EP0113899B1 - Method and device for closing boxes - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for closing cartons with side walls and top and bottom walls formed from inner and outer tabs, the (upper and lower) inner and outer tabs being foldable from an initial position in the level of the side walls into the level of the top and bottom Bottom wall. Furthermore, the invention relates to a device for closing such cartons using the aforementioned method.

The production, namely filling and closing of relatively large-volume cartons, consisting predominantly of cardboard or corrugated cardboard, places special demands on the packaging technology, because large masses generally have to be moved relatively quickly. In order to achieve high performance, the necessary folding steps have to be carried out with simple movements. Within the packaging machines used for such cartons (carton packers), the same is usually also filled, mainly with a group of individual objects (groups and small packs). The bottom filling of the open cartons has proven to be expedient (US-A-3 748 813).

The cartons are usually constructed in such a way that the upright side walls represent a structure which is closed by the prefabrication of the carton. The top wall and bottom wall are formed by several, usually four, tabs (inner tabs and outside tabs) which are folded one after the other into the plane of the top wall and bottom wall.

In the known carton packer according to US-A-3 748 813, the cartons are filled from the open floor. The upper and lower inner tabs are then folded over by movable folding members. The outer flaps are then folded, namely after the partially folded carton has been pushed off the platform. Thanks to movable folding elements, this carton packer is prone to failure, complex and less efficient.

A carton packer is also known from DE-A-2 209 370, in which folding members are provided below the carton movement path, a movable folding member being used to fold the rear inner floor tabs. This carton packer is accordingly prone to malfunction, complex and less efficient.

The invention is based on the object of proposing a method for producing (filling and closing) cartons and a packaging device suitable for carrying out the method, by means of which, in particular, the closing process for the cartons is considerably simplified, such that a higher one Performance can be achieved with a simpler, less fault-prone design of the device.

With regard to the method, the stated object is achieved by the characterizing features of patent claim 1, and with regard to the device by the characterizing features of patent claim 3.

The invention makes it possible to fold the flaps forming the top wall and bottom wall exclusively by means of stationary folding members which are designed without movable parts, namely by relative movement of the carton along extremely short trajectories. This makes the carton packer powerful, simple and less prone to failure. Furthermore, due to the lack of movable folding members, considerable noise reduction is achieved.

In the starting position, the carton with the upper and lower inner and outer lugs extending in vertical planes, including the contents of the carton, is on a (liftable and lowerable) platform. By pushing it onto a plate (which can be rotated about the vertical axis), the two inner tabs lying forward in the transport direction are folded over by stationary folding members. The opposite upper and lower inner tabs are folded by a subsequent transport section of the carton after the latter has been rotated beforehand, the upper and lower inner tabs in question now being in the transport direction. This change in the relative position of the carton by a total of 180 ° is achieved according to the invention on the one hand by rotating the carton (with the plate) by 90 ° and further by changing the transport direction also by 90 °. The carton is pushed from the plate onto a discharge conveyor, which is at the same time a folding element for the lower inner flap and subsequently has folding elements (folding switches) for the outer flap. The box is completely closed after passing through it.

Further features of the invention relate to the design and arrangement of the folding members, to the conveying devices and gluing members for the flaps to be folded.

• Fig. 1a bis 1d einen Karton in perspektivischer Darstellung in den verschiedenen Falt- bzw. Verschlussphasen,
• Fig. 2 eine Vorrichtung zum Füllen und Verschliessen eines Kartons gemäss Fig. 1a bis Fig. 1d in vereinfachtem Grundriss (Schnittebelie E-F der Fig. 4),
• Fig. 3 eine Teilansicht der Vorrichtung gemäss Fig. 2 in einer Sichtebene A-B,
• Fig. 4 eine Teilansicht der Vorrichtung gemäss Fig. 2 in einer Sichtebene C-D,
• Fig. 5 eine Einzelheit (Beleimung) der Vorrichtung in einer vertikalen Sichtebene G-H der Fig. 2.

The method and an exemplary embodiment of the device are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. Show it:

• 1a to 1d a carton in a perspective view in the different folding or closing phases,
• 2 shows a device for filling and closing a carton according to FIGS. 1a to 1d in a simplified plan (sectional view EF of FIG. 4),
• 3 shows a partial view of the device according to FIG. 2 in a viewing plane AB,
• 4 shows a partial view of the device according to FIG. 2 in a view plane CD,
• 5 shows a detail (gluing) of the device in a vertical viewing plane GH of FIG. 2.

The present exemplary embodiment relates to the packaging treatment of cartons 10 with the features of FIGS. 1a to 1d. Then the carton 10 is formed from (upright) side walls, namely longitudinal walls 11 and end walls 12. An upper wall 13 and a lower wall 14 consist of folding tabs, näm Lich upper inner tabs 15 and 16 and lower inner tabs 17 and 18. These are first folded into the plane of the top wall 13 and bottom wall 14. The outer cover forms upper outer lobes 19 and 20 and lower outer lobes 21 and 22. The aforementioned inner lobes 15 ... 18 and outer lobes 19 ... 22 adjoin adjacent side walls (longitudinal walls 11 and end walls 12). In the starting position according to FIG. 1a with a completely open carton 10, the inner tabs and outer tabs extend in the (vertical) planes of the side walls.

The carton 10 serves here to hold a group 23 of small packs 24. This is inserted from below into the open carton in such a way that the space enclosed by the side walls 11 and 12 is filled.

By moving in a first direction, namely into the position according to FIG. 1b, the upper and lower inner tabs 15 and 17 present in the direction of movement are folded over into the plane of the upper wall 13 and lower wall 14. In the position according to FIG. 1b, the carton 10 is then rotated through 90 ° about a vertical axis. The cardboard is then transported further in a direction offset by 90 ° with respect to the conveying direction described. As a result, the originally rear upper and lower inner tabs 16 and 18 are at the front. They are also folded over by the further transport of the carton 10. Furthermore, during this movement phase - following the inner flaps 16 and 18 - the upper and lower outer flaps 19 ... 22 are folded, so that the carton 10, which is closed on all sides, is present in the position according to FIG. 1d.

The device for carrying out the filling and folding processes comprises a feed conveyor 25 for individual small packs 24 which are delivered at an (irregular) distance from one another. The feed conveyor consists of a conveyor belt 26 and (adjustable) track boundaries 27, 28, between which the small packs 24 are conveyed.

A row 29 from these small packs 24 is collected before a stop 30. The row 29 is held on an up and down movable lifter 31 and raised by this - after completing the row 29 (see in particular Fig. 3) and placed on the side, movable in the horizontal plane support bars 32. The support strips 32, which act on a higher level, are designed in a known manner and can be moved apart and in relation to one another in a horizontal plane, so that rows 29 supplied from below can be combined with rows that have already been raised and then placed on the support strips 32.

As soon as several rows 29 are collected one above the other in this way (e.g. three), a semigroup 33 thus formed is pushed by a cross slide 34 from the support formed by the support strips 32 in the transverse direction to the feed conveyor 25 and pushed onto a platform 35. By feeding in several, namely two half groups 33 and placing them on the platform 35, the complete group 23 is formed on this from two adjacent half groups 33. For this purpose, the cross slide 34 executes differently dimensioned thrust movements.

The platform 35 can also be raised and lowered (by means of a pressure medium cylinder 36). The group 23 is raised by the platform 35 to the height shown in dashed lines in FIGS. 3 and 4. Here, the carton 10 is kept ready in an open position corresponding to FIG. 1a. The group 23 is introduced into the carton 10 from below in such a way that the group 23 assumes the relative movement corresponding to the finished carton in the upper position of the platform 35. The inner lobes and outer lobes accordingly extend above and below group 23.

The device shown here is designed as a “semi-automatic”. The cartons 10 are removed from a magazine 37 by hand in a flat position. An operator stands in the area of a recess 38 directly adjacent to a carton station identified by the platform 35. The manually erected cartons 10 are placed with the lower outer tabs 21 and 22 on a holder which consists of lateral, essentially U-shaped support rails 39 and 40 (Fig. 4). The outer tabs 21 and 22 are inserted into the support rails 39 and 40 with a slight funnel-shaped bend (shaped outwards), as a result of which the open carton 10 is supported in a sufficiently stable manner. The contents of the package (group 23) can now be inserted into the box from the bottom without any problems.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the platform 35 is formed with an obliquely directed leg 41 in the region of the lower (initially rearward) inner tab 18. When the group 23 is inserted into the carton 10, the latter engages the inner tab 18 and folds it into an obliquely outward or rearward-facing position (FIG. 3).

The (open) carton 10 is now pushed together with its contents (group 23) along a first conveyor section 42 - represented by an arrow - from the platform 35 and placed on a plate 43 which extends essentially at the same height. The longitudinally extending outer tabs 21 and 22 slide out of the open support rails 39 and 40. During this first conveying section 42, the upper and lower inner tabs 15, 16 lying forward in the transport direction are folded over. The push-off takes place by means of a reciprocating slide 44, the end position of which is shown in dash-dot lines in FIG. 2 in the area of the plate 43.

In the area between the platform 35 and the plate 43, a stationary folding bridge 45 is formed, which also serves as a lower support for the carton 10 in the area of the conveyor section 42. The folding bridge 45, which is designed as a stationary wall, is formed on the side facing the platform 35 with an oblique run-up surface 46. The Lower inner tab 17 lying in the direction of movement is folded by the movement over the folding bridge 45 against the underside of the group 23 and thus into the plane of the lower wall 14. The carton 10 is accordingly pushed onto the plate 43 with the inner flap 17 already folded over.

The carton 10 and its contents are transported from the platform 35 to the plate 43 by a special conveyor unit 47 which is arranged above the path of motion of the carton 10 on a common machine frame 48. A carrier 49 is provided as a reciprocating conveying member, which grips the carton 10 on the back. The driver 49 is slidably mounted on (two) support rods 50 with a slide 51. This in turn is driven by a chain drive 52, consisting of a chain 55 which rotates via gear wheels 53 and 54, and a drive motor 56 which is attached (on the outside) of the machine frame 48 and drives the gear wheel 54 in the same direction of movement at all times. A driver pin 57 is fastened to the chain 55 and enters a transverse slot-like recess 58 of the slide 51. During the circumferential movement of the chain 58, the driver pin 57 executes a reciprocating movement in the recess 58 in the region of the deflection (gear wheels 53, 54). The carriage 51 and thus the driver 59 is driven back and forth in this way. The end position facing the plate 43 is indicated by a dot-dash line in FIG. 3. The movement characteristic due to this conveyor unit 47 is particularly powerful because of the gradual acceleration and deceleration.

When the carton 10 arrives in the end position on the plate 43 (dash-dotted lines in FIG. 3), the upper inner tab 15 lying forward in the transport direction is (also) folded over, namely by an upper folder attached to the plate 43. In the exemplary embodiment shown, this consists of two spaced apart webs 59 and 60, that is to say laterally attached to the plate 43, which are connected to an edge of the plate 43 via an upright support arm 61. This, the support arms 61 and the folding webs 59 and 60 thus form a U-shaped profile in side view, into which the part of the carton 10 lying forward in the transport direction can be inserted by folding over the inner tab 15.

The lower inner tab 18 on the back in the transport direction is moved by resting on the folding bridge 45 into a substantially horizontal transverse position directed away from the carton 10 (FIG. 3). The lower outer tabs 21 and 22 extend laterally next to the plate 43 in the vertical plane of origin. The same applies to the upper outer lobes 19 and 20 and the inner lobe 16.

The partially folded carton 10 is rotated on the turntable 43 or by it, in the present case by 90 ° (extended position in FIG. 2). Furthermore, the direction of further transport for the carton 10 is changed by 90 °, namely transversely. The second conveying section 62 now following is accordingly angled by 90 ° with respect to the conveying section 42.

The carton 10 is pushed with the inner tabs 16 and 18, which now lie forward in the conveying direction, from the plate 43 previously rotated counterclockwise with respect to FIG. 2 onto or into or onto a subsequent discharge conveyor track 63. When the carton enters this conveyor track 43, the Inner tabs 16 and 18 - spatially offset here - folded over and immediately afterwards or simultaneously the four outer tabs 19 ... 22 folded over into the plane of top wall 13 and bottom wall 14 during further transport.

The discharge conveyor 63 consists (in the first part) of a lower plate 64 for supporting the carton 10 and an upper plate 65 which extends directly above the carton in the transport direction. The lower plate 64 is held by a support support 66 connected to the machine frame 48, which is arranged substantially centrally below the lower plate 64 and is thin-walled in the upper part, so that this part of the support support 46 between the lower outer tabs 21 and 22 folded over during transport Can find admission.

On both sides of the lower plate 64 and upper plate 65, spaced apart from it and displaced upwards or downwards, extend in the conveying direction (four) longitudinal beams 67 and 68. These form due to their arrangement and dimensioning (laterally next to lower plate 64 and upper plate 65) an upper and lower side guide for the box. Furthermore, the longitudinal members 67, 68 serve as holders for stationary, immovable folding members for the outer flaps 19 ... 20. These are folding switches 69, 70 which, in a manner known per se, consist of wires or round bars and converge accordingly in the conveying direction the sequence of the folding movement for the outer tabs 19 ... 22 are formed. The upper butterflies and lower butterflies for the inner lobes 16 and 18, which take effect at an early stage, are formed by the upper plate 65 and the lower plate 64, namely by the inlet edges 71 (upper plate) and 72 (lower plate). Funnel-shaped inlet plates 72 and 73, namely converging in the conveying direction, are arranged upstream of these inlet edges, which are offset from one another in the transport direction and have the effect of a mouthpiece opening. The inner tabs 16 and 18 are accordingly gradually folded over by the transport of the carton 10 relative to the top plate 65 and bottom plate 64. The folding of the outer flaps 19 ... 22 follows due to the corresponding design of the folding switches 69 and 70.

The lower plate 64 ends after the folding of the lower outer tabs 21 and 22 has been completed. A bottom plate 75 (connected to the machine frame 48) connects as a further transport support for the finished carton 10. In the area of the base plate 75 is the cardboard with the folded lower inner tabs 17 and 18 and the lower outer tabs 21 and 22, that is to say with a completely finished lower wall 14. The transition from the (thin) lower plate 64 to the base plate 75 is designed in a special way. As can be seen in particular from FIG. 2, the lower plate 64 is designed to be tongue-shaped in the conveying direction, that is to say with a decreasing cross-sectional dimension. The bottom plate 75, which is approximately V-shaped on the side facing the lower plate 64, extends into the area of the lower plate 64, in a partial area it is also laterally adjacent, with the formation of an intermediate space 81 Both the bottom plate 64 and the bottom plate 65 here have a certain “overlap” (FIG. 4) which facilitates the transition of the carton from the area of the bottom plate 64 to the bottom plate 75, the outer tabs lying in the area of the bottom plate 64 below it 21 and 22 come to rest on the base plate 75 as a result of this transition.

The top plate is relatively short (Fig. 4). This is followed by a stamp plate 76 which can be moved up and down and which can be lowered onto the outer flaps 19 and 20 to complete the folding thereof and at the same time stabilizes this closed position of the carton.

The adjacent inner and outer tabs 19 ... 22 are provided with glue to create a durable connection. To apply glue or glue spots, glue application elements 77 and 78 are arranged in the region of the conveying section 62 above and below the movement path of the carton 10, in such a way that in the present case the inside of the outer tabs 19 ... 22 are provided with glue by spray nozzles by applying glue strips in the area of the spray nozzles. For this purpose, the triangular glue application elements 77, 78 with the spray nozzles are arranged in the region of inclined legs on the underside of the lower plate 64 and the upper side of the upper plate 65, specifically in an area in which the outer lobes 19 ... 22 are currently inclined Assume an intermediate position, approximately at an angle of 45 ° (position gladly. Fig. 5). The outer tabs 19 ... 22 are directed approximately parallel to the legs of the triangular glue application members 77, 78, so that glue can be applied to the inner sides of the outer tabs. The stamp plate 76 causes the upper and lower inner and outer tabs to be compressed in the lowered position. The stamp plate 76 is designed as a narrow rectangle, so that it can be moved between the upper folding switches 69.

A conveyor unit 79, which is arranged on a side wall of the machine frame 48 somewhat above the plate 43, serves for the transport of the carton 10 in the region of the conveyor section 62, that is to say from the plate 43 along the discharge path 63 (FIG. 3). This conveyor assembly 79 is designed in approximately the same way as the conveyor assembly 47. The same parts are therefore identified by the same reference numerals. In the present case, however, a driver 49 is connected to the slide 51 by a cranked support arm 80. As a result, the conveyor assembly 79 can be arranged above the movement path of the carton 10. The driver 49 can be moved in the area between the folding webs 59 and 60 or the support arms 61 of the plate 43 and thereby push off the carton 10.

Claims (14)

1. A process for closing cartons with side walls and with a top wall and bottom wall which are formed from inner and outer tabs, the (upper and lower) inner and outer tabs being foldable from an initial position in the plane of the side walls into the plane of the top wall and bottom wall respectively, the said process being defined by the following features:

a) the inner and outer tabs (15, 16, 17, 18; 19, 20, 21, 22) for forming the top wall and bottom wall are folded solely as a result of the movement of the carton (10) relative to folding members immovable in relation to the path of movement of the carton (10),

b) first, upper and lower inner tabs (15, 17) located at the front in the direction of transport are folded,

c) then, the opposite upper and lower inner tabs (16, 18) are folded as the result of the further transport of the carton (10) in the opposite direction or with the side previously at the rear pointing to the front,

d) and thereafter, the upper and lower inner tabs (19 to 22) are folded as a result of the continuation of the transport movement of the carton in an unchanged direction.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein, after the folding of the inner tabs (15, 17) folded first, the carton is rotated about a vertical axis, especially through 90°, with the conveying direction being changed at the same time likewise through 90°.

3. An apparatus for closing cartons with side walls and with a top wall and bottom wall which are formed from inner and outer tabs, the (upper and lower) inner and outer tabs being foldable from an initial position in the plane of the side walls into the plane of the top wall and bottom wall respectively, the said apparatus being defined by

a) folding members (top folder 59, 60 and bottom folder 45) arranged above and below a first conveying step (42) of the carton (10) and immovable relative to the conveyor track or path of movement, for folding round the (upper and lower) inner tabs (15, 17), located at the front in the direction of transport, as a result of the movement (conveyance) of the carton (10) relative to these folding members (59, 60; 45),

b) a rotatable plate (43), onto which the carton (10) can initially be pushed, in order to be pushed off again after being rotated in the direction of a second conveying step (62), with the side originally at the rear pointing to the front, and

c) folding members (top folder 71, bottom folder 72 and folding switches 69, 70) which are arranged above and below the second conveying step (62) for the carton (10) following the rotatable plate (43) and which are immovable relative to the coveyor track or path of movement, for folding round the originally rear (upper and lower) inner tabs (16, 18) and (upper and lower) outer tabs (19, 20, 21, 22) as a result of the movement of the carton (10) relative to the folding members (69, 70, 71, 72) assigned to the second conveying step (62).

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the folding member assigned to the first conveying step (42) and intended for folding the lower inner tab (17) is designed as a stationary folding bridge (45) in the path of movement (conveying step 42) of the carton (10).

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the folding member assigned to the first conveying step (42) and intended for folding the upper inner tab (18) is designed as a folding wall or folding web (59, 60) above the path of movement (conveying step 42), preferably placed after the folding bridge (45) in the conveying direction.

6. An apparatus as claimed in one of claims 3 to 5, wherein at least the first top folder (folding webs 59, 60) is part of the rotatable plate (43), onto which the carton (10) can be pushed, with the upper and lower inner tabs (15, 17) at the same time being folded round.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein (two) U-shaped folding members (folding webs 59, 60) with a supporting arm (61) are arranged at one edge of the plate (43), especially at corners of the plate (43) for grasping the upper inner tab (17) laterally.

8. An apparatus as claimed in one or more of claims 3 to 7, wherein the carton (10), including its content (group 23), can be pushed from a raisable and lowerable platform (35) along the first conveying step (42) over and beyond the folding bridge (45) onto the plate (43), the upper and lower inner tabs (15, 17) located at the front in the direction of transport being folded round thereby.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the stationary folding bridge (45) is arranged between the platform (35) and the plate (43) transversely relative to the direction of transport.

10. An apparatus as claimed in one of claims 3 to 9, wherein the carton (10) can be rotated 90° by means of the plate (43) and can be pushed off from this in the direction likewise offset 90° and corresponding to the direction of the second transport step (62).

11. An apparatus as claimed in one or more of claims 3 to 10, wherein the folding members assigned to the second conveying step (62) and intended for folding round the originally rear upper and lower inner tabs (16, 18) located at the front in the direction of transport are formed by run-in edges (71, 72) arranged above and below the carton (10) in the region of entry to a discharge conveyor track (63), the said run-in edges (71, 72) being especially in the form of a fixed top plate (65) and a fixed bottom plate (64), the latter functioning as a support for the carton (10).

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein folding switches (69, 70) are arranged above and below the carton (10) in the region of the discharge conveyor track (63) and are intended for folding the outer tabs (19 to 22) as a result of the transport of the carton (10) along the discharge conveyor track (63), the lower outer tabs (21, 22) being foldable against the underside of the bottom plate (64) by means of the associated folding switches (70).

13. An apparatus as claimed in one or more of claims 3 to 12, wherein the outer tabs (19 to 22) can preferably be coated with glue on their inner faces, especially by means of glue-coating members (77, 78) arranged below and above the path of movement of the carton and located in the region of the discharge conveyor track (63).

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the glue-coating members (77, 78) are attached to the top side of the top plate (65) and to the underside of the bottom plate (64).

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