Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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MACHINE FOR SEALING CARTON
Background of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for adhering one surface to
another, and
more particularly to cartons and packaging systems.
The invention is concerned with a method and apparatus for adhering packaging
substrates
which have been conditioned with an adhesive coating.
The invention has potential applications in many types of consumer packaging
but offers
many benefits in pharmaceutical packaging where tamper evident and child proof
features are
important characteristics of the packaging, and where conventional gluing
technologies such
as hot melt gluing are less suitable. Additionally, the pharmaceutical
industry requires
stringent quality control checks as well as a high rate of output in order for
the packaging
methods to be viable and cost effective. One common type of pharmaceutical
package is a
foil-backed PVC and Aclar/PVC blister pack which contains pharmaceutical
products such as
prescription drugs. The blister pack needs to be sealed within an outer
protective layer such
as a paperboard sleeve. A paperboard sleeve is advantageous because it can
provide printed
instnzctions for administering the prescription drugs on the paperboard
package as well as
providing a protective outer. Such packages require the blister packs to be
secured by both
their front and back, to produce a child resistant package.
Current commercial blister card sealing systems operate intermittently, using
a hot platen to
seal a blister between two layers of paperboard, to create a paperboard -
blister - paperboard
sandwich. Prior to such sandwiching, the paperboard blank is provided with an
extruded or
press-applied adhesive on one side, with graphics being printed on the
opposite laminated
side. The adhesive is reactivated by heating, and current hot platen sealers
require around two
second of heating and compression to securely adhere a blister pack within a
paperboard
package. This causes the process to be slow and therefore costly.
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In known processes, one mould of a platen sealer, the female, is generally not
heated because
heating this would lead to heating of the blister contents and heating of the
blister packs can
have a detrimental effect to the contents. However, a disadvantage of this
technique is the
reduction in the quality of the adhesive bond between the blister and
paperboard layers of the
package and a further increase in the time taken to produce each packaged
blister pack.
A further disadvantage of current packaging systems is that they require
physical contact
between the substrate and the heating element and this may have a detrimental
effect on the
printed surface of substrates, thereby reducing the aesthetic appearance of
the packaging. The
hot mould directly contacting the flammable paperboard package can also be
dangerous.
Additionally, pharmaceutical industry regulations require stringent checking
of the quality of
blister packs containing medication and very careful and close monitoring of
the drugs
throughout the packaging process.
It is therefore desirable to provide a packaging machine which provides for
quicker
production of packaged drug blisters whilst also providing a method and system
for
monitoring the blisters and rejected any packages falling outside the
necessary standard
whilst maintaining a high throughput of packages from the machine. It is also
desirable to
provide a system which can control the correct packaging of the blisters and
minimize the
number of incorrectly packaged blisters.
The present invention seeks to overcome the limitations of the prior art, and
offers improved
throughput of cartons in the packaging apparatus in a continuous packaging
assembly line.
Summary of the Invention
According to a first aspect of the invention, a method of adhering a first and
second surface
together comprising the steps of, supplying the first and second surface to a
conveyor means
conveying the first surface to a means for conditioning the first surface such
that it can be
adhered to the second surface, and/or bringing said first and second surface
into pressure
contact so that adhesive portions of the first surface are adhered to a
juxtaposed face of the
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second surface characterised in that the first surface is in continuous motion
during the
conditioning of the first surface and the first and second surfaces are in
continuous motion
during pressure contact.
Preferably the first surface comprises an adhesive coating which is
conditioned by heat. The
means for conditioning the first surface may comprise a heating element.
Additionally the second surface comprises an adhesive coating which may be
conditioned by
heat and the second surface is conveyed to a heating element for conditioning
of the adhesive
coating. The first and second surfaces may be compressed together.
Alternatively the first surface forms a front panel of an outer package and
the second surface
forms part of an article to be secured within the outer package and the outer
package
comprises a rear panel surface and the article has a second article surface,
wherein the
method comprises the fiuther steps of: conveying the rear panel to a
conditioning means for
conditioning such that it can be adhered to the second article surface and
bringing the rear
panel and the second article surface into pressure contact so that adhesive
portions of the rear
panel are adhered to the second article surface thereby adhesively securing
the article within
the outer package.
Alternatively the steps of conditioning the first surface and bringing the
first surface and
second surface into pressure contact occur substantially simultaneously. The
heating element
may condition the adhesive coating by convection.
Additionally the method may further comprise the step of monitoring the
condition of the
first and/or second surface, preventing the first and second surface being
brought into
pressure contact if the integrity of the first and/or second surface is
outside pre-determined
criteria and/or rejecting an object comprising the first and/or second surface
if the first and
second surfaces have not been brought into pressure contact. The steps may be
coordinated
by a control means.
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According to a second aspect of the invention a method of monitoring the
integrity of first
and/or second surfaces of an object may comprise the steps of using at least
one sensor to
monitor the integrity of the first and/or second surface, sending a signal to
a control means
indicating the integrity of the first and/or second surface, preventing the
first and second
surface from being brought into pressure contact if the integrity of the first
and/or second
surface is outside predetermined criteria and/or rejecting said object if the
first and/or second
surfaces do not comply with the predetermined criteria.
Preferably the integrity of the first and/or second surface may be monitored
by measuring the
temperature of the first and/or second surface prior to bringing the first and
second surfaces
into pressure contact.
Additionally comprising a series of steps before the step of supplying the
first and second
surfaces to the conveyor means, the series comprising the steps of:
determining if the
conditioning means is ready for conditioning the first surface, and if so
then, supplying a test
surface to the conveyor means, conveying the test surface to the conditioning
means,
monitoring the integrity of the test surface when it is conveyed from the
conditioning means
and if the integrity of the test surface is within predetermined criteria,
supplying the first and
second surfaces to the conveyor means, or if the integrity of the test surface
is outside
predetermined criteria, preventing said first and second surfaces from being
supplied to the
conveyor, and if the conditioning means is not ready to condition the first
surface, then
causing an alert to be issued that the conditioning means is not so ready.
Preferably the purpose of monitoring the first and/or second surface is to
determine if the first
and/or second surfaces have been conditioned sufficiently to adhere them
together.
According to a third aspect of the invention an apparatus for adhering first
and second
surfaces together the apparatus comprising a conveyor means for conveying the
first surface
to conditioning means for conditioning the first surface such that the first
surface has an
adhesive property, means for applying the second surface to the first surface
such that when
they are brought into pressure contact the first and second surfaces are
adhered together, and
means for applying pressure to both the first and second surfaces
characterised in that the
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conveying means is adapted to keep the first surface in continuous motion
during the
conditioning process and to keep the first and second surfaces in continuous
motion during
pressure contact.
Preferably the means for conditioning the first surface comprises a heating
element. The
second surface may comprise an adhesive coating which is conditioned by heat
and conveyor
means is provided to convey the second surface to a heating element.
Additionally wherein a compression means may be provided for compression of
the first and
second surfaces together. The heating element may emit infra-red radiation.
Preferably the conveyor means may comprise a belt which is constructed from
fire retardant
material (such as metal) and the conveyor means may comprise means for
compensation of
expansion and contraction of the belt.
Additionally the apparatus may further comprise sensors to monitor operation
of the
apparatus and may further comprise control means for controlling operation of
the apparatus.
Additionally the apparatus may further comprise means for conducting an
initial warm up run
wherein the conditioning means is assessed for its readiness to condition the
first surface by
conveying a test surface to the conditioning means for conditioning the test
surface and then
monitoring the integrity of the test surface, and means automatically to
prevent the first
surface from being conveyed to the conditioning apparatus if the test surface
is impaired.
Alternatively the apparatus may further comprise a system for monitoring the
integrity of the
first and/or second surfaces wherein said monitoring system comprises at least
one sensor for
monitoring the integrity of the first and/or second surface, said at least one
sensor being
coupled to the control means for receiving a signal from the at least one
sensor, wherein the
control means analyses the signal and determines whether or not the integrity
of the first
and/or second surface complies with predetermined criteria.
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Additionally the control means causes and/or prevents an action from being
carried out by a
part of the apparatus. The control means may prevent the second surface from
being brought
into contacting relationship with the first surface.
Alternatively the control means may cause an object comprising the first
and/or second
surface to be rejected for not complying with said predetermined criteria.
According to fourth aspect of the invention an apparatus for monitoring the
integrity of first
and/or second surfaces of an object comprising: at least one sensor to monitor
the integrity of
the first and/or second surface, the at least one sensor being coupled to a
control means for
receiving a signal from the or each sensor indicating the integrity of the
first and/or second
surface, a means for preventing the first and second surfaces from being
brought into pressure
contact if the integrity of the first and/or second surface is outside
predetermined- -criteria
and/or a means for rejecting the object if the first and/or second surfaces do
not comply with
the predetermined criteria.
Preferably the integrity of the first and/or second surface may be monitored
by measuring the
temperature of the first and/or second surface and the predetermined criteria
is a temperature
range at which an adhesive bond between the first and second surfaces is
achieved.
Additionally the integrity of the first and/or second surface may be monitored
prior to
bringing the first and second surfaces into pressure contact.
Additionally the purpose of monitoring the first and/or second surface is to
determine if the
- first and/or second surfaces have been conditioned sufficiently to adhere
them together.
According to a fifth aspect a method for forming a sealed composite package,
which may
employ a continuous process, involving the steps of (i) conditioning a surface
of the package
substrate having an adhesive coating by irradiating the surface using infra-
red radiation (ii)
adhering the package substrate to a juxtaposed face of a second surface and
(iii) compressing
the two surfaces together using rollers to complete the construction process.
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According to a sixth aspect an apparatus for forming a completely sealed
composite package,
the apparatus may employ a continuous process involving conditioning a surface
of the
package substrate, the package substrate having an adhesive coating which is
reactivated by
infra-red radiation and which adheres the package substrate to a juxtaposed
face of a second
surface, the apparatus using rollers to compress the two surfaces together to
complete the
construction process.
According to a seventh aspect a method of adhering first and second surfaces
together
comprising the steps of, supplying the first and second surfaces to a conveyor
means,
bringing said first and second surfaces into contact with each other,
conveying the first
surface to means for conditioning the first surface such that it can be
adhered to the second
surface, and applying pressure to both the first and second surfaces so that
adhesive portions
of the first surface are adhered to a juxtaposed face of the second surface,
characterised in
that the first and second surfaces are in continuous motion during the
conditioning of the first
surface and the pressure application.
According to an eighth aspect, the invention provides an apparatus having
means for
executing a process on an article while the article is in motion, the
apparatus comprising a
checking means for assessing whether the processing means is readyto execute
said process,
the checking means comprising a first monitoring means for monitoring the
operation of the
processing means, means for supplying a test article to the processing means
and for
maintaing the test article in motion whilst the process is executed, and
comprising a second
monitoring means for monitoring the integrity of the test article once the
process has been
executed, the first and second monitoring means each being coupled to a
control means for
determining whether the processing means is ready before the process is
executed on an
article and for causing the process to be executed.
Preferably the process is an infra-red heating process and the article is a
paperboard blank
and wherein each of the first and second monitoring means are temperature
sensors and the
control means may be a computer processing unit.
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According to a ninth aspect, the invention provides a method of checking the
capability of an
apparatus for processing an article, comprising the steps of determining if a
processing means
is ready for processing an article, and if so, then supplying a test article
to a conveying
means, conveying the test article to the processing means, monitoring the
integrity of the test
article when it is conveyed from the processing means and if the integrity of
the test article is
within predetermined criteria, allowing the apparatus to process the article,
or if the integrity
of the test article is outside predetermined criteria preventing the apparatus
from processing
the article, and if the processing means is not ready to process an article,
then causing an alert
to be issued that the processing means is not so ready and thereafter
preventing the apparatus
from operating.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Three exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of
example
only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which;
Figure 1. shows a perspective view of a packaging machine according to a first
embodiment
of the invention;
Figure 2 shows a perspective zoomed in view of an in-feed section of the
packaging machine
of figure 1;
Figure 3 shows a perspective zoomed in view of a conditioning section of the
packaging
machine of figure 1;
Figure 4 shows a perspective zoomed in view of a second delivery and
compression section
of the packaging machine of figure 1;
Figure 5 shows a zoomed in view of a final section of the packaging machine of
Fig. 1;
Figure 5a shows an enlarged view of a compression section shown in Fig. 5;
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Figure 6 shows an example of a blank which may be constructed into a sealed
carton by the
packaging machine of Fig. 1;
Figure 7 shows an example of an insert which may be sealed within the carton
constructed
from the blank of Fig. 6, by the packaging machine shown in Fig. 1;
Figure 8 shows an enlarged view of a rejection section of a packaging machine
according to a
second aspect of the invention;
Figure 9 shows a schematic of a first step in the rejection of a package
constructed by the
packaging machine of the second aspect;
Figure 10 shows a schematic of a second step in the rejection of a package;
Figure 11 shows a schematic of a'third step in the rejection of a package;
Figure 12 is a schematic illustration of a rejection system provided within
the packaging
machine of the first embodiment;
Figure 13 is a schematic representation of sensors and control means provided
within the
rejection system which are used to control the rejection of faulty packages;
and
Figure 14 is a schematic flow chart illustrating a warm up mechanism according
to a third
aspect of the invention;
Detailed Descrintion of the Preferred Embodiments
The present invention provides a packaging machine which can condition a
surface of a
continually moving substrate in preparation of adhering one or both surfaces
of the substrate
to a second substrate. Particularly the packaging machine 50 of the preferred
embodiment of
the invention can reactivate an adhesive agent provided on a substrate, such
as a paperboard
carton blank 10. The packaging machine 50, as shown in Fig. 1 conditions the
continuously
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moving blank 10, using heat, and can also perfonn a series of folding and
compression steps
which may be required to construct a carton or other sealed item from the
blank or substrate
10.
Referring to the drawings, there is shown in Fig. 6 one example of a blank 10,
formed from
paperboard or other suitable material, for forming a carton to be constructed
and loaded by a
packaging machine 50 of one or more aspects of the present invention. The
paperboard blank
may be impregnated or coated on one or more sides by a heat reactivating
adhesive agent.
Appropriate coated substrates of this type are available, for example, from
MeadWestvaco
10 Corporation, sold under the trademarks Printkote EasySeal or Printkote
EasySeal Plus.
In this embodiment a unitary blank 10 comprises a series of panels hinged one
to the next.
Front panels 12, 14 are hinged to rear panels 16, 18 along a fold line 20
which bisects the
blank 10. In this embodiment the front and rear panels 12, 14, 16 and 18 are
coated on an
inside face with a heat reactivating adhesive agent. The front and rear panels
12, 14, 16 and
18 also comprise a series of apertures 22 designed such that two blister packs
4 can be
inserted and sealed within a package formed from the blank 10. An example of a
blister pack
4 is shown in Fig. 7. Each blister pack 4 comprises a main panel 6, which may
be formed
from aluminium foil; each blister pack 4 also comprises a series of blisters
3, each for
containing a medicament. In this embodiment a blister pack 4 is secured to
each of the front
panels 12 and 14 using the heat reactivating adhesive. The rear panels 16, 18
are then folded
about fold line 20 and secured to the main panel 6 of the blister pack 4 using
the heat
reactivating adhesive, to form a completely sealed package 126.
It is envisaged that the blank 10 can vary depending upon the shape and/or
quantity of articles
to be packaged and accordingly, a machine in accordance with one or more
aspects of the
present invention is adjustable in numerous respects so that it can process a
wide variety of
such blanks and is not limited to the specific example outlined above. Indeed
a machine of
the present invention may be used to package and seal items other than a
blister pack within a
paperboard carton. For example it is envisaged that any material coated or
impregnated with
a heat reactivating adhesive could be processed using a machine of the present
invention. A
packaging machine of the present invention may also be adapted for use with
other heat
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reactivating agents or heat curable material and is not limited to use with
substrates such as
and Printkote EasySeal and Printkote EasySeal Plus. It is also envisaged
that a
packaging machine of the present invention may be adapted to continuously
condition a
surface of a substrate for adhesion to a second surface by means other than
heat reactivation.
It is further envisaged that instead of the unitary blank 10, two or more non-
hinged, separate
blanks may be used with the present invention to create a carton. It is still
further envisaged
that any number of blister packs, such as one or more than two packs, may be
inserted and
sealed within a package according to the present invention.
Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, there is shown a machine 50 for
processing blanks
10 of the type outlined above. The upstream end of the machine 50 is further
illustrated in
Fig. 2. The upstream end of the machine 50 includes a first hopper 54, or
other suitable
storage means in which a multiplicity of blanks 10, in flat condition, are
held ready for
processing. As shown in Figures 1 and 2 the blanks 10 are sequentially removed
from the
first hopper 54 by suitable feeder means, for example, a rotary vacuum feeder
56. The rotary
vacuum feeder 56 comprises two pairs of suction cups 58 each being connected
to a drive
shaft 60 by a drive rod 62. Drive means 64, for example a servo motor, rotates
the drive shaft
60. A cam track and cam rod (not shown) may be provided to define a uniform
path for the
suction cups as the drive shaft is rotated.
The first hopper 54 is, in this embodiment, a'gravity feed' type whereby the
blanks 10 are
held on the first hopper 54 at an incline to provide a positive feed. Thus, as
shown in Fig. 2, a
blank 10 in flat collapsed condition is removed from the first hopper 54 and
is rotated by the
vacuum feeder 56 to the in-feed end of the machine. The blank 10 is then
placed onto suitable
conveying means, which in this embodiment of the invention is an endless
metallic belt 66,
68, which is provided on either side of a track 70. The blank 10 is placed
onto the track 70
and suitable means, for example leading and trailing lugs 72, 74 which are
mounted upon the
endless metallic bands 66, 68, are used to convey the carton blank 10 down
stream to a first
heating station, shown generally at 76. The metallic bands 66, 68 are
tensioned between
rotating pulleys 78 which are positioned, one at the upstream end and one at
the down stream
end of the machine 50. The endless metallic belts 66, 68 convey the blanks 10
into and
through first and second heating sections 76, 114. The metallic belts 66, 68
are arranged to
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follow a return path which is outside of the heating stations, this allows the
metallic bands 66,
68 to cool during the return path. The metallic bands 66, 68 are also provided
with an idler
wheel disposed adjacent the rotating pulleys 78 which enables the tension in
the metallic
belts 66, 68 to be adjusted in response to any changes caused by the heating
and cooling of
the metallic belts 66, 68. In other embodiments it is envisaged that other
means may be used
to cool the metallic bands, for example, a water cooling system or cooling fan
may be
employed. It is also envisaged that the endless belts may be formed of other
material such as
fire retardant material. In other embodiments of the invention the blank 10
may actually rest
upon upper edges of the metallic bands and the lugs and or track may therefore
not be
necessary.
The first heating station 76 is shown in Figure 3. The first heating station
76 is comprises a
hood 80 which encloses a section of the track 70. A heating element 82 is
provided, which in
this embodiment of the invention is a series of medium wavelength infra-red
strip lamps 82.
The infra-red lamps 82 radiate heat energy directly onto the blanks 10. The
blank 10 absorbs
the broad wavelength infra-red radiation and thus the surface temperature of
the blank 10 and
the temperature of the heat reactivating adhesive are increased. As the blank
10 traverses the
track 70 beneath the infra-red lamps 82 the heat sensitive adhesive is
reactivated.
The temperature (T1) of the infra-red heating element 82 in the first heating
element 82 may
be monitored by one or more, closely positioned, temperature sensors. A
cooling-fan is
employed to control the temperature (T1) of the infra-red heating element 82.
In this
embodiment of the invention the infra-red heating element 82 is a series of
three parallel
elongate elements. However it is envisaged that the orientation of the
elongate elements may
differ and indeed alternative shaped elements could be used without departing
from the scope
of the invention.
The length of track 70 enclosed by the hood 80 and the linear speed at which
the blanks are
conveyed through that length of track 70 determines the time period in which
the blanks 10
are exposed to the heat radiating from the infra-red lamps 82. The intensity
of the heat
radiation from the infra-red lamps 82 and the time period of exposure
determine the
temperature increase of the blank 10 and heat reactivating adhesive. The
linear speed of the
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conveyor and intensity of the infra-red lamps 82 are constant and
predetermined to achieve a
pre-selected temperature increase. In this embodiment of the invention a
temperature increase
of the blank 10 to around 150 degrees Celsius is required to activate the
adhesive. In other
embodiments of the invention, the speed of conveyance of the blanks 10, the
length of the
heating element 82 and the intensity of the radiation may each be adapted in
order to achieve
a desired temperature increase of the blank 10 during the continuous
conditioning stage. In
this way other heat reactivated agents and package materials other than
paperboard can be
accommodated by the packaging machine 50.
The blanks 10 may also be heated by convection currents flowing within the
hood, however
in this embodiment of the invention the air flow within the hood 80 is
controlled by an
extraction fan. The extraction fan enables the amount of air and resulting
convection currents
to be controlled. In other embodiments, the ambient temperature within the
hood 80 may be
finely controlled by use of temperature sensors and a computerised feedback
system coupled
to the sensors and the hot air extraction system. Smoke detectors may also be
positioned
within the hood 80 as an additional safety precaution.
A guide panel 92 is provided above the blanks 10 to secure and guide the
blanks 10 as they
traverse the track 70 beneath the first heating station 76. The guide panel 92
maintains the
blanks 10 in a flat condition so that the exposed surfaces of the blanks 10
are evenly heated
by the radiating heating element 82. The guide panel 92 is shaped so that no
specific portion
of the blank 10 is completely and continually obscured from exposure to the
radiating heating
element 82. In other embodiments of the invention it is anticipated that the
guide panel 92
could be contoured to deliberately obscure a specific portion of the blank 10
or other
25, substrate from exposure to the heating element 82. It is also envisaged
that the guide element
92 could be cooled; for example the guide element may be a copper or other
heat conductive
metal tube which could be cooled by water flowing within the tube. The guide
element 92
may also be provided with sensors to detect the presence of a blank 10 or may
be provided
with smoke, temperature or other safety sensing means.
After the blanks 10 have been heated within the first heating station 76, they
are successively
transferred to a loading station 84; this is shown in Figure 4. The loading
station 84
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comprises a suitable delivery means, such as a magazine or second hopper 86,
of the gravity
feed type, to sequentially deliver the blister packs 4. The second hopper 86
feeds pairs of
blister packs 4 onto a delivery wheel 88. The delivery wheel 88 is provided
with a series of
shaped receiving troughs each of which can accommodate a blister pack 4 from
the second
hopper 86. A pair of blister packs 4 is received by two adjacent shaped
troughs at the top of
the delivery wheel 88, which is then rotated in a clockwise direction. =
The delivery wheel 88 is driven by a servo motor and further comprises a guide
frame 90,
which is provided to prevent the blister packs 4 from falling free of the
delivery wheel 88 as
it is rotated. A second rotary vacuum feeder 98, which comprises one pair of
suction cups 100
sequentially removes one pair of blister packs 4 from the bottom of the
delivery wheel and
places them onto a blank 10. The conveyance of the blanks 10 into alignment
with the blister
packs 4 as they are delivered is synchronized by a control means, such as a
computer coupled
to the servo motors used to drive the belts 66, 68 and delivery whee188. The
blisters 3 of the
. blister packs 6 are received in the apertures 22 of the blank 10. The second
hopper 86 and
delivery wheel 88 are located in close proximity to the end of the first
heating station 76 so
that the blank 10 is maintained sufficiently close to the temperature required
to reactivate the
heat sensitive adhesive. The blister packs 4, if only one side of which are
aluminium coated
are placed onto the front panels 12, 14 of the blank 10 with the aluminium
sides facing
upwards. The non-aluminium side is then secured in place onto the blank 10 by
the
reactivated adhesive on the front panels 12, 14.
The blanks 10 with the blister packs 4 are then sequentially fed between two
compressing
rollers 102, 104. The rollers 102, 104 are spaced apart and each compressing
roller 102, 104
comprises at least one shaped pad 106, 108. The pads 106, 108 are each sized
and shaped to
accommodate two blister packs 4 disposed adjacent one another and to protect
the blister
packs 4 from damage. The blank 10 with the blister packs 4 adhered to the
front panels 12,
14, is fed between the rollers 102/104. The adhesive on the rear panels 16, 18
may still be
activated and so the rear panels 16, 18 of the blank 10 pass between the
spaced rollers 102,
104 without making contact with the rollers 102, 104.
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Compressing roller 102 is rotated by a drive means in a clockwise direction,
whilst the
compressing roller 104 is rotated by a similar drive means in an anticlockwise
direction. In
this way as the rollers 102, 104 rotate the blank 10 and blister packs 4 are
fed through. The
timing of the rollers 102, 104 is such that the shaped pads 106, 108
simultaneously contact
the underside of the front panels 12, 14 of the blank 10 and the main panel 6
of the blister
packs 4. Thus the rear panels 16, 18 pass through the roller without making
contact and
pressure applied to the blank 10 and blister packs 4 ensures that the blister
packs 4 are
adhered to the front panels 12, 14. In other embodiments of the invention, it
is envisaged that
the compression stage, which ensures that the two surfaces are securely
adhered, may not be
required or may be achieved by means other that the use of rollers. It is also
envisaged that
the compression stage could be performed simultaneously with the conditioning
of the first
surface. It is also envisaged that the compression of the two surfaces could
in fact be
employed to condition one or both surfaces for gluing, if for example
compression
reactivating adhesive was employed.
The blanks 10, with two blister packs 4 adhered to the front panels 12, 14,
traverse the track
70, being conveyed by the lugs 72, 74 mounted upon the metallic bands 66, 68.
A flipper
110, which comprises moveable arms 112, is provided downstream of the
compression rollers
102, 104., The moveable arms 112 are positioned such that they intercept the
leading edge of
a blank 10. The moveable arms 112 are, in this embodiment, spring loaded and
provide a
means for folding the carton blank 10 about fold line 20. The rear panels 16,
18 are brought
into face contacting relation with the main panel 6 disposed above the front
panels 12, 14
respectively. The moveable arms 112 resist the forward motion of the rear
panels 12, 14,
thus causing the panels to be folded about fold line 20. As the rear panels
16, 18 are lifted
out of the plane of the front panels 12, 14, the moveable arms 112 are caused
to be displaced
above the track. Once the folding is complete the moveable arms 112 can return
to their
original starting position in preparation of intercepting a successive blank
10.
The folded blank 10 is conveyed further downstream to a second heating station
114. The
second heating station 114 is similar to the first heating station 76 and
therefore is not
described in detail. The heat activated adhesive on the inner face of the rear
panels 14, 16 is
reactivated by an infra-red heating element similar to that described in the
first heating station
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76. Radiation is exposed to the outer surface of the rear panels 16, 18 and is
absorbed by the
rear panels 16, 18, sufficiently to reactivate the adhesive agent on the inner
surface of the
panels. During the second heating phase, any exposed part of the aluminium
blister pack 4
may reflect any incident infra-red radiation and thus prevent undesirable
heating of the blister
pack 4 and medicaments contained within the blisters 3.
To complete the sealing process the folded blank 10 is conveyed to a final
compressing
section 116 as shown in Fig. 5. The final compressing section 116 comprises
two rollers 118,
120, one of which is provided with a series of indentations which receive the
blisters 3 of the
blister pack 4 as shown in Fig. 5a. The folded blank 10 is sandwiched between
the rollers to
ensure that the rear panels 16, 18 are securely adhered to the outer face of
the blister pack. In
this way the machine 50 constructs a fully sealed package 126, which is formed
by a
continuous process. The blister pack 4 may be sized smaller than the front or
rear panels 12,
14, 16 and 18 and in which case portions of the front panels 12, 14 will be
directly adhered to
portions of the rear panels 16, 18.
The machine 50 of the present invention is also provided with a series of
safety sensors. An
emergency operating condition may be triggered by one or more of the sensing
elements
feeding back an alerting signal. For example a smoke detector within the hood
80 of the first
heating station 76 may feedback a signal to indicate the presence of smoke.
This alert can
trigger an emergency condition whereby the delivery of carton blanks 10 and
blister packs 4
from the first and second hoppers 54, is stopped by the servo motors operating
the rotary
vacuum feeders 56. The conveying means however continues to operate so that
any
remaining blanks 10 are removed from beneath the first and second heating
stations 76, thus
reducing the risk of a blank 10 combusting within the machine 50. A series of
control sensors
are also provided to monitor the presence of a blank 10 and blister pack 4
during the
construction process.
Further modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the
invention. For
example, it is envisaged that the step of conditioning the first surface in
preparation for
adhering to a second surface may be achieved by means other than using heat
radiation to
reactivate a heat sensitive adhering agent already coated upon the first
substrate. In other
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embodiments it is envisaged that the substrate may be provided with an
adhesive agent which
is reactivated by pressure, for example, a micro capsule type agent which may
be coated on
the substrate and which can be activated by compressing the first and second
surfaces and
thereby adhering the surfaces together. Alternatively the adhesive agent
provided on the first
surface may be reactivated by contact with water or steam. This conditioning
may be
performed prior to compressing the first and second surfaces together or
indeed in
conjunction with the compression stage. Furthermore, the first substrate may
be conditioned
by coating or impregnating the surface with an adhesive agent during the
continuous
conditioning process. For example an adhesive may be sprayed or applied by
other means, to
coat the surface of the first substrate during the continuous conditioning
process.
It is also envisaged that other suitable conveying means may be employed
without departing
from the scope of the invention. For example endless side lug chains may be
used, with
leading and trailing lugs mounted upon the endless chains. It is envisaged
that the endless
chains could be spaced from the main track such that the endless chains do not
pass through
the conditioning section, which may be of a temperature not suitable for any
lubricant used
on the endless chains. In such an embodiment it is envisaged that the lugs
mounted on the lug
chains may extend sufficiently from the lug chains to convey a blank 10 along
the track 70.
Alternatively endless lug chains may be used and positioned such that they do
pass through
the heating stations but they may be provided with high temperature lubricant
or indeed
shielded from the radiating heat or provided with a cooling means.
Furthermore it is anticipated that where the conditioning phase is achieved by
means of
radiation, the wavelength of the radiation may differ from the broad
wavelength infra-red
range. For example in some applications microwave radiation could be used to
condition the
surface of a substrate in preparation of adhering the surface to a second
substrate. It is also
envisaged that a computer controlled and dynamic heating process could be used
in which the
temperature within a heating station 76 is ramped up and ramped down to
provide a more
gradual heating process. Separate infra-red lamps 82 may be needed in such an
embodiment
to allow the intensity of the infra-red lamps to be individually controlled
along the linear path
of the heating station 76.
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It can be appreciated that various changes may be made within the scope of the
present
invention, for example, the size and shape of the hoppers and track may be
adjusted to
accommodate cartons of differing size or shape. It is also possible that the
length and/or
number of heating stations may be adjusted to facilitate the construction of
an alternative
carton. Figs. 8 to 14 illustrate fu.rther aspects of the present invention,
which will now be
described by way of example only and to illustrate some of the changes or
additions that can
be made, whilst keeping within the scope of the present invention.
In a second embodiment of the invention, the packaging machine 350, which is
similar to the
packaging machine 50 of the first embodiment, fixrther comprises a rejection
system 440. The
rejection system 440 has a rejection mechanism 330 provided at the output end
of the
packaging machine 350 as shown in Fig. 8. The rejection system 440 further
comprises a
control means 400 coupled to the rejection mechanism 330. The control means
400 is
coupled to one or more sensors (S) which monitor the state and quality of the
blanks
throughout the construction process.
For applications such as in the pharmaceutical industry where the packaged
article is a blister
pack of medication, it is desirable that the blister pack is firmly held
within the package.
Paperboard material comprises a series aligned cellulose fibres which are
bonded together.
The heat reactivated adhesive provided on the paperboard blank is sufficiently
strong to
create an adhesive bond between a paperboard surface and another surface such
that if the
two substrates are pulled apart, before the adhesive bond will break, the
fibre bond of the
paperboard material will first be forced to tear. In order to achieve this
bond, the heat
reactivating adhesive must be sufficiently heated and the surfaces to be
bonded together may
need to be compressively contacted. Additionally it is important that during
the conditioning
phase the package and the packaged article are monitored to ensure that the
article is in no
way damaged or spoiled. The quality checks and safety sensors of the packaging
machine are
provided to ensure the integrity of the package and the packaged article,
where integrity
should be taken to mean the quality of being unimpaired.
Various, safety sensors which may monitor the state of the packaging machine
350 may also
be coupled to the control means 400. The quality and safety sensors (S) which
monitor the
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state of the blanks and condition of the packaging machine 350 communicate
with the control
means to which they are coupled. Signals or data messages transmitted from the
sensors (S)
to the control means 400 may give rise to a rejection signal or alert. The
rejection signal or
alert signal indicates that either a particular blank in the production
process has failed to meet
necessary standards or that a fault or hazard exists in the packaging machine
350.
In order to track the progress of each individual blank through the packaging
machine, each
pitch of the conveyor means is allocated a unique identifier. The progress of
each blank can
then be followed by the control means 400. If at some point during the
progress of a blank
through the construction process a sensor (S) feeds back a signal which gives
rise to a
rejection signal, the control means 400 registers that the blank located at
that uniquely
identifiable pitch should be rejected. The rejection signal is logged against
the specific pitch
so that the faulty blank or carton can be identified at the rejection
mechanism 330 and
discarded therefrom.
The rejection mechanism 330, as shown in Fig. 8, comprises an overhead lug
belt 334, which
is provided with lugs 336. The lugs 336 of the overhead belt 334 convey a
constructed carton
or finished package 326 from the compressing rollers 318 along a guide rail
340. The guide
rail 340 is provided with a moveable section or displaceable portion 332.
During the
construction of the package 326 the temperature and position of the blank are
monitored by
the sensors (S). If a package does not meet the required standards a rejection
signal will be
recorded against the pitch of the conveyer containing the package 326. The
progress of the
package 326 through the packaging machine 350 will be tracked and the faulty
package 338
will be rejected when it reaches the rejection mechanism 330. The faulty
package 338 will be
extracted by the displaceable portion 332. The displaceable portion 332 is
positioned in the
plane of the guide rail 340 and can be moved into an open position to
facilitate the removal of
a faulty package 338. The displaceable portion 332 is hinged to the guide rail
and can be
pivoted about the hinged connection, it is anticipated that other means for
displacing the
displaceable portion could be used. The displaceable portion 332 is also
positioned above a
rotary air cylinder 328. The rotary air cylinder 328 can provide an air jet to
assist the rejection
of the faulty package by propelling it from the displaceable portion 332 into
a waste outlet
(W).
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Schematic illustrations showing the operation of the displaceable portion 332
to reject a
faulty package 338 are shown in Figs. 9 - 11. It is envisaged that means other
than the
displaceable portion 332 could be used to extract a faulty package 338 without
departing
from the scope of the present invention. For example an articulated arm could
be used to pick
a faulty package 338 up from the conveyer means or indeed the conveyer means
could have
channels to provide a different path for the faulty package 338 compared to
the path of an
acceptable finished package 326.
An example rejection system 440 which may be used to monitor the progress of a
blank
through the packaging machine 350 will now be described in more detail. Figure
12 shows a
schematic of the packaging machine 350, rejection system 440 and sensors (S)
which are
provided at each section of the packaging machine 350. Since the blister packs
contain
medicaments the state of the packs, for example their temperature, must be
monitored
closely. Each sensor (S) is used to detect a fault with a blank, for example
the temperature of
the blank being outside an accepted range. If any of the quality sensors
detects a fault with a
blank, the control means 400 will identify the blank by its pitch position and
register that the
identified blank should be rejected at the output end. The quality sensors are
coupled to the
control means 400, which is in turn coupled to the rejection mechanism 330.
Safety sensors are also provided which are used to monitor the operation of
the packaging
machine, for example if the temperature of the heating element is outside an
acceptable
operating range, this will be detected by a temperature sensor 408 positioned
in close
proximity to the heating element 82. The safety sensors are connected to the
control means
400; in an alternative embodiment they may each be provided with individual
control means.
In this way if a fault is detected by a safety sensor, the control means to
which it is coupled
could be directly coupled to an alarm or warning light for alerting an
operator of a hazard
without first having to couple to the control means 400. Information collected
from both the
safety and quality sensors can be collated by the control means 400 and
analysed for the
purpose of fault finding or for improving the efficiency of the packaging
machine 350.
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The control means 400 can be configured to cause the packaging machine 350 to
shut down
in response to a safety sensor detecting a fault with the machine. The fault
detected may
invoke a particular shut down or emergency condition. To shut down the
packaging machine
350, the rotary vacuum feeders in the blank and blister pack feed sections
342, 344 are
stopped. The conveyor means may continue to operate for a set period after the
blanks and
blisters have stopped being fed in order to remove any paperboard blanks
and/or blister packs
which may be beneath the heating elements so that the risk of fire is reduced.
The hoods of
the first and second heating sections may also be provided with a mechanism to
allow the
hoods to be automatically lifted above the conveyer track in response to a
received signal
which has been transmitted by the control means 400 during a shut down or
emergency
operating condition. Each hood may be controlled and operated individually in
response to
the fault detected.
The rejection system 440 and quality and safety sensors provided in the
present invention will
now be described in more detail with reference to Figs. 12 and 13.
Fig. 12 shows a schematic of the packaging machine 350 and rejection mechanism
330. At
the in feed end of the packaging machine 350, a sensor 402 is provided to
detect if the first
hopper is empty of blanks. Such sensors 402 are known in the art and can
detect the presence
of a carton blank. The sensor 402 is coupled to the control means 400 and can
be used to raise
an alarm if the first hopper is empty of blanks. If the first hopper is empty,
a second signal
may be transmitted from the control means 400 to the second hopper of the
blister feed 344.
The second hopper of the blister feed 344 may comprise a mechanism which can
prevent a
blister from being fed. Therefore the unnecessary waste of blisters can be
prevented by not
feeding blisters when there is no blank present to receive them.
Also, within the blank feed section 342, sensors (S) are provided to detect a
blank which has
not been correctly fed from the hopper. A blank can be nzisfed for example if
after being
picked up by the suction cups, it is incorrectly placed on the track or if two
blanks are
erroneously picked up simultaneously. The sensor 404 can detect that a blank
has been
misfed and is coupled to the control means 400. The sensor 404 may employ a
series of
optical beams to detect the leading and trailing edges of the blanks. An error
in the placement
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of a blank may be detected by the optical beam being interrupted too soon or
not being
interrupted at all if a blank is missing. If a blank is misfed the control
means 400 can identify
the pitch of the blank and register a reject logic against the pitch. The
misfed blank will then
be rejected when it reaches the rejection mechanism 330. A second signal may
also be
transmitted by the control means 400 to the second hopper of the blister feed
344 to trigger
the mechanism to prevent a blister from being fed. In this way the unnecessary
rejection and
waste of blister packs is prevented.
A correct-blank-type sensor 406 is also provided within the blank feed section
342. The
correct-blank-type sensor 406 is used to monitor the type of blank which has
been placed on
the track from the hopper. The sensor 406 is used to detect that the correct
type of blank is
present. It is envisaged that this sensor 406 may be a barcode reader
positioned to read a
barcode printed on each blank. The barcode can be used to identify the type of
blank, for
example a type of blank specifically printed for containing a particular
course of a
medication. The blank identity can then be checked by the control means 400 to
ensure that
the correct blank has been placed on the conveyor. It is envisaged that other
means for
identifying and checking that the correct carton has been placed on the
conveyor could also
be used, for example a camera could be positioned to monitor the colour of the
graphics
printed on the blank. The correct-blank-type sensor 406 is coupled to the
control means 400
and if an incorrect blank is detected a reject signal will be registered
against the pitch where
the fault was detected. A second signal may also be transmitted from the
control means to
prevent a blister from being fed onto the incorrect carton blank and therefore
prevent
unnecessary waste of phannaceutical products contained within the blister
packs.
A series of conveyor sensors 424 may be present periodically throughout the
packaging
machine 350. The conveyor sensors 424 may be positioned on the track and can
be used to
monitor the progress of the conveyed blanks. The conveyer sensors 424 can
detect a missing
blank or may detect a jam on the conveyor if two or more blanks become
staggered. The
conveyer sensors 424 may operate in a similar manner to the sensor 404 for
detecting a
misfeed. An optical beam or pair of optical beams, spaced along the track at
intervals
determined by the blank type, can be used to detect the leading and trailing
edges of a blank.
The conveyor sensors 424 are each coupled to the control means 400. If a fault
is detected a
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rejection signal may be sent to the rejection mechanism 330 to reject the
faulty package 328.
If a jam is detected in the packaging machine the control means 400 may be
configured to
alert a machine operator of the location of the jam.
A variety of safety and quality sensors (S) are located in the first heating
section 376. A
heating element sensor 408, which is coupled to the control means 400, is
provided to detect
if the heating element is operating. It is envisaged that the heating element
sensor 408 may be
coupled to the heating element's power supply. The heating element sensor 408
may operate
by detecting that an electrical current is drawn by the heating element from
the power supply.
If the sensor 408 detects that no current is drawn by the heating element, the
control means
400 can be used to indicate that a fault exists with the heating element. The
control means
400 may also initiate a shut down procedure in response to the detected fault
with the heating
element and the hood of the first heating station 376 may automatically be
lifted above the
conveyor to allow access to the heating element and to facilitate any repair
work which may
be necessary.
A first temperature sensor 410 is also provided within the first heating
section 376 to measure
the temperature of the heating element. The temperature may be continuously
monitored
whilst the packaging machine 350 is in operation to ensure that the heating
element
temperature is within an acceptable range. The information regarding the
temperature of the
heating element is transmitted to the control means 400. If the operating
temperature is within
an unacceptable range, which may be hazardous or may affect process
efficiency, the control
means 400 may invoke an emergency shut down of the packaging machine or
initiate other
courses of action depending upon the circumstances. However under normal
operating
conditions, the control means 400, which is also directly coupled to the
heating element, can
adjust the amount of electrical power supplied to the heating element in order
to regulate its
temperature. The temperature of the heating element is thereby controlled
accordingly with
the surface temperature of the blanks, which is measured by a third
temperature sensor 414
after the blanks have been conditioned in the first heating section 376.
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Smoke detectors may also be provided in the hood of the first heating section
376. If the
presence of smoke is detected an alarm may be immediately raised and the
emergency shut
down condition may be invoked.
A second temperature sensor 412 may also be provided within the first heating
section 376 to
monitor the temperature (T1) of the ambient air. The second temperature sensor
412 is also
coupled to the control means 400 and the information from the second
temperature sensor
412 is transmitted to the control means 400. The control means 400 may be
configured such
that the received information can be used to alter the amount or rate of air
extraction from the
hood of the heating station in order to control the amount of heating of the
blanks as they are
conveyed through the heating sections. The control means 400 may therefore be
coupled to
the extraction fan to increase or decrease the rate of revolution of the fan
or may be coupled
to an inlet and/or outlet valve provided on the air extraction mechanism of
the hood to
dynamically control the amount of air within the heating section 376.
Finally a third temperature sensor 414, such as a pyrometer, is provided at
the down stream
end of the first heating station 376. This is used to measure the surface
temperature (T3) of
each blank after it has been heated by the heating element. The temperature
sensor 414 is, in
this embodiment of the invention, a non-contact sensor which employs infra-red
radiation to
determine the surface temperature of the blank. The third temperature sensor
414 is coupled
to the control means 400 and measures the blank temperature at a spot on the
surface of the
blank. If the temperature of the heated blank is not within an accepted range
a signal will be
transmitted by the control means 400 and the blank will be rejected by the
rejection
mechanism 330. In this embodiment the temperature sensor is positioned within
close
proximity to the out feed end of the heating station and therefore within
close proximity to
the second hopper which supplies the blister packs. The close proximity of the
blister feed
344 to the third temperature sensor 414 means that the delivery of the blister
onto the faulty
blank cannot be prevented and therefore the blister and blank both have to be
rejected. In
other embodiments it is envisaged that the third temperature sensor 414 could
be located to
allow the blister feed to be prevented or indeed another mechanism for
preventing a blister
from being placed onto a faulty blank could be employed. It is also
anticipated that more than
one temperature sensor 414 could be employed to monitor the temperature of the
blank. This
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may be especially useful if the surface is selectively heated to achieve
different temperatures
at different points on the blank to selectively reactivate the adhesive.
At the blister feed section 344 a sensor 416, coupled to the control means
400, is provided to
5. monitor the contents of the second hopper and an alert signal can be
transmitted if the hopper
is empty. A further sensor 418 is employed to check that the blisters have
been placed on a
blank at all and that any blisters placed are aligned correctly on the blank.
If any fault is
detected a rejection signal will be logged and the package will be discarded
by the rejection
mechanism 330. A correct-blister-type sensor 420 is also provided to detect if
the incorrect
type of blister pack is fed onto a carton blank. The correct-blister-type
sensor 420 is coupled
to the control means 400 and if the incorrect type of blister is detected a
reject signal will be
transmitted by the control means to the rejection mechanism 330 to reject the
blank and
blister.
A pressure sensor 422 is provided between the compression rollers 318 to
detect any
abnormality in the pressure applied by the rollers to the package being
formed. The pressure
sensor 422 may detect that the package has been incorrectly fed between the
rollers and that
the content of the blister may therefore have been damaged. If the pressure
sensor 422 detects
that the compression rollers 318 have applied a pressure to the package which
is outside of an
acceptable range, the control means 400 will transmit a rejection signal and
the package will
be discarded by the rejection mechanism 330. In this way any blank which is
not securely
sealed or contains a damaged blister pack will be identified and rejected.
The packaging machine of the present invention is provided with a similar set
of sensors in
the second heating section 314 to those of the first heating section 376.
Therefore the sensors
of the second heating section 314 and second compression section 318 will not
be described
in detail. The second heating section is provided with a heating element
sensor 408 and first,
second and third temperature sensors 410, 412, 414 which are each coupled to
the control
means 400 and monitor the operation and temperature of the heating element,
the ambient air
(T2) within the hood and the temperature of the conditioned blank surface. The
second
compression roller 318 is also provided with a pressure sensor 422 to ensure
that the
conditioned first surface is securely adhered to the second surface and that
no damage to the
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blister pack occurs. The third temperature sensor 414 of the second heating
station may be
employed to measure either the temperature of the blank or of the aluminium
face of the
blister pack. It is anticipated that, if required, two sensors 414 could be
used to measure the
temperature of both the blank and the aluminium face of the blister pack. 5
The packaging machine 350 may also be provided with a safety sensor to monitor
the
temperature of the cooling agent used within the guide panels 92.
It is envisaged that the rejection system 440 may be altered without departing
from the scope
of the present invention. For example it is anticipated that the control means
400 may also be
coupled to the drive means of various components of the packaging machine 350.
For
example the control means 400 may be coupled to a servo motor used to drive
the second
rotary vacuum feeder for feeding the blisters onto the blanks. The control
means 400 could
therefore be configured to respond to the sensor 416, which is provided at the
blister feed
section 344 to detect an empty hopper. If the sensor 416 detects an empty
hopper, the control
means 400 could automatically respond by stopping the rotary vacuum feeder.
In other embodiments of the invention it is also envisaged that the rejection
mechanism 330
may be adapted to accommodate different sized articles or indeed more than one
rejection
mechanism may be provided. It is envisaged that means other than the
displaceable portion
332 could be used to extract a faulty package 338 without departing from the
scope of the
present invention. For example an articulated arm could be used to remove a
faulty package
338 from the conveyer means or indeed the conveyer means could have channels
to provide a
different path for the faulty package 338 to the path of a satisfactory
finished package 326.
It is also anticipated that an alternative sensor to the third temperature
sensor may be
employed without departing from the scope of the present invention. The
integrity of the
blank, carton or other object may be monitored throughout the construction
process however
the third temperature sensor is provided to specifically monitor the integrity
of the first and/or
second surface to ensure that the first and/or second surfaces of an object
are correctly
conditioned in preparation of being adhered together. For example it is
envisaged that if the
first and or second surfaces of the blank, carton or other object are
conditioned by means
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other than heat, such as by humidity or by pressure, the sensor provided to
monitor the
integrity of the carton to ensure that the first and or second surfaces of the
carton are properly
conditioned may be a humidity sensor or pressure sensor rather than a
temperature sensor. It
is envisaged that the sensor employed to monitor the integrity and
conditioning of the first
and or second surfaces, may be coupled to the control means to allow for
interactive
adjustment of the conditioning means in response to the amount of conditioning
of the first
and or second surfaces. For example a humidity sensor may feed back a signal
to the control
means indicating that the measured humidity of the first surface is outside
predetermined
criteria. This may result in the object comprising the first surface being
rejected by the
rejection mechanism but may also result in the control means transmitting a
signal to the
means for conditioning the first surface, i.e. a humidity source. The control
means may cause
the amount of humidity provided by the source to be adjusted in response to
the integrity of
the first surface being measured and being found to not comply with
predetermined criteria
regarding the humidity of the surface required for adhesion. The operating
conditions of the
packaging machine 450 can thereby be interactively controlled to ensure that
the down time
for correcting the operating conditions is minimized and to refine the quality
control of the
package to ensure that the integrity of the package is maintained within an
accurate quality
range.
In other embodiments of the invention it is also envisaged that an
extinguishing system may
be provided in case of a fire or emergency. The extinguishing system may be
coupled directly
to a smoke detector or may be coupled to the control means 400 which could
deploy the
extinguishing system in the event of smoke and/or high blank temperature being
detected.
The extinguishing system maybe a gas extinguisher, such as carbon dioxide.
A third aspect of the invention relates to an initial start-up operation of
the packaging
machine 50 which was described in the first embodiment with reference to
Figures 1- 8.
Reference to these figures will be made in connection with the foregoing
description since
features shown therein will also be relevant to the description of the initial
start-up operation
of the packaging machine 50. Reference will also be made to Figure 14 which
shows a
schematic flow chart illustrating exemplary steps that can be taken to ensure
that the
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packaging machine is operating under the correct conditions during the initial
start-up
operation.
The initial start up operation is intended to ensure that the mechanisms for
conditioning a
package blank for adhesion with an article, such as a blister pack, to be
securely contained
within the package are operating correctly before any such articles are fed
from the article
feed 86. In the specific embodiment herein described the conditioning means is
provided by
first and second heating elements 76 and 80 which are shown in Figure 1. The
additional
aspect of an initial start up operation will therefore be described in the
context of a packaging
machine employing a heating means 82 for conditioning a carton blank. However
it should be
understood that the initial start-up operation to be described is not limited
in its application to
a packaging machine having heating means and could readily be applied to a
packaging
machine utilizing other conditioning means.
The first step of the initial start-up is a slow-run warm up 530, wherein the
first and second
heating elements 76, 114 are activated. The conveyer means 66, 68 is also
activated but no
blanks or blisters are fed from their respective hoppers 54, 86. The
temperature T1 of the
ambient air inside the hood 80 of the first heating station 76 is measured by
a temperature
sensor 412. The temperature T1 is measured for a time t during which time the
measured
temperature T1 is checked against a desired operational temperature which is
required for
conditioning a blank. When T1 reaches the conditioning temperature, or is
within an
acceptable temperature range for conditioning, for example 150 C +/- 5 C, a
bell will sound
or another signal will be given. The bell or signal indicates that the first
conditioning means,
in this case first heating station 76 is ready for conditioning a substrate,
such as the
paperboard blank of the present example. This step is illustrated by step 512
in Figure 14.
1
If however during a pre-set time limit tõ,,,, T1 has not reached the required
temperature 558,
then the slow run warm up 530 will be stopped and an alarm signal or error
report will be
sent from the central control means 400 to indicate to an operator that there
is an error with
the first conditioning means 76. This will indicate for example that one of
the infra-red
heating lamps 82 of the first heating section 76 is not working and enable a
machine operator
to address the problem. In checking the correct operation of the machine
before sending any
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blisters 4, the need for rejecting and hence wasting any pharmaceutical
preparations is
alleviated. This step is shown in steps 558 and 560 of Figure 14.
A similar method is used to control and check the operation of the second
conditioning
element, which in this example is a second heating section 114. In other
embodiments it is
envisaged that there may be more or less than two conditioning elements and
that where more
than one conditioning element is used, each element may condition a substrate
using a
different technique. However in the embodiment presently described, a second
heating
section 114 is employed and the temperature T2 of the ambient air within the
hood 80 of the
second heating section 114 is measured to check whether the second
conditioning element is
ready for conditioning. Again T2 will be measured 612 until either the correct
temperature is
reached or the time for which T2 should be measured ( tõt.. . ) is reached.
Again if T2 has not
reached an optimum operating temperature, an alerting signal will be raised
and the slow run
warm-up 530 will be stopped 564. The machine operator will know that a problem
exists with
the second conditioning means 114. The steps 612, 570 and 564 are illustrated
schematically
in Figure 14.
If T1 and T2 are both measured to be within the optimum conditioning range 586
a single
blank will be feed 542 and conveyed through the packaging machine 50, 350 to
check that
the blank will be conditioned correctly. In order to carry out an accurate
assessment of the
conditioning of the blank, the blank is conveyed at full speed so that it is
present beneath the
infra-red heating lamps for the correct amount of time. When the blank exits
the first heating
section 76 a temperature sensor 414 is used to accurately measure the surface
temperature of
the blank. The preferred type of temperature sensor 414 is a pyrometer, which
is a non-
contact sensor employing infra-red radiation to determine the surface
temperature of the
blank. The third temperature sensor 414 is coupled to the control means 400
and measures the
blank temperature at a spot on the surface of the blank. If the temperature T3
of the
conditioned blank is not within an accepted range a signal will be transmitted
by the control
means 400. If only one test blank has been conveyed than a fiuther blank will
be fed and its
temperature T3 measured after the first conditioning means. If the measurement
of T3 is
again not within a range which is acceptable for ensuring proper adhesion of
the substrate
surfaces by the heat reactivated adhesive, a signal will be sent by the
control means 400 to
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stop the packaging machine 50, 350. If however temperature T3 is measured and
found to be
correct a bell will sound to indicate that this is the case. Whatever the
outcome of the
measurement of T3 the first or second test blank will be conveyed through the
second heating
section and its temperature T4 will be measured immediately it exits the
second conditioning
section. If T4 is not correct and if only one test blank has been fed 552 a
second test blank
will be fed 542 and T4 measured again 614. If T4 is still measured 614 to be
outside the
optimum range the packaging machine 50, 350 will be stopped 580 and an error
report sent
via a signal from the control means 400 to alert the operator to the problem.
The steps 614,
552 and 580 are illustrated in Figure 14.
If however T3 514 and T4 614 are both correct 584, then the packaging machine
50, 350, is
operating correctly and ready to run. The machine will continue to run at full
speed with
blanks and blisters both being fed at full speed. The operation of the machine
thereafter is
controlled and the quality of the packaged blisters monitored as described
with reference to
Figure 13.
It will be apparent that changes may be made to the foregoing without
departing from the
invention described. For example the way in which the readiness of the or each
conditioning
element is assessed before a substrate is conveyed for conditioning may depend
upon the way
in which the conditioning is carried out. For example if the conditioning
means is a
humidifying means then a humidity sensor will be employed to check that the
conditioning
means is ready. Additionally the way in which alarm signals or indicating
bells are arranged
can easily be varied depending upon the types of test carried out and the
methodology of the
control means. Furthermore it is envisaged that this aspect of the invention
may be used in
conjunction with or separately from the packaging apparatus of the first and
second
embodiments.
