Conveying device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9745146-B2
Application number	US-201415029144-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2014
Priority date	Oct 16, 2013
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

The invention starts from a conveying device ( 10 c ) having at least one transport unit ( 20 ′c, 20 ″c ) for transporting packaging blanks ( 12 c ) and/or containers ( 14 ′c, 14 ″c ) in a transport direction ( 16 c ) along a transport path ( 18 c ), wherein the transport unit has at least one conveying element ( 24 ′c, 24 ″c ) which can be driven along a section ( 22 c ) of the transport path ( 18 c ). It is proposed that at least one conveying element ( 24 ′c, 24 ″c ) has a rear side ( 26 ′c, 26 ″c ) which in at least one operating state is intended to pull packaging blanks ( 12 c ) and/or containers ( 14 ′c, 14 ″c ) in the transport direction ( 16 c ), and a front side ( 28 ′c, 28 ″c ) which in at least one operating state is intended to push packaging blanks ( 12 c ) and/or containers ( 14 ′c, 14 ″c ) in the transport direction ( 16 c ). The invention also relates to a packing machine comprising such a conveying device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A conveying device having a plurality of transport units ( 20 a , 20 ′ b - c , 20 ″ b - c ) each for transporting objects in a transport direction ( 16 a - c ) along a transport path ( 18 a - c ), wherein the plurality of transport units ( 20 a , 20 ′ b - c , 20 ″ b - c ) are arranged in series along or parallel to the transport path ( 18 b , 18 c ), wherein the objects are at least one of packaging blanks ( 12 c ) and containers ( 14 a , 14 ′ a - c , 14 ″ a - c , 14 ′″ a ), wherein each of the plurality of transport units comprises a conveying element ( 24 a , 24 ′ b - c , 24 ″ b - c ) which is drivable along a part section ( 22 a - c ) of the transport path ( 18 a - c ), characterized in that the conveying element ( 24 a , 24 ′ b - c , 24 ″ b - c ) comprises a rear side ( 26 a , 26 ′ b - c , 26 ″ b - c ) including a holding element ( 42 a - b ), which, in an operating state, pulls one of the objects in the transport direction ( 16 a - c ) via a pulling force ( 44 a ) exerted by the holding element ( 42 a - b ), and a front side ( 28 a , 28 ′ b - c , 28 ′″ b - c ) which, in the operating state, pushes a further one of the objects in the transport direction ( 16 a - c ), and wherein the conveying element ( 24 a , 24 ′ b - c , 24 ″ b - c ), in the operating state, simultaneously pulls the one of the objects by the rear side ( 26 a , 26 ′ b - c , 26 ″ b - c ) and pushes the further one of the objects by the front side ( 28 a , 28 ′ b - c , 28 ″ b - c ).

2. The conveying device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the conveying element ( 24 a , 24 ′ b - c , 24 ″ b - c ) is configured for introducing the objects into at least one working station ( 30 ′ a - c , 30 ″ a - c , 30 ′″ c ) which is arranged along the transport path ( 18 a - c ) and/or adjoins the transport path ( 18 a - c ).

3. The conveying device as claimed in claim 2 , characterized by a control unit ( 32 a - c ) configured to synchronize, in the operating state, a transport movement ( 34 a - b , 34 ′ b - c , 34 ″ a , 34 ″ c ) of the conveying element ( 24 a , 24 ′ b - c , 24 ″ b - c ) for forming a working movement ( 36 ′ a , 36 ″ a - b , 36 c ) with the at least one working station ( 30 ′ a - c , 30 ″ a - c , 30 ′″ c ).

4. The conveying device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized by forming and guiding means ( 40 a , 40 ′ c , 40 ″ c , 40 ′ c ) which are mounted along at least a part section ( 38 a , 38 ′ c , 38 ″ c , 38 ′″ c ) of the transport path ( 18 a , 18 c ) and are configured for forming and guiding objects.

5. The conveying device as claimed in claim 4 , characterized in that the at least one conveying element ( 24 ′ c , 24 ″ c ) is configured for forming containers ( 14 ′ c , 14 ″ c ) from packaging blanks ( 12 c ) and for closing containers ( 14 ′ c , 14 ″ c ) during transport along the part section ( 38 ′ c , 38 ′″ c ) of the transport path ( 18 c ) under the influence of the forming and guiding means ( 40 ′ c , 40 ′″ c ).

6. The conveying device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the conveying element ( 24 ′ b , 24 ″ b ), in the operating state pushes an object by the rear side ( 26 ′ b , 26 ″ b ) and simultaneously pulls a further object by the front side ( 28 ′ b , 28 ″ b ) in a direction opposite to the transport direction ( 16 b ).

7. The conveying device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized by a bearing unit ( 46 a ) which is configured for mounting the conveying element ( 24 a , 24 ′ b - c , 24 ″ b - c ) on a guide unit ( 48 a ) of the transport unit ( 20 a , 20 ′ b - c , 20 ″ b - c ) so as to be able to be folded away out of an operating region ( 50 a ) for return transport of the conveying element ( 24 a , 24 ′ b - c , 24 ″ b - c ) in a direction opposite to the transportation direction ( 16 a - c ) and so as to be able to be pulled back.

8. A packaging machine ( 52 a - c ) having a conveying device ( 10 a - c ) as claimed in claim 1 .

9. The conveying device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the conveying element ( 24 a , 24 ′ b - c , 24 ″ b - c ) is configured for removing objects out of the at least one working station ( 30 ′ a - c , 30 ″ a - c , 30 ′″ c ).

10. The conveying device as claimed in claim 9 , characterized in that the conveying element ( 24 a , 24 ′ b - c , 24 ″ b - c ) is also configured for introducing the objects into at least one working station ( 30 ′ a - c , 30 ″ a - c , 30 ′″ c ) which is arranged along the transport path ( 18 a - c ) and/or adjoins the transport path ( 18 a - c ).

11. The conveying device as claimed in claim 10 , characterized by a control unit ( 32 a - c ) configured to synchronize, in the operating state, a transport movement ( 34 a - b , 34 ′ b - c , 34 ″ a , 34 ″ c ) of the conveying element ( 24 a , 24 ′ b - c , 24 ″ b - c ) for forming a working movement ( 36 ′ a , 36 ″ a - b , 36 c ) with the at least one working station ( 30 ′ a - c , 30 ″ a - c , 30 ′″ c ).

12. The conveying device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of transport units ( 20 a , 20 ′ b - c , 20 ″ b - c ) are arranged in series along the transport path ( 18 b ).

13. The conveying device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of transport units ( 20 a , 20 ′ b - c , 20 ″ b - c ) are arranged parallel to the transport path ( 18 c ).

14. A method for transporting objects by a conveying device ( 10 a - c ), the method comprising:
transporting the objects in a transport direction ( 16 a - c ) via a plurality of transport units ( 20 a , 20 ′ b - c , 20 ″ b - c ), wherein the plurality of transport units are arranged in series along or parallel to a transport path ( 18 b , 18 c ), wherein the objects are at least one of packaging blanks ( 12 c ) and containers ( 14 a , 14 ′ a - c , 14 ″ a - c , 14 ′″ a ), wherein the plurality of transport units ( 20 a , 20 ′ b - c , 20 ″ b - c ) each include at least one conveying element ( 24 a , 24 ′ b - c , 24 ″ b - c ), which is drivable along a part section ( 22 a - c ) of the transport path ( 18 b , 18 c ), and wherein each of the conveying elements ( 24 a , 24 ′ b - c , 24 ″ b - c ) include a rear side ( 26 a , 26 ′ b - c , 26 ″ b - c ) and a front side ( 28 a , 28 ′ b - c , 28 ″ b - c ),
pulling, via the rear side ( 26 a , 26 ′ b - c , 26 ″ b - c ) of one of the conveying elements ( 24 a , 24 ′ b - c , 24 ″ b - c ), one of the objects in the transport direction ( 16 a - c ); and
pushing, via the front side ( 28 a , 28 ′ b - c , 28 ″ b - c ) of the one of the conveying elements ( 24 a , 24 ′ b - c , 24 ″ b - c ), a further one of the objects in the transport direction ( 16 a - c ) at the same time as the pulling of the one of the objects.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the plurality of transport units ( 20 a , 20 ′ b - c , 20 ″ b - c ) are arranged in series along the transport path ( 18 b ).

16. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the plurality of transport units ( 20 a , 20 ′ b - c , 20 ″ b - c ) are arranged parallel to the transport path ( 18 c ).

17. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the conveying element ( 24 a ), in a position (III) during a transport movement ( 34 a ), simultaneously pulls a container ( 14 ″ a ) via the rear side ( 26 a ) into a working station ( 30 ″ a ) and, in the same transport movement ( 34 a ), pushes a further container ( 14 ′ a ) out of the working station (

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Schaeuble Tobias

Classifications

• B65G47/914 Primary

  provided with drive systems incorporating rotary and rectilinear movements · CPC title

• B65B43/54

  Means for supporting containers or receptacles during the filling operation · CPC title

• B65B43/46

  using grippers · CPC title

• B31B50/80

  Pneumatically · CPC title

• B65G25/08

  having impellers, e.g. pushers · CPC title