Device for opening a tubular bag and its application

Abstract

Device for opening a tubular bag with a blade attached to an inserting tube, wherein the blade is equipped with at least one edge for lancing the tubular bag and with at least one edge for cutting the tubular bag and the shape of the blade is aligned to the inner wall of the outlet for the material contained in the bag.

1 . Device for opening a tubular bag comprising 
 A) an inserting tube with an opening adapted to face a tubular bag at one end and an outlet connected to it at the other end via a flow channel for material contained in the tubular bag,    B) a blade fitted to the inserting tube,    C) wherein the blade is equipped with at least one pointed tip for lancing the tubular bag and with at least one edge connected to the pointed tip for cutting the tubular bag and wherein    D) the shape of the blade conforms to that of the inner wall of the outlet for the material contained in the tubular bag.    
   
   
       2 . Device according to  claim 1 , wherein the blade has the shape of a part of a cylinder wall.  
   
   
       3 . Device according to  claim 1 , wherein the blade has the form of three quarters of a cylinder wall.  
   
   
       4 . Device according to  claim 1 , wherein the blade has at least two pointed tips that are connected by a slanting or bent edge.  
   
   
       5 . Device according to  claim 1 , wherein the inserting tube is made of a sealing material and the blade is made of a sturdy material.  
   
   
       6 . Device according to  claim 5 , wherein the inserting tube is made of a thermoplastic resin and the blade is made of bent steel.  
   
   
       7 . Device according to  claim 5 , wherein the inserting tube is made of a thermoplastic resin and the blade is made of light metal.  
   
   
       8 . Device according to  claim 5 , wherein the inserting tube is made of a thermoplastic resin and the blade is made of ceramics.  
   
   
       9 . Device according to  claim 5 , wherein the inserting tube is made of a thermoplastic resin with an elastic modulus <=≦2000 MPa and the blade is made of a thermoplastic resin with an elastic modulus >=≧3000 MPa.  
   
   
       10 . Device according to  claim 1 , comprising at least one bar in the tube and a toothed wheel in the flow channel to prevent the tube from getting twisted when the tubular bag is being pierced or has been pierced and the device is engaged with the bag.  
   
   
       11 . Device according to  claim 1 , comprising at least one bar in the channel and a toothed wheel in the tube to prevent the tube from getting twisted when the tubular bag is being pierced or  3 has been pierced and the device is engaged with the bag.  
   
   
       12 . Method of opening a tubular bag with device of  claim 1 , wherein a piece of the tubular bag is cut and remains partially connected with the bag and is placed by the product flow at the wall of the outlet channel.  
   
   
       13 . Device according to  claim 1  disposed as a sealing plug for the outlet to which the blade is attached at the side facing the tubular bag.  
   
   
       14 . Device according to  claim 13 , wherein the plug comprises a separate sealing element for sealing the outlet.  
   
   
       15 . Device according to  claim 13 , wherein the plug or the sealing element are made of a sealing material and the blade is made of a sturdy material.  
   
   
       16 . Process for the manufacture of preopened and resealed tubular bags wherein a tubular bag is pierced in the area of its outlet channel with the device of  claim 1  before delivery and is resealed until application by a sealing plug inserted in the device.  
   
   
       17 . Process according to  claim 16 , wherein a piece of the tubular bag is punched out and removed before the sealing plug is inserted.