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EP-4741324-A1 - TRANSPORT APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TRANSPORTING PACKAGE BODIES

EP4741324A1EP 4741324 A1EP4741324 A1EP 4741324A1EP-4741324-A1

Abstract

Described and shown is a transport apparatus (1) for transporting package bodies (4), comprising a conveyor (2) having a plurality of cells (3) for conveying package bodies (4) in the cells (3), wherein the conveyor (2) is designed to circumferentially convey the cells (3) in an endless fashion, wherein each cell (3) comprises at least one holding arm (12) for holding a package body (4) in the cell (3), wherein the at least one holding arm (12) is displaceable between a holding position for holding the package body (4) and a transfer position for taking over the packaging body (4) by the cell (3), wherein the at least one holding arm (12) is coupled to at least one actuation lever (13) designed to be forcefully displaced from an passive position into an active position by the package body (4) while taking over the package body (4) by respective cell (3), wherein the at least one actuation lever (13) is designed to forcefully displace the at least one holding arm (12) of respective cell (3) from the transfer position into the holding position by displacement of the actuation lever (13) from the passive position into the active position and wherein the at least one actuation lever (13) and/or cell (3) is designed such that the actuation lever (13) is held in a form-fit or force-fit manner at a base element of the cell (3) in the active position. With said transport apparatus damaging of package bodies can be avoided without slowing down the transport velocity of the package bodies and/or the throughput of package bodies and without the need for an overly complex apparatus design.

Inventors

  • SCHMITT, HEIKO

Assignees

  • SIG Services AG

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241107

Claims (15)

  1. Transport apparatus (1) for transporting package bodies (4), comprising a conveyor (2) having a plurality of cells (3) for conveying package bodies (4) in the cells (3), wherein the conveyor (2) is designed to circumferentially convey the cells (3) in an endless fashion, wherein each cell (3) comprises at least one holding arm (12) for holding a package body (4) in the cell (3), wherein the at least one holding arm (12) is displaceable between a holding position for holding the package body (4) and a transfer position for taking over the packaging body (4) by the cell (3), wherein the at least one holding arm (12) is coupled to at least one actuation lever (13) designed to be forcefully displaced from an passive position into an active position by the package body (4) while taking over the package body (4) by respective cell (3), wherein the at least one actuation lever (13) is designed to forcefully displace the at least one holding arm (12) of respective cell (3) from the transfer position into the holding position by displacement of the actuation lever (13) from the passive position into the active position and wherein the at least one actuation lever (13) and/or cell (3) is designed such that the actuation lever (13) is held in a form-fit or force-fit manner at a base element of the cell (3) in the active position.
  2. Transport apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that , the actuation lever (13) is provided next to the base element of the cell (3) and is designed to be displaced from the passive position into the active position by a rear side of the packaging body (4) facing away from the opening of the cell (3) with the at least one holding arm (12) in the transfer position while inserting the package body (4) into the respective cell (3).
  3. Transport apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that , each cell (3) has at least two holding arms (12) for holding the package body (4) at and/or from opposing sides and that the at least one actuation lever (13) is provided at least essentially between the holding arms (12), in particular next to the base element (9).
  4. Transport apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that , each cell (3) has at least two actuation levers (13) and in that each actuation lever (13) is firmly connected to one holding arm (12) of the respective cell (3).
  5. Transport apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that , the at least one actuation lever (13) and at least one holding arm (12) are part of a swiveling element (11) of the respective cell (3) designed to be swiveled about a swivel axis between the actuation lever (13) and the holding arm (12) for displacing the at least one holding arm (12) from the transfer position into the holding position while displacing the actuation lever (13) from the passive position into the active position and vice versa.
  6. Transport apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that , the at least one holding arms (12) is designed to positively hold the package body (4) of respective cell (3) at the front side of the package body (4) in the holding position and in that the front side is adjacent to the free end of the holding arms (12) and/or facing away of the rear side of the packaging body (4) adjacent to the at least one actuation lever (13) and/or facing away from the at least one actuation lever (13) and/or facing away from the base element (9).
  7. Transport apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the at least one actuation lever (13) is held by clamping forces and/or by magnetic forces and/or spring forces and/or in the active position at the base element (9) of the cell (3).
  8. Transport apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that , conveyor (2) is designed to convey the cells (3) along at least one curve between a transfer area (5) for taking over package bodies (4) and a discharge area for discharging package bodies (4) and that the cells (3) are designed for holding the package bodies (4) in the cells (3) against centrifugal forces acting at the package bodies (4) while being conveyed along the curve.
  9. Transport apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that , at least some of the holding arms (12), in particular every second holding arm (12), are/is provided with at least one magnet (18) such that adjacent holding arms (12) of neighboring cells (3) are held onto each other by magnetic forces in the transfer position.
  10. Transport apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that , at least one discharge guide (8) is provided in a discharge area and is designed to push package bodies (4) out of respective cells (3) when conveyed passed the discharge guide (8).
  11. Method for transporting package bodies (4) with a transport apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 bis 10, - wherein the package bodies (4) are inserted into cells (3) at a transfer area (5), conveyed along at least one curve and discharged from the cells (3) at a discharge area (7), - wherein the package bodies (4) when inserted into the cells (3) engage with at least one actuation lever (13) in the cells (3) and forcefully displace the at least one actuation lever (13) from a passive position into an active position, - wherein the at least one actuation lever (13) while being displaced from a passive position into an active position forcefully displaces at least one holding arm (12) of the respective cell (3) form a transfer position into a holding position, - wherein the at least one holding arm (12) of each cell (3) being arranged in the holding position holds a package body (4) in a form-fit or force-fit manner against discharging in a discharge direction (D) relative to the cell (3) while traveling along the at least one curve.
  12. Method according to 11, wherein the actuation lever (13) is held in the active position a form-fit or force-fit manner, in particular by at least one magnet (17) or spring member, at a base element (9) of the cell (3).
  13. Method according to 11 or 12, - wherein the cells (3) are conveyed past a discharge guide (8) in a discharge area (7) and - wherein the package bodies (4) engage with the at least one discharge guide (8) in the discharge area while being conveyed past the discharge guide (8) such that the package bodies (4) are pushed out of the respective cells (3).
  14. Method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the holding arms (12) are forcefully displaced from the holding position into the transfer position by the package bodies (4) being pushed out of the respective cells (3) thereby forcefully displacing the actuation lever (13) from the active position into the passive position.
  15. Method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the adjacent holding arms (12) of neighboring cells (3) are holding each other in the transfer position while the cells (3) are conveyed from the discharge area (7) to the transfer area (5), in particular by magnetic forces.

Description

The invention relates to a transport apparatus for transporting package bodies, comprising a conveyor having a plurality of cells for conveying package bodies in the cells. Further, the invention relates to a method for transporting package bodies with such a transport apparatus. Transport of package bodies occurs in particular in the context of filling package bodies with products, such as food and/or beverages. Said package bodies can have different forms and may or may not contain product depending on whether the package bodies are transported prior or after filling with a product in a filling machine. Filling machines for filling package bodies that are open on one side with products are used in the food and beverage industry, for example. The package bodies, which are open on one side, are formed from a package material in the form of a cardboard composite, for example. In particular, the package material forms a laminate comprising a cardboard layer and outer, in particular thermoplastic, plastic layers, for example polyethylene (PE). The cardboard gives the package material sufficient stability to form packages that can be easily handled and stacked, for example. The plastic layers protect the cardboard from moisture and the products, especially food, from taking up undesirable substances from the package material. In addition, further layers, such as diffusion protection layers, if necessary an aluminum layer, can be provided to prevent diffusion of oxygen and other gases through the package material. In the known filling machines, package bodies are typically filled with products in the form of foodstuffs, in particular beverages, whereby flowable products are predominantly used. In particular, for reasons of shelf life, foodstuffs are filled into package bodies in a sterile or aseptic environment of the filling machine, which is also referred to as an aseptic zone or aseptic area. The package bodies are therefore sterilized in the filling machine, then filled and sealed under the most sterile conditions possible. If appropriate package materials are used, the package body is closed by sealing the open end to form a head or so called gable top. The package bodies are preferably formed on the filling machine from package sleeves which are open at opposing longitudinal ends and have been produced from package material blanks, in particular by sealing the longitudinal edges of the package material blanks to one another. The package sleeves are folded flat and transferred as a stack to a magazine of the filling machine, where they are removed and unfolded and then, for example, placed on a mandrel of a so-called mandrel wheel, on which a bottom is folded and sealed at a longitudinal end of the package sleeve. This results in a package body that is open on one side, which is pulled off the mandrel wheel and fed into a sterilization zone of the filling machine. This is usually done by transferring the package bodies one after the other to cells of a transport device comprising a cell chain. In the sterilization zone, the package bodies are preheated with hot sterile air and then sterilized, typically with hydrogen peroxide (HzOz), and dried with sterile air. The sterile package bodies are transported by the transport device to the filling and sealing zone, where they are filled in a filling station and then sealed in a head sealing station to form a package, before the filled and sealed package is transported out of the filling and sealing zone by the transport device and then removed from the corresponding cells of the transport device. Alternative filling machines are designed in a largely similar way. A filling machine is also known in which a mandrel wheel and a transport device comprising a cell chain are dispensed with. Instead, the package sleeves are transferred to a transport device comprising a traveling assembly, thereafter sterilized and only then sealed on the bottom side and filled. After filling and closing of the package bodies, said package bodies are transferred to a transfer apparatus for transporting the package bodies in a defined manner to a packaging installation for packaging the package bodies prior to shipment. In consequence, package bodies are transported to the filling machine, through the filling machine and away from the filling machine. In each separate transport step the handling of the package bodies is important, since it is desirable to transport the package bodies fast, precise and without any damages. Further, transport apparatuses that are not used in connection with filling package bodies in the filling machine have in principle the same requirements regarding transport of the package bodies. The package bodies need to be conveyed fast, precise and reliable, wherein the package bodies might be filled with a product. Because filled package bodies are in general more stable and more stiff, in many cases higher forces can be applied when handling filled package bodies