EP3868692B1

EP3868692B1 - Improved bagging machine and operating method thereof

Info

Publication number: EP3868692B1
Application number: EP20207422.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Cesare Petrolati
Original assignee: Teknomac Srl
Current assignee: Teknomac Srl
Priority date: 2019-12-04
Filing date: 2020-11-13
Publication date: 2023-07-26
Anticipated expiration: 2040-11-13
Also published as: ES2953882T3; PL3868692T3; EP3868692A1

Description

The present invention relates to an improved bagging machine and operating method thereof.
More specifically, the invention relates to a bagging machine, for example for mattresses and the like, designed and manufactured in particular to allow the automatic replacement of the finished film coil or film for wrapping, so as to allow a drastic reduction in machine downtime.
In the following, the description will be addressed to the application of the packing of mattresses, but it is clear that it should not be considered limited to this specific use.
As is well known, there are currently machines for wrapping elements, in particular moving elements, such as mattresses and the like. Machines of this type generally comprise a moving plane, usually a roller surface, possibly motorized, on which the mattress is moved along a feeding direction, and a pair of film coils for enveloping the mattress, generally arranged respectively above and below the mattress moving plane.
By means of a suitable system of rollers, the two ends of the film of the two upper and lower coils are suitably coupled along a line. In this way, when the mattress passes through, it is covered at the top with a layer of film coming from the first coil, and at the bottom with a layer of film coming from the second coil. Said layers are welded, as mentioned, on one side and, when the mattress is covered by the films above and below, the other three sides are also welded, so as to complete the bagging of the same.
The machine, therefore, also includes a cutting and sealing member, which allows cutting the ends of the film and welding the ends at the same time.
A technical problem of bagging machines according to the prior art is that once the film of one or both of the two coils ends, they must be replaced manually.
In particular, the bagging machines according to the prior art also provide sensors, which detect when the residual film wound in the coil is no longer enough to bagging an entirely new mattress. In this case, the machine warns the operator that one or both coils have to be replaced.
At this point, the operator must extract the residual film still inserted between the return rollers of the machine, remove the exhausted coil, or, more precisely, the tubular cardboard on which the film is wound, and, subsequently, re-insert the end of the film between the return rollers, so as to seal the end of the film of the new coil in replacement with that of the other coil (upper, if the lower coil is replaced, or lower, in the case of replacing the upper coil).
It is apparent that this procedure is expensive both in time and in economic terms, in consideration of the high downtime.
The relevant prior art also includes patent applications WO 2010/072517 A2 according to the preamble of claim 1 and GB 1 312 804 A .
In light of the above, it is therefore an object of the present invention to propose a bagging machine capable of automatically replacing the film coils for bagging and, at the same time, performing the coupling of the ends of the film.
Another object of the invention is to propose an operating method of the bagging machine capable of automatically eliminating and replacing the coils for wrapping and at the same time coupling the ends of the film thereof.
It is therefore specific object of the present invention a bagging machine, for bagging an item, such as a mattress and the like, by means of the film of at least one coil winded on a tubular cardboard, wherein said bagging machine comprises at least one unwinding and replacement unit of a respective coil housed in said at least one unwinding and replacement unit, having at least one first unwinding member, characterized in that said at least one first unwinding member is capable of assuming a first position, in which it is configured for unwinding the coil for bagging said item to be bagged, and a second position, in which, when the film of said coil is finished or no longer sufficient for bagging an item, it ejects the tubular cardboard of said finished coil.
Always according to the invention, said first unwinding member may be a first unwinding belt comprising a belt and a couple of rollers for moving said belt, wherein one of said rollers may be pivoted for allowing the rotation of said unwinding belt, so as to move from said first position to said second position, and said unwinding and replacement unit may comprise a second unwinding belt, arranged so as to form, with said first unwinding member, a "V" arrangement, so as to house said coil to be unwound between them.
Still according to the invention, said unwinding and replacement unit may comprise a storage for containing replacement coils, arranged so as to allow the release of a coil after said unwinding member assumes said first position subsequent to said second position, in which the tubular cardboard of a finished coil is ejected.
Advantageously, according to the invention, said storage may comprise an inclined plane, on which the replacement coils are arranged, oriented towards the concavity formed by the two unwinding members.
Further according to the invention, said unwinding and replacement unit may comprise an ejection guide in which the tubular cardboard around which the coil film is rolled, is carried away when said at least one unwinding member assumes said second position.
Always according to the invention, said machine may comprise a first unwinding and replacement unit and a second unwinding and replacement unit.
Still according to the invention, said machine may comprise a conveyor plan, having a first conveyor half-plan and a second conveyor half-plan, arranged in a consecutive manner to said first conveyor half-plan, said first unwinding and replacement unit may be arranged above said first conveyor half-plan, and said second unwinding and replacement unit may be arranged below said first conveyor half-plan.
Advantageously according to the invention, said machine may comprise a cutting and welding unit, for cutting the exceeding film and for welding it to close or complete the bagging of an item to be bagged, comprising a contrast base, a cutting blade, installed on said contrast base, for cutting the exceeding film, a front welding bar and a rear welding bar, arranged in correspondence of said contrast base, wherein said front welding bar and said rear welding bar are configured for welding the film edges from two coils, respectively for closing the bagging of an item and for coupling again two film edges for carrying out a new bagging.
Further according to the invention, said machine may comprise a pair of pliers, for moving the film edges, each from a respective coil, housed in said first unwinding and replacement unit and in said second unwinding and replacement unit.
It is further object of the present invention an operating method of a bagging machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein when the film of said coil is finished or no longer sufficient for bagging an item, said at least one unwinding member moves from said first position, in which it is configured for unwinding the coil for bagging said item to be bagged, to said second position, so as to eject the tubular cardboard of said finished coil.
Always according to the invention, said unwinding and replacement unit may comprise a storage for containing replacement coils, and may comprise the step of allowing the release of a replacement coil after said unwinding member returns from said second position to said first position.
Still according to the invention, said at least one unwinding member rewind the residual film on the tubular cardboard before said at least one unwinding member moves from said first position to said second position.
The present invention will be now described, for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, with particular reference to the figures of the enclosed drawings, wherein:

figure 1 shows a technical diagram of a bagging machine according to the present invention;
figure 2 shows the unwinding unit of the bagging machine according to figure 1; and
figure 3 shows a cutting and sealing unit of the bagging machine according to figure 1.

In the various figures, similar parts will be indicated by the same reference numbers.
The solution according to the invention provides for, among other things, the provision of said bagging machine with a film unwinding unit for bagging capable of housing the coil to be unwound, expelling the tubular cardboard on which the film is wound to bagging when the coil is finished, and to house and load a new coil coming from a suitable storage.
With reference to figure 1, a bagging machine 1 can be seen for bagging a mattress M according to the present invention.
The bagging machine 1 essentially comprises a conveyor plane 2, for moving a mattress M or an element to be bagged in general, a first unwinding and replacement unit 3, for feeding the film for bagging and replacing a film coil when it is finished, a second unwinding and replacement unit 4, for always feeding the film to bag the mattress M, and replacing a film coil, when it is finished, a cutting and sealing unit 5, for cutting the excess film and sealing it to close or complete the bag of a mattress M or element to be bag in general, and a pair of pliers 71 and 72, for handling the edges of film 61 and 62, coming respectively from the coil 8 housed in the first upper unwinding and replacement assembly 3, and from the coil 9 housed in the second lower unwinding and replacement unit 4.
In the embodiment at issue, the conveyor plane 2 comprises a first conveyor half-plane 21 and a second conveyor half-plane 22, arranged consecutively to said first conveyor half-plane 21.
Generally, the conveyor half- planes 21 and 22 are planes with motorized rollers or with a belt. Said half-planes of conveyors 21 and 22 are able to move the mattress M to be packed along an advancement direction indicated by the arrow A.
The first unwinding and replacement unit 3, also referring to figure 2, in the embodiment at issue is arranged above said first half-plane 21 and comprises an unwinding unit 31 for the film or foil, in turn comprising a first 311 and a second 312 unwinding belt, acting as unwinding members, arranged as a "V", between which the coil 8 to be unwound for feeding the film for enveloping the mattress M is arranged.
Each unwinding belt 311 or 312 comprises a pair of rollers, respectively 311', 311" and 312', 312", between which a belt is movable, indicated respectively with the reference numbers 311‴ and 312‴.
The first unwinding belt 311 is hinged with respect to the roller 311", which is the one arranged below, near the vertex of the "V" formed with the other unwinding belt 312, and is movable so as to assume a first position, in which it forms with the second pair of rollers 312 the aforementioned "V" shape, so as to allow the housing of the coil 8 to be unwound, and a second position, in which the unwinding belt 311 is rotated by an appropriate angle, such as to allow the ejection of the tubular cardboard 82 of the coil 8 once finished, as better explained below.
In addition, the first unwinding and replacement unit 3 comprises a coil storage 32, which has an inclined plane 321, oriented towards the concavity formed by the two unwinding belts 311 and 312, on which a plurality of reserve or replacement coils 81 are arranged.
Finally, below the coil storage 32, an inclined ejection guide 33 is provided, in which the tubular cardboard 82, around which the film of the coil is rolled, rolls away when said first pair of rollers 311 assumes said second position, as better explained in the following.
The second unwinding and replacement group 4 is arranged below said first half-plane 21, and it is structurally and functionally completely similar to the first unwinding and replacement group 3, thus also comprising an unwinding unit for the film 41, the first 411 and the second unwinding belt 412, the coil storage 42 and the relative inclined plane 421, as well as the ejection guide 43, also inclined.
In other embodiments, the second unwinding and replacement assembly 4 can be arranged differently, i.e., not under the conveyor plane 2 of the mattress M to be wrapped, possibly providing suitable return rollers for positioning the edge 62 of the film of the coil 9 therein housed in the cutting and welding unit 5.
As can be seen, the replacement coils 91 are arranged in the coil storage 42.
Furthermore, the ejection guide 43 also allows for the second unwinding and replacement unit 4 to eject the tubular cardboard 92 of the finished coil.
The cutting and sealing unit 5, schematically visible in greater detail in figure 3, comprises a contrast base 51, on which a cutting blade 52 is installed, for cutting the excess film coming from the edges 61 and 62 from the coils 8 and 9, arranged respectively in the unwinding unit units 31 and 41, and a front sealing bar 53, for welding the edged 61 and 62, respectively coming from the upper coil 8 and from the lower coil 9, for closing the rear side of the bagged mattress M, and a rear sealing bar 54, configured to seal the edges 61 and 62, so as to join them together and allow a subsequent mattress M to be bagged.
The bagging machine 1 also comprises a pair of pliers 71 and 72, adapted to grip respectively the edges 61 and 62 of the bagging film, coming respectively from the coils 8 and 9, arranged respectively in the unwinding units 31 and 41.
Each of said grippers 71 and 72 is capable of moving vertically, to grip the respective edge 61 and 62, unrolled from one of the two coils 8 and 9. Furthermore, each of said pliers 71 and 72 is also capable of rotating at least by 90°, so as to arrange the gripped edges 61 and 62 parallel to each other and in correspondence with the contrast base 51, to allow them to be cut with the cutting blade 52, and to be welded with the front 53 and rear 54 sealing bars, as better described in the following.
The operation of the bagging machine 1 described above is as follows.
When the bagging machine 1 is in normal operating conditions, the edges 61 and 62 of film coming respectively from the coils 8 and 9 arranged in the unwinding units 31 and 41, are welded together along a transverse sealing line, so as to couple said two edges 61 and 62.
The mattress M is arranged on the first conveyor half-plane 21 and is moved along the advancement direction A.
In this way, the mattress M comes into contact with the two edges of film 61 and 62, welded together and, at the same time, the unwinding belts 311 and 312 of said unwinding unit 31 arranged above and the unwinding belts 411 and 412 of said unwinding unit 41 arranged at the bottom, rotate so as to unwind the respective coils 8 and 9, feeding the film for bagging the mattress M.
Subsequently, once the mattress M is completely wrapped and the film coming from the two coils 8 and 9 has covered the mattress M both above and below, the excess edges 61 and 62 of the film are cut and welded at the front and rear, by means of said front sealing bar 53 and said rear sealing bar 54.
In this way, the mattress M, now wrapped, or covered with the film, passes completely on said second conveyor half-plane 22, to be transported out of the bagging machine 1, while the edges 61 and 62 coming from the reels B are simultaneously welded along a transversal welding line, for bagging the subsequent mattress M, which arrives from said first conveyor half-plane 21.
In case of one of the two coils 8 or 9 arranged respectively in the unwinding unit 31 or in the unwinding unit 41 should end up, or in any case, insufficient film to bag an additional mattress M (this datum can be detected by means of suitable sensors) remains rolled up on the respective tubular cardboard 82 or 92, the unwinding belts of the respective unwinding unit are rotated in the opposite direction.
In particular, by way of example, if the coil 8 housed in the unwinding unit 31 ends, then the first 311 and the second 312 unwinding belt would reverse their rotation direction, so as to wind back the residual film around the tubular cardboard 82 of the coil 8, and, subsequently, the first unwinding belt 311 would pass from said first operating position to said second position, thus letting the tubular cardboard 82 of the ended coil 8 fall by gravity onto the inclined ejection guide 33.
Subsequently, said first unwinding belt 311 would return to said first operating position and from said storage 32 the first coil 81 of available replacement film would be rolled so as to be positioned between said first 311 and said second 312 unwinding belts.
Subsequently, both the two unwinding belts 311 and 312 would rotate, so as to unroll a portion of the film wound on the coil 8, which has just been replaced.
The plier 71, corresponding to the unwinding and replacement unit 3 would be arranged in the raised position, as shown in dashed lines in figure 1, to grip the edge 61 of the film of the replaced coil 8, bringing it back down and rotating by 90°, in order to arrange it again in correspondence with said contrast base 51, to allow its cutting and sealing, especially with the edge 62 of the coil 9 arranged in the second unwinding and replacement unit 4, arranged below, and resuming the normal bagging processing cycle of the mattress M.
In order to allow the replacement coils 81 or 91 to roll and arrange themselves in the unwinding unit 31 or 41 if necessary, the coil storages 32 and 42 can comprise a movable bulkhead (not shown in the figures), which opens when it is necessary to load a coil 81 or 91 to replace the finished one.
In other embodiments, different types of storages 32 or 42 can be provided, for containing replacement coils 81 or 91 and releasing them when necessary.
An advantage of the present invention is that of allowing the automatic replacement and ejection of the coils when they run out of bagging film.
A further advantage of the present invention is that of allowing the continuous operation of the bagging machine.
The present invention has been described for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, but it is to be understood that modifications and/or changes can be introduced by those skilled in the art without departing from the relevant scope as defined in the enclosed claims.

Claims

Bagging machine (1), for bagging an item, such as a mattress (M) and the like, by means of the film (61, 62) of at least one coil (8, 9) winded on a tubular cardboard (82, 92), wherein said bagging machine (1) comprises
at least one unwinding and replacement unit (3, 4) of a respective coil (8, 9) housed in said at least one unwinding and replacement unit (3, 4), having at least one first unwinding member (311),

characterized in that said at least one first unwinding member (311, 411) is capable of assuming a first position, in which it is configured for unwinding the coil (8, 9) for bagging said item (M) to be bagged, and a second position, in which, when the film of said coil (8, 9) is finished or no longer sufficient for bagging an item (M), it ejects the tubular cardboard (82, 92) of said finished coil (8, 9).
Bagging machine (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized
in that said first unwinding member is a first unwinding belt (311, 411) comprising a belt (311‴, 411‴) and a couple of rollers (311', 311"; 411', 411") for moving said belt (311‴, 411‴), wherein one of said rollers (311", 411") is pivoted for allowing the rotation of said unwinding belt (311, 411), so as to move from said first position to said second position, and

in that said unwinding and replacement unit (3) comprises a second unwinding belt (312, 412), arranged so as to form, with said first unwinding member (311, 411), a "V" arrangement, so as to house said coil (B) to be unwound between them.
Bagging machine (1), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said unwinding and replacement unit (3, 4) comprises a storage (32, 42) for containing replacement coils (81, 91), arranged so as to allow the release of a coil after said unwinding member (311, 411) assumes said first position subsequent to said second position, in which the tubular cardboard (82, 92) of a finished coil (8, 9) is ejected.
Bagging machine (1) according to the preceding claim, when dependent on claim 2, characterized in that said storage (32, 42) comprises an inclined plane (321; 421), on which the replacement coils (81) are arranged, oriented towards the concavity formed by the two unwinding members (311, 312; 411, 412).
Bagging machine (1), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said unwinding and replacement unit (3, 4) comprises an ejection guide (33, 43) in which the tubular cardboard (82, 92) around which the coil film is rolled, is carried away when said at least one unwinding member (311, 411) assumes said second position.
Bagging machine (1), according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises
a first unwinding and replacement unit (3) and

a second unwinding and replacement unit (4).
Bagging machine (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized
in that it comprises a conveyor plane (2), having a first conveyor half-plane (21) and a second conveyor half-plane (22), arranged in a consecutive manner to said first conveyor half-plane (21),

in that said first unwinding and replacement unit (3) is arranged above said first conveyor half-plane (21), and

in that said second unwinding and replacement unit (4) is arranged below said first conveyor half-plane (21).
Bagging machine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a cutting and welding unit (5), for cutting the exceeding film and for welding it to close or complete the bagging of an item (M) to be bagged, comprising
a contrast base (51),

a cutting blade (52), installed on said contrast base (51), for cutting the exceeding film (61, 62),

a front welding bar (53) and a rear welding bar (54), arranged in correspondence of said contrast base (51),

wherein said front welding bar (53) and said rear welding bar (54) are configured for welding the film edges (61, 62) from two coils (8, 9), respectively for closing the bagging of an item (M) and for coupling again two film edges (61, 62) for carrying out a new bagging.
Bagging machine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims when dependent on claim 6, characterized in that it comprises a pair of pliers (71, 72), for moving the film edges (61, 62), each from a respective coil (8, 9), housed in said first unwinding and replacement unit (3) and in said second unwinding and replacement unit (4).
Operating method of a bagging machine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein
when the film of said coil (8, 9) is finished or no longer sufficient for bagging an item (M),

said at least one unwinding member (311, 411) moves from said first position, in which it is configured for unwinding the coil (8, 9) for bagging said item (M) to be bagged, to said second position, so as to eject the tubular cardboard (82, 92) of said finished coil (8, 9).
Method according to the preceding claim,
wherein said unwinding and replacement unit (3, 4) comprises a storage (32, 42) for containing replacement coils (81, 91),

characterized in that it comprises the step of allowing the release of a replacement coil (81) after said unwinding member (311,411) returns from said second position to said first position.
Method according to any one of claims 10-11, characterized in that said at least one unwinding member (311, 411) rewinds the residual film on the tubular cardboard (82, 92) before said at least one unwinding member (311, 411) moves from said first position to said second position.