Heating-nozzle arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9834328-B2
Application number	US-201415106765-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2014
Priority date	Dec 20, 2013
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

A heating-nozzle arrangement for heating a partly formed packaging container, comprises one or more nozzle assemblies, arranged to direct a heated air flow to portions of a packaging container to be sealed; a gas-supply portion, arranged to supply a mass flow of heated gas to the nozzle assembly, further the nozzle assembly comprises at least a first and a second hole pattern and that the heating-nozzle arrangement further comprises a selector for directing the mass flow of heated air towards the first hole pattern or the second hole pattern respectively.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heating-nozzle arrangement for heating a partly formed packaging container, the heating-nozzle arrangement comprising:
one or more nozzle assemblies, arranged to direct a heated gas flow to portions of a packaging container to be sealed;
an air-supply portion, arranged to supply a mass flow of heated air to the nozzle assembly;
the nozzle assembly comprising a plurality of holes arranged in at least a first hole pattern and a second hole pattern; and
a selector for directing the mass flow of heated air towards the first hole pattern or the second hole pattern respectively, the heating nozzle arrangement being operable according to a first operation condition in which the mass flow of heated air is directed to the first hole pattern and a second hole pattern so that the heated air flows out the holes in both the first and second hole patterns and a second operation condition in which the mass flow of heated air is directed to the first hole pattern only so that the heated air flows out the holes in only the first hole pattern, the selector being configured to change between the first and second operating conditions.

2. The heating-nozzle arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising a first opening arrangement for admitting an airflow to the first hole pattern, and a second opening arrangement for admitting an airflow to the second hole pattern.

3. The heating-nozzle arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the selector is configured to block access fully or partially to the first opening arrangement and the second opening arrangement for directing the mass flow of heated air.

4. The heating-nozzle arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein there are two operating positions, a first operating position wherein the first opening arrangement and the second opening arrangement are fully open, and a second operating position where the second opening arrangement and part of the first opening arrangement are blocked by the selector.

5. The heating-nozzle arrangement of claim 2 , wherein
a balance between the first opening arrangement and first hole pattern, and
a balance between the second opening arrangement and the second hole pattern,
are such that pressure drop over the heating-nozzle arrangement remains unchanged irrespective of which of the first hole pattern and the second hole pattern is utilized.

6. The heating-nozzle arrangement of claim 5 , further comprising a bleeder valve for modulating the pressure drop.

7. The heating-nozzle arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein the first opening arrangement and the second opening arrangement extend from a mutual distribution manifold.

8. The heating-nozzle-arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the arrangement comprises two or more nozzle assemblies.

9. The heating-nozzle-arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle assembly comprise a first nozzle configured to supply hot air to an interior of a packaging container and a second nozzle configured to supply hot air to an exterior of the packaging container.

10. The heating-nozzle arrangement of claim 9 , wherein the selector is configured to partly block a flow of hot gas into the first nozzle and into the second nozzle respectively.

11. The heating-nozzle arrangement of claim 1 , wherein a control unit for controlling the selector is configured to also control a flow of air through the heating-nozzle arrangement.

12. The heating-nozzle arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle assembly comprises a first nozzle and a second nozzle.

13. The heating-nozzle arrangement of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the holes in the first hole pattern or in the second hole pattern are frustoconical, opening up in a flow direction.

14. A kit of parts comprising a heating-nozzle arrangement according to claim 1 .

15. A heating-nozzle arrangement for heating a partly formed packaging container to be sealed, the heating-nozzle arrangement comprising:
a nozzle head configured to direct heated air flow to portions of the packaging container to be sealed, the nozzle head comprising a plurality of holes arranged on a periphery of the nozzle head, the plurality of holes including plural holes in a first hole pattern and plural holes in a second hole pattern;
a supply line connected to the nozzle head to supply a mass flow of the heated air to the nozzle head; and
a movable selector that is movable between: i) one position in which the selector fully or partially blocks all of the plural holes in the second hole pattern so that the heated air is fully or partially blocked from flowing through all of the plural holes in the second hole pattern, and leaves open at least some of the plural holes in the first hole pattern so that the heated air flows through the at least some of the plural holes in the first hole pattern; and ii) another position in which the selector does not block any of the plural holes in the first hole pattern and does not block any of the plural holes in the second hole pattern so that the heated air flows through all of the plural holes in the first hole pattern and all of the plural holes in the second hole pattern.

16. The heating-nozzle arrangement of claim 15 , further comprising a first opening arrangement for admitting an airflow to the first hole pattern, and a second opening arrangement for admitting an airflow to the second hole pattern.

17. The heating-nozzle arrangement of claim 16 , wherein the selector is configured to block access fully or partially to the first opening arrangement and the second opening arrangement for directing the mass flow of the heated air.

18. The heating-nozzle arrangement of claim 16 , wherein a balance between the first opening arrangement and first hole pattern and a balance between the second opening arrangement and the second hole pattern are such that pressure drop over the heating-nozzle arrangement remains unchanged irrespective of which of the first hole pattern and the second hole pattern is utilized.

19. The heating-nozzle arrangement of claim 18 , further comprising a bleeder valve for modulating the pressure drop.

20. The heating-nozzle arrangement of claim 15 , wherein a control unit for controlling the selector is configured to also control a flow of air through the heating-nozzle arrangement.

Assignees

• Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance

Inventors

• Madsen Bent

Classifications

• B65B51/20

  by fluid pressure acting directly on folds or on opposed surfaces, e.g. using hot-air jets (shrinking wrappers by heating B65B53/02) · CPC title

• B29C66/72341

  for gases · CPC title

• B29L2031/7166

  Cartons of the fruit juice or milk type, i.e. containers of polygonal cross sections formed by folding blanks into a tubular body with end-closing or contents-supporting elements, e.g. gable type containers (in general B65D5/06) · CPC title

• B29C66/43122

  Closing the top of gable top containers (gable top containers B65D5/067) · CPC title

• B65B7/16 Primary

  Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons · CPC title