Method and device for filling bags
A device and a method for filling bags with products, wherein the bags have an opening via which the bags are each filled with at least one product, wherein walls of the bag are spaced apart from one another in the region of the opening in order to introduce the at least one product into the bag via the opening, and wherein, after the walls are spaced apart and before the at least one product is supplied, holding elements are introduced into the bag through the opening in order to hold the open bag in the region of the opening. At least some holding elements have at least one shaping element against which a wall of the bag bears in each case such that the material of the wall is preferably plastically deformed in order to hold the wall on the respective holding element via the respective shaping element.
1 . A method for filling bags ( 10 ) with products ( 11 ), wherein the bags ( 10 ) have an opening ( 28 ) via which the bags are each filled with at least one product ( 11 ), and wherein walls ( 20 , 21 ) of the bag ( 10 ) are spaced apart from one another in the region of the opening ( 28 ) in order to introduce the at least one product ( 11 ) into the bag ( 10 ) via the opening ( 28 ), and wherein, after the walls ( 20 , 21 ) are spaced apart and before the at least one product ( 11 ) is supplied, holding elements ( 24 , 25 ) are introduced into the bag ( 10 ) through the opening ( 28 ) in order to hold an upper wall ( 20 ) of the open bag ( 10 ) in the region of the opening ( 28 ), while a lower wall ( 21 ) is held by a bottom plate ( 23 ) that protrudes into the bag ( 10 ), wherein the holding elements ( 24 , 25 ) each have at least one shaping element ( 26 ) with a hemispherical or dome-shaped bulge ( 27 ) against which the upper wall ( 20 ) of the bag ( 10 ) bears in each case such that the material of the wall ( 20 ) is deformed in order to hold the upper wall ( 20 ) on the respective holding element ( 24 , 25 ) via the respective shaping element ( 26 ), and wherein the holding elements ( 24 , 25 ) are arranged pivotably on a holder ( 39 ), on which a suction element is also mounted.
2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the material of the upper wall ( 20 ) is deformed such that the upper wall ( 20 ) is held on the respective shaping element ( 26 ).
3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the opening ( 28 ) of the bag ( 10 ) is enlarged by corresponding movement of at least one holding element, wherein the upper wall ( 20 ) of the bag ( 10 ) slides over the shaping elements ( 26 ) until the deformation ( 43 ) of the upper wall ( 20 ) is carried out by the at least one shaping element ( 26 ) while the bag ( 10 ) is correspondingly open.
4 . The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the at least one shaping element ( 26 ) bears against the upper wall ( 20 ) such that the deformation ( 43 ) takes place at a distance from an edge ( 44 ) of the upper wall ( 20 ) of the bag ( 10 ).
5 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the initial spacing of the walls ( 20 , 21 ) of the bag ( 10 ) is carried out by means of at least one suction element, which acts on the outside of the upper wall ( 20 ) to be spaced and opens the bag ( 10 ), wherein it can be provided for the upper wall ( 20 ) of the bag ( 10 ) not to be clamped between the suction element and the holding element.
6 . The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the at least one suction element is deactivated and/or disengaged after the initial spacing of the walls ( 20 , 21 ) of the bag ( 10 ), so that the bag ( 10 ) continues to be held in the open position only by the holding elements ( 24 , 25 ).
7 . A device for filling bags ( 10 ) with products ( 11 ), the device having holding elements ( 24 , 25 ), wherein the bags ( 10 ) have an opening ( 28 ) via which the bags can each be filled with at least one product ( 11 ), and wherein walls ( 20 , 21 ) of the bag ( 10 ) can be spaced apart from one another in the region of the opening ( 28 ) in order to introduce the at least one product ( 11 ) into the bag ( 10 ) via the opening ( 28 ), and wherein, after the walls ( 20 , 21 ) are spaced apart and before the at least one product ( 11 ) is supplied, the holding elements ( 24 , 25 ) are introduced into the bag ( 10 ) through the opening ( 28 ) in order to hold an upper wall ( 20 ) of the open bag ( 10 ) in the region of the opening ( 28 ), while a lower wall ( 21 ) is held by a bottom plate ( 23 ) that protrudes into the bag ( 10 ), wherein the holding elements ( 24 , 25 ) each have at least one shaping element ( 26 ) with a hemispherical or dome-shaped bulge ( 27 ) against which the upper wall ( 20 ) of the bag ( 10 ) bears in each case and is designed to deform the material of the upper wall ( 20 ) in order to hold the upper wall ( 20 ) on the respective holding element ( 24 , 25 ) via the respective shaping element ( 26 ), and wherein the holding elements ( 24 , 25 ) are arranged pivotably on a holder ( 39 ), on which a suction element is also mounted.
8 . The device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the dome-shaped bulge ( 27 ) has a radius of at least 1 mm.
9 . The device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the at least one shaping element ( 26 ) is designed to deform the material of the walls ( 20 , 21 ) such that the upper wall ( 20 ) is held on the respective shaping element ( 26 ) by a form fit.
10 . The device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the holding elements ( 24 , 25 ) are designed as holding fingers ( 41 ), which can be positioned with a free end protruding into the opening ( 28 ) of the bag ( 10 ), wherein each of the holding fingers ( 41 ) has the at least one shaping element ( 26 ), which is arranged in the region of a free end of the respective one of the holding fingers ( 41 ).
11 . The device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the device is designed to position the at least one shaping element ( 26 ) at a distance from an edge of the opening ( 28 ) of the bag ( 10 ).
12 . The device as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the distance is such that the material of the upper wall ( 20 ) of the bag ( 10 ) between the bearing face of the shaping element and the edge ( 44 ) of the bag ( 10 ) is not under a tensile force directed in the transport direction ( 16 ) of the products into the bag ( 10 ).
13 . The device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the transition from the respective shaping element ( 26 ) to the corresponding holding element ( 24 , 25 ) is rounded.
14 . The device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the at least one of the holding elements ( 24 , 25 ) is at least partially rounded in cross section outside the shaping element.
15 . The device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein a region of the corresponding holding element ( 24 , 25 ) that pivots into the bag ( 10 ) is trapezoidal in cross section.
16 . The device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the at least one holding element ( 24 , 25 ) has an L-shaped form, wherein the material strength in the corner region ( 45 ) of the L-shaped holding element ( 24 , 25 ) is higher than at least one other region of the L-shaped holding element ( 24 , 25 ).
17 . The device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the at least one holding element ( 24 , 25 ) is mounted pivotably so that the holding finger(s) ( 41 ) with the at least one shaping element ( 26 ) can be pivoted into the bag ( 10 ).