Tray sealing machine and method for gently picking up a tray

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11155372-B2
Application number	US-202016862704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2020
Priority date	Apr 30, 2019
Publication date	Oct 26, 2021
Grant date	Oct 26, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a tray sealing machine and, in addition, to a method for gently picking-up trays and for gently depositing sealed packages.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tray sealing machine comprising at least one feed unit for conveying trays in a production direction, a sealing station arranged downstream of the feed unit, when seen in the production direction, and used for producing packages, at least one discharge unit arranged downstream of the sealing station, when seen in the production direction, as well as a gripper unit configured to, in a conveying cycle, pick up trays provided on the feed unit and convey them into the sealing station for a tray sealing process taking place in the sealing station as well as pick up packages produced within the sealing station and convey them to the discharge unit, wherein the sealing station comprises a tool upper part, which includes a sealing tool, as well as a tool lower part, which includes a support plate unit for depositing thereon the trays conveyed into the sealing station and a vertically adjustable tray holder for picking up and conveying the trays transferred to the support plate unit towards the tool upper part, the tray sealing machine additionally comprising a lifting mechanism configured to move the tray holder from a first position, at which the tray holder occupies a starting position in an open state of the sealing station, to a second position, at which the tray holder occupies a working position located closer to the tool upper part in a closed state of the sealing station, during a first predetermined motion sequence, the tray holder being adapted to be moved during the first motion sequence by means of the lifting, mechanism in such a way that the tray holder will pick up the trays, which are provided on the support plate unit, at a predetermined pick-up speed, wherein the tray holder is adapted to be moved, by means of the lifting mechanism, from the second position back to the first position during a second predetermined motion sequence, which is provided for opening the sealing station, in such a way that the tray holder will transfer the produced packages accommodated therein to the support plate unit at a predetermined depositing speed, with a rate of speed change over time of the tray holder having changed from a negative value to a positive value during the second motion sequence before the tray holder has reached the predetermined depositing speed.

2. The tray sealing machine according to claim 1 , wherein from a transfer moment, at which the packages have been transferred to the support plate unit, the tray holder is movable at the depositing speed for a predetermined time interval.

3. The tray sealing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the tray sealing machine is configured such that the rate of speed change over time of the tray holder will have changed from a negative value to a positive value during the second motion sequence after the packages have been transferred to the support plate unit at the depositing speed and before the tray holder has returned to the first position.

4. The tray sealing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the pick-up speed and/or the depositing speed are variably adjustable at the tray sealing machine.

5. The tray sealing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the tray sealing machine is configured such that the tray holder will reach the pick-up speed at a predetermined pick-up position during the first motion sequence, before the trays provided on the support plate unit have been received, on tray edges formed thereon, by the tray holder.

6. The tray sealing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the tray sealing machine is configured such that the tray holder will reach the depositing speed at a predetermined depositing position during the second motion sequence before the packages have been deposited on the support plate unit by means of package bases formed thereon.

7. The tray sealing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the tray holder, together with the trays accommodated therein, is movable at the pick-up speed for a predetermined time interval.

8. The tray sealing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the tray sealing machine is configured such that a rate of speed change over time of the tray holder will have changed from a positive value to a negative value during the first motion sequence before the tray holder has reached the predetermined pick-up speed.

9. The tray sealing machine according to claim 8 , wherein the tray sealing machine is configured such that the rate of speed change over time of the tray holder, including the trays accommodated therein, will have changed from a positive value to a negative value during the first motion sequence before the tray holder arrived at the second position.

10. A method of lifting and lowering a tray holder at a sealing station of a tray sealing machine, wherein, when the tray holder is being lifted, trays, which are provided on a support plate unit, are picked-up by means of the tray holder and conveyed to a tool upper part positioned above the tray holder, so as to carry out a tray sealing process, wherein the tray holder is moved by means of a lifting mechanism from a first position, at which the tray holder occupies a starting position in an open state of the sealing station, to a second position, at which the tray holder occupies a working position located closer to the tool upper part in a closed state of the sealing station, during a first predetermined motion sequence, wherein the tray holder picks up the trays, which are provided on the support plate unit, at a predetermined pick-up speed, wherein subsequent to a tray sealing process, the tray holder is moved by means of the lifting mechanism from the second position back to the first position during a second predetermined motion sequence in such a way that the tray holder will transfer, at a predetermined depositing speed, produced packages accommodated therein to the support plate unit, with a rate of speed change over time changing from a negative value to a positive value during the second motion sequence before the tray holder reaches the predetermined depositing speed.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein from a transfer moment, at which the packages have been transferred to the support plate unit, the tray holder is lowered still further at the depositing speed for a predetermined time interval.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the rate of speed change over time of the tray holder changes during the second motion sequence from a negative value to a positive value after the packages have been transferred to the support plate unit at the depositing speed and before the tray holder has returned to the first position.

13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein from a moment, at which the trays have been received by the tray holder, the tray holder is lifted at the pick-up speed for a predetermined time interval.

14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein a rate of speed change over time of the tray holder changes from a positive value to a negative value during the first motion sequence before the tray holder reaches the predetermined pick-up speed.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the rate of speed change over time of the tray holder, including the trays accommodated therein, will change from a positive value to a negative value during the first motion sequence before the tray holder arrives at the second position.

16. A tray sealing machine comprising at least one feed unit for conveying trays in a production direction, a sealing station arranged downstream of the feed unit, when seen in the production direction, and used for producing packages, at least one discharge unit arranged downst

Assignees

• Multivac Haggenmueller Kg

Inventors

• Hoepner Bernd
• Fackler Sebastian
• Riegger Peter
• Magel Thomas

Classifications

• B65B31/028

  closed by a lid sealed to the upper rim of the container, e.g. tray-like container · CPC title

• B65B61/00 Primary

  Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages · CPC title

• B65B7/162

  by feeding web material to securing means · CPC title

• B65B7/164 Primary

  Securing by heat-sealing · CPC title

• B65B43/46

  using grippers · CPC title