DEVICE FOR TRANSPORTING IN A PACKAGING LINE FLEXIBLE PACKAGING HELD SUSPENDED

• US 20160122063A1
• Filed: 05/14/2014
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PFM Iberica Packaging Machinery S.A.
• Original Assignee: PFM Iberica Packaging Machinery S.A.
• Inventors: GARRIGA JIMENEZ, Jose, FIORAVANTI, Andrea, JORGE ALESANCO, Cristobal
• Granted Patent: US 10,293,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/04 Forming flat bags from webs
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/123 Feeding flat bags connected to form a series or chain
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/32 by external pressure diagonally applied
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/465 for bags
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/50 using rotary tables or turrets B65B43/46 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/54 Means for supporting containers or receptacles during the filling operation
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 59/003 Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the packaging material
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 59/02 Arrangements to enable adjustments to be made while the machine is running
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 65/006 Multiple parallel packaging lines
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/005 comprising individual load carriers which are movably mounted B65G17/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/842 the article-engaging elements being grippers
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 54/02 electrostatic, electric, or magnetic

Abstract

Device for transporting containers in a packaging line, comprising a number of guide means such as a track, which determine a closed route comprising a horizontal stretch and upon which at least a first and second carrying element slide, characterised in that the guide means are directed on a vertical plane and in that each carrying element has two arms, each one of which extends to one side of said vertical plane, each arm (5a; 6a) of a carrying element being designed to work alongside the arm (5b; 6b) arranged on a same side of the vertical plane of the other carrying element adjacent to them, to jointly secure and transport at least one corresponding container, it therefore being possible for them to be secured and transported along the length of the horizontal stretch of said route and at least two containers between each two adjacent carrying elements at the same time, one at each side of the vertical plane.

Claims

1. A device for transporting containers on a packaging line, comprising a number of guide means, which determine a closed route, comprising a horizontal stretch, upon which at least a first and second carrying element slide, wherein the guide means are directed on a vertical plane and each carrying element has two arms, each one of which extends to one side of said vertical plane, each arm of one of the first and second carrying elements being designed to work alongside the arm arranged on a same side of the vertical plane pertaining to the other carrying element adjacent, to jointly secure and transport at least one corresponding container, so that at least two containers are secured and transported along the length of the horizontal stretch of said route at the same time, between every two adjacent carrying elements, with one container at each side of the vertical plane.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the arms have a number of securing means designed to hold at least one container in a respective anchoring area linked thereto, said securing means being located on the arms, so that the containers secured and transported to each side of the vertical plane are equidistant from the same.

3. The device according to claim 1, comprising a number of pairs of carrying elements, which may be operated individually in order to be moved along the length of the track, as a result of a magnetic field effect generated in the sphere of influence of each carrying element.

4. The device according to claim 3, comprising a number of control means capable of governing the movement of said carrying elements individually according to a pre-established velocity and acceleration model.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the related carrying elements being in pairs, each pair comprising a first and second carrying element, the control means comprise programmable means capable of governing the intermittent movement of said first and second carrying elements, in order to simultaneously move them between every two consecutive stops in a same forwards moving direction on the horizontal stretch, applying a velocity v2 to the second carrying element, which is the furthest forwards in the forwards direction and a velocity v1 to the first carrying element, which is the furthest back in the forwards direction, thereby fulfilling the mathematical relation V1>

v2 and subsequently without stopping the movement of the carrying elements, applying a velocity v2 to the second carrying element and a velocity v1 to the first carrying element, thus fulfilling the mathematical relation V1<

v2.

6. The device according to claim 1, comprising a first and second continuous conveyor system, which may be operated individually or together, a first and second series of carrying elements, the carrying elements of the first series being linked to the first continuous conveyor and the carrying elements of the second series to the second continuous conveyor, the carrying elements of the first series placed amongst the carrying elements of the second series, the securing means of the arms being opposite two adjacent carrying elements intended to secure a same container.

7. The device according to claim 6, comprising a number of control means capable of governing the operation of said continuous conveyor systems individually or together, according to a pre-established velocity and acceleration model.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the control means are capable of governing the intermittent operation of said first and second continuous conveyors in order to simultaneously move them between every two consecutive stops in a same forwards moving direction, transferring a velocity v2 to one of them and a velocity v1 to the other, thus fulfilling the mathematical relation V1>

v2 and subsequently without stopping the movement of the carrying elements, applying a velocity v2 to the second carrying element and a velocity v1 to the first carrying element, thus fulfilling the mathematical relation V1<

v2.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the arms of each carrying element are linked to the guide means and are capable of rotating around a perpendicular axle in the direction of the vertical plane, each carrying element having a rotation mechanism that depending on the momentary position of the carrying element on the guide means, has the arms of the carrying element in a pre-determined angular position, so as to bring the arms closer to or move them further away from an adjacent carrying element, so as to move the walls of the container being secured closer together, thus giving rise to the upper opening thereof.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the rotation mechanism of each carrying element comprises a lever, the momentary inclination of which is transmitted to the arms in order to jointly rotate around the perpendicular axle, the lever having a cam follower that slides along a cam channel formed in or joined to the guide means.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the guide means comprise a first and second parallel track, between which the carrying elements fit in such a way as to slide, each one of which has two wheels mounted, which can rotate around the perpendicular axle, each one of which fit on a corresponding track, the bottom of each track having a groove, at least one of which serves as a cam channel that controls the rotation of the lever pertaining to the rotation mechanism of the carrying element.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the groove of the first track determines the cam channel for the cam followers of the first series of carrying elements, whilst the groove of the second track determines the cam channel for the cam followers of the second series of carrying elements.

13. A horizontal packaging machine, comprising a device for transporting containers according to claim 1, the guide means of which comprise an upper operational section, with a first horizontal stretch and a lower return section, with a second horizontal stretch overlapping the first horizontal stretch and a succession of work stations, which comprise at least a filling station and an upper closing station for the containers transported between every two arms of the device, designed to simultaneously handle and operate on two containers secured opposite one another with one at each side of the guide means by means of corresponding carrying elements, whilst the same are on the horizontal stretch of the upper operational section of said guide means.

14. The horizontal packaging machine according to claim 13, comprising a production module for producing flexible containers from a continuous sheet of thermo-welded material, folded over itself along the length of longitudinal fold lines, with a final cutting or separation station for the containers obtained and a transfer module for transferring containers from the container production module to the device for transporting containers, comprising, at each side of the device for transporting containers, both forwards moving continuous intermittent conveyors, which extend from the cutting station of the production module to the start of the upper operational section of the guide means of the device for transporting containers, the continuous conveyors having means for transporting produced containers, to be presented and transferred to the arms of the carrying elements of the corresponding side of the device for transporting containers, in order to be transferred to the same.

15. The horizontal packaging machine according to claim 13, wherein the work stations are held suspended above the transportation device.

16. The packaging machine according to claim 15, wherein the work stations are mounted in such a way that they can slide on two longitudinal guides, located above the transportation device.