EP1939089A1 - Method and facility for packaging a liquid or semi-liquid product, food or otherwise, aseptic or otherwise, in a flexible bag. - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves continuously arranging flexible pockets (1) at the level of drawing off stations (8-1-8-4) of a rotary filling table (9) that fills the pockets, for simultaneously or continuously transferring the pockets from a table or an infeed belt (6) through a multistation rotary table (7). A plug (2) of one of the pockets is aligned under a filling head (11) of the stations by a clamp (13) of transferring stations (10-1-10-4) of the table (7). An independent claim is also included for a liquid/semi-liquid, sterile/non-sterile or food product packaging installation comprising a rotary table.

Description

The invention relates to a flexible bag packaging method of liquid or semi-liquid product, food or other, aseptic or not.

Various solutions have been adopted to date for the flexible pouch packaging of liquid or semi-liquid product, whether food or not or subject to sterilization constraints.

It is common to design these soft bags, also called "skins", by superposition and soldering monolayer or multilayer films. These skins are at this time connected to each other through a pre-cutting line, this so as to form a band. This facilitates the supply of other units of the unit intended to ensure their filling at the manufacturer of the product they must contain. During their design, these flexible bags are each equipped with a plug in which is partially latched a dispensing valve.

Thus, on the filling unit of the bottles, a first operation is to take the valve of the plug through which is then injected the product in the further. In a next operation, the valve is reengaged in the bung for a complete snap.

In this connection, it should be noted that it is known from the document FR-2882028 , a flexible bag packaging method of liquid or semi-liquid product, food or other, aseptic or not, consisting of continuously designing a strip of several rows of flexible bags by superposition and welding of at least two films in synthetic material adapted.

Each of these flexible bags is simply equipped with a plug for filling and subsequently receiving a shutter, which is intended to facilitate the packaging of this tape for its routing to the filling site. There, it is engaged in a cutting unit to individualize the flexible bags, which are directly supported by a rotary table with multiple filling stations.

In this prior document it is intended to permanently mount a shutter on said bung of a further than once filled.

As regards more particularly the support for the filling of the bags, after separation of the pockets from each other from the strip of which they are initially attached, the plug of each of these pockets is directly positioned under a filling station of the rotary table. It is therefore necessary that at the same time a gripper comes to seize the bung of a further disposed on the table or the conveyor which ensures the routing after individualization, and that intervenes the centering of the bung of this flexible pouch under the head withdrawing the post in question.

It is understandable that the multiplicity of the tasks to ensure when taking care of a further has the consequence of considerably limiting production rates. It should be remembered that the rotary filling table is preferably continuous operation which must coincide a supply which is necessarily discontinuous.

The difficulty is increased because of the properties of the packaging to be filled, namely a flexible pouch. It can only be supported through its bung. If such a bung has a certain height, facilitating its grip, when it is planned to be pre-equipped with a valve before filling the bottle, in case of adoption of a solution in accordance with that described in the document FR-2882028 , this bung is of lower height, from which certain advantages, but also drawbacks, since it makes it even more random the transfer of a further from the table or the feed conveyor on a station of the rotary table of filling.

The object of the invention is to remedy this problem of the flexible bag feeding of a rotary filling table with multiple withdrawal stations.

To this end, the invention relates to a method of packaging in a flexible bag of liquid or semi-liquid product, food or other, aseptic or not, characterized in that through a first multi-station rotary table for the management , successively and continuously, flexible bags from a table or a feed conveyor, is continuously deposited a flexible bag at a filling station of a second rotary filling table with multiple withdrawal stations.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it comes to deposit a flexible bag supported by a station of the first rotary table at substantially zero relative speed at a filling station of the second rotary table filling.

Finally, it is within the framework of a first inventive step that one imagined to take care of a surplus by the rotary table of filling, not in the quasi-static state, starting from a table or a feed conveyor, but in a synchronized displacement state, which movement is imparted to this further by a first rotary table.

Through this synchronization of displacements, it is easy to position the filling plug of the further centrally under the head of withdrawal of a given station, even before it ensures the direct management of this further. .

In sum, a station on the first rotary table can release a flexible bag that it has taken care of, from the table or conveyor supply, than when this flexible pouch is perfectly positioned and is able to be taken up by a filling station of the second rotary filling table.

The invention also relates to a packaging installation for the implementation of the method, characterized in that it comprises a first multi-station rotary table for the successive and continuous handling of flexible bags from a table or a feed conveyor and a second rotary filling table with multiple withdrawal stations for filling, successively and continuously, the flexible bags conveyed through the first table.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the first rotary table comprises a number of support stations for a flexible bag identical to the number of filling stations of the rotary filling table.

In particular, the first rotary table cooperates, through a junction zone with the second rotary table, a flexible bag, more particularly the filling plug of the latter being subjected to a relative speed substantially zero with respect to said first and second rotary table passing at this junction area.

In short, if we take as a repository the bung of a flexible pocket, this one is subjected, through the first rotary table, at an identical rotational speed and in the opposite direction to the speed of rotation to which this bonde comes to submit the second table, so that at the junction area of said bonde is subjected by one or the another table at a substantially identical tangential speed.

The present invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows and with reference to the single figure of the attached drawing showing a schematic and plan view of the installation according to the invention.

The present invention relates to a flexible pouch packaging method of liquid or semi-liquid product, food or otherwise, aseptic or not.

In particular, such flexible bags 1 are usually designed by superposition and welding of at least two films of suitable material, one of which is equipped with a bung 2 provided to receive a dispensing valve.

Note, in this regard, that during the design of these flexible bags 1, the dispensing valve can be pre-mounted in the bung 2 so that during the filling and during a first operation, the this valve is first removed before the actual filling operation takes place.

Once it is completed, this valve is reengaged in the bung permanently.

Another solution is to equip the valve 2 of the dispensing valve only definitively once the filling is done.

Very often the flexible bags 1 are designed on a place of manufacture which is not the filling site. Also, these soft pouches are designed and packaged in the form of strips comprising a row, preferably several rows of flexible bags, possibly separated from each other by means of pre-cut lines.

As is apparent from the document FR-2882028 a strip with several rows of bottles is easier to pack for transport to the filling site. In addition, on this site the supply of the filling unit by means of such a multi-row strip of flexible bags is more efficient, in any case capable of meeting higher production rates.

Thus, as shown by way of example in the figure of the accompanying drawing illustrating the packaging installation 3 for implementing the method according to the invention, said strip 4, here comprising four rows 4 ₁ , 4 ₂ , 4 ₃ , 4 ₄ , flexible pouches 1, feeds a cutting unit 5 through which these flexible bags 1 are individualized and then pushed onto a table or a feed conveyor 6. Thus, this cutting unit 5 may for example separate from the band, by a transverse cut, the first line of flexible bags 1, which are then individualized through successive longitudinal cuts.

Of course these longitudinal and transverse cuts can optionally be carried out simultaneously.

Anyway, according to the packaging method according to the invention, through a first multi-station rotary table 7, for the management, successively and continuously flexible bags 1 from the table or conveyor of supply 6, it comes to deposit, continuously, a flexible bag 1 at a withdrawal station 8 of a second rotary table 9 to fill multiple withdrawal station 8 ₁ , 8 ₂ , 8 ₃ , 8 ₄ .

According to a particular feature of the invention, a flexible pouch 1 is deposited continuously and at a relative speed substantially zero, on such a withdrawal station 8 ₁ , 8 ₂ , 8 ₃ , 8 ₄ of said second rotary table 7.

Advantageously, through a support station 10 ₁ , 10 ₂ , 10 ₃ , 10 ₄ of the first rotary table 7, it ensures the centering of the bung 2 of a flexible bag 1 under the head of a extraction station 8 ₁ , 8 ₂ , 8 ₃ , 8 ₄ of the second rotary table 9 before intervening the management of this flexible bag 1 by this withdrawal station 81, 82, 83, 84.

As can be seen in FIG. 8 of the attached drawing, the first 7 and second rotary table 9 are in cooperation with one another at a junction zone 12, knowing that a flexible bag 1, when it arrives in this junction zone 12, is subjected to a relative speed of movement tending to zero with respect to each of said rotary tables 7, 9. More exactly, a flexible bag 1 is supported by the first rotary table 7 through its plug 2 which becomes the reference movement of this flexible bag 1 relative to each of the tables 7, 9 and, in this case, with respect to the second rotary table 9 in the junction zone 12.

Preferably, to achieve the desired goal, in the junction zone 12, the tangential speed of the bung 2 of a flexible bag 1 is substantially identical, whether with respect to the first table or the second rotary table 7, 9.

Thus, according to an advantageous but nonlimiting embodiment, the first rotary table 7 comprises a number of support stations 10 ₁ , 10 ₂ , 10 ₃ , 10 ₄ identical to the number of withdrawal stations 8 ₁ , 8 ₂ , 8 ₃ , 8 ₄ of the second rotary filling table 9. Each support station 10 ₁ , 10 ₂ , 10 ₃ , 10 ₄ comprises, more particularly, a clamp 13 to through which a flexible bag 1 can be taken from the table or the feed conveyor 6, this clamp 13 seizing more particularly the bung 2.

By continuous rotation of the first rotary table 7, this support station 10 ₁ , 10 ₂ , 10 ₃ , 10 ₄ and, therefore, the bung 2 flexible pouch 2 previously entered, arrives in the junction zone 12 with the second rotary table 9 which also has, by continuous rotation, a withdrawal station 8 ₁ , 8 ₂ , 8 ₃ , 8 ₄ , 8 ₅ at the same junction area 12. Advantageously, the centering of the bung 2 , through the clamp 13 of the support station 10 ₁ , 10 ₂ , 10 ₃ , 10 ₄ , under the filling head 11 of this withdrawal station 8 ₁ , 8 ₂ , 8 ₃ , 8 ₄ present in this junction area 12. Follows the descent of the filling head 11 which ensures, at this time, the relief of the management of the flexible bag 1 through its bung 2. This can then be released by the clamp 13 of the station 10 ₁ , 10 ₂ , ₃ , 10 ₄ which had the load on the first rotary table 7.

Insofar as the preferential solution described previously avoids having to enter the bung of a flexible bag, simultaneously, by two pairs of separate gripping tongs, each associated with one of the rotary tables 7, 9, this facilitates, greatly, the handling of soft bags with reduced size bung.

The present invention can not, however, be limited to such a design and it is quite possible to equip also the filling stations 8 ₁ , 8 ₂ , 8 ₃ , 8 ₄ , 8 ₅ of this second rotary filling table 9 grippers capable of grasping the plug 2 of a flexible bag 1 conveyed by the first rotary table 7.

As is apparent from the foregoing description, the present invention advantageously overcomes the problem encountered in the context of the state of the art.

Claims (8)

Method for packaging in a flexible bag (1) of liquid or semi-liquid product, food or other, aseptic or not, characterized in that , through a first multi-station rotary table (7) for the management, successively and continuously, flexible bags (1) from a table or a feed conveyor (6), is continuously deposited a flexible bag (1) at a filling station (8 ₁ , 8 ₂ , 8 ₃ 8 ₄ ) of a second rotary filling table (9) with multiple sub-draft stations. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that a flexible bag (1) supported by one of the stations (10 ₁ , 10 ₂ , 10 ₃ , 10 ₄ ) of the first rotary table (7 ) at substantially zero relative speed at a filling station (8 ₁ , 8 ₂ , 8 ₃ , 8 ₄ ) of the second rotary filling table (9). Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the centering of the bung (2) of a flexible bag (1) under a filling head (11) of a station is ensured. withdrawing (81, 82, 83, 84) from the second rotary table (9) through a clamp (13) equipping a support station (10 ₁ , 10 ₂ , 10 ₃ , 10 ₄ ) of the first rotary table (7). Process according to Claim 3, characterized in that a flexible bag (1) is taken over by a filling station (8 ₁ , 8 ₂ , 8 ₃ , 8 ₄ ) of the second rotary table. (9) after centering, by the clamp (13) of the corresponding support station (10 ₁ , 10 ₂ , 10 ₃ , 10 ₄ ) of the first rotary table (7), the plug (2) of this flexible pouch (1) under the filling head (11) of said filling station (81, 82, 83, 84). Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first rotary table (7) is equipped with as many support stations (10 ₁ , 10 ₂ , 10 ₃ , 10 ₄ ) as a flexible bag (1) that withdrawal stations (8 ₁ , 8 ₂ , 8 ₃ , 8 ₄ ) that comprises the second rotary filling table (9). Installation for carrying out the method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a first rotary table (7) comprising several stations (10 ₁ , 10 ₂ , 10 ₃ , 10 ₄ ) for the successive and continuous handling of flexible bags (1) from a feeding table or conveyor (6) and a second rotary filling table (9) with multiple filling stations (8 ₁ , 8 ₂ , 8 ₃ , 8 ₄ ) for successively and continuously filling the flexible bags (1) conveyed through the first table (7). Installation according to claim 6, characterized in that the first rotary table comprises a number of support stations (10 ₁ , 10 ₂ , 10 ₃ , 10 ₄ ) of a flexible bag (1) identical to the number of positions withdrawing (8 ₁ , 8 ₂ , 8 ₃ , 8 ₄ ) from the rotary filling table (9). Installation according to any one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the first rotary table (7) cooperates, through a junction zone (12), with the second rotary table (9) in such a way that a flexible bag (1), more particularly the plug (2) for filling the latter, is subjected to a speed substantially zero with respect to said first and second rotary table (7, 9) passing through this zone of junction (12).

Images