EP2886471A1 - Tube holder for a tube filling machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A tube holder (1) for a tube filling machine has a tube holding holder (3) for receiving a tube end section (4) of a tube (2). In the tube-Gnmdhalter (3) a clamping body (5) for fixing the tube (2) is held relative to the tube-Gnindhalter (3). The clamping body (5) is designed as a flexible clamping sleeve, which is designed for insertion of the tube end portion (4). The clamping sleeve (5) is designed for external contact around the tube end section (4). The result is a tube holder, with a on the one hand gentle and on the other hand secure holding the tube is guaranteed.

Description

The invention relates to a tube holder for a tube filling machine according to the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to a tube filling machine with at least one such tube holder.

A tube holder for a tube filling machine is known from the WO 2008/064 748 A1 , A tube filling machine with tube holders is also known from the DE 37 33 687 A1 , from the US 3,199,552 , from the KR 20-0447797 Y1 and from the WO 2012/150 007 A2 ,

It is an object of the present invention, a tube holder of the type mentioned in such a way that on the one hand gentle and on the other hand secure holding the tube is guaranteed.

This object is achieved by a tube holder with the features specified in claim 1.

The flexible clamping sleeve according to the invention allows a uniform force input to a tube jacket, in particular during an entire filling cycle during operation of the tube filling machine. The holding of the tube with the clamping sleeve can be designed by appropriate design of the cuff dimensions so that the clamping sleeve and the tube jacket is neither in any processing phase in the tube filling machine stretched or stretched measurable. There is only a deformation of an inner circumferential contour of the clamping sleeve, wherein an inner circumference of the clamping sleeve remains constant during the deformation. A holding force of the clamping sleeve on the tube results due to a different cross-sectional contour of the inner circumference the clamping sleeve to the cross-sectional contour of an outer circumference of the tube end portion. In the case of a tube end section with an oval cross-section, a tensioning collar with an inner cross section round in a force-free state leads to a corresponding holding force, which results solely from the difference in the contour cross sections and the restoring force resulting from a formulaic elasticity of the tensioning collar. During the deformation of the clamping sleeve whose material volume and in particular their wall thickness remain constant. With the clamping sleeve, the exertion of a holding force can be realized on the tube without holding body attack with corners or edges on the tube and without undesirable deformation of the tube results. With the tube holder according to the invention, for example, cylindrical aluminum tubes, cylindrical plastic tubes, cylindrical laminate tubes or even such tubes with oval cross section or super oval cross section can be maintained. The clamping sleeve is, as explained above, form-elastic, but not designed elastic. A restoring force does not result from an expansion or compression of the clamping collar in the circumferential direction, but exclusively from the change in shape or the elasticity of the shape. With regard to the different types of tubing that are durable with the tube holder, a tube-type tube-filling machine that results across all tubes thus results. The tensioning collar can also compensate for cross-sectional deviations in the region of a tube cover or a tube cap inserted into the tube holding device. Where the tension cuff abuts the tube end portion, an inner circumference of the tension cuff, whether or not the tube end portion is inserted, is at least as large as an outer circumference of the tube end portion. In particular, metal tubes can be held over a larger axial extent at the tube end portion and thereby supported, without this being an undesirable plastic deformation of the tube jacket leads. Can be kept a tube end portion not only in the immediate vicinity of a tube shoulder, but also spaced therefrom. This improves a layer definition of the held tube. A filling section of the tube can thus be specified safely and reproducibly in its position.

A wall thickness of the clamping sleeve can be in the range between 0.1 mm and 5 mm and in particular in the range between 0.25 mm and 1.5 mm. A typical wall thickness of the clamping sleeve is in the range of 1 mm.

In a full-scale investment of the clamping sleeve on the tube end portion according to claim 2 results in the ability to distribute the holding force over a large area of the tube shell, so that a particularly gentle holding results. Alternatively, the clamping sleeve can rest only on at least one peripheral region or over a plurality of peripheral regions on the outside of the tube end portion.

In a cross-sectional deviation according to claim 3 results after insertion of the tube into the clamping sleeve due to the flexibility of the clamping sleeve deformation of this, resulting in the form-elastic clamping sleeve to corresponding restoring and thus holding forces exerted by the clamping sleeve on the tube end portion. An inner circumference of the clamping sleeve is always at least as large as an outer circumference of the tube end portion.

The tensioning collar can have a multiple rotationally symmetrical cross section, for example a cross section in the form of a spherical square or in the form of a spherical hexagon. To hold In particular of tubes with non-rotationally symmetrical outer cross section, the clamping sleeve can alternatively also have a circular cross section. A holding force can result in this case by a deformation of the clamping sleeve from the initially circular cross-section to the predetermined non-rotationally symmetrical cross section of the tube.

A holding body according to claim 4 allows a secure holding the clamping sleeve in the tube base holder. The tensioning collar can be braced or clamped radially or axially via the holding body in the tube base holder.

A preload of the tension cuff according to claim 5, for example, leads to a desired in relation to a resulting holding force cross-sectional deviation of the clamping sleeve inner cross-section. This bias of the clamping sleeve for generating the cross-sectional deviation can be generated via a corresponding shape design of the tube base holder or the holding body for holding the clamping sleeve in the tube base holder. The clamping sleeve can thus have, for example, a circular inner cross-sectional shape, which is then deformed by the bias in the tube base holder. The resulting, deformed inner cross-sectional shape of the clamping sleeve then allows the holder of a tube end portion with a circular outer cross-sectional shape.

Alternatively or additionally, the clamping sleeve can be manufactured according to claim 6 from the house with deviating from the outer cross section of the tube end portion inner cross section. So it can for example a Clamping collar with preformed non-rotationally symmetrical cross section are used.

Thermoplastics as clamping sleeve material according to claim 7 have been found to be particularly advantageous in terms of the required material properties for the clamping sleeve. The clamping sleeve can be made of POM, POM-PTFE, PEO or polyolefin. In principle, it is also possible to use thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) or even elastomers, in which case only their adhesive properties are used, but not their elasticity in volume, that is to say their extensibility or compressibility in the circumferential direction of the tensioning collar. The material of the clamping sleeve can be a ductile plastic.

An insertion of the clamping sleeve according to claim 8 facilitates insertion of the tube into the tube base holder or insertion of the tube into the clamping sleeve.

A cover ring according to claim 9 avoids that the tube comes into contact with the other tube base holder during insertion.

The advantages of a tube filling machine according to claim 10 correspond to those which have already been explained above with reference to the tube holder according to the invention.

Fig. 1

eine Aufsicht auf einen Tubenhalter für eine Tubenfüllmaschine mit einem als flexible, formelastische Spannmanschette ausgeführten Spannkörper zum Fixieren einer Tube relativ zu einem Tuben-Grundhalter des Tubenhalters;

Fig. 2

einen Schnitt gemäß Linie II-II in Fig. 1, dargestellt mit unverschlossener Tube;

Fig. 3

eine Aufsicht gemäß Fig. 1, dargestellt mit endseitig längs einer Verschlussnaht verschlossener Tube;

Fig. 4

einen Schnitt gemäß Linie IV-IV in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5

einen Schnitt gemäß Linie V-V in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6

einen Querschnitt der unverschlossenen Tube einerseits und der Spannmanschette andererseits vor einem Einführen der Tube in die Spannmanschette, wobei die Spannmanschette einen Querschnitt in Form eines sphärischen Quadrats aufweist;

Fig. 7

die Querschnitte der Tube und der Spannmanschette nach Fig. 6 nach dem Einführen der Tube in die Spannmanschette;

Fig. 8 und 9

in zu den Fig. 6 und 7 ähnlicher Darstellung die Tube sowie eine weitere Ausführung der Spannmanschette mit einem Querschnitt in Form eines sphärischen Sechsecks;

Fig. 10

in einer Aufsicht ähnlich zu Fig. 1 eine weitere Ausführung eines Tubenhalters für eine Tubenfüllmaschine zum Halten von Tuben mit nicht kreisförmigem, nämlich ovalem Querschnitt;

Fig. 11

einen Schnitt gemäß Linie XI-XI in Fig. 10;

Fig. 12

eine Aufsicht auf die Tube und die Spannmanschette aus Richtung XII in Fig. 11, wobei zusätzlich noch ein Außenquerschnitt eines Haltekörpers zum Halten der Spannmanschette im Tuben-Grundhalter dargestellt ist;

Fig. 13

einen Schnitt gemäß Linie XIII-XIII in Fig. 10;

Fig. 14

in einer zu Fig. 12 ähnlichen Darstellung eine Aufsicht gemäß Blickrichtung XIV in der Fig. 13;

Fig. 15

in einer zu den Fig. 6 und 8 ähnlichen Darstellung die Spannmanschette und die Tube bei der Ausführung nach den Fig. 10 bis 14 vor dem Einführen der Tube in die Spannmanschette; und

Fig. 16

die Tube und die Spannmanschette nach Fig. 15 nach dem Einführen der Tube in die Spannmanschette.

Embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. In this show:

Fig. 1

a plan view of a tube holder for a tube filling machine with a designed as a flexible, form-elastic clamping sleeve clamping body for fixing a tube relative to a tube base holder of the tube holder;

Fig. 2

a section along line II-II in Fig. 1 shown with unlocked tube;

Fig. 3

a supervision according to Fig. 1 , shown with tube closed at the end along a closing seam;

Fig. 4

a section along line IV-IV in Fig. 3 ;

Fig. 5

a section along line VV in Fig. 3 ;

Fig. 6

a cross section of the unclosed tube on the one hand and the clamping sleeve on the other hand before insertion of the tube into the clamping sleeve, wherein the clamping sleeve has a cross-section in the form of a spherical square;

Fig. 7

the cross sections of the tube and the clamping sleeve after Fig. 6 after inserting the tube into the clamping sleeve;

8 and 9

in to the 6 and 7 similar representation of the tube and another embodiment of the clamping sleeve with a cross section in the form of a spherical hexagon;

Fig. 10

in a supervision similar to Fig. 1 a further embodiment of a tube holder for a tube filling machine for holding tubes with non-circular, namely oval cross-section;

Fig. 11

a section along line XI-XI in Fig. 10 ;

Fig. 12

a view of the tube and the clamping sleeve from XII in Fig. 11 , wherein additionally an outer cross section of a holding body for holding the clamping sleeve in the tube base holder is shown;

Fig. 13

a section according to line XIII-XIII in Fig. 10 ;

Fig. 14

in one too Fig. 12 similar representation a supervision according to the viewing direction XIV in the Fig. 13 ;

Fig. 15

in one of the 6 and 8 Similar representation of the clamping sleeve and the tube in the execution of the 10 to 14 before inserting the tube into the clamping sleeve; and

Fig. 16

the tube and the tension cuff after Fig. 15 after inserting the tube into the clamping sleeve.

A total in the Fig. 1 to 5 illustrated tube holder 1 is used to hold a tube 2 in an otherwise not shown tube filling machine. The tube filling machine can be constructed in the manner of those described for example in the WO 2008/064 748 A1 or in the WO 2012/150 007 A2 , The tube filling machine also includes a closing unit for closing the respectively filled tube.

The tube 2 is in the drawing as a standing tube with an example in the Fig. 2 shown below cap.

The tube holder 1 has a tube base holder 3 for receiving a tube end portion 4 of the tube 2. The tube 2 has a circular cross-section. The tube holder 1 after the Fig. 1 to 5 is, apart from details of the tube base 3, rotationally symmetric.

In the tube base holder 3, a clamping body in the form of a flexible, form-elastic clamping sleeve 5 is held. The clamping sleeve 5 serves to fix the tube 2 relative to the tube base holder. 3

The clamping sleeve 5 is flexible and form-elastic. The clamping sleeve 5 is designed for insertion of the tube end portion 4. The clamping sleeve 5 is designed for external contact around the tube end section 4. At the tube holder 1 after the Fig. 1 to 5 the tensioning collar 5 is designed for full installation around the tube end section 4. An inner circumference of the clamping sleeve 5 is at least as large as an outer circumference of the held tube end portion 4. This circumferential relation is also present when the tube end portion 4 is not inserted into the clamping sleeve 5. A wall thickness of the clamping sleeve 5 is in the range between 0.1 mm and 10 mm, in particular in the range between 0.1 mm and 5 mm.

The clamping sleeve 5 is made of plastic. The clamping sleeve 5 is made of a thermoplastic. The clamping sleeve 5 may consist of at least be made of one of the following materials: polyoxymethylene (POM), polyoxymethylene polytetrafluoroethylene (POM-PTFE), PE or a polyolefin. The clamping sleeve 5 is made of a ductile material. The clamping sleeve 5 is form-elastic. In a deformation of the clamping sleeve 5, the size of an inner circumference of the clamping sleeve 5 is maintained.

To hold the clamping sleeve 5 in the tube base holder 3 is a holding body 6. The holding body 6 is a holding piece in the form of a retaining ring whose inner diameter is aligned with an ejection channel 7 of the tube holder 1.

The holding body 6 is fixed in a manner not shown on the tube base holder 3. A bottom-side edge portion of the clamping sleeve 5 is held between the holding piece 6 and an inner wall 8 of the tube base holder 3. The clamping sleeve 5 is either fixed axially or radially or only axially fixed, in which case a radial mobility of the clamping sleeve 5 is possible.

An insertion side of the tube base holder 3, ie the side of the base holder 3, from which the tube 2 is inserted into the tube base holder 3, is covered by a cover ring 9. The latter is fixed to the tube base holder 3 by means of screws which can be screwed into the tube base holder 3 in screw channels 9a. The cover ring 9 has a conically widening insertion section 10. The cover ring 9 engages over an insertion-side end section of the tube base holder 3.

The tensioning collar 5 also has a conically widening insertion section 11. This insertion section 11 serves as a centering aid for the tube 2.

Fig. 1 shows in a plan view of the tube holder 1, of which only the cover ring 9 and an inside of the inner cross section of the cover 9 protruding portion of the clamping sleeve 5 can be seen in this plan.

An insertion-side edge 12 of the insertion section 11 of the clamping sleeve 5 abuts the end face of an axial stop surface 13 of the cover ring 9.

While the Fig. 2 shows the holding effect of the clamping sleeve 5 in unclosed tube 2, show the Fig. 4 and 5 the holding effect of the clamping sleeve 5 at the end closed tube 2. A tube sheath closure 14 is carried out at the free end of the tube 2, which is opposite to the tube end portion 4. The tube sheath closure 14 extends in the plane of the Fig. 4 and perpendicular to the plane of the Fig. 5 ,

The clamping sleeve 5 has an internal cross section, which deviates from an outer cross section of the tube end section 4, for which the clamping sleeve 5 is designed, before an insertion of the tube end section 4. This will be explained below with reference to Fig. 6 to 9 explained in more detail.

To generate the cross-sectional deviation of the inner cross section of the clamping sleeve 5 from the outer cross section of the tube end portion 4 before inserting the tube end portion 4 in the clamping sleeve 5 are there are two fundamentally different variants. On the one hand, the clamping sleeve 5 in the tube base holder 3 can be pretensioned such that the shape of the inner cross section of the clamping sleeve 5 deviates from a force-free clamping sleeve inner cross section. Alternatively or additionally, the clamping sleeve 5 may already have an internal cross-section in the force-free state, which deviates from an outer cross-section of the tube end section 4, for which the respective clamping sleeve 5 is designed.

A first variant of the cross-sectional deviation is in the Fig. 6 shown. Before the introduction of the tube end section 4 into the clamping sleeve 5, the latter has a different from the circular cross-section of the tube end portion 4, mehrzählig rotationally symmetrical cross-section, namely a cross section in the form of a spherical square. This multiple rotationally symmetrical cross section can be generated for example by means of a corresponding shaping of a clamping geometry, by means of which the clamping sleeve is clamped over the holding body 6 with the tube base holder 3. The holding body 6 may for example have a square or spherical square outer cross-section. Also, the tube base holder 3 may specify a correspondingly deviating from a circular shape for the cross section of the clamping sleeve 5. The clamping sleeve 5 is not necessarily jammed. The clamping sleeve 5 can have axial play. The clamping sleeve 5 can be held in the radial direction movable from the holding body 6.

Fig. 7 shows the clamping sleeve 5 and the tube end portion 4 after insertion of the tube end portion 4 in the clamping sleeve 5. The clamping sleeve 5 is fully outside of the tube 2 and has deformed into a likewise circular cross-section. by virtue of the elasticity of the material of the clamping sleeve 5 causes this cross-sectional deformation due to the insertion of the tube end portion 4 radial forces exerted by the clamping sleeve 5 on the tube end portion 4. Especially in the field of force arrows F _R in the Fig. 7 These forces are directed radially towards a rotational axis of symmetry A of the tube holder 1, which coincides with a central longitudinal axis of the clamping sleeve 5, directed.

The 8 and 9 show a further variant of a cross-sectional deviation of the cross section of the clamping sleeve 5 prior to insertion of the tube end portion 4 in the clamping sleeve 5. The cross section of the clamping sleeve 5 is before this insertion spherical hexagonal (see. Fig. 8 ). After insertion of the tube end section 4 into the clamping sleeve 5, the cross-sectional situation arises Fig. 9 which after those Fig. 7 equivalent. The clamping sleeve 5 is also in this case fully outside of the tube end portion 4. Due to the six-fold cross-sectional symmetry of the clamping sleeve 5 after Fig. 8 now results in a total of six equally distributed circumferential positions a directed inward to the axis A toward radial force F _R.

Due to the tube sheath closure of the tube 2, its cross-sectional geometry changes from an unlocked circular cross-section to a cross-sectional profile which has an increasingly oval cross-section from the tube end section 4 to the tube sheath closure 14 from an initially circular cross section. As a result, for example in metal tubes, changes in the cross section of the tube 2 already result in the region of the tube end section 4, which are compensated due to the flexibility, ie the elasticity of the elastic, the clamping sleeve 5, so that the clamping sleeve 5, the tube 2 also in about the tube sheath 14 closed state safely holds. The clamping sleeve 5 thus also adapts to the tube outer cross-section in areas where it is no longer circular. The tensioning collar 5 holds the tube end section 4 not only in the immediate vicinity of a tube shoulder 14a, but in an axially larger tube tube area. An axial holding region is thus not limited to an axial region of low deformation in the immediate vicinity of the tube shoulder 14a. This improves a position definition of the tube 2, in particular of a tube end portion opposite free filling end of the tube. 2

Based on 10 to 16 a further embodiment of a tube holder 15 is explained for a tube filling machine, which is designed to hold a tube 16 with an oval cross-section. Components that correspond to those described above with reference to the Fig. 1 to 9 already described, bear the same reference numbers and will not be discussed again in detail.

The supervision after Fig. 10 on the tube holder 15 shows a tightening collar 17, the basic function of which corresponds to that of the clamping sleeve 5, in still undeformed state, ie prior to insertion of the tube end portion 4 of the tube 16. This undeformed cross section of the clamping sleeve 17 is circular. This also illustrates the Fig. 15 who in terms of your presentation the 6 and 8 equivalent. Fig. 15 on the one hand shows the circular cross section of undeformed clamping sleeve 17 and on the other hand, the oval cross-section of the tube 16 to be inserted.

Basically, it does not matter how the oval cross section of the tube 16 when inserted into the tube base holder 3 of the tube holder 15th is oriented. The 10 to 14 illustrate an orientation of the oval cross-section of the tube 16, in which a longer cross-sectional semi-axis in the plane of the Fig. 13 is arranged. Fig. 11 therefore shows a narrow side view of the tube 16 and Fig. 13 a wide side view of the tube 16.

Dashed or dash-dotted is in the Fig. 10 the due to the insertion of the tube 16 in cross-section then oval deformed clamping sleeve. This deformed tensioning collar is denoted by the reference numeral 17 'below.

Fig. 12 . 14 and 16 show in plan view or in cross section, on the one hand, the tube 16 with its oval cross-section and on the other hand, the fully outer externally applied to this tube 16 clamping sleeve 17 '.

In the execution of the 10 to 16 Therefore, the clamping sleeve has a circular cross-section prior to insertion of the tube and can hold the tube, which has a non-rotationally symmetrical cross-section, due to the elastic restoring forces resulting from the cross-sectional deformation of the clamping sleeve 17, starting from the circular base cross-section (clamping sleeve 17) for deviating from the rotational symmetry oval cross-section (clamping sleeve 17 ') result. In the Fig. 16 In turn, the directions of force of the radial holding force F _{R are} shown, which exerts the clamping sleeve 17 'on the tube 16 for safe holding of this.

The Fig. 11 and 13 also show a variant of attachment of the cover ring 9 on the tube base holder 3. In this attachment variant is the cover ring 9 fitted in a corresponding step recording in the insertion side of the tube base holder 3.

In the execution of the Fig. 11 and 13 braces the holding body 6 a marginal edge portion 18 of the clamping sleeve 17 'by the holding body 6 clamps this marginal edge portion 18 against an axial end wall of the tube base holder 3. The clamping sleeve 17 is not necessarily clamped. The clamping sleeve 17 can have axial play. The clamping sleeve can be held radially movable from the holding body 6, so that in this case an oval deformation of the clamping sleeve 17 in the region of the holding body 6 is possible.

Claims (10)

Tube holder (1, 15) for a tube filling machine - With a tube base holder (3) for receiving a tube end portion (4) of a tube (2; 16), with a clamping body (5, 17) held in the tube base holder (3) for fixing the tube (2, 16) relative to the tube base holder (3), characterized in that the clamping body (5, 17) is designed as a flexible clamping sleeve, which is designed for insertion of the tube end portion (4), wherein the clamping sleeve (5, 17) designed for external contact around the tube end portion (4) is, wherein the clamping sleeve (5, 17) is designed so flexible that it is neither stretched measurably stretched in the outer system to the tube end portion (4), but is exclusively deformed. Tube holder according to claim 1, characterized in that the clamping sleeve (5, 17) is designed for full-scale installation around the tube end section (4). Tube holder according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the clamping sleeve (5; 17) has an internal cross-sectional shape, before the insertion of the tube end portion (4) of an outer cross-sectional shape of the tube end portion (4) for which the clamping sleeve (5 ; 17) is designed to deviate. Tube holder according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by a holding body (6) for holding the clamping sleeve (5; 17) in Tu ben-basic holder (3). Tube holder according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the clamping sleeve (5) in the tube base holder (3) is biased so that the shape of its inner cross-section deviates at constant circumference of a force-free clamping sleeve inner cross-section. Tube holder according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the clamping sleeve (5) in the force-free state has an inner cross-sectional shape which deviates from an outer cross-sectional shape of the tube end portion (4), for which the clamping sleeve (5) is designed. Tube holder according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the clamping sleeve (5, 17) is made of a thermoplastic material. Tube holder according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the clamping sleeve (5, 17) has a conically widening insertion section (11). Tube holder according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by a cover ring (9) for covering an insertion side of the tube base holder (3). Tubular filling machine with a tube holder (1; 15) according to one of claims 1 to 9.

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