EP2125573A1

EP2125573A1 - Pack for cigarettes and method and device for producing packs

Info

Publication number: EP2125573A1
Application number: EP08707080A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Henry Buse; Viktor Hein
Original assignee: Focke and Co GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Focke and Co GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2007-02-22
Filing date: 2008-01-17
Publication date: 2009-12-02
Anticipated expiration: 2028-01-17
Also published as: WO2008101571A1; EP2125573B1; DE502008002876D1; DE102007009251A1; ATE501957T1

Abstract

An inner blank (40) that is initially formed in one piece and is processed in this form is used for the production of (cigarette) packs comprising a box part (11) and a lid (12), which are completely separate from each other, wherein the lid (12) is displaceable in relation to the box part (11). The inner blank (40) forms on the one hand a collar (33) and on the other hand a sliding tab (30). After completion of an inner pack by processing the inner blank (40), the sliding tab (30) and the collar (33) are separated from each other by means of a separating cutter (60).

Description

Pack for cigarettes and method and apparatus for producing packs

description

The invention relates to a pack of rigid packaging material, in particular of thin cardboard, for a group of objects, in particular cigarettes, consisting of a box part, a separate lid and a collar, wherein the displaceable on a free part of the collar cover a connector or a Sliding tab has to limit the movements of the lid relative to the box part. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for producing packages and to a device.

A pack with box part, sliding lid, collar and connector or sliding lug is known from EP 1 466 844 A1. The lid is first moved upward to open and can be folded in the area of an end position to the back. The sliding latch is adhesively bonded to a lid rear wall and slidable in a region defined by mutual stops between the pack or box back wall and the contents of the package. Attached to the sliding flap stop tabs come in the upper end position of the lid to rest against counter-attacks of the collar, namely on the same guide tabs.

In particular, the invention relates to measures that enable production of such packages on efficient packaging machines.

The invention is accordingly based on the object, the package, the method for producing the same and the device for this form so that the Fertigungsund folding steps are simplified and can be implemented by machine.

To solve this problem, the package according to the invention is characterized in that collar and sliding tab made of a one-piece blank, namely inner cut, formed and separated during the manufacture of the pack by separating cut.

Due to the design of the package, this consists of only two blanks during the production phase determining the performance. These are designed so that processing by folding units or folding turrets known in principle is possible. In particular, the inner blank according to the invention is designed so that it can be folded around the package contents in a manner comparable to a conventional folding box. The necessary separation for the function in the region of the inner blank to form the collar on the one hand and the sliding tab on the other hand is effected before the completion of the pack by appropriate separating cut.

In the method according to the invention, the procedure is initially such that the inner blank comprising collar and sliding flap is folded around the package contents - cigarette block - in the region of a first folding unit or folding turret and then the separating cut is carried out to separate collar and sliding tab. The consisting of cigarette block, collar and sliding inner pack is then fed to a second folding unit, in particular folding turret for wrapping in an outer cut, the box part and lid forms.

The device according to the invention therefore consists essentially of two folding units, in particular two largely matching folding turrets with the additional units, in particular with a substantially known cutting unit. A first folding turret is used to process the inner blank to produce an inner pack. A second folding turret processes the likewise one-piece outer cut.

Further details of the package, the manufacturing method and the device will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings. It shows:

1 shows a spread blank, namely outer cut for a pack, FIG. 2 shows a second spread blank, namely inner blank, FIG. 3 shows an intermediate product of a pack with inner blank, namely an inner pack in perspective view, FIG. 4 shows the package in the closed position, also in perspective, FIG. 5 shows the package according to FIG. 4 with the lid partially open in rear view, FIG. 6 shows the package according to FIG. 4 with the lid open in front view, FIG. 7 shows the sequence of production a pack according to FIG. 4 in a schematic, perspective flow diagram,

8 shows a part of an apparatus for producing packages according to FIG. 4 in FIG

9 shows a first production section, namely the attachment of the inner blank, in a perspective flow chart, FIG. 10 shows a transfer section for (inner) packages as an intermediate product, likewise as a perspective flow chart,

11 shows a section Xl of FIG. 10 on an enlarged scale, FIG. 12 shows a second production region, namely for the attachment of the outer blank, as a schematic flow diagram, FIG. 13 shows a transfer path for finished packages as a schematic flow diagram.

It is about the manufacture of packs, in particular cigarette packs made of thin cardboard or similar packaging material, the peculiarity of the pack is that due to the structure and / or operation within the pack at least two cooperating when opening and closing the pack, from each other separate, so separate blanks are arranged.

The package 10 shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 is a modified cigarette pack of the hinged lid type. In the basic structure it consists of a lower packing part, namely box part 11 and an upper packing part, namely a cover 12. These packing parts are separated from one another in the finished packing. Box part 11 and cover 12 are delimited from each other at about half the height of the pack by a dividing line 13 running around it. Both packing parts 11 and 12 form closing edges 14, 15 running around, facing each other and when the package is closed (FIG. 4).

The lower box part 11 consists of a large box front wall 16, an opposite box rear wall 17 and two narrow box side walls 18 arranged between them. These consist of two each Covering and interconnected by gluing box side tabs 20, 21. The box part 11 also includes a lower bottom wall 19th

The cover 12 accordingly consists of the cover front wall 22, the cover rear wall 23 and the cover side walls 24, the latter of cover side tabs 26, 27. An end wall 25 is provided as the upper end.

The cover 17 is displaceable relative to the box part 1 1, such that the closing edges 14, 15 are spaced from each other (FIG. 5). In an upper end position, the cover 12 can be pivoted into a rearwardly inclined position (FIG. 6). In this open position the free access to the contents of the package is guaranteed. This preferably consists of a group of cigarettes, which is surrounded by an inner sheath 28 to form a cigarette block 29.

Within the package 10 are arranged organs for guiding the lid 12 and for limiting the movement relative to the box part 11. It is a piece of material which is connected to the cover 12 and is displaceable between the package contents and the box part 11 during the movements of the cover 12. The piece of material is a sliding tab 30, which is arranged in the rear region of the pack 10. A cover piece 12 facing tab piece 31 is connected to the lid rear wall 23 by gluing on the inside thereof. A lower T-shaped trained area of the sliding latch 30 serves to limit the movement of the lid 12. For this purpose, at least one stop tab 32 is attached to the sliding latch 30, which rests in an upper end position of the lid 12 on a counter-stop. The stop tabs 32 arranged here on both sides extend through corresponding angles in the area of the box side walls 18.

A further component of the pack 10 is a collar 33 which is formed in a special manner. This collar consists of a collar front wall 34 with collar tabs 35 on both sides. The collar front wall 34 is dimensioned such that it lies in the region of the front side of the pack 10 extends to the bottom wall 19 of the box part 11. At the bottom of the collar front wall 34 is a collar bottom 36 which rests on a corresponding fold on the bottom wall 19 of the box part 1 1. The collar tabs 35 extend in the area of the box side walls 18 and in the region of the lid side walls 18. Side walls 24. In a lower region, the collar tabs 35 are formed with a smaller width than the respective side walls of the package. In an upper region close to the collar tabs 35 lateral guide tabs 37 at. These are folded at the correct position pack against the back of the cigarette block 29 (Fig. 3) or against the pack contents or the cigarette block 29 adjacent sliding tab 30. In the upper end position of the lid 12 are the stop tabs 32 with a portion of an edge 38th on a downwardly directed opposite edge 39 of the guide tabs 37 at.

A special feature is that two pack parts with different functions, namely collar 33 on the one hand and sliding lug 30 on the other hand are combined to form a common blank, namely an inner blank 40 corresponding to FIG. 2. This is designed such that the sliding lug 30 in the region of a folding edge 41 of the collar bottom 36 connects to the collar 33. This is provided in the region of the collar bottom 36 with lateral collar corner tabs 42, which rest on the inside of the collar bottom 36 when the inner blank 40 is completely folded (FIG. 3). The collar-corner tabs 42 are separated by punching cuts 43 from the collar bottom 36. Immediately following the collar corner tabs 42 are the laterally directed stop tabs 32, which are delimited by the L-shaped punched cut 43 from the adjacent collar corner tabs 42.

The inner blank 40 thus formed is folded around the contents of the cup like a cup (FIG. 3). For the function of the collar 33 on the one hand and the sliding latch 30 on the other hand, these parts of the inner panel 40 must be separated from each other. For this purpose, a transverse separating cut 44 is applied, which is guided parallel to the folding edge 41 parallel to this over the full width of the sliding latch 30. The separating cut 44 is thus mounted (slightly) above the collar bottom 36 (FIG. 3). The distance of the separating cut 44 corresponds at least to the thickness of two layers of the packing material. The stop tabs 32 are arranged at a distance of preferably about 2 mm from the collar bottom 36.

The package unit prepared in accordance with FIG. 3, namely the inner package 73, is subsequently wrapped in the outer panel 45 for the (outer) package 10, namely in a blank according to FIG. 1. This is provided with a dividing line 46 approximately in a central region. The outer panel 45 shown in FIG. 1 is initially as an inner package processed until the production of the complete package 10. Then the outer panel 45 is severed to form the box part 11 and lid 12 in the region of the dividing line 46.

A special feature is the process for producing the packaging 10 consisting of the blanks according to FIG. 1, FIG. 2. In essence, two packaging machines or packers 47, 48 are brought together to form a production-related inner packing 73, wherein the packers 47, 48 largely coincide and conventional packaging machines for the production of folding boxes / hinged lid packs. An example of such a folding unit with folding turret and cutting unit can be found in EP 0 791 539.

The packers 47, 48 are arranged in conjunction with other machines and units so that a schematically shown in Fig. 7 manufacturing process is given. The separately produced package contents, namely the cigarette blocks 29, are transported along a first conveying path, namely along a block path 49 and inserted in the radial direction into a first folding turret 50 of the packer 47 for the inner blank 40. A special feature consists in that the cigarette blocks 29 are transported with their front side facing downwards, ie with a downwardly facing flap 51 for opening the cigarette block 29.

In the region of the folding turret 50, the inner blank 40 is prepared by partial folding for receiving the package contents. The folding turret 50 has, for this purpose, a plurality of pockets 52 arranged along the circumference. In each of these, an inner blank 40 is introduced in a basically known manner, namely by a puncture 53. This grasps in each case an inner blank 40 prepared above a pocket 52 to be loaded in the region of a blank part, in this case in the region of the collar front wall 34 of the punch 53 with inner blank 40, it passes into the pocket 52, wherein several folding steps occur during the entry. Thus, the lateral collar tabs 35 together with guide tabs 37 are aligned. Furthermore, a leg is erected on the radially inner side, which consists of the collar bottom 36 and the sliding latch 30. At the same time, the collar corner tabs 42 are folded against the inside of the collar bottom 36. The folding turret 50 and the pockets 52 are preferably designed approximately in the sense of EP 0 869 065. In the region of a push-in station 54, the cigarette blocks 29 are inserted into respectively one associated pocket 52 and into the partially folded inner cut 40 (FIG. 9). Upon further transport through the folding turret 50, the upright leg, namely the sliding tab 30 is folded as part of the inner panel 40 against the top of the package contents.

On the side opposite the insertion station 54 side of the folding turret 50, the inner packs 73 of the package contents and partially folded inner blank 40, so inner packs 73, are pushed out and transferred to an intermediate web 55. In the area of the same, the guide tabs 37 are folded from the erected position against the package contents or against the sliding tab 30. Furthermore, the stop tab 32 are folded over, namely against side surfaces, namely against the collar tabs 35. Thus, the inner blank 40 is finished folded. The formed inner pack 73 is transferred to a turning member, namely a transfer turret 56. This is provided with four receptacles 57 for each inner pack 73. The transfer turret 56 which rotates in an upright plane, ie about a horizontal axis, receives the inner packings 73 with the downwardly directed receptacle 57. After half a turn, the inner packings 73 are pushed out of the upwardly directed receptacle 57 in an axially parallel direction, ie on a higher, offset plane. The transfer turret 56 also has the task of turning the inner packings 73 by 180 ° so that subsequently the inner packs 73 are transported with the collar front wall 34 facing upwards.

The inner packs 73 now pass into a transverse path 58, in the region of which the inner packs 73 are transported with transversely oriented longitudinal extent. The inner packs 73 arrive at the end of the cross track 58 in an upright packing tower 59, which lowers the superimposed inner packs 73 in a lower level. During transport in a transversely directed position, that is to say in the region of the transverse web 58, the separating cut 44 is made at a slight distance above the collar bottom 36. The inner pack 73 is positioned so that the sliding latch 30 is directed downwards. For example, a fixed separating knife 60 in the region of the transverse web 58 performs the separating cut 44 due to relative movement of the inner pack 73 relative to the separating knife 60. Alternatively, a relative to the inner packaging 73 movable separating knife are used, for example, at the bottom of the packing tower 59, so that the separating cut 44 is carried out before the inner packs 73 leave the packing tower 59.

During transport of the inner packs 73 and also within the pack tower 59, the folding laps, which are preferably not glued together, are fixed in the position of the inner pack 73. In the packing tower 59, moreover, the stop tabs 32 are folded over against the collar tabs 35 and fixed in this position during the further transport.

Parallel to the block track 49 and to the intermediate track 55, but in the reverse conveying direction, the inner pack 73 are now fed along a feed track 61 in the region of the second packer 48 to a second folding turret 62. This is constructed in a similar manner as the folding turret 50. In the area of a loading station, a spread outer cut 45 is respectively grasped by a punch 63 and introduced by downward movement into a pocket 64 of the folding turret 62. The outer panel 45 is also partially folded upon insertion into a pocket 64. The pocket 64 is formed so that the area of the box back wall and the lid rear wall 23 are caught by the punch 63 and pressed against a bottom of the pocket 64. An existing from bottom wall 19 and box front wall 16 region of the outer panel 45 is erected. Likewise, the box side flaps 20, 21 and lid side flaps 26, 27 are erected laterally.

In the outer preform 45 thus preformed, the inner package 73 is inserted in the region of a feed station 65. During the subsequent rotational movement of the folding turret - as in the production of a conventional folding box - box part 11 and cover 12 completed, except for the outer box side tabs 21 and lid side tabs 27. These are in a subsequent to the folding turret 62 packing web 66th glued on its underside in the region of a glue unit 74 and folded against the already folded inner side flaps 20, 26 and so connected to these.

The basically finished packs 10 now pass into a drying turret 67 and are then transported along a transfer path 68 of a film wrapping machine (not shown). shows) supplied for attaching an outer wrapper made of foil. In the area of the transfer path 68, the outer cut 45 is severed along the parting line 46. The packing side having this parting line 46 is directed upwards, so that the separation is carried out by means of a separating knife 69 arranged above the transfer path 68 due to the relative movement of the packs 10 transported in a transverse position. In a subsequent test station 70, the package parts are moved apart, namely box part 11 and cover 12 and back to the closed position to check the operability of the package. The subsequent film wrapping machine is formed in the usual way.

Method and apparatus enable the introduction of package items, eg. In the case of a positioning of a coupon 71 within the pack at the front between the collar front wall 34 and the cigarette block 29, the coupon 71 is inserted in the area of a coupon station 72 into a pocket 52 of the first revolving turret 50 , in the already partially folded inner panel 40. The coupon 71 is located on top of the collar front wall 34 before the cigarette block 29 is inserted. As a result, in the finished package 10, the coupon 71 is positioned between the collar 33 and the cigarette block 29.

The layout of the installation, which is shown in particular in FIG. 7, can also be designed in another way. The present arrangement with the parallel tracks for transporting the inner packages 73 or packages in a substantially rectangular field is also advantageous in terms of monitoring and maintenance.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10 pack of 47 packers

11 box part 48 packer

12 cover 49 block track

13 Dividing line 50 Folding turret

14 closing edge 51 flap

15 closing edge 52 pocket

16 box front wall 53 stamp

17 box back wall 54 insertion station

18 box sidewall 55 intermediate track

19 bottom wall 56 transfer turret

20 box side tabs 57 recording

21 box side lobes 58 cross track

22 Lid front wall 59 Packing tower

23 Lid rear wall 60 Cutting knife

24 Lid sidewall 61 Feed track

25 front wall 62 folding turret

26 lid side tabs 63 punches

27 Lid Lid 64 Pocket

28 inner sheath 65 feeding station 9 cigarette block 66 packing lane

30 sliding flap 67 dry turret

31 tab piece 68 transfer line

32 stop tab 69 cutting knife

33 Collar 70 Test station 4 Collar front wall 71 Coupon 5 Collar tabs 72 Coupon station 6 Collar bottom 73 Inner pack 7 Guide lugs 74 Glue aggregate 8 Edge 9 Counter edge 0 Inner cut 1 Fold edge 2 Collar corner lobes 3 Punch cut 4 Cut cut 5 Outside cut 6 Dividing line

Claims

claims

1. Pack of rigid packaging material, in particular of thin cardboard, for a group of articles, in particular cigarettes, consisting of a box part (1 1), a separate cover (12) and a collar (33), wherein on a free part of the Collar (33) slidable cover (12) has a connecting piece or a sliding lug (30) for limiting the movements of the lid (12) relative to the box part (11), characterized in that sliding lug (30) and collar (33) consists of a one-piece blank, namely an inner blank (40) and during the manufacture of the pack (10) are separated by a separation cut.

2. A package according to claim 1, characterized in that the separating cut in the region of a folding edge (41) between the sliding flap (30) and a collar bottom (36) is mounted, in particular at a small distance from the folding edge (41) above folding flaps in the area of the collar bottom (36).

3. A package according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the collar (33) as part of the inner blank (40) in extension of lateral collar tabs (35) collar corner tabs (42), which in folded inner blank (40) on the Lying inside the collar bottom (36).

4. A method for producing packages of rigid packaging material, in particular made of thin cardboard, for a group of objects, in particular cigarettes, consisting of a box part (11), a separate cover (12) and a collar (33), wherein on a free part of the collar (33) displaceable De- disgust (12) has a connecting piece or a sliding latch (30) for limiting the movements of the lid (12) relative to the box part (1 1), characterized by the following features: a) one of the collar (33) and the sliding latch (30) existing one-piece inner blank (40) is folded around the package contents, in particular around a cigarette block (29), in particular to form an approximately cup-shaped enclosure of the cigarette block (29), b) Collar (33) and sliding tab (30) are then by a transversely directed

Separation section (44) separated from each other, c) thereafter, the inner package (73) thus formed with unchanged relative position of collar (33) and sliding tab (30) in an outer cut (45) wrapped.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that the separating cut (44) during transport of the inner pack (73) is carried out, in particular by a stationary separating knife (60) in the region of a transverse web (58) in transverse alignment of the cuboidal inner packs (73). ,

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized by the following features:

a) the contents of the package, in particular cigarette blocks (29), are fed at intervals from one another to a first folding unit, in particular a first folding turret (50), b) in the region of the first folding turret (50) is a one-piece inner blank (40) consisting of a collar (33) and sliding lug (40) folded around the package contents, c) following the folding turret (50), the inner packages (73) thus formed are turned by 180 °, such that the collar (33), which is initially directed downwards, moves (d) the separating cut (44) is then made to separate the collar (33) and the sliding tab (30), e) the inner packs (73) are then fed to a second folding turret (62) and into an outer cutout in the area thereof (e) 45) wrapped to form a package (10) with box part (11) and cover (12), f) the first one-piece outer cut (45) is in the region of a parting line (46) to form non-interconnected S chatchet (11) and lid (12) severed.

7. The method according to claim 4 or one of the further claims, characterized in that between the package contents, in particular cigarette block (29) on the one hand and collar (33) on the other hand a print carrier or coupon (71) is arranged, which in the region of the first folding turret (50 ) is introduced after a partial folding of Innenzu- section (40) in this or in a pocket (52) of the folding turret (50) and placed on the inside of the collar (33).

8. The method according to claim 4 or one of the further claims, characterized by the following features:

a) the inner blanks (40) are directed with the collar (33) and a collar front wall (34) directed downwards into a pocket (52) of the folding turret (50), such that the collar front wall (34) b) the cigarette blocks (29) are fed with the front face pointing downwards, in particular with the flap (51) pointing downwards, to the folding turret (50) or a pocket (52) of the same, such that the downwardly facing front of the cigarette block (29) rests against the inside of the collar front wall (34) in the pocket (52).

9. The method according to claim 4 or one of the further claims, characterized in that on lateral collar tabs (35) of the collar (33) arranged guide tabs (37) during ejection of the inner package (73) from the (first) Faltrevolver (50) in a subsequent intermediate web (55) against the upwardly directed slide lug (30) are folded.

10. The method according to claim 4 or one of the further claims, characterized in that the inner packages (73) after their completion by an endless conveyor, in particular by a transfer turret (56) due to a transport ports along a half turn by 180 ° are turned and in particular on a corresponding to the diameter of the transfer turret (56) increased level of a subsequent transverse web (58) are passed.

11. The method according to claim 10 or one of the further claims, characterized in that the turned inner packages (73) following the transverse web (58) in an upright packing tower (59) are introduced, the packages (10) by downward movement on the Level of the subsequent feed conveyor to a second folding turret (62) promotes downward, preferably in the region of the packing tower (59) folding tabs of the sliding latch (30) are folded, namely stop tabs (32).

12. The method according to claim 4 or one of the further claims, characterized in that the one-piece outer cut (45) in the region of a second

Folding turret (62) is folded around the inner package (73), wherein the one-piece outer panel (45) is inserted into a pocket (64) of the folding turret (62) such that a box rear wall (17) and a lid rear wall (23 ) abut against a bottom of the pocket (64).

13. The method according to claim 4 or one of the further claims, characterized in that the box part (11) and cover (12) of the (outer) pack (10) in the region of a transfer line (58) for transferring the packs (10) to a Packers for attaching an outer sheath are separated from each other, in particular by a stationary separating knife (69) above the transfer path (68) in transversely directed transport position of the cuboid packs (10).

14. The method according to claim 13 or one of the further claims, characterized in that after the separation of the box part (11) and cover (12) in the region of a test station (70) box part (11) and cover (12) are moved relative to each other, namely at a distance from each other and back to the closed position.

15. A device for producing packages of rigid packaging material, in particular of thin cardboard, for a group of objects, in particular cigarettes, consisting of a box part (11), a separate cover (12) and a collar (33), wherein on a free part of the collar (33) sliding cover (12) has a connecting piece or a sliding latch (30) for limiting the movements of the lid (12) relative to the box part (1 1), characterized by the following features: a) an integral inner blank (40) consisting of a sliding tab (30) and a collar (33) in the region of a first packer (47) to a package contents, in particular around a cigarette block (29), foldable, b) in the region of inner packagings (73) formed on the first packer (47) can be fed to a second packer (48) along a transverse transverse web (58), c) in the region of the second packer (48) is an integral outer cutout (45) around the inner pack (73) foldable, d) the packs (10) thus formed can be fed to another packer for attaching an outer wrapper.

16. The device according to claim 15, characterized in that the two packers (47, 48) are aligned parallel to each other, with a distance from each other, such that the inner packs (73) or packages (10) in opposite directions through the first packer ( 47) or through the second packer (48) are conveyed through.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 or 16, characterized in that each packer (47, 48) is equipped with a folding turret (50, 62).