Heating unit for heating package sleeves and apparatus comprising such a heating unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11207842-B2
Application number	US-201615755847-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2016
Priority date	Aug 28, 2015
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

A heating unit is described and illustrated including at least two heating devices for at least partially heating with hot air end areas of package sleeves to be sealed, wherein the heating unit has an air supply device for supplying air to be heated to the heating devices, wherein the heating devices each have a heating element for producing hot air and a nozzle unit for blowing hot air produced in the heating device against the end area of the package sleeve. In order to be able to increase the leak tightness of the sealed end areas of the package sleeves without having to accept an excessive outlay and effort in terms of the equipment and/or in terms of the method for this, it has been proposed that the heating devices are each separately connected to the air supply device by means of at least one holder and are each separately held on the air supply device by means of the at least one holder.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for filling packages having a heating unit for at least partially heating with hot air end areas to be sealed of package sleeves arranged on different mandrel wheels, having a sealing unit for closing and welding the end areas of the heated package sleeves arranged on different mandrel wheels in a liquid-tight manner and having a filling device for filling the package sleeves closed on at least one side, wherein the heating unit comprising a plurality of heating devices for at least partially heating with hot air end areas of package sleeves arranged on different mandrel wheels to be sealed, wherein the heating unit has an air supply device for supplying air to be heated to the heating devices, wherein the heating devices each have an electrical heating element for producing hot air and a nozzle unit for blowing hot air produced in the heating device against the end area of the package sleeve, wherein the heating devices are each separately connected to the air supply device by means of at least one holder and are each separately held on the air supply device by means of the at least one holder, wherein the at least one holder in each case has at least two separate channels connected to a distribution pipe of the air supply device for supplying air to be heated to the heating devices, wherein the heating devices are each separately held on the distribution pipe of the air supply device by means of the at least one holder, and wherein the distribution pipe is fluidly connected to the air supply device via a plurality of connection channels.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heating elements of the at least two heating devices are in each case fluidly connected to the air supply device by means of the at least one holder, and wherein the at least two heating devices are designed exclusively to be supplied with air to be heated by means of the holder.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one holder is provided on an area of the heating device assigned to the nozzle unit and/or to the heating element.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heating devices are each separately connected to the air supply device by means of at least two holders and are each separately held on the air supply device by means of the at least two holders.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a regulating unit is provided for regulating the rate of flow of air to be heated to the heating element, and wherein the regulating unit has an annular gap with an alterable free flow cross-section.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the width of the gap is less than 3 mm.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heating devices each have at least one channel, including an annular channel for conducting the air to be heated outside of the heating element, and wherein the heating element is designed such that the heating air is at least partly conveyed in the opposite direction to the air to be heated in the channel outside the heating element in the direction of the nozzle unit.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the channel of the heating devices is provided at least partly circumferentially to the heating element.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the channel of the heating devices and the heating element of the heating devices are designed such that the air in the channel and the air in the heating element flows in opposite directions to one another.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the nozzle unit has an in particular square or rectangular circumferential gap for receiving one end of a package sleeve, and wherein the gap is delimited by an inner wall with openings for hot air to flow out of and/or by an outer wall with openings for hot air to flow out of.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the entire opening area of the inner and/or of the outer wall formed by the individual openings is larger in at least one corner area of the gap than outside the corner areas.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the contour of the openings of the inner and/or of the outer wall is V-shaped in at least one corner area of the gap.

13. A method for forming packages, comprising:
providing an apparatus as claimed in claim 1 ;
at least partially inserting the end areas of the package sleeves that are arranged on different mandrel wheels into a gap of at least two of the heating devices in order to heat the end areas in parallel and in the gap hot air is blown against the end areas,
sealing the at least partially heated end areas of the at least two package sleeves,
supplying air to be heated to the at least two heating devices by means of an air supply device, and
in which the at least two heating devices are each separately held on the air supply device by means of at least one holder.

Assignees

• Sig Technology Ag

Inventors

• Heil Michael

Classifications

• B29C66/72341

  for gases · CPC title

• B29C66/1122

  Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints (B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29K2705/02

  Aluminium · CPC title

• B29C65/103 Primary

  direct heating both surfaces to be joined · CPC title

• B29C66/4326

  for making hollow articles or hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells · CPC title