CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
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This patent application claims priority from
Italian patent application no. 102024000017626 filed on July 29, 2024 , the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
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The invention relates to a packer machine for producing a wrap by folding a wrapping sheet around a group of smoking articles.
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The invention advantageously applies to the manufacturing of a wrap of a rigid cigarette pack with a hinged lid by folding a metallized paper wrapping sheet around a group of cigarettes, to which explicit reference will be made in the description below without because of this lacking generality.
PRIOR ART
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Rigid cigarette packs with a hinged lid currently are the most commonly used cigarette packs in the market since they are easy to be manufactured, simple and practical to be used and offer a good protection to the cigarettes contained on the inside.
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A rigid cigarette pack with a hinged lid comprises a wrap consisting of a group of cigarettes wrapped in a metallized paper wrapping sheet and a rigid outer casing housing, on the inside, the wrap. The outer casing consists of a cup-shaped container, which houses the group of cigarettes and has an open upper end, and of a lid, which is also cup-shaped and is hinged to the container so as to rotate, relative to the container itself, between an open position and a closed position of the open end.
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Patent application
EP3725691A1 discloses a packer machine for producing a rigid cigarette pack having: a wrap, which is obtained by folding a metallized paper wrapping sheet around a group of cigarettes, and an outer container, which is obtained by folding a blank and a collar around the wrap. There are: a forming conveyor, which conveys a plurality of first pockets along a forming path; a hopper, which is arranged in front of the forming conveyor and along the forming path and is provided with at least one output mouth, from which the group of cigarettes can be extracted; a wrapping conveyor, which is arranged downstream of the forming conveyor and is designed to convey the group of cigarettes and the wrapping sheet along a first straight and horizontal wrapping path; a first wrapping drum, which is arranged downstream of the wrapping conveyor, supports at least one second pocket designed to contain the wrap and the collar and is mounted so as to rotate around a first horizontal rotation axis, which is parallel to the first wrapping path, in order to move the second pocket along a second circular wrapping path; a second wrapping drum, which is arranged downstream of the first wrapping drum, supports at least one third pocket designed to contain the wrap, the collar and the blank and is mounted so as to rotate around a second horizontal rotation axis, which is parallel to the first rotation axis, in order to move the third pocket along a third circular wrapping path; and a transfer conveyor which is interposed between the wrapping conveyor and the first wrapping drum and transfers the wrap from the wrapping conveyor to the first wrapping drum along a transfer path, which is perpendicular to the first wrapping path and is perpendicular to the first rotation axis.
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In the packer machine described above, the wraps being formed need to be transferred from the wrapping conveyor to the transfer conveyor without damaging the wraps due to an excessive compression of the wraps and, at the same time, without leaving the wraps excessively free so as to avoid an unwanted uncontrolled deformation of the wraps (which are not provided with glue and, therefore, tend to lose their shape if they are not adequately contained).
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Patent application
EP4458696A1 discloses a packer machine for producing a wrap by folding a wrapping sheet around a group of smoking articles. The packer machine has a transport unit, which is interposed between a folding conveyor and a transfer conveyor and is configured to receive the wrap from the folding conveyor and to transfer the wrap to the transfer conveyor. The transport unit has: a drawer provided with a frame, in which a pocket is defined, which is configured to house the product and is delimited, on one side, by a containing wall, which, in use, comes into contact with the product; and a conveyor device configured to move the drawer along the folding path. The containing wall is mounted on the frame in a movable manner so as to move between a loading and unloading position, in which it gives the pocket a first dimension, and a transport position, in which it gives the pocket a second dimension, which is smaller than the first dimension.
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The solution described in patent application
EP4458696A1 involves for the use of a pneumatic actuator device, which can be operated to push the containing wall towards the transport position and comprises a flexible wall, which is elastically deformable and delimits an actuation chamber arranged next to the containing wall and capable of being connected to a source of fluid under pressure. However, the flexible wall is subjected to a relatively quick wear, for it has to perform 4-500 cycles per minute (namely, for it is deformed 4-500 times per minute); as a consequence, the flexible wall needs to be replaced with a relatively high frequency, thus reducing the average productivity of the packer machine in the long term.
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Patent
EP2013083B 1 describes how to lock a group of wrapped cigarettes inside a pocket of a conveyor by means of a pneumatic or hydraulic member.
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Patent application
EP0689995A1 discloses a supply unit for feeding groups of cigarettes to a wrapping line, wherein a pocket conveyor successively feeds the groups of cigarettes in a direction oriented crosswise to the cigarettes.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
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The object of the invention is to provide a packer machine for producing a wrap by folding a wrapping sheet around a group of smoking articles, which allows the wrap to be safely transported, even operating at a high production speed, and, at the same time, requires little maintenance.
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According to the invention, there is provided a packer machine for producing a wrap by folding a wrapping sheet around a group of smoking articles according to the appended claims.
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The appended claims describe embodiments of the invention and form an integral part of the description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings showing a non-limiting embodiment thereof, wherein:
- figure 1 is a perspective front view, in a closed configuration, of a rigid cigarette pack;
- figure 2 is a perspective rear view of the cigarette pack of figure 1 in a closed configuration;
- figure 3 is a perspective front view of the cigarette pack of figure 1 in an open configuration;
- figure 4 is a perspective front view of a wrap of the pack of figure 1;
- figure 5 is perspective view of a group of cigarettes contained in the wrap of figure 4;
- figure 6 is a plan view of a wrapping sheet used to manufacture the wrap of figure 4;
- figure 7 is a plan view of a collar of the cigarette package of figure 1;
- figure 8 is a plan view of a blank used to manufacture an outer container provided with a hinged lid of the cigarette pack of figure 1;
- figure 9 is a schematic perspective view, with parts removed for greater clarity, of a packer machine, which produces the cigarette pack of figure 1 and is manufactured according to the invention;
- figure 10 is a schematic perspective view, with parts removed for greater clarity, of part of the packer machine of figure 9;
- figures 11 and 12 are two different perspective views, with parts removed for greater clarity, of a transport unit of the packer machine of figure 9;
- figures 13 and 14 are a perspective view and a front view, respectively, of a detail of the transport unit of figures 11 and 12;
- figures 15, 16 and 17 are a perspective view, a sectional view and an exploded perspective view of part of the detail of figures 13 and 14;
- figures 18 and 19 are a perspective view and a side view, respectively, of a variant of the detail of figures 15, 16 and 17; and
- figure 20 is a perspective view of part of the detail of figures 18 and 19.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
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In figures 1, 2 and 3, number 1 indicates, as a whole, a rigid cigarette pack. The rigid cigarette pack 1 comprises an outer container 2, which is made of cardboard or stiff card stock and is cup-shaped, and a wrap 3 (which is better shown in figure 4) housed inside the container 2.
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The outer container 2 has an open upper end and is provided with a lid 4, which is cup-shaped and is hinged to the outer container 2 along a hinge (shown in figure 2), so as to rotate, relative to the outer container 2, between an open position (shown in figure 3) and a closed position (shown in figures 1 and 2) of the open upper end.
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The wrap 3 encloses a group 5 of cigarettes (shown in figure 5) with the shape of a parallelepiped and has, at the top and at the front, a removable portion, which is separated from the rest of the wrap 3 by a pre-weakened tearable line.
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According to figures 3 and 7, the cigarette pack 1 further comprises a rigid collar 6, which is connected (through gluing) - folded in a "U"-shape - inside the outer container 2 so as to partially project outwards from the open upper end of the container 2 and engage a corresponding inner surface of the lid 4, when the lid 4 is in the closed position.
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According to figure 6, the wrap 3 is obtained by folding, around the group 5 of cigarettes, a wrapping sheet 7 provided, on one side, with the tearable line delimiting the removable portion.
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According to a preferred (though not limiting) embodiment, the final shape of the wrapping sheet 7 around the group 5 of cigarettes is not stabilized in any way (namely, no glue is applied to the wrapping sheet 7 and no seals are made on the wrapping sheet 7); as a consequence, the final shape of the wrapping sheet 7 around the group 5 of cigarettes is maintained only due to the containing action of the outer container 2.
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According to figure 8, the outer container 2 and the lid 4 are obtained by folding a conventional blank 8.
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In figure 9, number 9 indicates, as a whole, a packer machine, which is designed to manufacture the cigarette pack 1 described above and operates with an intermittent motion (namely, with a motion which involves a cyclic alternation of motion phases and standstill phases).
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The packer machine 9 comprises a forming unit A, where the groups 5 of cigarettes are formed one after the other, a wrapping unit B, where a respective wrapping sheet 7 is wrapped around each group 5 of cigarettes so as to create a wrap 3, and a wrapping unit C, where a collar 6 and a blank 8 are wrapped around each wrap 3 so as to create an outer container 2 provided with a lid 4.
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According to figures 9 and 10, the forming unit A for forming the groups 5 of cigarettes comprises a hopper 10 provided with three output mouths to simultaneously feed three groups 5 of cigarettes to three respective pockets 11 of a forming conveyor 12, which supports a plurality of pockets 11 and moves in a stepped manner so as to cyclically move the pockets 11 along a forming path P1. The forming path P1 develops between an input station S1, in which each group 5 of cigarettes is pulled out of an output mouth of the hopper 10 and gets into a corresponding pocket 11 of the forming conveyor 12, and a transfer station S2, in which each group 5 of cigarettes is pulled out of the corresponding pocket 11 of the forming conveyor 12.
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According to figure 10, the wrapping unit B comprises a folding conveyor 13, which is designed to move each group 5 of cigarettes along a straight and horizontal folding path P2. In particular, the folding path P2 extends from the transfer station S2, in which the folding conveyor 13 pulls each group 5 of cigarettes out of the corresponding pocket 11 of the forming conveyor 12, goes through a feeding station S3, in which each group 5 of cigarettes is coupled to a corresponding wrapping sheet 7, which is folded in a "U"-shape around the group 5 of cigarettes, and ends in a transfer station S4, in which each wrap 3 (consisting of a wrapping sheet 7 at least partially folded around a group 5 of cigarettes) leaves the folding conveyor 13.
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Along the folding path P2 (in the area of the folding conveyor 13) there is the feeding station S3, in which each wrapping sheet 7 is arranged so as to be intercepted by a corresponding group 5 of cigarettes, around which the wrapping sheet 7 itself is folded in a "U"-shape; in other words, each group 5 of cigarettes, while moving along the folding path P2, intercepts a corresponding wrapping sheet 7 arranged in the feeding station S3, thus determining the "U"-shaped folding of the wrapping sheet 7.
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The packer machine 9 comprises a feeding device 14, which cyclically feeds the wrapping sheets 7 in the feeding station S3, namely places each wrapping sheet 7 in the feeding station S3 in such a way that the wrapping sheet 7 is intercepted by a corresponding group 5 of cigarettes moving along the folding path P2. According to figure 9, the feeding device 14 comprises an unwinding station, in which a wrapping material band 15 is unwound from a reel 16 and is fed (passing beside the hopper 10) towards a known cutting member 17, which is arranged above the feeding station S3 and cyclically makes a transverse cut in the wrapping material band 15 so as to separate single wrapping sheets 7 from the wrapping material band 15.
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According to figure 10, the wrapping unit B comprises a folding device 18, which is arranged along the folding path P2 in the area of the folding conveyor 13 and is designed to fold two open side ends of each wrapping sheet 7 folded in a "U"-shape around a corresponding group 5 of cigarettes so as to obtain a tubular wrap having an open rear end. The folding device 18 preferably only comprises folding profiles (namely, folding spirals), which are fixed (i.e. completely free from moving parts) and are arranged on opposite sides of the folding path P2.
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The folding path P2 starts in the transfer station S2 (where the groups 5 of cigarettes enter the folding conveyor 13) and ends in the transfer station S4 (where the wraps 3 leave the folding conveyor 13). According to figure 10, the packer machine 9 comprises a transfer conveyor 19, which receives the wraps 3 in a transfer station S5 and moves the wraps 3 along a straight transfer path P3, which is perpendicular to the folding path P2. The transfer conveyor 19 comprises a conveyor belt with an annular shape, which is wound around two end pulleys (one of them being motor-driven), supports a plurality of pockets 20, each designed to house a corresponding wrap 3, and moves in a stepped manner so as to cyclically move the pockets 20 along the transfer path P3.
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According to figure 10, the wrapping unit B comprises a folding device 21, which is arranged downstream of the folding device 18 and is designed to complete the folding of each wrapping sheet 7 around the corresponding group 5 of cigarettes (hence, ending the manufacturing of the wrap 3) in order to close the open rear end (namely, the one that was previously left open by the folding device 18). The folding device 21 can be coupled to the folding conveyor 13, it can be coupled to the transfer conveyor 19 or it can be interposed between the folding conveyor 13 and the transfer conveyor 19.
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Between the folding conveyor 13 and the transfer conveyor 19 there is interposed a transport unit 22, which is configured to transfer the wraps 3 from the transfer station S4 (namely, from the output of the folding conveyor 13) to the transfer station S5 (namely, to the input of the transfer conveyor 19) along a transfer path P4, which constitutes an extension of the folding path P2 (namely, the transfer path P4 is parallel to the folding path P2 and prolongs the folding path P2 past the folding path P2). In other words, the transport unit 22 is interposed between the folding conveyor 13 and the transfer conveyor 19 and is configured to receive the wraps 3 from the folding conveyor 13 and to transfer the wraps 3 to the transfer conveyor 19.
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According to figure 10, the feeding device 14 comprises two folding spindles 23, which are supported by a moving conveyor 24, which cyclically moves each folding spindle 23 between a receiving station S6, where each wrapping sheet 7 is coupled to the folding spindle 23, and the feeding station S3 in the area of the folding path P2, where the wrapping sheet 7 is coupled to a group 5 of cigarettes, which, while moving along the folding path P2, intercepts the wrapping sheet 7, which is folded in a "U"-shape around the group 5 of cigarettes.
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For further details on the packer machine 9, please refer to patent application
EP3725691A1 .
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In the embodiment shown in the accompanying figures, the folding conveyor 13 has one single wrapping line, along which one single wrap 3 being formed at a time is conveyed; according to other embodiments which are not shown herein (for example, as described in patent applications
EP3925896A1 and
EP4257496A1 ), the folding conveyor 13 has two wrapping lines side by side (namely, a double wrapping line), along which two wraps 3 being formed at a time and side by side are conveyed.
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As mentioned above, the transport unit 22 is configured to transport each wrap 3 along the folding path P2 (namely, along an extension of the folding path P2) from the transfer station S4 (namely, from the output of the folding conveyor 13) to the transfer station S5 (namely, to the input of the transfer conveyor 19). According to figures 13 and 14, the transport unit 22 comprises a drawer 25 provided with a frame 26, in which two pockets 27 are defined side by side, each having a parallelepiped shape and being configured to house a wrap 3; in particular, each pocket 27 has a tubular shape (namely, is open at the two opposite ends) and, therefore, has two opposite openings, through which a wrap 3 gets into the pocket 27 (in the transfer station S4) and subsequently gets out of the pocket 27 (in the transfer station S5).
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In the embodiment shown in the accompanying figures, the drawer 25 of the transport unit 22 has two pockets 27 side by side and is preferably used when the folding conveyor 13 has a double line; alternatively, the drawer 25 of the transport unit 22 could have one single pocket 27 to be preferably used when the folding conveyor 13 has one single line. Each pocket 27 has a parallelepiped shape and is delimited by a base wall 28, which is integral to the frame 26 (namely, in use, does not make any type of movement relative to the frame 26), by two side walls 29, which are integral to the frame 26 (namely, in use, do not make any type of movement relative to the frame 26) and are arranged perpendicularly to the base wall 28, and by a containing wall 30, which is parallel to and opposite the base wall 28 and is mounted on the frame 26 in a movable manner so as to move relative to the frame 26 towards the base wall 28 or away from the base wall 28. Namely, each containing wall 30 is movable relative to the frame 26 so as to move along a gripping direction DP (shown in figure 14), which is perpendicular to the base wall 28 and to the containing wall 30 and, therefore, is parallel to the side walls 29. Preferably, in each pocket 27, the containing wall 30 and the base wall 28 have a larger area than an area of the two side walls 29, namely the containing wall 30 and the base wall 28 are larger than the two side walls 29.
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According to a preferred embodiment, the base wall 28 of each pocket 27 centrally has a through slit 31, through which it is possible to insert an accompanying member preceding a wrap 3 in the transfer station S4 (where a wrap 3 gets into the pocket 27) and/or a pushing member pushing a wrap 3 in the transfer station S5 (where a wrap 3 gets out of the pocket 27).
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The containing wall 30 is mounted on the frame 26 in a movable manner so as to move between a loading and unloading position (shown on the left in figure 14), in which it gives the pocket 27 a dimension D1 (measured along the gripping direction DP), and a transport position (shown on the right in figure 14), in which it gives the pocket 27 a dimension D2 (measured along the gripping direction DP), which is smaller than the dimension D1.
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All the walls 28, 29 and 30 of each pocket 27, in use, come into contact with a wrap 3, when the wrap 3 gets into the pocket 27 in the transfer station S4. In the transfer station S4 (where a wrap 3 gets into the pocket 27) and in the transfer station S5 (where a wrap 3 gets out of the pocket 27), the pocket 27 is arranged in the loading and unloading position (shown on the left in figure 14) to facilitate the sliding of the wrap 3 relative to the walls 28, 29 and 30 of the pocket 27 (namely, to prevent the wrap 3 from being pressed against the walls 28, 29 and 30 of the pocket 27, thereby increasing the friction against the walls 28, 29 and 30 of the pocket 27). On the other hand, between the transfer station S4 (where a wrap 3 gets into each pocket 27) and the transfer station S5 (where a wrap 3 gets out of each pocket 27), namely during the movement of each pocket 27 along the transport path P4, the pocket 27 is placed and held in the transport position (shown on the right in figure 14) to compress the wrap 3 housed in the pocket 27 and, therefore, prevent, due to the accelerations and decelerations to which the pocket 27 is subjected during the movement, the wrap 3 from deforming uncontrollably (the wrap 3 is free of glue and, hence, tends to lose its shape if it is not properly contained).
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According to figures 11 and 12, the transport unit 22 comprises a conveyor device 32, which is configured to move the drawer 25 along the transport path P4. In the embodiment shown in the accompanying figures, the transport path P4 is linear and, therefore, the conveyor device 32 moves the drawer 25 in a straight line back and forth between the transfer stations S4 and S5; according to a different embodiment which is not shown herein, the transport path P4 could be circular and, therefore, the conveyor device 32 (having a drum mounted in a rotary manner) moves the drawer 25 along a circle, which successively goes through the transfer stations S4 and S5 (in this embodiment, the conveyor device 32 could support a plurality of drawers 25).
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The conveyor device 32 comprises two guides 33 arranged parallel to the transfer path P4, two slides 34, which are mounted on the guides 33 in a sliding manner and are integral to opposite ends of the frame 26 (namely, they support the frame 26), and an electric motor 35 configured to alternately push the slides 34 (supporting the frame 26) back and forth along the guides 33. In addition, the conveyor device 32 comprises a drive body 36, which is "U"-shaped and is mounted so as to rotate around a rotation axis 37, which is perpendicular to the transfer path P4; in particular, the drive body 36 has a lower base, which is hinged to a frame of the packer machine 9 so as to rotate around the rotation axis 37, and two opposite prongs, which are parallel to one another project at the two opposite ends of the lower base. Two connecting arms 38 are provided, each having an end hinged to a prong of the drive body 36 and an opposite end hinged to a slide 34; there is also a connecting arm 39 having an end hinged to a prong of the drive body 36 and an opposite end hinged in an eccentric manner to a shaft of the electric motor 35. In use, the rotation of the drive shaft of the electric motor 35 moves the connecting arm 39 back and forth along the transport path P4 so that it transmits this reciprocating movement to the drive body 36, which, in turn, transmits this movement to the slides 34 through the two connecting arms 38.
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According to figures 15, 16 and 17, the transport unit 22 comprises, for each pocket 27, an actuator device 40, which can be operated to move the containing wall 30 of the pocket 27 between the transport position (shown on the right in figure 14) and the loading and unloading position (shown on the left in figure 14). In the embodiment shown in figures 15, 16 and 17, each actuator device 40 is pneumatic, namely it uses the thrust generated by a fluid (for example, air) under pressure.
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According to figure 16, each actuator device 40 comprises an actuation chamber 41, which is arranged next to the containing wall 30, can be connected through at least one solenoid valve 42 (shown in figure 14) to a source 43 (shown in figure 14) of fluid under pressure (for example, compressed air) and is configured to press against the containing wall 30 when it is in overpressure conditions.
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According to a possible embodiment shown in figure 14, two solenoid valves 42 are provided, each configured to connect and disconnect the two actuation chambers 41 of the two pockets 27 to and from the source 43 of fluid under pressure; a control unit 44 is configured to alternatively use the two solenoid valves 42 so that, with one cycle, one solenoid valve 42 is activated to connect the two actuation chambers 41 of the two pockets 27 to the source 43 of fluid under pressure, while, with the next cycle, the other solenoid valve 42 is activated to connect the two actuation chambers 41 of the two pockets 27 to the source 43 of fluid under pressure. In this way, the working frequency of each solenoid valve 42 is halved, allowing for the use of less performing solenoid valves 42, which are therefore less expensive and less subjected to wear.
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As better shown in figures 16 and 17, in each actuator device 40, the actuation chamber 41 is delimited by a hollow cylinder 45 integral to the containing wall 30 and by a hollow cylinder 45, which is coupled to the hollow cylinder 45 in a sliding manner and is integral to the frame 26; the two hollow cylinders 45 and 46, by sliding one inside the other, allow the volume of the actuation chamber 41 to be changed. In particular, each actuator device 40 comprises an elastic element 47, which pushes the containing wall 30 towards the loading and unloading position and elastically deforms when the actuator device 40 moves the containing wall 30 towards the transport position. According to a different embodiment which is not shown herein, each elastic element 47 pushes the containing wall 30 towards the transport position (instead of towards the loading and unloading position) and elastically deforms when the actuator device 40 moves the containing wall 30 towards the loading and unloading position.
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In the embodiment shown in figures 15, 16 and 17, each elastic element 47 is a leaf spring, which, at the centre, is connected to the frame 26 and, at the two opposite ends, is connected to the containing wall 30; in particular, each actuator device 40 comprises two cross members 48, each resting, at the centre, on an end of the elastic element 47, and four columns 49, each having an end integral to an end of a respective cross member 48 and an opposite end integral to the containing wall 30. In each actuator device 40, the two hollow cylinders 45, 46, which delimit the actuation chamber 41, are arranged in the middle of the four columns 49. Preferably, each actuator device 40 comprises a containing body 50, which is integral to the frame 26, directly supports the hollow cylinder 46 defining part of the actuation chamber 41 and houses a central part of the elastic element 47 in an upper portion of its.
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According to a preferred embodiment, each actuator device 40 comprises a mechanical limit stop, which limits the movement of the containing wall 30 from the loading position and towards the transport position by establishing a minimum value of the dimension D2. According to a preferred embodiment shown in figures 15, 16 and 17, each containing wall 30 has an extension 51, which extends beyond the pocket 27 towards the folding conveyor 13 and is inclined so as to constitute a raiser towards the pocket 27; in this way, the entry of a wrap 3 into the pocket 27 is facilitated, since the contact of the wrap with the containing wall 30 takes place progressively through a sort of "funnel".
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It should be pointed out that the compression applied to a wrap 3 lying inside a pocket 27 is determined by the pneumatic thrust exerted by the containing wall 30 upon the wrap 3 and, therefore, depends on the pressure of the fluid fed into the actuation chamber 41; in this way, the compression applied to each wrap 3 is always constant, regardless of the actual dimension of the wrap 3 (namely, regardless of whether the wrap 3 is a little thicker or a little less thick due to inevitable constructive tolerances) and the compression applied to each wrap 3 is easily adjustable by varying the pressure of the fluid fed into the actuation chamber 41.
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In the embodiment shown in figures 11-17, the actuator device 40 (which can be operated to move the containing wall 30 between the loading and unloading position and the transport position) is pneumatic; on the other hand, in the alternative embodiment shown in figures 18, 19 and 20, the actuator device 40 (which can be operated to move the containing wall 30 between the loading and unloading position and the transport position) is mechanical.
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According to figure 18, the actuator device 40 comprises a motor 52, in particular a rotary electric motor 52, and a transmission 53, which connects the motor 52, in particular a shaft 54 of the rotary electric motor 52, to the containing wall 30 of each pocket 27. The transmission 53 comprises a double track 55, which is moved by the motor 52 and is connected to the containing wall 30 of each pocket 27; namely, the track 55 comprises two prongs parallel to one another and side by side, each connected to the containing wall 30 of a respective pocket 27.
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According to figures 18, 19 and 20, for each pocket 27, the transmission 53 comprises a rocker arm 56, which is mounted on the frame 26 so as to rotate around a rotation axis 57; in particular, for each pocket 27, a support column 58 is provided, which, at a lower end, is integral to the frame 26 and, at an upper end, supports the rocker arm 56 in a rotary manner. Each rocker arm 56 has an end that supports an idle roller 59 arranged in contact with a respective prong of the track 55 and an opposite end connected to the containing wall 30. Preferably, the end of each rocker arm 56 is connected to the containing wall 30 by means of a connecting arm 60 hinged, on one side, to the end of the rocker arm 56 and hinged, on the opposite side, to the containing wall 30 (in particular, it is hinged to a rod 61, which is integral to the containing wall 30 and projects from the containing wall 30). Preferably, the rod 61 of each containing wall 30 is coupled in a sliding manner to two rings 62, which are integral to the frame 26 and help guide the linear movement of the rod 61 and, therefore, of the containing wall 30.
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The track 55 has the shape of a "Z" having a final horizontal segment 63 connected to the containing wall 30 and an initial horizontal segment 64, which is connected to the motor 52 and is vertically staggered relative to the first horizontal segment 63. The transmission 53 comprises two cranks 65, each hinged to the track 55 so as to form an articulated quadrilateral, in which the track 55 constitutes a connecting rod; the electric motor 52 is configured to cause a crank 65 to rotate (namely, the shaft 54 of the electric motor 52 is angularly integral to a crank 65) so that the rotation of the shaft 54 of the electric motor 52 causes a deformation of the articulated quadrilateral, which moves the final segment 63 of the track 55 upwards or downwards and, hence, forces the rocker arms 56 to rotate in a direction or in the opposite direction.
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It should be pointed out that the final segment 63 of the track 55 is oriented parallel to the transport path P4 and has a length (extension) at least equal to the length (extension) of the transport path P4; in this way, the idle rollers 59 of the two rocker arms 56 remain in contact with the track 55 throughout the movement of the drawer 25 along the transport path P4.
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Each actuator device 40 comprises an elastic element 66 (schematically shown in figure 20), which pushes the containing wall 30 towards the transport position and elastically deforms when the actuator device 40 moves the containing wall 30 towards the loading and unloading position (alternatively, the elastic element 66 pushes the containing wall 30 towards the loading and unloading position and elastically deforms when the actuator device 40 moves the containing wall 30 towards the transport position). According to the embodiment shown in figure 20, each elastic element 66 is compressed between the frame 26 and the containing wall 30 (namely, between an element integral to the frame 26 and another element integral to the containing wall 30).
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Also in this embodiment, each actuator device 40 comprises a mechanical limit stop, which limits the movement of the containing wall 30 from the loading position and towards the transport position by establishing a minimum value of the dimension D2.
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It should be pointed out that the compression applied to a wrap 3 lying inside a pocket 27 is determined by the elastic thrust exerted by the elastic element 66 (when the elastic element 66 pushes the containing wall 30 towards the transport position) and, therefore, depends on the features of the elastic element 66; in this way, the compression applied to each wrap 3 substantially is always constant, regardless of the actual dimension of the wrap 3 (namely, regardless of whether the wrap 3 is a little thicker or a little less thick due to inevitable constructive tolerances) and the compression applied to each wrap 3 is easily adjustable by calibrating the elastic element 66.
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In the embodiment shown in figure 10, the conveyor 13 is designed to convey one single group 5 of cigarettes at a time along the straight folding path P2 and, therefore, to form one single wrap at the same time; in this embodiment, the transport unit 22 is configured to receive one single wrap 3 at a time from the folding conveyor 13 and to transfer one single wrap 3 at a time to the transfer conveyor 19 and, therefore, the transport unit 22 preferably comprises one single pocket 27 (namely, with respect to what is shown in figures 11-20, it has only one of the two pockets 27, the rest remaining completely unchanged).
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According to a different and equivalent embodiment, the conveyor 13 is designed to convey two groups 5 of cigarettes side by side and two respective wrapping sheets 7 along the straight folding path P2 so as to simultaneously fold each wrapping sheet 7 around the respective group 5 of cigarettes, thus forming, at the same time, two wraps 3 side by side; in this embodiment, the transport unit 22 is configured to receive two wraps 3 side by side from the folding conveyor 13 and to transfer two wraps 3 side by side to the transfer conveyor 19 and, therefore, the transport unit 22 preferably comprises two drawers 25 side by side, which are moved together by the conveyor device 32 along the transfer path P4 (as shown in figures 11-20).
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In the embodiment described above, the transport unit 22 is used to move wraps 3 each containing a group 5 of cigarettes; according to other embodiments which are not shown herein, the transport unit 22 can be used to move other types of products both from the smoking article processing industry and from other industries (for example, food products, pharmaceutical products, cosmetic products). In particular, the embodiment shown in the accompanying figures relates to the production of a cigarette pack, but the invention can also be applied, without significant changes, to the production of any other type of pack for smoking articles (for example, a pack for cigars, a pack for electronic cigarettes with liquid vaporisation, a pack for new-generation cigarettes without tobacco combustion...).
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The embodiments described herein can be combined with one another, without for this reason going beyond the scope of protection of the invention.
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The packer machine 9 described above has numerous advantages.
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First of all, the transport unit 22 of the packer machine 9 described above allows the products (in particular, the wraps 3) to be transported safely, even operating at a high production speed. Namely, the transport unit 22 is able to transport the products (in particular, the wraps 3) without damaging the products due to an excessive compression of the products and, at the same time, without leaving the products excessively free so as to avoid an unwanted uncontrolled deformation of the products (the wraps 3 are not provided with glue and, therefore, tend to lose their shape if they are not adequately contained).
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Furthermore, the transport unit 22 of the packer machine 9 described above requires limited maintenance as it does not have parts subjected to large wear.
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Finally, the transport unit 22 of the packer machine 9 described above is particularly compact and, therefore, can easily be manufactured with two pockets 27 to be used when the folding conveyor 13 has a double line.
LIST OF THE REFERENCE NUMBERS OF THE FIGURES
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- 1
- cigarette pack
- 2
- outer container
- 3
- wrap
- 4
- lid
- 5
- group of cigarettes
- 6
- collar
- 7
- wrapping sheet
- 8
- blank
- 9
- packer machine
- 10
- hopper
- 11
- pockets
- 12
- forming conveyor
- 13
- wrapping conveyor
- 14
- feeding device
- 15
- band
- 16
- reel
- 17
- cutting member
- 18
- folding device
- 19
- transfer conveyor
- 20
- pockets
- 21
- folding device
- 22
- transport unit
- 23
- folding spindle
- 24
- moving conveyor
- 25
- drawer
- 26
- frame
- 27
- pocket
- 28
- base wall
- 29
- side walls
- 30
- containing wall
- 31
- slit
- 32
- conveyor device
- 33
- guides
- 34
- slides
- 35
- electric motor
- 36
- drive body
- 37
- rotation axis
- 38
- connecting arms
- 39
- connecting arm
- 40
- actuator device
- 41
- actuation chamber
- 42
- solenoid valve
- 43
- source of a fluid under pressure
- 44
- control unit
- 45
- cylinder
- 46
- cylinder
- 47
- elastic element
- 48
- cross members
- 49
- column
- 50
- containing body
- 51
- extension
- 52
- electric motor
- 53
- transmission
- 54
- shaft
- 55
- track
- 56
- rocker arms
- 57
- rotation axis
- 58
- support column
- 59
- idle roller
- 60
- connecting arm
- 61
- rod
- 62
- rings
- 63
- segment
- 64
- segment
- 65
- cranks
- 66
- elastic element
- P1
- forming path
- P2
- wrapping path
- P3
- transfer path
- S1
- input station
- S2
- transfer station
- S3
- feeding station
- S4
- transfer station
- S5
- transfer station
- S6
- receiving station
- A
- forming unit
- B
- wrapping unit
- C
- wrapping unit
- DP
- gripping direction
- D1
- dimension
- D2
- dimension