Packaging machine with suction plate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11059615-B2
Application number	US-201916555025-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2019
Priority date	Aug 30, 2018
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

A packaging machine comprising a machine frame, at least one work station attached to the machine frame, and a transport device with a transfer unit for feeding trays to the work station, wherein the transfer unit comprises a suction plate for transporting trays in a predetermined transport plane. The suction plate may comprises at least one reception mold which is formed at least in part having the shape of an inner contour of an upper opening region of a tray facing it, provided to the reception mold for reception and transport, so that the reception mold during transport in the transport plane of the tray is arranged in a positive-fit manner in its upper opening region and aligns the tray in the transport plane in a predetermined position on the suction plate. The invention also relates to a method for supplying trays to a work station of a packaging machine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A packaging machine comprising:
a machine frame;
a work station attached to said machine frame; and
a transport device with a transfer unit for supplying trays to said work station;
wherein said transfer unit comprises a suction plate for transporting trays in a predetermined transport plane; and
wherein said suction plate comprises a reception mold that is formed at least in part having a shape of an inner contour of an upper opening region of a tray positionable opposite of said suction plate on said transfer unit, wherein said reception mold is configured to receive and transport said tray so that said reception mold during transport in the transport plane of said tray is arranged in a positive-fit manner in said upper opening region of said tray and said reception mold aligns said tray in said transport plane in a predetermined position on said suction plate;
wherein said reception mold is configured to suction said tray on an inner side of at least two different side walls of said tray; and
wherein said reception mold comprises at least one sidewall and at least one bore disposed on said at least one sidewall to align with an inner wall surface of said upper opening region of said tray during transport of said tray when placed on said reception mold in a positive-fit manner, so that a vacuum applied to said suction plate through said at least one bore suctions said tray to apply a predetermined holding force to secure said tray in said predetermined position.

2. The packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein said reception mold has at least two opposing sidewalls and a plurality of bores disposed on each of said at least two opposing sidewalls of said reception mold for suctioning at least two opposing inner sides of said tray.

3. The packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein the reception mold comprises a plurality of sidewalls and said tray comprises a plurality of sidewalls, and each of said sidewalls of the reception mold includes at least one bore so that said reception mold can suction each sidewall of said tray on each inner side of said plurality of side walls of said tray.

4. The packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein said reception mold is formed as a centering member with respect to said upper opening region of said tray.

5. The packaging machine according to claim 4 , wherein said reception mold comprises at least two opposing side walls and wherein at least a portion of each of said opposing sidewalls includes a slanted suction surface.

6. The packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein said suction plate comprises a folding device which is configured to form a sealing flange on said tray when said tray is arranged on said reception mold.

7. The packaging machine according to claim 6 , wherein said reception mold is formed as part of said folding device.

8. The packaging machine according to claim 7 , wherein said folding device comprises a forming plate on which said reception mold is adjustably mounted.

9. The packaging machine according to claim 8 , wherein said reception mold is retractable at least in part into said forming plate.

10. The packaging machine according to claim 8 , wherein said suction plate comprises a pressure element configured to move said reception mold toward said forming plate for a folding process.

11. The packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein said suction plate comprises a dynamic pressure test unit.

12. The packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein said suction plate is adjustably mounted with a linear drive configured to adjust a position of said suction plate in a direction in or opposite to a working direction of said packaging machine between a receiving position, in which trays can be transferred to said suction plate, and a transfer position, in which trays transported by said suction plate can be transferred to said workstation.

13. The packaging machine according to claim 12 , wherein said linear drive comprises a guide oriented in said working direction of said packaging machine on said machine frame and a carriage that is adjustably mounted thereon and to which said suction plate is attached.

14. The packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein said suction plate comprises an upper part, a lifting plate movably arranged inside said upper part and connected to said reception mold, a controllable pressure diaphragm configured to raise said lifting plate, and a forming plate positioned between said lifting plate and said reception mold, and wherein said pressure diaphragm is operable to raise said lifting plate upwardly away from said forming plate to thereby raise said reception mold when said tray is on said reception mold so that an upper end of said tray is foldable against said forming plate to form a sealing flange on said tray.

15. The packaging machine according to claim 14 , wherein said forming plate defines a receptacle configured to receive said reception mold when said lifting plate and said reception mold are raised.

16. A method for supplying trays to a work station of a packaging machine, the method comprising:
providing a suction plate with a reception mold arranged thereon, wherein the reception mold is formed at least in part having a shape of an inner contour of an upper opening region of a tray being used in the packaging machine;
engaging the tray in the upper opening region of the tray with the reception mold at least in part in a positive-fit manner during transport of the tray in a transport plane of the tray;
aligning the tray in a predetermined position on the suction plate in the transport plane; and
applying a vacuum to the suction plate through at least one bore disposed on at least one side wall of the reception mold to apply a predetermined holding force on the tray on at least one inner wall surface of the tray to secure the tray in the predetermined position.

17. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising the step of folding over a sealing flange on the tray, along a pre-perforated edge of the upper opening region of the tray, when the tray is positioned in an aligned manner on the reception mold using a folding device of the suction plate.

18. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising the steps of applying a dynamic pressure to the tray and checking the dynamic pressure applied to the tray using a dynamic pressure test unit provided on the suction plate.

19. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the suction plate is a vacuum gripper, and further comprising the steps of transporting a plurality of the trays in or opposite to a working direction of the packaging machine from a receiving position, in which the trays are transferred to the suction plate, to a transfer position, in which the trays are transferred from the suction plate to the work station.

20. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the suction plate comprises an upper part, a lifting plate movably arranged inside the upper part and connected to the reception mold, and a forming plate positioned between the lifting plate and the reception mold, and the method further comprises moving the lifting plate upwardly away from the forming plate to thereby raise the reception mold when the tray is on the reception mold so that an upper end of the tray is folded against the forming plate to form a sealing flange on the tray.

Assignees

• Multivac Haggenmueller Kg

Inventors

• Mössnang Konrad
• Reichart Nadine
• Wägele Markus
• Lutz Florian

Classifications

• B65B7/2878

  by heat-sealing · CPC title

• B65B25/16

  Packaging bread or like bakery products, e.g. unsliced loaves · CPC title

• B65B41/06

  by suction-operated grippers · CPC title

• B65B43/305

  specially adapted for boxes, cartons or carton blanks · CPC title

• B65B43/10

  by folding the material · CPC title