Thermoform packaging machine and method of forming-in a film web into cardboard elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11027478-B2
Application number	US-201816130009-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2018
Priority date	Sep 15, 2017
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

A thermoform packaging machine comprising a forming station. The forming station comprises at least one forming tool lower part, the forming tool lower part may be movable transversely to an operating direction of the thermoform packaging machine. The forming tool lower part may comprise at least one reception unit with one or a plurality of troughs for receiving cardboard elements. At a forming position the forming tool lower parts are in contact with the forming tool upper parts such that the first film web may be formed-in into the forming tool lower parts. Further, the first film web may be formed-in into the cardboard elements during the forming process and, in the case of a skin film, an adhering or an adhesive connection may be established between the skin film and the inner surfaces of the cardboard elements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermoform packaging machine comprising:
a forming station having a forming tool lower part, the forming tool lower part being disposed for movement in a direction transverse to an operating direction of the thermoform packaging machine;
wherein the forming tool lower part comprises two reception units that each have one or a plurality of troughs, and each trough is configured for receiving therein a respective cardboard element;
wherein one reception unit is positionable at an infeed position laterally beside a machine frame of the thermoform packaging machine, while the other reception unit is at a forming position;
wherein, when the one reception unit with the cardboard element or cardboard elements is at the forming position, a first film web is formable into the forming tool lower part to form one or more containers in the first film; and
wherein the thermoform packaging machine is operable to transport the one or more containers out of the forming station in the operating direction.

2. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein the forming tool lower part is movable between the infeed position and a stand-by position using a change-over drive.

3. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 1 , further comprising an additional forming tool lower part, wherein the forming tool lower part and the additional forming tool lower part are disposed for movement in opposing directions to one another and in a direction transverse to an operating direction of the thermoforming packaging machine using a change-over drive.

4. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein the two reception units are arranged in a stationary manner on a common die plate.

5. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein the forming station comprises a lifting device for the forming tool lower part and the lifting device extends beyond at least one side of the machine frame of the thermoforming packaging machine.

6. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 5 , wherein the lifting device extends beyond the machine frame on both sides of the machine frame.

7. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein the forming station is configured for forming-in the first film web into the cardboard element or cardboard elements located in the forming tool lower part, such that a connection will be established between the film web and the cardboard element or cardboard elements.

8. A method of forming-in a film web into cardboard elements located in a forming tool lower part of a thermoform packaging machine, the method comprising:
feeding the cardboard elements into troughs of a first reception unit of the forming tool lower part at an infeed position outside a machine frame of the thermoform packaging machine, while a second reception unit of the forming tool lower part is at a forming position in a forming station;
moving the first reception unit in a direction transverse to an operating direction of the thermoform packaging machine to a forming position in the forming station;
moving the forming tool lower part in an upward direction into contact with a forming tool upper part using a lifting device;
forming-in the film web into the troughs of the first reception unit after the moving the forming tool lower part in an upward direction step to form containers in the film web; and
moving the containers out of the forming station in the operating direction.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising arranging an additional forming tool lower part in succession with the forming tool lower part in the operating direction, wherein the additional forming tool lower part is movable between an infeed position in the forming position; and moving each of the forming tool lower parts between the infeed position and the forming position.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the moving the each of the forming tool lower parts between the infeed position and the forming position step comprises moving the forming tool lower parts simultaneously and in opposite directions to one another.

11. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising removing one or more cardboard elements from a feed belt using a manipulator; and feeding one or more cardboard elements into the troughs of the reception units individually or in groups.

12. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising forming a cardboard tray from a cardboard blank that is fed into a trough of the first reception unit as a cardboard element during an infeed process of the forming station.

13. A thermoform packaging machine comprising:
a forming station including first and second forming tool lower parts that are moveable in opposing directions relative to one another and in a direction transverse to an operating direction of the thermoforming packaging machine using a change-over drive;
wherein each forming tool lower part includes at least one reception unit having one or more troughs that are each configured to receive a respective cardboard element; and
wherein, when a reception unit of the at least one reception unit of one of the forming tool lower parts is positioned at a forming position, with a cardboard element received in each of the one or more troughs, the forming station is configured to form a first film web into the one forming tool lower part.

14. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 13 , wherein each forming tool lower part is movable transversely to the operating direction to move the at least one reception unit of the forming tool lower part between an infeed position, for receiving a cardboard element in each of the one or more troughs, and a stand-by position.

15. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 14 , wherein for each of the at least one reception unit of each forming tool lower part, the infeed position is a position at which the at least one reception unit is positioned laterally beside a machine frame of the thermoform packaging machine.

16. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 14 , wherein for each of the at least one reception unit of each forming tool lower part, the stand-by position is a position at which the at least one reception unit is positioned beneath a forming tool upper part of the thermoform packaging machine.

17. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 14 , wherein each forming tool lower part is movable vertically to move the at least one reception unit of the forming tool lower part from the stand-by position toward a respective forming tool upper part of the thermoform packaging machine.

18. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 13 , wherein each forming tool lower part includes two reception units that each have multiple troughs, and each trough is configured to receive a respective cardboard element.

Assignees

• Multivac Haggenmueller Kg

Inventors

• Haggenmüller Martin
• Mössnang Konrad

Classifications

• B65B11/52 Primary

  one sheet being rendered plastic, e.g. by heating, and forced by fluid pressure, e.g. vacuum, into engagement with the other sheet and contents, e.g. skin- {, blister-, or bubble-} packaging · CPC title

• B65B47/08

  by application of fluid pressure · CPC title

• B65B47/02

  with means for heating the material prior to forming · CPC title

• B65B47/10

  by vacuum · CPC title

• B29C51/162

  of deep containers or boxes · CPC title