Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B11/00—Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
  • B65B11/06—Wrapping articles, or quantities of material, by conveying wrapper and contents in common defined paths
  • B65B11/38—Wrapping articles, or quantities of material, by conveying wrapper and contents in common defined paths in a combination of straight and curved paths
  • B65B11/46—Wrapping articles, or quantities of material, by conveying wrapper and contents in common defined paths in a combination of straight and curved paths to fold the wrappers in channel form about contents and then to close the ends of the channel by folding and finally the mouth of the channel by folding or twisting
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B25/00—Packaging other articles presenting special problems
  • B65B25/06—Packaging slices or specially-shaped pieces of meat, cheese, or other plastic or tacky products
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B51/00—Devices for, or methods of, sealing or securing package folds or closures; Devices for gathering or twisting wrappers, or necks of bags
  • B65B51/10—Applying or generating heat or pressure or combinations thereof
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B51/00—Devices for, or methods of, sealing or securing package folds or closures; Devices for gathering or twisting wrappers, or necks of bags
  • B65B51/10—Applying or generating heat or pressure or combinations thereof
  • B65B51/18—Applying or generating heat or pressure or combinations thereof by endless bands or chains

Definitions

• This invention relates to a machine for packaging solid food products.
• the machine for packaging solid products is used for packaging products in the form of pressed stock cubes, such as those with a cubic, parallelepiped or in any case polyhedral shape.
• the machines for packaging solid products comprise, along a feed line:
• a press for compressing the products, starting from a corresponding granular material, configured for feeding individual products (preferably in continuous sequence);
• a device for feeding and arranging products configured for positioning the individual products according to at least one row and, subsequently, for spacing the products from each other before their wrapping;
• an apparatus for wrapping the product in a respective wrapper configured for picking up individual products from the device for feeding and arranging products and for wrapping the product, with a piece or sheet of film, by folding the sheet (provided with heat-activated adhesive) about a corresponding product;
• the above-mentioned station for closing the wrapper which is of particular interest in this description, comprises a transport chain configured for picking up the wrapped products and for transporting the individual wrapped products, one behind the other, along a feed direction (horizontal).
• a device for closing each wrapped product which has two different types of solutions.
• the device comprises a pair of heating elements located on opposite sides of a feed surface for heating the transit zone of the product and activating the glue present. Downstream of these heating elements there are rollers for pressing the product on both sides in order to consolidate the closing of the wrapper.
• the presence of the two-sided pressing rollers increases the risk of damaging the wrapper.
• the rollers apply a limited contact with a high and discontinuous impact with the product. This factor determines the need to have a large extension of the roller/product contact line and with a high contact pressure.
• rollers do not allow an effective adhesion of the flaps without damaging the wrapper, in particular with products which are not particularly "rigid", such as mixes of pressed food products.
• a second type of device for closing each wrapped product (also known from patent document EP 0 295 203 A1 ) comprises a pair of belts positioned on opposite sides of the transport chain in such a way as to intercept on both sides, with their active branches, the wrapped products and press them laterally as they move forward.
• Each belt is equipped, in contact with the inner surface of the active branch, with a heated plate which is able to keep constantly hot the active branch of the belt in such a way as to transmit the heat to the product in transit.
• the contact of the product with the hot belt activates the adhesive present at least at the superposed edges of the sheet of film in such a way as to make the edges adhere to each other and so as to stably close the package with the wrapped product.
• the combination of heating plates in contact with the moving belt causes particularly rapid wear of the belt fabric (usually made of Teflon with which there is an optimum passage of heat) with the need for frequent changes of the belts on the machine (in view of the high productivity of the machine) which determine relative machine stoppages with consequent reduction in the production as well as the need for a constant monitoring by the personnel.
• the belt fabric usually made of Teflon with which there is an optimum passage of heat
• the belts used for this type of activity have relatively high costs and, therefore, the continuous replacement of the belts increases the optimum management and maintenance costs of the machine operation.
• the aim of the invention is to provide a machine for packaging solid food products, in particular pressed stock cubes, which overcomes the above- mentioned drawbacks of the prior art.
• the aim of the invention is to provide a machine for packaging solid food products, in particular pressed stock cubes, which is able to render the production of the products with a wrapping and closing which is fast, safe and suitable for the production speeds of the wrapping apparatus.
• a further aim of the invention is to provide a machine for packaging solid food products, in particular pressed stock cubes, which is able to reduce machine maintenance times, machine management and operation costs, whilst maintaining both a compact layout and high production capacity together with a high final quality of the product.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a machine for packaging solid food products, in particular pressed stock cubes, according to the invention
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a wrapping diagram of a solid food product performed with the packaging machine according to the invention
• FIG. 3 is a perspective view from above and with some parts cut away to better illustrate others of a station for closing wrapped solid food products forming part of the packaging machine according to the invention
• FIG. 4 is a side cross-section view of the closing station of Figure 3;
• FIG. 5 is a front cross section view of the closing station of Figures 3 and 4;
• the machine according to the invention labelled 100 in its entirety, is used for packaging solid food products 2, in particular pressed stock cubes with a cubic or parallelepiped shape.
• the machine 100 comprises, along a relative line of extension and along a feed direction D, a generic machine 1 for forming products, for example starting from a granular material, and configured for making and feeding individual solid food products 2 (the forming machine is illustrated with a generic block in Figure 1 ).
• the machine 100 may consist of a single forming line (illustrated here) but also of two parallel and independent lines for forming and packaging the product 2. For simplicity of description only the individual components of a line will be described, since the line, if any, positioned alongside (not illustrated) is completely specular.
• the machine 100 also comprises a device 3 for feeding and arranging solid food products 2 made by the forming machine 1 , configured for receiving and positioning the individual solid food products 2 according to at least one row (the feeding and arranging device is illustrated as a block in Figure 1 ).
• the solid food product 2 in this case, has six sides defining a cubic or parallelepiped shape.
• the positioning starts from an inlet end of the feed device 3, referred to the feed direction D, and, subsequently, for spacing the solid food products 2 from each other again along the feed direction D, and towards an outlet end of the feed device 3.
• the machine 100 also comprises an apparatus 4 for wrapping each individual solid food product 2 in a corresponding wrapper (illustrated with a block in Figure 1 ).
• the wrapping apparatus 4 is movable in a stepwise discontinuous fashion.
• the wrapping apparatus 4 is configured for picking up individual solid food products 1 released by the device 3 for feeding and arranging solid food products 1 and for wrapping, with a piece 5 of film, the solid food product 2 by folding the piece 5 of film about a corresponding solid food product 2 (the wrapping diagram is illustrated in Figure 2).
• the wrapping apparatus 4 may comprise a carousel rotating in a discontinuous stepwise fashion, equipped with a plurality of radial arms, each having an end terminal configured for housing a single solid food product 2 to be wrapped in a piece 5 of film.
• the rotation of the carousel allows, in sequence, the wrapping of the piece 5 of film around the product 1.
• the apparatus 4 wraps around the solid food product 2 a piece 5 of film by folding the piece 5 of film around the solid food product.
• the piece 5 is wrapped around the six sides of a corresponding solid food product 2 in such a way as to form a superposing of the free flaps of the wrapper thus formed, on three sides of the solid food product 2 (which can be defined as two lateral and one upper in the transport arrangement of each product 2).
• At least the free flaps of the piece 5 of film are provided with a heat- activated adhesive. Moreover, two of the three sides of the product on which the superposing of free flaps occurs are opposite to each other.
• the machine 100 for the packaging also comprises (see Figures 3 to 6) a transporting element 7 (for example, a motor-driven conveyer chain) configured to pick up individual solid food products 2 wrapped with the piece 5 of film from the wrapping apparatus 4 and for transporting the individual wrapped solid food products 2, one behind the other, along the feed direction D.
• a transporting element 7 for example, a motor-driven conveyer chain
• the transporting element or chain 7 is closed around two or more pulleys and is equipped with a plurality of teeth 7a protruding transversely for pushing and guiding a corresponding solid food product 2 along the feed direction D.
• the apparatus 100 also comprises a heating station 8 having a first and a second heating plate 9 and 10 each equipped with a first and second flat heating surface.
• the first and second plates 9 and 10 are positioned stationary, with the respective heating surfaces facing each other and with interposed the transporting element 7 in such a way as to irradiate heat towards the transporting element 7.
• the apparatus 100 comprises a closing station 6 for stably closing the piece 5 wrapped around the solid food product 2 located downstream of the heating station 8 relative to the feed direction D.
• the closing station 6 comprises a first and a second active branch 12 of a respective first and second belt 13 looped around respective pairs of pulleys 14.
• the first and second belts 13 can rotate about the pairs of pulleys 14 so as to move the first and second branches 12 acting along the feed direction D.
• the first and second active branches 12 are positioned facing each other with the transporting element 7 interposed between them.
• the maximum distance D1 measured between the first and the second flat heating surface is greater than the maximum distance D2 measured between the first and the second active branch 12 facing each other, each maximum distance is measured perpendicularly to the feed direction D.
• the heating station 8 defines a first channel 8, of predetermined length L8, obtained from the above-mentioned two heating plates 9, 10 positioned on opposite sides of the transporting element 7.
• the two heating plates 9, 10 are positioned at the distance D1 from each other, with the transporting element 7 interposed, such as to allow the free passage of the wrapped solid food products 2, in transit along the first channel 8, that is to say, without contact, meaning that there is no relative friction between the solid food products 2 and the two heating plates 9 and 10.
• the two heating plates 9, 10 are positioned in such a way as to irradiate heat on the two opposite sides of the solid food product 2 on which are superposed the free flaps provided with the heat-activated adhesive.
• the closing station 6 defines a second channel 1 1 , of predetermined length L1 1 , located downstream of the first channel 8 relative to the feed direction D, and defined, as mentioned, by a pair of active branches 12 of corresponding endless belts 13 looped around corresponding pairs of pulleys 14.
• the branches of the pair of active branches 12 are positioned on opposite sides of the transporting element 7 at a distance from each other such as to allow the contact between the active branches 12 and the two opposite sides of the solid food product 2 previously heated by the two heating plates 9, 10, in such a way as to join by continuous contact the adhesion of the superposed free flaps of the piece 5 of film on the two opposite sides of the solid food product 2 wrapped and heated by the two heating plates 9, 10.
• the step of closing the package of product occurs in two distinct zones between the heating station and the closing station, successive to each other.
• the first zone allows heating (by irradiation and/or convection) the piece of film in its zones having the edges superposed in such a way as to activate the glue present on the edges.
• the second zone makes the superposed heated flaps adhere by means of a controlled contact (light pressure) of the active branches of the belts (not hot) in such a way as to stably close the package.
• the heating station 8 comprises a third upper heating plate 16 positioned above at least the first channel 8 in such a way as to irradiate heat, without friction, downwards and on the transporting element 7.
• This heating of the upper side of the product 2 in transit allows, during the step of stabilising the sides of the product 2 in transit to make the upper superposed edges adhere correctly even without pressure.
• the first channel 8 defined by the pair of heating plates 9, 10 has a length L8, along the feed direction D, which is less than the length L1 1 of the second channel 1 1 defined by the pair of active branches 12 of the belts 13.
• the difference in length between the two channels is due to the fact that the heating step must be performed more quickly (given the presence of the solid food product which could be damaged), whilst the step of adhesion between the superposed flaps, of a mechanical type, may be longer without affecting the product (thanks to the delicateness of contact with the active branches 12 of the belts 13).
• the third upper plate 16 has a length L16, along the feed direction D, greater than the lengths L8 and L1 1 of the first 8 and second 1 1 channels.
• the third plate 16 may maintain a constant heating on the upper superposed edges of the piece 5 also for a stretch of the product 2 wrapped inside the second channel 1 1 (that is, during the step of adhesion of the lateral superposed edges).
• the heating plates 9, 10 and the pair of belts 13 are supported by a single upper frame 17 positioned on opposite sides of a third frame 18 for supporting the third heating plate 16.
• These frames may have means for adjusting the distances between the heating plates and between the belts for the size changes of the products in production.
• the two heating plates 9, 10 have the corresponding downstream end, relative to the feed direction D, tapered towards the transporting element 7 so as to connect to the initial end of the second channel 11 defined by the pair of belts 13.
• the heating plates 9, 10 create a continuity of connection between the two channels in succession.
• each belt 13 of the two belts has a respective pulley 14 having a shaft 19 (protruding upwards) keyed to a respective drive unit 20.
• each respective drive unit 20 is synchronised (for example, by a control unit not illustrated) with a further drive unit 21 of the transporting element 7 in such a way as to feed the solid food product 2 at a controlled speed on the transporting element 7.
• the closing station 6 comprises a channel 22 for controlled unloading of the solid food products 2 positioned downstream of the second channel 1 1 , relative to the feed direction D, for collecting the solid food products 2 packaged.
• the maximum distance D1 between the first and the second heating plate 9 and 10 of the heating station 8 is greater than the maximum distance D2 between the first and the second active branch 12 of the closing station 6 by a value equal to at least 1 mm.
• the first and second flat surfaces, respectively, of the first and second heating plates 9 and 10 are positioned parallel to each other.
• first and second flat surfaces, respectively, of the first and second heating plates 9 and 10 are positioned vertically.
• first and second active branches 12 of the first and second belts 13, respectively, are positioned parallel to each other.
• first and second active branches 12 of the first and second belts 13, respectively, are positioned vertically.
• first and the second branches 12 of the first and second belt 13, respectively, are free of any heating system connected to them.
• each pair of pulleys 14 of each endless belt 13 there are contact elements 30 in contact with the belt 13, on its corresponding inner side.
• these contact elements 30 are a plurality of contact rollers positioned in contact with the inner side of each belt 13.
• the invention provides a method for packaging solid food products, in particular pressed stock cubes with a cubic or parallelepiped shape.
• the method comprises the following steps (after forming individual solid food products 2):
• the closing step comprises at least:
• the first and second active branches 12 are located at a second distance D2 from each other which is less than the first distance D1 and such as to allow the pressure in contact against the superposed free flaps of the piece 5 of heated film by the two heating plates 9, 10.
• the heating and adhesion steps are performed whilst the products 2 move along the feed direction D.
• the upper side of the product is different from the two opposite sides irradiated by the two heating plates 9, 10. It should be noted that the adhesion step performed with the first and the second belt 13 is performed without irradiating heat to the wrapper wrapped around the solid food product 2.
• the structure of the machine for packaging solid food products therefore achieves the preset aims.
• the presence of an independent heating station and a closing station is able to increase the quality of the end product packaged through a precise subdivision of the heating and closing steps with which the activation of the adhesive is guaranteed firstly and then the adhesion of the edges with high production speeds and reduced dimensions.
• This structure makes it possible to obtain products wrapped and closed in a precise and correct manner thanks to the combination of heating plates (without friction on the product) and a closure obtained in a“soft” fashion thanks to the passage through two flat branches of belts.
• this structure considerably reduces the maintenance costs of the heating and closing station and consequently also the machine down times for replacing components.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Preparation And Processing Of Foods (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=67998567

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 2020
  • 2020-05-14 EP EP20723781.9A patent/EP3972907A1/de active Pending
  • 2020-05-14 WO PCT/IB2020/054574 patent/WO2020234703A1/en unknown

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