Installation for packaging liquid doses in sealed bags and use thereof

Abstract

The invention concerns an installation for packaging liquid doses in sealed bags produced from a longitudinally open blown tubing, comprising a vertical frame, means for moving along said blown tubing, a pipe supplying said liquid, means for welding said opening, means for welding the opposite edges of said tubing beneath the end of said pipe and cutting means. A first welding and cutting station is arranged on either side of said pipe, to provide first weld seams and cuts, a second welding and cutting station is arranged beneath the end of said pipe to provide first weld seams and cuts, a second welding and cutting station is arranged beneath the end of said pipe to produce transverse weld seams to link the two adjacent ends of the first weld seams located on either side of said feeding pipe of two adjacent pairs of said first weld seams and to form cut-outs.

1 . An installation for packaging doses of liquid in sealed bags produced from a sheath (G) of a heat-sealable flexible material, open longitudinally, comprising a vertical framework (B) comprising means ( 50 ,  51 ,  74 - 77 ) for causing this sheath (G) to pass downward, a feed pipe ( 41 ) for said liquid entering said sheath (G) through said longitudinal opening, means ( 38 ,  39 ) for welding said longitudinal opening below the passage for said feed pipe ( 41 ) through said longitudinal opening, transverse welding means ( 68 ) for connecting the opposite longitudinal edges of said sheath (G) under the dispensing end of said feed pipe ( 41 ), and cutting means ( 42 ,  43 ,  72 ,  73 ) for separating the bags containing said doses from said sheath, characterized in that this installation comprises a first welding and cutting station ( 3 ), arranged on each side of said feed pipe ( 41 ) to form first welds and cuts on the outside of these first welds, a second welding and cutting station ( 4 ) below the end of said feed pipe ( 41 ) for forming transverse welds for connecting the two adjacent ends of the first welds situated on each side of said feed pipe of two adjacent pairs of said first welds and to form cuts on the outside of said transverse welds.  
     
     
         2 . The installation as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that said first and second welding and cutting stations ( 3 ,  4 ) each comprise at least two supports ( 11 ,  12 ;  59 - 62 ) arranged on each side of said sheath (G), means ( 13 ,  14 ;  47   a ,  47   b ) of guiding these supports ( 11 ,  12 ;  59 - 62 ) in a direction transverse to the movement of said sheath (G), actuating means ( 15 ,  16 ;  53 ,  54 ) for moving said supports ( 11 ,  12 ;  5962 ) along their respective guide means, in opposite directions to one another, to move them closer together or further apart, welding means ( 38 ,  39 ,  68 ,  69 ), cutting means ( 42 ,  43 ,  72 ,  73 ) and fixing means ( 21 - 24 ,  36 ,  100 ,  101 ) for connecting said welding ( 38 ,  39 ,  68 ,  69 ) and cutting ( 42 ,  43 ,  72 ,  73 ) means removably to said respective supports ( 11 ,  12 ;  59 - 62 ).  
     
     
         3 . The installation as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the supports ( 59 ,  60 ) of the cutting and welding means ( 69 ,  73 ) of said second welding and cutting station ( 4 ) situated on one side of said sheath (G) and the supports ( 61 ,  62 ) of the cutting and welding means ( 68 ,  72 ) of this same welding and cutting station ( 4 ) situated on the other side of said sheath (G) are each secured to an independent actuating member ( 63 - 66 ) for moving the supports ( 59 ,  60 ) arranged on one side of said sheath (G) and those ( 61 ,  62 ) arranged on the other side of this sheath (G) against each other and for parting them, and in that two sliding devices ( 57 ,  58 ) can be moved in two horizontal and mutually parallel paths, each of them being dynamically connected to two of said supports ( 59 ,  60 ,  61 ,  62 ) situated on the same side of said sheath (G), and are engaged with drive means (M 1 -M 4 ) for causing them to slide along said paths, in two opposite directions alternately, so as to alternately place said welding and cutting means respectively, in a determined working position with respect to said sheath (G).  
     
     
         4 . The installation as claimed in  claim 3 , characterized in that each of the two sliding devices ( 57 ,  58 ) dynamically connected to said respective supports ( 59 - 62 ) arranged on each side of said sheath (G), are secured to two respective sliding members ( 55 ,  56 ) mounted on guide means ( 47   a ,  47   b ) defining a horizontal path perpendicular to the paths of said sliding devices ( 57 ,  58 ), said sliding members each being engaged with drive means ( 53 ,  54 ) for alternately bringing them closer together or moving them further apart, means ( 74 - 77 ) for gripping said sheath (G) being secured to said sliding members ( 55 ,  56 ), the means ( 47   a ,  47   b ) for guiding these sliding members ( 55 ,  56 ) being secured to a chassis ( 47 ) engaged with vertical guidance and drive means ( 50 ,  51 ) to drive said chassis alternately downward and upward, the length of this travel being determined according to the vertical dimension of said sealed bags.  
     
     
         5 . The installation as claimed in  claim 3 , characterized in that the vertical position of the welding ( 38 ,  39 ) and cutting ( 42 ,  43 ) means of said first welding and cutting station is fixed during the packaging process, these welding ( 38 ,  39 ) and cutting ( 42 ,  43 ) means being vertically aligned on each side of said sheath (G) with a spacing corresponding to the spacing between two successive ones of said sealed bags.  
     
     
         6 . The installation as claimed in  claim 5 , characterized in that said welding ( 38 ,  39 ) and cutting ( 42 ,  43 ) means are secured to a common support ( 5 ) connected to said framework (B 2 ) by height-adjustment means ( 7 ,  70 ,  71 , VR) and means ( 10 ) of locking these adjusting means.  
     
     
         7 . The installation as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said welding means ( 38 ,  39 ,  68 ) consist of pulsed electrical heating means.  
     
     
         8 . The installation as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said welding means ( 68 ) comprise a mating support ( 69 ) associated with cooling means.  
     
     
         9 . An installation for packaging doses of liquid in sealed bags comprising a valve (V) formed by a passage formed between two thermoplastic films arranged inside said sheath at the location of each of said bags, running transversely to said sheath, and a pouch the end wall of which is adjacent to the entry to said passage of the valve (V) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises, upstream of said first welding and cutting station ( 3 ), a station ( 2 ) for introducing one end of a straw (P) into said passage in the valve (V), this station ( 2 ) comprising means ( 84 ) for piercing the end wall of said pouch adjacent to the entry to said passage in the valve (V) and means ( 82 ) for inserting one end of a straw (P) into the entry of said passage in the valve (V) and the remainder of said straw (P) into said pouch.  
     
     
         10 . The installation as claimed in  claim 9 , characterized in that said station ( 2 ) for introducing a straw (P) into said passage in the valve (V) comprises means ( 87 - 93 ) for flattening and clamping said sheath (G) on each side of said passage in the valve (V), a transfer disk ( 78 ) mounted to pivot and roughly coplanar with said flattened sheath (G), a multitude of radial housings ( 82   b ) for said straws (P), distributed at uniform angles over this transfer disk ( 78 ), an equivalent series of radial guide means ( 82 ) for said means ( 84 ) for piercing the end walls of said pouches, alternating with said housings ( 82   b ), means ( 80 ,  81 ) for moving said transfer disk ( 78 ) step by step in order in succession to bring a piercing member ( 84 ) and one of said radial housings ( 82   b ) into alignment with each of said passages in valves (V), and means ( 96 ) for moving said piercing member ( 84 ) and said straw (P) radially and alternately toward the outside of the transfer disk ( 78 ) when these items are respectively aligned with said passage in the valve (V).  
     
     
         11 . The use of the installation as claimed in one of the preceding claims for the packaging, by continuous filling, of said sheath (G) with said liquid at the same time as performing the steps of welding and cutting the periphery of said bags.