EP1984253B1

EP1984253B1 - Device for packaging stacked infusion pads

Info

Publication number: EP1984253B1
Application number: EP07705439A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gino Rapparini
Original assignee: ICA SpA
Current assignee: ICA SpA
Priority date: 2006-02-14
Filing date: 2007-01-16
Publication date: 2011-08-31
Anticipated expiration: 2027-01-16
Also published as: EP1984253A1; WO2007093863A1; ITBO20060105A1; ATE522444T1

Abstract

Packaging process for stacked pads and devices to actuate it characterized by the fact that it includes: at least one conveyer belt (1) upon which are in continuous transit pads to be stackes in proximity to the loading station (C); an intermittent turret (2) specifically synchronized with the stacker (3), equipped peripherally with the sockets (A, A') fit to receive the stacked pads; a computerized stacking device (3) that stacks the pads fed by the continuos belt (1), introducing them in the below running sockets of the turrent stopped nearby the loading station (C). a computerized ejecting device (4; 4') that ejects the stack of pads from their relative sockets and moves them into the container transitaing below (F; F'), that await especially places coaxially to the sockets with the stackes pads.

Description

Field of the art

The present invention concerns a packaging process and in particular it refers to the packaging of stacked pads inside of a package.

State of the art

It is known in the prior art that pads for infusions of coffee or other similar substances are packaged in cardboard boxes, metal containers or flexible bags.
Inside such containers, the pads are currently still introduced at random, thus causing alterations to the delicate geometry of the pads, which are damaged in their outlook and in the integrity of the perimetral edges of the pads with circular shape. The pads are also often clumsily packaged, and the resulting package is often unpleasant and cumbersome.
The present invention aims at realizing a packaging process of pads in flexible containers such as bags that could solve all the problems that are still present in this specific technological field.

Description

The present invention is now disclosed with referecne to the figures of the drawings that are attached as an unrestrictive example.

Figure 1 shows schematically a structural combination of the main actuating devices for the packaging process of stacked pads.
Figure 2 shows the starting of the packaging process and represents the stacking operation of the pads in continuous input. It can be noticed that the intermittent turret 2 is stopped to allow the intervention of the stacking device (3) that introduces a pre-set number of pads in the socket underneath (A). It should be pointed out that in this figure 2 the first socket contains the first stack already completed. It should be pointed out that the mechanisms that supervise the synchronized realization of the process operations are not diplayed. Such operations are of course actuated with means known in the technical field.
Figure 3 shows the advancement of the packaging process. It should be in fact noticed that the stacker (3) has already completed the second stack of pads introduced in the second socket, and that the turret has completed a first step as symbolized by the arrow that also indicates the direction of rotation of the intermittent turret.
Figure 4 shows the following advancement of the packaging process and it can be noticed that the third stack of pads has already been completed, and that the turret has made a second step as indicated by the arrow. Said figure 4 represents in partial section the presence of a complete stack of pads inside the socket, which is now near the off-load station.
Figure 5 shows the completed packaging process and it can be noticed that the turret is stopped while the ejector (4) inserts the stack of pads inside of a container (F) (bag) simultaneously packaged. It can be noticed that the stacking device (3) has completed another stack of pads that are in synchronized arrival on the feeding conveyer belt.
Figure 6, similar to figure 2, shows schematically a structural lay-out of the actuating devices of the packaging process to stack two piles of pads inside a rectangular flexible bag (F').
Figure 7, similar to figure 4, shows the advancement of the packaging process, and it can be noticed that in the partial section the stacks of pads are overlapped and that the turret has completed a second step as indicated by the arrow.
Figure 8, similar to figure 5, shows the completed packaging process, and it can be noticed that the turret has stopped while the ejector (4') inserts two stacks of pads inside the container (F').
Figure 9 shows the overlapping of the delicate edges (B) of the paired pads at the moment of their introduction inside the bag (F').
Figure 10 highlights the position taken by the delicate edges of the paired pads specifically enlarged.

In all figures each single detail is marked as follows:

1 indicates at least a conveyer belt upon which pads to be stacked arrive continuously near the loading station (C) of an intermittent turret (2) especially synchronized.
2 indicates an intermittent turret equipped peripherally by sockets (A; A') set to receive the pads to be stacked neary by the loading station.
3 indicates the stacking device that stacks the single pads, fed by the continuous belt (1), introducing them in the underneath socket (A) of the turret (2) stopped by the loading station (C).
4 indicates an ejecting device that, nearby the off-load station (s), removes the stack of pads from their socket (A) and moves them to the container below (F).
4' indicates an ejecting twin device that ejects the two stacks of pads from their related socket (A') and moves them to the double continater below (F').
A indicates a single socket
A' indicates a paired couple of sockets (twin couple).
B indicates the delicate circular edges of the pads steadily and jointly overlapped.
C indicates the pads loading station.
F and F' indicate containers inside which stacks of pads are introduced.
K indicates a programmable computer mechanism to govern the cinematic linear excursions of the linear actuating devices (3; 4; 4').
L indicates a computerized linear actuating device.
S indicates the station for the off-loading of the stacks of piles.

The process can of course be realized by providing the turret not only with single (A) or twin (A') peripheral sockets, but also with different number of sockets and specific ejecting devices.
It should be pointed out that the inventive core of the present invention is the combination of at least one conveyer belt with one intermittent turret equipped with sockets fit to receive stacked and overlapped pads, when there are two piles, in the proximity of a loading station, and to eject them in the proximity of a coaxial off-load station to introduce them in the containers transitating underneath (F; F').
It should also be highlighted that the heuristic gradient of the present invention allows to solve the numerous issues inherent to the hadling operations of the delicate edges of the pads, paired and stacked, overlapped in a joint position.
The invention of course allows several variations of practical realization both with respect to the dimensioning and the structural proportioning of the various componenets, as for the technological choices and for the the material used for their construction.

Claims

Packaging device for stacke pads characterized by the fact that it includes:
- at least one conveyer belt (1) upon which are in continuous transit pads to be stacked in proximity to or loading station (C);

- an intermittent turret (2) equipped peripherally with sockets (A, A') fit to receive the stacked pads; specifically synchronized with a computerized stacking device (3) that stacks the pads fed by the continuos belt (1), introducing them in the below running sockets (A;A') of the turrent stopped nearby the loading station (C),

- a computerized ejecting device (4; 4') that ejects the stack of pads from their relative sockets and moves them into a container transitaing below (F; F'), that is stopped coaxially to the sockets with the stackes pads.
Packaging device of claim 1, characterized by the fact that the intermittent turret (2) is equipped with single peripheral sockets (A) inside which the pads are stacked.
Packaging device, as in claim 1, characterized by the fact that the intermittent turret (2) is equipped with twin couples of peripheral sockets (A'), shaped like an 8, inside which the pads are overlapped with the circular delicates edges (B) completely jointed to diminish their overall dimensions and ensure the integrity and the compactness of the stacks of pads during all the handling of the packaging process.
Packaging device of claim 3, characterized by the fact that the bar of the ejecting device (4) operating in proximity of the off-load station (S) is provided at the lower end with an interchangeabe small plate shaped on relation fo the twin socket (,A').
Packaging device of the previous claims, characterized by the fact that the linear excursions of the computerized operating devices (3; 4; 4') are actuated by linear actuators (L) that govern their intermitten cinematic characteristic controlling, adjusting and programming them through an especially connect computer system (K).