Method And Device For Producing Packaging Units

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and to a device for producing packaging units in a bag forming, filling and sealing machine, products ( 18 ) combined into an amount of products being transferred from a portion container ( 17 ) into a product transfer device ( 10 ) for transferring the amount of products to a product filling device ( 19 ), the product transfer device having a product carrier ( 21 ), which is guided on a movement path, and a product guiding device ( 22 ), the product carrier, once the amount of products has been transferred from the portion container into the product guiding device, performing an accelerated movement out of a product pick-up position P 1 of the product carrier so as to compress the amount of products between the product pick-up position P 1 and a product transfer position P 2 for transferring the amount of products into the product filling device.

1 . A method for producing packaging units in a bag forming, filling and sealing machine, said method comprising:
 transferring products combined into an amount of products from a portion container of a device defining a product mass into a product transfer device, the product transfer device having a product carrier, which is guided on a movement path, and a product guiding device, in such a manner that the product guiding device and the product carrier form a product space for receiving the amount of products, the product space being closed by the product carrier opposite the direction of movement of the product carrier;   accelerating the product carrier, once the amount of products has been transferred from the portion container into the product guiding device, out of a product pick-up position P 1  of the product carrier so as to compress the amount of products between the product pick-up position P 1  and a product transfer position P 2  for transferring the amount of products into a product filling device;   continuously moving the amount of product on the movement path between the product pick-up position P 1  and the product transfer position P 2  of the product carrier; and   transferring the amount of products into the product filling device in a direction of the acceleration of the product carrier accelerated starting from the product pick-up position P 1 .   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , in which the movement path of the product carrier is as a circulating path in such a manner that the product carrier is moved on the circulating path in a conveying direction, the product carrier performing a first acceleration followed by a deceleration on a product conveying stretch of the circulating path between the product pick-up position P 1  and the product transfer position P 2  and a second acceleration followed by a deceleration on a return conveying stretch between the product transfer position P 2  and the product pick-up position P 1 . 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , in which the product carrier is moved together with the product guiding device along the circulating path. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , in which the product guiding device extends between the product pick-up position P 1  and the product transfer position P 2  of the product carrier along the product conveying stretch and is stationary between the portion container and the product filling device, and the product carrier is moved through the product guiding device on its movement path. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , in which a product space limiter is associated with the product carrier, the product space limiter being arranged ahead of the product carrier in the direction of movement and being moved through the product guiding device together with the product carrier in such a manner that a product space for receiving the amount of products is formed within the product guiding device, the product space being closed both opposite a direction of movement and in the direction of movement of the product carrier. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , in which the product carrier and the product space limiter are moved on different circulating paths arranged parallel to each other. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 5 , characterized in that the product carrier and the product space limiter are moved synchronously within the product guiding device. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 5 , in which the product space limiter is accelerated out of the product pick-up position P 1  together with the product carrier in a first movement phase along the product conveying stretch from a speed smaller than the product discharge speed of the amount of products discharged from the portion container to a speed greater than the product discharge speed, and the product space limiter is subsequently decelerated together with the product carrier in a second movement phase to a product transfer speed at which the amount of products is transferred to the product filling device, and the product limiter is subsequently accelerated in relation to the product carrier starting from the product transfer position P 2  in a third movement phase. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , in which the product guiding device vibrates during guiding of the amount of products. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , in which the product filling device or a filling end of the product filling device adjacent to the product guiding device vibrates during filling of the amount of products. 
     
     
         11 . A device for producing packaging units in a bag forming, filling and sealing machine, said device comprising:
 a product transfer device having a product carrier, which is guided on a movement path, and a product guiding device, the product guiding device and the product carrier forming a product space which is closed by the product carrier opposite the direction of movement of the product carrier; and   a drive device urging the product carrier along the movement path in such a manner that the product carrier is accelerated from a product pick-up position P 1 , where an amount of products is transferred from a portion container of a device defining the product mass into the product guiding device, into a product transfer position P 2 , where the amount of products is transferred into a product filling device serving to fill the amount of products into packaging, the drive device being provided with a decelerating device cooperating with the product carrier in such a manner that the accelerated product carrier is decelerated far enough before reaching the product transfer position P 2  for the speed of the amount of products to be greater than the speed of the product carrier.   
     
     
         12 . The device according to  claim 11 , in which the movement path of the product carrier is realized as a circulating path and the product carrier and the product guiding device are realized as a structural unit, the circulating path having a first accelerating stretch along a product conveying stretch of the circulating path, the product conveying stretch connecting the product pick-up position P 1  with the product transfer position P 2 , and a second accelerating stretch along a return conveying stretch of the circulating path, the return conveying stretch connecting the product transfer position P 2  with the product pick-up position P 1 . 
     
     
         13 . The device according to  claim 12 , in which the product carrier and the product guiding device are cup vessels, the product carrier being formed by a cup bottom and the product guiding device being formed by a cup wall. 
     
     
         14 . The device according to  claim 12 , in which the product conveying stretch has a first vertical conveying section, which is arranged above the product filling device and is substantially vertical, and the return conveying stretch has a second vertical conveying section, which is arranged below the portion container and is substantially vertical, the first vertical conveying section and the second vertical conveying section being horizontally offset from each other. 
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 14 , in which the product filling device is provided with a recess in such a manner that the cup vessel can be moved through the recess when transitioning from the product transfer position P 2  into a horizontal conveying section. 
     
     
         16 . The device according to  claim 14 , in which the cup vessel is accelerated out of the product transfer position P 2  on a horizontal movement path. 
     
     
         17 . The device according to  claim 11 , in which the movement path of the product carrier is realized as a circulating path and the product guiding device is arranged along a product conveying stretch of the circulating path between the portion container and the product filling device, and the product carrier is moved through the product guiding device on its movement path. 
     
     
         18 . The device according to  claim 17 , in which a product space limiter is associated with the product carrier, the product space limiter being arranged ahead of the product carrier in the direction of movement and being movable through the product guiding device together with the product carrier, the product carrier and the product space limiter forming a product space for receiving the amount of products together with a wall of the product guiding device within the product guiding device, the product space being closed both opposite a direction of movement and in the direction of movement. 
     
     
         19 . The device according to  claim 18 , in which the product carrier and the product space limiter are driven by mutually independent drive devices. 
     
     
         20 . The device according to  claim 19 , in which the drive devices are circulating conveyors. 
     
     
         21 . The device according to  claim 20 , in which the circulating conveyors are belt conveyors having conveyor belts running parallel to each other.