|
(11) | EP 1 170 212 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| (54) | Machine for packaging articles in blister packs |
| (57) A machine for packing articles into blister packs includes a series of modular units
which can be removably connected with one another. The machine includes a unit (3)
where a reel (20) of a thermoformable material band (2) is loaded; a unit (4) for
thermoforming the band (2); a unit (5) for feeding the articles (10) to the blister
band (2), the feeding unit being disposed beside the thermoforming unit (4); a unit
(6) for sealing the blister band (2) and a unit (7) for cutting the blister band (2)
into single blister packs. |
[0001] This invention relates to packaging of articles in the blisters of a blister pack band to produce blister packs.
[0002] Automatic machines, so-called "blister packaging machines", producing blister packs from thermoformable band are known. These machines form an orderly series of cup-shaped blisters on the thermoformable band and fill these blisters with the relative articles. The blisters are then hermetically closed with a sealing film bonded to the blister pack band.
[0003] More precisely, known blister packaging machines comprise, in line, a reel supporting unit with one or more reels of thermoformable band, a unit for thermoforming said band unwound from the reel currently being used, a unit for feeding the articles to the blister pack band, a unit to control the presence of said articles in the blisters of the band, a unit to seal the blister pack band and a shearing unit where the blister pack band is cut to obtain individual blister packs. The blister packs are then transferred to a cartoning machine.
[0004] These blister packaging machines have a very rigid structure, preventing them from being adapted to the varying requirements of industrial plants. Known blister packaging machines are also extremely long. This excessive length obviously represents a further and significant limit to their potential use.
[0005] The object of the invention is to avoid the above mentioned problems by providing a machine for packaging articles in blister packs with a structure allowing great flexibility of use.
[0006] Another object of the invention is to provide a blister packaging machine with a limited length.
[0007] A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of great constructional and functional simplicity.
[0008] The above mentioned objects are obtained by the features presented in claim 1. Further features are reported in the sub-claims.
[0009] Characteristics particular to the invention described herein are set forth below with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:
- Figure 1 is a front view of the blistering machine that is the subject of the invention;
- Figure 2 shows a corresponding backside view of the same blistering machine;
- Figures 3, 4 and 5 show front views of different operation configurations of the machine being the subject o the invention;
- Figures 6 and 7 show a top view and a frontal view, respectively, of an article feeding unit mounted on the subject machine;
- Figures 8a and 8b show lateral views of the article feeding unit as seen according to arrow A of Figure, in opening and closing configuration respectively;
- Figure 9 shows a bottom view of the feeding unit, as seen in accordance to arrow B of Figure 7.
[0010] With reference to the above figures, the reference numeral 1 indicates a blister packaging machine as a whole. The blister packaging machine 1 comprises a series of modular units designed in such a way that they can be appropriately linked together. These modular units are housed in respective box-type casings designed to be reciprocally constrained by means of appropriate connection means.
[0011] In more detail, the blister packaging machine 1 is equipped with a reel supporting unit 3 with a reel 20 of thermoformable band 2, preferably located in the centre of the machine.
[0012] On leaving the reel support unit 3, the band 2 unwound from reel 20 is conveyed into a thermoforming unit 4 in line and upstream of the reel supporting unit 3. Inside the thermoforming unit 4, the band 2 moves vertically from the bottom upwards. Within the thermoforming unit 4, a known mechanism forms an orderly series of blisters in the thermoformable band 2.
[0013] The blister pack band thus obtained is conveyed downwards and then in a transverse direction in the region of a bending mechanism 41.
[0014] The blister pack band 2 leaving the thermoforming unit 4 is transferred into a unit 5 which feeds the articles 10 to fill the blisters on the blister pack band. The infeed unit 5 is positioned alongside the thermoforming unit 4 and in a raised position corresponding to the upper part of said unit 4. The infeed unit 5 can be removed from the machine.
[0015] For this purpose, the infeed unit 5 comprises a largely box-shaped casing 50 housing known operating mechanisms 51. The casing 50 is equipped with appropriate connection means 52 to fasten it rapidly to the structure of the machine in correspondence to said thermoforming unit 4 (for details, see figures 6 and 7).
[0016] The upper part of the infeed unit 5 is equipped with a channel 53 for infeed of the articles 10. This is suitably sloped to carry these articles to the above-mentioned operating mechanisms 51. The input channel 53 can be closed externally with an appropriate cover 54.
[0017] The infeed unit 5 also has a bottom inlet opening 55 for entry of the blister pack band 2 to be filled and a side outlet opening 57 for the exit of said blister pack band 2. When assembled, the bottom opening 55 faces a corresponding opening in the thermoforming unit 4. The inlet and outlet openings 55 and 57 can be closed with covers 56 and 58 respectively.
[0018] The blister pack band 2 filled with articles 10 leaving the infeed unit 5 is transferred to a sealing unit 6 where the blisters are closed with an appropriate sealing film 8 employing known operating mechanisms 60. The sealing film 8 unwinds from a relative reel 80 mounted on said unit 6.
[0019] Finally the sealed film 2 is conveyed to a shearing unit 7 where the individual blister packs are separated. Unit 7 includes a shearing device 70 with suitable known cutting mechanisms to produce the individual blister packs.
[0020] The modular construction of the blister packaging machine with individual units reciprocally constrained in such a way that they can be removed ensures great flexibility of use. In practice, the structure of the machine can be adapted to the various requirements of industrial plants.
[0021] For example, the reel supporting unit 3, thermoforming unit 4 and infeed unit 5 can be separated from the sealing unit 6 and shearing unit 7 as shown in fig. 3 where, for greater clarity, the two parts of the machine are separated by a wall 9.
[0022] The machine can also be extended modularly with additional units as indicated in fig. 4 showing a machine with an auxiliary reel supporting unit 13 with a second reel of thermoformable band. In this case, the machine is obviously equipped with a known type of automatic reel change mechanism.
[0023] Fig. 5 shows removal of the infeed unit 5 from the structure of the machine for cleaning of said unit 5, in particular, when the format of articles to be packed is changed.
[0024] During normal operation, the infeed unit 5 allows internal transit of the blister pack band 2 and the introduction of the articles 10 to fill the blisters on said band 2.
[0025] When the format of articles to be packed or type of articles must be changed, after stopping infeed of the articles 10 and the blister pack band 2 to unit 5, unit 5 is released from the structure of the blister packaging machine by acting on the rapid connection means 52.
[0026] It is then possible to remove the infeed unit 5 for cleaning and replace it on the blister packaging machine with a similar clean infeed unit prepared to take the new format or new type of articles to be packed as indicated with the hatched line 5a in fig. 5.
[0027] The clean infeed unit is rapidly mounted onto the structure of the machine by means of the connection means 52 (see fig. 6), enabling production to be resumed immediately with obvious benefits for line production rate.
[0028] The removed infeed unit is taken to the cleaning area where cleaning can be carried out easily, in particular, sterilising the entire unit, without interfering with operation of the blister packaging machine.
[0029] At the end of cleaning, the casing of the infeed unit is hermetically closed by means of covers 54, 56 and 58 applied respectively to the input of the article infeed channel 53 and the blister pack band 2 transit openings 55 and 56 (figs. 8b and 9) in such a way that the unit is kept clean. Said infeed unit is then placed in a special area for subsequent use.
[0030] The machine for packaging articles in blister packs thus achieves the objects of creating a structure with high flexibility of use.
[0031] One feature of the blister packaging machine in question is the fact that it has a limited length.
[0032] This is achieved through more rational exploitation of the vertical and transverse dimensions of the machine. In particular, the configuration of the thermoforming unit 4 is predominantly upright, with the blister pack band 2 moving vertically in the region of the shearing mechanism 70 of unit 7.
[0033] This technical-functional feature is obtained by equipping the machine upstream of the shearing mechanism 70 with a guide 180 for said blister pack band 2, with the configuration of an arc of a circle with a 90° angle at the centre and oriented in such a way as to convey said blister pack band 2 upwards. Downstream of guide 80, the blister pack band 2 thus has a vertical section Z1, a curved section Z2 (with concavity facing downwards) and finally a vertical section Z3 corresponding to the shearing mechanism 70.
[0034] The section Z2 represents a sort of storage reserve for the blister pack band 2 between the continuous infeed of the band upstream of said section Z2 and the step infeed of said band downstream imposed by the shearing mechanism 70.
1. A machine for packaging articles in blister packs characterised in that it has a modular structure achieved through the use of units removably connected
and comprising a reel supporting unit (3) with a reel (20) of thermoformable band
(2); a thermoforming unit (4) for thermoforming said band (2) unwinding from said
reel (20), for forming blister packs in said band (2); an infeed unit (5) feeding
the articles (10) to said blister pack band (2), arranged alongside said thermoforming
unit (4); a sealing unit (6) to seal said blister pack band (2) and a shearing unit
(7) to cut said blister pack band (2) to obtain individual blister packs.
2. Machine as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said reel supporting unit (3) is situated between said thermoforming unit (4) and
said sealing unit (6) and shearing unit (7).
3. Machine as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the band (2) extends in vertical upward direction within said thermoforming unit
(4) and in the region of means (40) for forming a series of blisters in the same band
(2).
4. Machine as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that at the exit of said thermoforming unit (4) said blister pack band (2) is tilted transversely
in the region of the bending mechanism (41) to feed the said blister pack band (2)
to said article infeed unit (5).
5. A machine according to claim 1 characterised in that within said shearing unit (7), said band (2) moves in a vertical direction in the
region of the thermoforming means (70) for forming said individual blister packs.
6. Machine as claimed in claim 1, further including an auxiliary reel supporting unit
(13) for supporting a second thermoformable band reel.
7. A machine according to claim 1 characterised in that said article infeed unit (5) comprises a casing (50) which can be removably fixed
to the structure of the machine, alongside said thermoforming unit (4) and with a
channel (53) at the top feeding said articles (10) to the operating mechanisms (51)
within said casing (50) and said casing (50) with one inlet opening (55) to allow
internal transit of said blister pack band (2) to be filled and a outlet opening (57)
for the exit of said blister pack band (2) filled with said articles (10).
8. Machine as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that said thermoformable band (2) inlet opening (55) and said outlet opening (57) can
be closed by respective covers (56,58).
9. Machine as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that said article infeed channel (53) can be closed, outside the said casing (50), by
a cover (54).
10. Machine as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that said inlet opening (55) for said blister band (2) is made in the bottom wall of said
housing (50) and, when said housing is fixed to said machine, said opening faces a
corresponding aperture of said thermoforming unit (4) of said band (2).
11. A machine according to claim 5 characterised in that inside said shearing unit (7), upstream of said thermoforming means (70) for forming
the individual blister packs, there is a guide (180) for said blister pack band, configured
so as to orient the band upwards to define a vertical section (Z1), a curved section
(Z2) with the concavity facing downwards and a vertical section (Z3) in the region
of said mechanisms (70).
12. Machine as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that said guide is shaped like an arc of a circle and extends through an angle of 90 degrees.