METERING HEAD SUPPORT DEVICE FOR A CONTAINER FORMING, FILLING AND SEALING MACHINE

Abstract

 The present invention relates to a metering head support device for a container forming, filling and sealing machine, comprising a structural element (3) to be fixed to the machine, a vertical guide element (2) fixed to the structural element (3), and a support arm (10) having a proximal end coupled to the vertical guide element (2) through a coupling element (12) providing a sliding of the support arm (10) along the vertical guide element (2) between an upper position and a lower position and a rotation around a longitudinal axis of the vertical guide element (2) between a coupled position and a separated position. The combination of the upper position and the coupled position corresponds to a working position of the metering head (1) and the combination of the lower position and the separated position corresponds to a maintenance position of the metering head (1).

Description

Field of the Art

[0001] The present invention relates to a metering head support device applicable to a vertical or horizontal container forming, filling and sealing machine, whereby the head can be moved between a working position in which the metering head cooperates with other elements of a filling unit of the machine, and a maintenance position in which the metering head is in an ergonomic position for a person responsible for its maintenance.

Background of the Invention

[0002] Patent document US 5832700 discloses a vertical container forming, filling and sealing machine comprising a metering head supplying a flowable product into one or more vertical tubes around which successive containers are continuously formed by wrapping, sealing and cutting one or more heat-sealable sheets supplied from a reel.

[0003] Patent document ES 2117929 A1 discloses a horizontal automatic packaging machine including a metering head supplying a flowable product into one or more flexible containers which have been previously formed by folding, sealing and cutting a heat-sealable sheet supplied from a reel and which are moved step by step along a horizontal path.

[0004] The metering head in these vertical or horizontal automatic packaging machines is known to be supported by means of a support device comprising a support arm to which the metering head is fixed and means for moving said support arm and the head between a working position and a maintenance position in relation to a vertical guide element fixed to a structural element of the machine. Nevertheless, this known support device does not allow arranging the metering head in a maintenance position sufficiently separated from the machine and at a height such that the metering head is easily accessible for an operator standing on a floor where the container forming, filling and sealing machine is supported.

Brief Description of the Invention

[0005] The present invention contributes to solving the foregoing and other drawbacks by providing a metering head support device for a container forming, filling and sealing machine, where the support device comprises a support arm to which a metering head is fixed, and means for moving said support arm between a working position and a maintenance position. The support arm has a proximal end coupled to a vertical guide element fixed to a structural element of the machine and a distal end supporting the metering head. The distal end of the support arm is provided with a fixing element where the metering head is fixed, for example.

[0006] The proximal end of the support arm is coupled to the vertical guide element through a coupling element providing a sliding of the support arm along the vertical guide element between an upper position and a lower position and a rotation around a longitudinal axis of the vertical guide element between a coupled position and a separated position.

[0007] The mentioned working position of the metering head corresponds to a combination of the upper position and the coupled position, whereas the mentioned maintenance position corresponds to a combination of the lower position and the separated position.

[0008] As a result of this ability to move, in the working position the support arm keeps the metering head in cooperation with other elements of a filling unit of the container forming, filling and sealing machine, including, among others, a filling material supplying device, and in the maintenance position the support arm keeps the metering head in a clear area and at an ergonomic height easily and readily accessible by a person responsible for its maintenance who is standing on the same floor where the container forming, filling and sealing machine is supported.

[0009] The mentioned coupling element is preferably connected to a drive carriage and an actuation mechanism operatively connected for moving the drive carriage, carrying the support arm and the head, between the upper position and the lower position, is arranged in the structural element. In one embodiment, the mentioned actuation mechanism comprises a spindle rotatably installed in the structural element and a nut integral with an attachment fixed to the drive carriage and coupled to the spindle. Preferably, the actuation mechanism further comprises a motor operatively connected for rotating the spindle, although the spindle can alternatively be rotated manually, for example, by means of a crank.

[0010] In one embodiment, the vertical guide element has a cylindrical outer surface coaxial with its longitudinal axis and the coupling element comprises one or more bearings, such as for example, friction bearings, in contact with said cylindrical outer surface of the vertical guide element, which reduce friction between the coupling element and the vertical guide element during the sliding movements between the upper position and the lower position and the rotational movements between the coupled position and the separated position.

[0011] In an alternative embodiment, the coupling element cannot rotate with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vertical guide element, and the assembly formed by the vertical guide element and the coupling element can rotate around the longitudinal axis with respect to the structural element.

[0012] The structural element preferably comprises a stop limiting the rotation of the support arm in the coupled position, and the support arm has installed therein a latch that can be actuated between a retaining position in which the latch cooperates with a retaining element installed in the structural element for retaining the support arm in the working position, and a released position. Optionally, the support arm furthermore has installed therein an actuator moving the latch between said retaining position and said released position, although the latch can alternatively be moved manually.

[0013] In one embodiment, the mentioned stop comprises a freely rotating stop wheel installed in the structural element and the support arm has fixed thereto a plate provided with a vertical surface against which said stop wheel comes into contact and can roll in the working position, and the latch has a vertical surface against which a freely rotating retaining wheel installed in the structural element, which constitutes the retaining element, comes into contact and can roll when the latch is in the retaining position. Optionally, though this not essential, the stop wheel and the retaining wheel are coaxial and have different diameters.

[0014] The stop wheel and the retaining wheel allow performing an adjustment movement for adjusting the position of the support arm and the metering head vertically when the support arm is retained with respect to the rotation in the working position. To that end, the mentioned vertical surfaces of the plate and of the latch have a vertical dimension adapted to the amplitude of the mentioned adjustment movement.

[0015] On the other hand, when the support arm is in the maintenance position, the height of the support arm and the metering head in relation to the vertical guide element can be selected by means of the selective actuation of the spindle, and the angular position of the support arm in relation to the vertical guide element can be selected by manually rotating the arm around the longitudinal axis of the vertical guide element given that in the maintenance position the latch is in the released position and as a result of the bearings arranged between the coupling element and the vertical guide element, rotation can be carried out manually without any effort.

[0016] The structural element of the support device can be fixed to a structure of a vertical container forming, filling and sealing machine in which the containers to be filled are moved in a vertical path, or to a structure of a horizontal container forming, filling and sealing machine in which the containers to be filled are moved in a horizontal path.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] The foregoing and other features and advantages will be better understood based on the following detailed description of a merely illustrative and non-limiting specific embodiment in reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a metering head support device for a container forming, filling and sealing machine according to one embodiment of the present invention, with a support arm in an upper position and installed corresponding to a working position;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the support device with the support arm in an upper position and separated;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the support device with the support arm in a lower position and separated corresponding to a maintenance position;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the support device with the support arm in the working position;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the support device with the support arm in the maintenance position;

Figure 6 is a cross-section view taken through plane VI-VI of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail of a plan view showing a stop device and a retaining device with the support arm in the working position; and

Figure 8 is an enlarged detail of a plan view showing the stop device and the retaining device with the support arm in a separated position.

Detailed Description of an Embodiment

[0018] First in reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the metering head support device for a container forming, filling and sealing machine comprises, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a structural element 3 provided for being fixed to a structure of a container forming, filling and sealing machine (not shown), a vertical guide element 2 fixed to the structural element 3, and a support arm 10 having a proximal end coupled to said vertical guide element 2 through a coupling element 12 and a distal end provided with a fixing element 13 where a metering head 1 is fixed.

[0019] The metering head 1 is of a well known type and the detailed description thereof will be omitted as it is not part of the present invention.

[0020] The vertical guide element 2 has a cylindrical outer surface around a longitudinal axis and is fixed at its ends to the structural element 3 by means of supports 19 leaving a gap between the vertical guide element 2 and the structural element 3. The coupling element 12 comprises one or more bearings 18 in contact with the cylindrical outer surface of the vertical guide element 2, so the coupling element 12 provides a sliding of the support arm 10 along the vertical guide element 2 between an upper position and a lower position and at the same time a rotation around the longitudinal axis of the vertical guide element 2 between a coupled position and a separated position.

[0021] Figure 1 shows the support arm 10 in the upper position and in the coupled position, which correspond in combination to a working position in which the support arm 10 keeps the metering head 1 in cooperation with a filling material supplying device and with other elements of a filling unit of the container forming, filling and sealing machine.

[0022] Figure 2 shows the support arm 10 in the upper position and in the separated position, in which the support arm 10 keeps the metering head 1 in a clear area adjacent to the container forming, filling and sealing machine. Although the support arm 10 in Figure 2 is rotated 270 degrees with respect to the coupled position shown in Figure 1, the separated position can comprise any other intermediate position.

[0023] Figure 3 shows the support arm 10 in the lower position and in the separated position, which correspond in combination to a maintenance position in which the support arm 10 keeps the metering head 1 in the mentioned clear area and at an ergonomic height easily accessible for an operator standing on a floor where the container forming, filling and sealing machine is supported.

[0024] Therefore, the vertical guide element 2 and the coupling element 12 are part of means for moving the support arm 10 between the working position and the maintenance position.

[0025] Figure 4 shows a plan view of the support arm 10 in the working position, given that the support arm 10 can also be arranged in the coupled position only when it is in the upper position, whereas Figure 5 shows a plan view of the support arm 10 in the separated position which is compatible both with the upper position and with the lower position, in which case it would correspond to the maintenance position.

[0026] As best shown in Figure 6, the coupling element 12 is connected to a drive carriage 4 such that the coupling element 12 moves together with the drive carriage 4 along the vertical guide element 2 but can rotate freely with respect to the drive carriage 4 around the longitudinal axis of the vertical guide element 2. A spindle 5 the axis of which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vertical guide element 2 is rotatably installed in the structural element 3, and the drive carriage 4 has an attachment 7 to which a nut 6 coupled to the spindle 5 is fixed.

[0027] A motor 8, such as an electric motor, for example, is operatively connected for rotating the spindle 5, such that the rotation of the spindle in one direction of rotation or another moves the drive carriage 4, the coupling element 12, the support arm 10 and the head 1 fixed to same up or down along the vertical guide element 2. End-of-stroke detectors (not shown) which in cooperation with an electronic controller control the actuation of the motor 8 are arranged in the structural element 3 in order to prevent the drive carriage 4 from moving beyond upper and lower limits.

[0028] Figures 7 and 8 show in greater detail a stop device limiting the rotation of the support arm 10 in the coupled position and a retaining device retaining the support arm 10 in the working position.

[0029] A stop wheel 9 which can rotate freely around a horizontal axis is installed in the structural element 3, and a plate 16 having a vertical surface against which the stop wheel 9 comes into contact and can roll when the support arm 10 is in the working position (Figure 7) is fixed in the support arm 10. Optionally, a damping element (not shown), such as a retractable damper, for example, arranged for coming into contact with the support arm 10 before the stop wheel 9 comes into contact with the plate 16 can be fixed in the structural element 3.

[0030] A retaining wheel 17 which can rotate freely around a horizontal axis is furthermore installed in the structural element 3, and a latch 14 that can slide between a retaining position (Figure 7) and a released position (Figure 8) is installed in the support arm 10. An actuator 15, such as a pneumatic cylinder, for example, moving said latch 14 between the retaining position and the released position, is furthermore installed in the support arm 10. The latch 14 has a vertical surface against which the retaining wheel 17 comes into contact and can roll when the support arm 10 is in the working position and the latch 14 is in the retaining position (Figure 7).

[0031] A detector 20, such as an inductive detector, for example, arranged for detecting the support arm 10 in the working position is fixed in the structural element 3 in order to allow actuation of the retaining device alone in cooperation with the electronic controller when the support arm 10 is in the working position.

[0032] The stop wheel 9 and the retaining wheel 17 are coaxial, have different diameters and are adjacent to one another. The plate 16 and the latch 14 are on opposite sides with respect to the common axis of the stop and retaining wheels 9, 17 such that when the support arm 10 is in the working position and the latch 14 is in the retaining position (Figure 7) the stop wheel 9 only comes into contact with the plate 16 and the retaining wheel 17 only comes into contact with the latch 14.

[0033] This allows adjusting the vertical position of the support arm 10 with respect to the vertical guide element 2 while the support arm 10 is in the working position and the latch 14 is in the retaining position, since in such case the stop and retaining wheels 9, 17 will roll in opposite directions on the respective vertical surfaces of the plate 16 and latch 14, allowing vertical movement of the support arm 10 while at the same time preventing rotation thereof around the longitudinal axis of the vertical guide element 2.

[0034] When the latch 14 is moved to the released position (Figure 8), the support arm 10 is no longer retained in the working position and can be moved freely in a manual manner towards the separated position. Once the support arm 10 is in the separated position, the support arm 10 can be moved by means of actuating the spindle 5 towards the lower position corresponding to the maintenance position.

[0035] A cable chain 11 is connected at one end to the structural element 3 and at the other end to the drive carriage 4 which moves vertically together with the support arm 10, and a plurality of flexible cables for transporting electrical power and signal necessary for actuating and controlling the retaining device and the elements and mechanisms integrated in the metering head 1 are installed therein. The cable chain 11 protects the flexible cables and at the same time allows movements of the support arm 10 along the vertical guide element 2.

[0036] The support arm 10 can be adapted for supporting a vertical metering head, in which case the structural element 3 will be fixed to the structure of a vertical container forming, filling and sealing machine, in which the containers to be filled are moved in a vertical path, or can be adapted for supporting a horizontal metering head, in which case the structural element 3 will be fixed to the structure of a horizontal container forming, filling and sealing machine, in which the containers to be filled are moved in a horizontal path.

[0037] The scope of the present invention is defined by the attached claims.

Claims

1. A metering head support device for a container forming, filling and sealing machine, comprising a support arm (10) to which a metering head (1) is fixed, and means for moving said support arm (10) between a working position and a maintenance position in relation to at least one vertical guide element (2) fixed to a structural element (3), characterized in that the support arm (10) has a proximal end coupled to said vertical guide element (2) through a coupling element (12) providing a sliding of the support arm (10) along the vertical guide element (2) between an upper position and a lower position and a rotation around a longitudinal axis of the vertical guide element (2) between a coupled position and a separated position, where said working position corresponds to a combination of said upper position and said coupled position and said maintenance position corresponds to a combination of said lower position and said separated position.

2. The support device according to claim 1, characterized in that said coupling element (12) is connected to a drive carriage (4) and an actuation mechanism operatively connected for moving said drive carriage (4) between the upper position and the lower position is arranged in said structural element (3).

3. The support device according to claim 2, characterized in that said actuation mechanism comprises a spindle (5) rotatably installed in the structural element (3) and a nut (6) integral with an attachment (7) fixed to the drive carriage (4) and coupled to said spindle (5).

4. The support device according to claim 3, characterized in that said actuation mechanism further comprises a motor (8) operatively connected for rotating said spindle (5).

5. The support device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the vertical guide element (2) has a cylindrical outer surface and the coupling element (12) comprises one or more bearings (18) in contact with said cylindrical outer surface of the vertical guide element (2).

6. The support device according to claim 1, characterized in that said structural element (3) comprises a stop limiting the rotation of the support arm (10) in the coupled position.

7. The support device according to claim 6, characterized in that the support arm (10) has installed therein a latch (14) that can be actuated between a retaining position and a released position for retaining the support arm (10) in the working position.

8. The support device according to claim 7, characterized in that the support arm (10) furthermore has installed therein an actuator (15) moving said latch (14) between said retaining position and said released position.

9. The support device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that said stop comprises a freely rotating stop wheel (9) installed in the structural element (3) and the support arm (10) has fixed thereto a plate (16) provided with a vertical surface against which said stop wheel (9) comes into contact and can roll and said latch (14) has a vertical surface against which a freely rotating retaining wheel (17) installed in the structural element (3) comes into contact and can roll when the latch (14) is in said retaining position.

10. The support device according to claim 9, characterized in that said stop wheel (9) and said retaining wheel (17) are coaxial and have different diameters.

11. The support device according to claim 1, characterized in that the support arm (10) has a distal end provided with a fixing element (13) where the metering head (1) is fixed.

12. The support device according to claim 1, characterized in that in said working position the support arm (10) keeps the metering head (1) in cooperation with a filling material supplying device of the container forming, filling and sealing machine.

13. The support device according to claim 1, characterized in that in said maintenance position the support arm (10) keeps the metering head (1) in a clear area and at an ergonomic height easily accessible for an operator standing on a floor where the container forming, filling and sealing machine is supported.

14. The support device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said structural element (3) is fixed to a structure of a vertical container forming, filling and sealing machine, in which the containers to be filled are moved in a vertical path.

15. The support device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that said structural element (3) is fixed to a structure of a horizontal container forming, filling and sealing machine, in which the containers to be filled are moved in a horizontal path.

Drawing