Description

The present invention relates to a packaging machine for packaging products, and to a corresponding packaging method. In particular, the invention preferably (but not exclusively) relates to so-called secondary packaging machines, which are embodied for producing packages, in particular large packages (multipacks), specifically by wrapping objects, in particular already-packaged products, that are combined to form a multipack, in cardboard material and/or film material.

The term "packaging machine" used here also encompasses the term "grouping device" per se, or as a component of a larger system. For example, the packaging machines are a component of a filling line, which in general is situated inside a manufacturing facility.

Individually packaged products such as beverages packaged in boxes, or flour or the like packaged in bags, are then combined into larger multipacks to ease of transport. To that end, the products are fed together in a packaging machine and combined, by appropriate control of the transport belts, into groups of the desired size. Such a multipack can then be produced, for example, by introducing a plurality of products into a single package made of cardboard, or by wrapping them in film that is then shrunk, resulting in a stable multipack.

US 2002/0189204 Al , for example, has disclosed a method of wrapping products with a shrink-wrap film and an apparatus for this. A wide variety of package types exist for processing, assembling, grouping, and packaging products such as beverages contained in boxes or flour or the like packaged in bags. Particularly with products that are not entirely dimensionally stable, such as PET beverage containers, it is necessary for the sake of improved logistical handling to provide these products in a grouped arrangement with a cardboard pack. Optionally, these multipack arrangements can then be sheathed with film and the film can be shrunk by means of a heating process, in order to obtain a stable composite multipack, which can be easily transported and stacked. A further multipack variant is called "shrink-only" since in this case, the assembled products are wrapped with film without further cardboard packaging and the film is shrunk into place. The dimensional stability of this multipack variant is ensured solely by the shrink-wrap film.

In another type of packaging, the assembled products are provided only with a cardboard pack; in this case, the wrapping of the resulting multipacks in film is omitted.

Known packaging machines and their conveying devices are normally each optimized for a particular type, size, and/or contour of products as well as particular multipack and packaging types. In particular, it must be taken into account that different multipack and packaging types require different conveying devices. Under some circumstances, a change of product can result in the fact that certain conveying devices can no longer be used, for example since they are not suitable for conveying individual articles or containers. Problems in conveying the articles can also occur if the packaging machines are each set up for a different product variant.

Such conveying problems can occur especially when a switch is made between packaged goods, such as multipack units, and loose goods, such as individual beverage containers or the like.

The object of the present invention is to provide a packaging machine that is embodied for packaging products selectively in cardboard material and/or film material in which the packaging machine ensures simple, fast, and flexible retrofitting to different packaging types and flexible expansion to other packaging types.

A corresponding packaging method should also be disclosed.

The object of the invention is attained with regard to the packaging machine by the subject of independent claim 1 and with regard to the packaging method by the subject of the other independent claim 14; corresponding advantageous refinements of the packaging machine of the invention are disclosed in dependent claims 2 through 13 and a corresponding advantageous refinement of the packaging method of the invention is disclosed in dependent claim 15.

Accordingly, the present invention relates in particular to a packaging machine for selectively packaging products in cardboard material and/or film material, in which the packaging machine has a product inlet on the inlet side for supplying products to be packaged, and an outlet-side multipack outlet situated downstream of the product inlet in the product- transporting direction for discharging multipacks that have been produced in the packaging machine. A cardboard-packaging station and a film-packagi g station, the latter situated downstream of the cardboard-packaging station in the product-transporting direction, are arranged between the product inlet and the multipack outlet of the packaging machine. The cardboard- packaging station is embodied for packaging the products, which are fed to the cardboard- packaging station, with cardboard material, for example by wrapping the products in one or more cardboard blanks. The film-packaging station is embodied in the same way for wrapping the products, which are fed to the film-packaging station, with a shrink-wrap or stretch film.

In order to enable simple, fast and in particular also tool-free, flexible retrofitting of the packaging machine for different packaging types, according to the invention, the packaging machine in particular has a product bypass, which is embodied for selectively feeding products, which are supplied to the product inlet of the packaging machine, directly to the film-packaging station, specifically by bypassing the cardboard-packaging station.

According to embodiments of the packaging machine of the invention, the cardboard- packaging station has a pack feeder for feeding empty cardboard packs, a product feeder for feeding products to be packaged in the cardboard-packaging station, and a cardboard-material outlet for carrying away products packaged with cardboard material in the cardboard- packaging station. In this connection, it is especially conceivable for the cardboard-packaging station to also have a loading station that is embodied for packaging products, which are fed via the product feeder, into empty cardboard packs and thus to supply multipacks. In other embodiments of the packaging machine according to the invention, the cardboard- packaging station does not have a pack feeder for feeding empty cardboard packs, but rather a packaging-material feeder for feeding cardboard blanks. In these alternative embodiments, no loading station is provided; instead, the cardboard-packaging station has appropriate folder elements, which are embodied to form cardboard packs out of the fed cardboard blanks, which cardboard packs at least regionally envelop products, which are fed via the product feeder. In principle, however, the cardboard-packaging station of the packaging machine of the invention has a horizontal conveying direction, in order to correspondingly convey (a) products fed to the cardboard-packaging station via the product feeder, (b) empty cardboard packs fed via the pack feeder, or cardboard blanks fed via the packaging-material feeder, and/or (c) cardboard multipacks.

For the product bypass that is embodied for selectively feeding products, which are supplied at the product inlet of the packaging machine, directly to the film-packaging station, specifically by bypassing the cardboard-packaging station, various embodiments exist. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the product bypass has a conveying device (for example in the form of a horizontal conveying device) with at least one transport belt that is, or can be, driven in the product-transporting direction, preferably in revolving fashion. The construction and functionality of the product bypass will be described below in terms of the various operating modes in which the packaging machine of the invention can be operated:

In a first operating mode of the packaging machine, in which cardboard tray/film multipacks are supplied at the multipack outlet of the packaging machine, the conveying device of the product bypass connects the cardboard -material outlet of the cardboard-packaging station to the multipack outlet of the packaging machine in such a way that products packaged with cardboard material in the cardboard-packaging station can be transported through the film- packaging station to the multipack outlet of the packaging machine where they can be discharged in the form of cardboard tray/film multipacks.

In another, second operating mode of the packaging machine, in which the products are discharged at the multipack outlet of the packaging machine in the form of film multipacks, the conveying device of the product bypass connects the product inlet of the packaging machine to the multipack outlet of the packaging machine in such a way that products supplied from the product inlet of the packaging machine can be transported through the film- packaging station to the multipack outlet of the packaging machine, specifically without passing through the cardboard-packaging station or without being wrapped in cardboard material in the cardboard-packaging station, so that in the end, the products can discharged at the multipack outlet of the packaging machine in the form of film multipacks (without a cardboard tray). In another, third operating mode of the packaging machine, in which the products are discharged at the multipack outlet of the packaging machine in the form of cardboard tray/multipacks (without film wrapping), the transporting device of the product bypass connects the cardboard-material outlet of the cardboard-packaging station to the multipack outlet of the packaging machine in such a way that products, packaged in the cardboard- packaging station with cardboard material, can be transported to the multipack outlet of the packaging machine, specifically without passing through the film-packaging station or without being wrapped in film material in the film-packaging station, so that the products packaged with cardboard material in the cardboard-packaging station can be discharged at the multipack outlet of the packaging machine in the form of cardboard tray/multipacks.

In another, fourth operating mode of the packaging machine, in which the products supplied from the product inlet of the packaging machine are discharged as is, i.e. without cardboard or film packaging, at the multipack outlet of the packaging machine, the transporting device of the product bypass connects the product inlet of the packaging machine to the multipack outlet of the packaging machine in such a way that products supplied from the product inlet of the packaging machine can be transported to the multipack outlet of the packaging machine, specifically without passing through the cardboard-packaging station and the film- packaging station, i.e. without being wrapped in cardboard material in the cardboard- packaging station and without being wrapped in film material in the film-packaging station, so that the products supplied from the product inlet of the packaging machine can be discharged as is at the multipack outlet of the packaging machine.

In order to enable achieving the aforementioned various operating modes of the packaging machine, it is advantageous for the cardboard-packaging station and/or the film-packaging station of the packaging machine to be embodied such that it can be selectively switched on and off. Alternatively or in addition, it is conceivable, for example, for the components of the cardboard-packaging station that are provided for embodying the cardboard packs to be movable from a first, active position to a second, inactive position and vice versa in such a way that in the first, active position, products fed to the cardboard-packaging station via the product feeder are wrapped in cardboard material in the cardboard-packaging station, and that in the second, inactive position, products fed to the cardboard-packaging station via the product feeder are not wrapped in cardboard material in the cardboard-packaging station. According to preferred embodiments of the transporting device of the product bypass, the transporting device has a first region, composed of at least one transport belt, which region connects the cardboard-material outlet of the cardboard-packaging station to the multipack outlet of the packaging machine, and also has a selectively activatable second region, which in the switched-on state lengthens the first region of the transporting device as far as the product inlet of the packaging machine, or connects a product-inlet end region of the first region of the transporting device to the product inlet of the packaging machine.

In this connection, it is in particular conceivable if the transporting device of the product bypass is embodied as a telescoping transport belt or has at least one telescoping transport belt; the selectively activatable second region of the transporting device is comprised, at least in some regions, by a telescoping region of the telescoping transport belt.

Various embodiments can also be used with regard to the film-packaging station of the packaging machine of the invention; it is conceivable in particular for the film-packaging station to have at least one bander for wrapping product units, which supplied from the film- packaging station, with film material (stretch or shrink-wrap film) that can be unwound from a supply roll.

As already indicated at the outset, the present invention further relates to a method of selectively packaging products in cardboard material and/or film material with the aid of the packaging machine according to the invention. To this end, the method has the following method steps:

• In a first operating mode of the packaging machine, the cardboard-material outlet of the cardboard-packaging station is connected with the aid of the transporting device of the product bypass to the multipack outlet of the packaging station in such a way that products packed with cardboard material in the cardboard-packaging station are transported through the film-packaging station to the multipack outlet of the packaging machine and discharged there in the form of cardboard tray/film multipacks;

• In a second operating mode of the packaging machine, the product inlet of the packaging machine is connected with the aid of the transporting device of the product bypass to the multipack outlet of the packaging machine in such a way that products supplied from the product inlet of the packaging machine are transported through the film-packaging station to the multipack outlet of the packaging machine, specifically without passing through the cardboard-packaging station or without being wrapped in cardboard material in the cardboard-packaging station, so that the products at the multipack outlet of the packaging machine are discharged in the form of film multipacks;

• In a third operating mode of the packaging machine, the cardboard-material outlet of the cardboard-packaging station is connected with the aid of the transporting device of the product bypass to the multipack outlet of the packaging machine in such a way that products packed with cardboard material in the cardboard-packaging station are transported to the multipack outlet of the packaging machine, specifically without passing through the film-packaging station or without being wrapped in film material in the film-packaging station, so that the products packed with cardboard material in the cardboard-packaging station are discharged at the multipack outlet of the packaging machine in the form of cardboard tray multipacks; and · In a fourth operating mode of the packaging machine, the product inlet of the packaging machine is connected with the aid of the transporting device of the product bypass to the multipack outlet of the packaging machine in such a way that products supplied from the product inlet of the packaging machine are transported to the multipack outlet of the packaging machine, specifically without passing through the cardboard-packaging station and the film-packaging station or without being packed in cardboard material in the cardboard-packaging station and without being packed in film material in the film-packaging station, so that the products supplied from the product inlet of the packaging machine are discharged as is at the multipack outlet of the packaging machine. The packaging machine of the invention particularly also features the fact that a grouped product pattern supplied at the product inlet of the machine can, as needed or selectively without change, pass through the individual packaging stations and be discharged as an unchanged grouped product pattern at the multipack outlet of the machine.

An exemplary embodiment of the packaging machine of the invention will be described in greater detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 schematically and in an isometric view shows an exemplary embodiment of the packaging machine of the invention in its first operating mode; and

Fig. 2 schematically and in an isometric view shows an exemplary embodiment of the packaging machine of the invention in its second operating mode. The packaging machine 1 schematically depicted in the drawings is used to selectively pack products (not shown) in cardboard material and/or film material. For this purpose, the packaging machine 1 has an entry-side product inlet 2 for supplying the products to be packed and an exit-side multipack outlet 3, situated downstream of the product inlet 2 of the machine in the product-transporting direction T, at which multipack outlet the multipacks formed in the packaging machine 1 are discharged. Between the product inlet 2 and the multipack outlet 3 of the packaging machine 1 , a cardboard-packaging station 4 and a film- packaging station 5 are provided (in the sequence of the product-transporting direction T).

First, the structure and functionality of the cardboard-packaging station 4, used in the exemplary embodiment of the packaging machine 1 of the invention, will be described in greater detail.

In detail, the schematically shown cardboard-packaging station 4 of the packaging machine 1 of the invention has a packaging material feeder for feeding cardboard blanks, and corresponding folder elements 9; these folder elements 9 are embodied for forming cardboard packs which at least in some regions, sheathe the products supplied to the cardboard- packaging station 4.

The transport path 13 of the cardboard-packaging station 4, which extends inside a machine frame of the packaging machine 1 , includes a horizontal conveying device with a transporting means in the form of an endlessly revolving transport chain, which in the view in Fig. 1 is in an operationally ready state. The transport chain in the exemplary embodiment shown is provided with many folder elements 9, which serve as manipulating elements and are equipped or may function as folding fingers or dividing fingers. These manipulating elements or folder elements 9 embodied as folder fingers serve in particular, during the supplying of cardboard blanks (cardboard underlays) not shown here, to fold the side edges of these blanks upward, in order in this way to form so-called trays for the products being supplied. The products being fed to the cardboard-packaging station 4 are separate articles, multipacks, and/or packaging units. The horizontal conveying device or transport means of the cardboard-packaging station 4, which conveying device or transport means forms the transport path 13, is embodied in multiple parts and has a dividing plane in the longitudinal or transporting direction T. The two parts, i.e. the right half and the left half of the horizontal conveying device, are joined together or spaced slightly apart from one another and function as a single horizontal conveying device or a single transport means, especially since the pathway sections revolving thereon are moved at synchronous revolving speeds.

The two halves of the horizontal conveying device can be pulled apart in the vicinity of the dividing plane in both lateral directions of the transport path 13 in order to establish the second operating mode and are thereby separated from one another. The resulting space enables insertion of a transport belt 12 of a product bypass 6; this transport belt 12 then forms the part of the transport path 13, which, in the first operating mode of the packaging machine 1 , is formed by the separated and laterally displaced horizontal conveying device.

The aforementioned product bypass 6 of the exemplary embodiment of the packaging machine 1 of the invention has a transporting device with at least one transport belt 1 1 , 12 that is or can be driven in the product-transporting direction T, preferably in revolving fashion. In detail, the transporting device of the product bypass 6 has a first region composed of at least one transport belt 1 1, which region connects the cardboard-material outlet 8 of the cardboard-packaging station 4 to the multipack outlet 3 of the packaging machine 1. The transporting device of the product bypass 6 also has a second region 12, which can be selectively activated and which in the activated state lengthens the first region 1 1 of the transporting device up to the product inlet 2 of the packaging machine 1 , or connects an end of the first region, on the product inlet side, of the transporting device to the product inlet 2 of the packaging machine 1 . For this purpose, in the exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings, the transporting device of the product bypass 6 is embodied as a telescoping transport belt; the second region 12 of the transporting device that can be selectively activated is comprised in at least some regions by a telescoping region of the telescoping transport belt.

The depiction in Fig. 2 shows that in the activated state of the second region 12 of the transporting device of the product bypass 6, this telescoping region constitutes the transport path 13 of the cardboard-packaging station 4. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the first region 1 1 of the transporting device of the product bypass 6 extends through the film-packaging station 5 as far as the exit side multipack outlet 3 of the packaging machine 1.

The film-packaging station 5 serves to wrap the products or multipacks, which are supplied via the transporting device of the product bypass 6, with film and then to discharge them via the multipack outlet 3 of the packaging machine 1. A roll onto which a film web is wound is supported below the frame of the packaging machine 1. The film web is conveyed in the direction of the transport belt to the film wrapping device via various deflecting and tensioning devices, which need not be explained in further detail here. Upstream of the film wrapping device, a film cutting device can be provided, with which the film web is cut into individual lengths needed for wrapping a multipack in film.

The film wrapping device essentially comprises the transport belt 1 1 , driven to revolve in the transporting direction T, which belt is guided via a plurality of deflection and tensioning rollers, not individually identified by reference numeral. A first bracket, projecting crosswise (in the plane of the drawing) along a first trajectory above the transport belt, is likewise driven at transporting speed with reference to the transporting direction T. On a second trajectory, a bracket likewise protruding crosswise (in the plane of the drawing) above the transport path is driven at a speed that is greater, with reference to the transporting direction T, than the transporting speed. The differing course of the trajectories above and below the transport belt is not shown in the drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a first operating mode of the packaging machine 1 in which cardboard tray/film multipacks are supplied. In this instance, the transporting device of the product bypass 6 connects the cardboard-material outlet 8 of the cardboard-packaging station 4 to the multipack outlet 3 of the packaging machine 1 in such a way that products packed with cardboard material in the cardboard-packaging station 4 can be transported through the film- packaging station 5 to the multipack outlet 3 of the packaging machine 1 and can be discharged there in the form of cardboard tray/film multipacks.

Fig. 2 shows a different, second operating mode of the packaging machine 1 in which the products are discharged at the multipack outlet 3 of the packaging machine 1 in the form of film multipacks. In this instance, the transporting device of the product bypass 6 connects the product inlet 2 of the packaging machine 1 to the multipack outlet 3 of the packaging machine 1 in such a way that products supplied from the product inlet 2 of the packaging machine 1 are transported through film-packaging station 5 to the multipack outlet 3 of the packaging machine 1, specifically without passing through the cardboard-packaging station 4 or without being wrapped in cardboard material in the cardboard-packaging station 4, so that in the end, the products can be discharged at the multipack outlet 3 of the packaging machine 1 in the form of film multipacks (without a cardboard tray).

In a different, third operating mode of the packaging machine 1 , in which the products are discharged at the multipack outlet 3 of the packaging machine 1 in the form of cardboard tray multipacks (without film sheathing), the transporting device of the product bypass 6 connects the cardboard-material outlet 8 of the cardboard-packaging station 4 to the multipack outlet 3 of the packaging machine 1 in such a way that products packed with cardboard material in the cardboard-packaging station 4 can be transported to the multipack outlet 3 of the packaging machine 1, specifically without passing through the film-packaging station 5 or without being wrapped in film material in the film-packaging station 5, so that the products packed with cardboard material in the cardboard-packaging station 4 can be discharged at the multipack outlet 3 of the packaging machine 1 in the form of cardboard tray multipacks.

In still another, fourth operating mode of the packaging machine 1 , in which the products supplied from the product inlet 2 of the packaging machine 1 are discharged as is, i.e. without cardboard or film packaging, at the multipack outlet 3 of the packaging machine 1, the transporting device of the product bypass 6 connects the product inlet 2 of the packaging machine 1 to the multipack outlet 3 of the packaging machine 1 in such a way that products supplied from the product inlet 2 of the packaging machine 1 can be transported to the multipack outlet 3 of the packaging machine 1 , specifically without passing through the cardboard-packaging station 4 and the film-packaging station 5 or without being wrapped in cardboard material in the cardboard-packaging station 4 and without being wrapped in film material in the film-packaging station 5, so that the products supplied from the product inlet 2 of the packaging machine 1 can be discharged as is at the multipack outlet 3 of the packaging machine 1.

To enable achieving the aforementioned different operating modes of the packaging machine, it is advantageous that the cardboard-packaging station 4 and/or the film-packaging station 5 of the packaging machine 1 is/are embodied as selectively activatable and deactivatable. Alternatively or in addition to this, it is conceivable, for example, for the components of the cardboard-packaging station 4 that are provided for embodying the cardboard packs to be movable from a first, active position to a second, inactive position and vice versa, in such a way that in the first, active position, products that are fed via the product feeding of the cardboard-packaging station 4 are wrapped in cardboard material in the cardboard-packaging station 4, and that in the second, inactive position, products that are fed via the product feeder of the cardboard-packaging station 4 are not wrapped in cardboard material in the cardboard- packaging station 4.

According to preferred embodiments of the transporting device of the product bypass 6, the transporting device has a first region composed of at least one transport belt, which region connects the cardboard-material outlet 8 of the cardboard-packaging station 4 to the multipack outlet 3 of the packaging machine 1 , and in addition to this, has a second region, which can be selectively switched on and which in the switched-on state lengthens the first region of the transporting device as far as the product inlet 2 of the packaging machine 1, or connects product-inlet end region of the first region of the transporting device to the product inlet 2 of the packaging machine 1.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in exemplary form in the drawings, but rather arises from a combined consideration of all the features disclosed herein.

In this context, it is especially conceivable, in the cardboard-packaging station 4, for the products to be placed in supplied empty cardboard boxes in order thus to form a multipack.