CN114206731B

CN114206731B - Apparatus and method for forming bundles from individual packages

Info

Publication number: CN114206731B
Application number: CN202080055721.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: S·瓦格纳; K-H·克隆佩; B·科克斯; M·约里森; W·埃莫尔
Original assignee: KHS GmbH
Current assignee: KHS GmbH
Priority date: 2019-07-31
Filing date: 2020-07-13
Publication date: 2024-09-06
Anticipated expiration: 2040-07-13
Also published as: US20220281624A1; WO2021018557A1; EP4003847A1; DE102019120679A1; CN114206731A

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1 a,1b,1c,1 d) for forming bundles from individual packages by wrapping a packaging composite (2) formed from groups of individual packages, in particular liquid containers, into a blank (3) formed from packaging material, having: a wrapping unit (6) for wrapping the packaging composite (2) in a conveying direction (7) by means of the blanks (3), wherein the front end (5) and the rear end (4) of the blanks (3) are arranged in a lap joint; a conveying unit (10) for conveying the packaging composite (2) past the wrapping unit (6) in a conveying direction (7) along a conveying plane (11), provided with a pulling unit (8 a,8b,8c,8 d) which can engage with the blank (3) composed of paper material and pretension the rear end (4) of the blank (3) at least temporarily against the conveying direction (7) of the packaging composite (2) towards the front end (5) of the blank (3). A corresponding method for forming a bundle from individual packages is also disclosed.

Description

Apparatus and method for forming bundles from individual packages

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for forming a bundle from individual packages by wrapping a packaging composite formed from a group of individual packages, in particular liquid containers, into a blank formed from packaging material.

Background

Apparatus and methods for packaging individual groups of packages (e.g., beverage cans, bottles, beverage cartons, etc.) combined into packaging composites into a blank/blank (Zuschnitt) of shrinkable film material have been disclosed in a wide variety of constructions by the prior art (e.g., DE 10 2008 052 633 A1). A defined number of individual packages are grouped in a predetermined manner and then subsequently encased in a film blank in a conveying direction with the film wrapping being formed. In order to form a completely closed film envelope, the folded patch, which protrudes laterally from above the packaging composite on both sides, is then applied laterally to the packaging composite by means of a folding unit. By subsequently shrinking the film, a bundle is then produced which is configured as a stable packaging unit, in which the individual packages are fixed relative to one another.

The use of plastic packaging is increasingly criticized from an ecological point of view. This relates in particular to those film packages which are not reusable, as is the case with the bundles produced by the apparatus and method described above. Because the plastic films used are generally not reused anymore in a meaningful way, the use of plastic films for the production of bundles is considered to be very disadvantageous from an environmental technical point of view.

However, the use of packaging material blanks composed of environmentally friendly materials for producing bundles from this point of view has the following disadvantages: if there is a lack of a shrink process using plastic film to ensure a tight abutment around the packaging composite, the bundle manufactured using packaging material blanks composed of replacement material may be insufficiently stable. This in turn can only be achieved by the package itself having a higher stability, as is the case with the known use of kraft cartons, but this results in a large material input.

Disclosure of Invention

Starting from this, the object of the invention is to create a device and a method which enable bundles to be produced which are designed to stabilize a packaging unit using non-shrinkable packaging materials. The present invention solves this task by providing a device and a method according to the claims. An advantageous development of the device according to the invention is given in the following description, and an advantageous development of the method according to the invention is also given in the following description. The features or combinations of features contained in the claims should be construed as part of the specification.

The invention relates to a device for forming a packaging composite from a bundle of individual packages, characterized in that a pulling unit is provided, which can be engaged with a blank of paper material and pretensions the rear end of the blank at least temporarily against the conveying direction of the packaging composite towards the front end of the blank. A blank made of a paper material will also be referred to hereinafter as a paper blank.

The wrapping unit of the device according to the invention is used to wrap a packaging composite made up of groups of individual packages into a blank made up of paper material, wherein the rear end of the blank is guided around the packaging composite in a conveying direction of the packaging composite, which is predefined by the conveying unit, and is applied to the front end of the blank. In order to produce a bundle in which individual packages are held in their position relative to one another by packaging, the device according to the invention has a pulling unit which pretensions the flanged rear end of the blank at least temporarily against the conveying direction of the packaging composite, which is predefined by the conveying unit, toward the front end of the blank. The defined pretensioning ensures that the blank rests tightly against the packaging composite in the circumferential direction predefined by the conveying direction, which is a precondition for the production of a stable bundle. Such pretensioning avoids voids affecting stability in the area between the individual packages and the blank. In this case, the pretensioning by the pulling unit can be brought about both by actively moving the flanged rear end against the conveying direction toward the front end and by fastening the surrounding rear end only temporarily, wherein the pretensioning is brought about by the movement of the packaging composite along the conveying plane by the conveying unit.

The apparatus according to the invention thus allows stable bundles to be manufactured without the use of plastic films. A defined pretensioning of the blanks can be brought about by the pulling unit, which pretensioning is sufficient for fixing the individual packages in their position relative to each other by means of the paper blanks thus pretensioned.

Preferably, the individual packages are each at least partially filled with an object (such as a liquid) to be received by the individual packages. In other words, the individual packages preferably relate to at least partially filled packages.

Liquid containers are understood in the present invention as known primary packages for beverages and liquid foods (such as in particular bottles, cans, cups and pouch packages or cube carton packages with or without spouts). These liquid containers may be constructed of one or more known materials such as glass, plastic, metal or paper cartons.

Advantageously, the packaging composite is at least partially supported with its underside on the front end of the paper blank when conveyed past the wrapping unit, so that the front end of the paper blank is arranged between the underside of the packaging composite and the conveying plane when the packaging composite is conveyed past the wrapping unit.

The arrangement of the pulling unit on the device can be done in any way as long as it is ensured that the rear end portion abuts against the front end portion with the paper blank tensioned. In this case, according to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the pulling unit is arranged adjacent to a side of the conveying unit facing away from the packaging composite.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the pulling unit is arranged opposite the conveyor unit below a conveyor plane predefined by the conveyor belt of the conveyor unit, which conveyor unit conveys the packaging laminate partially or completely in an upright manner past the wrapping unit, for example on the conveyor belt.

Depending on the manner of description, in the present invention a conveyor belt is understood to be any conveying means or a plurality of conveying means arranged in or transversely to the conveying direction, which conveying means are suitable for conveying groups of individual packages in the conveying direction with or without carrier elements (such as pallets, cardboard blanks, etc.) located therebelow.

The abutment of the front end against the rear end of the paper blank (with reference to the position of use) takes place here on the underside of groups of individual packages which are particularly preferably arranged on a substrate, such as a cardboard tray. The front end is positioned sufficiently, in a fixed position, which is caused, if necessary, by the own weight of the individual packages which hold the front end in a clamping manner in the region between the conveyor belt and the packaging composite. Additionally, the front end can be fastened to the underside of the packaging composite by means of an adhesive. Then, a tension sufficient for tight abutment can be applied to the paper blank in a comfortable manner by a pulling unit in an engaged state with the rear end portion of the blank wrapped with the packaging composite, so that the paper blank is tightly abutted against the packaging composite in the circumferential direction of the packaging composite, which coincides with the conveying direction. The rear end of the paper blank can then be fastened on the underside of the group of individual packages, preferably on the underside of the paper blank, while maintaining a sufficient pretension.

The region of the rear end of the paper stock is introduced into the drawing unit in such a way that the process of applying tension to the paper stock by the drawing unit can in principle be carried out in any manner. However, according to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the wrapping unit has a guide bar for wrapping the packaging composite into the paper blank, which guide bar is configured for engaging the paper blank with the pulling unit in the region of its rear end. The flanged rear end of the paper blank is transferred into the drawing unit using the guide rod, which makes it possible to dispense with additional components on the wrapping unit. The movement path of the guide bar guiding the paper blank around the packaging composite is advantageously synchronized with the drawing unit in such a way that it engages the paper blank with the drawing unit in the region of its rear end, which can be gripped by the drawing unit and pretensioned in such a way that the paper blank is tightly held against the packaging composite.

In this way, the movement path of the guide rod and/or the drawing unit can be oriented relative to the movement path of the drawing rod in such a way that the paper stock is transferred into the drawing unit by the stretching movement of the guide rod. In this way, a reliable interaction of the pulling unit and the paper blank and thus a tight arrangement of the paper blank on the packaging composite is ensured.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the guide rod has a compressed air opening connected to a compressed air source for moving the blank toward the drawing unit. According to this embodiment of the invention, the guide rod has one or more compressed air openings which are connected to a compressed air source. This construction scheme of the invention can realize: when the guide bar is arranged in contact with the paper stock in the region of the drawing unit, the guide bar is pressurized with compressed air. The guide rod is then, if necessary, supplied with compressed air, which causes the paper blanks lying against the guide rod to be displaced by the compressed air discharged from the compressed air opening toward the drawing unit, whereupon the paper blanks can be gripped there by the drawing unit and pretensioned against the conveying direction of the individual packages in groups. This development according to the invention ensures a reliable interaction of the drawing unit and the paper blank and thus a tight arrangement of the paper blank on the packaging composite in a particularly reliable manner using the compressed air opening.

In addition to the displacement of the paper stock into the drawing unit via the guide bar, according to one development of the invention, a separate positioning unit is provided on the device, which can be operatively connected to the paper stock in the region of its rear end, so that the rear end of the paper stock is displaced into the drawing unit. The use of a separate (preferably stationary) positioning unit independent of the wrapping unit and the conveying unit allows to dispense with adapting the wrapping unit for positioning the paper blanks in the pulling unit. The positioning unit can be arranged on the device independently of the wrapping unit in a position that is optimal for feeding the paper stock into the drawing unit, and thus ensures the interaction of the paper stock and the drawing unit in a particularly reliable manner.

Here, the construction of the positioning unit for moving the paper stock into the drawing unit can in principle be carried out in any manner. For example, a pressing element can be provided, which can be moved on the positioning unit, which moves the paper blank toward the drawing unit. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, however, the positioning unit is provided with at least one compressed air opening (preferably a nozzle arrangement) connected to a compressed air source for displacing the rear end of the paper blank into the drawing unit.

According to this embodiment of the invention, the positioning unit has at least one compressed air opening (preferably a nozzle arrangement) oriented towards the drawing unit, so that the paper blank can be moved towards the drawing unit by means of the compressed air opening, with the paper blank being arranged in the region between the positioning unit and the drawing unit. In this case, this embodiment of the positioning unit is characterized in that the movable parts on the positioning unit can be completely dispensed with, whereby, in particular, interference can be prevented and maintenance measures can be minimized.

In principle, it is freely selectable to configure the functional connection of the paper blank in the region of its front end to the pulling unit in such a way that the pulling unit can exert a pretension on the paper blank. According to an advantageous development of the invention, however, the drawing unit has a clamping unit and/or a suction device for fixing the paper blank in the region of its rear end. According to this development of the invention, the pulling unit fixes the paper blank at least temporarily in place relative to a packaging composite which is moved along a conveying plane in the conveying direction and wrapped with the paper blank. Temporary fixation of the rear end has caused tension to be applied to the paper blank due to simultaneous continuous movement of the packaging composite. The duration of the fixing of the paper blank by the drawing unit is dependent on the material properties of the paper blank used, since such fixing does not allow a tensile force to be exceeded which could lead to damage to the paper blank. The fixing of the paper blank in the drawing unit is therefore only carried out over a limited time range and/or the fixing of the paper blank in the drawing unit is carried out in such a way that the paper blank is additionally guided from the drawing unit with pretension maintained relative to the conveying unit in order to thus continuously apply sufficient tension to the paper blank. The fixing of the paper blank to the drawing unit may be performed by a clamping unit, with respect to which the paper blank is fixed in a clamping manner to the drawing unit. According to an alternative embodiment or in addition, the drawing unit has a suction device, with which the paper stock is held in the drawing unit in the region of its rear end by means of a suitable suction device.

In principle, the design of the adsorption device can be freely selected. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, however, the suction device has a contact surface connected to a source of negative pressure in a contact region with the blank, the contact surface having a plurality of suction openings. According to this embodiment of the invention, the paper stock is sucked onto the contact surface in the region of its rear end by suction openings arranged in the contact surface, wherein the holding force of the drawing unit relative to the paper stock can be determined mainly by the level of the negative pressure and the number of these suction openings. Furthermore, the configuration of the surface of the contact surface also provides the possibility of setting the friction coefficient of the paper blank with respect to the contact surface by means of the contact surface in order to apply a suitable pretension to the paper blank.

In addition to the arrangement of the stationary contact surface with suction openings according to the previous development of the invention, a further embodiment of the invention provides that the contact surface is formed on such a conveyor belt: the conveyor belt is rotated counter to the conveying direction of the packaging composite in the contact region with the blanks. According to this embodiment of the invention, not only the suction device serves a retaining function for the paper stock. Furthermore, the suction device applies an additional tension to the paper blank by virtue of the revolving conveyor belt which bears with its contact surface against the paper blank, which additional tension is caused by a movement of the conveyor belt in the contact region with the paper blank against the conveying direction of the packaging composite. In this case, the holding force exerted on the paper blank can be determined in a particularly precise manner by selecting the surface of the conveyor belt, its speed of movement and the negative pressure exerted by the negative pressure source. The holding force can thus be set such that a sufficient pretension is achieved, but at the same time damage to the paper blank due to excessive tension is avoided.

Alternatively or additionally to the suction device, the pulling unit has a clamping unit, by means of which the paper blank can be fastened in a clamping manner in the pulling unit in the region of its rear end. In this case, according to an advantageous development of the invention, the clamping unit has a first clamping element having a first contact surface and a second clamping element having a second contact surface, which clamping elements can be brought into contact with the blank on opposite sides of the blank. According to this embodiment of the invention, the clamping force exerted by the clamping elements on the paper blank applies tension to the paper blank due to the packaging composite which is continuously moving in the conveying direction. By this, the tension applied to the paper blank can be determined in a particularly accurate manner by the height of the clamping force, which can be determined, for example, by the spacing of the clamping elements, their surface properties and the length of contact between the paper blank and the clamping elements. The clamping unit is configured in such a way that it ensures a continuous additional guidance of the held paper blank under tension from the clamping unit towards the packaging composite in order to thereby prevent material damage of the paper blank.

In order to set the holding force of the clamping unit, according to an advantageous development of the invention, the distance between the contact surfaces is adjustable. For this purpose, at least one clamping element is adjustable in terms of spacing relative to the other clamping element, thereby enabling the clamping force (or holding force) exerted by the clamping unit on the paper blank to be adjusted in a comfortable manner.

In principle, the design of the holding elements can be freely selected, wherein, in particular, by means of the surface properties of these holding elements and by means of the resulting coefficient of friction of the adhesive between the paper web and the holding element, a reliable tensile force is applied to the paper web, which is in engagement with the holding elements and is continuously guided out of the holding unit toward the packaging combination. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the contact surface of the first holding element and/or of the second holding element is formed by a brush body. The use of the brush body is characterized in that, while applying a suitable holding force to create the pretension applied to the paper blank, it is ensured that: the paper blanks are continuously guided out of the clamping unit under tension upon continued transport of the packaging composite after being received in the clamping unit. In this case, according to one embodiment of the invention, only one or both holding elements can be formed as a brush body. In this case, the holding force can be reliably determined by the distance between a brush body and, for example, a flat contact surface or the distance between two brush bodies.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the first clamping element and/or the second clamping element are configured as a rotary body and can be rotated about a longitudinal axis running transversely to the conveying direction in such a way that the first contact surface and/or the second contact surface can be adjusted in a direction opposite to the conveying direction. According to this embodiment of the invention, the contact surface of the clamping element formed by the peripheral surface of the rotary body is moved in the region of the paper blank in a direction counter to the transport direction of the packaging composite, whereby a suitable pretension can additionally be applied to the paper blank.

In this case, it is particularly advantageous if the first clamping element and/or the second clamping element has a recess for temporarily receiving the guide rod. According to this development of the invention, the guide bar, which is carried out when the groups of individual packages are wrapped, enters together with the paper stock into the recess provided for this purpose on the first or second holding element in the course of its movement, so that the paper stock engages with the first or second holding element in a particularly reliable manner. In this case, the rotational movement of the holding element is coordinated with the movement of the guide rod in such a way that the guide rod enters the recess for transfer to the drawing unit and is subsequently adjusted together with the recess, so that the guide rod is moved out of the recess again after transfer. This embodiment, in which one or both clamping elements have recesses, ensures a particularly reliable transfer of the paper stock to the drawing unit.

Furthermore, according to another embodiment of the invention, the pulling unit has a sensor unit for detecting the pulling tension applied to the paper blank. The applied tensile force can thus be determined by the sensor unit. In this way, too high a pulling tension, which may lead to damage to the paper stock, can be detected in advance, so that appropriate measures can be taken to reduce the holding force exerted by the pulling unit.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the device has a closing unit for fastening the rear end of the paper blank to the front end of the paper blank. By means of the closing unit, the paper blank under tension can be fastened to the front end in the region of the rear end, so that it is ensured that the paper blank, after leaving the wrapping unit, is tightly pressed against the packaging composite in the conveying direction, so that a bundle configured to stabilize the packaging unit is realized.

In principle, the embodiment of the closing unit can be freely selected, by means of which the rear end of the paper blank is fastened to its front end. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the closing unit has an adhesive unit and/or a binding unit. The adhesive unit may be, for example, a device by means of which an adhesive is applied in the region between the front and rear ends of the paper blank, so that these ends are fixed to one another. Alternatively, the adhesive unit may also be configured for applying an adhesive tape by means of which the front end of the paper blank is fastened to the rear end of the paper blank. The binding unit, which is arranged in an advantageous manner, enables the fastening of the front end of the paper blank on the rear end of the paper blank by means of suitable binding means, such as a closing strap, which are tensioned around the individual packages that are enclosed in the paper blank in such a way that a reliable fastening of the front end of the paper blank on the rear end of the paper blank is ensured.

In an advantageous development of the invention, a storage unit is provided for the paper material, which is stored in the storage unit. The paper material can be stored in the storage unit in the form of cut-out (preferably stacked up and down) paper blanks. Alternatively, the paper material can be stored in the storage unit in the form of a coherent web of material, in particular in the form of a roll of paper. In the latter case, a cutting unit is advantageously additionally provided for cutting the coherent material web into individual paper blanks.

In the method according to the invention for forming a bundle from individual packages by wrapping a packaging composite formed from a group of individual packages, in particular liquid containers, into a blank formed from packaging material, the following steps are provided: the packaging combination of individual packages in groups (i.e. positioned and oriented relative to one another) is first transported into a wrapping unit by means of a transport unit. Here, the packaging composite is then wrapped in the conveying direction of the conveying unit by means of a blank made of paper material (this is also referred to as a paper blank hereinafter). Next, the rear end portion of the paper blank enclosed around the packaging composite is arranged overlapping the front end portion of the paper blank.

The method according to the invention is characterized in that the rear end of the paper blank is at least temporarily pretensioned against the conveying direction of the packaging composite towards the front end of the paper blank by means of a pulling unit.

The pretension applied to the paper blank by means of the pulling unit can already be produced by a construction of the pulling unit in which the paper blank is fastened to the pulling unit in the region of its rear end in such a way that this rear end is additionally guided in the conveying direction of the groups of individual packages in a manner that is held under tension. In this way, tension is applied to the paper blank by the pulling unit, which ensures that the paper blank is maximally seamless in the conveying direction of the groups of individual packages and thus closely bears against the groups of individual packages. In this way, a bundle configured as a stable packaging unit can be produced, in which the individual packages are reliably fixed in their position relative to one another. In order to maintain this tension, the rear end of the paper blank is fastened to the front end of the paper blank in a lap joint at the end of the wrapping process. According to an advantageous development of the method, this can be done by means of a closing unit having an adhesive unit for adhesively connecting the front and rear ends of the paper blank and/or a binding unit for fastening the front and rear ends of the paper blank by means of binding means.

According to one development of the method, the individual packages are grouped on a substrate (in particular a paper tray) before being fed into the wrapping unit. According to this embodiment of the invention, the individual packages are arranged in groups on a common base. The use of such a base enables the front end of the paper blank to be reliably fastened first to the groups of individual packages (i.e. to the flat base). Tension can then be applied reliably to the rear end of the paper blank by means of the pulling unit, so that a tight abutment of the paper blank on these groups of individual packages is achieved. The use of a base (in particular a paper tray) thus increases the possibilities of producing a stable packaging unit, wherein in particular a paper tray supplements the paper blank to form an environmentally friendly package and enables a reliable planar connection of the rear end to the front end.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the wrapping unit has a guide rod which engages the paper blank with the drawing unit in the region of its front end. According to this embodiment of the invention, the guide rods used for the insertion of the groups of individual packages into the paper stock are also used for the engagement of the paper stock with the drawing unit in the region of the rear end thereof. This embodiment of the invention ensures that the paper blank is pretensioned by the pulling unit in a reliable manner and that a bundle configured as a stable packaging unit can be produced therefrom.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the rear end of the paper blank is moved into the drawing unit by a separate orientation unit, which can be operatively connected to the paper blank in the region of the rear end. The use of a separate positioning unit allows to ensure a reliable movement of the paper blank into the pulling unit in the region of its rear end independently of the wrapping unit. The adaptation of the wrapping unit (in particular the guide bar) is not necessary according to the development of the invention.

The trailing end of the paper stock is locked (or fixed) in the drawing unit in such a way that tension is applied to the paper stock in this way, which can in principle be done in any way. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, however, the rear end of the paper blank is clamped or locked by suction in the drawing unit. In this case, locking is understood to mean that the paper web is arranged in the pulling unit in the region of its rear end in such a way that, by temporary fixing, by a movement of the paper web against the conveying direction of the groups of individual packages and/or by a reduction in the speed of movement of the rear end of the paper web relative to the conveying speed by the conveying unit, tension is thereby applied to the paper web, by which tension the paper web is brought into close contact against the groups of individual packages. In this case, according to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the front end of the paper blank is locked in the drawing unit in a clamping manner or by suction, so that the paper blank can be fastened particularly reliably and the tension applied to the paper blank can be controlled particularly reliably.

Drawings

Embodiments of the present invention are explained below with reference to the drawings. The drawings show:

Fig. 1a: a first embodiment of an apparatus for forming bundles from individual packages in a first position is shown in schematic diagram form;

Fig. 1b: a first embodiment of the device for forming bundles from individual packages in a second position is shown in schematic diagram;

Fig. 2a: a second embodiment of the device for forming bundles from individual packages in a first position is shown in schematic diagram;

fig. 2b: a second embodiment of the device for forming bundles from individual packages in a second position is shown in schematic diagram;

fig. 3a: a third embodiment of the apparatus for forming bundles from individual packages in a first position is shown in schematic diagram form;

fig. 3b: a third embodiment of the device for forming bundles from individual packages in the second position is shown in schematic diagram;

Fig. 4a: a fourth embodiment of the apparatus for forming bundles from individual packages in a first position is shown in schematic diagram form;

Fig. 4b: a fourth embodiment of the device for forming bundles from individual packages in the second position is shown in schematic form.

Detailed Description

The device 1a for forming bundles from individual packages, represented in schematic form in fig. 1a, has a conveying unit 10, a wrapping unit 6 and a pulling unit 8a. The conveying unit 10 serves to move the packaging composite 2, which is composed of groups of individual packages, first past the wrapping unit 6, the packaging composite 2 being wrapped (seen in the conveying direction 7) in the wrapping unit 6 into the paper blanks 3. The packaging composite 2 is located in the region of the front end 5 of the paper blank 3 in a segmented manner on the underside of the packaging composite 2 when fed into the wrapping unit 6, so that the front end 5 of the paper blank 3 is arranged between the underside of the packaging composite 2 and the first conveyor belt 12a of the conveyor unit 10, which forms the conveying plane 11, when fed into the wrapping unit 6.

The paper blanks 3 are wrapped around the packaging composite 2 in the conveying direction 7 within the wrapping unit 6, wherein the rear end 4 of the paper blanks 3 is guided through a through opening 27 between the conveyor belt 12a and the second conveyor belt 12b of the conveying unit 10 by means of guide bars 9 shown in two positions in fig. 1 a.

On the side of the conveying unit 10 facing away from the packaging combination 2 (i.e. below the conveying unit 10 with reference to the illustrated use position), the pulling unit 8a is arranged, which pulling unit 8a is designed to temporarily fasten the rear end 4 of the paper blank 3, so that the paper blank 3 is tightly pressed against the packaging combination 2 due to the resulting tension acting on the paper blank 3.

In order to fasten the rear end 4 of the paper stock 3 in the pulling unit 8a, the pulling unit 8a has a clamping unit 13a comprising a first clamping element 19a and a second clamping element 20 a. By means of the movement path of the guide rod 9 operatively connected to the paper blank 3, the paper blank 3 is brought with its rear end 4 into abutment against the first abutment surface 21a of the first clamping element 19a, so that the paper blank 3 engages with the clamping unit 13a in the region of its rear end 4.

In the engaged position of the rear end 4 of the paper blank 3, the first clamping element 19a swings towards the stationary second clamping element 20a, so that the paper blank 3 is clamped between the first abutment surface 21a and the second abutment surface 22a in the region of the rear end 4 thereof. Since the packaging composite 2 is continuously moved in the conveying direction 7 from the first position shown in fig. 1a through the second position shown in fig. 1b, a pulling tension is applied to the paper blank 3 by at least temporarily fixing the rear end 4 of the paper blank 3, whereby the paper blank 3 is arranged tightly around the packaging composite 2.

In the context of a continuous further transport of the packaging composite 2 in the transport direction 7, the rear end 4 of the paper web3 is disengaged from the clamping unit 13a, wherein the clamping effected by the clamping unit 13a is set such that the tension acting on the paper web3 generated in this way does not exceed a level which would lead to destruction of the paper web 3. For this purpose, the holding unit 13a is designed such that the paper web3 is additionally guided from the holding unit 13a onto the packaging composite 2 in the conveying direction 7 while maintaining the required tension for the tight contact until the rear end 4 contacts the front end 5 on the underside of the packaging composite 2. In this position, the rear end 4 is fastened to the paper blank 3 in overlapping relation with the front end 5 by a closing unit, not shown here, wherein for this purpose an adhesive or adhesive strip is preferably used which can be applied to the underside of the packaging composite 2 in the region of the through-opening 27.

The second embodiment of the device 1b for forming bundles shown in fig. 2a and 2b differs from the device 1a shown in fig. 1a and 1b in that: the drawing unit 8b is configured in such a way that the rear end 4 of the paper web 3 is fed into the drawing unit 8 b. Unlike the apparatus 1a shown in fig. 1a and 1b, the pulling unit 8b does not have a clamping unit 13a for temporarily fastening the rear end 4 of the paper blank 3. The locking in the pulling unit 8b is achieved by the co-action of the contact surfaces 17 of the conveyor belt 18 of the pulling unit 8 b. In this way, the conveyor belt 18 has an adsorption opening, not shown here, in the region of the contact surface 17, which is connected to the vacuum source 15 via the line 16. The rear end 4 of the paper stock 3 is pulled through the suction opening onto the contact surface 17 and is held in dependence on the strength of the negative pressure. In addition to the holding force produced by the negative pressure, the rear end 4 of the paper blank 3 also obtains an additional holding force, which, as a result of the movement of the contact surface 17 against the transport direction 7 of the packaging composite 2 effected by the conveyor belt drive 28, facilitates the placement of the paper blank 3 tightly around the packaging composite 2 in the transport direction of the packaging composite 2, in addition to the transport direction 7 of the packaging composite 2 opposite thereto. Depending on the transport position of the packaging composite 2, the rear end 4 slides out of the drawing unit 8b with a predefined tension being maintained until the rear end 4 is arranged on the underside of the packaging composite 2 overlapping the front end 5 of the paper blank 3.

In order to ensure that the rear end 4 of the paper stock 3 engages with the contact surface 17, the guide bar 9 of the wrapping unit 6 has a compressed air opening which is connected to a compressed air source 26 via a line 16. Then, by means of a suitable compressed air discharge, the paper stock 3 can be adjusted towards the contact surface 17, in addition to or instead of the stretching of the rear end portion 4 of the paper stock 3.

Similar to the device 1a shown in fig. 1a and 1b, the fastening is performed after the front end 5 and the rear end 4 are arranged overlapping one another on the underside of the packaging composite 2, for example by means of an adhesive unit, under tension.

Another embodiment of an apparatus 1c for forming bundles is shown in fig. 3a and 3b. This embodiment differs from embodiment 1a shown in fig. 1a and 1b in that: the clamping unit 13b of the pulling unit 8c is constructed. In this way, the holding unit 13b has two holding elements 19b, 20b arranged at a distance from one another, these holding elements 19b, 20b having brush bodies 23a, 23b oriented toward one another. The arrangement of the rear end 4 of the paper blank 3 on the clamping unit 13b is performed by moving the guide bar 9 through the area between the clamping elements 19b, 20b, so that after the guide bar 9 has passed, the rear end 4 of the paper blank 3 is loaded on both sides by the brush bodies 23a, 23b.

The retaining force acting on the paper stock 3 is thereby adjustable by the pretensioning of the brush bodies 23a, 23b against each other, wherein the pretensioning can be determined by the spacing of the first clamping element 19b from the second clamping element 20 b. For this purpose, the drawing unit 8c has a servo drive 29 connected to the second holding element 20b, with the aid of which servo drive 29 the second holding element 20b and thus the brush body 23b arranged on the second holding element 20b can be adjusted toward the stationary first holding element 19 b. Similar to the previously described devices 1a, 1b, the pulling unit 8c keeps the paper blank 3 in a tensioned state while the packaging composite 2 is being conveyed in the conveying direction 7, so that the paper blank 3 is tightly pressed against the packaging composite 2 in the circumferential direction. After the rear end 4 of the paper blank 3 is lap-jointed against the front end 5, fastening of the rear end 4 of the paper blank 3 on the front end 5 is performed similarly to the apparatuses 1a and 1 b.

Fig. 4a and 4b show a further embodiment of the pulling unit 8d, which differs from the previously shown clamping units 13a, 13b according to the embodiments of fig. 1a, 1b and 3a, 3b in the design of the clamping unit 13 c.

The stationary first clamping element 19c has a first abutment surface 21c. The second holding element 20c is configured as a rotary body having a radially protruding brush body 23c, wherein the brush body 23c rests with its end on the first contact surface 21c. Thereby, the holding force acting on the rear end portion 4 of the paper blank 3 is determined according to the spacing of the second clamping member 20c from the first clamping member 19 c. For determining the distance, the clamping unit 13c has a servo drive 29 for this purpose, by means of which servo drive 29 the second clamping element 20c can be adjusted toward the first clamping element 19 c.

In order to arrange the rear end 4 of the paper stock 3 on the clamping unit 13c of the pulling unit 8d, the brush body 23c has a recess 24 extending in the circumferential direction, which recess 24 is adapted to the guide bar 9. The rotational movement of the second clamping element 20c is synchronized with the movement path of the guide rod 9 in such a way that the guide rod 9 engages in its movement path with the recess 24 and transfers the rear end 4 of the paper blank 3 to the clamping unit 13 c. Due to the holding force acting on the paper blank 3 between the first clamping element 19c and the second clamping element 20c, the paper blank 3 is held in a tensioned state, so that, like the previously shown devices 1a, 1b, 1c, the paper blank 3 is tightly held against the packaging composite 2, wherein, as the packaging composite 2 continues to be conveyed in the conveying direction 7, the paper blank 3 is guided out of the clamping unit 13c in a tensioned state with its rear end 4 until the rear end 4 of the paper blank 3 is lap-fastened on the front end 5 of the paper blank 3 on the underside of the packaging composite 2.

List of reference numerals

1A,1b,1c,1d apparatus

2. Packaging composite

3. Paper blank

4. Rear end portion

5. Front end part

6. Wrapping unit

7. Direction of conveyance

8A,8b,8c,8d pulling unit

9. Guiding rod

10. Conveying unit

11. Conveying plane

12A,12b conveyor belt

13A,13b,13c clamping unit

14. Adsorption device

15. Negative pressure source

16. Pipeline

17. Contact surface

18. Conveying belt

19A,19b,19c first clamping element

20A,20b,20c second clamping element

21A,21b,21c first abutment surface

22A,22b,22c second abutment surfaces

23A,23b,23c brush body

24. Recess portion

25. Compressed air opening

26. Compressed air source

27. Through openings

28. Conveyor belt drive

29. Servo driver

Claims

1. An apparatus for forming a bundle from individual packages by wrapping a packaging composite (2) formed from groups of individual packages into a blank (3) formed from packaging material, the apparatus having:

-a wrapping unit (6) wrapping the packaging composite (2) with the blank (3) in a conveying direction (7) such that a front end (5) and a rear end (4) of the blank (3) are arranged overlapping, and

-A conveying unit (10) for conveying the packaging composite (2) in a conveying direction (7) along a conveying plane (11) past the wrapping unit (6), and

-A pulling unit (8 a,8b,8c,8 d) which is engageable with the blank (3) and pretensions a rear end (4) of the blank (3) at least temporarily against a conveying direction (7) of the packaging composite (2) towards a front end (5) of the blank (3),

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

-The blank is composed of paper material, and

The wrapping unit (6) is designed such that the blank (3) is wrapped around the packaging composite (2) in the conveying direction (7) within the wrapping unit (6), wherein,

-The rear end (4) of the blank (3) is guided through a pass-through opening (27) between a conveyor belt (12 a) and a second conveyor belt (12 b) of the conveyor unit (10) by means of a guide rod (9) of the wrapping unit (6) wrapping the packaging composite (2) into the blank (3), wherein,

The guide rod (9) is designed to engage the blank (3) with the pulling units (8 a,8b,8c,8 d) in the region of the rear end (4) of the blank, and wherein,

-The guide bar (9) has a compressed air opening connected to a compressed air source (26) for moving the blank (3) towards the drawing unit (8 b), wherein the blank is transferred into the drawing unit by a stretching-acting movement of the guide bar (9).

2. The apparatus according to claim 1,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The pulling units (8 a,8b,8c,8 d) are arranged adjacent to a side of the conveying unit (10) facing away from the packaging combination (2).

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

A positioning unit is provided which can be operatively connected to the blank (3) in the region of the rear end (4) of the blank, is separate from the wrapping unit (6) and is independent of the wrapping unit and serves to move the rear end (4) of the blank (3) into the pulling units (8 a,8b,8c,8 d).

4. An apparatus according to claim 3,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

In order to move the rear end (4) of the blank (3) into the pulling unit (8 b), the positioning unit has at least one compressed air opening connected to a compressed air source (26).

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The pulling units (8 a,8c,8 d) have clamping units (13 a,13b,13 c) and/or suction devices (14) for fixing the blank (3) in the region of the rear end (4).

6. The apparatus according to claim 5,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The suction device (14) has a contact surface (17) connected to a source of negative pressure (15) in a contact region with the blank (3), said contact surface having a plurality of suction openings.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The contact surface (17) is formed on a conveyor belt (18) of the drawing unit (8 a,8b,8c,8 d), which is pivoted against the conveying direction (7) of the packaging composite (2) in a contact region with the blank (3).

8. The apparatus according to claim 5,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The clamping unit (13 a,13b,13 c) comprises a first clamping element (19 a,19b,19 c) with a first abutment surface (21 a,21b,21 c) and a second clamping element (20 a,20b,20 c) with a second abutment surface (22 a,22b,22 c), which can be brought into contact with the blank (3) on opposite sides thereof.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The interval between the first abutting surface and the second abutting surface is adjustable.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 or 9,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The contact surfaces of the first holding elements (19 b,19 c) and/or the contact surfaces of the second holding elements (20 b,20 c) are formed by brush bodies (23 a,23b,23 c).

11. The apparatus according to claim 8 or 9,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The first clamping element (19 c) and/or the second clamping element (20 c) are configured as a rotating body and can be rotated about a longitudinal axis running transversely to the conveying direction (7) in such a way that the first contact surface and/or the second contact surface can be adjusted in a direction opposite to the conveying direction (7).

12. The apparatus according to claim 8 or 9,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The first clamping element (19 c) and/or the second clamping element (20 c) have a recess (24) for temporarily receiving a guide rod (9).

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

A sensor unit is provided for detecting the pulling tension applied to the blank (3) by the pulling unit (8 a,8b,8c,8 d).

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

A closing unit is provided for fixing the rear end (4) of the blank (3) to the front end (5) of the blank (3).

15. The apparatus according to claim 14,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The closing unit has an adhesive unit and/or a binding unit.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The single package is a liquid container.

17. The apparatus according to claim 4,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The at least one compressed air opening is a nozzle arrangement.

18. A method for forming a bundle from individual packages by wrapping a packaging composite (2) consisting of groups of individual packages into a blank (3) consisting of packaging material, the method comprising the steps of:

-transferring the packaging composite (2) into a wrapping unit (6) by means of a transfer unit (10),

-Wrapping the packaging composite (2) by means of the blank (3) in a conveying direction (7) of the conveying unit (10);

-pre-tensioning the rear end (4) of the blank (3) against the front end (5) of the blank (3) against the conveying direction (7) of the packaging composite (2), at least temporarily by means of a pulling unit (8 a,8b,8c,8 d), and

-Arranging the front end (5) and the rear end (4) of the blank (3) in overlapping relationship,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The blank (3) is made of a paper material and, when wrapped, the blank (3) is wrapped around the packaging composite (2) in a conveying direction (7) in the wrapping unit (6), wherein,

-The guide rod (9) has a compressed air opening connected to a compressed air source (26) for moving the blank (3) towards the drawing unit (8 b).

19. The method according to claim 18,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The individual packages are divided into groups on a substrate before being fed into the wrapping unit (6).

20. The method according to claim 18 or 19,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The rear end (4) of the blank (3) is moved into the pulling units (8 a,8b,8c,8 d) by means of a separate orientation unit which can be operatively connected to the blank (3) in the region of the rear end (4).

21. The method according to claim 18 or 19,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The rear end (4) of the blank (3) is clamped or locked by means of suction in the pulling unit (8 a,8b,8c,8 d).

22. The method according to claim 18 or 19,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The rear end (4) of the blank (3) is fastened in the region of the front end (5) of the blank (3).

23. The method according to claim 18,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The single package is a liquid container.

24. The method according to claim 19,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The substrate is a paper tray.

25. The method according to claim 22,

It is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The rear end (4) of the blank (3) is glued in the region of the front end (5) of the blank (3).