IT201900008736A1 - Unit and method of transport to impart a rotation to a package during the advancement of the package itself along a straight path. - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

of the industrial invention entitled:

"Unit and method of transport to impart a rotation to a package during the advancement of the package itself along a straight path."

in the name of G.D S.p.A., of Italian nationality, with registered office in 40133 BOLOGNA, Via Battindarno, 91.

Designated inventors: Valerio CACCIARI, Michele SQUARZONI, Luca FEDERICI Filed on: ……………………… Application N ………………………

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TECHNIQUE SECTOR

The present invention relates to a transport unit and a transport method for imparting a rotation to a package during the advancement of the package itself along a straight path.

The present invention finds advantageous application in a cigarette packet wrapping machine (ie a machine that applies a transparent overwrapping to cigarette packets), to which the following discussion will explicitly refer without losing generality.

ANTERIOR ART

In almost all the production plants, the packets of cigarettes are fed from a packing machine to a cellophane wrapping machine with a longitudinal feed direction (i.e. with the upper or lower wall arranged forward and oriented perpendicular to the direction of transport); normally at the entrance of the cellophane wrapping machine there is an orientation drum (commonly called "spider") which picks up the packets of cigarettes from an inlet conveyor in which the packets of cigarettes are fed longitudinally and deposits the packets of cigarettes on a conveyor of labeling in which the packets of cigarettes are fed transversely (i.e. with a side wall arranged forward and oriented perpendicular to the direction of transport). The labeling conveyor is equipped with a static plane (i.e. without moving parts), on which the cigarette packets slide, and with a belt conveyor that supports a series of pushers, each of which is arranged in a central slot of the static plane and engages a side wall of a packet of cigarettes arranged rearwardly with respect to the direction of advance to push the packet of cigarettes itself along the static plane. A labeling device is arranged along the labeling conveyor which applies a tax stamp astride the side wall arranged in front of the direction of advancement (and therefore astride the side wall which is not engaged by a pusher).

By acting on the orientation drum, it is possible to ensure that on the labeling conveyor the packets of cigarettes are always deposited with the side wall which must receive the tax stamp arranged in front of the direction of advancement; however, it could happen that downstream of the labeling device the packets of cigarettes have to be turned upside down (ie rotated by 180 °) before being wrapped in a transparent wrapping sheet.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a transport unit and a transport method for imparting a rotation to a package during the advancement of the package itself along a straight path, which units and transport method allow to operate at a high production speed ( measured as packets of cigarettes wrapped in a unit of time) and are, at the same time, easy and inexpensive to make.

In accordance with the present invention, a transport unit and a transport method are provided for imparting a rotation to a package during the advancement of the package itself along a straight path, according to what is claimed in the attached claims.

The claims, which contemplate embodiments of the present invention, form 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 schematic view of an inlet portion of a cellophane wrapping machine for cigarette packets provided with a transport unit made in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic and front view of a conveyor of the transport unit of figure 1;

Figure 3 is a schematic and plan view of the conveyor of figure 2; and • Figures 4, 5 and 6 are different views of the transport unit of Figure 1.

PREFERRED FORMS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INVENTION

In Figure 1, the number 1 indicates as a whole a cellophane wrapping machine for packets 2 of cigarettes, ie a machine that applies a transparent overwrapping to packets 2 of cigarettes.

The cellophane wrapping machine 1 receives the packets 2 of cigarettes from a horizontal inlet conveyor 3 along which the packets 2 of cigarettes are fed longitudinally (with a longitudinal feed direction), or with the upper or lower wall arranged forward and perpendicularly oriented to the direction of transport, and with a continuous motion (that is, with a law of motion that provides for advancement without cyclical stopping phases).

The cellophane wrapping machine 1 comprises a transport unit 4 which advances the packets 2 of cigarettes transversely (with a transverse feed direction) along a straight and horizontal path P, or with a side wall arranged forward and oriented perpendicular to the direction of transport, and with a continuous motion (that is, with a law of motion that provides for an advancement without cyclical stopping phases).

The cellophane wrapping machine 1 comprises an orientation drum 5 (for example made according to what is described in US4883163A) which rotates with continuous motion around an axis 6 of vertical rotation and is provided with a plurality of gripping heads (not shown), each of which it takes a packet 2 of cigarettes from the inlet conveyor 3 and deposits it in the transport unit 4 making the appropriate orientation changes.

The cellophane wrapping machine 1 comprises a labeling device 7 which is arranged along the path P (therefore in correspondence with the transport unit 4) and in each packet 2 of cigarettes it applies a tax stamp astride the side wall arranged in front of the forward direction. .

The transport unit 4 comprises a conveyor 8 which is adapted to advance each packet 2 of cigarettes along the path P and a rotation device 9 which is arranged along the path P (therefore coupled to the conveyor 8) downstream of the device 7 of labeling with respect to the direction of advancement of the packets 2 of cigarettes and is adapted to impart to each packet 2 of cigarettes a rotation of 180 ° around an axis of vertical rotation (therefore perpendicular to the path P). In other words, the rotation device 9 is able to: take each pack 2 of cigarettes from the conveyor 8 into a pick-up position, rotate the pack 2 of cigarettes by 180 ° around a vertical rotation axis (consequently inverting the wall side of the packet 2 of cigarettes arranged upstream with the side wall of the packet 2 of cigarettes arranged downstream), and then deposit the packet 2 of cigarettes rotated again on the conveyor 8 in a position of release.

The objective of the rotation device 9 (which, depending on the desired positioning of the tax stamps can also be disabled) is to change the orientation of the packs 2 of cigarettes after the application of the tax stamp; in fact, the rotation device 9 is arranged along the path P downstream of the labeling device 7 with respect to the direction of advance of the packets 2 of cigarettes.

As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the conveyor 8 comprises a static plane 10 on which the packets 2 of cigarettes slide and is centrally provided with a slot 11. Furthermore, the conveyor 8 comprises a belt 12 which is closed in a loop around a two end pulleys (not shown) and supports a series of pushers 13, each of which protrudes perpendicularly from the belt 12, is arranged in the central slot 11 of the static plane 10, and engages a side wall of each pack 2 of cigarettes arranged behind the direction of advancement to push the pack 2 of cigarettes itself along the static plane 10.

According to a preferred (but not binding) embodiment, the static plane 10 is mounted movable along a vertical direction D and an actuator 14 is provided (for example comprising an electric motor connected to an eccentric) which is able to move the plane 10 static along the vertical direction D to lift a pack 2 of cigarettes when the pack 2 of cigarettes is in the pick-up position and then bring the pack 2 of cigarettes into contact with the rotation device 9. It is important to note that the actuator 14 may not lift the entire static plane 10 but only a limited portion of the static plane 10 which is located in correspondence with the rotation device 9. According to what is illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 6, the rotation device 9 of the transport unit 4 comprises two gripping heads 15 which are arranged above the path P (i.e. above the conveyor 8) and are each suitable for gripping a corresponding 2 pack of cigarettes which is retained by aspiration. That is, each gripping head 15 has at its bottom a plurality of holes which can be put into pneumatic communication with a suction source to retain a corresponding packet 2 of cigarettes.

The rotation device 9 of the transport unit 4 comprises a movable body 16 which is arranged above the path P (i.e. above the conveyor 8), is mounted movably to slide back and forth parallel to the path P, and supports each head 15 of gripping in a rotatable way to allow the gripping head 15 to rotate around an axis 17 of vertical rotation and perpendicular to the path P.

The rotation device 9 of the transport unit 4 comprises a guide 18 (i.e. a track) which is arranged in a fixed position along the path P (i.e. parallel to the path P) and a pair of carriages 19 (illustrated in Figure 6), each of which is mounted slidably on the guide 18 and supports (supports) the movable body 16. In other words, the two carriages 19 are integral with a frame of the movable body 16 and therefore support the frame of the movable body 16 allowing the frame of the movable body 16 to slide along the guide 18 (and therefore parallel to the path P).

The device 9 for rotation of the transport unit 4 comprises a movement system 20 which translates the trolley 19 along the guide 18 in both directions and a movement system 21 which controls (in collaboration with the movement system 20 as explained in followed) the rotation of each gripping head 15 about the corresponding rotation axis 17.

Finally, the rotation device 9 of the transport unit 4 comprises a control unit C (schematically illustrated in Figure 4) which is configured to synchronously control the two handling systems 20 and 21 so as to: pick up from the conveyor 8 and with each gripping head 15 a pack 2 of cigarettes in a pick-up position, advance each gripping head 15 together with the pack 2 of cigarettes along the path P while the gripping head 15 is rotated around the axis 17 of rotation , and to deliver each packet 2 of cigarettes to the conveyor 8 in a delivery position arranged downstream of the withdrawal position along the path P.

The movement system 20 comprises a belt 22 which is looped around two pulleys 23 and is rigidly connected to the carriages 19, and therefore to the movable body 16; one pulley 23 is mounted idle while the other pulley 23 is motorized and is rotated by an electric motor 24. According to a preferred embodiment, the belt 22 and the pulleys 23 are preferably toothed to ensure better control of the position of the belt 22. Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment, the pulleys 23 rotate around two respective horizontal rotation axes 25. , parallel to each other and perpendicular to the vertical rotation axes 17 of the gripping heads 15. In particular, a rigid connection bracket 26 is provided (shown in Figure 6) which at one end is connected to the belt 22 and at the opposite end is connected to the frame of the movable body 16.

The movement system 21 comprises a belt 27 which is supported by the movable body 16 and is wound in a ring around two pulleys 28, each of which is rigidly connected to a corresponding gripping head 15 to always rotate integrally with the head 15 of outlet itself; in other words, each pulley 28 is coaxial to a corresponding gripping head 15, rotates around the same vertical rotation axis 17 of the corresponding gripping head 15, and is angularly integral with the corresponding gripping head 15. Both pulleys 28 are mounted idle, ie they do not rotate the belt 27 but are rotated by the belt 27. According to a preferred embodiment, the belt 27 and the pulleys 28 are preferably toothed to ensure better control of the position of the belt. strap 27.

The movement system 21 comprises a belt 29 which is parallel to the belt 27, is arranged alongside the belt 27 completely outside the movable body 16 (i.e. the belt 29 is completely independent from the movable body 16), is integral with the belt 27 in at least one connection point 31, and is wound in a ring around two pulleys 30; one pulley 30 is mounted idle while the other pulley 30 is motorized and is rotated by an electric motor 32. According to a preferred embodiment, the belt 29 and the pulleys 30 are preferably toothed to ensure better control of the position of the belt 29. Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment, the pulleys 30 rotate around two respective vertical rotation axes 33. , parallel to each other and parallel to the vertical rotation axes 17 of the gripping heads 15 and pulleys 28. In other words, the electric motor 32 directly controls a movement of the belt 29 and therefore indirectly controls the movement of the belt 27 which is integral with the belt 29 thanks to connection point 31.

When the electric motor 24 causes the belt 22 to move (turning the motorized pulley 23), the movement of the belt 22 determines a corresponding translation of the movable body 16 along the guide 18. If during the translation of the movable body 16 along the guide 18 the electric motor 32 remains stationary (i.e. the belt 29 remains stationary and therefore also the belt 27 which is integral with the belt 29), the pulleys 28 must necessarily rotate with respect to the belt 27 (which remains stationary) to allow the translation of the movable body 16 causing a corresponding rotation of the gripping heads 15. If during the translation of the movable body 16 along the guide 18 the electric motor 32 rotates (therefore the belt 29 and therefore also the belt 27 which is integral with the belt 29 are moved), the pulleys 28 may not even rotate with respect to the belt 27 ( in particular when the belt 27 moves synchronously with the movable body 16) thus not causing the gripping heads 15 to rotate.

Consequently, the control unit C by combining the motion imparted by the electric motor 24 to the belt 22 with the motion imparted by the electric motor 32 to the belt 29 (therefore to the belt 27 which is integral with the belt 29) can make the movable body 16 translate supporting the gripping heads 15 along the path P and, at the same time, can make the gripping heads 15 rotate with the desired law of motion about the respective rotation axes 17.

In the embodiment illustrated in the attached figures, the movable body 16 supports two twin gripping heads 15; according to other embodiments not illustrated, the movable body 16 supports a single gripping head 15 or supports more than two twin gripping heads 15.

In the embodiment illustrated in the attached figures, the rotation device 9 imparts to each packet 2 of cigarettes a rotation of 180 ° (ie an overturning); according to other embodiments not illustrated, the rotation device 9 imparts to each packet 2 of cigarettes a rotation other than 180 ° (for example 90 °).

The operation of the transport unit 4 during the rotation of a pair of packets 2 of cigarettes advanced by the conveyor 8 along the straight path P is described below.

Initially, the control unit C drives the two electric motors 24 and 32 to arrange the two gripping heads 15 in a receiving position above two packets 2 of cigarettes carried by the conveyor 8; at this point, the actuator 14 moves the static plane 10 upwards to bring the two packets 2 of cigarettes into contact with the gripping heads 15 which can therefore grasp and hold by suction the two packets 2 of cigarettes themselves (a by way of example, the vertical stroke of the static plane 10 can be of the order of a millimeter or a few millimeters, preferably comprised between 1 and 10 millimeters). Once the two gripping heads 15 have grasped the two packets 2 of cigarettes in the withdrawal position, the control unit C drives the two electric motors 24 and 32 to move the two gripping heads 15 from the withdrawal position to the position (which is arranged downstream of the pick-up position along the path P) and, at the same time, to rotate the two gripping heads 15 and therefore the two packets 2 of cigarettes carried by the gripping heads 15 by 180 °. Once the delivery position has been reached, the two gripping heads 15 release the two packets 2 of cigarettes (simply by stopping the suction) which by gravity fall on the static plane 10 of the conveyor 8. At this point, the control unit C it drives the two electric motors 24 and 32 to bring the two gripping heads 15 back to the pick-up position and restart another cycle.

The embodiment illustrated in the attached figures refers to the transport (not necessarily in a cellophane wrapping machine) of a packet 2 of cigarettes, but the present invention can also be applied without substantial modifications to the transport of any other type of packet of smoking articles. (for example a pack of cigars, a pack of e-cigarettes of the liquid vaporization type, a pack of new generation cigarettes without tobacco combustion ...) or even any other type of packet for consumer goods other than items to be smoke.

The embodiments described here can be combined with each other without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.

The transport unit 4 described above described above has numerous advantages.

In the first place, the transport unit 4 described above allows to impart to the packets 2 of cigarettes left over from the conveyor 8 along the path P a rotation in an effective way (i.e. ensuring that all the packets 2 of cigarettes are rotated correctly) and efficiently ( or minimizing the stresses to which the packets 2 of cigarettes are subjected to avoid damaging the packets 2 of cigarettes themselves).

In addition, the transport unit 4 described above is able to operate even at high operating speeds (even in the order of 1,000 packets processed per minute); this result is obtained thanks to the fact that the movable body 16 which supports the gripping heads 15 has a limited mass (and therefore a contained inertia) as it houses few components and above all because it does not house the electric motor 32 (which is very heavy as it alone weighs more than the whole movable body 16). In fact, the electric motor 32 which is used to control the rotation of the gripping heads 15 is not carried by the movable body 16, but is arranged outside the movable body 16 and transmits the motion to the gripping heads 15 through the two belts 27. and 29 in solidarity with each other.

Finally, the transport unit 4 described above is particularly compact and has optimal accessibility to all its components.

Claims (10)

R I V E N D I C A Z I O N I 1) Transport unit (4) to impart a rotation to a package (2) during the advancement of the package (2) itself along a straight path (P); the transport unit (4) includes: a conveyor (8) which is adapted to advance the packet (2) along the path (P); at least one gripping head (15) which is arranged above the path (P) and is adapted to grip the packet (2); a movable body (16) which rotatably supports the gripping head (15) to allow the gripping head (15) to rotate around a first rotation axis (17) perpendicular to the path (P); a guide (18) which is arranged in a fixed position along the path (P); at least one carriage (19) which is slidably mounted on the guide (18) and supports the movable body (16); a first movement system (20) which translates the carriage (19) along the guide (18) in both directions; a second movement system (21) which controls the rotation of the gripping head (15) around the first rotation axis (17); and a control unit (C) which is configured to synchronously control the two handling systems (20, 21) so as to: take the packet (2) from the conveyor (8), and with the pick-up head (15) ) in a pick-up position, advance the gripping head (15) together with the packet (2) along the path (P) while the gripping head (15) is made to rotate around the first rotation axis (17), and yield the packet (2) to the conveyor (8) in a delivery position arranged downstream of the pick-up position along the path (P). 2) Transport unit (4) according to claim 1, wherein the first handling system (20) comprises: a first belt (22) which is looped around two first pulleys (23) and is rigidly connected to the carriage (19); and a first electric motor (24) which rotates one of the first two pulleys (23). 3) Transport unit (4) according to claim 2, wherein the first pulleys (23) rotate about second rotation axes (25) perpendicular to the first rotation axis (17). 4) Transport unit (4) according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the second handling system (21) comprises: a second belt (27) which is supported by the movable body (16) and is wound in a ring around two second pulleys (28), one of which is rigidly connected to the gripping head (15) to always rotate integrally with the gripping head (15) itself; and a second electric motor (32) which controls a displacement of the second belt (27). 5) Transport unit (4) according to claim 4, wherein the second handling system (21) comprises a third belt (29) which is parallel to the second belt (27), is arranged alongside the second belt (27) completely outside the mobile body (16), it is integral with the second belt (27) in at least one connection point (31), and is wound in a ring around two third pulleys (30), one of which is rotated from the second electric motor (32). 6) Transport unit (4) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the movable body (16) supports two twin gripping heads (15), each of which is rigidly connected to a corresponding second pulley (28). 7) Transport unit (4) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the gripping head (15) is adapted to hold the packet (2) by suction. 8) Transport unit (4) according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the conveyor (8) comprises: a static plane (10) on which the packet (2) of cigarettes slides and is centrally provided with a slot (11); and a fourth belt (12) which supports a series of pushers (13), each of which is arranged in the central slot (11) of the static plane (10) and engages a wall of the packet (2) arranged behind the direction of advancement to push the package (2) itself along the static plane (10). 9) Transport unit (4) according to claim 8, wherein: the static plane (10) is mounted movably along a vertical direction (D); and an actuator (14) is provided which is able to move the static plane (10) along the vertical direction (D) to lift the packet (2) when the packet (2) is in the pick-up position and then bring the packet ( 2) in contact with the gripping head (15). 10) Transport method for imparting a rotation to a package (2) during the advancement of the package (2) itself along a straight path (P); the wrapping method includes the steps of: advancing, by means of a conveyor (8), the packet (2) along the path (P); grasping the packet (2) by means of a gripping head (15) which is arranged above the path (P); rotatingly supporting the gripping head (15), by means of a movable body (16), to allow the gripping head (15) to rotate around a rotation axis (17) perpendicular to the path (P); arranging a guide (18) in a fixed position along the path (P); slidingly mounting on the guide (18) at least one carriage (19) which supports the mobile body (16); providing a first movement system (20) which translates the carriage (19) along the guide (18) in both directions; provide a second movement system (21) that controls the rotation of the gripping head (15) around the rotation axis (17); And synchronously control the two handling systems (20, 21) so as to: pick up the pack (2) from the conveyor (8), and with the pick-up head (15) in a pick-up position, advance the head ( 15) of gripping together with the packet (2) along the path (P) while the gripping head (15) is made to rotate around the rotation axis (17), and transfer the packet (2) to the conveyor (8) in a release position arranged downstream of the withdrawal position along the path (P).