Device and method for making a pouch provided with a wrapping and containing a brewable material

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for making a pouch received in a wrapping, comprising a pouch making device which is adapted to produce a pouch containing brewable material in a water-permeable wrapping, and comprising a sealing station with two sealing jaws movable relative to each other for sealing the pouch in a wrapping formed by a wrapping material. This device is characterized in that it comprises a pouch handling device for removing the finished pouch from the pouch making device and a wrapping material handling device for handling the wrapping material during the U-shaped wrapping of the wrapping material, wherein the handling device and the wrapping material handling device are adapted such that the pouch held by the pouch handling device and the wrapping material held by the wrapping material handling device are introduced into the sealing station.

Claims

1. A device for making a pouch received in a wrapping, comprising a pouch making device which is adapted to produce a pouch containing brewable material in a water-permeable wrapping, and comprising a sealing station with two sealing jaws movable relative to each other for sealing the pouch in a wrapping formed by a wrapping material, further comprising a pouch handling device for removing the finished pouch from the pouch making device and a wrapping material handling device for handling the wrapping material during the wrapping of the wrapping material, wherein the pouch handling device and the wrapping material handling device are adapted such that the pouch held by pouch handling device and the wrapping material held by the wrapping material handling device are introduced into the sealing station.

2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a wrapping material feeding device which holds a length piece of wrapping material between the finished pouch located in the pouch making device and the sealing station.

3. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a clamping device associated with the sealing station which holds the pouch together with the wrapping enclosing the pouch between the jaws of the sealing station prior to closing the jaws.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the two sealing jaws is a plurality of two sealing jaws and further comprising a first shaft which carries a plurality of first sealing jaws of the plurality of two sealing jaws and a second shaft which carries a plurality of second sealing jaws of the plurality of two sealing jaws, each one of said plurality of second sealing jaws cooperating with a respective one of said plurality of first sealing jaws during sealing of the film wrapping, and in that the first and second shafts have a common rotational axis and are movable relative to one another in order to space apart the sealing jaws for accommodating the pouch and the film and to apply them to one another for sealing the film.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the sealing jaws are substantially rigidly attached to the associated shaft.

6. The device according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the sealing jaws is elastically supported when the sealing jaws are applied and holds the sealing jaws against each other.

7. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that the two shafts are driven via a common drive shaft.

8. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that the two shafts are coupled via an inclined guide.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention is explained in more detail below by means of an embodiment in conjunction with the drawing. The corresponding description illustrates further details, features and advantages of the present invention. In the drawing:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a side view of essential parts of an embodiment for the production of a wrapped pouch;

(3) FIG. 2 shows the side view according to FIG. 1 in enlarged view;

(4) FIG. 3 shows the starting position of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in a perspective side view;

(5) FIGS. 4a-4n show different phases in the operation of the embodiment in side views or perspective side views according to FIGS. 2 and 3;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a perspective side view of an embodiment of the sealing station in a first position;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a side view of the embodiment according to FIG. 5 with further details of the embodiment in a second position, and

(8) FIG. 7 shows a side view according to FIG. 6 in a third position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 comprises a pouch making device identified by reference sign 2 and a sealing station identified by reference sign 100.

(10) The pouch making device 2 comprises a carousel with several receptacles 4 rotating about an axis for receiving a water-permeable wrapping, which is reshaped to form the pouch, containing a brewable material and is usually connected with a thread and a label. With regard to the individual stations and their configuration, reference can be made to the state of the art, for example EP 2 231 479 B1 or WO 01/62600 A1. The reference signs I to VI in FIG. 2 indicate different positions in which the receptacle 4 can be located in order to receive and process the different components of the finished pouch or pouch to be finished. For reasons of clarity, elements acting on these are not shown. In position VI, the pouch is finished.

(11) FIGS. 1 to 3 show elements of a pouch handling device identified by reference sign 10 and a wrapping material handling device identified by reference sign 20. The wrapping material of the embodiment shown is an aroma-tight film. Thus, the description below refers to a film handling device 20. The pouch handling device 10 comprises two approximately parallel arms 12, 13, which are hinged together and coupled by coupling rods 14 to a common drive device 30. This common drive device 30 has various cams 32, which are mounted non-rotatably on a common drive shaft 33 of the drive device 30 and are coupled to collectors 34, in which the outer circumferential surfaces of the cams 32 each roll, wherein the collectors 34 are each pivotally mounted on a common bearing axis 36 and are provided with a lever 37, which is hinged to the associated coupling rod 14. The coupling rods 14 act via levers on the arms 12.

(12) The drive shaft 30 actuates both the individual components of the pouch handling device 10 as well as the components of the film handling device 20. Thus, both handling devices 10, 20 are provided with a common drive and are positively synchronized.

(13) First sealing jaws 102 and second sealing jaws 104 are assigned to the sealing station 100. Details of the sealing station will be explained with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7. For the following description with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, the function of the sealing jaws 102, 104 is only relevant in so far as the two sealing jaws 102, 104 can be moved relative to each other and applied to each other for sealing the pouch in a film wrapping and can be pivoted in the opposite direction to release the sealed pouch or to take up a new pouch with the film, wherein the sealing jaws 102, 104 provided in pairs can be pivoted about a common axis. FIGS. 1 to 4 show the sealing station 100 only schematically. However, the actual configuration of the embodiment deviates from this and can be seen in FIGS. 5 to 7.

(14) As FIG. 3 illustrates, the film handling device 20 has a leading film handling element identified by reference sign 21 and a trailing film handling element identified by reference sign 22, each of the elements 21, 22 having film handling arms 24 and 22 respectively provided in pairs. 25, wherein each pair is pivotally mounted and independently drivable and each has inwardly projecting clamping projections, wherein the clamping projection of the leading handling arms 24 is identified with reference sign 26 and that of the trailing handling arms 25 is identified with reference sign 27.

(15) The arms of the pouch handling device 10 are designed as a front pouch handling arm 12, which carries a clamping shoe 15, and as a rear pouch handling arm 13, which actuates a clamping spring 16 which interacts with the clamping shoe 15 and which is pivotable relative to the clamping shoe 15. These elements are described in detail in FIG. 5 et seq. A further actuating arm 17 pivots the clamping shoe 15 relative to the front pouch handling arm 12.

(16) FIG. 3 shows a wrapping material 40 in the form of a film which is fed tangentially with respect to the rotation axes of the pouch making device 2 and the sealing station 100 as a planar path and which is clamped in the phase according to FIG. 3 between the leading clamping projection 26 and the trailing clamping projection 27 by relative pivoting movement of the two handling arms 24, 25 relative to each other. This position represents the starting position for inserting the film 40 between the two sealing jaws 102, 104. It is shown in a corresponding manner in FIG. 2, in which a pouch to be placed between the sealing jaws 102, 104 is identified with reference sign 42. The arms 12, 13, 17 are omitted for reasons of representation.

(17) The film 40 is obviously clamped and gripped in its central area between the two leading and trailing clamping projections 26, 27. In this phase, the clamping shoe 15 with the clamping spring 16 is inserted into the corresponding receptacle 4 to grip the pouch 42. The two sealing jaws 102, 104 do not yet enclose between them a movement path of the film 40 and the pouch 42 identified by reference sign B. In fact, the two sealing jaws 102, 104 are located above this movement path B. This movement path B runs essentially as a radial line which intersects the pivot point of the carousel of the pouch making device 2. The movement path B extends in a straight line between the pouch making device 2 and the sealing station 10.

(18) In the phase shown in FIG. 4a, the two handling arms 24, 25 have already been pivoted towards the sealing station 100, carrying the film 40 with them. To a lesser extent, the clamping shoe 15 and the clamping spring 16 have been advanced into the receptacle 4. In the sequence between FIGS. 4b and 4a, the clamping spring 16 was pivoted to clamp the pouch 42 between the clamping shoe 15 and the clamping spring 16 while the clamping shoe remains in the receptacle. The carousel of the pouch making device 2 remains stationary. The same arises for FIG. 4c, which clearly shows in comparison to FIG. 4b that the film 40 has already advanced a certain distance along the movement path B towards the sealing station 100, whereas the pouch 42 remains in its receptacle 4. Accordingly, the film 40 leads the pouch 42.

(19) Only in the diagram in FIG. 4d are both components of the packaging unit to be produced, consisting of film 40 and pouch 42, moved simultaneously between sealing jaws 102, 104. These now enclose the movement path B between them. FIG. 4a shows the beginning of the movement of the pouch 42 on the movement path B.

(20) As can be seen from FIG. 4e, the film 40 has been wrapped in a U-shape, whereby two opposing legs 44 of the film 40 are formed between a fold 45, which are progressively brought closer to the pouch 42 with increasing approach, that is, with the insertion movement of the film 40 and the pouch 42 between the sealing jaws 102, 104. The clamping spring 16 has released the pouch 42. A guide holding the film 40 during gripping by the film handling device 20 at the edges and not shown in the drawing, which extends tangentially to the pouch making device 2, is recessed in the middle so that the clamping projections 26, 27 can grip the film 40. The guide also holds funnel-shaped forming elements tapering towards the sealing station 100, which interact with the film 40 to pivot the opposite legs 44 around the fold 45.

(21) FIG. 4f shows the end position of the pouch handling device 10 and the film handling device 20. In the position shown in FIG. 4f, the film 40 and the pouch 42 have been placed in their sealed position between the two sealing jaws 102, 104.

(22) Now the pouch handling device 10 is pivoted in the opposite direction, that is, in clockwise direction U according to the illustration in FIG. 4g. The leading film handling element 21 remains stationary, whereas the trailing film handling element 22, like the pouch handling device 10, is pivoted clockwise to remove the trailing clamping projection 27 from the area between the sealing jaws 102, 104. At about the same time, a clamping device 46, which can be clearly seen especially in FIG. 4h, and which is provided for each of the sealing jaws 102, 104, grips from the outside against the legs 44 and clamps the film 40 and the pouch 42 to the extent that the clamping shoe 15 and the clamping spring 16, which have previously been actuated to release the clamping of the film 40 and the pouch 42, are removed from the sealing jaws 102, 104. The clamping device 46 presently is configured in the form of a clamping punch which is provided to be relatively movable, e.g. pivotable, relative to the associated sealing jaw 102, 104.

(23) After the clamping shoe 15 and the clamping spring 16 have released the pouch 42 and the leading and trailing clamping projections 26, 27 have released the film 40, the film 40 and the pouch 42 are held between the sealing jaws 102, 104 by the clamping device 46 alone, as illustrated in FIG. 4i. With an increasing pivoting movement of the trailing film handling element 22, the leading film handling element 21 is pivoted counter-clockwise G and thus led out of the area of the sealing jaws 102, 104, which are configured narrower in their rear area so that the leading clamping projections 26 of the leading film handling element 21 can be led out of the area between the sealing jaws 102, 104 by this pivoting movement.

(24) Due to relative pivoting of the leading and trailing pouch handling arms 12, 13, when the clamping shoe 15 and the clamping spring 16 are pivoted back, the position is below the receptacle 4 in position VI. In other words, the clamping shoe 15 and the clamping spring 16 are not returned on the movement path B (see FIG. 4j).

(25) In FIG. 4k, the two sealing jaws 102, 104 have already been pivoted towards each other. Accordingly, the distance between the two sealing jaws 102, 104 is smaller than in the diagram in FIG. 4j.

(26) Between FIGS. 4k and 4l, both the carousel of the pouch making device 2 and the sealing station 100 were pivoted counterclockwise. The sealing jaws 102, 104 are moved completely towards each other during this rotation. After moving the sealing jaws 102, 104 to the sealing position shown in FIG. 4l, the clamping devices 46 are released. In the sealing position, the edges of the film 40 that project beyond the pouch 42 laterally and at the front are clamped between the sealing jaws 102, 104 and are heat-sealed with one another. While the sealing position 100 is rotated, a new film 40 is fed between the leading clamping projection 26 and the trailing clamping projection 27 by a film feeding device 50 shown in FIGS. l and n by two drive rollers which clamp and advance the film 40 and to which a cutting device 51 is assigned (see FIGS. 4l, 4m). By rotating the carousel of the pouch making device 2, the next receptacle 4 was moved clockwise to position VI. FIG. 4n already shows the approach of the open clamping spring 16 with the clamping shoe 15 towards the pouch 42 and the approach of the leading and trailing clamping projections 26, 27 to clamp a central area of the film 40, which is located on the movement path B. Meanwhile, the sealing station 100 rotates and brings another set of first and second sealing jaws 102, 104 to enclose the movement path B and accordingly opposite to the receptacle 4. The cycle described above starts again. The cutting device 51 separates a length piece of the film 40 from a supply when the clamping projections 26, 27 grip the film 40.

(27) In the following, the embodiment of the sealing station 100 according to the configuration of the present invention is explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 5 et seq.

(28) FIG. 5 shows a perspective side view of the embodiment comprising a first shaft 101 associated with a first sealing jaw 102 and a second shaft 103 which is coaxial with the first shaft 101 and associated with the second sealing jaw 104. A sliding sleeve 106 is provided slidably on the first shaft 101, which is engaged via form-fitting elements 108 with associated form-fitting counter-elements 110, which are provided at a front end of the second shaft 103.

(29) The form-fitting elements 108 form guide surfaces 112 extending in purely axial direction in relation to the shafts 101, 103. Correspondingly, the second shaft 103 with its form-fitting counter elements 110 forms corresponding guide surfaces 114.

(30) The sliding sleeve 106 has an inclined slot 116 which penetrates its circumferential surface, extends obliquely relative to the axial extension of the first or second shaft 101, 103, forms a correspondingly inclined guide surface 117 and is penetrated by a guide pin 118 which is held in the guide slot 116 and forms with its outer circumferential surface a further guide surface 119 which cooperates with the guide surface 117.

(31) At its end opposite the form-fitting element 108, the sliding sleeve 106 has a drive ring 120 which cooperates with a slider 121 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the operation of which is explained in more detail below.

(32) The first and second shafts 101, 103 each pass through a bearing sleeve 122 for positioning the shafts 101, 103 on a gearbox housing 123. The first shaft 101 has a first turntable 124 at its free end, on the outer circumference of which several of the first sealing jaws 102 are mounted at an even distance from each other. The first sealing jaws 102 are mounted essentially non-rotatably on the first turntable 124.

(33) In a corresponding manner, the second shaft 103 has a second turntable 128, on which several of the second sealing jaws 104 are mounted non-rotatably. For this purpose, the second sealing jaws 104 are screwed to the second turntable 128. By loosening the screw connection, the alignment of the second sealing jaw 104 relative to the second turntable 128 can be adjusted. This allows the embodiment to be adjusted so that, with a sealing position as shown in FIG. 5, all first sealing jaws 102 are in contact with the associated second sealing jaws 104 in order to clamp the film 40 provided between them and forming the film package and seal it via a U-shaped seam.

(34) The sealing jaws 102, 104 are presently sealing jaws which are heated by a heater provided inside the sealing jaws 102, 104 and form a sealing element 132.

(35) As can be derived from FIGS. 6 and 7, the slide 121 interacts via a guide roller 134 with a slotted guide 136 which is configured as a groove 136 and is provided on a guide cylinder 138. The guide cylinder 138 is non-rotatably connected to a drive shaft 140, which also rotates two cam discs 142, whose cams engage in recesses of output discs 144 for stepwise drive of the first and second shafts 101, 103.

(36) Thus the drive shaft 140 is moved continuously, whereas the shafts 101, 103 on the one hand are rotated relative to each other and overall in steps around a common rotation axis.

(37) Between the first and second sealing jaws 102, 104, a pretensioning agent can act in order to apply the corresponding sealing jaws 102, 104 against each other under elastic pretension and intermediate layer of the film 40. Any tolerance errors are compensated by this elastic means. For example, the elastic means can elastically support at least one of the sealing jaws 102, 104. Alternatively, the second shaft 103, for example, can also be made of a torsionally elastic material.

(38) In FIGS. 5 to 7, it has been dispensed with the illustration of the separate clamping device 46.

(39) With the selected drive type, the first shaft 101 is driven directly via the output discs 144, while the sliding sleeve 106 is driven by the interaction of the guide pin 118 with the inclined slot 116 and, due to the position of the sleeve 106, via the slider 121. By decoupling the drive movement of the drive shaft 140 due to the cam discs 142 on the one hand and the guide cylinder 138 on the other hand, a relative movement of the sealing jaws 102, 104 can result even with the stopped first shaft 101. The sequence between the insertion of the film 40 together with the pouch 42, the closing of the two sealing jaws 102, 104, and the sealing of the pouch 42 between the film 40 results from the sequence of FIGS. 6, 7 and 5.

(40) Between FIGS. 6 and 7, the sealing position is prepared with the stopped first shaft 101 and relative movement of the sliding sleeve 106. The sealing jaws 102, 104 are applied against each other. The first sealing jaw 102 remains stationary, whereas the second sealing jaw 104 is pivoted by actuating the sliding sleeve 106. After the two sealing jaws 102, 104 have been placed against each other, the first and the second shaft 101, 103 pivot simultaneously. The position of the sliding sleeve 106 relative to the second shaft 103 remains unchanged. The guide pin 118, which is non-rotatably connected to the first shaft 101, takes the sliding sleeve 106 with it so that the second sealing jaws 104 are also pivoted.

(41) The inclined slot 116 and the guide pin 118 form an inclined guide 146, which realizes a positive guide that couples the two shafts 101, 103 with predetermined kinematics.

(42) As an alternative to the embodiment shown, a drive with cam discs and output discs can also be assigned to the second shaft 103, as in the embodiment shown for the first shaft 101. In this case, too, an independent drive for the second sealing jaws 104 can be realized which is predetermined by the rotation of the drive shaft 140. But even with this positive guidance, the first and second sealing jaws 102, 104 are driven and positively coupled by the drive shaft 140 alone.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

(43) 2 pouch making device 4 receptacle 10 pouch handling device 12 leading pouch handling arm 13 trailing pouch handling arm 14 coupling rod 15 clamping shoe 16 clamping spring 17 actuating arm 20 film handling device 21 leading film handling element 22 trailing film handling element 24 leading handling arm 25 trailing handling arm 26 leading clamping projection 27 trailing clamping projection 30 drive device 32 cam 33 drive shaft 34 collector 36 bearing axis 37 lever 40 film 42 pouch 44 leg 45 fold 46 clamping device 50 film feeding device 51 cutting device B movement path U pivoting in clockwise direction G pivoting in counter-clockwise direction I-VI position of receptacle 4 100 sealing station 101 first shaft 102 first sealing jaw 103 second shaft 104 second sealing jaw 106 sliding sleeve 108 form-fitting elements 110 form-fitting counter elements 112 guide surface 114 guide surface 116 inclined slot 117 guide surface of the inclined slot 118 guide pin 119 guide surface of the guide pin 120 drive ring 121 slider 122 bearing sleeve 123 gearbox housing 124 first turntable 128 second turntable 132 sealing element 134 guide roller 136 groove 138 guide cylinder 140 drive shaft 142 cam disc 144 output disc 146 inclined guide