Application unit, method for operating an application unit, and packaging machine having an application unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11738896-B2
Application number	US-202118010662-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2021
Priority date	Oct 13, 2020
Publication date	Aug 29, 2023
Grant date	Aug 29, 2023

Abstract

An application unit in a packaging machine attaches a material blank to containers in a container group so as to form a multipack. At least one pressing element connect the material blank to the containers while they are conveyed along a transport plane. A drive unit moves the pressing element with a tool plate between out-of-engagement and engagement positions with the containers. The drive unit has mutually parallel and spaced-apart first and second drive disks to be rotated about respective first and second axes of rotation. The first and second axes of rotation are horizontal and located at the same height but not coaxial with each other. The pressing element is articulated to the first drive disk by a first joint axis and to the second drive disk by a second joint axis such that the tool plate is oriented horizontal during rotation of the two drive disks.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An application unit for a packaging machine for applying a material blank to containers assembled to form a container group, the application unit comprising:
at least one pressing element having a tool plate for connecting the material blank to containers of the container group to be conveyed along a transport plane; and
a drive unit configured to move a pressing element to adjust the tool plate between an out-of-engagement position and an in-engagement position with the containers;
said drive unit including a first drive disk, being rotatable about a first axis of rotation, and a second drive disk, arranged parallel to and at a distance from said first drive disk, and being rotatable about a second axis of rotation, said first and second axes of rotation being aligned horizontally and at an equal height but not coaxially with one another; and
said pressing element having first and second articulated axles, and said pressing element being connected by way of said first articulated axle in a jointed manner to said first drive disk and by way of said second articulated axle in a jointed manner to said second drive disk, so that, with a rotation of said first and second drive disks about said respective axes of rotation, said tool plate is aligned horizontally.

2. The application unit according to claim 1 , wherein said pressing element is configured to render said tool plate detachable.

3. The application unit according to claim 1 , wherein said first and second drive disks comprise receiver openings for a detachable arrangement of the articulated axles of said pressing elements.

4. The application unit according to claim 1 , wherein each of said drive disks is formed with a plurality of receiver openings, which are arranged and distributed over their circumference, enabling a plurality of said pressing elements to be secured to said drive disks and being spaced from one another at distance intervals that are adjustable to different product divisions selected from the group consisting of 160 mm, 240 mm, and 320 mm.

5. The application unit according to claim 1 , wherein each of said drive disks is formed with a plurality of receiver openings, which are arranged on a circular path with a predetermined circumference, and which are arranged in a first receiver opening group of n equidistant receiver openings, a second receiver opening group of n equidistant receiver openings, which are arranged opposite said receiver openings of said first receiver opening group, and two individual receiver openings, each arranged centrally between said first and second receiver opening groups on the circular path, wherein n is a natural number.

6. The application unit according to claim 5 , wherein each of said drive disks is formed with at least eight receiver openings, the circular path has a circumference of 960 mm, and n is greater than or equal to 3.

7. The application unit according to claim 1 , wherein said pressing element is one of a plurality of pressing elements, each having a first articulated axle connected to said first drive disk and second articulated axle connected to said second drive disk.

8. The application unit according to claim 7 , wherein a number of said pressing elements is selected from the group consisting of 3, 4, and 6.

9. The application unit according to claim 7 , wherein said plurality of pressing elements are arranged equidistantly from one another.

10. The application unit according to claim 1 , wherein said drive unit comprises a drive motor for driving said drive disks.

11. The application unit according to claim 10 , wherein said drive motor is an electric motor.

12. The application unit according to claim 10 , wherein said drive disks comprise drive-toothed wheels configured to be brought into meshing engagement with power takeoff toothed wheels of said drive motor.

13. A packaging machine, comprising an application unit for applying a material blank to containers assembled to form a container group, the application unit including:
at least one pressing element having a tool plate for connecting the material blank to containers of the container group to be conveyed along a transport plane; and
a drive unit configured to move a pressing element to adjust the tool plate between an out-of-engagement position and an in-engagement position with the containers;
said drive unit including a first drive disk, being rotatable about a first axis of rotation, and a second drive disk, arranged parallel to and at a distance from said first drive disk, and being rotatable about a second axis of rotation, said first and second axes of rotation being aligned horizontally and at an equal height but not coaxially with one another; and
said pressing element having first and second articulated axles, and said pressing element being connected by way of said first articulated axle in a jointed manner to said first drive disk and by way of said second articulated axle in a jointed manner to said second drive disk, so that, with a rotation of said first and second drive disks about said respective axes of rotation, said tool plate is aligned horizontally.

14. The packaging machine according to claim 13 , which comprises a transport device for conveying the containers in the transport direction along the transport plane, wherein the first and second axes of rotation are aligned perpendicular to the transport direction and at a same distance interval from the transport plane, and are arranged offset to one another in the transport direction.

15. The packaging machine according to claim 13 , wherein said application unit is a first application unit and the packaging machine comprises a further application unit, wherein said first application unit is configured so as to apply a material blank to containers that are assembled into a container group, and said further application unit is configured to lock two lateral folding tabs of the material blank applied to the containers.

16. The packaging machine according to claim 13 , further comprising a folding device arranged between said first application unit and said further application unit, for folding the lateral folding tabs of the material blank.

17. A method for operating an application unit or a packaging machine, the method comprising:
providing an application unit according to claim 1 ;
conveying the containers with a first product division;
subsequently changing the product division and conveying the containers with a second product division, which is different from the first product division; and
regardless of the product division, using a fixed number of pressing elements and leaving a position of the pressing elements on the drive disks unchanged.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein, with the respective predetermined product division, the circumferential speed of the pressing elements is variable.

Assignees

• Khs Gmbh

Inventors

• Van Triel Manfred
• Jöhren Thomas

Classifications

• B65B17/025 Primary

  the articles being joined by a top carrier element · CPC title

• B65B49/12

  Rotary folders · CPC title

• B65B59/001

  Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the product to be packaged · CPC title

• B65B59/04

  Machines constructed with readily-detachable units or assemblies, e.g. to facilitate maintenance · CPC title

• B65B65/02

  Driving gear · CPC title