EP2974642A1

EP2974642A1 - Multi-purpose self-propelled wrapping machine with floor cleaning device

Info

Publication number: EP2974642A1
Application number: EP15176646.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Antonio Muratori
Original assignee: Samec SpA
Current assignee: Samec SpA
Priority date: 2014-07-14
Filing date: 2015-07-14
Publication date: 2016-01-20
Anticipated expiration: 2035-07-14
Also published as: EP2974642B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a self-propelled wrapping machine (10) comprising a frame (11) with a pair of non-steering wheels (12), a lifting system (13) with an upright (16) and a moving trolley (15) to which a spool-holder assembly (14) is attached and at least one steering wheel (18) connected to a support (19) connected to the frame (11) so that it can turn with respect to it about a substantially vertical axis (Z), characterized in that it comprises a cleaning device (100) for cleaning a floor, or a surface on the ground, connected to said frame (11) and/or to said upright (16).

According to the invention the self-propelled wrapping machine is also provided with a control device for the steering wheel that allows the machine to be easily driven during the cleaning operations.

Driving of the machine during the cleaning operations can be entrusted to an automatic driving system without an operator.

Description

The present invention relates to a self-propelled wrapping machine and in particular to a wrapping machine also provided with means for cleaning flat surfaces, typically a floor or the like.
There are known self-propelled wrapping machines, or robots, employed in the packaging sector to wrap, and therefore stabilize, a stack of products, typically arranged on pallets or the like, with a plastic film unwound from a spool.
These machines generally comprise a motorized frame that supports a lifting system on which there is mounted, running vertically, a spool-holder assembly that feeds said plastic film.
Generally, the frame is provided with a pair of non-steering wheels, at least one of which is motorized, and with a steering wheel that allows the machine to follow a path of movement during wrapping of the film around the pallet.
The steering wheel is mounted on a support rotatingly connected to the frame and subject to the action of a driving system that allows the machine to rotate around the stack independently.
Generally, said support is also connected to a control bar, or the like, that can be used by an operator to steer the machine during movements.
A prior art self-propelled wrapping machine is described, for example, in WO 2013050832 A1 .
The operation of these machines during the step of wrapping the film around the stack of products is known to those skilled in the art and therefore will not be included in the scope of the present description.
In this context, the present invention sets itself the object of increasing the utilization of these self-propelled wrapping machines, especially in the period of time in which they are normally idle, for example before or after work shifts of the departments in which they are normally used as wrapping machines.
In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-purpose self-propelled wrapping machine that can also perform tasks different from those for which it was naturally designed, namely to wrap stacks of products with a plastic film.
A further object of the invention is to provide a self-propelled wrapping machine that makes it possible to avoid or reduce the investments required for the purchase of specific equipment dedicated to carrying out the aforesaid tasks.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a self-propelled wrapping machine that allows the firm to save on costs and also to reduce the space occupied by said equipment.
An object of the present invention is also to produce a self-propelled wrapping machine that can be easily driven when it is used for activities that require driving by an operator.
These objects are achieved by a self-propelled wrapping machine provided with a device for cleaning a floor, a surface on the ground or the like.
In particular, these objects are achieved by a self-propelled wrapping machine comprising:

a frame with a pair of non-steering wheels;
a lifting system with an upright and a moving trolley to which a spool-holder assembly is attached;
at least one steering wheel mounted on a support connected to the frame so that it can rotate about a substantially vertical axis;

The machine of the invention, during the periods when the machine is idle, for example at the end of work shifts or between one shift and the next, can therefore also be used to clean the floor of the workplaces in which it is used.
In an aspect of the invention, the cleaning device comprises at least:

a suction device; and
at least one suction inlet connected to said suction device (102).

Preferably, the machine also comprises brush means configured to direct dirt towards the suction inlet.
The suction inlet is located close to the surface of the floor so as to be able to suck up dirt, debris and the like. The brush means, when in contact with the floor, or the surface to be cleaned, exert a further mechanical action to remove dirt deposited on it that can be removed by the suction device.
According to a preferred aspect of the invention, the suction device comprises at least a motor that drives an impeller in communication with the internal compartment of a dirt collection container, in turn in communication with the suction inlet.
The suction device is preferably located on the frame against the side of the upright opposite the side where the spool-holder assembly is connected.
In this position, the suction device remains within the lateral outline of the machine and does not change the overall dimensions with respect to prior art machines.
For this purpose, according to another aspect of the invention, the suction inlet and the brush means are located under the frame between the two non-steering wheels and the steering wheel. The width of the suction inlet and the position of the brush means are preferably selected so that they do not project laterally, or project only slightly, from the machine, so that they do not interfere when the machine is operating as a wrapping machine.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the suction inlet and/or the brush means are advantageously connected to the frame so as to be able to translate from a raised non-operational position to an operational position in which they are resting on the floor or on said surface to be cleaned.
The aforesaid objects are also achieved by a self-propelled wrapping machine provided with a control device for the steering wheel comprising:

a pin integral with the support;
a flange coaxial to the pin and rotatingly integrally with it;
a crown wheel coaxial to the pin and rotating freely with respect to it;
a torsion spring wound around the pin and connected at the ends to said flange and said crown wheel;
a motor to rotate said crown wheel;

The control device thus configured, when it is placed in operational condition, keeps the wheel steered so that the machine can rotate autonomously around a stack of products, a pallet or the like to be wrapped.
When the control device is instead in the release position, the steering wheel can be turned freely, with a minimum effort, by means of the control bar.
In this configuration the machine can therefore be easily driven by an operator to perform cleaning operations of the floor of a workplace.
In an aspect of the invention, the motor is connected to a pinion that engages with said toothed wheel. In fact, direct connection between toothed wheels ensures maximum precision in controlling the pre-loading of the torsion spring.
In a further aspect of the invention, a control unit is connected to the motor and to a movement control of the machine, so that when an operator uses said control to drive the machine, the control unit drives the motor to move the control device for the steering wheel to the release position.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the machine comprises an automatic driving system capable of moving the machine in an area to be cleaned, said system including at least one actuator connected to the steering wheel, one or more sensors for detecting obstacles in its path, and a control unit specially programmed to control the machine motor and the steering actuator in order to have the machine follow a pre-determined route.
Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the description of an example of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of the multi-purpose self-propelled wrapping machine, as illustrated in the accompanying figures, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a self-propelled wrapping machine according to the invention;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the machine of Fig. 1 in which the cleaning device is separated from the machine;
Fig. 3 is a schematic top view of the machine of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4a is a side view of the machine of Fig. 1, partially disassembled;
Figure 4b is a detail of Fig. 4a;
Fig. 5 is a front view of the machine of Fig. 1, without the outer casing.

Figs. 1 a and 1 b show a self-propelled wrapping machine according to the invention, in the operating configuration for wrapping stacks of products, pallets or the like with a flexible film.
The machine 10 comprises a frame 11 with a pair of wheels 12, at least one of which is motorized. The frame 11 supports a lifting system 13 for a spool-holder assembly 14.
The frame 11 is also provided with at least one steering wheel 18 connected to a support 19 hinged to the frame 11. The support 19 is connected to a control bar 31 that allows the operator to steer the machine during movements in the working area.
A casing 32 is preferably installed over the frame 11 to cover the control and movement components of the machine.
The lifting system 13 is provided with a trolley (not shown) to which the spool-holder assembly 14 can be attached, which translates vertically along an upright 16.
During wrapping of the stack, the spool 17 of film is gradually raised or lowered to cover said stack for the whole of its height.
Typically the spool-holder assembly 14 is attached to the trolley removably so as to be replaced with others suitable to receive spools of different dimensions or, in any case, so that it can be removed to perform maintenance or the like.
According to the invention the machine is provided with a cleaning device, indicated as a whole with 100, adapted to clean a floor or a surface on the ground, mounted stably on the machine.
More in detail, said cleaning device 100 is preferably connected to the frame 11, to the upright 16 or to both.
According to the invention, the cleaning device comprises at least one suction device 102. The suction device 102 is preferably connected to the upright 16 by means of a support 101.
More in detail, the suction device 102 is located on the frame 11 and connected to the side 16b of the upright 16 opposite the side 16a where the spool-holder assembly 14 is connected.
At least one suction inlet 103 is connected to said suction device 12. The suction inlet 103 is preferably located resting on the floor to suck up dust or dirt deposited thereon.
According to a variant of the invention, the suction device 102 comprises at least a motor 110 that drives an impeller, not shown in the figures, in communication with the inside of a dirt collection container 111. Said container 111 is in turn in communication with the suction inlet 103 by means of a pipe 112 or the like.
Preferably, the suction inlet 103 has a narrow elongated profile that extends transversely with respect to the direction of forward movement of the machine 10.
The impeller, rotated by the motor, creates a vacuum pressure in the container 111 that is propagated, through the pipe 112, to the suction inlet 103.
The pipe 112 leads into the side wall 121 b of the container 111 so that the dirt coming from the suction inlet 103 gradually precipitates to the bottom 121 a of said container.
Advantageously, the container 21 can be connected removably to the support 101 and to the motor 110 to be easily emptied.
For this purpose, the casing 32 is provided with a recess 33 from which part of the suction device 102 projects, so that it is rapidly accessible without having to remove the casing 32.
In a variant of the invention, the cleaning device also comprises brush means 104 located in the vicinity of the suction inlet 103, so as to convey the dust and dirt towards it, increasing the cleaning efficiency of the device.
These brush means 104 can comprise, for example, a pair of circular brushes 113 connected to a bracket 114 so as to be able to rotate along a substantially vertical axis.
More in detail, in a variant, the bracket 114 is supported directly by the pipe 112 and is located so that the brushes 113 remain behind the suction inlet 103, with respect to the direction of movement B of the machine (Figs. 3, 4a.)
Alternatively, the brushes 113 can be in a number different from two and can be configured to rotate about a non-vertical axis. For example, a single cylindrical brush can be provided, located behind the suction inlet 103 and rotating about a substantially horizontal axis.
The rotation of the brushes 113 is preferably entrusted to an electric motor, not shown in the figure, connected directly or indirectly to each of the two brushes 113.
The power supply to the motors of the brushes 113 and to the motor 110 of the suction device is provided by batteries 35 adapted to supply all the electrical devices of the machine.
Advantageously, the suction inlet 103 and, if provided, the brush means 104, are located under the frame 11 between the non-steering wheels 12 and the steering wheel 18.
The width of the suction inlet 103 and of the bracket 114 are selected so that the suction inlet and the brushes do not project or project only slightly beyond the outline of the frame, so as not to interfere with the operation of the machine as wrapping machine.
Preferably, the suction inlet 103 or the brushes 113, or both, are configured to be able to translate from a raised non-operational position to an operational position in which they are resting on the floor or on said surface to be cleaned.
The mechanism that allows translation can be of manual type, operated directly by the operator, or can be electromechanical, controlled through a remote control.
With reference to the accompanying figures, the self-propelled wrapping machine 10 is shown with the suction inlet 103 and the brushes 113 in operational position.
In this configuration, the machine can therefore be driven by an operator to clean a floor, a surface on the ground or the like.
Instead, when these are not operating, they remain raised off the ground, so as not to drag dirt or other small objects present on the floor during the wrapping operations.
Propulsion of the machine 10 is supplied by a motor, not shown, connected to at least one of the non-steering wheels 12.
The direction of the machine can instead be provided by the operator by means of the control bar 31 connected to the steering wheel 18.
In this configuration the machine is preferably driven in the direction of forward movement B shown in the figure, that is, a direction opposite the wrapping direction A.
In a variant of the invention, the machine can also be provided with an automatic guide system capable of moving the machine in a workplace or in an area to be cleaned without requiring an operator.
The system can comprise, for example, an actuator connected to the steering wheel to control the direction, one or more sensors to detect obstacles in its path and a control unit specially programmed to control the machine motor and the steering actuator in order to have the machine follow a pre-determined route in the area to be cleaned.
In this case, the direction of forward movement can be either the direction A, the same as the wrapping direction, or the direction B.
In prior art self-propelled wrapping machines, the steering wheel is generally subject to the action of elastic means that keep it turned in one direction. This is necessary to allow the machine to rotate autonomously around a stack of products to be wrapped.
Therefore, with a prior art machine, it would be difficult for the operator to drive the machine in a rectilinear direction due to a torque that said elastic means exert on the steering wheel and that is transmitted to the control bar.
To overcome this problem, the self-propelled wrapping machine of the invention is provided with a control device for the steering wheel that allows the machine to be used effectively both to wrap stacks of products with a flexible film, and to perform cleaning operations on floors or surfaces on the ground.
For this purpose, the control device is configured to be switched from an operational condition in which it keeps the steering wheel turned in a given direction, to a release position in which it exerts zero or a very low torque on said wheel.
Fig. 4b shows in detail the control device 20 for the steering wheel 18 according to the invention.
This device comprises a pin 21, integral with the support 19, with a first stretch 21 a housed in a bushing 22, integral with the frame 11, and a second stretch 21 b that extends vertically beyond it.
A flange 23, coaxial to the pin 21, is blocked rotatingly on the second stretch 21 b.
A toothed wheel 24 is instead mounted on said stretch 21 b of the pin 21 with the possibility of freely rotating with respect to it.
A torsion spring 25 wound around the pin 21, is interposed between said flange 23 and said toothed crown 24.
The ends 25a and 25b of the spring 25 are constrained respectively to the flange 23 and to the toothed wheel 24.
A pinion 26, engaged with the crown wheel 24, is connected to a motor or reduction motor 27.
According to the invention, when the machine 10 is to be used as wrapping machine, the crown wheel 24 is rotated by the motor 27 in a direction S1, so as to pre-load the torsion spring 215.
In detail, the torsion spring 25 drives the flange 23, the pin 21 and the support 19 in rotation to an operational position of the control device in which the steering wheel 18 is completely turned.
In this position, the wheel 18 is directed so as to direct the machine in a curved path that allows it to rotate autonomously around a group of objects to be wrapped.
This operational position is determined by stop or stroke end means, not shown in the figure, which limit the rotation of the support 19.
A further rotation of the crown wheel 24 pre-loads the torsion spring 25 that in this way exerts a torque C on the flange 23. Said torque C is transmitted to the support 29 that keeps the steering wheel 18 in the operational condition.
The torque C applied by the torsion spring 25 to the pin 21 can be adjusted as a function of the arc of rotation described by the crown wheel 24.
Instead, when the wrapping machine 10 is to be used for cleaning a floor or the like, by means of the cleaning device 100, the crown wheel 24 is rotated in an opposite direction S2, so as to unload the torsion spring 25. In this release position, when the steering wheel 18 is aligned with the non-steering wheels 12, the torsion spring does not exert any torque on the support 19.
Said support 19 can therefore be rotated freely by means of the control bar 31. More precisely, by rotating the support 19 the torsion spring is in any case subjected to a minimum torsion, equal in both directions, due to the rotation of the flange 23 with respect to the toothed wheel 24.
However, this torsion generates a very limited torque that only produces a slight self-straightening effect that is not in any way bothersome for the operator, but on the contrary can be useful during some tight manoeuvres.
In a variant of the invention, the pinion 26 can be connected to the crown wheel 24 by means of a chain, a toothed belt or the like.
Alternatively, the motor 27 can be connected directly to a second flange, mounted on the stretch 21 b of the pin 21 with the possibility of rotating with respect to it, where said second flange is connected to an end of the torsion spring 25. In these cases, the operation of the control device remains substantially unchanged.
To check the amplitude of the arc of rotation of the crown wheel 24 (and its position), there is provided an encoder 28 connected to the motor 27 that sends a position signal to the control unit 29 of the machine.
According to the invention, said control unit 29 is configured to move the control device for the steering wheel to the release position, automatically, when the operator uses the drive controls (forward or reverse) generally located on the control bar 31 and to return it to the operational position once these controls are released.
The present invention, as described and illustrated, may be subject to various modifications and variants, all of which fall within the scope of the inventive concept; furthermore, all the details may be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.

Claims

Self-propelled wrapping machine (10) comprising:
- a frame (11) with a pair of non-steering wheels (12);

- a lifting system (13) with an upright (16) and a moving trolley to which a spool-holder assembly (14) is attached;

- at least one steering wheel (18) mounted on a support (19) connected to the frame (11) so that it can rotate about a substantially vertical axis (Z);
characterized in that it comprises a cleaning device (100) for cleaning a floor, or a surface on the ground, connected directly or indirectly to said frame (11) and/or to said upright (16).
A machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said cleaning device (100) comprises at least:
- a suction device (102); and

- at least one suction inlet (103) connected to said suction device (102).
A machine according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises brush means (104) configured to direct dirt towards the suction inlet (103).
A machine according to claims 2 or 3, characterized in that said suction device (102) comprises at least one motor (110) which drives an impeller in communication with the inside of a dirt collection container (111), where said container (111) is in communication with said at least one suction inlet (103).
A machine according to any of the claims from 2 to 4, characterized in that said suction device (102) is located on the frame (11) against the side (16b) of the upright (16) opposite the side (16a) where the spool-holder assembly (14) is connected.
A machine according to any of the claims from 3 to 5, characterized in that said suction inlet (103) and said brush means (104) are located under the frame (11) between the non-steering wheels (12) and the steering wheel (18).
A machine according to any of the claims from 2 to 6, characterized in that said suction inlet (103) and/or said brush means (104) are connected to the frame so as to be able to translate from a raised non-operational position to an operational position in which they are resting on the floor or said surface to be cleaned.
A machine according to any of the previous claims, comprising a control device for the steering wheel (18), characterized in that said device comprises:
- a pin (21) integral with the support (19);

- a flange (23) coaxial to the pin (21) and rotating integrally with it;

- a crown wheel (24) coaxial to the pin (21) and rotating freely with respect to it;

- a torsion spring wound around the pin (21) and connected at the ends to said flange (23) and said crown wheel (24);

- a motor (27) to rotate said crown wheel;
where following a rotation of the crown wheel (24) in a direction of rotation (S1) the torsion spring (25) drives the flange (23), the pin (21) and the support (19) in rotation to an operational position of the control device in which the steering wheel (18) is turned, and where following a further rotation of the crown wheel (24) the torsion spring (25) is pre-loaded and exerts on the flange (23) a torque (C) that tends to keep said steering wheel (18) in said operational condition, while when the crown wheel (24) is turned in the opposite direction (S2) the torsion spring (25) is unloaded and releases the control device, thereby allowing the free rotation of the steering wheel (18) by means of a control bar (20).
A machine according to claim 8, characterized in that said crown wheel (24) is a toothed wheel, said reduction motor being connected to a pinion (26) which engages with said toothed wheel (25).
A machine according to claim 8 or 9, comprising a control unit (29) connected to the motor (27) and to a movement control, so that when an operator uses said control to drive the machine, the control unit (28) drives the motor (27) to move the control device (20) for the steering wheel (18) to the release position.
A machine according to any one of the previous claims, comprising an automatic driving system capable of moving the machine in an area to be cleaned, said system including at least one actuator connected to the steering wheel (18), one or more sensors for detecting obstacles in its path, and a control unit specially programmed to control the machine motor and the steering actuator in order to have the machine follow a pre-determined route.