Particle removal device for a filling machine
AssigneeTetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
InventorsJenny Lindblad, Aurelia Vallier
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A particle removal device for a filling machine configured to form, fill, and seal individual packages is provided. The particle removal device comprises an air supply pipe, and a controller being programmed to activate the particle removal device such that a jet of air is directed into a ready-to-fill package passing the particle removal device.
Claims17
A particle removal device for a filling machine configured to form ready-to-fill packages, to fill the ready-to-fill packages, and to seal the filled packages into individual packages, the particle removal device comprising:
- an air supply pipe positioned to direct a jet of air into the ready-to-fill packages by way of an orifice of the air supply pipe as the ready-to-fill packages pass the orifice while moving in a moving direction,
- a controller configured to control air to the orifice of the air supply pipe so that upon starting activation of particle removal a jet of air is directed through the orifice and successively into first and second ones of the ready-to-fill packages that constitute an indexed pair of the ready-to-fill packages and so that upon ending the activation of particle removal the jet of air directed through the orifice stops, the controller being configured to:
- i) start the activation of the particle removal when a leading package edge of the first ready-to-fill package moving in the moving direction ahead of the second ready-to-fill package is positioned in the same vertical plane as the orifice of the air supply pipe;
- and ii) ending the activation of the particle removal after the second ready-to-fill package has passed the orifice of the air supply pipe.
A method for a filling machine configured to form ready-to-fill packages, to fill the ready-to-fill packages, and to seal the filled packages into individual packages, the method comprising:
- moving a pair of the ready-to-fill packages in a moving direction toward an air supply pipe so that a first ready-to-fill package of the pair is positioned in advance of a second ready-to-fill package of the pair;
- starting activation of particle removal to direct a jet of air through the air supply pipe, the jet of air directed through the air supply pipe being directed successively into the first ready-to-fill package and then into the second ready-to-fill package;
- the starting of the activation of particle removal to direct the jet of air through the air supply pipe occurring when a leading package edge of the first ready-to-fill package moving in the moving direction is positioned in the same vertical plane as the air supply pipe;
- and
- ending the activation of the particle removal after the second ready-to-fill package has passed the air supply pipe, the ending of the activation of the particle removal stopping the jet of air directed through the air supply pipe.
A machine for advancing blanks in a moving direction to produce filled packages, the machine comprising:
- a bottom sealing station at which bottoms of the blanks are sealed to result in ready-to-fill packages;
- a particle removal station at which particles are removed from the ready-to-fill packages, the particle removal station being located downstream of the bottom sealing station in the moving direction;
- a filling station at which the ready-to-fill packages are filled with contents, the filling station being located downstream of the particle removal station in the moving direction;
- the particle removal station comprising:
- an air supply pipe positioned to direct a jet of air into the ready-to-fill packages as the ready-to-fill packages pass the air supply pipe while moving in the moving direction,
- a controller configured to control air to the air supply pipe based on a position of the ready-to-fill packages relative to the air supply pipe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.