DE2030532A1 - Apparatus and method for spooling with gas in a packaging machine - Google Patents

Description

Apparatus and method for purging with gas in a

Packing machine

The invention relates to purging with gas to the Oxygen of the atmosphere surrounding a product that is in a sealed pack is to be included, to displace and in particular to a gas purging system for a Iwaschine, which forms packs in a vertical form, fills and seals. '

Gas-purged, packaged products that are exposed to oxygen the atmosphere ■ in the gas-tight sealed bags can be affected by purging the oxygen from the atmosphere surrounding the products in the sealed bags preserved for a considerable time will. In this way an oxidation and a rancidity become at least greatly reduced, the storage time increased considerably and the taste and aroma retained. Coffee, peanut kernels, potato chips and sweets are typical examples of this, without this affecting the application should be limited.

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Sin packing under vacuum is a common practice, however the costs for gas purging are lower and for gas-purged products with sharp corners or edges or with rough surfaces do not damage the material from which the bags are made. In contrast to vacuum packaging, in which the bag or packaging material is tight. adheres to the product and thus forms packaging, which is best referred to as "hard pack", gas purging can be regulated so that a soft pack is formed or a substantially pillow-like package. results. This is desirable for at least some products. worth it, so that the packaging and therefore the product will be well received by the buyers. The gas cushion creates a tight Avoid contact of the packaging material on the product, as experience has shown with vacuum packaging,

Ss have, however, in the application of the gas purging technique for packaging machines that form, fill and seal packages in a vertical direction, difficulties arise. In these machines, packaging material is tubular around a tube with the lower end of the tubular packaging material being sealed and the resulting end Bag is filled with a product that drips from inside the forming tube into the bag or after P is moved down. His particular difficulty lay in ensuring adequate irrigation during the high Operating speed of the machine. Another problem was getting an adequate irrigation of the filling or ensure that the bag is already filled and that it is retained a connection to the lower end of the form and fill tube during a shutdown of the machine so that it fills with air during standstill and accordingly displaces the purge gas. This is a special pro. There is a problem with using purge gas that is lighter than air, such as nitrogen.

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"According to the invention, these and other disadvantages, Llängel, 'Deficiencies and difficulties with a new device and an improved method of displacing the oxygen from the atmosphere surrounding the products an inert gas in sealed packages on machines for the vertical formation of a packaging, for filling and sealing surmounted.

It is a particular object of the invention to provide a device and to provide a method of purging gas for the aforesaid purpose using an inert gas which is lighter than air is, and being the atmosphere at a high Production speed is displaced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved one to create a multi-stage flushing system with gas.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved To provide a gas purging system that includes initial purging to prevent air ingress into it to prevent packaging product.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved combination of an oxygen analysis and a To create pre-rinsing device in a rinsing system when the machine starts up.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device and to provide a method of flushing in machines that form, fill and seal packages in a vertical direction, which can be used both for a new system and for installation in existing machines.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description of a preferred embodiment which is shown in the drawing.

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The drawing is a schematic representation of a flushing system, as used on a machine for vertically forming, filling and sealing a bag ..

The invention is particularly applicable to machines of the so-called Zwoyer type for vertical forming, filling and sealing of packages described in U.S. Patent No. 1,986,422 and an improved version of this type of machine described in U.S. Patent No. 1,986,422 Kr. 3 449 888 is shown. As far as it is necessary to fully understand the invention for such a machine for training, When filling and sealing a bag is required, the details of this machine are more or less schematic shown in the drawing. This shows a vertical tube 5 forming a bag with a funnel-like one Device 7 at its upper end. In and through this device 7 a product is mostly measured from a source Quantities for the contents of the bag are supplied in batches in individual portions. At a distance below the funnel 7, the tube is provided with folding arms 8, which from a source in sheet or plate form packaging material 9, for example a thermoplastic gas impermeable film, and adopt this material in a tubular shape around the tube 5 lead, the side edges being connected in a fold fastener or in an edge fastener seam, ^ in such material should be particularly, well impermeable. It can be laminated film-like materials with polyvinyl chloride, a Foil or combinations of materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene, cellophane or the like can be used. Particular importance should be attached to the property of the film-like material so that it is against a Tearing by bending, against breaking or against fine blowholes is resilient. After flushing, the oxygen should can no longer get into the packaging and the inert gas atmosphere should be kept reliably in the bag will. Under the folding arms 8 are the connected edges

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of the material 9 through, a vertical working with heat Detected device 10 for closing, which can consist of a conventional swing arm and a frame. From there migrates that! .. aterial down when it is through a mechanism 11 with a horizontally reciprocating transversely sealing punch of a cutting device and a device for Pulling down is pulled. The task of the mechanism 11 is to heat the material 9 formed into a tube to seal transversely and to connect to each other around the top edge of a previously filled bag and the bottom of a new bag 12, which is to be filled immediately below the lower end outlet of the tube 5, to close. If everyone subsequent bag 12 is sealed, a predetermined length of a product to be packaged through the forming and filling tube 5 dropped to keep it from the Bag is picked up, which is pulled down by the falling of the product until it is two bag lengths located below the filling tube outlet, whereupon the mechanism 11 this separates and lets go, after which he moves into his upper one Returns to the limit position and seals the filled bag, to then repeat this cycle.

According to the invention the product is in an inert gas atmosphere washed while falling down the molding and filling tube 5. For this purpose, at least one purge gas nozzle 13 *, which should be a pipeline with a small diameter, for example approximately 1/4 inch outside diameter, is arranged, to extend down into the tube 5, the lower end of the conduit being the lower end of the tube is adjacent and the upper end through the wall of the tube 5 at a point above the Parms 8, for example by a Connection 14, with a feed line 15 »through the inert gas, for example nitrogen, which is passed to the nozzle 13 is connected. Depending on the requirements, the gas is either discharged from the lower end of the elongated nozzle 13 or through a number of holes

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along the line, as shown schematically, distributed. This creates fine air displacement, being the normal Atmosphere excluded from the atmosphere in at least the central part of the tube 5 and in the subsequent bags 12 is.

So much for the i-machine that forms and fills a bag operating at a relatively high speed, there may be a tendency for air to move from the tip back into the tube 5 to enter. A security against such a re-entry to create, it is desirable in the direction of flow above the main displacement carried out by the nozzle or the manifold 13 to carry out a pre-displacement. One Introduction of the inert gas for displacement through the V / and of the pipe 5 takes place through a nozzle 17, which is a nipple or a connection can be or is attached to such a connection in order to connect through the wall of the tube 5 with its interior a point above the part 13 in connection and at connected to a feed line 18 for an inert gas is.

The gas is supplied through the supply lines 15 and 18 from a source, for example a gas generator or a gas storage container 19 ', which is mounted in a space 20 on a frame 21 which forms part of the machine frame. From the tank 19 the gas flows through a feed line 22 to a control valve 23 which can be included in the operation of the machine so that it opens when the machine is in operation and that it closes automatically when the machine is stopped or turned off . To "this purpose, the valve 23 may be a solenoid operated ^valve. If the gas source is under hohem'Druck, so that during the expansion of the gas there is a danger that temperatures occur below the freezing point, in particular this may be the case when · Carbon dioxide is used, for which the system according to the invention is just as suitable as for the

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Washing with nitrogen, a preheater 24 can be in or in Be connected to the supply line 22 to bring the gas to a temperature at which freezing is excluded at any point in the system is. From the control valve 23, the gas flows to special Flow monitors 25 for each of the supply lines and each flow switch has an associated special pressure gauge 27. The gas flows from the flow monitors to special Flow meters 28, each having an associated Pressure regulator 29 have. From the flow meters 28 flows the gas to the individual supply lines I5 and 18.

At intervals or continuously, it is desirable to monitor the effectiveness of the oxygen scavenging or the displacement effect. In the apparatus of the present invention, this is done by withdrawing and analyzing a small amount of gas from selected ones or from each of the bags 12 as desired. For this purpose, a device for removing gas samples is provided, which consists of a sampling line 30, which can be arranged if desired so that it extends down into the tube 5, but also, if there is sufficient space in the tube of the Bag material is present> to accommodate the sampling line 30, can be arranged outside and in parallel adjacent to the tube 5. The lower or suction end of the conduit extending below the dispensing end of the tube 5 is arranged to protrude downwardly into the upper parts of the freshly filled bags 12. A device for filtering the withdrawn gas consists of a prefilter 3 " ¹ at and across the inlet of the sampling line 30. At its upper end, above the folding arms 8, the sampling line 30 is connected to a line 32. The line 32 leads a three-way valve 33 through which the line 32 can be opened to the atmosphere or connected to a sampling line 34. The line 34 leads to a filter 35, for example a water filter, and from there to a water filter.

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kuumpumpe 37, from which the sample gas in continuation of the sampling line to an analyzer for oxygen samples or a sensor 38 is performed. The sensor 38 is with a Connected display device 39 for the oxygen analyzer, which is zvvecksteigerweise on and in the room 20 for easy reading is housed. This arrangement makes it easy to determine whether the system is working properly to handle the residual to maintain oxygen in the packs at a desired level, for example 1%. Any required Adjustments can be carried out immediately. So there is no need for sample packs to go anywhere are to be brought, for example to an examination laboratory, to analyze the oxygen content. This will be Loss of time and production downtime avoided. At the same time it is also ensured that the bag contents have an almost uniform low oxygen content, which is an optimum for the particular product to be packaged and which remains the same during the manufacturing process. The internal pressure in the bags can also be regulated. In this way, particularly desired results are achieved, for example padding of the contents, protection of the bag, easy handling, filling of the packaging space, the attraction of touching the packaging, for example through the. Softness and compliance and the like.

After the filling machine has been switched off and after the valve 23 for the purge gas supply has been closed, so much purge gas may have escaped or an undesired amount of air may have returned to the Tube 5 and into the last formed pack, that if no device is provided for rinsing the pack again, this pack should be abandoned, as they do not match the average of the previous packs that have been properly rinsed and provided with a protective atmosphere is equivalent to. To avoid such a loss of packaging material and products when starting up the machine after a standstill prevent, here the sampling line 30 is used for

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displace or as a start-up nozzle, as it moves downwards extends into the pack that had remained open during the standstill. A branch line connects for this purpose 40 the line $ 2 via the valve 33 with the gas supply * guide line 22. If the line 40 is above the shut-off valve 25 in the direction of flow, it is possible to a sufficient amount of purge gas through the valve 33 and the Line 32 to derive into the Protsenentzugeline 30, the in this case as a pre-wash nozzle to clean the pack serves and the flushing of the pipe 5 begins before the machine is switched on. * The machine can then be switched on and the sensing system works in the normal way. By actuating the valve 33, the line 30 their sampling function again before or after start-up record the machine. This means that not only during the Operation of the machine, but also before starting the kenge, or the percentage of that contained in the bag Oxygen can be monitored and regulated by setting.

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Claims (21)

- ίο - Pat e nt a, n sayings Device for purging with gas in a machine for Forming, filling and sealing a bag containing a vertical tube with an associated product-receiving device with a head, a device located at a distance below this device for forming a bag from flat Material around this tube, a device to seal a seam with the tube below the bag forming device cooperating device as well as below, des The outlet end of the tube is a combination of a bag sealing, cutting off and a bag after has a downward pulling device, characterized by an elongated nozzle extending downward into the pipe, which the purge gas into the tube to displace the atmospheric oxygen from that through the tube into the one below of the outflow of the formed bag discharges product supplied and by a device for supplying the nozzle with purge gas through the wall area of the tube 'between "the Device with a head and the folding device. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the elongated nozzle has at least one discharge opening along its length. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by a connection which is in communication with the nozzle through the V / and area and which has a gas supply line which is connected to the nipple on the outside of the pipe. 4 ·. Device according to claim 1, characterized by a Device for adjusting the supply device to the tightness of the remaining oxygen that is in the finished Bags left to settle. BATH ORIGINAL 109829/0973 5. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by a Device for supplying purge gas, a gas source ' and by a supply line system connecting the source to the nozzle and having a shut-off valve inserted in Coordination with the machine is regulated and both a device for flow monitoring and a Pressure regulating device and a device for measuring the flow in the line in the direction of flow below the valve. 6. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized by a Gas preheating device in the line in the direction of flow above the valve. 7. The device according to claim 1, characterized by a ' Device for the pre-displacement of gas, which with a upper part of the tube is in communication. 8. Apparatus according to claim 7 »characterized by a Gas sampling conduit having an inlet end extending below the outlet end of the tube to be effective in the next formed bag below the outflow end and through a suction line connected to the Line over the apparatus for forming a bag connected is. 9. The device according to claim 1, characterized by a line for gas sampling with an inlet end which extends below the outlet end of the tube to be effective in the next formed bag below the outlet end and by a suction line which is connected to the line above the one Bag forming device is connected . 109829/0973 10. Apparatus according to claim 9> characterized by a Filters on the inlet side of the conduit and across the inlet end. 11. The device according to claim 9 »characterized in that the suction line has a valve and a device that alternates the valve with the purge gas supply Supply of gas into the next filled bag or for a withdrawal of sample gas from this bag under the Control of the valve connects. 12. Device for purging a gas through a pipe of a packaging forming machine and filling the packaging supplied product and in which the pipe has an inlet end and a discharge end for the product by a device for feeding purge gas into the pipe from a point adjacent to the inlet end and by an additional device for feeding an initially displacing gas at a location near one of the pipe ends. 13. Apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the initially gas displacing device is located near the feed end of the tube. 14. The device according to claim 12, characterized by a Apparatus for withdrawing a sample of the atmosphere created by the gas purging from the point adjacent the discharge end of the pipe. 15 · Device according to claim 12, characterized in that the device for supplying the initially displacing gas near the inlet end of the pipe for the product is arranged and that an additional device for introducing post-purging gas near the discharge end effective is. 109829/0973 BAD ORJGINAL 16. The device according to claim 12, characterized by a alternately operable device for obtaining a gas sample for analysis adjacent to the delivery end of the Pipe and for the introduction of pre-purging gas. 17. A method for gas purging in a bag-forming, filling and sealing machine that has a pipe has a kin entrance end and a dispensing end for a product, characterized in that the gas purging of the interior of the pipe is made to the atmosphere in the pipe for the To regulate product and that a pre-displacement takes place by supplying the gas to the pipe near one of its ends . 18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that the atmosphere is sampled for gas analyzes. 19. The method according to claim I7, characterized in that the pre-displacement takes place by introducing gas to the atmosphere in the flow direction below the gas purging pre-rinse and pre-treat. 20. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that the pre-displacement takes place by introducing gas to to pre-purge and pre-treat the atmosphere in the flow direction above the gas purge. 21. A method of flushing a package forming Pipe in an IV machine, in which a product is transported through the Tube supplied to a bag at one end of the tube and the liaschine is sensitive to a standstill, characterized in that during work After the machine and the bags are filled, the interior of the tube is flushed to a predetermined gas atmosphere to generate and that after a standstill associated with restarting the machine, a pre-rinse inside the pipe. 109829/0973 BATH ORIGINAL iff Blank page