EP4667370A1

EP4667370A1 - Wrapping unit to produce, together, two sealed wraps containing two corresponding groups of smoking articles

Info

Publication number: EP4667370A1
Application number: EP25180707.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Quintino MARRONE
Original assignee: GD SpA
Current assignee: GD SpA
Priority date: 2024-06-05
Filing date: 2025-06-04
Publication date: 2025-12-24

Abstract

A wrapping unit (13) to produce, together, two sealed wraps (3) containing two corresponding groups (5) of smoking articles and comprising: a wrapping drum (18), which is mounted so as to rotate around a rotation axis (19) and supports two pockets (20) side by side, each designed to contain a respective group (5) of smoking articles; a first transfer station (S4), where the two groups (5) of smoking articles are inserted into the two pockets (20); a second transfer station (S3), where the two groups (5) of smoking articles are removed from the two pockets (20); and a first transferring device (27), which is arranged in a transfer station (S4), is configured to move the groups (5) of smoking articles relative to the pockets (20) and comprises two first active elements (31) designed to rest against respective walls of the groups (5) of smoking articles. The transferring device (27) comprises: a single common support body (32), on which the two active elements (31) are fixed, leaving an empty space between the two active elements (31); and an actuator system (33), which translates the common support body (32) relative to the two pockets (20) along a straight transfer direction (D).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims priority from Italian patent application no. 102024000012826 filed on June 5. 2024 , the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a wrapping unit to produce, together, two sealed wraps containing two corresponding groups of smoking articles.

PRIOR ART

Rigid cigarette packs with hinged lids are currently the most popular cigarette packs on the market as they are easy to produce, easy and practical to use, and protect the cigarettes contained therein well.
A rigid cigarette pack with a hinged lid comprises a wrap consisting of a group of cigarettes wrapped in a wrapping sheet and a rigid outer casing housing the wrap. The outer casing consists of a cup-shaped container housing the wrap and has an open top end and a lid, which is also cup-shaped and hinged to the container to rotate, in relation to the container itself, between an open and a closed position of the open end.
In a conventional cigarette pack, the group of cigarettes is wrapped in a rectangular wrapping sheet of glue-free metallic paper. To preserve the integrity of the cigarette tobacco, it was proposed to make a sealed (waterproof) wrap consisting of a waterproof and heat-sealable wrapping sheet with an opening for the extraction of the cigarettes, which is closed using a reusable closing label.
For several years now, a cigarette pack commercially called a "twin" pack has been known consisting of a rigid outer container housing two cigarette groups (i.e. "twins", hence the commercial name of the cigarette pack), which are arranged side by side and are wrapped in corresponding wrapping sheets.
The patent application WO2023180862A1 describes a wrapping machine that makes a rigid cigarette pack with a hinged lid of the "twin" type and in which two sealed wraps are made simultaneously by operating on a dual line. The wrapping machine comprises, among other things, a wrapping drum supporting multiple pairs of pockets, each of which is designed to contain a group of cigarettes coupled to a wrapping sheet (thus, a pair of axially adjacent pockets supports a pair of adjacent groups of cigarettes coupled to their respective wrapping sheets). The wrapping drum is coupled with three different sealing heads that are configured to create a transverse seal on two wrapping sheets folded in a tube around two corresponding groups of cigarettes contained in two adjacent pockets in separate and successive stages.
The wrapping machine described in the patent application WO2023180862A1 is generally capable of ensuring a high final quality of the cigarette packs even when operating at a high production speed (measured as cigarette packs produced in a unit of time); however, it has been observed that the frequency of cigarette packs containing defective sealed wraps (in particular having irregular tears at an inner edge of the wrapping sheet) is relatively high.
The patent application EP4371894A1 describes a wrapping machine implementing a method for waste management with recirculation of semi-finished articles.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of this invention is to provide a wrapping unit to produce, together, two sealed wraps containing two corresponding groups of smoking articles; this wrapping unit is easy to manufacture and enables operation at a high production speed (measured as cigarette packs produced in a unit of time).
In accordance with this invention, a wrapping unit is provided to produce, together, two sealed wraps containing two corresponding groups of smoking articles, as claimed in the appended claims.
A projection of the first common support body along the transfer direction is preferably external to the two pockets stationary in the transfer station so that, during the movement along the transfer direction, the first common support body always remains at a distance from the two pockets stationary in the transfer station.
The first common support body preferably has a main extension along a direction perpendicular to the transfer direction.
The first common support body preferably comprises a main bar oriented perpendicularly to the transfer direction and two supports, which, at one end, are integral to the main bar and, at the opposite end, are integral to a respective first active element.
The first actuator system preferably comprises a rod that supports the support body at one end.
The rod is preferably arranged off-centre in relation to the support body.
The first actuator system preferably comprises: a rack integral with the rod; a pinion meshing with the rack; and an electric motor rotating the pinion.
The first transferring device is preferably placed in the centre of the wrapping drum.
The first transferring device is preferably arranged in the first transfer station; a second transferring device is provided, which is arranged in the second transfer station, is configured to move the groups of smoking articles relative to the pockets, and comprises two first active elements designed to rest on respective walls of the groups of smoking articles. The second transferring device comprises a single second common support body to which the two second active elements are fixed, leaving a space between the two second active elements; and a second actuator system translating the second common support body relative to the two pockets along a straight transfer direction.
The two transferring devices are preferably arranged at the centre of the wrapping drum side by side and on opposite sides of the rotation axis.
The first transferring device preferably performs the function of accompanying member in the first transfer station; and the second transferring device performs the function of pushing member in the second transfer station.
The two actuator systems are preferably contained in the same common container in the centre of the wrapping drum.
The claims describe preferred embodiments of this invention, forming an integral part of this description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting embodiment thereof, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view in a closed configuration of a rigid cigarette pack of the "twin" type, that is, containing two adjacent sealed wraps;
Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of the cigarette pack in Figure 1 in a closed configuration;
Figure 3 is a front perspective view of the cigarette pack in Figure 1 in an open configuration;
Figure 4 is a front perspective view of a single sealed wrap contained in the cigarette pack in Figure 1;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a cigarette group coupled to a reinforcing element and contained in the sealed wrap in Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a plan view of a wrapping sheet used to produce the sealed wrap in Figure 4;
Figure 7 is a perspective and schematic view showing the paths followed by the sealed wrap components of Figure 4 in a wrapping unit made in accordance with this invention;
Figure 8 is a schematic, side view of some components of the wrapping unit in Figure 7;
Figure 9 is a front view, with parts removed for clarity, of a wrapping drum of the wrapping unit in Figure 7;
Figure 10 is a perspective view with parts removed for clarity of a pocket of the wrapping drum in Figure 9;
Figure 11 is a perspective view with parts removed for clarity of an actuator system of the wrapping drum in Figure 9;
Figures 12 and 13 are, respectively, a front view and a perspective view of some components of the actuator system in Figure 11; and
Figure 14 is a perspective view of a pocket and a pushing member of an additional wrapping drum of the wrapping unit in Figure 7.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In Figures 1, 2, and 3 the reference number 1 globally denotes a rigid, "twin" pack of cigarettes. The cigarette pack 1 comprises a container 2 consisting of rigid cardboard or card and shaped like a cup and a pair of sealed wraps 3 (one of which is better illustrated in Figure 4) housed side by side inside the container 2.
The container 2 has an open top end and is provided with a lid 4, which is shaped like a cup and hinged to the container 2 along a hinge (illustrated in Figure 2) to rotate, in relation to the container 2, between an open position (illustrated in Figure 3) and a closed position (illustrated in Figures 1 and 2) of the open top end.
Each sealed wrap 3 (better illustrated in Figure 4) encloses a group 5 of parallelepiped-shaped cigarettes (illustrated in Figure 5) and has an opening 6 on the top and front for extracting the cigarettes, which is delimited by a tearable pre-weakened line, is closed by a reusable closing label 7 and involves a portion of a front wall of the sealed wrap 3 and a portion of an upper wall of the sealed wrap 3.
According to a different embodiment not illustrated, the sealed wrap 3 is devoid of the extraction opening 6 and the associated closing label 7 and has a removable upper portion, which is separated from the rest of the sealed wrap 3 by a tearable pre-weakened line to be removed by tearing at the first opening of the sealed wrap 3; in this embodiment, the sealed wrap 3 is preferably provided with a tearable opening strip to facilitate breaking the sealed wrap 3 along the pre-weakened line.
The sealed wrap 3 is obtained by folding a wrapping sheet 8 (illustrated in Figure 6), which is rectangular in shape, comprises at least one layer of airtight and heat-sealable plastic material, and is folded directly around the group 5 of cigarettes so that it is in direct contact with the cigarettes. Once the wrapping sheet 8 has been folded around the cigarette group 5 to form the sealed wrap 3, the shape of the sealed wrap 3 itself is stabilised by heat-sealing the overlapping portions of the wrapping sheet 8.
The sealed wrap 3 may comprise a reinforcing element 9 (better illustrated in Figure 5), which is made of cardboard or stiff card, is "U"-shaped and is arranged inside the sealed wrap 3 in contact with the group 5 of cigarettes (that is, it is placed between the group 5 of cigarettes and the wrapping sheet 8).
The formation of the sealed wrap 3 involves first forming the group 5 of cigarettes and then folding the reinforcing element 9 around the group 5 of cigarettes; subsequently, the wrapping sheet 8 is folded around the group 5 of cigarettes coupled with the reinforcing element 9. The method for folding the wrapping sheet 8 around the group 5 of cigarettes coupled to the reinforcing element 9 is known and is, for example, described in patent application WO2023180862A1 ; alternatively, the two open side edges of the wrapping sheet 5 could be closed by means of two longitudinal sealing fins instead of the so-called "soap fold".
In particular and as illustrated in Figure 7, each wrapping sheet is folded in a "U" shape around the group 5 of cigarettes (coupled to the reinforcing element 9) so that the wrapping sheet 8 folded in a "U" shape has two ends 10 and 11 protruding from the group 5 of cigarettes; the two ends 10 and 11 are then folded against each other to give a tubular shape to the wrapping sheet 8, and then the overlapping portions of the ends 10 and 11 are heat-sealed to each other to stabilise the tubular shape of the wrapping sheet 8 and form a sealing fin 12 on which the transverse heat-sealing is done. Finally, the overlapping, heat-sealed ends 10 and 11 (that is, the sealing fin 12) are folded against a lower wall of the sealed wrap 3 or against a front wall of the sealed wrap 3.
A wrapping machine that is designed for making the cigarette pack 1 described above generally operates with intermittent motion (that is, a motion involving a cyclic alternation of motion phases and pause phases) and comprises a forming unit in which the groups 5 of cigarettes are formed in succession, a wrapping unit 13 (schematically illustrated in Figure 7) in which a respective wrapping sheet 8 is wrapped around each group 5 of cigarettes to make a sealed wrap 3, and a wrapping unit in which a blank is wrapped around each pair of sealed wraps 3 coupled together (that is, arranged side by side) to make the container 2 provided with the lid 4.
As illustrated in Figure 7, the wrapping unit 13 (which produces two sealed wraps 3 containing two corresponding groups 5 of cigarettes together) comprises wrapping conveyors that are designed to advance the two groups 5 of cigarettes side by side along a wrapping path (partly circular, partly straight). In particular, each wrapping conveyor supports multiple pairs of adjacent pockets, each of which is configured to receive and accommodate a corresponding group 5 of cigarettes; thus, at each advancement step, each wrapping conveyor advances two adjacent pockets (transversely, that is, perpendicularly to the wrapping path) and thus two adjacent groups 5 of cigarettes contained in their respective adjacent pockets.
The wrapping conveyors of the wrapping unit 13 receive the pairs of groups 5 of cigarettes already coupled to their respective reinforcing elements 9 from a forming conveyor of the forming unit and are configured to advance the pairs of groups 5 of cigarettes side by side, together with the corresponding reinforcing elements 9 and together with the corresponding wrapping sheets 8, along the wrapping path to fold each wrapping sheet 8 around the corresponding group 5 of cigarettes.
As illustrated in Figure 8, the wrapping unit 13 comprises a wrapping conveyor 14 that receives the pairs of adjacent groups 5 of cigarettes at a transfer station S1 and is designed to advance the pairs of adjacent groups 5 of cigarettes together with the corresponding wrapping sheets 8 along a wrapping path P to (begin to) fold each wrapping sheet 8 around the corresponding group 5 of cigarettes. In particular, the wrapping path P extends from the transfer station S1 in which the wrapping conveyor 14 receives two groups 5 of cigarettes at a time, passes through a feeding station S2 in which each pair of adjacent groups 5 of cigarettes is coupled to a corresponding pair of adjacent wrapping sheets 8, and terminates at a transfer station S3 wherein the pairs of sealed wraps 3 being formed (that is, each consisting of a wrapping sheet 8 only partially folded around a corresponding group 5 of cigarettes) leave the wrapper conveyor 14.
Specifically, along the wrapping path P (that is, as it is advanced from the wrapping conveyor 14), each wrapping sheet 8 is folded initially into a "U" shape and then into a tube around a corresponding group 5 of cigarettes, and the tubular wrap (having two open side ends) thus formed is stabilised by means of a transverse seal.
According to what is illustrated in Figure 8, the wrapping conveyor 14 comprises a wrapping drum 15 (arranged vertically) that is mounted so that it rotates around a horizontal rotation axis 16 and supports multiple pairs of pockets 17, each of which is designed to contain a group of cigarettes 5 coupled to a wrapping sheet 8 (thus, a pair of pockets 17 axially adjacent supports a pair 5 of adjacent groups of cigarettes coupled to their respective wrapping sheets 8). The wrapping drum 15 rotating about the axis of rotation 16 advances each pair of adjacent pockets 17 along the circular wrapping path P between the transfer station S1 wherein the pair of adjacent pockets 17 receives a pair of adjacent groups 5 of cigarettes from the forming conveyor, through the feeding station S2 wherein the pair of adjacent pockets 17 receives a pair of adjacent wrapping sheets 8 that are arranged outside of the pair of adjacent pockets 17, and a transfer station S4 wherein the pair of adjacent pockets 17 transfers the pair of adjacent groups 5 of cigarettes coupled to the wrapping sheets 8.
According to what is illustrated in Figure 8, the wrapping conveyor 14 comprises a wrapping drum 18 (arranged vertically) that is arranged immediately downstream of the wrapping drum 15, is mounted so that it rotates around a horizontal rotation axis 19 (parallel to the rotation axis 16), and supports multiple pairs of pockets 20, each of which is designed to contain a group of cigarettes 5 coupled to a wrapping sheet 8 (thus, a pair of axially adjacent pockets 20 supports a pair 5 of adjacent groups of cigarettes coupled to their respective wrapping sheets 8). The wrapping drum 18 rotating about the axis of rotation 19 advances each pair of adjacent pockets 20 along the circular wrapping path P between the transfer station S4 wherein the pair of adjacent pockets 20 receives a pair of adjacent groups 5 of cigarettes coupled to the wrapping sheets 8 from the wrapping drum 15 and the transfer station S3 wherein the pair of adjacent pockets 20 transfers the pair of adjacent groups 5 of cigarettes coupled to the wrapping sheets 8 to the wrapping drum 15.
In other words, at the feeding station S2, two adjacent wrapping sheets 8 are placed on the edge of the wrapping drum 15 at a respective pair of adjacent pockets 17 and move with the respective pair of adjacent pockets 17 to the transfer station S4; at the transfer station S4, the two adjacent groups of cigarettes 5, exiting the pair of adjacent pockets 17 of the wrapping drum 15 and entering the respective pair of adjacent pockets 20 of the wrapping drum 18, drag with them the two adjacent wrapping sheets 8, which, entering the pockets 20, fold in a "U" shape around the adjacent groups 5 of cigarettes.
As illustrated in Figure 8, the wrapping unit 13 comprises two folding devices 21, each of which is coupled to the wrapping drum 18 and is configured to fold a wrapping sheet 8 into a tube around the corresponding group 5 of cigarettes contained in a respective pocket 20. Each wrapping sheet 8 folds in a "U" shape around the corresponding group 5 of cigarettes when the group 5 of cigarettes enters (together with the wrapping sheet 8) the respective pocket 20 in the transfer station S4; in addition, each folding device 21 performs the tubular folding of each wrapping sheet 8 around the corresponding group 5 of cigarettes. The wrapping drum 18 advances a succession of pairs of adjacent groups 5 of cigarettes coupled to the wrapping sheets 8 (by means of corresponding pairs of adjacent pockets 20) along the wrapping path P and then the two folding devices 21 are placed side by side to perform the folding of two wrapping sheets 8 around two adjacent groups 5 of cigarettes at the same time.
In addition, the wrapping unit 13 comprises two sealing devices 22, each of which is coupled to the wrapping wheel 18 and is configured to create a transverse seal on a wrapping sheet 8 folded into a tube around the corresponding group 5 of cigarettes contained in a respective pocket 20. According to a preferred embodiment, each sealing device 22 comprises three different sealing heads 23 (illustrated in Figure 9) arranged in succession around the wrapping drum 18 (that is, along the wrapping path P) in such a way that the transverse sealing on each wrapping sheet 8 folded into a tube is performed in three distinct and successive steps. The wrapping drum 18 advances a succession of pairs of adjacent groups 5 of cigarettes coupled to the wrapping sheets 8 along the wrapping path P and then the two sealing devices 22 are placed side by side to seal two wrapping sheets 8 around two adjacent groups 5 of cigarettes at the same time.
As mentioned above, along the wrapping path P (and thus at the wrapping conveyor 14) there is a feeding station S2 where pairs of adjacent wrapping sheets 8 are placed on the edge of the wrapping drum 16 at a pair of adjacent pockets 18 (containing two respective adjacent groups 5 of cigarettes). In the feeding station S2, two adjacent wrapping sheets 8 may either already be completely separated (that is, there is no residual joining point between the two adjacent wrapping sheets 8 that are therefore completely independent of each other) or the two adjacent wrapping sheets 8 may be joined by one or more tearable joining points that will be torn off later to permanently separate the two adjacent wrapping sheets 8 (as described in patent application EP3653518A1 ).
As illustrated in Figure 8, a pushing member 24 and an accompanying member 25 (that is, transferring devices) are arranged at the transfer station S1 to transfer two adjacent groups 5 of cigarettes to a pair of adjacent pockets 17 of the wrapping drum 15.
As illustrated in Figure 8, a pushing member 26 and an accompanying member 27 (that is, transferring devices) are arranged in the transfer station S4 to transfer two adjacent groups 5 of cigarettes coupled to two wrapping sheets 8 from a pair of adjacent pockets 17 of the wrapping drum 18 to a pair of adjacent pockets 20 of the wrapping drum 18. As illustrated in Figure 8, a pushing member 28 and an accompanying member 29 (that is, transferring devices) are arranged in the transfer station S3 to transfer two adjacent groups 5 of cigarettes coupled to two wrapping sheets 8 folded in a tube by a pair of adjacent pockets 20 of the wrapping drum 8 to a pair of adjacent pockets of a subsequent transfer drum (not illustrated).
As illustrated in Figure 10, each pair of adjacent pockets 20 of the wrapping drum 18 is separated by a central dividing element 30 that has the function of folding and keeping folded the smaller flaps of the respective wrapping sheets 8. Thus, the space between two adjacent pockets 20 of the wrapping drum 18 is not empty (free) but is occupied by the respective central dividing element 30.
According to what is illustrated in Figures 11, 12 and 13, the accompanying (transferring) member 27 arranged in the transfer station S4 is configured to move the groups 5 of cigarettes with respect to two adjacent pockets 20 (that is, to accompany the groups 5 of cigarettes into the two adjacent pockets 20 stationary at the transfer station S4) and comprises two active elements 31 designed to rest on respective walls of the groups 5 of cigarettes (possibly with the interposition of the wrapping sheet 8 and/or the reinforcing element 9).
Similarly, the accompanying (transferring) member 28 arranged in the transfer station S3 is configured to move the groups 5 of cigarettes with respect to two adjacent pockets 20 (that is, to push the groups 5 of cigarettes outside the two adjacent pockets 20 stationary at the transfer station S3) and comprises two active elements 31 designed to rest on respective walls of the groups 5 of cigarettes (possibly with the interposition of the wrapping sheet 8 and/or the reinforcing element 9).
The transferring device 27 or 28 comprises a single common support body 32 onto which the two active elements 31 are fixed, leaving an empty space between the two active elements 31; this empty space is necessary to avoid interference with the central dividing element 30 separating each pair of adjacent pockets 20 (that is, separating the two adjacent pockets 20 even when they are stationary at the transfer station S4 or S3).
As illustrated in Figures 12 and 13, the transferring device 27 or 28 comprises an actuator system 33 translating the respective common support body 32 relative to the two pockets 20 stationary at the transfer station S4 or S3 along a straight and radial transfer direction D (that is, perpendicular to the axis 19 of rotation of the wrapping drum 18).
A projection of each common support body 32 along the transfer direction D is external to the two adjacent pockets 20 stationary in the transfer station S4 or S3 so that, during the movement along the transfer direction D, the common support body 32 always remains at a distance from the two adjacent pockets 20 stationary in the transfer station S4 or S3. This avoids any interference between each support body 32 and the two adjacent pockets 20 stationary at the transfer station S4 or S3.
Each common support body 32 preferably has a main extension along a direction perpendicular to the transfer direction D. In particular, each common support body 32 comprises a main bar 34 (preferably hollow to reduce mass) oriented perpendicularly to the transfer direction D and two supports 35, which, at one end, are integral to the main bar 34 and, at the opposite end, are integral to a respective active element 31.
As illustrated in Figures 12 and 13, each actuator system 33 comprises a rod 36 that, at one end, supports the support body 32 and is arranged off-centre relative to the support body 32 (that is, the rod 36 is connected to a side portion of the support body 32 instead of to the centre of the support body 32). In particular, each rod 36 is fixed to the main bar 34 of the respective support body 32.
In addition, each actuator system 33 comprises a rack 37 integral with the rod 36, a pinion 38 meshing with the rack 37 and an electric motor 39 rotating the pinion 38. Hence, the two actuator systems 33 are completely independent of each other as they are driven by two different electric motors 39 with different laws of motion. According to a different embodiment not illustrated, there is one common electric motor 39 that drives both pinions 38 in rotation.
The accompanying member 27 and the pushing member 28 (that is, the transferring devices 27 and 28) are arranged at the centre of the wrapping drum 18 side by side and on opposite sides of the rotation axis 19.
As illustrated in Figures 9 and 11, the two actuator systems 33 are contained in the same common container 40 arranged at the centre of the wrapping drum 18; the two rods 36 that support the respective support bodies 32 emerge from the common container 40. Figure 14 shows two adjacent pockets 17 of the wrapping drum 15 that are separated by a central dividing element 41. Thus, the space between two adjacent pockets 17 of the wrapping drum 15 is not empty (free) but is occupied by the respective central dividing element 41. The pushing member 26 (transferring device) of the wrapping drum 15 is identical to the transferring devices 27 and 28 of the wrapping drum 18 and, therefore, comprises a support body 32 carried by a rod 36 (not illustrated in Figure 14, it is fixed at a lateral coupling 42) and supporting two adjacent active elements 31 separated from each other by leaving a gap between the two active elements 31. The support body 32 comprises the main bar 34 to which the two supports 35 supporting the two active elements 31 are attached.
The embodiments described herein may be combined with each other without departing from the scope of protection of this invention.
The wrapping unit 13 described above has many advantages.
Firstly, the wrapping unit 13 described above allows the production of a cigarette pack 1 containing two sealed and adjacent wraps 3 operating at a high production speed (measured as cigarette packs 1 produced in a unit of time) while guaranteeing a high final quality of the sealed wraps 3. This is (also) achieved because the transferring devices allow particularly fast and precise transfers due to their design, which combines compactness and lightness (that is, low inertia to achieve fast acceleration and deceleration) and optimal position control.
The embodiments illustrated in the attached figures refer to the manufacture of a cigarette pack, but this invention is also applicable, without substantial modification, to the production of any other type of pack of smoking articles (for example, a cigar pack, a pack for electronic cigarettes of the liquid vaporisation type, a pack of new generation cigarettes without tobacco combustion, etc.).

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS IN THE FIGURES

1: cigarette pack
2: container
3: sealed wrap
4: lid
5: group of cigarettes
6: extraction opening
7: closing label
8: wrapping sheet
9: reinforcing element
10: ends
11: ends
12: sealing fin
13: wrapping unit
14: wrapping conveyor
15: wrapping drum
16: rotation axis
17: pockets
18: wrapping drum
19: rotation axis
20: pockets
21: folding device
22: sealing device
23: sealing heads
24: pushing member
25: accompanying member
26: pushing member
27: accompanying member
28: pushing member
29: accompanying member
30: central dividing element
31: active elements
32: support body
33: actuator system
34: main bar
35: supports
36: rod
37: rack
38: pinion
39: electric motor
40: container
41: central dividing element
42: side coupling
S1: transfer station
S2: feeding station
S3: feeding station
S4: transfer station
P: wrapping path
D: transfer direction

Claims

A wrapping unit (13) to produce, together, two sealed wraps (3) containing two corresponding groups (5) of smoking articles; the wrapping unit (13) comprises:
a wrapping drum (18), which is mounted so as to rotate around a rotation axis (19) and

supports two pockets (20) side by side, each designed to contain a respective group (5) of smoking articles;

a first transfer station (S4), where the two groups (5) of smoking articles are inserted into the two pockets (20);

a second transfer station (S3), where the two groups (5) of smoking articles are removed from the two pockets (20); and

a first transferring device (27), which is arranged in a transfer station (S4), is configured to move the groups (5) of smoking articles relative to the pockets (20) and comprises two first active elements (31) designed to rest against respective walls of the groups (5) of smoking articles;

the wrapping unit (13) is characterized in c the transferring device (27) comprises:
a single first common support body (32), on which the two first active elements (31) are fixed, leaving an empty space between the two first active elements (31); and

a first actuator system (33), which translates the first common support body (32) relative to the two pockets (20) along a straight transfer direction (D).
The wrapping unit (13) according to claim 1, wherein a projection of the first common support body (32) along the transfer direction (D) is external to the two pockets (20) standing still in the transfer station (S4) so that, during the movement along the transfer direction (D), the first common support body (32) always remains at a distance from the two pockets (20) standing still in the transfer station (S4).
The wrapping unit (13) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first common support body (32) has a main extension along a direction perpendicular to the transfer direction (D).
The wrapping unit (13) according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the first common support body (32) comprises a main bar (34) oriented perpendicularly to the transfer direction (D) and two supports (35), which, at one end, are integral to the main bar (34) and, at the opposite end, are integral to a respective first active element (31).
The wrapping unit (13) according to one of the claims from 1 to 4, wherein the first actuator system (33) comprises a rod (36), which, at one end, supports the support body (32).
The wrapping unit (13) according to claim 5, wherein the rod (36) is off-centre relative to the support body (32).
The wrapping unit (13) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the first actuator system (33) comprises:
a rack (37), which is integral with the rod (36);

a pinion (38), which meshes with the rack (37); and

an electric motor (39), which causes the rotation of the pinion (38).
The wrapping unit (13) according to one of the claims from 1 to 7, wherein the first transferring device (27) is arranged at the centre of the wrapping drum (18).
The wrapping unit (13) according to one of the claims from 1 to 8, wherein:
the first transferring device (27) is arranged in the first transfer station (S4);

a second transferring device (28) is provided, which is arranged in the second transfer station (S3), is configured to move the groups (5) of smoking articles relative to the pockets (20) and comprises two first active elements (31) designed to rest against respective walls of the groups (5) of smoking articles; and

the second transferring device (28) comprises: a single second common support body (32), on which the two second active elements (31) are fixed, leaving an empty space between the two second active elements (31); and a second actuator system (33), which translates the second common support body (32) relative to the two pockets (20) along a straight transfer direction (D).
The wrapping unit (13) according to claim 9, wherein the two transferring devices (27, 28) are arranged at the centre of the wrapping drum (18) side by side and on opposite sides of the rotation axis (19).
The wrapping unit (13) according to claim 9 or 10, wherein:
the first transferring device (27) acts as accompanying member in the first transfer station (S4); and

the second transferring device (28) acts as pushing member in the second transfer station (S3).
The wrapping unit (13) according to claim 9, 10 or 11, wherein the two actuator systems (33) are contained in a same common container (40) arranged at the centre of the wrapping drum (18).