Folding unit for producing packages of food products pourable into a tube of packaging material from sealed packs
AssigneeTetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
InventorAndrea Catellani
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A folding unit for producing packages from sealed packs having at least one flap to be folded, the folding unit including a conveying device carrying at least one pushing element arranged for interacting with the at least one flap, and a supporting element onto which the conveying device abuts when the at least one pushing element interacts with the at least one flap. The conveying device also includes at least one rolling element rolling onto the supporting element.
Claims15
A folding unit for producing packages from sealed packs having at least one flap to be folded, said folding unit comprising:
- a conveying device carrying at least one pushing element arranged for interacting with said at least one flap;
- a supporting element onto which said conveying device abuts when said at least one pushing element interacts with said at least one flap;
- said conveying device comprising at least one rolling element rolling onto said supporting element;
- and
- a main conveyor for advancing said packs along a path, said main conveyor being vertically below and spaced apart from said conveying device, said main conveyor having a conveying branch arranged for conveying said packs and said conveying device having an active branch along which said at least one pushing element interacts with said packs, said active branch of said conveying device facing said conveying branch of said main conveyor so that said at least one pushing element pushes said at least one flap while said packs are carried by said main conveyor, wherein
- said conveying device comprises first driving means arranged for interacting with second driving means of said main conveyor so that, in use, said main conveyor drives said conveying device.
A folding unit for producing a package from a sealed pack having at least one unfolded flap, said folding unit comprising:
- a chain conveyor comprising link elements and rollers connected to said link elements, said chain conveyor rotating in a closed loop, the closed loop possessing a curved top portion and a linear bottom portion;
- at least one pushing element configured to be conveyed by said conveyor, the at least one pushing element configured to contact and fold said at least one unfolded flap of said sealed pack;
- said at least one pushing element comprising a bulge portion that protrudes beyond said chain conveyor and a spring that urges said bulge portion radially outward from said chain conveyor;
- a fixed supporting plate positioned directly above said linear bottom portion of said closed loop, said fixed supporting plate possessing a bottom surface, said bottom surface being parallel to said linear bottom portion of said closed loop;
- and
- said rollers of said chain conveyor rolling along said fixed supporting plate when said at least one pushing element is being conveyed along said linear bottom portion.
A folding system for producing a package from a sealed pack having at least one unfolded flap, said folding system comprising:
- a first conveyor for advancing the sealed pack along a path, the first conveyor being rotatable around a closed loop, the closed loop having a left side segment, a top segment, a right side segment and a bottom segment;
- a second conveyor positioned vertically above a portion of the top segment of the first conveyor;
- at least one pushing element configured to be conveyed by the second conveyor, the at least one pushing element configured to contact and fold the at least one unfolded flap of the sealed pack while the sealed pack is being advanced along the portion of the top segment of the closed loop of the first conveyor;
- and
- the at least one pushing element comprising a bulge portion that protrudes below the second conveyor when the at least one pushing element contacts and folds the at least one unfolded flap of the sealed pack.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.