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EP-4741300-A2 - FOLDING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR FOLDING AND/OR ERECTING CONTAINER BLANKS TO CONTAINERS, AND PACKAGING MACHINE WITH A FOLDING DEVICE

EP4741300A2EP 4741300 A2EP4741300 A2EP 4741300A2EP-4741300-A2

Abstract

The invention relates to a folding device for folding and/or erecting container blanks (12) into containers, in particular boxes or cartons, preferably folding boxes, with at least one folding guide unit (14) comprising at least one folding and/or erecting surface (16), and with at least one holding unit (18), in particular movably mounted, which comprises at least one suction gripper element (22, 24, 26, 28), in particular arranged on a base body (20) of the holding unit (18), and which cooperates with the folding guide unit (14) for folding and/or erecting a container blank (12), in particular being movable into the folding guide unit (14), wherein the holding unit (18) comprises at least one erecting element (30, 32, 34, 36) which is acted upon by the suction gripper element (22, 24, 26, 28) on the container blank (12) to erect at least one side flap (38, 40) of the container blank (12), in particular as a result of a relative movement between the erecting element (30, 32, 34, 36) and the container blank (12) caused by an action of the suction gripper element (22, 24, 26, 28) on the container blank (12). It is proposed that the suction gripper element (22, 24, 26, 28), in particular in addition to holding the container blank (12) on the base body (20) of the holding unit (18), is designed to generate a relative movement between the erecting element (30, 32, 34, 36) and the container blank (12) in order to insert the erecting element (30, 32, 34, 36) into a recess (74, 76), in particular a slot, of the container blank (12), whereby the at least one side flap (38, 40) of the container blank (12) can be erected before the holding unit (18), together with the container blank (12) arranged thereon and held in particular by the suction gripper element (22, 24, 26, 28), can be moved into the folding guide unit (14). is.

Inventors

  • Wied, Manuel
  • Kühne, Sebastian
  • Mack, Jürgen
  • Vaihinger, Bernard

Assignees

  • Syntegon Packaging Technology GmbH

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20251103

Claims (10)

  1. Folding device for folding and/or erecting container blanks (12) into containers, in particular boxes or cartons, preferably folding boxes, with at least one folding guide unit (14) comprising at least one folding and/or erecting surface (16), and with at least one holding unit (18), in particular movably mounted, comprising at least one suction gripper element (22, 24, 26, 28), in particular arranged on a base body (20) of the holding unit (18), and which cooperates with the folding guide unit (14) for folding and/or erecting a container blank (12), in particular being movable into the folding guide unit (14), wherein the holding unit (18) comprises at least one erecting element (30, 32, 34, 36) which, as a result of an action of the suction gripper element (22, 24, 26, 28) on the The container blank (12) is provided for the erection of at least one side flap (38, 40) of the container blank (12), in particular as a result of a relative movement between the erection element (30, 32, 34, 36) and the container blank (12) caused by an action of the suction gripper element (22, 24, 26, 28) on the container blank (12), characterized in that the suction gripper element (22, 24, 26, 28), in particular in addition to holding the container blank (12) on the base body (20) of the holding unit (18), is provided for generating a relative movement between the erection element (30, 32, 34, 36) and the container blank (12) in order to move the erection element (30, 32, 34, 36) into a recess (74, 76), in particular a slot, of the container blank (12), whereby the at least one side flap (38, 40) of the container blank (12) can be raised before the holding unit (18) together with the container blank (12) arranged thereon, in particular held by the suction gripper element (22, 24, 26, 28), can be moved into the folding guide unit (14).
  2. Folding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the holding unit (18) has at least one, in particular the, base body (20) and at least one support plate (42) comprising a support surface (44) against which an outer surface (46) of the container blank (12) can be applied, in particular as a result of an action of the suction gripper element (22, 24, 26, 28) on the container blank (12), wherein the erecting element (30, 32, 34, 36) extends, in particular in at least one state, along a direction (48) extending at least substantially perpendicular to the support surface (44) over the support surface (44).
  3. Folding device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the erecting element (30, 32, 34, 36) is arranged on a, in particular the, base body (20) of the holding unit (18), wherein the erecting element (30, 32, 34, 36) is arranged in a positionally adjustable manner on the base body (20).
  4. Folding device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holding unit (18) comprises at least one, in particular the, base body (20) and at least one support plate (42) which forms a support surface (44) on which an outer surface (46) of the container blank (12) can be applied, in particular as a result of an action of the suction gripper element (22, 24, 26, 28) on the container blank (12), wherein the support plate (42) is arranged on the base body (20) in a position adjustable relative to the erecting element (30, 32, 34, 36) and/or relative to the base body (20).
  5. Folding device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holding unit (18) comprises at least one support plate (42) which forms a contact surface (44) against which an outer surface (46) of the container blank (12) can be applied, in particular as a result of an action of the suction gripper element (22, 24, 26, 28) on the container blank (12), wherein the support plate (42) defines at least one recess (50, 52, 54, 56) through which the suction gripper element (22, 24, 26, 28), in particular at least one bellows (58, 60, 62, 64) of the suction gripper element (22, 24, 26, 28), extends through the support plate (42) at least in one operating state, in particular to allow the suction gripper element (22, 24, 26, 28) to act on the Container blank (12) for a movement to realize the container blank (12) relative to the erection element (30, 32, 34, 36).
  6. Folding device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holding unit (18) is movably mounted relative to the folding guide unit (14) such that a tensile force can be exerted on the container blank (12) arranged on a, in particular the, base body (20) of the holding unit (18) by moving the holding unit (18) relative to the folding guide unit (14) in order to pull the container blank (12) into the folding guide unit (14) to fold and/or erect it, wherein the base body (20), the erecting element (30, 32, 34, 36) and the suction gripper element (22, 24, 26, 28) are jointly movable relative to the folding guide unit (14).
  7. Method for folding and/or erecting container blanks (12) into containers, in particular boxes or cartons, preferably folding boxes, by means of a folding device, in particular by means of a folding device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein in at least one method step (68) a container blank (12) arranged on a base body (20) of a holding unit (18) of the folding device is moved relative to at least one erecting element (30, 32, 34, 36) of the holding unit (18) by an action of a suction gripper element (22, 24, 26, 28) of the holding unit (18) on the container blank (12), wherein at least one side flap (38, 40) of the container blank (12), in particular as a result of the relative movement between the container blank (12) caused by the action of the suction gripper element (22, 24, 26, 28) on the container blank (12), is moved by the action of the suction gripper element (22, 24, 26, 28) of the holding unit (18), wherein at least one side flap (38, 40) of the container blank (12) is moved, in particular as a result of the relative movement between the The erecting element (30, 32, 34, 36) and the container blank (12) are erected by the erecting element (30, 32, 34, 36), characterized in that the relative movement between the erecting element (30, 32, 34, 36) and the container blank (12) is generated by means of the suction gripper element (22, 24, 26, 28), in particular in addition to holding the container blank (12) on the base body (20) of the holding unit (18), wherein the erecting element (30, 32, 34, 36) is inserted into a recess (74, 76), in particular a slot, of the container blank (12), whereby the at least a side flap (38, 40) of the container blank (12) is erected before the holding unit (18) together with the container blank (12) arranged thereon, in particular held by the suction gripper element (22, 24, 26, 28), is moved, in particular pulled, into the folding guide unit (14).
  8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that in at least one method step (70) a tensile force is exerted on the container blank (12) by means of the holding unit (18) in order to pull the container blank (12) into the folding guide unit (14).
  9. Method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that in at least one method step (72), in particular after deactivating a vacuum on the suction gripper element (22, 24, 26, 28), a movement of the erecting element (30, 32, 34, 36) out of the recess (74, 76) of the container blank (12) takes place, in particular by a bellows (58, 60, 62, 64) of the suction gripper element (22, 24, 26, 28) moving the container blank (12) down from the erecting element (30, 32, 34, 36).
  10. Packaging machine for at least one packaging of products, in particular foodstuffs, with at least one folding device according to one of claims 1 to 6.

Description

State of the art The invention relates to a folding device and a method for folding and/or erecting container blanks into containers, in particular boxes or cartons, preferably folding boxes, wherein the folding device comprises at least one folding guide unit having at least one folding and/or erecting surface, and at least one holding unit, in particular movably mounted, which has at least one suction gripper element, in particular arranged on a base body of the holding unit, and which cooperates with the folding guide unit for folding and/or erecting a container blank, in particular being movable into the folding guide unit. Such a folding device and such a method are, for example, made of GB 2565312 A already known, wherein the already known folding device comprises at least one folding guide unit having at least one folding and/or erecting surface, and at least one holding unit comprising at least one suction gripper element and cooperating with the folding guide unit to fold and/or erect a container blank. The suction gripper element is provided for holding the container blank on an underside of the holding unit. An erecting element of the holding unit is provided at least for erecting a snap-lock flap of the container blank, wherein the erecting element is mounted to be translationally movable by means of a drive additionally provided to the suction gripper element. Thus, additional Additional units and energy are required to actively drive or move the erection element so that individual parts of the container blank can be folded and/or erected. This, in turn, can lead to additional costs during assembly, maintenance, and/or operation. Furthermore, from DE 21 60 234 A , US 3 370 516 A , DE 2 226 222 A and DE 20 2009 013 524 U1 Folding devices and methods for folding and/or erecting container blanks into containers are also already known. The object of the invention is, in particular, to provide a generic folding device, a generic method, and a generic packaging machine with improved characteristics with regard to an efficient, cost-effective, and compact design. This object is achieved according to the invention by the features of claim 1, claim 7, and claim 10, respectively, while advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention can be found in the dependent claims. Disclosure of the invention The invention relates to a folding device for folding and/or erecting container blanks into containers, in particular boxes or cartons, preferably folding boxes, with at least one folding guide unit comprising at least one folding and/or erecting surface, and with at least one holding unit, in particular movably mounted, which comprises at least one suction gripper element, in particular arranged on a base body of the holding unit, and which cooperates with the folding guide unit for folding and/or erecting a container blank, in particular being movable into the folding guide unit, wherein the holding unit comprises at least one erecting element which, as a result of an action of the suction gripper element on the container blank, is provided for erecting at least one side flap of the container blank, in particular as a result of a relative movement between the erecting element and the container blank caused by an action of the suction gripper element on the container blank. It is proposed that the suction gripper element, in addition to holding the container blank on the base of the holding unit, be designed to generate a relative movement between the erecting element and the container blank in order to insert the erecting element into a recess, in particular a slot, in the container blank, thereby allowing at least one side flap of the container blank to be erected before the holding unit, together with the container blank attached to it (in particular held by the suction gripper element), can be moved into the folding guide unit. By means of the inventive design of the folding device, a structurally simple action of the erecting element on container blanks to fold and/or erect them into containers can be advantageously achieved using the suction gripper element already present on the holding unit for holding the container blank. It is advantageously possible to achieve an action of the erecting element on container blanks without a separate drive for the erecting element. The erecting element can advantageously contribute to a folding and/or erecting process without requiring its own active movement, in particular without requiring an active lifting, gripping, or spreading movement. A folding device can advantageously be provided that has a small footprint and enables safe, reliable, and cost-effective folding and/or erecting of container blanks. The holding unit preferably comprises at least the suction gripper element, in particular a vacuum gripper, preferably a bellows suction gripper, designed to handle flat container blanks and/or folded and/or erected containers. "Designed" is unde