Krones Ag

Wolfgang Fechter

Alban Hutter

Christian Canalicchio

Roland Hofstetter

Thomas Stadler

Jens Losert

Markus Prinz

Martin Dietersberger

Rudolf Schrems

Andreas Triffo

The invention relates to a packaging apparatus () for combining a plurality of articles () an outer package () formed from a cardboard blank (). The packaging apparatus () comprises a magazine () for cardboard blanks (), the cardboard blanks () being stacked and lying on top of one another within the magazine (), a removal apparatus () for the cardboard blanks (), and a handling device (). The removal apparatus () is vertically and horizontally movable and comprises at least one suction tool () for withdrawing a cardboard blank () from the magazine (). The suction tool () arranged pivotally movable within the removal apparatus () or on the removal apparatus () for executing a compensation movement and aligning the withdrawn cardboard blank () in a horizontal plane. The invention also concerns the removal apparatus () () and a method for withdrawing cardboard blanks ().

Packaging apparatus, removal apparatus and method for withdrawing a cardboard blank

The invention relates to an apparatus () for transferring compartments () to outer packagings that comprises at least one stock of compartments (), at least one transport path () for outer packagings, and a working system that is designed to remove compartments from the stock and that can insert compartments () removed from the stock into a respective associated outer packaging. The working system is designed for removing a plurality of compartments () from at least one specific stock, for moving the plurality of compartments () in the direction of the at least one transport path () in a temporally overlapping manner, and for inserting the plurality of compartments () into a respective outer packaging of the at least one transport path ().

Method and apparatus for transferring compartments to outer packagings provided for articles

The invention relates to a folding device () for transporting an outer cardboard package () having folding lines and for folding at least one side flap () of the outer cardboard package (). The folding device () comprises at least one conveyor system with a guiding unit () and with at least two transporting and folding shuttles () disposed on the guiding unit () for the transport of the outer cardboard packages () in a transport direction (TR). The at least two shuttles () are disposed in a row at the conveyor system and are transported in a transport direction (TR) through and/or by the conveyor system. Each shuttle () comprises its own, individually controllable drive () and further at least one folding unit () for folding over at least one side flap () of an outer cardboard package ().

Folding device, packaging facility for articles, and method for folding side flaps of external cardboard packagings

The invention includes an apparatus () and a method for handling articles (). The apparatus () includes a first conveyor () for supplying articles (), a second conveyor () for supplying outer packagings (), a third conveyor () for discharging filled outer packagings (), and a placing surface () arranged between the second conveyor () and the third conveyor (). The apparatus also includes a device () for transferring supplied outer packagings () from the second conveyor () to the placing surface (), a device () for transferring articles () from the first conveyor () into outer packagings (), and a device () for transferring filled outer packagings () from the placing surface () onto the third conveyor (). The method places articles () into outer packagings (), staged on a placing surface (), from one or more article flows lined up one after the other uninterruptedly and/or with gaps between them and/or grouped. The outer packagings () themselves in turn are supplied independently of the articles () in a transport direction () and are transferred () onto the placing surface () individually or groupwise transversely to the transport direction (). After the articles () have been placed in the outer packagings (), they are transferred (), in turn individually or groupwise, transversely to the transport direction () in order to be subsequently discharged in the direction of the transport direction () or opposite to it in parallel to the transport direction ().

Apparatus and method for handling articles

The method of the present invention removes at least a plurality of articles () arriving consecutively in a transport direction (FR) from an infeed (), and subsequently, arranging and grouping the articles (), while simultaneously lifting and collectively transferring the article () from the infeed () to a staging surface (). At the staging area are one or more outer packagings (), and into which the articles () are placed. Individually or groupwise, as seen in a direction in parallel to the transport direction (FR), the individual distances between the articles () corresponding to a defined arrangement () are increased and/or decreased, and finally, the articles () are simultaneously lowered and released into the one or a plurality of outer packagings (). The apparatus of the present invention comprises an infeed () of articles () being transported, at least one staging surface () arranged next to the infeed (). On the staging surface (), outer packagings () are staged, and which will be filled with articles () removed from the infeed (). From the staging surface (), the filled outer packagings () are discharged. A gripping device () is used to simultaneously seize a plurality of articles () from the infeed (). The gripping device () has one gripper head () per article. The gripping device () has at least one manipulator () with a horizontally and vertically movable manipulator head ().

The present invention includes an apparatus () and a method for expanding and erecting collapsed or folded cardboard packagings () to a standing position. The method includes holding the topmost cardboard packaging (), coming from above, at its top flat side () of a cardboard packaging wall () and removing it from a stack () of flatly collapsed cardboard packagings (). Subsequently also holding the cardboard packaging (), at its bottom flat side () from below, and increasing the vertical distance between the top flat side (), and the bottom flat side (), by oppositely pulling so far until the cardboard packaging () has been expanded. Then releasing the top flat side () of the cardboard packaging (), and rotating the lying, expanded set of cardboard packaging () still being held at its bottom flat side (), where the rotating is about a horizontal pivoting axis (). The bottom flat side () is subsequently also released to achieve an expanded and now erected set of compartments and/or the outer packagings (). The apparatus () comprises a cardboard packaging supply () comprising at least one stack () of flatly collapsed cardboard packagings () arranged lying on top of each other, an erecting device () arranged next to the cardboard packaging supply () as seen in the direction of a horizontal axis (), and a gripping device () for simultaneously seizing respectively one topmost cardboard packaging () from each stack () of the cardboard packaging supply ().

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Rosenheim, Germany

Wolfgang Fechter