PACKAGING METHOD, PACKAGING DEVICE AND INJECTION MOULDING SYSTEM

• US 20120124945A1
• Filed: 06/18/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waldorf Technik GmbH
• Original Assignee: Waldorf Technik GmbH & Co. KG.
• Inventors: Boos, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 9,061,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 53/452
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/54 Supports specially adapted for pipettes and burettes automated pipetting stations G01N35/10
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1769 Handling of moulded articles or runners, e.g. sorting, stacking, grinding of runners
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 19/34 Packaging other rod-shaped articles, e.g. sausages, macaroni, spaghetti, drinking straws, welding electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/30 Arranging and feeding articles in groups
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/068 in trays B65B5/061 - B65B5/065 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/08 Packaging groups of articles, the articles being individually gripped or guided for transfer to the containers or receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/105 by grippers B65B5/12 and B65B5/108 take precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a packaging method for packing plastic injection moulded parts (9) designed as pipette tips or medical reaction vessels, including the following steps:

• • simultaneously removing K plastic injection moulded parts (9) from K cavities (3), and
  • depositing the plastic injection moulded parts (9) in an intermediate storage (5) and
  • loading V packaging units (8), each having A plastic injection moulded parts (9), from the intermediate storage (5).

According to the invention, an intermediate storage (5) having a plurality of depositing positions (6) arranged next to each other in a deposition plane (7) is used as the intermediate storage (5), and the K plastic injection moulded parts (9) are deposited equally divided among U subgroups (11) in the intermediate storage (5), and K plastic injection moulded parts (9) are removed from the K cavities (3) and are divided evenly among the U subgroups (11) until each subgroup (11) comprises L plastic injection moulded parts (9), wherein the quantity L of the plastic injection moulded parts (9) of a subgroup (11) corresponds to the quantity A of plastic injection moulded parts (9) to be loaded into a packaging unit (8), or an integral divisor of A. The invention further relates to a packaging device and to an injection moulding machine having such a packaging device.

Claims

1. A packaging method for packaging plastic injection moulded parts (9) produced in the form of pipette tips or medical reaction vessels, including the steps of:

extracting K plastic injection moulded parts (9) from K cavities (3) simultaneously, and

depositing the plastic injection moulded parts (9) in an intermediate storage (5), and

loading each of V packaging unit(s) (8) with A injection moulded parts (9) from the intermediate storage (5), wherein

an intermediate storage (5) having a plurality of deposit positions (6) arranged side by side in a deposition plane (7) is used as the intermediate storage (5), and

the K plastic injection moulded parts (9) are distributed equally among U subgroups (11) in the intermediate storage (5), and

K plastic injection moulded parts (9) are extracted from K cavities (3) repeatedly and distributed equally among the U subgroups (11) until each subgroup (11) has L plastic injection moulded parts (9),

wherein the number L of plastic injection moulded parts (9) in a subgroup (11) is the same as the number A of plastic injection moulded parts (9) to be loaded in a packaging unit (8) or a whole-number divisor of A.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein

the K plastic injection moulded parts (9) are deposited in the intermediate storage (5) in such manner that the number U of subgroups (11) is equal to or not equal to the number V of packaging units (8) or a whole-number multiple of V.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein

more plastic injection moulded parts (9) per unit area are deposited in the intermediate storage (5) than in the packaging units (8).

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein

the plastic injection moulded parts (9) from a given cavity (3) or cavities (3) are always deposited in a given subgroup (11) or subgroups (11).

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein

each subgroup (11) is always extended by the same number plastic injection moulded parts (9), in each extraction cycle.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein

the U subgroups (11) are deposited as separate units next to each other with a lateral separation from each other.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein

the K plastic injection moulded parts (9) extracted from the K cavities (3) in each extraction cycle are deposited in the intermediate storage (5) in the same positions relative to each other.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein

a panel with a number of recesses or attachment elements corresponding to the number of deposition positions (6) is used as the intermediate storage (5).

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein

the V packaging units (8) are each loaded with either a single subgroup (11) or with multiple subgroups (11).

20. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein each subgroup is extended by a single plastic injection moulded part (9).

10. A packaging device for packaging plastic injection moulded parts (9) produced in the form of pipette tips or medical reaction vessels, including:

extraction means (4) designed for extracting K plastic injection moulded parts (9) from K cavities (3) simultaneously and depositing the plastic injection moulded parts (9) in an intermediate storage (5), and

an intermediate storage (5), and

loading means (12) designed for loading V packaging units (8) with A injection moulded parts (9) from the intermediate storage (5), and

control means (10) designed for actuating the extraction means (4) and/or loading means (12),

the intermediate storage (5) has a plurality of deposit positions (6) arranged side by side in a deposition plane (7), and

the control means (10) are configured to actuate the extraction means (4) and/or the loading means (12) in such manner that

the K plastic injection moulded parts (9) are distributed equally among U subgroups (11) in the intermediate storage (5), and such that

K plastic injection moulded parts (9) are extracted from K cavities (3) repeatedly and distributed equally among the U subgroups (11) until each subgroup (11) has L plastic injection moulded parts (9),

wherein the number L of plastic injection moulded parts (9) in a subgroup (11) is the same as the number A of plastic injection moulded parts (9) to be loaded in a packaging unit (8) or a whole-number divisor of A.

11. The device as recited in claim 10, wherein

the control means (10) are designed to actuate the extraction means (4) in such a way that the K plastic injection moulded parts (9) are deposited in the intermediate storage (5) so that the number U of subgroups (11) is equal to or not equal to the number V of packaging units (8) or a whole-number multiple of V.

12. The device as recited in claim 10, wherein

the control means (10) are designed to actuate the extraction means (4) in such a way that the plastic injection moulded parts (9) from a specified cavity (3) or cavities (3) are always deposited in a specified subgroup (11) or subgroups (11).

13. The device as recited in claim 10, wherein

the intermediate storage (5) is constructed in such manner that it is capable of accommodating more plastic injection moulded parts (9) per unit of area than the packaging units (8), or that the grid size for the plastic injection moulded parts (9) of the intermediate storage (5) is equal to the grid size for the plastic injection moulded parts (9) in the packaging units (8).

14. The device as recited in claim 10, wherein

the control means (10) are designed to actuate the extraction means (4) in such a way that each subgroup (11) grows by the same number of plastic injection moulded parts (9) after each extraction cycle.

15. The device as recited in claim 10, wherein

the control means (10) are designed to actuate the extraction means (4) in such a way that the U subgroups (11) are deposited side by side with each other, with a lateral separation from each other, as separate units.

16. The device as recited in claim 10, wherein

the control means (10) are designed to actuate the extraction means (4) in such a way that the K plastic injection moulded parts (9) extracted from the K cavities (3) in each extraction cycle are deposited in the same positions relative to each other in the intermediate storage (5).

17. The device as recited in claim 10, wherein

the intermediate storage (5) is constructed as a panel with a number of recesses or attachment points corresponding to the number of deposit positions (6).

18. The device as recited in claim 10, wherein

the control means (10) are designed to actuate the loading means (12) in such a way that the V packaging units (8) are each loaded with a single subgroup (11) or each with multiple subgroups (11).

19. An injection moulding system with an injection moulding device (1) having K cavities (3) for simultaneous production of K plastic injection moulded parts (9) in the form of pipette tips or medical reaction vessels, and with a packaging device according to any of claim 10.

21. The device as recited in claim 14, wherein the control means (10) are designed to actuate the extraction means (4) in such a way that each subgroup (11) grows by a single plastic injection moulded part (9) after each extraction cycle.