Deep-drawing apparatus and packaging machine having a deep-drawing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12208563-B2
Application number	US-202318483327-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2023
Priority date	Oct 11, 2022
Publication date	Jan 28, 2025
Grant date	Jan 28, 2025

Abstract

A deep-drawing arrangement is for deep-drawing a continuously supplied film strip. The deep-drawing arrangement includes a transporter which revolves continuously around a fixed machine frame and which has plate elements and mold cavities and a cyclically timed deep-drawing apparatus, wherein the mold cavities can be acted on with a pressure reduction. The plate elements are permanently connected to each other via connection lines. A plate element is in the form of a connection element having at least one pressure reduction connection. The pressure reduction connection is connected to a pressure reduction source. The plate elements are permanently acted on with the pressure reduction during operation via the connection lines and the pressure reduction connection. Each plate element has at least one switching valve for connecting the pressure reduction which is permanently applied in the plate element to the associated mold cavities as required.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A deep-drawing arrangement for deep-drawing a continuously supplied film strip, the deep-drawing arrangement comprising:
a transporter configured to revolve continuously around a fixed machine frame, said transporter having a plurality of plate elements and a plurality of mold cavities disposed in said plate elements;
a cyclically timed, deep-drawing apparatus configured to run from a start position to an end position with said transporter and back to said start position from said end position, wherein said mold cavities are configured to be acted on with a pressure reduction;
said plurality of plate elements being permanently connected to each other via a plurality of connection lines, wherein a first plate element of said plurality of plate elements is a connection element having at least one pressure reduction connection;
said pressure reduction connection being connected to a pressure reduction source;
said plurality of plate elements being configured to be permanently acted on with pressure reduction during operation via said plurality of connection lines and said pressure reduction connection; and,
each of said plurality of plate elements having at least one switching valve for connecting the pressure reduction which is permanently applied in each of said plate elements to an associated one of said plurality of mold cavities as required.

2. The deep-drawing arrangement of claim 1 further comprising:
a pressure reduction device which includes said pressure reduction source, a carrier guided along said machine frame, and at least one rotary transmission leadthrough;
a flexible pressure reduction line between said pressure reduction source and said carrier; and,
said pressure reduction connection of said first plate element which is in the form of said connection element is connected via a connecting line to said rotary transmission leadthrough of said pressure reduction device so as to transmit a pressure reduction.

3. The deep-drawing arrangement of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of mold cavities are configured to be acted on sequentially with a mold pressure reduction and a retention pressure reduction; said pressure reduction connection is a retention pressure reduction connection; said pressure reduction source is a retention pressure reduction source; and, said plurality of plate elements are permanently acted on with said retention pressure reduction during operation.

4. The deep-drawing arrangement of claim 3 , wherein said at least one switching valve is a changeover valve for mutually acting on said plurality of mold cavities with the mold pressure reduction and with the retention pressure reduction.

5. The deep-drawing arrangement of claim 3 further comprising:
a mold pressure reduction device having a mold pressure reduction source;
a connection apparatus connected to said mold pressure reduction source;
said connection apparatus being part of said cyclically moving deep-drawing apparatus;
said plurality of plate elements each having a mold pressure reduction connection; and,
said connection apparatus having at least one pressure reduction connector configured for cyclical connection to said mold pressure reduction connection.

6. The deep-drawing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said connection apparatus has a plurality of pressure reduction connectors for cyclical connection to a corresponding number of said plurality of plate elements.

7. The deep-drawing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said connection apparatus has four pressure reduction connectors for cyclical connection to a corresponding number of said plurality of plate elements.

8. The deep-drawing arrangement of claim 5 , wherein said plurality of plate elements are configured to be moved in a region of a mold station in a movement direction; and, said connection apparatus having said at least one pressure reduction connector is configured to carry out a release movement which releases said pressure reduction connection and a closure movement which produces said pressure reduction connection with a direction component perpendicular to said movement direction.

9. The deep-drawing arrangement of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of plate elements each have a carrier plate connected to said revolving transporter and a die plate releasably connected to said carrier plate and said mold cavity of said carrier plate is formed in said die plate; and, said plurality of carrier plates are connected to each other via said connection lines and said carrier plates receive said switching valve.

10. A packaging machine for producing filled bags, comprising:
a deep-drawing arrangement for deep-drawing a continuously supplied film strip;
said deep-drawing arrangement having a transporter and a cyclically timed, deep-drawing apparatus;
said transporter being configured to revolve continuously around a fixed machine frame, said transporter having a plurality of plate elements and a plurality of mold cavities disposed in said plate elements;
said cyclically timed, deep-drawing apparatus being configured to run from a start position to an end position with said transporter and back to said start position from said end position, wherein said mold cavities are configured to be acted on with a pressure reduction;

said plurality of plate elements being permanently connected to each other via a plurality of connection lines, wherein a first plate element of said plurality of plate elements is a connection element having at least one pressure reduction connection;
said pressure reduction connection being connected to a pressure reduction source;
said plurality of plate elements being configured to be permanently acted on with pressure reduction during operation via said plurality of connection lines and said pressure reduction connection;
each of said plurality of plate elements having at least one switching valve for connecting the pressure reduction which is permanently applied in each of said plate elements to an associated one of said plurality of mold cavities as required; and,
a plurality of subsequent processing stations.

11. The packaging machine of claim 10 , wherein said plurality of subsequent processing stations includes a filling station and a sealing station.

Assignees

• Hoefliger Harro Verpackung

Inventors

• Thaler Andreas
• Birkhold Daniel

Classifications

• B65B51/00

  Devices for, or methods of, sealing or securing package folds or closures; Devices for gathering or twisting wrappers, or necks of bags · CPC title

• B65B43/08

  Forming three-dimensional [3D] containers from sheet material · CPC title

• B29L2031/712

  Containers; Packaging elements or accessories, Packages (closures therefor B29L2031/56; ink or toner cartridges B29L2031/7678; squeeze tubes B29L2023/20; suitcases B29L2031/7418) · CPC title

• B29K2105/256

  Sheets, plates, blanks or films · CPC title

• B29C51/36

  specially adapted for vacuum forming {, Manufacture thereof} · CPC title