Folding device, packaging facility for articles, and method for folding side flaps of external cardboard packagings

1. A folding device ( 10 ) for transporting an outer cardboard package ( 20 ) having folding lines and for folding at least one side flap ( 21 ) of the outer cardboard package ( 20 ), the folding device ( 10 ) comprising:

at least one conveyor system with a guiding unit ( 11 ) and with at least two transporting and folding shuttles ( 30 ) disposed on the guiding unit ( 11 ) for the transport of an outer cardboard packages ( 20 ) in a transport direction (TR);

wherein the at least two shuttles ( 30 ) are disposed in a row in the transport direction (TR) in the conveyor system and are transportable in the transport direction (TR) by the conveyor system; and

wherein each shuttle ( 30 ) has at least one folding unit ( 35 ) for folding over at least one side flap ( 21 ) of the outer cardboard package ( 20 ), wherein the at least one folding unit ( 35 ) extends away from a receiving area ( 34 ) for the outer cardboard package ( 20 ) and toward an adjacent one of the at least two shuttles ( 30 ) and wherein the at least one folding unit ( 35 ) is a stop for the outer cardboard package ( 20 ) disposed on the adjacent shuttle ( 30 ).

2. The folding device ( 10 ) as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one folding unit ( 35 ) extends parallel to the transport direction (TR) of the conveyor system.

3. The folding device ( 10 ) as recited in claim 1 , wherein the conveyor system comprises a track system with at least two parallely guided tracks ( 12 ), and wherein the at least two shuttles ( 30 ) have rolls ( 31 ) being guided on the tracks ( 12 ).

4. The folding device ( 10 ) as recited in claim 1 , wherein the conveyor system comprises a part of a linear motor arrangement, wherein each of at the least two shuttles ( 30 ) comprises a part of a linear motor arrangement, and wherein the folding device further comprises a control device ( 40 ) for the linear motor arrangement, and wherein each of the at least two shuttles ( 30 ) is individually controllable.

5. The folding device ( 10 ) as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least two shuttles ( 30 ) each consist of two partial areas ( 50 , 60 ), wherein the partial areas ( 50 , 60 ) are disposed one after another in the transport direction (TR).

6. The folding device ( 10 ) as recited in claim 5 , wherein each partial area ( 50 , 60 ) forms a partial receiving area ( 51 , 61 ) of each of the at least two shuttles ( 30 ) for the outer cardboard package ( 20 ) and wherein the partial receiving areas ( 51 , 61 ) each have a comb structure with comb teeth ( 54 , 64 ), wherein the comb teeth ( 54 , 64 ) of the two partial areas ( 50 , 60 ) are disposed to at least partly engage with each other.

7. The folding device ( 10 ) as recited in claim 6 , wherein the one partial area ( 50 ) has first holding units ( 53 ) and the other partial area ( 60 ) has second holding units ( 63 ) for the outer cardboard package, and wherein the partial areas ( 50 , 60 ) are shiftable in relation to each other, whereby a spacing (d) between the first holding units ( 53 ) and the second holding units ( 63 ) is adjustable.

8. The folding device ( 10 ) as recited in claim 5 , wherein at least one of the partial areas ( 50 , 60 ) comprises at least one folding unit ( 35 ), and wherein each of the partial areas ( 50 , 60 ) comprises in each case at least one folding unit ( 35 ), wherein the at least one folding unit ( 35 ) extends away from the particular other partial area ( 50 , 60 ) of the shuttle ( 30 ), parallel to the transport direction (TR) of the conveyor system.

9. A packaging facility for articles, comprising:

a grouping module for assembling a plurality of articles to an article group to be packaged; and

an outer packaging module for producing an outer package, wherein the outer packaging module comprises a folding device ( 10 ) for transporting and folding at least one side flap ( 21 ) of the outer cardboard package ( 20 ) having folding lines, the folding device ( 10 ) comprising:

at least one conveyor system with a guiding unit ( 11 ) and with at least two transporting and folding shuttles ( 30 ) disposed on the guiding unit ( 11 ) for the transport of an outer cardboard package ( 20 ) in a transport direction (TR);

wherein the at least two shuttles ( 30 ) are disposed in a row in the transport direction (TR) in the conveyor system and are transportable in the transport direction (TR) by the conveyor system;

wherein each shuttle ( 30 ) has at least one folding unit ( 35 ) for folding over at least one side flap ( 21 ) of the outer cardboard package ( 20 ), wherein the at least one folding unit ( 35 ) extends away from a receiving area ( 34 ) for the outer cardboard package ( 20 ) and toward an adjacent one of the at least two shuttles ( 30 ) and wherein the at least one folding unit ( 35 ) is a stop for the outer cardboard package ( 20 ) disposed on the adjacent shuttle ( 30 ).

10. The packaging facility as recited in claim 9 , wherein the at least one folding unit ( 35 ) extends parallel to the transport direction (TR) of the conveyor system.

11. The packaging facility as recited in claim 9 , wherein the conveyor system comprises a track system with at least two parallely guided tracks ( 12 ), and wherein the at least two shuttles ( 30 ) have rolls ( 31 ) being guided on the tracks ( 12 ).

12. A method for folding at least one side flap ( 21 ) of an outer cardboard package ( 20 ) having folding lines, comprising:

disposing a first outer cardboard package ( 20 ) on a first transporting unit and folding shuttle ( 30 - 1 ) of a conveyor system,

disposing the first shuttle ( 30 - 1 ) within the conveyor system to precede a second transporting and folding shuttle ( 30 - 2 ) and/or to succeed a third transporting and folding shuttle ( 30 - 3 ) at a first spacing (A 1 ), and

folding over at least one side flap ( 21 ) of the first outer cardboard package ( 20 ) by at least one folding unit ( 35 ) associated with the second shuttle ( 30 - 2 ) and/or with the third shuttle ( 30 - 3 ) by changing the first spacing (A 1 ) between the first shuttle ( 30 - 1 ) and the second shuttle ( 30 - 2 ) and/or the third shuttle ( 30 - 3 ) to a second spacing (A 2 ).

13. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the changing of the first spacing (A 1 ) to the second spacing (A 2 ) between the first shuttle ( 30 - 1 ) and the second shuttle ( 30 - 2 ) and/or the third shuttle ( 30 - 3 ) is carried out by changing a transport speed of at least one of the first, second, or third shuttles ( 30 - 1 , 30 - 2 , 30 - 3 ).

14. The method as recited in claim 13 , further comprising using a control device ( 40 ) to control changing of the transport speed of at least one of the first, second, or third shuttles ( 30 - 1 , 30 - 2 , 30 - 3 ).

15. The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein each of the first, second, or third shuttles ( 30 - 1 , 30 - 2 , 30 - 3 ) have a first transport speed and the method further comprising increasing a transport speed of the second shuttle ( 30 - 2 ) relative to the first transport speed of the first shuttle ( 30 - 1 ) and/or increasing a transport speed of the first shuttle ( 30 - 1 ) relative to the first transport speed of the third shuttle ( 304 - 3 ).

16. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein each of the first, second, or third shuttles ( 30 - 1 , 30 - 2 , 30 - 3 ) are moved at a first transport speed the method further comprising increasing a transport speed of the second shuttle ( 30 - 2 ) relative to the first transport speed of the first shuttle ( 30 - 1 ) and/or increasing a transport speed of the first shuttle ( 30 - 1 ) relative to the first transport speed of the third shuttle ( 30 - 1 ).