AU2012100918A4 - Improved Liquid Packaging System and Device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a mobile clean room packaging system 10 having an apparatus 1 to package water or other liquids into a flexible package, said apparatus ejecting said sealed package characterised in that a conveyor 15 receives the output of said apparatus 10 and directs said output to a location remote from said apparatus. Figure 2 N Ne LLI 0u z 00c IDo LUn -Jm Co Ln '-Im 0- N N0 rq r'-I

Description

1 Improved liquid packaging system and device Field of the invention [001] The present invention relates to packaging machines which package products such as water into flexible plastic containers for use with animal caging systems, etc. Background of the invention [002] Illustrated in Figure 1 is a machine 1 known as the (trade mark) machine. The machine 1 has a packaging system such as that described in US Patents 6983721 and 7866280. The packaging system is enclosed in a cabinet having doors 3 and 4 which rotate in the horizontal plane about vertically oriented side mounted hinges. The output of the machine 2 falls into containers 6 and 7. The Hydropac machine 1 is also mounted on castors so that packaging can be completed in a clean room environment. [003] Any reference herein to known prior art does not, unless the contrary indication appears, constitute an admission that such prior art is commonly known by those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, at the priority date of this application. Summary of the invention [004] The present invention provides a mobile clean room packaging system having an apparatus to package water or other liquids into a flexible package, the apparatus ejecting the sealed package characterised in that a conveyor receives the output of the apparatus and directs the output to a location remote from the apparatus. [005] The apparatus can include doors or guards to enclose the apparatus to prevent access by an operator. [006] The conveyor can be located below the apparatus in the vicinity thereof prevents access to the apparatus by the operator. [007] The conveyor can include an up ramp to deposit the output of the apparatus into containers located at table height. [008] The doors or guards can be of a length and location relative to the conveyor so as to enclose the apparatus operating area.

2 Brief description of the drawings [009] An embodiment or embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [010] Figure 1 is illustrates a photograph of a Hydropac machine of the prior art; [011] Figure 2 illustrates a front view of an improved packaging apparatus; [012] Figure 3 illustrates a left side view of the apparatus of Figure 2; and [013] Figure 4 illustrates an upper perspective view of the apparatus of Figures 2 and 3. Detailed description of the embodiment or embodiments [014] Illustrated in Figures 2 to 4 is a clean room packaging machine 10 which is mounted on wheels to allow it to be mobile. The machine 10 has a pouch making machine 2 included in the upper portion thereof which is located in a cabinet 20 having a solid upper surface 21 and solid sides 22 and 23. The expression "solid" is used to indicate that there are no openings in them. [015] The machine 10 includes a conveyor 15, which is of a generally Z or S shape configuration having a horizontal portion 16, an angled portion 17 and a second horizontal portion 18 as illustrated in Figure 2. The horizontal portion 16 is positioned directly under the pouch making machine 2 to so as to receive the pouches which are ejected therefrom. As illustrated best in Figure 2 the horizontal section 16 has its upper portion spaced from the lowest most edge 19 of the guards 11, 12 and 13. This spacing is sufficient to allow a package to pass along the conveyor and out of the machine confines. [016] Access to the pouch making machine 2 is from the front and such access is blocked by means of guards 11, 12 and 13 which are hingedly connected to the sides 22 and 23. The packages or pouches which exit the machine are of a relatively low height of approximately 20mm to 40mm. This package height requires that the top of the conveyor must clear the lower edge 14 by this distance to allow the package to pass under the edge 14. The upper surface of the conveyor would require this clearance as illustrated in Figure 2, as the conveyor must allow the package to be brought to a location remote from the package or pouch making machine 2. Accordingly, a front 3 guard or cover plate 29 can be placed on the side of the conveyor to prevent complete access by an operator. Even a clearance of some 30 or 40mm might allow an operator to have their fingers or part of their hand inserted into the area of the pouch making machine 2. So as to avoid this, such a cover 29 can be placed on the conveyor's side making such access either difficult or impossible. [017 The angle portion 17 raises the package on the conveyor up to the level of the second horizontal portion 18 to a height of approximately 1.5 meters so that boxes can be placed under the horizontal portion 18 to receive packages falling from the horizontal portion 18. This allows the operator to be operating in an upright position to handle the boxes and to lift the boxes onto trolleys or the like for use with animal caging systems. [018] As can be seen from Figures 3 and 4 the guard or cover plate 29 of the conveyor is present and the height of this side plate can be, in the region of the first horizontal portion 16, selected so that the guards 11, 12 and 13 and the side plates 29 enclose the operating area of the pouch making machine 2 and to prevent access to this area by operators. [019] Illustrated in Figures 2 to 4 the conveyor 15 is illustrated as moving the pouch product, which is ejected from the machine 2, to the right hand side of the unit 10. It will be readily understood that the conveyor can be assembled so as to move the product to the left hand side or be positioned so that the pouch product is ejected by the conveyor in the forward direction relative to the machine, being in the direction of arrow 30 in Figure 3. [020] Whilst a conveyor having two horizontal portions and an angle portion 17 is described it will be understood that a horizontal section 16 which extends at the same height all the way across to the dropping point will be an improvement upon the Hydropac pouch making machine of the prior art of Figure 1. [021] Where ever it is used, the word "comprising" is to be understood in its "open" sense, that is, in the sense of "including", and thus not limited to its "closed" sense, that is the sense of "consisting only of'. A corresponding meaning is to be attributed to the corresponding words "comprise", "comprised" and "comprises" where they appear.

4 [022] It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the invention. [023] While particular embodiments of this invention have been described, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments and examples are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all modifications which would be obvious to those skilled in the art are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

Claims (5)

1. A mobile clean room packaging system having an apparatus to package water or other liquids into a flexible package, said apparatus ejecting said sealed package characterised in that a conveyor receives the output of said apparatus and directs said output to a location remote from said apparatus.

2. A system as claimed in claims wherein said apparatus includes doors or guards to enclose said apparatus to prevent access by an operator.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the conveyor is located below the apparatus in the vicinity thereof prevents access to the apparatus by the operator.

4. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the conveyor includes an up ramp to deposit the output of said apparatus into containers located at table height.

5. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the doors or guards are of a length and location relative to said conveyor so as to enclose the apparatus operating area.