Application Device and Method for Applying Additional Elements in an Application Direction

Abstract

Described and depicted is an application device for applying additional elements, in particular straws, to packages, preferably cardboard composite packages, having at least one transport device for transporting the packages along a transport track and having at least one application apparatus comprising at least one applicator for applying the additional elements to the package, wherein the applicator is provided on the application apparatus to be adjustable from a pick-up position for picking up the additional elements to an application position for applying the additional elements to the packages and back. So that less constructive and technical effort relating to the method is required for the application of the additional elements in different orientations, it is provided that the at least one application apparatus, as a result of an adjustment, in particular of the applicator, overlapping with the adjustment of the applicator from the pick-up position to the application position, is designed for picking up the additional elements in a pick-up orientation in space by the applicator and for applying the additional elements in an application orientation inclined from the pick-up orientation in space by the applicator.

1 . An application device for applying additional elements, in particular straws, to packages, preferably cardboard composite packages, having at least one transport device for transporting the packages along a transport track and having at least one application apparatus comprising at least one applicator for applying the additional elements to the package, wherein the applicator is provided on the application apparatus to be adjustable from a pick-up position for picking up the additional elements, to an application position for applying the additional elements to the packages and back, wherein
 the at least one application apparatus, as a result of an adjustment, in particular of the applicator, overlapping with the adjustment of the applicator from the pick-up position to the application position, is designed for picking up the additional elements in a pick-up orientation in space by the applicator and for applying the additional elements in an application orientation inclined from the pick-up orientation in space by the applicator and wherein the at least one applicator is associated with a control device for controlling the adjustment of the applicator between the pick-up orientation and the application orientation,   characterised in that   the control device is designed for the forced adjustment of the applicator as a result of the adjustment of the applicator between the pick-up position and the application position and in that the at least one control device comprises at least one roller for rolling along on a control cam of the application apparatus when adjusting the applicator between the pick-up position and the application position.   
     
     
         2 . The application device according to  claim 1 ,
 characterised in that   the at least one applicator arranged on the application apparatus to be pivotable about a positioning pivoting axis from the pick-up position to the application position and back, in particular to be rotatable about a positioning axis of rotation.   
     
     
         3 . The application device according to  claim 1 ,
 characterised in that   the at least one applicator is arranged on the application apparatus to be pivotable about an orientation pivoting axis, or to be rotatable about an orientation axis of rotation from the pick-up orientation to the application orientation and back, and in that, preferably, the applicator is pivoted or rotated in the application orientation with respect to the pick-up orientation at least 10°, preferably at least 20°, in particular at least 30°, particularly preferably at least 40°.   
     
     
         4 . The application device according to  claim 3 ,
 characterised in that   the orientation pivoting axis or the orientation axis of rotation forms an angle of at least 20°, preferably at least 45°, in particular at least 70°, particularly preferably at least 80° with the positioning pivoting axis or the positioning axis of rotation.   
     
     
         5 . The application device according to  claim 1 ,
 characterised in that   the at least one applicator is associated with a holding section which is pivotably or rotatably held in the application apparatus for the pivotable or rotatable holding of the applicator from the pick-up orientation to the application orientation and back.   
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The application device according to  claim 1 ,
 characterised in that   the roller is connected to the applicator for pivoting or rotating the at least one applicator via at least one lever means.   
     
     
         8 . The application device according to  claim 1 ,
 characterised in that   a plurality of applicators, in particular forming an applicator wheel, is uniformly distributed around a common pivoting axis, in particular a common axis of rotation.   
     
     
         9 . The application device according to  claim 1 ,
 characterised in that   the at least one applicator comprises a spring-loaded application finger adjustable, in particular pivotable, in the direction of an additional element guide for guiding the additional element from the pick-up position to the application position and/or in the direction of a package, for at least partially receiving the additional element, for applying the additional element and/or for holding the additional element, in particular on the additional element guide, and/or in that the at least one applicator, in particular adjacent to the application finger, comprises a guide finger for guiding the additional element in an interlocking manner from the pick-up position to the application position, in particular along the additional element guide, and/or for picking up the additional element in the pick-up position in an interlocking manner.   
     
     
         10 . The application device according to  claim 1 ,
 characterised in that   at least one transportation belt, in particular comprising recesses or cams for interacting with packages, is provided for transporting the packages along the transport track and in that, preferably, the transportation belt is provided on the side of the packages facing away from the applicator.   
     
     
         11 . A method for applying additional elements, in particular straws, to packages, preferably cardboard composite packages, preferably by using an application device according to  claim 1 ,
 in which the additional elements arranged in an application orientation in space are picked up by at least one applicator in a pick-up position,   in which the additional elements are adjusted by an adjusting movement of the applicator from the pick-up position to the application position,   in which the additional elements are adjusted in space by an adjusting movement of an application apparatus, in particular the applicator, from the pick-up orientation to an application orientation, overlapping the adjustment of the applicator from the pick-up position to the application position,   in which the at least one applicator is forcibly adjusted from the pick-up orientation to the application orientation and back as a result of the adjustment of the applicator between the pick-up position and the application position by a control device, and   in which when adjusting the applicator, a roller of the control device rolls along on a control cam of the application apparatus and thus controls the adjustment of the applicator from the pick-up orientation to the application orientation.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 ,
 in which the additional elements are pivoted about a positioning pivoting axis, in particular rotated about a positioning axis of rotation by an adjusting movement of the at least one applicator from the pick-up position to the application position, and/or   in which the additional elements are pivoted by an adjusting movement of an application apparatus, in particular the applicator, from the pick-up orientation in space to an application orientation in space overlapping the adjustment of the applicator from the pick-up position to the application position about an alignment pivoting axis preferably engaging with the alignment pivoting axis at an angle of at least 20°, preferably at least 45°, in particular at least 70°, particularly preferably at least 80°, in particular pivoted by at least 10°, preferably at least 20°, in particular at least 30°, particularly preferably at least 40°.   
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 11 ,
 in which the additional element is at least partially received, is held, is guided along an additional element guide and/or applied to a package by a spring-loaded application finger and/or   in which the additional element is picked up by a guide finger in the pick-up position, held between the pick-up position and the application position, in particular together with the application finger and/or the additional element guide, and/or guided along the additional element guide.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 11 ,
 in which an applicator wheel comprising a plurality of applicators uniformly distributed around a common pivoting axis, in particular an axis of rotation is pivoted about the common pivoting axis, in particular rotated about the common axis of rotation.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 11 ,
 in which the packages transported by at least one transportation belt, comprising in particular recesses or cams interacting with packages, along a transport track adjacent to the application position of the at least one applicator.