CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
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This patent application claims priority from
Italian patent application no. 102024000021388 filed on September 26, 2024 , the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
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The present invention relates to a packer machine and to a wrapping method for producing a wrap by folding a wrapping sheet around a group of smoking articles.
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The present invention can be advantageously applied to the manufacturing of a wrap of a rigid pack for cigarettes with a hinged lid by folding a wrapping sheet of metallized paper around a group of cigarettes, to which the following discussion will explicitly refer, without thereby losing generality.
PRIOR ART
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Rigid packs for cigarettes with a hinged lid are currently the most widespread packs for cigarettes on the market as they are simple to manufacture, are easy and practical to use, and offer good protection to the cigarettes contained therein.
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A rigid pack for cigarettes with a hinged lid comprises a wrap consisting of a group of cigarettes wrapped in a wrapping sheet of metallized paper and a rigid outer shell which houses the wrap therein. The outer shell consists of a cup-shaped container, which houses the group of cigarettes and has an open upper end, and a lid, which is also cup-shaped and is hinged to the container so as to rotate, relative to the container, between an open position and a closed position of the open end.
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Patent application
EP3725691A1 describes a packer machine for producing a rigid pack for cigarettes having: a wrap formed by folding a wrapping sheet of metallized paper around a group of cigarettes, and an outer container formed by folding a blank and a collar around the wrap. The following are provided: a forming conveyor which advances a plurality of pockets along a forming path; a hopper which is located 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; and a wrapping conveyor which is located downstream of the forming conveyor and is designed to advance the group of cigarettes and the wrapping sheet along a straight and horizontal wrapping path.
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It has been observed that the folding of the inner wrapping sheet around the group of cigarettes can damage the ends of the cigarettes, causing a localized deformation (both on the side of the filters, and on the opposite side with the visible tobacco) and/or a loss of tobacco (i.e. the emptying of the tips, obviously only on the side opposite to the filters, with the visible tobacco). In particular, the damage of the cigarettes caused by folding the inner wrapping sheet around the group of cigarettes is maximum in the cigarettes arranged at the top of the group of cigarettes and is in any case evident in all the cigarettes located externally, i.e. located in the area of the fold lines of the inner wrapping sheet. Furthermore, the inner wrap does not have square edges, as due to the high rigidity of the inner wrapping sheet, the ends of the cigarettes deform, causing the formation of rounded edges; the fact that the inner wrapping sheet has a rounded shape instead of a square shape is particularly negative, as in the area of the visible zone it confers an overall appearance on the inner wrap which is little appreciated by consumers, who tend to prefer inner wraps with well highlighted sharp edges.
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Tobacco is very sensitive to the effects of the external environment, as in contact with the atmosphere it tends to change its organoleptic characteristics both due to changes in humidity (tobacco can dry too much or can absorb too much moisture), and due to the evaporation of the volatile substances with which the tobacco has been impregnated (especially in the case of cigarettes flavoured with particular flavours such as cloves). To preserve the integrity of cigarette tobacco, a rigid pack for cigarettes has been proposed, in which the inner wrap is waterproof and consists of a wrapping sheet of waterproof and heat-sealable material. The folding of a waterproof inner wrapping sheet is particularly harmful for cigarettes, as the waterproof inner wrapping sheet has a greater thickness (and therefore rigidity) relative to traditional inner wrapping sheets consisting of metallized paper.
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Patent application
IT202000024430A1 (corresponding to patent application
DE102021126492A1 ) describes a packer machine for producing a rigid pack for cigarettes with a sliding opening.
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Patent application
DE102020112365A1 describes a pack for cigarettes comprising a shell which surrounds a group of cigarettes and has seals which are at least partially covered by a cover formed by parts of the same sheet which forms the shell.
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Patent application
EP3546378A1 describes a packer machine in which a wrapping sheet is folded around a group of cigarettes using a hollow spindle which houses the group of cigarettes.
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Patent application
US2015314897A1 describes a packer machine in which a wrapping sheet is folded around a group of cigarettes.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
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The object of the present invention is to provide a packer machine and a wrapping method for producing a wrap by folding a wrapping sheet around a group of smoking articles which allow manufacturing a high-quality wrap (i.e. having extremely precise and square folds of the wrapping sheet and containing perfectly intact smoking articles) also operating at a high production speed (measured as packs for cigarettes produced in the unit of time).
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In accordance with the present invention, a packer machine and a wrapping method for producing a wrap by folding a wrapping sheet around a group of smoking articles are provided, according to what is claimed in the appended claims.
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The claims describe embodiments of the present invention, forming an integral part of the present description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting example embodiment thereof, wherein:
- Figures 1, 2 and 3 are a front perspective view and in a closed configuration, a rear perspective view and in a closed configuration, and a front perspective view and in an open configuration, respectively, of a rigid pack for cigarettes;
- Figure 4 is a front perspective view of a wrap of the pack of Figures 1, 2 and 3;
- Figure 5 is a 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 pack for cigarettes of Figures 1, 2 and 3;
- Figure 8 is a plan view of a blank used to manufacture an outer container provided with a hinged lid of the pack for cigarettes of Figures 1, 2 and 3;
- Figure 9 is a perspective, schematic view with some parts removed for clarity of a packer machine which produces the pack for cigarettes of Figures 1, 2 and 3 and is made in accordance with the present invention;
- Figure 10 is a perspective, schematic view with some parts removed for clarity of a part of the packer machine of Figure 9;
- Figure 11 is a perspective, schematic view with some parts removed for clarity of a part of the packer machine of Figure 9 provided with a folding spindle;
- Figures 12, 13 and 14 are two perspective views and a front view with some parts removed for clarity, respectively, of an accompanying device of the packer machine of Figure 9; and
- Figures 15-20 illustrate the folding sequence of the wrapping sheet of Figure 6 around the group of cigarettes of Figure 5 by the folding spindle of Figure 11 to give the wrapping sheet a "U"-shape.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
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In Figures 1, 2 and 3, reference numeral 1 indicates, as a whole, a rigid pack for cigarettes. The pack 1 for cigarettes comprises an outer container 2 made of cardboard or rigid paperboard and cup-shaped and a wrap 3 (better illustrated 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 (illustrated in Figure 2) so as to rotate, relative to the outer container 2, between an open position (illustrated in Figure 3) and a closed position (illustrated in Figures 1 and 2) of the open upper end.
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The wrap 3 encloses a group 5 of cigarettes (illustrated in Figure 5) with a parallelepiped shape 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 what is illustrated in Figures 3 and 7, the pack 1 for cigarettes also comprises a rigid collar 6, which is connected (by means of glueing) folded in a "U"-shape inside the outer container 2 so as to partially protrude outside of the open upper end of the outer container 2 and engage a corresponding inner surface of the lid 4 when the lid 4 is located in the closed position.
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According to what is illustrated in Figure 6, the wrap 3 is made by folding around the group 5 of cigarettes a wrapping sheet 7 provided, on a side, with the tearable line which delimits the removable portion.
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According to a preferred (but not limiting) embodiment, the final shape of the wrapping sheet 7 around the group 5 of cigarettes is not stabilized in any manner (i.e. no glue is applied to the wrapping sheet 7 and no seals are made on the wrapping sheet 7); consequently, the final shape of the wrapping sheet 7 around the group 5 of cigarettes is maintained only by effect of the containing action of the outer container 2.
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According to what is illustrated in Figure 8, the outer container 2 and the lid 4 are made by folding a blank 8 of conventional type.
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In Figure 9, reference numeral 9 indicates, as a whole, a packer machine which is designed to manufacture the pack 1 for cigarettes described above and works with intermittent motion (i.e. a motion which envisages a cyclical alternation of motion phases and stop phases).
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The packer machine 9 comprises a forming unit A, in which the groups 5 of cigarettes are formed in succession, a folding unit B, in which a respective wrapping sheet 7 is wrapped around each group 5 of cigarettes so as to manufacture a wrap 3, and a folding unit C, in which a collar 6 and a blank 8 are wrapped around each wrap 3 so as to manufacture an outer container 2 provided with lid 4.
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According to what is illustrated in Figures 9 and 10, the forming unit A of the groups 5 of cigarettes comprises a hopper 10 provided with three output mouths for simultaneously feeding 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 extracted from an output mouth of the hopper 10 and enters a corresponding pocket 11 of the forming conveyor 12, and a transfer station S2, in which each group 5 of cigarettes is extracted from the corresponding pocket 11 of the forming conveyor 12.
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According to what is illustrated in Figure 10, the folding unit B comprises a folding conveyor 13 designed to advance 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 extracts each group 5 of cigarettes from the corresponding pocket 11 of the forming conveyor 12, passes through a feeding station S3, in which each group 5 of cigarettes couples to a corresponding wrapping sheet 7 which folds in a "U"-shape around the group 5 of cigarettes, and ends in a transfer station S4, in which each wrap 3 (formed by a wrapping sheet 7 at least partially folded around a group 5 of cigarettes) leaves the folding conveyor 13.
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According to what is better illustrated in Figure 11, the folding conveyor 13 comprises a conveyor belt 14 with annular shape, which is wound around two end pulleys (one of which is motorised) and supports a plurality of pushing elements 15, each connected to the conveyor belt 14 by a support column 16 (narrow, i.e. narrower than the pushing element 15) and is designed to engage a rear wall of a corresponding group 5 of cigarettes so as to push the group 5 of cigarettes along the folding path P2. In other words, the folding conveyor 13 comprises a horizontal channel, which is delimited at least on the bottom and laterally (preferably also on the top in its initial part), is located along the folding path P2, and contains each group 5 of cigarettes therein, while the group 5 of cigarettes advances along the folding path P2 pushed by a corresponding pushing element 15 from the back.
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Along the folding path P2 (in the area of the folding conveyor 13), a feeding station S3 is present, in which each wrapping sheet 7 is located so as to be intercepted by a corresponding group 5 of cigarettes around which the wrapping sheet 7 folds in a "U"-shape; in other words, each group 5 of cigarettes advancing along the folding path P2 intercepts a corresponding wrapping sheet 7 located in the feeding station S3, determining the "U"-shape folding of the wrapping sheet 7.
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The packer machine 9 comprises a feeding device 17 which cyclically feeds the wrapping sheets 7 in the feeding station S3, i.e. places each wrapping sheet 7 in the feeding station S3 so that the wrapping sheet 7 is intercepted by a corresponding group 5 of cigarettes that advances along the folding path P2. According to what is illustrated in Figure 9, the feeding device 17 comprises an unwinding station, in which a band 18 of wrapping material is unwound from a reel 19 and is advanced (passing next to the hopper 10) towards a cutting member 20 of known type which is located above the feeding station S3 and cyclically performs a transversal cut of the band 18 of wrapping material so as to separate the individual wrapping sheets 7 from the band 18 of wrapping material.
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According to what is illustrated in Figure 10, the folding unit B comprises a folding device 21 which is located along the folding path P2 in the area of the wrapping conveyor 13 and is designed to fold two open side ends of each "U"-folded wrapping sheet 7 around a corresponding group 5 of cigarettes so as to form a tubular wrap having an open rear end. Preferably, the folding device 21 comprises only folding profiles (i.e. folding spiral means) which are fixed (i.e. completely free of moving parts) and are located on opposite sides of the folding path P2.
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The folding path P2 starts in the transfer station S2 (in which the groups 5 of cigarettes enter the folding conveyor 13) and ends in the transfer station S4 (in which the wraps 3 leave the folding conveyor 13). According to what is illustrated in Figure 10, the packer machine 9 comprises a transfer conveyor 22 which receives the wraps 3 in a transfer station S5 and advances the wraps 3 along a straight transfer path P3 perpendicular to the folding path P2. The transfer conveyor 22 comprises a conveyor belt with an annular shape, which is wound around two end pulleys (one of which is motorised), supports a plurality of pockets 23 each designed to house a corresponding wrap 3, and moves in a stepped manner so as to cyclically move the pockets 23 along the transfer path P3.
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According to what is illustrated in Figure 10, the folding unit B comprises a folding device 24 which is located downstream of the folding device 21 and is designed to complete a folding of each wrapping sheet 7 around the corresponding group 5 of cigarettes (and thus end the manufacturing of the wrap 3) so as to close the open rear end (i.e. previously left open by the folding device 21). The folding device 24 can be coupled to the folding conveyor 13, can be coupled to the transfer conveyor 22, or can be interposed between the folding conveyor 13 and the transfer conveyor 22.
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Between the folding conveyor 13 and the transfer conveyor 22, a transport unit 25 is interposed which is configured to transfer the wraps 3 from the transfer station S4 (i.e. from the output of the folding conveyor 13) to the transfer station S5 (i.e. to the input of the transfer conveyor 22) along a transport path P4 which forms a prolongation of the folding path P2 (i.e. the transport path P4 is parallel to the folding path P2 and continues beyond the folding path P2). In other words, the transport unit 25 is interposed between the folding conveyor 13 and the transfer conveyor 22 and is configured to receive the wraps 3 from the folding conveyor 13 and deliver the wraps 3 to the transfer conveyor 22.
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According to what is better illustrated in Figure 11, the feeding device 17 comprises two folding spindles 26 which are supported by a moving conveyor 27 which cyclically moves each folding spindle 26 between a receiving station S6, in which each wrapping sheet 7 is coupled to the folding spindle 26, and the feeding station S3 in the area of the folding path P2 and in which the wrapping sheet 7 is coupled to a group 5 of cigarettes which, advancing along the folding path P2, intercepts the wrapping sheet 7 which gets folded in a "U"-shape around the group 5 of cigarettes.
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In the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures, the moving conveyor 27 comprises a moving drum 28 which is mounted so as to rotate (with intermittent motion, i.e. "in a stepped manner") around a horizontal rotation axis 29 and parallel to the folding path P2; the two folding spindles 26 are located at 180° with respect to each other (i.e. they are located symmetrically around the rotation axis 29) and therefore at each cycle the moving drum 28 performs a rotation of 180°. According to a different embodiment not illustrated, the moving conveyor 27 imparts to the two spindles 26 (or more generally to the at least one spindle 26) a pure-translation movement (or possibly rototranslation) between the receiving station S6 and the feeding station S3 instead of a pure-rotation movement (typically the pure-translation movement occurs on a plane perpendicular to the folding path P2 along which the groups 14 of cigarettes advance).
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According to other embodiments not illustrated, the moving drum 28 (i.e. the moving conveyor 27) supports a different number of folding spindles 26, for example a single folding spindle 26 or three, four, five or six folding spindles 26. A preferred embodiment envisages the presence of four folding spindles 26 arranged at 90° with respect to one another (therefore, with each cycle the moving drum 28 completes a 90° rotation); in this embodiment, between the receiving station S6 where each wrapping sheet 7 is coupled to the folding spindle 26 and the feeding station S3 where each wrapping sheet 7 is coupled to a group 5 of cigarettes, a discard station could be provided in which any defective wrapping sheet 7 (identified by an optical control device) is discarded, i.e. separated from the corresponding folding spindle 26 and advanced towards a waste collection container.
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Each folding spindle 26 has a central passage channel 30 through which a corresponding group 5 of cigarettes passes in the feeding station S3; in other words, in the feeding station S3 the central passage channel 30 of each folding spindle 26 is aligned with the folding path P2 and is crossed by a corresponding group 5 of smoking articles advancing along the folding path P2 pushed by the wrapping conveyor 37. Furthermore, each folding spindle 26 has an outer surface 31 which is located around the central passage channel 30 and is designed to receive and hold the wrapping sheet 7; in other words, in each folding spindle 26 the outer surface 31 is crossed by the central passage channel 30. In particular, the outer surface 31 of each folding spindle 26 is "U"-shaped and consists of an outer wall 32, an inner wall 33, which is integral with a central hub of the moving drum 28, and a joining wall 34, which is interposed between the outer wall 32 and the inner wall 33 and is perpendicular to the folding path P2. In each folding spindle 26, the two walls 32 and 33 are "open" with respect to the joining wall 34, i.e. the two walls 32 and 33 form with the joining wall 34 an obtuse angle (therefore greater than 90°) preferably between 95° and 140° (in the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures the angle is about 105°).
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The outer surface 31 of each folding spindle 26 has a through slit 35 which is oriented parallel to the rotation axis 29 (and therefore parallel to the folding path P2) and through which the support column 16 of each pushing element 15 is designed to pass when the folding spindle 26 is in the feeding station S3.
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According to a preferred but non-binding embodiment, each folding spindle 26 comprises suction means for holding the wrapping sheet 7 in contact with the outer surface 31 between the receiving station S6 and the feeding station S3; in other words, a plurality of small holes connected to a suction source open on the outer surface 31, which generate a sucking effect for holding the wrapping sheet 7 in contact with the outer surface 31 by suction.
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The feeding device 17 comprises a folding device 36 (schematically illustrated in Figures 15-20) which is located in the area of the receiving station S6, is separate and independent from the wrapping conveyor 37, and is designed to fold each wrapping sheet 7 coming from the cutting member 20 into a "U"-shape against the outer surface 31 of the folding spindle 26. In particular, the folding device 36 comprises a folding body 37 that negatively reproduces the shape of the folding spindle 26, and an actuator 38 (typically a linear electric motor) which is designed to cyclically translate the folding body 37 between a rest position (illustrated in Figures 15 and 17-20) in which the folding body 37 is separated from the folding spindle 26 located in the receiving station S6 and a working position (illustrated in Figure 16) in which the folding body 37 embraces the folding spindle 26 located in the receiving station S6 with the interposition of the wrapping sheet 7. In other words, the cutting member 20 of the feeding device 17 places the flat (i.e. without folds) wrapping sheet 7 in the receiving station S6 and between a folding spindle 26 and the folding device 36; subsequently, the folding body 37 of the folding device 36 is pushed against the folding spindle 26 so as to fold the wrapping sheet 7 against the folding spindle 26 (with a mechanism similar to a punch and a die).
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According to what is illustrated in Figures 12, 13 and 14, the packer machine 9 comprises an accompanying device 39 which is located along the folding path P2 (i.e. it is coupled to the folding conveyor 13) and cooperates with the folding spindles 26 of the feeding device 17.
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The accompanying device 39 comprises a tubular body 40, which is internally hollow and is shaped so as to be crossed from side to side by a group 5 of cigarettes advancing along the folding path P2 pushed by the folding conveyor 13. In particular, the tubular body 40 has an input end 41, through which a group 5 of cigarettes enters the tubular body 40, and an output end 42, which is opposite the input end 41 and through which a group 5 of cigarettes exits the tubular body 40. In other words, each group 5 of cigarettes advancing along the folding path P2 enters the tubular body 40 through the input end 41 of the tubular body 40 and subsequently exits the tubular body 40 through the output end 42, thus passing through the tubular body 40 from side to side.
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The tubular body 40 has a through slit which is located axially, i.e. it is oriented parallel to the folding path P2, and through which it is designed to pass the support column 16 of each pushing element 15.
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The accompanying device 39 comprises an actuation system 43 configured to cyclically move the tubular body 40 back and forth along a portion of the folding path P2 located astride (in the area of) the feeding station S3; that is, the actuation system 43 translates the tubular body 40 linearly and along the folding path P2 to alternatively make the tubular body 40 perform a forward stroke that moves the tubular body 40 in the same direction as the groups 5 of cigarettes by crossing the feeding station S3 and a return stroke that moves the tubular body 40 in the opposite direction to the groups 5 of cigarettes by crossing the feeding station S3 again. In other words, the tubular body 40 is transferred a reciprocating movement that envisages a forward (operative) stroke, which occurs in the advancement direction of the groups 5 of cigarettes and leads the tubular body 40 to intercept a wrapping sheet 7 which is located in the feeding station S3 (as will be better described below), and a return (inoperative) stroke, which occurs in the opposite direction to the advancement direction of the groups 5 of cigarettes.
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The central passage channel 30 of each folding spindle 26 is shaped to allow the passage of the tubular body 40 inside which the group 5 of cigarettes is located, i.e. it is shaped to allow the passage of the group 5 of cigarettes contained in the tubular body 40.
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Preferably, the output end 42 of the tubular body 40 has the shape of a truncated cone facing the folding spindles 26 and is progressively tapered to impart precise and well-squared folds to the wrapping sheet 7 (obviously when the output end 42 of the tubular body 40 impacts against the wrapping sheet 7).
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The methods for folding a wrapping sheet 7 in a "U"-shape around a group 5 of cigarettes are described below with reference to what is illustrated in Figures 15-20.
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Initially and as illustrated in Figure 15, the group 5 of cigarettes advanced by the folding conveyor 13 along the folding path P2 is located upstream of the feeding station S3 and upstream of the tubular body 40 (which in this moment is stopped along the folding path P2 upstream of the feeding station S3).
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Subsequently and as illustrated in Figure 16, the advancement movement of the group 5 of cigarettes along the folding path P2 leads the group 5 of cigarettes to enter, through the input opening 41, the tubular body 40 (which in this moment is still stopped along the folding path P2 upstream of the feeding station S3 or has begun to move towards the feeding station S3 more slowly than the group 5 of cigarettes).
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Subsequently and as illustrated in Figure 17, the group 5 of cigarettes enters completely in the tubular body 40 (which in this moment is still stopped along the folding path P2 upstream of the feeding station S3 or has begun to advance along the folding path P2 towards the feeding station S3) and in the meantime the rotation of the moving drum 28 around the rotation axis 29 has brought into the feeding station S3 a folding spindle 27 coupled to a wrapping sheet 7 folded in a "U"-shape around the folding spindle 27. When the group 5 of cigarettes is completely inside the tubular body 40, the front end of the group 5 of cigarettes can be (a little) further inside the output end 42 of the tubular body 40; that is, at the time of contact between the tubular body 40 containing the group 5 of cigarettes and the wrapping sheet 7, the group 5 of cigarettes is located further inside the tubular body 40 with respect to the output end 42 of the tubular body 40. Alternatively, at the time of contact between the tubular body 40 containing the group 5 of cigarettes and the wrapping sheet 7, the group 5 of cigarettes could be aligned (coplanar) with the output end 42 of the tubular body 40.
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At this point and as illustrated in Figure 18, the tubular body 40 advances along the folding path P2 synchronously with the group 5 of cigarettes so as to accompany the group 5 of cigarettes along the folding path P2 until it reaches the feeding station S3, in which the tubular body 40 containing the group 5 of cigarettes (i.e. the group 5 of cigarettes enclosed in the tubular body 40) cross the passage channel 30 of the folding spindle 26 stopped in the feeding station S3, coming into contact with the wrapping sheet 7.
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Subsequently and as illustrated in Figure 19, the progressive advancement of the tubular body 40 and the group 5 of cigarettes along the folding path P2 leads the tubular body 40 to take the wrapping sheet 7 from the folding spindle 26 stopped in the feeding station S3, determining a progressive "U"-shaped folding of the wrapping sheet 7 around the tubular body 40. In this step, the wrapping sheet 7 is folded against the output end 42 of the tubular body 40.
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Subsequently, and as illustrated in Figure 20, once the "U"-shaped folding of the wrapping sheet 7 around the tubular body 40 has begun, the tubular body 40 ends its advancement stroke along the folding path P2 and begins its return stroke along the folding path P2 to return to the initial position in which it awaits the arrival of the next group 5 of cigarettes; at the same time, the group 5 of cigarettes which was inside the tubular body 40 exits the tubular body 40 (due to the retraction of the tubular body 40 which causes a relative movement between the tubular body 40 and the group 5 of cigarettes) and is in contact with the wrapping sheet 7 which gets folded into a "U"-shape around the group 5 of cigarettes. From this moment onward, the group 5 of cigarettes coupled to the "U"-folded wrapping sheet 7 begins to cooperate with the folding device 21.
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Consequently, each wrapping sheet 7 is not folded in a "U"-shape by the axial thrust exerted against the wrapping sheet 7 by the cigarettes of the group 5 of cigarettes, but is folded in a "U"-shape by the thrust exerted by the tubular body 40 which operates as a folding device. In this manner, during the "U"-shaped folding of the wrapping sheet 7, the cigarettes of the group 5 of cigarettes are not in any manner axially stressed and therefore are not in any manner subject to deformations, as they are protected by the tubular body 4 surrounding them.
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In other words, the group 5 of cigarettes is advanced along the folding path P2 while the wrapping sheet 7 is fed perpendicularly to the folding path P2. The tubular body 40 which encloses (protects) the group 5 of cigarettes is advanced along the folding path P2 to intercept the wrapping sheet 7 so as to fold the wrapping sheet 7 in a "U"-shape around the tubular body 40. Finally, the group 5 of cigarettes is advanced through the tubular body 40 (which in the meantime moves in the opposite direction) to couple to the "U"-folded wrapping sheet 7 by removing the wrapping sheet 7 from the tubular body 40.
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According to a possible embodiment, the tubular body 40 could internally have a tapered shape which progressively reduces its size from the input end 41 to the output end 42; consequently, during the insertion of the group 5 of cigarettes inside the tubular body 40, the group 5 of cigarettes undergoes a lateral compression determined by the progressive tapering of the inner channel of the tubular body 40. Alternatively, internally the tubular body 40 has a constant dimension along its entire axial extension.
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According to what is illustrated in Figures 12, 13 and 14, the actuation system 43 comprises two fixed tracks 44 which are parallel to the folding path P2 and are arranged on opposite sides of the folding conveyor 13 and two slides 45, each of which slides along a respective track 44. Two connection arms 46 are provided, which are located on opposite sides of the tubular body 40 and each have an end integral with the tubular body 40 and an opposite end integral with a respective slide 44.
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The actuation system 43 comprises an electric motor 47 provided with a shaft which causes the rotation of a rotating cylinder 48 around a rotation axis perpendicular to the folding path P2 and a transmission mechanism 49 which transforms the circular motion of the cylinder 48 into a reciprocating motion which is transferred to both slides 44. In particular, the transmission mechanism 49 comprises a shaft 50 which is mounted so as to rotate around a rotation axis perpendicular to the folding path P2 and a crank 51 which at one end is eccentrically hinged to the rotating cylinder 48 and at the opposite end is connected to the shaft 50 by means of a connecting rod 52. Furthermore, the transmission mechanism 49 comprises two arms 53, which are fixed to the shaft 50 at one end, and two arms 54, each hinged to a respective first arm 53 on one side and hinged to a respective slide 45 at the opposite end.
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In the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures, the tubular body 40 has the same axial dimension as the group 5 of cigarettes to contain (and thus protect) the entire group 5 of cigarettes. According to a different embodiment not illustrated, the tubular body 40 is axially shorter than the group 5 of cigarettes to contain (and therefore protect) only a front portion of the group 5 of cigarettes in the area of the contact zone with the wrapping sheet 7; this embodiment allows reducing the amplitude of the movements of the tubular body 40 along the folding path P2 and thus allows simplifying the actuation system 43.
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In the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures, the folding conveyor 13 has a single wrapping line along which a single wrap 3 being formed is advanced at a time. According to other embodiments not illustrated (such as, for example, described in patent applications
EP3925896A1 and
EP4257496A1 ), the folding conveyor 13 has two side by side wrapping lines (i.e. a double wrapping line) along which two wraps 3 being formed are advanced side by side at the same time; in this case two side by side tubular bodies 40 are provided.
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The embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures refers to the production of a pack for cigarettes, but the present invention is also applicable without substantial modifications to the production of any other kind of pack for smoking articles (for example a pack for cigars, a pack for electronic cigarettes of the liquid vaporization type, a pack for next generation heat-not-burn cigarettes ...).
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The embodiments described herein can be combined with one another.
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The above-described packer machine 9 has numerous advantages.
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Firstly, it allows manufacturing a high-quality wrap 3 (i.e. having extremely precise and square folds of the wrapping sheet 7 and containing perfectly intact smoking articles) in the packer machine 9, also operating at a high production speed (measured as packs 1 of cigarettes produced in the unit of time). This result is obtained thanks to the fact that the initial folding of the wrapping sheet 7 does not occur against the group 5 of cigarettes which is fragile and yielding, but occurs against the output end 42 of the tubular body 30, which is metallic.
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Furthermore, the packer machine 9 described above requires limited maintenance, as it does not have parts subject to high wear.
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Finally, the above-described packer machine 9 is particularly compact.
LIST OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS OF THE FIGURES
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- 1
- pack for cigarettes
- 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
- folding conveyor
- 14
- conveyor belt
- 15
- pushing elements
- 16
- support column
- 17
- feeding device
- 18
- band
- 19
- reel
- 20
- cutting member
- 21
- folding device
- 22
- transfer conveyor
- 23
- pockets
- 24
- folding device
- 25
- transport unit
- 26
- folding spindle
- 27
- moving conveyor
- 28
- moving drum
- 29
- rotation axis
- 30
- passage channel
- 31
- outer surface
- 32
- outer wall
- 33
- inner wall
- 34
- joining wall
- 35
- slit
- 36
- folding device
- 37
- folding body
- 38
- actuator
- 39
- accompanying device
- 40
- tubular body
- 41
- input end
- 42
- output end
- 43
- actuation system
- 44
- tracks
- 45
- slides
- 46
- connecting arm
- 47
- electric motor
- 48
- rotating cylinder
- 49
- transmission mechanism
- 50
- shaft
- 51
- crank
- 52
- connecting rod
- 53
- arms
- 54
- arms
- P1
- forming path
- P2
- folding path
- P3
- transfer path
- P4
- transport path
- S1
- input station
- S2
- transfer station
- S3
- feeding station
- S4
- transfer station
- S5
- transfer station
- S6
- receiving station
- A
- forming unit
- B
- folding unit
- C
- folding unit