IT201900005956A1 - Packing machine and wrapping method to produce rigid smoking items package - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

of the industrial invention entitled:

"Packing machine and wrapping method to produce a rigid smoking items package."

TECHNIQUE SECTOR

The present invention relates to a packing machine and a wrapping method for producing a packet of rigid smoking articles.

The present invention finds advantageous application to the production of a rigid packet of cigarettes with a hinged lid and containing a group of cigarettes, to which the following discussion will make explicit reference without thereby losing generality. ANTERIOR ART

Rigid cigarette packets with hinged lid are the most popular cigarette packets currently on the market as they are simple to make, are easy and practical to use, and offer good protection to the cigarettes contained inside.

A rigid packet of cigarettes with a hinged lid comprises a wrapping consisting of a group of cigarettes wrapped in a sheet of metallized paper and a rigid outer casing that houses the wrapping inside. The outer casing 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 to rotate, with respect to the container itself. , between an open position and a closed position of the open end.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a packing machine and a wrapping method for producing a package of rigid smoking articles, which packing machine and wrapping method allow to produce a high quality package (i.e. having extremely precise and squared folds). even by operating at a high production speed (measured as packets of cigarettes produced in a unit of time) and at the same time minimizing the overall dimensions while offering high accessibility to all parts.

In accordance with the present invention there are provided a packing machine and a wrapping method for producing a package of rigid smoking articles, as claimed in the attached claims.

The claims describe embodiments of the present invention forming an integral part of the present description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting example of embodiment, in which:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view and in a closed configuration of a rigid cigarette packet;

Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of the packet of cigarettes of Figure 1 in a closed configuration;

Figure 3 is a front perspective view of the packet of cigarettes of figure 1 in an open configuration;

Figure 4 is a front perspective view of a wrapping of the package of figure 1;

• figure 5 is a perspective view of a group of cigarettes contained in the wrapping of figure 4;

• figure 6 is a plan view of a sheet of wrapping used to make the wrapping of figure 4;

Figure 7 is a plan view of a collar of the packet of cigarettes of figure 1;

Figure 8 is a plan view of a blank used to make an external container provided with a hinged lid of the packet of cigarettes of figure 1;

Figure 9 is a perspective view, schematic and with parts removed for clarity of a packing machine which produces the packet of cigarettes of figure 1 and is made in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 10 is a schematic front view of part of the packing machine of figure 9;

Figure 11 is a plan and schematic view of part of the packing machine of figure 9;

Figure 12 is a schematic side view of part of the packing machine of figure 9;

Figure 13 is a perspective view, schematic and with parts removed for clarity of part of the packing machine of figure 9 provided with a folding mandrel;

• figures 14, 15 and 16 illustrate the folding sequence of the wrapping sheet of figure 6 around the group of cigarettes of figure 5 to complete the realization of the wrapping of figure 4;

Figure 17 is a perspective view, schematic and with parts removed for clarity of the bending mandrel of figure 13;

Figures 18-21 illustrate the folding sequence of the wrapping sheet of Figure 6 around the group of cigarettes of Figure 5 by means of the folding mandrel of Figure 13 to give the wrapping sheet a tubular shape; Figures 22-24 illustrate a variant of the folding sequence of the wrapping sheet of Figure 6 around the group of cigarettes of Figure 5 by means of the folding mandrel of Figure 13 to give the wrapping sheet a tubular shape; And

Figure 25 illustrates a perspective and schematic view of an alternative embodiment of part of the packing machine of figure 9.

PREFERRED FORMS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INVENTION

In Figures 1, 2 and 3, the number 1 indicates a rigid packet of cigarettes as a whole. The pack 1 of cigarettes comprises an external container 2 made of cardboard or rigid cardboard and shaped like a cup and a wrapping 3 (better illustrated in figure 4) housed inside the container 2.

The external container 2 has an open upper end and is provided with a lid 4, which is cup-shaped and is hinged to the external container 2 along a hinge 5 (illustrated in Figure 2) to rotate, with respect to the external container 2 itself, between an open position (illustrated in Figure 3) and a closed position (illustrated in Figures 1 and 2) of the open upper end. The external container 2 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape oriented according to a predominantly vertical direction of development, is cup-shaped, and has an open upper end, a lower wall 6 opposite the open upper end, a front wall 7 and a wall 8 rear (in which the hinge 5 is obtained) parallel and opposite to each other, and two side walls 9 parallel and opposite to each other. Four longitudinal edges are defined between the front 7, rear 8 and side 9 walls of the outer container 2, while four transverse edges are defined between the walls 7, 8 and 9 and the lower wall 6 of the outer container 2.

The lid 4 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, is cup-shaped, and has an open lower end (facing the open upper end of the outer container 2 when the lid 4 is in the closed position), an upper wall 10 (which is parallel and opposite the lower wall 6 of the outer container 2 when the lid 4 is in the closed position), a front wall 11 (which is parallel and aligned with the front wall 7 of the outer container 2 when the lid 4 is in the closed position), a rear wall 12 (which is parallel and aligned with the rear wall 8 of the outer container 2 when the lid 4 is in the closed position and is hinged to the rear wall 8 of the outer container 2 along the hinge 5), and two lateral walls 13 between their parallel and opposite (which are parallel and aligned, in particular coplanar and adjacent, to the lateral walls 9 of the external container 2 or when the cover 4 is in the closed position). Four longitudinal edges are defined between the front 11, rear 12 and side 13 walls of the lid 4, while four transverse edges are defined between the walls 11, 12 and 13 and the upper wall 10 of the lid 4. The longitudinal edges and the transverse edges of the lid 4 are parallel and aligned with the corresponding longitudinal and transverse edges of the outer container 2 when the lid 4 is in the closed position.

Wrapping 3 encloses a group 14 of cigarettes (partially illustrated in Figure 3 and fully illustrated in Figure 5) of parallelepiped shape. Furthermore, the wrapping 3 has a removable portion 15 above and frontally which is separated from the rest of the wrapping 3 by a pre-weakened detachable line 16; at the first opening of the pack 1 of cigarettes, the user grabs and tears the removable portion 15 to access the underlying cigarettes of the group 14 of cigarettes.

According to what is illustrated in Figures 3 and 7, the pack 1 of cigarettes also comprises a rigid collar 17, which is connected (by gluing) folded in a "U" shape inside the external container 2 to partially protrude outside the open upper end of the outer container 2 and engaging a corresponding inner surface of the lid 4 when the lid 4 itself is disposed in the closed position. The collar 17 comprises a front wall 18, which is connected to the front wall 7 of the container 2 and is arranged in contact with the front wall 11 of the lid 4 when the lid 4 is in the closed position, and two side walls 19, which they are connected to the side walls 9 of the container 2 and are arranged in contact with the side walls 13 of the lid 4 when the lid 4 is in the closed position. According to the embodiment illustrated in the attached figures, the front wall 18 of the collar 17 is provided with a pair of claws 20 which protrude laterally to interfere with the side walls 13 of the lid 4 when the lid 4 is in the closed position so that to keep the cover 4 in the closed position. According to a different embodiment not shown, the front wall 18 of the collar 17 is devoid of the claws 20.

As shown in Figure 6, the wrapping 3 is made by folding around the group 14 of cigarettes a wrapping sheet 21 provided on one side of the tear-off line 16 that delimits the removable portion 15. As shown in Figure 4, the wrapping sheet 21 is initially folded in a "U" shape around the cigarette group 14, defining two open ends on the two minor side walls of the cigarette group 14, each of which is delimited by a transverse flap 22 (or corner fin 22) and by two longitudinal wings 23 and 24. Initially the transversal flap 22 is folded 90 ° against the group 14 of cigarettes, then the longitudinal flap 23 is folded 90 ° against the group 14 of cigarettes and over the previously folded transversal flap 22, and finally the longitudinal flap 24 is folded by 90 ° against the group 14 of cigarettes and above the previously folded transversal flap 22 and longitudinal flap 23 (according to the folding methods known with the denomination of "soap fold"); in this way the wrapping sheet 21 is given a tubular shape having a single open end in correspondence with the upper wall (in which the cigarette filters are arranged) of the group 14 of cigarettes; this open end is delimited by two transverse wings 25 (or corner wings 25) and by two longitudinal wings 26 and 27. Initially the transverse wings 25 are folded by 90 ° against the group 14 of cigarettes, then the longitudinal wing 26 is folded by 90 ° against the group 14 of cigarettes and over the previously folded transverse wings 25, and finally the wing 27 longitudinal is folded by 90 ° against the group 14 of cigarettes and above the transversal wings 25 and the longitudinal wing 26 previously folded (according to the folding methods known as the "soap fold"): in this way the folding of the wrapping sheet 21 around the group 14 of cigarettes.

According to a preferred embodiment, the final shape of the wrapping sheet 21 around the group 14 of cigarettes is not stabilized in any way (ie no glue is applied to the wrapping sheet 21 and no welds are made on the wrapping sheet 21); consequently, the final shape of the wrapping sheet 21 around the group 14 of cigarettes is maintained only by the effect of the containment action of the external container 2. As illustrated in Figure 8, the outer container 2 and the lid 4 are made by folding a blank 28 of a conventional type which has two pre-weakened longitudinal fold lines (which define the longitudinal edges of the outer container 2 and of the lid 4) and a plurality of pre-weakened transverse fold lines (which define the transverse edges of the outer container 2 and of the lid 4) which delimit, between the two longitudinal fold lines, a panel 7 'which constitutes the front wall 7 of the outer container 2 , a panel 6 'which constitutes the lower wall 6 of the outer container 2, a panel 8' which constitutes the rear wall 8 of the outer container 2, a panel 12 'which constitutes the rear wall 12 of the lid 4, a panel 10' which constitutes the upper wall 10 of the lid 4, a panel 11 'which constitutes the front wall 11 of the lid 4, and a panel 11 "which costs throws the reinforcing flap and is bent 180 ° and glued against an internal surface of the panel 11 '(ie against an internal surface of the front wall 11 of the cover 4).

The blank 28 includes a pair of wings 9 ', which are arranged on opposite sides of the panel 7', are connected to the panel 7 'along the two longitudinal folding lines, and form part of the side walls 9 of the external container 2. The blank 28 comprises a pair of wings 9 ", which are arranged on opposite sides of the panel 8 ', are connected to the panel 8' along the two longitudinal fold lines, form part of the side walls 9 of the external container 2, and are glued and superimposed on the corresponding wings 9 '. Each wing 9 "includes a tab that is bent 90 ° with respect to the wing 9" to be subsequently placed and glued to the panel 6 '. The blank 28 comprises a pair of wings 13 ', which are arranged on opposite sides of the panel 11', are connected to the panel 11 'along the two longitudinal fold lines, and form part of the side walls 13 of the lid 4. The blank 28 comprises a pair of wings 13 ", which are arranged on opposite sides of the panel 12 ', are connected to the panel 12' along the two longitudinal fold lines, form part of the side walls 13 of the lid 4, and are glued and superimposed at the corresponding wings 13 '. Each 13 "wing includes a tab that is bent 90 ° with respect to the 13" wing to be subsequently placed and glued to the 10 'panel.

In other words, each side wall 9 of the external container 2 is made by overlapping and gluing two wings 9 'and 9 "and each side wall 13 of the lid 4 is made by overlapping and gluing two wings 13' and 13". Furthermore, the front wall 11 of the lid 4 is formed by overlapping and gluing the panel 11 'to the panel 11 "(which constitutes the reinforcement flap).

In figure 9, the number 29 indicates as a whole a packing machine which is suitable for making the packet 1 of cigarettes described above and operates with intermittent motion (i.e. a motion which provides for a cyclical alternation of motion phases and phases of break).

The packing machine 29 comprises a frame 30 which rests on the ground by means of a plurality of feet (not shown) and is composed of the union of two bodies 31 and 32 arranged side by side; in particular, the body 31 has a front wall and a side wall on which the operating members (described below) are arranged, while the body 32 has (only) a front wall on which all the operating members are arranged (described below) .

The packing machine 29 comprises a forming unit A in which the groups 14 of cigarettes are formed in succession, a wrapping unit B in which a respective sheet 21 of wrapping is wrapped around each group 2 of cigarettes to make a wrapping 3, and a wrapping unit C in which a collar 17 and a blank 28 are wrapped around each wrapping 3 to form an external container 2 provided with a lid 4.

As illustrated in Figure 10, the unit A for forming the groups 14 of cigarettes comprises a hopper 33 provided with three outlets 34 for simultaneously feeding three groups 14 of cigarettes with three respective pockets 35 of a forming conveyor 36 which supports a plurality of pockets 35. The forming conveyor 36 comprises an annular-shaped conveyor belt, which is wound around two end pulleys (one of which is motorized), supports the pockets 35 and moves step by step to cyclically move the 35 pockets along a P1 training path. According to what is better illustrated in Figure 13, the formation path P1 develops between an inlet station S1 in which each group 14 of cigarettes is extracted from an outlet mouth 34 of the hopper 33 and enters a corresponding pocket 35 and a feeding station. S2 transfer in which each group 14 of cigarettes is extracted from the corresponding pocket 35.

According to a preferred embodiment, a control station is arranged along the forming conveyor 36, in which the completeness of each group 14 of cigarettes is optically checked and the correct filling of the cigarette tips of each group 14 of cigarettes, and a subsequent reject station, in which a possible group 14 of defective cigarettes signaled by the control station is rejected (for example by means of a mechanical or pneumatic expulsion from the respective pocket 35). As shown in Figure 13, the wrapping unit B comprises a wrapping conveyor 37 suitable for advancing each group 14 of cigarettes along a straight and horizontal wrapping path P2. In particular, the wrapping path P2 extends from the transfer station S2 in which the wrapping conveyor 37 extracts each group 14 of cigarettes from the corresponding pocket 35 of the forming conveyor 36, passes through a feeding station S3 in which each group 14 of cigarettes is coupled to a corresponding sheet 21 of wrapping which folds in a "U" shape around the group 14 of cigarettes itself, and ends in a transfer station S5 in which each wrapping 3 (formed by a sheet 21 of wrapping folded around a group 14 of cigarettes) leaves the wrapping conveyor 37.

As illustrated in Figure 17, the wrapping conveyor 37 comprises an annular-shaped conveyor belt 38, which is wound around two end pulleys (one of which is motorized) and supports a plurality of pushers 39, each of which is connected to the conveyor belt 38 by means of a support column 40 (narrow, i.e. narrower than the pusher 39) and is adapted to engage a rear wall of a corresponding group 14 of cigarettes to push the group 14 of cigarettes itself along the wrapping path P2 . In other words, the wrapping conveyor 37 comprises a horizontal channel which is delimited at least below and laterally (preferably also at the top in its initial part), is arranged along the wrapping path P2, and contains each group 14 of cigarettes inside it while the group 14 of cigarettes itself advances along the wrapping path P2 pushed to the rear by a corresponding pusher 39.

Along the wrapping path P2 (and therefore in correspondence with the wrapping conveyor 37) there is a feeding station S3 in which each wrapping sheet 21 is arranged to be intercepted by a corresponding group 14 of cigarettes around which the wrapping sheet 21 wrapping itself folds into a "U"; in other words, each group 14 of cigarettes advancing along the wrapping path P2 intercepts a corresponding wrapping sheet 21 arranged in the feeding station S3, causing the wrapping sheet 21 to be folded in a "U" shape.

The packing machine 29 comprises a feeding device 41 which cyclically feeds the wrapping sheets 21 into the feeding station S3, or arranges each wrapping sheet 21 in the feeding station S3 so that the wrapping sheet 21 is intercepted by a corresponding group 14 of cigarettes advancing along the wrapping path P2. As illustrated in Figure 9, the feeding device 41 comprises an unwinding station in which a strip 42 of wrapping material is unwound from a reel 43 and is advanced (passing alongside the hopper 33) towards a cutting member 44 of known type which is arranged above the feeding station S3 and cyclically performs a transverse cut of the wrapping material web 42 to separate the individual collars 17 from the wrapping material web 42 itself. processing (for example an embosser) which is arranged between the unwinding station and the cutting member 44 and performs a processing (for example an embossing) of the web 42 of wrapping material.

As illustrated in Figure 13, the wrapping unit B comprises a folding device 45 which is arranged along the wrapping path P2 downstream of the feeding station S3 and is adapted to fold two open lateral ends of each folded wrapping sheet 21 "U" shape around a corresponding group 14 of cigarettes to form a tubular wrapping having an open rear end (as illustrated in Figure 14). Preferably, the folding device 45 comprises only folding profiles (i.e. folding helices) which are fixed (i.e. completely devoid of moving parts) and are arranged on opposite sides of the wrapping path P2. With reference to Figure 14, on each side of the sheet 21 of wrapping folded in a "U" shape around a corresponding group 14 of cigarettes, the folding device 45 initially folds the transversal flap 22, then folds the longitudinal flap 23, and finally folds the longitudinal flap 24. At the end of the action of the folding device 45, or immediately downstream of the folding device 45, a sheet 21 of wrapping has the tubular shape illustrated in Figure 14 having a single open end delimited by two transverse wings 25 (or corner wings 25) and by two longitudinal wings 26 and 27.

As illustrated in Figure 13, the wrapping unit B comprises a folding device 46 which is arranged along the wrapping path P2 downstream of the folder 45 and is adapted to complete a folding of each wrapping sheet 21 around the corresponding group 14 of cigarettes (and therefore to finish making the wrapper 3) to close the open rear end (ie left open previously by the folding device 45). The folding device 46 initially folds the transverse wings 25 by means of a movable transverse folding device (i.e. provided with moving parts) as illustrated in Figure 15, subsequently folds the longitudinal wing 26 by means of a first movable longitudinal folder (i.e. provided with moving parts) , and finally folds the longitudinal wing 27 by means of a second movable longitudinal folder (ie provided with moving parts) as illustrated in Figure 16.

As illustrated in Figures 17-21, the feeding device 41 comprises two folding mandrels 47 which are supported by a displacement conveyor 48 which cyclically moves each folding mandrel 47 between a receiving station S4 in which each sheet 21 of wrapping is coupled to the folding mandrel 47 and the feeding station S3 in correspondence with the wrapping path P2 and in which the wrapping sheet 21 is coupled to a group 14 of cigarettes which, advancing along the wrapping path P2, intercepts the sheet 21 of wrapping that folds in a "U" shape around the group 14 of cigarettes itself.

In the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures, the displacement conveyor 48 comprises a displacement wheel 49 which is mounted rotatably (with intermittent motion, or "in step") around a horizontal rotation axis 50 and parallel to the wrapping path P2 ; the two bending spindles 47 are arranged at 180 ° with respect to each other (ie they are symmetrically arranged around the rotation axis 50) and therefore at each cycle the displacement wheel 49 performs a rotation of 180 °. According to a different embodiment not shown, the displacement conveyor 48 imparts to the two spindles 47 (or more generally to the at least one spindle 47) a movement of pure translation (or possibly of roto-translation) between the receiving station S4 and the station S3 for feeding instead of a pure rotation movement (typically the pure translation movement occurs on a plane perpendicular to the wrapping path P2 along which the groups 14 of cigarettes advance).

According to other embodiments not illustrated, the displacement wheel 49 (i.e. the displacement conveyor 48) supports a different number of bending mandrels 47, for example a single bending mandrel 47 or three, four, five or six bending mandrels 47. folding. A preferred embodiment provides for the presence of four bending mandrels 47 arranged at 90 ° with respect to each other (therefore at each cycle the displacement wheel 49 performs a rotation of 90 °); in this embodiment, between the receiving station S4 in which each wrapping sheet 21 is coupled to the folding mandrel 47 and the feeding station S3 in which each wrapping sheet 21 is coupled to a group 14 of cigarettes could be provided a reject station in which any sheet 21 of defective wrapping (identified by an optical control device) is rejected, or separated from the corresponding folding mandrel 47 and advanced towards a container for collecting the rejects.

Each folding mandrel 47 has a central passage channel 51 through which a corresponding group 14 of cigarettes passes in the feeding station S3; in other words, in the feeding station S3 the central passage channel 51 of each folding mandrel 47 is aligned with the wrapping path P2 and is crossed by a corresponding group 14 of smoking articles which advances along the wrapping path P2 pushed by the wrapping conveyor 37. Furthermore, each folding mandrel 47 has an outer surface 52 which is arranged around the central passage channel 51 and is adapted to receive and hold the wrapping sheet 21; in other words, in each bending mandrel 47 the outer surface 52 is crossed by the central passage channel 51. In particular, the external surface 52 of each bending mandrel 47 has a "U" shape and is constituted by an external wall 53, by an internal wall 54 which is integral with a central hub of the displacement wheel 49, and by a connecting wall 55 which is interposed between the external wall 53 and the internal wall 54 and is perpendicular to the wrapping path P2. In each bending mandrel 47, the two walls 53 and 54 are "open" with respect to the connecting wall 55, ie the two walls 53 and 54 form an obtuse angle with the connecting wall 55 (therefore greater than 90 °), preferably included between 95 ° and 140 ° (in the embodiment illustrated in the attached figures the angle is about 105 °).

The external surface 52 of each folding mandrel 47 has a through slot 56 which is oriented parallel to the rotation axis 50 (and therefore parallel to the wrapping path P2) and through which the supporting column 40 of each pusher 39 when the bending mandrel 47 is in the feeding station S3.

According to a preferred but not binding embodiment, each folding mandrel 47 comprises suction means for retaining the wrapping sheet 21 in contact with the outer surface 52 between the receiving station S4 and the feeding station S3; in other words, on the external surface 52 open a plurality of small holes connected to a suction source which generate a suction to retain the wrapping sheet 21 by suction in contact with the external surface 52 itself.

The feeding device 41 comprises a folding device 57 (schematically illustrated in Figures 18-21) which is arranged in correspondence with the receiving station S4, is separate and independent from the wrapping conveyor 37, and is able to fold each wrapping sheet 21 coming from the cutting member 44 against the outer surface 52 of the folding mandrel 47. In particular, the bending device 57 comprises a bending body 58 which reproduces in negative the shape of the bending mandrel 47, and an actuator 59 (typically a linear electric motor) which is adapted to cyclically translate the bending body 58 between a position of rest (illustrated in Figures 18, 20 and 21) in which the folding body 58 is separated from the folding mandrel 47 which is located in the receiving station S4 and a working position (illustrated in Figure 19) in which the folding body 58 embraces the folding mandrel 47 which is located in the receiving station S4 with the interposition of the wrapping sheet 21. In other words, the cutting member 44 of the feeding device 41 arranges the flat wrapping sheet 21 (ie without bends) in the receiving station S4 and between a bending spindle 47 and the bending device 57; subsequently, the folding body 58 of the folding device 57 is pushed against the folding mandrel 47 so as to fold the wrapping sheet 21 against the folding mandrel 47 itself (with a mechanism similar to a punch and a die).

The wrapping path P2 begins in the transfer station S2 (in which the groups 14 of cigarettes enter the wrapping conveyor 37) and ends at the transfer station S5 (in which the wrappers 3 leave the wrapping conveyor 37). As illustrated in Figure 10, the packing machine 29 comprises a transfer conveyor 60 which receives the wrappers 3 in the transfer station S5 from the wrapping conveyor 37 and advances the wrappers 3 along a transfer path P3 which is straight and perpendicular to the path P2. of wrapping up to a transfer station S6 (in which the wrappers 3 leave the transfer conveyor 60). The transfer conveyor 60 comprises an annular-shaped conveyor belt, which is wound around two end pulleys (one of which is motorized), supports a plurality of pockets 61 each suitable for housing a corresponding wrapping 3, and moves to step for cyclically moving the pockets 61 along the transfer path P3 from the transfer station S5 to the transfer station S6.

As illustrated in Figure 10, the packing machine 29 comprises a wrapping wheel 62 which is arranged downstream of the transfer conveyor 60 (therefore also downstream of the wrapping conveyor 37), supports a plurality of pockets 63 each suitable for containing the 'wrapping 3 and the collar 17, and is rotatably mounted (with intermittent motion, or "step") around a horizontal rotation axis 64 parallel to the wrapping path P2 to advance each pocket 63 along a perpendicular circular wrapping path P4 to the wrapping path P2. Each pocket 63 of the wrapping wheel 62 receives a collar 17 in a feeding station S7 arranged upstream of the transfer station S6 along the wrapping path P4, receives a wrapping 3 (which is coupled to the previously fed collar 17) in the station S6, receives a blank 28 in a feeding station S8 arranged downstream of the transfer station S6 along the wrapping path P4, and delivers together the wrapping 3, the collar 17 and the blank 28 in the transfer station S9 arranged downstream of the feeding station S8 along the wrapping path P4. In the feeding station S7, each collar 17 is placed on the outer surface of the wrapping wheel 62 in correspondence with a pocket 63 and is held in this position by suction; in the transfer station S5, a package 3 enters the corresponding pocket 63 is coupled to the collar 17 previously fed, causing the collar 17 to be folded into a "U" shape. In the feeding station S8, each blank 28 is placed on the external surface of the wheel 62 of wrapping at a pocket 63 and is held in this position by suction; in the transfer station S9, a wrapping 3 exiting from the corresponding pocket 63 together with the collar 17 is coupled to the previously fed blank 28.

From the above, it is evident that the transfer conveyor 60 is interposed between the wrapping conveyor 37 and the wrapping wheel 62 and transfers each wrapping 3 from the wrapping conveyor 37 to the wrapping wheel 62 along the transfer path P3 perpendicular to the wrapping path P2 and perpendicular to the rotation axis 64 of wrapping wheel 62.

As illustrated in Figure 10, the packing machine 29 comprises a pusher 65 which is arranged in the transfer station S6 and moves cyclically from the bottom up to extract a package 3 from a pocket 61 of the transfer conveyor 60 and then insert the wrapping 3 itself in a pocket 63 of the wrapping wheel 62. As illustrated in Figure 9, the packing machine 29 comprises a feeding device 66 which cyclically feeds the collars 17 into the feeding station S7, or arranges each collar 17 in front of a pocket 63. The feeding device 66 comprises a station 67 in which a web 68 of wrapping material is unwound from a reel (not shown) and is advanced (passing behind the transfer conveyor 60) towards a known type cutting member 69 which is arranged alongside the station S7 of feeding and cyclically performs a transversal cut of the web 68 of wrapping material to separate the individual collars 17 from the web 68 of wrapping material itself.

As illustrated in Figure 9, the packing machine 29 comprises a feeding device 70 which cyclically feeds the blanks 28 into the feeding station S8, or arranges each blank 28 in front of a pocket 63. The feeding device 70 comprises a conveyor 71 advancing a plurality of stacks of blanks 28 towards a hopper (not shown); furthermore, the feeding device 70 comprises a feeding wheel 72 which supports a plurality of suction pick-up heads (not shown) each suitable for holding a corresponding blank 28, and is mounted rotatably (with intermittent motion, or "step") about a horizontal rotation axis 73 parallel to the rotation axis 64 to advance each suction pick-up head along a circular feeding path parallel to the wrapping path P4. The rotation of the feed wheel 72 cyclically moves each suction pick-up head from a pick-up station S10 in which the suction pick-up head picks up a blank 28 from the bottom of the hopper to the feeding station S8 in which the suction pick-up head transfers the blank 28 to wrapping wheel 62.

As illustrated in Figure 10, the packing machine 29 comprises a wrapping wheel 74 which is arranged downstream of the wrapping wheel 62, supports a plurality of pockets 75 each suitable for containing a wrapping 3, a collar 17 and a blank 28, and is rotatably mounted (with intermittent motion, or "in step") around a horizontal rotation axis 76 parallel to the rotation axis 64 (and therefore perpendicular to the wrapping path P2) to advance each pocket 75 along a path P5 of circular wrapping parallel to the wrapping path P4 (and therefore perpendicular to the wrapping path P2). Each pocket 75 of the wrapping wheel 72 receives a wrapper 3, a collar 17 and a blank 28 in the transfer station S9, folds the blank 28 downstream of the transfer station S9, and delivers an almost complete pack 1 of cigarettes (missing only the folding of the flaps 9 "and 13") in a transfer station S11 arranged downstream of the transfer station S9 along the wrapping path P5. In the transfer station S11, the folding of each blank 28 is completed (thus completing the formation of the corresponding packet 1 of cigarettes) by folding the fins 9 "and 13" immediately downstream of the wrapping wheel 74. Once the formation of each pack 1 of cigarettes has been completed, the pack 1 of cigarettes itself is transferred to a belt drying conveyor 77 (illustrated in Figure 9) which advances the packets 1 of cigarettes in succession along a straight drying path P6 and perpendicular to the axis 76 of rotation towards an outlet of the packing machine 29.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 18-21, the folding device 57 comprises only the folding body 58 translated by the actuator 59 between the rest position (illustrated in Figures 18, 20 and 21) in which the folding body 58 is separated from the bending mandrel 47 located in the receiving station S4 and the working position (illustrated in Figure 19) in which the bending body 58 embraces the bending mandrel 47 located in the receiving station S4 with the interposition of the sheet 21 of wrapping.

In the variant illustrated in figures 22-24, the bending device 57 comprises, in addition to the bending body 58 translated by the actuator 59, also a nerve body 78 which reproduces in negative the initial shape (in correspondence with the connecting wall 55 of the external surface 52 of the bending mandrel 47) of the bending mandrel 47 and is translated by a corresponding actuator 79 (typically a linear electric motor) between a rest position (illustrated in Figure 22) in which the stressing body 78 is separated from the bending mandrel 47 which is located in the receiving station S4 and a working position (illustrated in Figures 23 and 24) in which the stressing body 78 embraces the folding mandrel 47 which is located in the receiving station S4 with the interposition of the wrapping sheet 21 . The actuator 79 which translates the stressing body 78 is at least functionally independent of the actuator 59 which translates the bending body 58 in such a way as to allow the enervating body 78 to translate independently from the bending body 58; obviously the two actuators 59 and 79 can also share common parts. According to a preferred embodiment, the folding body 58 has a shape completely with respect to the unbending body 78, so that the unbending body 78 can be contained inside the folding body 58 and therefore in such a way that in the working position (illustrated in Figure 24) the bending body 58 and the stressing body 78 can both be in contact at the same time with the bending mandrel 47.

In use, initially (as illustrated in Figure 22), a flat wrapping sheet 21 is placed in the receiving station S4 in front of a corresponding folding mandrel 47 while both bodies 58 and 77 of the folding device 57 are (relatively) distant. from the folding mandrel 47 to allow the wrapping sheet 21 to descend. Subsequently (as illustrated in Figure 23), the actuator 79 moves only the yielding body 78 to the working position in which the yielding body 78 embraces the folding mandrel 47 to cause a very precise folding of the wrapping sheet 21 only around the two edges of the wall 55 connecting the outer surface 52 of the bending mandrel 47. Finally (as illustrated in Figure 24), the actuator device 59 moves only the folding body 58 into the working position in which the folding body 58 embraces the folding mandrel 47 to complete the folding of the wrapping sheet 21 around the folding mandrel 47. . In other words, the stressing body 78 performs (very precisely) the folding of the wrapping sheet 21 only around the two edges of the connecting wall 55 of the outer surface 52 of the folding mandrel 47 while the rest of the wrapping sheet 21 remains detached and at some distance from the walls 53 and 54 of the outer surface 52 of the bending mandrel 47; subsequently, the folding body 58 completes the folding of the wrapping sheet 21 against the walls 53 and 54 of the outer surface 52 of the folding mandrel 47. In this way, the folding of the wrapping sheet 21 around the folding mandrel 47 is divided into two distinct phases carried out by two distinct bodies 58 and 77, each of which is optimized to best perform its (limited) function; that is, the two bodies 58 and 77 are particularly effective and efficient as they are specialized to perform (at best) a single task.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 9 and 10, the pusher 65 is arranged in the transfer station S6, which moves cyclically from the bottom upwards to extract a package 3 from a pocket 61 of the transfer conveyor 60 and then insert the wrapping 3 itself in a pocket 63 of wrapping wheel 62; or, in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 9 and 10, a wrapper 3 is transferred directly from a pocket 61 of the transfer conveyor 60 to a pocket 63 of the wrapping wheel 62. According to a different embodiment illustrated in Figure 25, a transfer wheel 80 is provided which is interposed between the transfer conveyor 60 and the wrapping wheel 62, supporting a plurality of pockets 81 each suitable for containing at least the wrapping 3, and is rotatably mounted (with intermittent, or "step" motion) around an axis 82 of vertical rotation (therefore perpendicular to the axis 64 of rotation of the wrapping wheel 62) to advance each pocket 81 along a circular transfer path between a transfer station S12 in which the pocket 81 receives a wrapper 3 from the transfer conveyor 60 and the transfer station S6 in which the pocket 81 transfers the wrapper 3 to the wrapping wheel 62; or in the transfer station S6, the pusher 65 cyclically moves from the bottom to the top to extract a wrapping 3 from a pocket 81 of the transfer wheel 80 and then insert the wrapping 3 itself into a pocket 81 of the wrapping wheel 62. According to a possible embodiment not illustrated, even in the presence of the transfer wheel 80 the collars 17 are fed to the pockets 63 of the wrapping wheel 62 in the feeding station S7 arranged upstream of the transfer station S6 along the wrapping path P4 ( or the feeding station S7 remains coupled to the wrapping wheel 62); according to an alternative embodiment illustrated in Figure 25, the feed station S7 for the collars 17 is moved in correspondence with the transfer wheel 80 and therefore a pocket 81 of the transfer wheel 80 initially receives a collar 17 in the feed station S7, receives subsequently a wrapping 3 from the transfer conveyor 60 in the transfer station S12, and finally, together, it transfers the wrapping 3 and the collar 17 to the wrapping wheel 62 in the transfer station S6. That is, in the presence of the transfer wheel 80, each wrapping 3 is transferred indirectly (due to the interposition of the transfer wheel 80) from a pocket 61 of the transfer conveyor 60 to a pocket 63 of the wrapping wheel 62. 80 of transfer allows, among other things, to impart a different orientation to the wrappers 3 between the transfer conveyor 60 and the wrapping wheel 62; or the transfer wheel 80 can only be used to impart a different orientation to the wrappers 3 leaving the feeding of the collars 17 to the pockets 63 of the wrapping wheel 62 in the feeding station S7. The different orientation of the wrapping 3 imparted by the transfer wheel 80 allows to maintain the same direction of sequence of folds as the wrapping sheet 21 for the blank 28. According to a different embodiment not shown, the transfer wheel 80 instead of being arranged at the end of the transfer conveyor 60 as illustrated in Figure 25 (i.e. between the transfer conveyor 60 and the wrapping wheel 62) is arranged at the beginning of the transfer conveyor 60 (i.e. between the wrapping conveyor 37 and the transfer conveyor 60).

According to a preferred, but not binding, embodiment, the movement of the various components (wrapping wheels, feed conveyors, pushers, mobile folders ...) of the packing machine 29 is carried out by means of respective electric motors which are mechanically independent from each other and are synchronized (i.e. moved in phase) in a virtual way (i.e. not through a physical constraint, but through a control constraint). Normally an electric motor (for example the electric machine that controls the rotation of the wrapping wheel 62) is considered as the reference ("master") and all the other electric motors ("slave") follow the position of the reference electric motor (" master's degree"). To obtain linear movements (that is, which involve a movement along a rectilinear trajectory), a rotating electric motor is generally used which rotates a pinion which meshes with a rack; that is, a “rack and pinion” mechanism is used to transform the rotary movement generated by the electric motor into a linear movement. The embodiments described here can be combined with each other without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.

The packing machine 29 described above has numerous advantages.

In the first place, the wrapping unit B of the packing machine 29 described above allows the wrapping 3 of the cigarette packets 1 to be produced with a high production quality (i.e. having extremely precise and squared folds of the wrapping sheet 21) also by operating at a high production speed (ie with a high number of wrapping 3 produced in the unit of time). This result is also obtained thanks to the fact that the first folding of each sheet 21 of wrapping takes place against metal elements (i.e. it occurs between the folding mandrel 47 and the folding body 58 of the folding device 57) which allow to obtain clean and squared folds. . Furthermore, the packing machine 29 described above allows to change the format of the packets 1 of cigarettes in a relatively simple and fast way.

Finally, the packing machine 29 described above is compact and has optimum accessibility to all its components; in fact an operator who is in front of the packing machine 29 is able to reach with his own hands all the active parts of the packing machine 29 in a simple, fast and ergonomic way. In particular, an operator who is in front of the packing machine 29 can easily reach with his own hands the hopper 33, the forming conveyor 36, the wrapping conveyor 37, the transfer conveyor 60, and the wheels 62 and 72 of wrapping.

The embodiment illustrated in the attached figures refers to the production of a packet of cigarettes, but the present invention can also be applied without substantial modifications to the production of any other type of packet of smoking articles (for example a pack of cigars, a pack of electronic cigarettes of the liquid vaporization type, a pack of new generation cigarettes without tobacco combustion ...).

Claims (15)

CLAIMS 1) Packaging machine (29) for producing a package (1) of rigid smoking articles comprising: a wrapping (3) formed by folding a sheet (21) of wrapping around a group (14) of smoking articles, and a container (2) outer formed by folding a blank (28) and a collar (17) around the wrapping (3); the packing machine (29) comprises: a forming conveyor (36) advancing a plurality of first pockets (35) along a forming path (P1); a hopper (33) which is arranged in front of the formation conveyor (36) and along the formation path (P1) and is provided with at least one outlet mouth (34) from which the group (14) of articles to be extracted smoke; a wrapping conveyor (37) which is arranged downstream of the forming conveyor (36) and is adapted to advance the group (14) of smoking articles and the wrapping sheet (21) along a first wrapping path (P2) straight and horizontal to fold the wrapping sheet (21) around the group (14) of smoking articles and then form the wrapping (3); a first wrapping wheel (62) which is arranged downstream of the wrapping conveyor (37), supports at least a second pocket (63) adapted to contain the wrapping (3) and the collar (17), and is rotatably mounted around to a first axis (64) of horizontal rotation parallel to the first wrapping path (P2) for advancing the second pocket (63) along a second circular wrapping path (P4) perpendicular to the first wrapping path (P2); and a second wrapping wheel (74) which is arranged downstream of the first wrapping wheel (62), supports at least a third pocket (75) adapted to contain the wrapping (3), the collar (17) and the blank ( 28), and is rotatably mounted about a second axis (76) of horizontal rotation parallel to the first axis (64) of rotation to advance the third pocket (75) along a third path (P5) of circular wrapping perpendicular to the first path ( P2) of wrapping; the packing machine (29) is characterized in that it comprises a transfer conveyor (60) which is interposed between the wrapping conveyor (37) and the first wrapping wheel (62) and transfers the wrapping (3) from the conveyor ( 37) of wrapping towards the first wrapping wheel (62) along a transfer path (P3) perpendicular to the first wrapping path (P2) and perpendicular to the first rotation axis (64). 2) Packaging machine (29) according to claim 1, in which the first wrapping path (P2) is perpendicular to the formation path (P1). 3) Packaging machine (29) according to claim 2 and comprising a first transfer station (S2) in which the group (14) of smoking articles is transferred directly from the forming conveyor (36) to the wrapping conveyor (37). 4) Packaging machine (29) according to claim 1, 2 or 3 and comprising a second transfer station (S5) in which the wrapping (3) is transferred directly from the wrapping conveyor (37) to the transfer conveyor (60) . 5) Packaging machine (29) according to one of claims 1 to 4 and comprising a fourth transfer station (S9) in which the wrapping (3) coupled to the collar (17) is transferred directly from the first wrapping wheel (62) to the second wrapping wheel (74). 6) Packaging machine (29) according to one of claims 1 to 5 and comprising a first feeding station (S3) which is arranged along the first wrapping path (P2) and in which the wrapping sheet (21) is folded coupled “U” to group (14) of smoking articles. 7) Packaging machine (29) according to claim 6 and comprising a feeding device (41) which is adapted to arrange the wrapping sheet (21) in the first feeding station (S3) so that the smoking articles advancing along the first wrapping path (P2) intercepts the wrapping sheet (21) causing the wrapping sheet (21) to be folded in a "U" shape. 8) Packaging machine (29) according to claim 7, wherein the feeding device (41) comprises: at least one bending mandrel (47) provided with a central passage channel (51) through which the group (14) of smoking articles can pass and with an outer surface (52) which is arranged around the channel (51) of central passage and is adapted to receive and hold the wrapping sheet (21); a folding device (57) which is separate and independent from the wrapping conveyor (37) and is adapted to fold the wrapping sheet (21) against the outer surface (52) of the folding mandrel (47); and a displacement conveyor (48) which cyclically moves the folding mandrel (47) between a receiving station (S4) at the folding device (57) and in which the wrapping sheet (21) is coupled to the mandrel (47) and a feeding station (S3) in correspondence with the first wrapping path (P2) and in which the central passage channel (51) of the folding mandrel (47) is crossed by the group (14) of smoking articles. 9) Packaging machine (29) according to one of claims 1 to 8 and comprising a third transfer station (S6) in which the wrapper (3) is transferred directly from the transfer conveyor (60) to the first wheel (62) of wrapping. 10) Packaging machine (29) according to one of claims 1 to 9 and comprising a second feeding station (S7) in which the collar (17) is fed to the second wrapping pocket (63) without the wrapping (3). 11) Packaging machine (29) according to one of claims 1 to 8 and comprising a transfer wheel (80) which is interposed between the transfer conveyor (60) and the first wrapping wheel (62), supports at least a fourth pocket (81) adapted to contain at least the wrapping (3), and is rotatably mounted around a third axis (82) of vertical rotation to advance the fourth pocket (81) along a circular transfer path between a station (S12) of exchange in which the fourth pocket (81) receives a wrapping (3) from the transfer conveyor (60) and a third transfer station (S6) in which the fourth pocket (81) directly transfers the wrapping (3) to the second pocket (63) of the wrapping wheel (62). 12) Packaging machine (29) according to claim 11, and comprising a second feeding station (S7) in which the collar (17) is fed to the fourth wrapping pocket (81) without the wrapping (3). 13) Packaging machine (29) according to one of claims 1 to 12 and comprising a third feeding station (S8) in which the blank (28) is fed to the second pocket (63) provided with the wrapping (3). 14) Packaging machine (29) according to one of claims 1 to 13, in which: a frame (30) is provided consisting of the union of two bodies (31, 32) arranged side by side; a first body (31) of the frame (30) has a first front wall which supports the forming conveyor (36) and the hopper (33), and a side wall which supports the wrapping conveyor (37); and a second body (32) of the frame (30) has a second front wall which supports the first wrapping wheel (62), the second wrapping wheel (74) and the transfer conveyor (60). 15) Wrapping method for producing a package (1) of rigid smoking articles comprising: a wrapping (3) formed by folding a sheet (21) of wrapping around a group (14) of smoking articles, and a container (2 ) external formed by folding a blank (28) and a collar (17) around the wrapping (3); the wrapping method includes the steps of: advancing a plurality of first (35) pockets along a forming path (P1) by means of a forming conveyor (36); extracting the group (14) of smoking articles from an outlet mouth (34) of a hopper (33) which is arranged in front of the forming conveyor (36) and along the forming path (P1); advance, by means of a wrapping conveyor (37) which is arranged downstream of the forming conveyor (36), the group (14) of smoking articles and the wrapping sheet (21) along a first rectilinear wrapping path (P2) and horizontal to fold the wrapping sheet (21) around the group (14) of smoking articles and thus forming the wrapping (3); advance a second pocket (63) suitable to contain the wrapping (3) and the collar (17) along a second path (P4) of circular wrapping perpendicular to the first path (P2) of wrapping and by means of a first wheel (62) of wrapping which is arranged downstream of the wrapping conveyor (37) and is rotatably mounted about a first axis (64) of horizontal rotation parallel to the first wrapping path (P2); and advance at least a third pocket (75) capable of containing the wrapping (3), the collar (17) and the blank (28) along a third path (P5) of circular wrapping perpendicular to the first path (P2) of wrapping by means of a second wrapping wheel (74) which is arranged downstream of the first wrapping wheel (62) and is rotatably mounted about a second horizontal rotation axis (76) parallel to the first rotation axis (64); the packing machine (29) is characterized in that it comprises the further step of transferring the wrapping (3) from the wrapping conveyor (37) towards the first wrapping wheel (62) along a transfer path (P3) perpendicular to the first wrapping path (P2) is perpendicular to the first rotation axis (64) and by means of a transfer conveyor (60) which is interposed between the wrapping conveyor (37) and the first wrapping wheel (62).