Technical Field

The present invention relates to a processing machine and a production method thereof that provides automation of the barrier process applied to the 2/3 part of the products with reference from the head part in order to ensure that the product to be used is resistant to the food that it will come into contact with, and that the product to be used is carried on the machine without deforming the curved form created in the product holding part of the user in the spoon, fork and knife production machine, which is produced from paper with a disposable manner in order to protect the environment.

Prior Art

In the state of the art, plastic tools are frequently preferred since they are easier to obtain than glass, wood, and metal tools, they are cheap, they are easily portable, they are flexible and hygienic. The introduction of disposable plastic products such as forks, spoons and cups, especially produced with the disposable manner, has saved consumers from the trouble of washing. Therefore, disposable products have a very important place for users. As a result of the widespread and increasing use of plastic materials, plastic wastes have brought environmental damage.

In addition to the environmental damage of plastics, it also poses a threat to human health. It is known that the substances called Bisphenol A and Flalein contained in plastic products, in addition to their carcinogenic effects, affect the thyroid gland, pancreas, ovaries in women, and testicles in men, and cause infertility if they spread in food. It has also been determined that people who use plastic products excessively, especially liver enzymes increase and abdominal obesity increases. In addition, these substances MAY change the genetic structure of children and cause behavioral disorders. In this context, disposable plastic spoons, forks and knives, which are frequently used, seriously affect human health. Within the framework of all this information, it is necessary to reduce the use of plastic due to the harm caused by plastic materials to the environment and human health. In order to reduce the use of plastic, glass and/or metal products should be preferred instead of plastic spoons, forks, and knives. In case glass and/or metal products are preferred, the features provided by the plastic material cannot be provided, and this situation cannot be a solution to the users by limiting the usage area of disposable products.

Today, paper and derivative materials are the most suitable alternative to plastics used in disposable spoons, forks, and knives. Special solutions are applied during production such that spoons, forks, and knives made of paper and derivatives thereof do not soften/melt during use and become ready for use after being dried. However, the production process is very laborious, since the structure of the paper is sensitive and its form deteriorates with a slightest impact. Although automation can be easily achieved in plastic, glass, and metal spoon, fork and knives production lines, the production of paper spoons, forks and knives, which has not been able to create an automation system until today, mostly relies on manpower.

In the state of the art, the paper spoons, forks, and knives coming out of the molds are dipped into special solutions by hand and then transported to the place where drying will be done by hand. This production process is based on manpower and prevents disposable paper spoons, forks and knives from gaining ground in the market and becoming a competitor to plastic spoons, forks, and knives.

Objects of the Invention

The main object of the present invention is to obtain a processing machine that provides automation in the production of disposable spoons, forks and knives made of paper material, which will solve all the above-mentioned problems and provide the easy-to-obtain, cheap, easy-to-carry, flexible, and hygienic conditions provided by plastic material.

The object of the present invention is to ensure that spoons, forks, and knives produced from paper are transported on the processing machine without disturbing the previously formed curve form on the spoon, fork, and knife production machine in order to protect the environment. Another object of the present invention is to make the barrier process applied to the 2/3 part of the spoons, forks, and knives with reference from the head, on the processing machine in order to ensure that the spoon, fork, and knife carried by the conveyor are resistant to the food they come into contact with.

Another object of the present invention is to ensure that disposable spoons, forks, and knives are immersed in the barrier liquid in the processing machine in order to provide the barrier process to the 2/3 part of the spoons, forks and knives that will only touch the food, with reference to the head and to ensure that the immersion angles can change depending on the request of the manufacturer.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Description of the Figures:

Figure-1 illustrates the general view of the processing machine.

Figure-2 illustrates the view of feeding unit.

Figure -3 illustrates the view of the transfer of spoons, forks and knives to the belts.

Figure -4 illustrates the view of the barrier unit of spoons, forks, and knives.

Figure -5 illustrates the top view of the transfer of spoons, forks, and knives to air blades.

Figure -6 illustrates the view of the transfer of spoons, forks, and knives to the drying chamber.

Figure -7 illustrates the view of the products between the fold conveyor and the transport conveyor.

Figure -8 illustrates the detailed view of the air blades.

Figure -9 illustrates the view of angled position of air blades with barrier conveyor

Reference Numerals:

1. Processing Machine

2. Feeding Unit

3. Transfer Bant

4. Lateral Guiding Section

5. Nozzles

6. Bearing Conveyor 7. Preservative Wall

8. Storey Conveyor

9. Drive Roll

10. Barrier Conveyor

11. Telescopic Cylinder

12. Barrier Unit

13. Air Blade

14. Furnace

In order to increase the durability of the disposable spoon, fork, and knife made of paper, the processing machine (1), which enables the user to carry the spoon, fork and/or knife without deforming the previously formed curved form, is shown in the attached figures.

In order to provide the barrier process, the processing machine (1) shown in the attached Figure 1 consists of transfer band (3), lateral guiding section (4), storey conveyor (8), barrier unit (12), air blade (13), and furnace (14) in its most general form.

After the curved forming process with a press in a disposable paper spoon, fork, and/or knife production machine, the products (spoon, fork and/or knife) delivered to the feeding unit (2) shown in Figure - 2 are transferred to the transfer band (3) in the processing machine (1) with the help of small strokes. The transfer band (3) is positioned at a diagonal angle to the ground. The products in the transfer band (3), which is diagonally angled to the ground, are transferred to the lateral guidance section (4) both by gravity and by the nozzles (5) placed parallel to the upper surface of the transfer band (3). Nozzles (5) release compressed air onto the products. By means of the nozzles (5), it is ensured that the products in the transfer band (3) are transferred to the lateral guidance section (4) easily and in a standard manner.

The duty of the lateral guidance section (4) is to transfer the products to the bearing conveyor (6) in an aligned manner. The lateral guiding section (4) has a narrowing angle in order to convey the paper products to the bearing conveyor (6) in an aligned manner. The products gain a certain acceleration during their transfer from the feeding unit (2) to the bearing conveyor (6). Therefore, there is a preservative wall (7) formed along the bearing conveyor (6) and forming an elevation such that the transferred products do not come out of the processing machine (1). Due to the delicate nature of disposable paper products, said protective wall (7) is made of elastic material to absorb the impact in order for the accelerated products not to deform with the impact when they hit the preservative wall (7).

The end parts of the handle of the products transferred from the lateral guiding section (4) to the bearing conveyor (6) in an aligned manner remain outside the boundaries of said bearing conveyor (6). The reason for this is that the width of the bearing conveyor (6) is narrower than the product length. When the products moving on the bearing conveyor (6) come to the storey conveyor (8) with the ends of the handles remained uncovered, they advance by being under said storey conveyor (8). In other words, the products move forward such that they remain between the bearing conveyor (6) and the storey conveyor (8). (Figure - 7) As can be seen in Figure 3, the storey conveyor (8) is positioned at the end of the bearing conveyor (6) and parallel to the upper surface of said bearing conveyor (6). The storey conveyor (8) positioned at the end of the bearing conveyor (6) prepares the products to be transferred to the barrier conveyor (10). The distance between the storey conveyor (8) and the bearing conveyor (6) can be adjusted with the help of pulleys. The holding force of the product is adjusted by the height adjustment between the storey conveyor (8) and the bearing conveyor (6). Thus, the holding force is created with the same precision as the hand holding of the products, without losing their form.

It is connected to the drive rollers (9) at the end of the storey conveyor (8). The drive rollers (9) are fixed on a plate, such that it is positioned on top of one another. Drive rollers (9) fixed on top of one another are such that the conveyors can advance between said drive rollers (9), and they are positioned sequentially along the line where products barrier, stripping and drying of excess barrier liquid occurs. The drive rollers (9) connected to the end of the storey conveyor (8) are also connected to the barrier conveyors (10) coming from different lines, and it also combines the barrier conveyors (10) coming from said different lines. In this context, we can say that the barrier conveyors (10) start at the end of the storey conveyor (8). While the barrier conveyors (10) coming from different lines start to move one above the other with the help of the drive rollers (9), they come side by side with the bearing conveyor (6). Thus, the ends of the outer handles of the products advancing between the bearing conveyor (6) and the storey conveyor (8) are attached between the two advancing barrier conveyors (10). Thus, the products are transferred to the barrier conveyor (10).

Barrier process is applied to the products in order to give strength to the parts that come into contact with the food during use. The part that comes into contact with the food in the products is the 2/3 part of the product, taking reference from the head part of the product. The products, which are transported in the processing machine (1) with the help of barrier conveyors (10), without losing their form, are brought to the barrier unit (12) for the barrier process. The barrier unit (12) shown in Figure 4 is in the form of a pool and there is a barrier liquid containing the appropriate chemicals. The barrier unit (12) is positioned under the barrier conveyors (10) combined between the drive rollers (9) located in the processing machine (1). After the products are transferred from the storey conveyor (8) to the barrier conveyors (10), when the products held between the two barrier conveyors (10) come on the barrier unit (12), they are easily approached to the barrier unit (12) with the help of telescopic cylinders (11) fixed to the plates on which the drive rollers (9) are connected in order to immerse the products. 2/3 of the products are covered with the barrier liquid inside the barrier unit (12), taking reference from the head of the products with the help of drive rollers (9) and telescopic cylinders (11) connected to the barrier conveyors (10). The angle given to the products by changing the lengths of the telescopic cylinders (11) facilitates the barrier process in the barrier unit (12).

Extra barrier liquid remains on the products that are immersed in the barrier unit

(12) by means of telescopic cylinders (11). In order to remove the excess barrier liquid on the product, the products coming out of the barrier unit (12) are conveyed to the air blades (13) with the help of barrier conveyors (10). Air blades (13) are located both above and below the barrier conveyors (10), and said air blades (13) are positioned to be in the same vertical alignment with each other. (Figure - 8) The products advancing between the barrier conveyors (10) come to the air blades

(13) positioned at an angle to said barrier conveyors, and air is blown towards the products from the point held by the barrier conveyor (10). (Figure - 9) In addition thereto, the part where the air exits in the air blades (13) also has an angled form. Thus, while the excess on the product and the barrier liquid are removed, both the barrier conveyor (10) and the air blade (13) are angled with each other and the angled part of the air outlet in the air blade (13) is utilized. (Figure 5)

Finally, the barrier liquid on the product must be dried in order to fix it on the product. The products coming out of the air knives (13) are conveyed into the furnace (14) with the help of barrier conveyors (10). The furnace (14) used in the processing machine (1) has an air curtain structure that can adjust the temperature appropriately, in a volume suitable for the length and height of the products to prevent damage to the barrier conveyors (10). (Figure 6)

The elements formed by the disposable paper product processing machine (1) and the tasks of these elements have been explained above. The process steps of the processing machine (1) are summarized below:

• Transferring the curved-formed paper products from the transfer band (3), which is diagonal to the surface, in the feeding unit (2), to the bearing conveyor (6) in an aligned manner with the help of nozzles (5) and lateral guiding section (4),

• Passing the products to the barrier conveyors (10) without deforming the curved form by adjusting the sensitivity of the holding force of the product with the help of the storey conveyor (8) while the products are moving on the bearing conveyor (6),

• Immersing the products held by the barrier conveyors (10) to the barrier unit (12) by adjusting the length of the telescopic cylinder (11),

• Transferring the excess barrier liquid on the products coming out of the barrier unit (12) to the air blades (13) from which they are removed, and

• Transferring the products purified from excess barrier liquid in the air knives (13) to the furnace with the help of barrier conveyors (10), and performing the drying process and the process ends in the processing machine (1).