APPARATUS FOR, AND METHOD OF, FORMING, FILLING AND CLOSING BAGS, EACH WITH A POURING DEVICE
The invention relates to a device (10) for forming, filling and closing bags provided with respectively one pouring device, comprising a device (23) for forming a tube (25) from at least one material web (12), a filling device (28) for filling the tube (25) and/or the bags (5) and a cross-seam sealing and separating device (33) for separating respectively one bag (5) from the tube (5). According to the invention, said device (23) for forming the tube (25) comprises a forming device (24) which forms the tube (25) from one single material web (12) and the filling device (28) fills the tube (25) with the filling material over the entire cross-section of the tube (25) and one outer part (4) of the of the pouring device (1) is joined to the material web (12) after forming the tube (25).
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The invention relates to an apparatus for forming, filling and closing bags, each with a pouring device.
An apparatus is already known from U.S. Pat. No. 7,469,522 B2. In the case of the known apparatus, two flexible material webs are conveyed independently of one another and formed into bags using a flexible-tube-forming device. In this case, pouring devices are connected to one of the material webs beforehand using an applicator, wherein corresponding holes are formed prior to this in the material web. Once the bags have been fully formed, this also including closure of the bags in the head region thereof, the bags are then filled in a filling device, by the caps being unscrewed from the pouring devices and the bags being filled through the pouring devices.
The known apparatus, as a result of using two material webs which have to be welded by means of two longitudinal seams, involves the potential risk of the sealing in the region of the longitudinal seams not being tight. It should also be considered disadvantageous that the operation of filling the previously fully formed bags, provided with transverse seams, through the pouring devices means that this operation of filling the bags takes a relatively long period of time, since the filling cross section which is possible for the purpose of filling the bag is defined or limited by the size of the pouring device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONProceeding from the prior art presented, it is an object of the invention to develop an apparatus for forming, filling and closing bags, each with a pouring device, such that the bags produced by means of the apparatus are sealed to particularly good effect and can be filled relatively quickly. This object is achieved in the case of a device for forming, filling and closing bags, each with a pouring device, characterized in that the material web is sterilized by means of a sterilizing device, and in that the sterilizing device encloses the region of the shaping device and terminates above the application device for the pouring devices having the features of claim 1. The invention is based on the idea of using a shaping device, which forms the flexible tube from a single material web, to reduce the number of longitudinal seams on the bags, which may potentially result in lack of sealing. Furthermore, filling over the entire opening cross section of the flexible tube makes a reduced filling period possible.
In a particularly advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that the shaping device is designed as a forming shoulder, and that a filling tube of the filling device is arranged in the forming shoulder, the flexible tube being filled through this filling tube prior to a head closure being formed on the bag. Such a design is already known in practice, and has proven successful, in the case of so-called tubular-bag machines.
Furthermore, it is provided that a second application device is provided for fastening an outer part of the pouring device, this second application device being arranged upstream of the transverse-seam-sealing and severing device, in the region of the filling tube, and connecting the second part of the pouring device to the first part of the pouring device from the outside of the flexible tube. This has the advantage that the filling tube can be used as an abutment for the purpose of applying the second part of the pouring device, and therefore the second application device can be of relatively straightforward construction.
In order to allow straightforward transportation of the material web, in particular also over the forming shoulder, as soon as the first part of the pouring device has been connected to the material web, it is also particularly preferably provided that the inner part of the pouring device comprises a sheet-like element, which fully covers over the hole in the material web, and that the outer part comprises a mouthpiece with a cap element, which is connected to the first part, in particular by ultrasonic friction welding. The sheet-like element, which is relatively thin in the heightwise direction, renders it straightforwardly possible for the material web to be drawn over the forming shoulder, or the device for forming the bags, without there being any need for the latter to be of particularly complex design in order not to conflict with the first parts of the pouring device.
Arranging the pouring device in the head region of the bags has the advantage that the bags, when tilted, can easily be completely emptied.
In order to avoid the situation where germs form and/or multiply in certain foods, for example in milk, it is further provided, in a further design development of the invention, that the material web is sterilized by means of a sterilizing device, and that the sterilizing device encloses the region of the shaping device. This makes it possible, in particular, also for the inside of the material web to be protected, provided it has been arranged in a sterile atmosphere immediately prior to the flexible tubes being formed.
In order for the sterilizing device, nevertheless, to be kept as compact as possible, and also to avoid disruption to the sterilizing operation even when first parts of the pouring devices are being refilled into the first application device, it is, moreover, particularly preferably provided that the sterilizing device is arranged downstream of the first application device. In other words, this means that maintenance work or repair in the region of the first application device is possible at any time without intervention having to be made, for this purpose, in the region of the sterilizing device.
It is particularly preferred, in addition, to have production machines which comprise at least two apparatuses according to the invention, arranged parallel to one another, for forming, filling and closing bags, each with a pouring device. This allows the capacity of the installation to be increased relatively straightforwardly, and it is, if appropriate, also possible to use, for example, identical devices, e.g. identical conveying devices, in order to reduce the equipment-related outlay for a certain capacity.
It is particularly preferred here if the apparatuses have a common sterilizing device or a common control device.
The invention further comprises a method of forming, filling and closing bags, each with a pouring device, and to bags produced by this method.
Further advantages and features of the invention can be gathered from the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments and with reference to the drawings, in which:
Identical parts or elements are designated by the same designations in the figures.
The punch 16 is followed by an applicator 19 (not illustrated in detail) which applies first, inner parts 2 of the pouring devices 1 to the side 3 of the material web 12, this side forming the later inside of the bags 5, and connects them thereto. The first parts 2 here comprise a rectangular or square blank of a plastics sheet material, which reinstates the necessary sealing and the desired barrier properties in the region of the hole 131. For example ultrasonic friction welding or heat sealing is used as the method of connecting the first part 2 of the pouring device 1 and the material web 12.
The material web 12 provided with the uniformly spaced-apart first parts 2 of the pouring devices 1 then passes into the region of a sterilizing device 20. The sterilizing device 20 will be explained in more detail hereinbelow with reference to
The second device 30 is followed underneath by a transverse-seam-sealing device 33, which has two transverse-seam-sealing jaws 34, 35 which can be moved in relation to one another and have in particular integral severing devices and folding devices in order, on the one hand, to form in each case the base regions 7 and/or the head regions 8 of the bag 5 and, on the other hand, to sever in each case one bag 5 from the flexible tube 25. As is further evident with reference to
As is evident only with reference to
It is further evident with reference to
The drying device 44 is followed by a transporting device 50, which convey the material web 12 continuously, by a friction fit, by means of rollers. The transporting device 50 is followed by further compensating rollers 51, for the interim storage of a portion of the material web 12. Also evident in
Parts of the first application device 15 are illustrated in more detail in
Parts of the second application device 30 are illustrated in more detail in
Claims
1-14. (canceled)
15. An apparatus (10) for forming, filling and closing bags (5), each with a pouring device (1), having a device (23) for forming a flexible tube (25) from at least one material web (12), having a filling device (28) for filling the flexible tube (25) or a bag (5), and having a transverse-seam-sealing and severing device (33) for severing in each case one bag (5) from the flexible tube (5), wherein the device (23) for forming the flexible tube (25) has a shaping device (24), which forms the flexible tube (25) from a single material web (12), wherein the filling device (28) fills the flexible tube (25) with contents over an entire cross section of the flexible tube (25), and wherein an application device (30) is provided, this connecting an outer part (4) of the pouring device (1) to the material web (12) once the flexible tube (25) has been formed, characterized in that the material web (12) is sterilized by means of a sterilizing device (20), and in that the sterilizing device (20) encloses the region of the shaping device (24) and terminates above the application device (30) for the pouring devices (1).
16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the shaping device is a forming shoulder (24), and in that a filling tube (27) of the filling device (28) is arranged in the forming shoulder (24), the flexible tube (25) being filled through this filling tube prior to a head closure (8) being formed on the bag (5).
17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the application device is arranged upstream of the transverse-seam-sealing and severing device (33), in the region of the filling tube (27).
18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the device (23) for forming the flexible tube (25) is followed by at least one longitudinal-seam-sealing device (36) with longitudinal-seam-sealing jaws (37, 58) for forming longitudinal seams in corner regions of the flexible tube (25).
19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the sterilizing device (20) is arranged downstream of a first application device (15).
20. A production machine (100) comprising at least two apparatuses (10), arranged parallel to one another, as claimed in one claim 15.
21. The production machine as claimed in claim 20, characterized in that the apparatuses (10) have a common sterilizing device (20).
22. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15, characterized by the provision of a first application device (15), which has a punch (16), which punches a hole into the material web (12).
23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the sterilizing device (20) comprises a peroxide bath (42), through which the material web (12) is guided over a plurality of deflecting rollers (43) in order for the material web (12) to be sterilized on two sides (3, 6).
24. The apparatus as claimed in claim 23, characterized in that the peroxide bath (42) is followed, within a housing (38), by a drying device (44).
25. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that blade nozzles (39), which remove a peroxide film from the material web (12), are arranged on opposite sides (3, 6) of the material web (12).
26. The apparatus as claimed in claim 25, characterized in that the blade nozzles (39) are followed by heating or drying devices (45, 46), which are likewise located on both sides (3, 6) of the material web (12), and dry the material web (12).
27. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the sterilizing device (20) comprises ventilation devices (47) and catalytic converters (48).
28. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the application device (30) comprises an ultrasonic sealing device (141).
29. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the application device (30) comprises a feed shaft (142) as part of a magazine for storing the outer parts (4).
30. The apparatus as claimed in claim 28, characterized in that the application device (30) comprises a conveying arm (143), which is arranged such that it can be pivoted between a receiving position, for receiving a second part, and a sealing position, for operative connection with the ultrasonic sealing device (141).
31. The production machine as claimed in claim 20, characterized in that the apparatuses (10) have a common control device.
32. The production machine as claimed in claim 20, characterized in that the apparatuses (10) have a common sterilizing device (20) and a common control device.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 4, 2010
Publication Date: Oct 4, 2012
Applicant: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH (Stuttgart)
Inventors: Bas Romijn (Weert), Marcel van Laarhoven (Asten), Maurice Hennissen (Wessem), Hein van Mens (Weert), Jan Lambie (St. Geertruid)
Application Number: 13/499,847
International Classification: B65B 1/02 (20060101);