EP3339199B1

EP3339199B1 - Packing machine for wirehoods

Info

Publication number: EP3339199B1
Application number: EP17210295.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Piero Getto
Original assignee: Gefin Srl
Current assignee: Gefin Srl
Priority date: 2016-12-22
Filing date: 2017-12-22
Publication date: 2019-11-20
Anticipated expiration: 2037-12-22
Also published as: EP3339199A1; ES2760575T3; IT201600130241A1

Description

The present invention relates to a packing machine for wirehoods, in particular to a reconfigurable packing machine for wirehoods.
The invention finds a preferred although not exclusive application in packing wirehoods for bottles containing sparkling beverages. Hereinafter, reference will be made to this application without therefor losing generality.
The packing of wirehoods involves the use of different kinds of packaging, both in terms of size and material, depending on the needs of the market.
The current technology for packing wirehoods involves the use of a robotic arm that, taking a row of wirehoods of a given length, inserts it into one of the aforementioned boxes. The movement of the robotic arm is programmed based on the machine, configured for a specific type of box. When the type of box must be changed, the various units of the packing machine must be manually reconfigured. This reconfiguration takes a long time.
EP0256403 A2 discloses a packing machine for wirehoods.
Examples of reconfigurable machines as known in the prior art are disclosed in documents WO2012095332 A1 , US39201523 A or DE102014002638 A1 .
Therefore, there is the need to have easily reconfigurable packing machines that are both inexpensive and easy to use.
The object of the present invention is to solve the aforesaid technical problem.
The aforementioned results are obtained by means of a packing machine for wirehoods according to claim 1.
For a better understanding of the present invention, hereinafter it is described a preferred embodiment, as a non-limiting example and with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a packing machine according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a first element of the packing machine of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a second element of the packing machine of Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a third element of the packing machine of Figure 1;
Figure 5 is a front view of a component of the element of Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a fourth element of the packing machine of Figure 1;
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a fifth element of the packing machine of Figure 1;
Figure 8 is a perspective view of a part of the element of Figure 8;
Figure 9 is a front view of the element of Figure 7; and Figure 10 is a perspective view of a sixth element of the packing machine of Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows a machine 1 for packing wirehoods in containers (not shown).
The containers may be of variable shape and material. Preferably, such containers have a predetermined rectangular shape and can be made of cardboard or plastic. The machine 1 essentially comprises a bearing structure 2 supporting a plurality of transport and containment stations for said containers.
The machine 1 comprises a loading station 3 and a filling station 5. The filling station 5 is adjacent to the loading station 3 and comprises retaining means 6 to retain the containers being filled therein.
The machine 1 also comprises a wirehood supply line 7, parallel to the path of the containers from the loading station 3 to the filling station 5. The supply line 7 allows the wirehoods to slide in it, e.g. coming from a wirehood production line, and to create stacks of wirehoods of predetermined length.
Finally, the machine 1 comprises an automatic handler 9, designed to transfer the stacks of wirehoods inside a container into the filling station.
The aforementioned elements included in the machine 1 are reconfigurable based on the size of the containers, as described in more detail below.
The loading station 3, shown in Figure 2, essentially comprises a base plane 11 and a containment structure 12 provided with an upper seat 13 for inserting the containers from above.
The containers can be advantageously stacked in the volume axially defined between the base 11 and the upper seat 13 and laterally defined by the containment structure 12. Advantageously, the upper seat 13 allows inserting containers of different shapes, preferably of maximum plane size, in two mutually orthogonal positions.
Analogously, the containment structure 12 comprises movable panels 14 rising relative to the base 11 for laterally containing containers that are smaller if compared to the aforementioned maximum size. The movable panels 14 are preferably arranged crosswise along a path corresponding to the mutually perpendicular maximum plane size of the upper seat 13.
The movable panels 14 are moved by means of actuators 15, preferably pneumatic actuators.
The filling station 5, shown in Figure 4, essentially comprises a base plane 20 adjacent and continuous with respect to the base 11 of the containment station 3 and transfer means, not shown, for transferring a container from the loading station 3 to the filling station 5.
The containers may pass through an opening 16 defined in the containment structure 12 of the containment station 3. Advantageously, the filling station 5 comprises an actuator, not shown, to move the containers from the containment station 3 through the opening 16 to the loading station 5.
Advantageously, the retaining means 6 of the loading station 5 comprise two side panels 22, shown in Figure 6, mutually parallel and also parallel to a forward axis of the container towards the loading station 5.
The retaining means 6 also comprise at least one stopping element, shown in Figure 5, stopping the movement of the container in the aforementioned forward direction. Preferably, the stopping element comprises a cross bar 23, which can be connected to the base plane 20. Advantageously, the side panels 21 are movable in a direction perpendicular to the forward direction of the containers and are moved by an electric motor 24 operating a threaded connection 25 arranged in series between the two side panels 21 and designed to bring them closer or further away from one another based on the direction of rotation of the electric motor 24.
Conveniently, the cross bar 23 is connected to the base plane 20 by means of suitable removable mechanical connections 26 such as, for example, by a screw joint. Preferably, the retaining elements 6 comprise at least two stopping elements, therefore in the aforementioned example two cross bars 23 defining different stopping positions for the containers along the forward direction. Advantageously, such stopping elements can be used selectively, so that only one of them is present and defines said position. Advantageously, the removal of the cross bar 23 occurs manually but can be automated in a known manner.
The machine 1 further comprises a release station 8 of shelves, i.e. separator elements usually arranged between a layer of wirehood rows and the other inside the containers, shown in Figure 3.
The release station 8 essentially comprises a movable plane 30, vertically sliding within a side wall 31 having a shape substantially defining the perimeter of the movable plane 30. Advantageously, the movable plane 30 is L-shaped to support shelves having a different shape.
Conveniently, the movable plane 30 is driven by an electric motor 32 allowing the upward movement of the movable plane 30 so that the last of the shelves is always stacked at the same height on the movable plane.
The automatic handler 9 essentially comprises a main body 40 extendable in a direction perpendicular both to the forward direction of the containers and to the moving direction of the side panels 21.
The main body 40 can also slide along a guide 41, carried by the structure 2, parallel to the moving direction of the side panels 21.
Finally, the handler 9 comprises a gripping head 42, shown in Figure 10, which can be fastened to the main body 40 by means of a bayonet connection 43 and essentially comprising a central portion 44 of a substantially parallelepiped shape, housing, at the side ends, pneumatic cylinders 45 provided with shelves 46 extending below the central portion and designed for gripping between them a row of wirehoods formed in the supply line 7.
The supply line 7, shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9, essentially comprises a supply portion 51 connected to a production line of the wirehoods supplying with wirehoods a support portion 52, which is continuous but lowered with respect to the supply portion 51 supporting a predetermined number of wirehoods inside it.
Preferably, the number of wirehoods in said row is counted by means of a counter, for example a toothed wheel 53.
The support portion 52 is crossed by at least two teeth 54 defining end-of-travel positions for the row of wirehoods. Preferably, there is a tooth 54 closer to the wheel 53, defining a maximum size of the row of wirehoods, and a tooth 54 farther from the wheel 53, defining a minimum size of the row of wirehoods.
A hook 55, sliding on a suitable guide 56, is designed to advance a first end of the row of wirehoods on one of the aforementioned teeth 54.
A stopping hook 57 for supplying the wirehoods while a row of them is processed in the support portion 52 is provided close to the wheel 53.
The movement of the teeth 54 and of the hooks 55, 57 occurs by means of suitable actuators 58, e.g. pneumatic actuators.
The line 7 further comprises, as better shown in Figure 7, a device 60 for storing and placing a cardboard splint inside a row of wirehoods in order to keep it rigid.
The device 60 is arranged downstream of the support portion 52 and essentially comprises a base 61 and a length-adjustable containment structure 62 extending above the base 61, designed to contain a plurality of stacked cardboard splints.
The device 60 further comprises inside the base an actuator (not shown) to push the lowest splint contained in the containment structure 62 into a row of wirehoods. The row of wirehoods is held steady during this operation by one of the teeth 54, reacting to the insertion force of the splint.
The operation of the machine 1 is as follows.
Once a row of wirehoods is formed in the supply line 7, it is taken by the handler 9 and inserted into one of the containers located in the feeding station 5.
The machine comprises a control device, not shown, designed to perform in an automated and sequential manner the operations for moving the wirehoods from the station 3 to the station 5, for forming a row of wirehoods, for inserting it into a container and for positioning the shelves.
For changing the type of container, the predetermined dimensional variables in each of the stations are automatically modified through the machine control device or manually.
These elements reconfigurable in predetermined positions will not be described again in the following for brevity's sake. Just consider, for example, the movable panels 14, the side panels 21, the head 42 of the handler 9 or the aforesaid cross bar 23.
The obtainable advantages are clear from an examination of the characteristics of the described machine 1.
The transport and/or containment stations are automatically or manually reconfigurable through predetermined positions, thus guaranteeing a quick and easy reconfiguration of the packing machine 1.
It is however clear that the described machine 1 may undergo modifications and variations which do not depart from the scope of protection defined by the claims.
For example, the drives, the actuators and the mechanical means described above could be replaced by equivalent devices.

Claims

A packing machine (1) for wirehoods in containers having different and predetermined shapes, comprising:
- a bearing structure (2);

- a loading station (3) for said containers;

- a filling station (5) for said containers adjacent to said loading station (3) and provided with retaining means (6) for the containers;

- a wirehood supply line (7),

- an automatic handler (9) to transfer stacks of wirehoods from said supply line (7) into said containers in the filling station (5),
characterized in that said loading station (5), said filling station (5) and said retaining means are reconfigurable based on the size of said containers,
wherein said loading station (3) comprises a base plane (11) and a containment structure (12) provided with an upper seat (13) for inserting from the top and stacking said containers inside said containment structure (12), said upper seat (13) being designed to house containers having maximum plane sizes in two mutually orthogonal positions, said loading station (3) comprising movable panels (14) to obtain a side containment of containers having sizes smaller than said maximum sizes, and
wherein the filling station (5) comprises two side panels (21) parallel to a forward axis of said container and at least two stopping elements (23) for said container in the forward direction, said panels (21) are mutually movable in a direction perpendicular to the forward direction, said stopping elements (23) defining different stopping positions for said containers along said forward direction, said stopping elements (23) being selectively usable.
The machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said loading station (3) comprises a plurality of actuators (15) to control the movement of said movable panels (14) .
The machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the filling station (5) comprises a base plane (20) adjacent and continuous with respect to the base plane (11) of the loading station (3) and transfer means for transferring a container from the loading station (3) to the filling station (5), said containment structure (12) of the loading station (3) comprising an opening (16) allowing the passage of a lower container through a plurality of stacked containers in said containment structure (3), from the loading station (3) to the filling station (5).
The machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises a movable plane (30) for supporting stacked separator elements of sheet material, adapted to be picked up in succession and arranged between successive superimposed layers of wirehoods in said containers, said support plane (30) being substantially L-shaped so as to house separator elements arranged in two mutually orthogonal directions.
The machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said automatic handler (9) is provided with a plurality of gripping heads (42) for respective stacks of wirehoods of different lengths, each of said gripping heads (42) being alternately usable.
The machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the supply line (7) comprises means for forming said stacks of predefined length and a device (60) for inserting longitudinal stiffening elements in said stacks of wirehoods, said device (60) comprising a storage (62) for said stacked elements and an actuator to pull out the lower element of said stacked elements and add it to said stack of wirehoods, said storage (62) being reconfigurable based on the length of said stack of wirehoods.