Sealing cardboard blanks by placement onto conveyor belt

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11718432-B2
Application number	US-201916723577-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2019
Priority date	Dec 21, 2018
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

The invention relates to a packaging machine and a method for the production of individual packagings. Each package may include a planar product carrier and a top film which encloses a product disposed on the product carrier in a gas-tight manner. The packaging machine may include a sealing station with a tool upper part having an outer frame and at least one sealing tool movably mounted for a sealing operation, and a tool lower part that comprises a belt conveying module with at least one conveyor belt mounted thereon. The tool upper part and the tool lower part are moved toward each other to form a sealing chamber in a closed position of the sealing station. In the closed position, the sealing tool may be lowered within the sealing chamber from a resting position to a sealing position to seal the package.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A packaging machine for production of a plurality of individual packagings, each packaging having a planar product carrier, and a top film which encloses a product positioned on the product carrier in a gas-tight manner, the packaging machine comprising:
a sealing station with a tool upper part which comprises an outer frame as well as a sealing tool mounted movable relative to the outer frame and configured for a heated sealing operation of the planar product carrier and the top film, and with a tool lower part that comprises a belt conveying module including a conveyor belt;
wherein the sealing station has a closed position in which the outer frame together with the belt conveying module form a sealing chamber; and
wherein in the closed position of the sealing station, the sealing tool mounted in the sealing chamber can be lowered for the heated sealing operation from a resting position, in which the sealing tool is mounted spaced from the conveyor belt, to a sealing position in which the sealing tool is moved closer to the conveyor belt, and wherein the conveyor belt is configured to absorb, at least in sections, all sealing press force exerted by the sealing tool as a counter-pressure support when the sealing tool is in the sealing position.

2. The packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein the belt conveying module with the sealing station open can be raised from a transport position in a direction of the outer frame arranged thereabove in order to form the sealing chamber, wherein the respective product carriers having products supported thereon are feedable from outside the sealing station to the conveyor belt.

3. The packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein the tool lower part comprises a lifting mechanism to raise the belt conveying module.

4. The packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing tool and the belt conveying module are disposed to be lowered together to a cutting position for performing a cutting operation.

5. The packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein the tool upper part comprises a clamping frame for securing the top film, and wherein when the tool upper part is in the closed position, the clamping frame is disposed between the outer frame and the belt conveying module for the formation of the sealing chamber.

6. The packaging machine according to claim 5 , wherein at least one ventilation and/or venting duct is formed in the closed position by way of the outer frame and the clamping frame, wherein the at least one ventilation and/or venting duct may create a desired packaging atmosphere.

7. The packaging machine according to claim 5 , further comprising at least one support unit for the clamping frame provided on the belt conveying module, and the clamping frame rests on the at least one support unit at least temporarily in a predetermined position during a working cycle of the packaging machine.

8. The packaging machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a top film transport unit and/or at least one separately actuatable feeding belt which is positioned in a direction of transport upstream of the belt conveying module of the sealing station.

9. The packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein the conveyor belt comprises at least one guide for the product carriers and/or a conveyor belt section of the conveyor belt facing the sealing tool is arranged at least in part on a sliding plate of the conveyor belt formed as an abutment for the sealing operation.

10. The packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing tool and the belt conveying module are disposed to seal packagings according to a machine cycle in multiple lanes and/or in multiple rows.

11. The packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing tool is configured to produce a hot seal seam during the sealing operation.

12. A method for operating a packaging machine for production of individual packagings, the method comprising steps of:
adjusting a sealing station to a closed position for a sealing operation, wherein the sealing station comprises a tool upper part and a tool lower part, and, in the closed position of the sealing station, an outer frame of the tool upper part and a belt conveying module of the tool lower part form a sealing chamber;
lowering at least one heated sealing tool that is mounted in the sealing chamber toward the belt conveying module from a resting position to a sealing position for the sealing operation so that the at least one sealing tool is moved relative to the outer frame;
absorbing all sealing press force exerted by the at least one sealing tool on the belt conveying module, wherein the belt conveying module acts as a counter-pressure support; and
enclosing a product positioned on a product carrier with a top film in a gas-tight manner when the at least one sealing tool is in the sealing position.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising steps of:
providing the belt conveying module in a transport position when the sealing station is in an open position;
loading the belt conveying module with one or more of the product carriers, each of the one or more product carriers loaded with a product;
feeding the one or more of the product carriers loaded with products from outside the sealing station to the belt conveying module; and
moving the belt conveying module in the direction of the outer frame arranged above the belt conveying module in order to form the sealing chamber.

14. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising a step of lowering the at least one sealing tool and the belt conveying module together to a cutting position for performing a cutting operation after the enclosing the product positioned on the product carrier step.

15. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising steps of:
forming at least one ventilation duct and/or at least one venting duct into the sealing chamber when the sealing station is in the closed position using one or more of the outer frame or a clamping frame, wherein the clamping frame is movable and disposed for clamping the top film; and
creating a desired packaging atmosphere in the packagings using the at least one ventilation duct and/or the at least one venting duct.

16. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising a step of sealing the packagings using the at least one sealing tool on the belt conveying module during the sealing operation in a working direction in multiple lanes and/or in multiple rows transverse to the working direction.

17. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the sealing tool produces a seal seam for sealing the top film with the product carrier.

18. A packaging machine for production of an individual packaging having a product carrier and a top film that covers a product positioned on the product carrier, the packaging machine comprising:
a sealing station with a tool upper part, the tool upper part comprising an outer frame and at least one sealing tool that is movable between a resting position and a sealing position and configured for a heated sealing operation to seal the top film onto the product carrier; and
a tool lower part that comprises a belt conveying module having at least one conveyor belt;
wherein in a closed position of the sealing station, the tool upper part and the tool lower part are disposed such that the outer frame and the belt conveying module define a sealing chamber, wherein in the closed position of the sealing station, the at least one sealing tool is moveable within the sealing chamber and relative to the o

Assignees

• Multivac Haggenmueller Kg

Inventors

• Ickert Lars

Classifications

• B65B31/028 Primary

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

• B65B7/164

  Securing by heat-sealing · CPC title

• B65B11/52

  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

• B29C66/112

  Single lapped joints · CPC title

• B29C66/53461

  joining substantially flat covers and/or substantially flat bottoms to open ends of container bodies · CPC title