Folding unit and method for producing pourable food product packages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10071534-B2
Application number	US-201214127503-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2012
Priority date	Oct 31, 2011
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

A folding unit for producing folded packages of pourable food products from sealed packs, comprising: movable conveyor which are fed with a plurality of packs at an input station, which feed packs along a forming path and output folded packages at an output station; and folder cooperating with each pack to perform at least one folding operation on pack comprising: at least one pair of shells which are integrally movable along the forming path and are movable relative to each other along a direction transversal to the forming path; shells of each pair may be set along the direction in: a fully closed position in which they exert a pressure onto a relative pack, so as to at least complete a folding operation onto relative pack; and an open position in which they are detached from the corresponding folded package.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A folding unit for producing folded packages of pourable food products from respective sealed packs, each of said sealed packs including an unfolded portion, said folding unit comprising:
movable conveying means which are fed with a plurality of said sealed packs at an input station to feed said sealed packs along a forming path and output said folded packages at an output station, the movable conveying means moving along a closed loop which includes the forming path, the input station and the output station;
folding means cooperating with each said sealed pack to perform at least one folding operation on said unfolded portion of said sealed pack while said sealed pack is in the forming path, said at least one folding operation performed by said folding means leaving an unfolded end flap of said sealed pack;
at least one pair of shells, the shells of the at least one pair of shells being integrally movable in conjunction with one another along said closed loop, and the shells of the at least one pair of shells being movable relative to each other along a transverse direction transverse to said forming path, each of the at least one pair of shells being conveyed by the conveying means to move along the entirety of the closed loop;
said shells of each of said at least one pair of shells being integrally movable in the transverse direction so that both of said shells move in the same direction in conjunction with one another in the transverse direction; and
said shells of the pair of shells being settable along said transverse direction at least in:
a fully closed position in which the shells exert a pressure onto one of said sealed packs, so as to at least complete a folding operation on said sealed pack by contacting and folding said unfolded end flap of said unfolded portion of said sealed pack; and
an open position in which the shells are detached from the corresponding said folded package.

2. The folding unit claim 1 , wherein said conveying means comprise:
at least one supporting member;
a top branch along which said supporting member is arranged at a position below said sealed pack; and
a bottom branch defining said output station and along which said folded package is arranged at a position below said supporting member;
said shells being arranged in said open position at least at said output station, so as to release said corresponding folded package under a gravity action.

3. The folding unit of claim 2 , wherein
said conveying means comprise at least one paddle operatively connected to said supporting member and adapted to thrust said corresponding package along said forming path.

4. The folding unit of claim 1 , wherein said shells are also settable in a closed position which is intermediate along said transverse direction between said open and fully closed positions, and in which the shells grip said folded package and apply less pressure to said folded package than when said shells are in said fully closed position.

5. The folding unit of claim 4 , wherein said forming path comprises:
a first portion along which each of said sealed packs is folded into a folded package;
a second portion arranged downstream from said first portion and along which each of the folded packages is overturned; and
a third portion arranged downstream from said second portion and along which each of said folded packages is conveyed to said output station;
said shells being movable relative to each other between said open position and said fully closed position, parallel to said transverse direction and along said first portion of said path;
said shells being movable relative to each other between said fully closed position and said closed position, parallel to said transverse direction, and along said second portion of said path;
said shells being movable relative to each other between said closed and said open position, parallel to said transverse direction and along said third portion of said path.

6. The folding unit of claim 1 , wherein said conveying means comprise a plurality of consecutive links articulated with respect to one another;
each said link comprising:
a paddle;
a pair of shells;
a pair of guides which extend along said transverse direction; and
a pair of slides connected to said shells and slidable within said relative guides.

7. The folding unit of claim 6 , wherein
said pack includes a main portion, and a first and second end portions arranged on respective opposite sides of said main portion, said first end portion being said unfolded end portion;
said unfolded portion comprises a first fin, said unfolded end flap and a second flap projecting laterally from said main portion;
said folding means including at least one first folding member adapted to fold said first fin onto said first end portion and to bend said unfolded end flap and said second flap towards said second end portion;
said folding unit including heating means for partially melting said previously bent unfolded end flap and said previously bent second flap;
said shells being arranged in said fully closed position downstream from said heating means, proceeding along an advancing direction of said conveying means.

8. The folding unit of claim 7 , wherein
said folding means comprise at least one second folding member adapted to fold a second end fin, opposite to said first end fin, onto said second end portion and a pair of second flaps on the opposite side of said first end portion;
said second folding member being arranged upstream from said heating means, proceeding along the advancing direction of said conveying means;
said folding unit including a pressing device arranged downstream from said heating means, proceeding along the advancing direction of said conveying means;
said pressing device being adapted to hold said second flap in contact with said main portion while said second flap cools; and
a compartment defined by said paddles of two consecutive links, said shells of one of said two consecutive links arranged in said fully closed position, said first folding member and said pressing device, the compartment being configured to control the volume of a package in formation.

9. The folding unit of claim 1 , comprising:
a pair of cams defining grooves which are elongated along said forming path and arranged at varying distances measured along said transverse direction from each other;
each said shell comprising a relative follower which engages a relative groove of a relative cam.

10. The folding unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one pair of shells comprises a plurality of pairs of shells;
the conveyor comprises a plurality of links; and
each of the plurality of links includes one of the pairs of shells.

11. A method for producing folded packages of pourable food product from sealed packs comprising:
conveying at least one said sealed pack along a forming path in which a corresponding folded package is formed, said forming path including an input station and an output station, said pack comprising an unfolded portion;
folding said unfolded portion of said sealed pack while said pack is being conveyed along said forming path, an end flap of said unfolded portion remaining at least partially unfolded after said folding of said unfolded portion of said sealed pack;
moving at least one pair of shells integrally in conjunction with each other along said forming path and relative to each other along a transverse direction transverse to said forming path between a fully closed position in which the shells exert a pressure onto said sealed pack to contact and fold said end flap of said unfolded portion of said sealed pack;
said

Assignees

• Pradelli Massimo
• Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance

Inventors

• Pradelli Massimo

Classifications

• B65B49/14

  Folders forming part of, or attached to, conveyors for partially-wrapped articles · CPC title

• B65B9/20

  the webs being formed into tubes in situ around the filling nozzles · CPC title

• B65B61/24 Primary

  for shaping or reshaping completed packages · CPC title

• B65B49/04

  Ploughs or plates with inclined slots or opposed inclined edges · CPC title

• B65B49/08

  Reciprocating or oscillating folders · CPC title