Method of determining the volume flow and the filling degree at a packaging machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11111044-B2
Application number	US-201916441585-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2019
Priority date	Jun 14, 2018
Publication date	Sep 7, 2021
Grant date	Sep 7, 2021

Abstract

A method of operating a sealing station of a packaging machine for producing, in the case of possibly varying filling degrees, packages with at least substantially similar package appearances, the method comprising the execution of a comparison between a detected pressure curve and a reference pressure curve, and the calculation of a filling degree of the package positioned within the sealing station on the basis of the comparison between the detected pressure curve and the reference pressure curve, and/or the calculation of a volume flow with respect to the pressure curve or the reference pressure curve, and the setting of at least one process parameter at the packaging machine with due regard to the calculated filling degree and/or the volume flow.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a sealing station of a packaging machine for producing, in case of varying filling degrees, packages with at least substantially similar package appearances, the method comprising:
filling a free package volume with a gas from an initial pressure prevailing in the package volume up to a predetermined gas flushing pressure for creating a desired atmosphere, the free packaging volume enclosed between a lower and an upper packaging material and defined by at least one package positioned within the sealing station;
detecting a pressure curve using at least one pressure-detecting sensor system connected to the package volume at least temporarily during the filling of the package volume, the pressure curve being detected based on a time-dependent pressure curve between the initial pressure and the predetermined gas flushing pressure;
comparing the detected pressure curve with a reference pressure curve, the reference pressure curve being detected based on a time-dependent pressure curve for filling a known free reference package volume of at least one reference package positioned within the sealing station with the gas between the initial pressure and the predetermined gas flushing pressure;
calculating at least one of a filling degree of the at least one package positioned within the sealing station and a volume flow for the package volume based on the comparison between the detected pressure curve and the reference pressure curve; and
setting at least one process parameter of the packaging machine with regard to the calculated filling degree and/or the volume flow.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a quotient resulting from a ratio of a time detected for the pressure curve and a time detected for the reference pressure curve is subtracted from a whole for calculating the filling degree.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the calculating is carried out in real time per machine cycle, and the method further comprises executing an automated adaptation of the at least one process parameter based on the real-time calculation of the filling degree and/or the volume flow.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one process parameter is an offset pressure used during one of the filling process or at least one subsequent filling process, to fill the package volume with gas until a reduced pressure is reached, wherein the reduced pressure results from a gas flushing target pressure for finished packages minus a calculated offset pressure.

5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising determining a calculated offset pressure using the Boyle-Mariotte law, taking into account a partial volume of the package volume displaced by a sealing stroke and the free package volume, which can be determined in view of the calculated filling degree, including the gas flushing target pressure of finished packages to be generated in the free package volume.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one process parameter comprises a gas velocity reached at respective gas pins configured for filling the package volume.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one process parameter comprises a valve setting value which influences an evacuating process and/or the gas flushing process.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one process parameter triggers a malfunction indicator at the packaging machine.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the free package volume is operably connected to a collecting volume of known size and the free package volume is calculated using a detected pressure compensation.

10. The method according claim 1 , wherein the at least one process parameter is continuously adjusted based upon averaged values of at least one of the filling degree and the volume flow.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the filling of the free package volume is performed such that a pressure compensation between a plurality of packages positioned within the sealing station occurs during a sealing stroke.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein calculating the filling degree includes subtracting a supply line volume connected to the package volume.

13. A packaging machine for producing, in case of varying filling degrees, packages with at least substantially similar package appearances, the packaging machine comprising:
a sealing station and a control unit, the control unit being functionally connected to a sensor system provided at the sealing station and operable to detect a pressure of a package volume provided within the sealing station;
wherein the control unit is operable to calculate at least one of a filling degree associated with the package volume and a volume flow associated with the package volume based on a comparison between a time-dependent pressure curve and a time-dependent reference pressure curve, wherein the time-dependent pressure curve is detectable between predetermined pressure levels at least temporarily during a filling process of the package volume enclosed within the sealing station and the time-dependent reference pressure curve is representative of a filling process of a known reference volume and stored in the control unit between the predetermined pressure levels; and
wherein the control unit is operable to set at least one process parameter of the packaging machine based upon at least one of the calculated filling degree and the volume flow.

14. A method of operating a sealing station of a packaging machine for producing, in case of varying filling degrees, packages with at least substantially similar package appearances, the method comprising:
filling a free package volume enclosed between a lower and an upper packaging material and defined by at least one package positioned within the sealing station with a gas, the gas intended to be used for creating a desired atmosphere, and the free package volume is filled from an initial pressure prevailing in the package volume up to a predetermined gas flushing pressure;
detecting, at least temporarily during filling of the package volume, a pressure curve using at least one pressure-detecting sensor system connected to the package volume, the pressure curve being detected based on a time-dependent pressure curve between the initial pressure and the predetermined gas flushing pressure;
comparing the detected pressure curve with a reference pressure curve detected based on a pressure curve, which is time-dependent, for filling a known free reference package volume of at least one reference package positioned within the sealing station with the gas between the initial pressure and the predetermined gas flushing pressure; and
setting at least one process parameter of the packaging machine based upon the comparison of the detected pressure curve with the reference pressure curve.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one process parameter comprises an offset pressure used during the filling process and/or during at least one subsequent filling process, so as to fill the package volume with gas until a reduced pressure is reached, wherein the reduced pressure results from a gas flushing target pressure for finished packages minus a calculated offset pressure.

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one process parameter comprises a gas velocity reached at respective gas pins configured for filling the package volume.

17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one process parameter comprises a valve setting value which in

Assignees

• Multivac Haggenmueller Kg

Inventors

• Felch Florian
• Rädler Michael

Classifications

• B65B59/00 Primary

  Arrangements to enable machines to handle articles of different sizes, to produce packages of different sizes, to vary the contents of packages {, to handle different types of packaging material,} or to give access for cleaning or maintenance purposes · CPC title

• B65B47/00

  Apparatus or devices for forming pockets or receptacles in or from sheets, blanks, or webs, comprising essentially a die into which the material is pressed or a folding die through which the material is moved · CPC title

• B65B31/021

  the containers or wrappers being interconnected · CPC title

• B65B9/04

  one or both webs being formed with pockets for the reception of the articles, or of the quantities of material · CPC title

• B65B57/00 Primary

  Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices (registering wrapping or container-forming material fed from rolls B65B41/18) · CPC title