relayed to a delivery device 18 from the supply carousel 6 of the supply device 5. The individual additional elements 2 each pass into a recess 19 of a delivery wheel 20, which turns in a swelling manner, i.e. with repeatedly varying speed, in an anti-clockwise direction and cooperates in sections with a radially adjacent delivery guide 21 to hold the additional elements 2 in the recesses 19 and thus to accelerate each additional element 2 from standstill when picked up to the circumferential speed of applicators 22 of an application apparatus 23 driven continuously at an at least substantially constant speed when relaying the additional elements 2. The applicators 22 pick up the additional elements 2 in a pick-up position 24 from the delivery wheel 20. Then, the additional elements 2 are moved between the corresponding applicator 22 and an additional element guide 25 in the direction of the packages 13. In this case, the applicator 22 reaches the application position 27, in which the applicator 22 delivers or applies the associated additional element 2 to the package 13 transported along the package transport track 15 past the application position 27 of the applicator 22, in particular to the side surface facing the applicator 22 in the application position 27.

(13) So that the additional element 2 remains securely held on the package 13, the package 13 has previously been provided with adhesive, against which the additional element is pressed. However, alternatively or additionally, the additional element 2 could be provided with an adhesive, for example, immediately before the application of the additional element 2 or even before supplying the additional elements 2 in the form of the belt 3.

(14) FIG. 2 shows a detail of the application device 1 comprising the application apparatus 23 having the applicators 22 for applying the additional elements 2 to the packages 13. The additional elements 2 are transported with the applicators 22 on the additional element guide 25 along an arc-shaped section to the packages 13 or the application position 27 of the applicators 22. The depicted and insofar preferred application apparatus 23 comprises an applicator wheel 28 comprising applicators, which can be considered here as part of an applicator carousel. The applicator wheel 28 preferably rotates continuously in a clockwise direction about a positioning axis of rotation 26. Subsequently, the provided applicators 22 are moved continuously and circularly about the positioning axis of rotation 26 of the applicator wheel 28. As shown in FIG. 1, at least two applicators 22 are provided which are adjustable along a common, circumferential transport path 75 from a pick-up position for picking up the additional elements 2 to an application position for applying the additional elements 2 to the packages 13 and back.

(15) The applicators 22 comprise a guide finger 29 and an application finger 30 which engage in the delivery wheel 20 and pick up the additional elements 2 from said delivery wheel. For this purpose, the additional elements 2 are moved out of the delivery wheel 20 by interlocking contact with a relay device 31 engaging in the delivery wheel 20 and moved in the pick-up position 24 into an adjacent applicator 22. The guide finger 29 is arranged fixed on the depicted and insofar preferred applicators 22. The guide finger 29 holds and guides the additional elements 2 during their transport from the pick-up position 24 and the application position 27. The additional elements 2 are thus also held by the application finger 30, in particular at least partially received in a recess of an application finger 30. The application finger 30 holds the additional element 2 in contact with the additional element guide 25 extending between the pick-up position 24 and the application position 27. The application finger 30 is spring-loaded or preloaded against the additional element guide 25 so that the guide finger 30 presses the additional elements 2 outwards against the additional element guide 25 to ensure a defined and reliable transport of the additional elements 2 from the pick-up position 24 to the application position 27. Thus, the application finger 30 is held pivotably on the applicator 22 against the restoring force of a spring means 32 in the direction of the positioning axis of rotation 26.

(16) The additional element guide 25 ends on or just before the application position 27 of the applicators 22, at which the application fingers 30 press or apply the additional elements 2 to the packages 13. The packages 13 are guided past the application position 27 of the applicators 22 at a speed which at least substantially corresponds to the circumferential speed of the applicators 22, in particular the transport speed of the additional elements 2. Before the application of the additional elements 2, the packages 13 are also in contact with the additional element guide 25, but on an outer guide surface 33 and not on an inner guide surface 34 like the additional elements 2 of the additional element guide 25. Thus, the additional elements 2 and the packages 13 are oriented to one another via the guide surfaces 33, 34 of the additional element guide 25 before the delivery or the application of the additional elements 2 to the packages 13.

(17) The packages 13 to be provided with additional elements 2 comprise bevelled edge regions 35, which are both inclined towards the adjacent side surfaces 36, 37 of the package 2 and also towards the transport track 15 of the packages 13. The application finger 30 presses the additional elements 2 in the application position 27 onto a rear edge section 35 of the package 13. Subsequently, the additional elements 2 are held in the corresponding position by positioning belts 38 until an adhesive bond is established between the package 13 and the additional element 2.

(18) In FIG. 2, the positioning belts 38 are arranged overlapping one another so that only one of the positioning belts 38 is depicted. The positioning belts 38 are designed as a continuous belt which continuously circulates about deflections 39. Thus, the positioning belts 38 in the depicted and insofar preferred application device 1 are gradually approached towards the transport track 15 of the packages 13 and therefore the packages 13 themselves via a guide device 40. The positioning belts 38 also respectively comprise holding cams 42 protruding from the belt section 41 in the direction of the packages 13 or the direction of the transport track 15 of the packages 13. The holding cams 42 are approached from the side and from the rear in the transport direction of the packages 13 to the rear side of the packages 13 seen in the transport direction of the packages 13. The belt section 41, respectively one holding cam 42 and one package 13 thus form a receiving space 43 in the edge region 35 of the respective package 13 for receiving the additional elements 2. The additional elements 2 are in this way held on the packages 13 and pressed onto the packages 13.

(19) A comb device 44 is provided in the depicted and insofar preferred application device 1. The comb device 44 is spaced apart from the additional element guide 25 so that the applicators 22 can apply the additional elements 2 to the packages 13 in the intermediate space between the additional element guide 25 and the comb device 44. The additional elements 2 come in the transport direction of the packages 13 into contact with the comb device 44 and are thus guided into the receiving spaces 43 between the packages 13 and the positioning belts 38, to be pressed from the positioning belts 38 onto the package 13.

(20) In the region of the application position 27 of the additional elements 2 on the packages 13, the positioning belts 38 are deflected about a deflection 39 which rotates about an axis of rotation 45. This axis of rotation 45 is spaced apart from the positioning axis of rotation 26 of the applicator wheel 23 in the direction of the application position 27 of the additional elements 2 to the packages 13. However, the axes of rotation 26, 44 are aligned at least substantially in parallel to one another. The holding cams 42 thus neither impede the guiding of the additional elements 2 to the packages 13 nor the actual application of the additional elements 2 by the applicators 22. Rather, the holding cams 42 are slowly guided to the additional elements 2 so that the holding cams 42 only come into contact with the additional elements 2 when the additional elements 2 are applied to the packages 13.

(21) FIG. 3 shows a detail of the application device 1 comprising the application apparatus 23 in a side view, from which the transport of the additional elements 2 from the pick-up position 24 of the applicators 22 to the application position 27 of the applicators 22 and the application of the additional elements 2 to the packages 13 transported past the applicator wheel 23 along the package transport track 15 by means of the transportation belt 16 can be seen. The delivery wheel 20 has spaced-apart discs 46, which provide recesses 47 for the additional elements 2. Relay fingers 48 of the relay device 31 engage between the discs 46 of the delivery wheel 20. The additional elements 2 are accelerated by the delivery wheel 20 after the delivery of the next additional element 2 until the speed of the additional elements 2 corresponds to the speed of the applicators 22 during the pick-up of the additional elements 2 by the applicators 22 in the pick-up position 24. Before relaying the additional elements 2 from the delivery wheel 20 to the application apparatus 23, the additional elements 2 come into contact with the relay fingers 48 of the relay device 31 engaging between the discs 46 of the delivery wheel 20. On the relay fingers 48, the additional elements 2 slide outwards in the direction of an adjacent applicator 22, from which the additional elements 2 are picked up.

(22) In this case, the additional element 2 presses the application finger 30 against the spring means 32 inwards and is guided by the guide finger 29 at the same time. The application finger 30 presses the additional element 2 from the inside to the outside against the adjacent additional element guide 25. The additional element guide 25 extends substantially from the pick-up position 24 to the application position 27 of the applicators 22. This can be seen in particular in the detail in FIG. 4. The additional element 2 is held in contact with the additional element guide 25 and thus slides on the inner guide surface 34 of the additional element guide 25.

(23) However, in FIG. 3, the delivery and application of the additional elements 2 to the packages 13 are depicted. The application fingers 30 of the applicators 22 press the additional elements 2, if only lightly, onto the packages 13 so that these adhere to the packages 13 via the adhesive. As the bond is initially very weak, the additional elements 2 are then held to the packages 13 by the comb sheet 44 and the positioning belts 38, so that the adhesive can set, in particular by air drying. The positioning belts 38 are provided above and below the applicator wheel 28, over which the applicators 22 distributed circumferentially at uniform intervals rotate along a circular track about the positioning axis of rotation 26.

(24) An applicator 22 is shown from different perspectives in FIGS. 5A-B. The applicators 22 comprise a base 49 with which the applicators 22 are secured to the applicator wheel 23. The guide finger 29 extends outwards in relation to the base 49. The application finger 30 is provided adjacent to the guide finger 29, which application finger is pivotably secured on the base 49 of the applicator 22 about a pivoting axis 50. In addition, a spring means 32 is provided between the base 49 and the application finger 30, which spring means provides the pivoting of the application finger 30 to an outer position as long as the application finger 30 is not blocked by an interlocking. This is the case if the applicator 22 holds an additional element 2 and the application finger 30 presses the additional element 2 outwards against the additional element guide 25.

(25) A detail of an alternative application device 60 with an alternative application apparatus 61 is shown in FIG. 6. These correspond in many parts to the application device 1 and the application apparatus 23 according to FIG. 1. Therefore, the same reference signs are used for the same components and only certain components are described again. A substantial difference from the application device 1 of FIG. 1 is that only one positioning belt 62 is provided and that this positioning belt 62 does not require a holding cam. This is due to the fact that, with the depicted and insofar preferred application device 60, additional elements 2 are applied to cuboid packages 63, on a side surface 64 of the packages 63, which are oriented at least substantially parallel to the transport track 15 of the packages 63 in the application position 27 of the applicators 22.

(26) The additional elements 2 are held by the applicators 22 and guided along an additional element guide 25 in a arc-shaped track to the application position 27 or the packages 63. At the end of the additional element guide 25, the additional elements 2 are guided from the additional element guide 25 as shown in FIG. 8 at an inner guide surface 34 and the packages 63 are guided at an outer guide surface 33, on which the packages 63 slide along and thus are oriented correspondingly to the additional elements 2. The additional elements 2 then directly arrive from the additional element guide 25 in the application position 27 of the applicators 22 on the packages 63. During this the applicators 22 press the additional elements 2 by means of the spring-loaded application finger 30 onto the packages 63, which are provided with an adhesive at corresponding points. With this delivery of the additional elements 2, the positioning belt 62 is brought into contact with the additional elements 2 and is moved at the same speed and in the same direction as the packages 63. The packages 63 are transported by a transportation belt 65, depicted in FIG. 7, along a transport track 15, in which each package 63 is in interlocking engagement with a cam 66.

(27) In FIG. 7, the application apparatus 61 is depicted in a side view analogous to FIG. 3. Similar to the application apparatus 23 according to FIG. 3, the applicators 22 are combined to form an applicator wheel 67 rotating about a positioning axis of rotation 26. In contrast to the applicator wheel 23 of FIG. 1, the applicators 22 are pivoted about an orientation pivoting axis 68 when rotating about the positioning axis of rotation 26.

(28) For simultaneous rotation of the applicators 22 about the positioning axis of rotation 26 and pivoting about the orientation pivoting axis 68, the application device 61 is provided with a control cam 69. Rollers 71 rotate on the control cam 69 engaged via spring means 70, which rollers are in doing so adjusted up and down parallel to the positioning axis of rotation 26. This adjustment of the rollers 71 is converted via a lever means into a pivoting of the applicators 22 about the pivoting axis 68. Cam discs having similar control cams 69 are generally known from the prior art.

(29) By pivoting the applicators 22 about the orientation pivoting axis 68, the additional elements 2 can be picked up by the applicators 22 in a pick-up orientation parallel to the positioning axis of rotation 26 of the application wheel 67 and applied to the packages 63 in an application orientation inclined in relation to the positioning axis of rotation 26. The additional elements 2 can thus be applied diagonally to the corresponding side surface 64 of the package 63. Thus, additional elements 2, in particular straws, can be applied which are longer than the height of the package 63 without problems.

(30) The positioning belt 62 circulates about a deflection 72, which also rotates about an axis of rotation 45, wherein this axis of rotation 45 is offset in relation to the positioning axis of rotation 26 of the applicator wheel 67 in the direction of the packages 63 or the application position 27 of the applicators 22. In this way, and due to the radius of the deflection 72, a gap tapering in the direction of the application position 27 of the applicators 22 is provided between the additional element guide 25 and the positioning belt 62, which gap corresponds at least substantially to the width of the additional elements 2 in the application position 27 of the applicators 22 so that the additional elements 2 are from the application position 27, in which the additional elements 2 are pressed by the application fingers 30 onto the packages 63 to provide a still weak adhesive bond, held by the positioning belt 62 on the packages 63. This is carried out until the adhesive has set.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(31) 1 Application device 2 Additional elements 3 Belt 4 Blister pack 5 Supply device 6 Supply carousel 7 Recesses 8 Belt guide 9 Positioning axis of rotation 10 Cutting position 11 Separating device 12 Cutting blade 13 Package 14 Transport device 15 Package transport track 16 Transportation belt 17 Cams 18 Delivery device 19 Recess 20 Delivery wheel 21 Delivery guide 22 Applicators 23 Applicator device 24 Pick-up position 25 Additional element guide 26 Positioning axis of rotation 27 Application position 28 Applicator wheel 29 Guide finger 30 Application finger 31 Relay device 32 Spring means 33 Outer guide surface 34 Inner guide surface 35 Edge region 36 Side surface 37 Side surface 38 Positioning belt 39 Deflection 40 Guide device 41 Belt section 42 Holding cam 43 Receiving space 44 Comb device 45 Axis of rotation 46 Disc 47 Recess 48 Relay finger 49 Base 50 Pivoting axis 60 Application device 61 Application apparatus 62 Positioning belt 63 Package 64 Side surface 65 Transportation belt 66 Cams 67 Applicator wheel 68 Orientation pivoting axis 69 Control cam 70 Spring means 71 Roller 72 Deflection