Packaging machine and method for packaging package goods

Abstract

The packaging machine comprises a supply unit for holding and providing a plurality of package goods or packaging materials. A display device assigned to the supply unit is configured to display at least one optical marking, which is indicative of a fill level of the supply unit and is different from an alphanumeric display. The at least one optical marking is variably adaptable as a result of at least one process parameter different from the fill level in a way that an assignment of the at least one optical marking to a certain degree of the fill level of the supply unit is changeable. A control unit, which communicates with the display device, is configured to adapt the at least one optical marking as a function of the at least one process parameter different from the fill level.

Claims

1. A packaging machine for packaging package goods in packaging materials, the packaging machine comprising: a supply unit for holding and providing a plurality of package goods or packaging materials; a display device assigned to the supply unit, wherein the display device is adapted to display at least one optical marking which is different from an alphanumeric display, wherein the at least one optical marking is indicative of a fill level of the supply unit, and wherein the at least one optical marking is variably adaptable as a function of at least one process parameter different from the fill level in a way that an assignment of the at least one optical marking to a certain degree of the fill level of the supply unit is changeable; and a control unit, which communicates with the display device and which is configured to adapt the at least one optical marking as a function of the at least one process parameter different from the fill level.

2. The packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the at least one optical marking is a color marking, wherein the color of the color marking or the color progression of the color marking is adaptable as a function of the at least one process parameter different from the fill level.

3. The packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the display device is arranged on or in the supply unit.

4. The packaging machine according to claim 3, wherein the display device is configured as a light-emitting strip, which comprises a plurality of individually actuatable light-emitting fields.

5. The packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the display device is arranged along the plurality of package goods or packaging materials in the supply unit.

6. The packaging machine according to claim 5, wherein the display device is partially covered by the plurality of package goods or packaging materials.

7. The packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the at least one optical marking is projected onto the plurality of package goods or packaging materials.

8. The packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the display device is configured as an optical signal device on the supply unit.

9. The packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the at least one process parameter different from the fill level corresponds to a format of the plurality of package goods or packaging materials and/or to a packing density of the plurality of package goods or packaging materials in the supply unit; and wherein the packaging machine further comprises a sensor, which communicates with the control unit and which is configured to determine the process parameter different from the fill level; wherein the control unit is configured to adapt the at least one optical marking as a function of the determined process parameter different from the fill level.

10. A method for operating a packaging machine for packaging package goods in packaging materials, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of package goods or packaging materials in a supply unit of the packaging machine; (b) displaying, by means of a display device, at least one optical marking which is different from an alphanumeric display, wherein the at least one optical marking is indicative of a fill level of the supply unit, and wherein the at least one optical marking is variably adaptable as a function of at least one process parameter different from the fill level in a way that an assignment of the optical marking to a certain degree of the fill level of the supply unit is changeable; (c) determining the at least one process parameter different from the fill level; and (d) adapting the at least one optical marking as a function of the at least one process parameter different from the fill level.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein step (c) comprises: detecting the at least one process parameter different from the fill level by means of a sensor; or calling up the at least one process parameter different from the fill level from a database; or entering the at least one process parameter different from the fill level by way of an input device.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein step (d) comprises changing the assignment of the optical marking to the certain degree of the fill level.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the at least one process parameter different from the fill level corresponds to a batch size, to a number of package goods or packaging materials still needed for a batch, to a format of the plurality of package goods or packaging materials, to a packing density of the plurality of package goods or packaging materials in the supply unit, to an output rate of the packaging machine, and/or to an optimum operating point of a removal device assigned to the supply unit.

14. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: determining, in step (c), a first number of package goods or packaging materials corresponding to a holding capacity of the supply unit; determining, in step (c), a second number of package goods or packaging materials corresponding to a number of package goods or packaging materials still needed for the batch being processed by the packaging machine at the time in question; comparing the first number of package goods or packaging materials with the second number of package goods or packaging materials; and adapting the at least one optical marking when the second number of package goods or packaging materials is less than or equal to the first number of package goods or packaging materials.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: determining, in step (c), an optimum operating point of a removal device assigned to the supply unit; and adapting, in step (d), the at least one optical marking by assigning the optical marking to the determined optimum operating point.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the essential components of a first embodiment of a packaging machine according to the disclosure; and

(2) FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram, corresponding to a second embodiment, of essential components of a packaging machine according to the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(3) FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a first embodiment of a packaging machine 2 according to the disclosure. By way of example—for the purpose of explaining the various embodiments—the illustrated packaging machine 2 comprises a first supply unit 4 and a second supply unit 6. The first supply unit 4 is configured as, for example, a drop-shaft magazine, and the second supply unit 6 is configured as a prospectus feeder. It is obvious that the packaging machine 2 could also comprise only one of the two supply units 4, 6 or additional supply units and that each of the supply units could also be provided with different package goods or packaging materials.

(4) The first supply unit 4 holds a plurality of package goods or packaging materials 8, here a plurality of folding boxes or folding box blanks 8, and makes them available for further processing. For this purpose, the top-most folding box 8 is pulled off from the first supply unit 8 by means of, for example, a removal device 10, which is merely suggested in FIG. 1.

(5) The packaging machine 2 comprises a first display device 12, which is assigned to the first supply unit 4 and which is configured to display at least one optical marking. In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the optical marking is a color marking extending along the packaging materials 8, so that the first display device 12 has a first color at a first end 12a and a second color at a second end 12b. Between the first and second ends 12a, 12b, the first display device 12 shows a continuous, progressive change of color.

(6) The optical marking is indicative of the fill level of the supply unit 4. For this purpose, the first color signals the operator that the first supply unit 4 is empty or almost empty, and the second color signals the operator that the first supply unit 4 is full.

(7) The first display device 12 is arranged in the first supply unit 4. The first display device 12 extends along the plurality of packaging materials 8 and is configured as, for example, a light-emitting strip.

(8) The packaging machine 2 also comprises a control unit 14. The control unit 14 communicates with the first display device 12 and is configured to adapt the at least one optical marking of the first display device 12 as a function of at least one process parameter different from the fill level.

(9) In the machine according to FIG. 1, there exists the possibility, for example, of adapting the color progression of the first display device 12 as a function of the format of the packaging materials 8, of the packing density of the packaging materials 8 in the supply unit 4, or of the output rate of the packaging machine 2 as the process parameter.

(10) If the first supply unit 4 holds packaging materials or package goods 8 which are thicker than those of the illustrated exemplary embodiment or if the packaging materials or package goods 8 in the first supply unit 4 are arranged with a lower packing density (units/millimeter), these are used up more quickly at the same output rate. Correspondingly, the optical marking of the first display device 12 could be adapted in such a way that it signals an empty or almost empty supply unit 4 at a point located farther in the direction of the second end 12b of the first display device 12.

(11) If, on the other hand, the output rate, as the process parameter of the packaging machine 2, is increased but the same package goods or packaging materials 8 being processed remain the same, again a corresponding adaptation of the optical marking of the first display device 12 is useful, because the package goods or packaging materials 8 in the supply unit are used up more quickly.

(12) It is also conceivable that the first display device 12 could, instead of a color progression, comprise a plurality of separate light-emitting or color fields, each of which forms an optical marking. The light-emitting or color fields can be adjacent to each other or arranged at certain points a certain distance apart along the package goods 8.

(13) The packaging machine 2 also comprises an input device or a man-machine interface (MMI) 16, which communicates with the control unit 14. The input device 16 comprises input means for entering process parameters or empirical values by the operator. In addition, an MMI can also comprise a display for showing process parameters.

(14) The second supply unit 6 holds a plurality of package goods or packaging materials 18, here a plurality of prospectuses 18, and provides these for further processing. For example, a removal device assigned to the second supply unit 6 is configured in this case as a pull-off extractor 20, and, in each case, the top-most prospectus 18 is pulled off by the extractor 20 and delivered to the next step of the process.

(15) The packaging machine 2 comprises a second display device 22, which is assigned to the second supply unit 6 and which is configured to display at least one optical marking. The second display device 22 also communicates with the control unit 14.

(16) In the exemplary embodiment shown, the second display device 12 is configured as a “traffic signal”, which comprises a first optical marking 22a, a second optical marking 22b, and a third optical marking 22c. The first, second and third optical markings 22a, 22b, 22c are preferably arranged one above the other. Instead of a traffic signal, it would also be possible to use, for example, a signal column.

(17) The first optical marking 22a preferably comprises a first color, the second optical marking 22b a second color, and the third optical marking 22c a third color.

(18) The optical markings 22a, 22b, 22c are indicative of the fill level of the second supply unit 6. For example, the first color tells the operator that the second supply unit 6 is sufficiently filled, and the third color tells the operator that the second supply unit 6 is empty or almost empty. The second color can indicate an intermediate state, i.e., a certain amount of progress toward an empty supply unit 6.

(19) Similarly to what has been described above, at least one optical marking of the second display device 22 can, for example, be adapted as a function of the format of the package goods 18, of the packing density of the package goods 18 in the second supply unit 6, or of the output rate of the packaging machine 2 as the process parameter. As a result of an increase in the output, for example, a switchover from the first to the second optical marking 22a, 22b and from the second to the third optical marking 22b, 22c can take place sooner, i.e., at a point when the number of package goods 18 in the second supply unit 6 is larger and therefore when the fill level is higher. As part of the adaptation process, each of the optical markings 22a, 22b, 22c can thus be assigned to, for example, a different specific fill level of the supply unit 6.

(20) It is also conceivable that the pull-off extractor 20 could operate flawlessly at an optimum operating point, e.g., at an optimum height H of the stack of prospectuses 18 in the second supply unit 6, but that the reliability of the extractor 20 would decrease when there are deviations from the optimum operating point. Correspondingly, the first optical marking 22a can be assigned to a fill level which corresponds to a stack with the optimum height H. A tolerance range T, furthermore, can be determined, within which the extractor 20 works with sufficient quality and reliability. The second optical marking 22b can be assigned in that case to a fill level which lies within the tolerance range T. A fill level of the second supply unit 8 outside the tolerance range T can be indicated by the third optical marking 22c, which is assigned to this type of fill level.

(21) The optimum operating point can, for example, depend on the type and material of the package goods 18, on the output rate of the packaging machine 2, and on the associated extraction rate of the extractor 20 as process parameters. Each optical marking 22a, 22b, 22c can therefore be adapted as a function of at least one process parameter, in that it is assigned, for example, to a different height H, and the time at which it is actuated is adapted accordingly.

(22) The embodiment according to FIG. 2 is based on the embodiment according to FIG. 1, so that the description and reference numbers given above apply analogously.

(23) The packaging machine 2 according to FIG. 2 also comprises a database 24, which communicates with the input device 16 and/or the control unit 14. In the database 24, process parameters and empirical values can be stored, which can be called up by the control unit 14 and used to adapt the optical marking in question. Via the input device 16, an operator can select process parameters or enter process parameters and empirical values and store them in the data base 24.

(24) The packaging machine 2 also comprises, independently of the database 24, a first sensor 26, which communicates with the control unit 14 and which is configured to determine a first process parameter and to provide it to the control unit 14. In this exemplary embodiment, the first sensor 26 is assigned to the first supply unit 4 and serves to determine the packing density of the packaging materials 8 in the first supply unit 4.

(25) The packaging machine 2 can also comprises a second sensor 28, which communicates with the control unit 14 and which is configured to determine a second process parameter and to make it available to the control unit 14. In this exemplary embodiment, the second sensor 28 is assigned to the second supply unit 6 and determines the fill level or the height H of the package goods 18 in the second supply unit 6.

(26) The sensors 26, 28 can therefore be used to detect a process parameter independent of the fill level for the purpose of adapting the at least one optical marking or to provide the control unit 14 with information on the fill level of the supply unit 4, 6 in question for the purpose of actuating the at least one optical marking.

(27) Instead of the sensors 26, 28 or in addition to them, it would also be possible to provide other sensors for determining additional process parameters which do not necessarily have to be assigned to a supply unit.